King’s (The King Trilogy #1)(27)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

As soon as I was out of sight, I rushed to my room, grabbed my passport from the safe in the closet, and went into the bathroom to get my toothbrush. When I came out, I unexpectedly saw Mack on the bed, eating some snack from the mini-bar, drinking a beer, and watching rugby on TV.

I yelped.

“Hey, I ordered a sandwich for you. Wanna watch the game?” He muted the channel.

“I’m not hungry. Where the hell did you come from?

He shot me a glance. “The room next door.”

“Knocking would be really nice next time.”

He looked at the stuff in my hands. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I thought I’d go to the gym for a few minutes. I need to work off some serious anxiety.”

He took a sip of beer, but kept his eyes on the match. “Yeah. I just heard. Sorry I missed the fun.”

“How did you hear?”

“King called right after he dropped you off. He said the meeting didn’t go well.”

“Did he tell you he killed two guys?”

Mack shrugged. “I’m sure they had it coming.”

That was his response?

“And, no,” he added, “you can’t go to the gym. You’re staying here.”

I glowered. “Are you prepared to physically keep me from leaving this room?”

Mack sighed, dusted off his hands, and swung his legs to the floor. “Mia, don’t do this. You’re a smart young woman, and I am an extremely well-trained man. If I wasn’t, why would King trust your safety to me?”

“I just want to go to the gym, Mack.”

“If you really want to work off some stress, there are other ways.”

His statement was not accompanied by a suggestive smirk or an innocent example such as yoga or meditation, so I wasn’t sure what he’d meant. Therefore, I opted to respond with a frown—a safe bet, just in case he was testing the hookup waters.

“You’re not leaving.” He stood from the bed and towered over me. When Mack wasn’t serious, his face had a playful, boyish look to it—lively blue eyes, messy blond hair, and a funny smile. He reminded me a little of Justin. But when this man was serious, I could see he went to the King school of intimidation. His “don’t f**k with me” gaze was well rehearsed as was his menacing body language.

I threw up my hands. “Fine, Mack. You win. I’ll stay. But then you have to swing by the gift shop and buy my tampons.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed with a swallow.

“And some pads,” I added. “I sleep with pads. Extra thick so I don’t leak. My flow is really heavy on the first day.”

Again he swallowed. I could smell the fear.

Bad ass, my ass.

“I’ll go with you and stand outside while you buy them,” he muttered.

“Wimp.” I threw everything on the bed, except for my passport and wallet, and headed out the door.

He didn’t argue, and I could swear that during the entire elevator ride down to the lobby, the man’s face sizzled red.

Seriously? The period thing was the oldest trick in the book.

Well, lucky me, I supposed.

We walked to the small convenience store at the back of the lobby, where Mack stood outside the window watching me like a hawk as I perused the array of sundries. Crap. I needed him to look away for a minute. Just one lousy minute. Didn’t matter which way, either. I could slip out the back or the front. Instead, those puppy-dog eyes, filled with reserved caution, watched closely. I had to do something.

I grabbed the biggest box of tampons and held them up. “Hey, Mack!” I shook the box high in the air, causing the other two customers, the clerk, and a few lucky guests passing by the entrance to look at me. “I don’t know these brands. Which do you think is better for the gusher between my legs? I don’t want to stain the sheets. It’s such a nice hotel!”

Mack frowned and blew out an uncomfortable breath, cheeks inflated and everything. He turned away, pretending he didn’t know me.

“Mack! Hey, Mack!” I yelled.

He crossed his arms, stared at his feet, and sort of slinked away. He was just a few yards from the entrance, but it was all I needed.

I dropped the box, bolted out the door, and headed to the back exit of the hotel. One and a half blocks away, I grabbed a taxi.

“Heathrow,” I told the driver, but then realized that would be the first place Mack and King would look. I couldn’t get on a plane. Not yet, anyway.

But you can get on a train.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” I said to the driver. “Can you take me to the train station instead? Not the closest one. Make it a few stations away.”

She gave me a look, but didn’t argue.

“And could we stop by a bank on the way there?”

I’d have to withdraw some cash and keep moving every time I did that. Otherwise, they’d be able to track me down. I felt my phone vibrate in my leather jacket.

Crap. It was probably Mack or King asking where the hell I’d gone. I’d have to turn it off.

I dug it from my pocket and looked at the screen. “Oh my God, Justin.”

“Mia, I told you not to come looking.” Justin sounded furious, but I couldn’t care less.

“Goddammit. Where are you, Justin? Where?”

There was a pause. “You need to go home, Mia. Tell Mom and Dad that I love them, but not to come looking, either.”

“No. Goddammit. What’s wrong with you? Are you mixed up with that Vaughn man? He’s dangerous, Justin! Do you hear me? He’s a killer. He buys women and kills them.”

“Mia, what the f**k did you do?” He laughed with a bitter groan. “Shit. I can’t believe this.”

“Justin, what. Is. Going. On?”

“Mia. You have absolutely no idea what you’re getting mixed up in. Don’t go near Vaughn. Just go home. You can’t help me.”

“Come with me. Are you here in London?”

“Fuck. You’re in London? Get the hell out of there! They’ll use you to get to me. They’ll kill you.”

“Who’s they?” I asked. “King? Is King one of them?”

“I don’t know King, but you can’t trust anyone. They have eyes everywhere. And stay the f**k away from Vaughn.”

Had he lost his mind? And who was “they”?

“Justin, did he kill your team? Does this have to do with that Artifact?”

There was another long pause. “Mia, I won’t be calling you anymore. I can’t risk it. Just…Mia, go home. Tell Mom and Dad I’m sorry. That I didn’t know what I was doing. I love you.”