King for a Day (The King Trilogy #2)(36)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

“I understand why you might feel that way, Mia,” he said, replying to my thoughts. “However, you are not looking at the situation from the correct angle. Your options are to die by Vaughn’s hand, which will involve hours, perhaps days, of agony while he strips the skin from your body, piece by piece. Or taking a leap of faith with me. Those are your choices.”

Why not just tear off Vaughn’s head?

“I tried. But Vaughn knows what I am. He began to suspect the night I killed his two men.”

That night in London was the first time I’d met our current host. King suspected that Vaughn had the Artifact, so he set up a meeting, using me as the enticement. King told him I was some woman that Vaughn might enjoy for his collection, but really, I was there just to use my Seer gift and look for any traces of the Artifact. The meeting ended with King telling me to close my eyes. A second later two of Vaughn’s men were dead.

King sat next to me on the bed. “But after the night at the party, he finally put it all together: the Artifact, my appearing in the room…”

Don’t forget removing his arm. I’d never seen anything so horrific, and King had done that with the force one might use to shake hands.

King scratched his unshaven jaw, and I wondered what it felt like to be him. Did he really itch, or were his gestures just out of habit?

“I realize that it is difficult for you to trust someone like me. But I hide nothing from you, Mia. I would rather remain cursed and miserable forever than destroy you. And I will be damned if I stand by and watch Vaughn torture and rape you before he takes your life.”

I blew out a stress-filled breath. But if you kill me and I come back, then what?

“The Club has a body disposal service, and Vaughn will surely use it to get rid of yours.”

I remembered Mack mentioning the service. How could I forget something so creepy? It was one of the many benefits of belonging to the Club, along with free tax evasion, a fast-pass through Customs, and basic diplomatic immunity.

“I have paid them well, and they will know what to do,” King said. “Vaughn will never suspect.”

I blinked. What the hell, King? A ghastly uneasiness washed over me. He’d somehow seen all of this coming and had the foresight to make arrangements for my body?

Wow, 10 Club’s perks sure come in handy.

He placed his warm hand on my leg. “I began making arrangements the moment I decided to give you the ring. Just in case.”

One hell of a backup plan, King. I’m still not sure it solves our trust issue.

“It was not intended to win your trust. You asked a question. I answered honestly, Mia. And now you must choose what comes next. I cannot force you to trust me.”

Oh Lord, I knew King was right. Hell, now that I’d thought about it, even if he said the ring wasn’t going to bring me back, I would still choose a death by King’s hand over Vaughn’s. The only issue was that I wasn’t ready to die, and I certainly wasn’t ready to trust King, no matter how hard I might want to.

I shook my head and then gazed into his unsettling eyes. They were filled with emotion and determination, like he was willing me to accept the truth he wanted me to see. I want to believe you, but I can’t.

He slid his arm around me and pulled me into his side. “Again, I have erred. If I had not been so reluctant to believe you would see past my scars and pain, I would not have been so cold, so secretive. But I know you were brought to me for a reason. I truly believe that. You are a chance for me to redeem myself.”

Such sweet words. Too sweet, in fact. Actually, I’d be an idiot to believe anything he said. Because the opposite side of the coin told me he was cold, mean, and had zero issues with lying or manipulating people.

“What other choice to you have, Mia? Do you think Vaughn will let either of us go?”

I shook my head. But you’re basically saying the ring won’t work unless I trust you.

“Yes. You have to want to return. But will you? Will you, if you believe I wish to harm you, murder you?”

I guessed I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t want to die and come back just to die again.

“Then,” King said, “I have one day to change your mind and convince you of who I truly am.”

~~

To relax my body, King had me lie down on the narrow bed. He started by rubbing my feet and legs, then my arms and fingertips. As he massaged and glided those warm strong hands over my skin, I fought hard not to think about how his touch was so alive, so sensual, so completely enrapturing and so unlike what my mind thought the touch of a ghost should feel like. But the harder I tried not to focus on the physical effects of contact with King, the more my body reacted, lighting up in ways it never had for any man. Yes, without a doubt, King was no ordinary ghost. Or man. Even in captivity, he continued to exude a seductive, alluring, masculine power that drove me mad.

I think he sensed it, too, because when I began to squirm, telling my body not to do what it was doing, he made a quiet, deep groan. “This may be more difficult than I anticipated,” he said.

Nothing could be harder than trying to relax in Vaughn’s basement while having your feet rubbed by a ghost who was about to kill you to prevent you from being tortured then killed.

Of course, I was joking—sort of—but he grumbled with disapproval. “Try to focus on your breath.”

And then what are you going to do, again?

“It is something you’ve experienced before.”

Which is?

“I’m going to enter you.”

My right eye popped open. “Excuse me?”

He smiled with that charming, delicious, seductive smile that showed off the dimples in each cheek.

Uh-uh. That smile doesn’t work on me. I sat up, placing us nose to nose.

“I do not mean sex, if that is what you are thinking.”

Then what had he meant?

“I am going to…” He cleared his throat. “I am going to go inside you as I did that night in Edinburgh.”

What? No!

“There is no other way, Mia.”

Way for what? To hurt me? Because that night in Edinburgh, I’d tasted the full force of King’s pain. It was like having crushed glass pumped into my veins. Besides, didn’t you say Vaughn took away all of your powers?

“Some of my abilities cannot be removed. They come with the incorporeal-being package.” His beautiful dark brows furrowed, and he scratched his black stubble.

Why do you always do that?

“What?” he asked.