Page 52 of Wanted By a King

Though they’re all looking at me, it’s Alana who answers my question. “Umm, Zo? What do you know about the night you were attacked?”

“Not a lot,” I admit.

I’m immediately hit by a wave of guilt. I keep not asking questions because I’m afraid of the answers, and, well, because I seem to be hit with one thing after another. Like, how am I ever meant to get to the bottom of one thing when ten others pop up in its place?

“It was the Reapers who killed your mom and sister,” Rose says without any finesse. “The Kings aren’t scared of them, they’re fighting back because they’re ruthless motherfuckers.”

I barely hear the last part.

Wait, maybe it’s the first part I didn’t hear correctly.

There’s no way Grayson would keep it from me if that was true. Would he?

“I need to speak to him,” I gasp.

My hand flies to my throat, rubbing the skin like that’s going to help.

“Now,” I snap.

“You can’t interrupt them during church,” Beth says like I should care.

Maybe I should, but I really, really fucking don’t.

I can’t believe this. All this time, I thought… I don’t know what I thought. I’ve actively done my best not to think about it. But the few times I allowed my mind to go there, I assumed there were no suspects.

“I don’t care,” I hiss.

Before anyone can think to stop me, I jump up from the table and run toward the room they use for their meetings. I barely make it within three feet of the door before Slasher stops me.

“You can’t go in there,” he says sternly.

“I need to speak to him,” I cry. “Please.”

Desperation claws at my chest, making it near impossible to breathe.

“What’s going on?” Mama asks as she comes into view.

I repeat my request for the third time. Instead of telling me I can’t, Mama knocks on the door and asks to borrow Gray for a few minutes.

“Not Gray,” I rush out. “Gunner. I need to speak to Gunner.”

He was there so he can tell me if what they’re saying is true. If the same club that threatened me with a laser, and forced dad into stealing money are the same monsters who killed my mom and sister. I can’t deny the way it fits, yet I refuse to believe anything until I hear it from the only guy who was there during the attack.

Grayson

Ahazeofsmokelingers in the air as we sit around the old table for the emergency church session. To the club, and my brothers, the threat against Zoe is nothing more than the need to protect their investment.

To me, the threat against Zoe is like a threat against me. Or worse.

I didn’t fucking know there could be a worse, yet here we fucking are.

The fact that the Reapers have infiltrated our community, our turf, to recruit, is a threat against our club.

There are unspoken rules. And poaching locals from another club’s turf is a huge fucking no!

The fact that a local all-star athlete was carrying a prospect patch for the Reapers isn’t just shocking, but plain fucking worrying.

What the fuck would he have to gain by joining the Reapers?

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