Page 48 of The Kings of Kearny

I tightened my grip on his arm. Running downstairs to murder my super real quick would not help this situation.

“Doubtful,” I said. “Brad’s a run-of-the-mill lowlife, but he wouldn’t be stupid enough to work for the Jokers in King territory. They probably just paid him off.”

Raúl’s eyes flashed wide. “The Jokers did this?” He looked to Jakob, took in the patch on the front of his leather jacket, and lifted his hands. “I don’t want anything to do with a turf war.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t drag you into it,” I said. “Right?” I squeezed Jakob’s arm, and he grunted in a way that might have been assent.

Raúl backed out of my apartment and kept going, all the way across the hall. I saw his boyfriend poke his head out their doorway, eyes wide. Great. He’d heard that whole exchange.

“Thank you for the heads-up,” I said.

Raúl nodded and disappeared into his apartment. I heard hushed whispers and what sounded like ten locks slamming into place.

“I guess we know why no one called the cops,” I said, turning back toward the wreckage of my life.

Jakob frowned in question.

“Our apartment complex encourages residents to vet any complaints we have through each building’s super,” I told him. “It keeps the police from coming out here every time someone’s dog barks too loud.”

Understanding and frustration swept over his features as he realized that anyone who called downstairs concerned about the noise would have been reassured by Brad, which meant that there was a real possibility no one even caught a look at the people who did this.

On second thought, maybe wecouldgo murder Brad real quick.

My phone rang from inside my purse. I fished it out and saw an unknown number. Just like with Dr. Perez, it was local. I swiped right to answer. “Hello?”

“Is this Krista Evans?” a deep male voice asked.

I hit the Speakerphone button. “It is.”

“This is Officer Sanders with Kearny PD. We’d like you to come down to the station and answer some questions if you have time.”

“Lawyer,” Jakob said, not bothering to lower his voice.

“What was that?” Officer Sanders asked.

“I can come down,” I told him. “I just need to set up a time with my attorney. I’ll have them call you.”

“Who’s your lawyer?” he asked. “I want to make sure the call is put through to me when it comes.”

“Katherine Jenkins,” Jakob answered.

Officer Sanders sighed. He sounded tired. “You’re a King. I should have known.”

“I’m not a King,” I said. “Just a friend of them.”

“Fine. But, Ms. Evans?”

“Yeah?”

“The sooner you get down to the station, the better. We have a rep here from Magnolia Hills saying you assaulted one of their security guards.”

I bit back the f-bomb that threatened. “Thank you, Officer. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

We said goodbye and hung up.

I turned to Jakob, furious. “That piece of shit is saying thatIassaultedhim? He was the one who followed me into the elevator and tried to attack me.”

Jakob wore a contemplative expression.

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