Changing Lanes (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation 4)

Luna

“Make sure you try the food Bristol made.”

King nodded. “That’s why I’m here.” He smiled. “And to make sure I don’t need to buy that ticket to Alaska for you.”

Even after having a stroke, King was still on my case. Typical.

And it was also amazing. I don’t know what I would have done if he had died. It was a reality I had thought about for a second when I got the phone call he was being rushed to the hospital, and I knew I never wanted to think about that again. At least not for thirty years.

I held up my hands. “Hey, I’m trying to play nice. I even let Pie think all of this was his idea.” He had mentioned that I try the local culinary school for a cook for the club when I had actually already called the school. I would just keep that info in my back pocket and pull it out when I needed something to hold over his head.

King laughed. “You know, at the end of the day, we all want the same thing, Luna.”

“For Sultry Knights to be successful,” I sighed. I had heard that so many times before that the words didn’t hold much weight anymore. “And since we’re reopening, that can happen again.” I reached up and hugged King. I knew the rest of the guys were eager to talk to him, and I didn’t want to stand around with him lecturing me. “You’re looking good, King,” I whispered. “I’m glad you’re still here.”

King gave me an extra squeeze. “Thanks, squirt.”

I rolled my eyes at the nickname he gave me years ago. He knew I hated it, and I knew that was why he continued to call me it.

I now knew that play my cards close to my chest when it came to King, but I hadn’t figured that out before I told him to stop calling me squirt. I would more than likely go to my grave with him calling me squirt.

My phone rang in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a number I didn’t know. Since I had called the culinary school the other day and put the word out that I was looking for a cook for Sultry Knights, I had gotten a few calls from numbers I didn’t know. “I gotta get this.” This might be someone interested in the job.

King nodded, and I stepped toward the front door as I connected the call. “Hello?”

The voice was muffled, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the noise in the club. “Hold on for one second,” I called. “I can’t hear anything you’re saying.”

I slipped out the front door and moved to the side of the building. “Can you hear me now?” I asked. “Hello?” I called. I pulled the phone from my ear and saw that the call had dropped. “Shit.” I swiped on the number to call them back in hopes this might be my new cook. The menu was set, so now all I needed was a cook before we opened back up Sultry Knights.

The phone rang two times, and then I heard a phone ringing behind me. I turned on my heel thinking one of the guys were out here sneaking a smoke. Snapper was always slipping away to smoke because he didn’t want Meg and King to know he had taken up the bad habit. Little did he know that King and Meg both knew.

I turned the corner around the building, and a person knocked me onto the pavement. A knee planted in my stomach and pinned me to the ground. My phone flew from my hand, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I tried to tuck my legs to my chest to get some space between the person on top of me, but they had all of their weight weighing on me. I tried to lift my arms to cover my head, but they landed three hard blows right in my face.

“You fucking scream, and I’ll kill you right here, bitch,” the person growled in my ear.

My head swam from getting hit so hard, and I struggled to see who was on top of me. I had to get up, but my stomach rolled, and another punch landed on my face.

“Please,” I gasped. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t suck enough air into my lungs to breath, let alone scream.

“Shut up,” he spat. He grabbed a fist full of my hair and slammed my head on the concrete.

A groan escaped my lips, and the last thing I felt was a warmth in the back of my head, and then…nothing.