Kill the King Read Online Free PDF Page A

from a mile away.”
    The brute let
out a hearty laugh, then tossed the bag on to the bed before taking
a swig from his cup.
    “I’ve got some
fresh clothes for you. Put them on and then meet me outside. I’ll
help you catch up on Family affairs over some breakfast. Don’t take
too long, okay? I’m hungry.”
    Tyler smirked
as he lit a cigarette.
    “You’re always
hungry, Khaled. Marko might as well pay you in hummus instead of
cash. . .at least that way you’d be doing something smart with your
money, instead of wasting it on all that gold shit you wear over
your neck and fingers, looking like a fucking sheik.”
    The walking
pillar of concrete choked on his coffee, gasping for air as he
tried to stifle his laughter. He wasn’t expecting a verbal assault
from Tyler so soon in the morning.
    “Ah, well, I
guess I deserved that. I see you still have a sharp tongue. I’ve
missed that, you know.”
    Khaled left the
bedroom and made his way back to his car outside. From the
apartment window, Tyler stuck his head out and whistled at Khaled
before he stepped into his car.
    “You’re paying
for breakfast and coffee . You got it, sheik?”
    Khaled flashed
him a sarcastic grin and a huge, gold-ringed middle finger.

    ****

    Tyler and
Khaled were finishing up their breakfast and a second helping of
coffee. With Tyler’s long absence and unexpected return, there was
much to catch up on and not nearly enough time to do so. Khaled
talked while he shoveled large morsels of eggs and greasy meats in
his mouth.
    “So. . .now
that you know who’s alive and who’s dead and who’s in jail and
who’s out, I guess now’s a good time to talk about the new
shit.”
    Khaled took a
quick glance behind him before deciding to continue. Their booth
was in a windowless corner near the kitchen and away from the ears
of most of the diner’s patrons, but it was a habit of his to check
anyways. One could never be too sure of who was watching or
listening. Satisfied, he stirred a dab of milk into his coffee, the
spoon noisily clinking around the cup.
    “Money’s
alright, but I don’t know how much longer we can hold up before
things get ugly. The Fourteens have been working hard on stretching
out their turf. They’ve been going to war with every other gang
they can reach and they keep winning. Los Conchos were the first to
go, then the Golden Brothers, and then the Perps just last
year.”
    Tyler frowned
in disapproval. The Hispanic and Asian gangs in that part of town
were in Boreta’s pocket, and the Perps—a deeply-feared black gang
with roots going as far back as the 1960’s—were bigger than all of
them combined.
    Khaled nodded
his head in agreement. “Yeah, that’s right. . .even the Perps. They
were really mean niggers, too. They put up a good fight for a while
but they got crushed just like the others. The Fourteens train hard
and they’re organized. Ever since they closed the auto plant and
the construction companies have been hiring little brown curry kids
for shit pay, every broken-down honky kid from a shit home is
signing up to fuck up every coloured folk in town.”
    Khaled wiped
his mouth and leaned back in his seat, his appetite satiated for
the time being.
    “They’re angry
as fuck, and now they’re too big to ignore. It won’t be long before
they turn their attention to us. . .and that’s when the streets
will get a whole new coat of red. The question is, who will
be providing all of that red?”
    Tyler motioned
the waitress to refill his cup. This was a lot of bleak news to
swallow. He knew the Fourteens and their leader long enough to
believe Khaled. The Family should have taken the offensive and
stamped them out when they had the chance. Not having done so will
now cost them dearly. The gang had evolved into a full-fledged
mob.
    “So then how is
Marko keeping the money flowing while keeping the poor little
whiteys away? Have they taken over the drug market too?”
    Khaled scoffed
at being asked such a