King for a Day (The King Trilogy #2)(38)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

“King?” I pushed my weight over my wobbling knees and managed to make it to the doorway. Where was he?

I stumbled to the next room and saw his limp body sprawled across the floor.

I rushed to King’s side, but he was in the same catatonic state as when I first saw him earlier. No breath. No movement. But warm and beautiful.

“Hello, Miss Turner. Are you enjoying your stay?”

I flinched and looked up at the slimy cretin, wearing a horrible green suit, occupying the doorway.

“Immensely. Thanks, Vaughn.”

He smiled with those slithery, thin lips that reminded me of a snake about to unhinge its jaw. “He will wake up in a few hours. I didn’t want us to be disturbed.”

Shit. King. Wake up. For God’s sake, wake up.

Not a twitch.

“What did you do to him?” I asked.

Vaughn flicked his wrist. “King isn’t the only one who dabbles in the arts.”

I assumed he meant dark arts, but whatever. I had to think quickly because whatever Vaughn planned to do, it wasn’t good. Maybe I should have let King kill me when he had the chance.

“How’s the dinner party?” I asked, trying to buy time.

“Very well. Right now the guests are enjoying their dessert: five women I acquired from the Philippines. Today is each of the women’s eighteenth birthdays.

I resisted letting the rage cloud my mind. He is sick, Mia. And he will pay.

“Wow. Well, don’t let me keep you from your fun.”

“My fun is right here.” He lifted his brows.

“Ummm… Well, I’d rather die than allow you to touch me. So if you want the big moment to happen now, so be it. I think your ticket holders will be pissed off.”

“You think I cannot subdue you? King is passed out on the floor, is he not?”

“King is gone,” I lied, hoping he’d leave or change his focus to something else. Anything. “He took off hours ago.”

Vaughn shook his head and slipped a creepy pair of yellow glasses from his pants. He gazed down at the spot where King lay and then snickered. “Nice try, Miss Turner.”

Okay. Vaughn has scary ghost glasses. I’m officially impressed by his preparedness.

Vaughn’s gaze focused on my br**sts. “Ummm…I think I would like to start right there. They look juicy.” He licked his crusty pale lips.

Oh my God, King. Wake up. Wake up.

“I’ll tear off your balls if you touch me, Vaughn. And subduing me won’t be any fun since I know you don’t get off unless they scream.”

“Right you are.” He laughed, and his decrepit gaze moved down to my groin. “Perhaps I can persuade you to have a different kind of fun with me. I’m willing to barter. What would you like? Perhaps a good-bye video for your family?”

Oh no. Think, Mia. Think. Get him to leave. The only thing that popped in my head was to distract him with something more important. Maybe the Artifact?

“I have a question for you, Vaughn. Why in the world did you waste your time going after King when you had the Artifact?”

“Please, call me Milton. After all, you and I are going to become quite intimate. Might I say, the most intimate you’ve ever been with a man.”

On the outside, I held my expression of indifference. I didn’t want to give Vaughn the satisfaction he was looking for. On the inside, however, I felt my intestines twist into painful knots.

I smiled casually. “All right, Milton.” Psycho. “Why did you give up the Artifact? I hear you’re a collector of sorts.” I didn’t know if he’d given it up, but I wanted to find out.

“Who says I don’t have it?”

“Because, if you did, you wouldn’t be wasting your time with something as mundane as us.”

“Nice try, Miss Turner. But the Artifact is a worthless rock.”

“Who told you that?” I said as if he were the stupidest man on the planet.

“Your brother.”

Justin lied to Vaughn? Why? Because Justin knew it wasn’t worthless. He’d told me himself. In any case, I didn’t want Vaughn finding out that Justin had deceived him.

I made a quick shift in my strategy. “How would Justin know what he had? He’s an archaeologist. He knows bones and artifacts. Not magic.”

“And you do?”

I hesitated. What would be the repercussions of telling him I was a Seer? But I needed to sell the story. I needed Vaughn to go chase another shiny squirrel and leave me the hell alone.

I rolled the dice. “I am a Seer of Light.”

Vaughn’s eyes widened, and he laughed hysterically. “You. A Seer? Those are mystical creatures from the days of the Minoans.” His smile faded away into a cold stare. “They’re f**king unicorns. They don’t exist.”

Minoans. I didn’t know anything about that culture, but why did everyone always bring up unicorns? “If you don’t believe me, give me a test.”

He jostled his head from side to side, thinking. “Yes! An excellent idea. You can provide the after-dinner entertainment.”

“Sorry?” I said.

He scratched at a little scab or dry piece of skin stuck behind his ear. “My guests can play a game with you. Of course, you cannot go dressed like that. That would be preposterous. You may wear the outfit we procured for your special night tomorrow.”

Oh Lord. I’d meant a test down there in the basement. But now he wanted me to go and meet his sick friends? Maybe someone will help you. Or you’ll find a way to escape.

“Come, Miss Turner.” He waved at me to follow. “We will get you showered and changed.”

I glanced down at King’s immobile body.

“He’ll be fine. Not like the man is going to die.” Vaughn snorted. “Although, I would not care if he did.”

“Then why did you want him?” I couldn’t resist asking.

Vaughn shook his finger, and sheer insanity sparkled in his eyes. “A promise is a promise. And I promised King he would get to watch your special event tomorrow.”

Vaughn was absolutely insane.

“Come, come now, my little Seer.” He laughed.

I followed Vaughn down the corridor, where he unlocked the gate. I noticed he placed the key in his coat pocket. Maybe I’d be able to get a hold of it and escape.

He made his way up the flight of stairs as I followed along, taking mental note of everything around me.

“Now, if you have any notions of running, Miss Turner, I will advise you that we are on an island. So unless you’re a good swimmer, I would scratch that idea.”