King of Me (The King Trilogy #3)(7)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

“I don’t believe you; Justin wasn’t that cunning.”

Completely f**ked up, yes. But cunning, no. Justin had once tried to cheat in a math test in middle school. The teacher told my parents that if it weren’t for the guilty look on his face, she might never have noticed something was off. It was typical Justin—he couldn’t be dishonest, even if he tried.

“Wrong, Miss Turner,” Vaughn said. “He was treacherous and greedy. He tried to make it look like I killed his crew and had the Artifact, all to bait King into coming after me because he wanted me dead.”

When this entire mess started, Justin had been working in Mexico managing his first dig near Palenque. It turned out the dig site was the resting place for the Artifact—that rock Hagne used to curse King. How it got there was a complete mystery, but the moment Justin found it, he knew the rock was something powerful and dangerous. He ran like hell. In retaliation for welshing on their deal, Vaughn killed Justin’s men.

“Justin would never have harmed his crew. He didn’t have a reason to.” From what I could piece together, Justin had already started seeing Jamie—Vaughn’s mistress slash “property”—and she had been helping him to disappear. Justin was trying to get away, not kill Vaughn.

“Think about it, Miss Turner. Why would I kill his men? I would simply take the Artifact from Justin if I wanted it—he couldn’t hide from someone like me, nor did he. And truthfully, I didn’t want the Artifact until much later, after I learned of its true value.”

As he spoke, I tried reminding myself who this person was: a deviant, wealthy serial killer locked in a cage, who might do or say anything to get free. And he didn’t know Justin the way I did. He didn’t know how Justin volunteered every weekend for his full four years of high school at the Children’s Hospital, reading stories about dinosaurs, showing the kids his collections of tiny fossils, and telling them that even the tiniest creatures leave their mark. Vaughn didn’t know that Justin was the one guy in the world who would never kiss a girl on the first date because he never wanted them to feel cheap. Justin was as rare and unique as the ancient artifacts he loved to unearth. So anyone could say anything they liked, but I knew my brother.

“I won’t listen to your bullshit, Vaughn.”

He leaned forward as much as his restraints allowed. “Oh, but I’m telling the truth. Justin was ruthless. Who do you think gave Guzman the green light to have his men hurt you?” he whispered. “He didn’t want you interfering in his plans.”

Those men had intercepted me in Mexico City when I went looking for Justin. They were animals. Luckily, King had gotten to me before they’d had a chance to do any real damage. In any case…“Justin would never d—”

“Your brother was an evil man, Mia. True 10 Club material. You simply don’t want to see it.”

“Shutthefuckup!” More lies. It sickened me. But now was my opportunity to get the truth. I wanted to know what really happened to Justin. I needed to know. I picked up the knife and began scanning the wall for a key.

“It’s unlocked,” Vaughn said, as if daring me to come inside.

Oh, I was coming inside all right.

I gave the cell door a push, and it did, in fact, swing open. Lucky day.

“Vaughn.” I held up the knife. “I want to know what really happened. And if I so much as hear a hint of another lie, I’ll slice off your ear.”

Ignoring my words, Vaughn said, “I will escape, Miss Turner, and when I do, I will go straight to your mother and father. I will peel the skin from their bodies. I will wear your mother and dance in front of your father before I f**k them both.”

I staggered back, gagging as the bitter acid crawled up my throat. Suddenly, I saw the horrific acts he envisioned for the people I loved playing out in front of me. I didn’t know if it was a product of my imagination or if I was witnessing his thoughts, but I didn’t care. It looked real.

“No!” I screamed at Vaughn as he lifted a knife to my mother’s throat.

I blinked and found myself standing right where I’d been all along. In that cell with Vaughn.

I stumbled back, panting, sweating, my head spinning. What was that? A glimpse of the future? My Seer mind at work in some strange way? I didn’t know, but I would give anything to stop what I’d just witnessed. It reminded me of Justin’s final moments when I’d been in the room, viewing everything, yet Justin couldn’t see me. I remembered thinking how weak and pathetic I was. Why couldn’t I make him hear me and stop Vaughn from hurting him? I’d thought.

“Oh yes,” Vaughn said, unaware of what had just occurred. “I plan to videotape the entire thing so you can watch. Would you like that, Mia? I would. I have every detail planned in my mind, and it makes me hard merely thinking about it.”

I looked down and saw a bulge in his pants. It sickened me beyond words.

I found my legs moving, heading straight toward that vile excuse of a human being. Hovering outside my own rage-filled body, I watched my arm lift and plunge the knife into Vaughn’s chest near his heart. I felt a profound sense of joy and relief as his eyes lit with pain.

Holy Christ. I dropped the knife, and it clanked to the floor. I’d stabbed him. And…it felt good.

“Thank you, Miss Turner.” He winced and grinned simultaneously as blood flowed freely from the wound.

That’s when I realized…“Wait. You wanted me to kill you.”

He breathed heavily now. Clearly the pain was intense, and clearly I gave no f**ks.

Vaughn coughed up a bit of blood and continued grinning. “You have no idea who King truly is, do you?”

“Of course I do.” I knew more than he did. That was certain.

He shook his head slowly and whispered, “No. Not who he was, but who he became—who he really is…” He gasped for air and began to chuckle. “And you think you’re safe with him.”

More head games. “I don’t give a shit what you say. Your words are meaningless lies.”

Determined to make some sort of point, Vaughn ignored me. “You do not know anything, Miss Turner. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be attempting to ascertain why I prefer dying over,” he hacked and spit out a mouthful of blood, “over…” he gasped for air, “being King’s dungeon pet.”

I could only assume that Vaughn referred to the fact that King had the ability to pop inside a person’s body and evoke copious amounts of pain.