Page 41 of Vicious King

I feigned a giggle and set my wine glass back down on the table. Then I looked over his shoulder at the TV. “Would you do me a favor?” I asked. “Could you go and turn that on?”

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You want the TV on?”

I gulped. “There’s a channel that just plays music. I thought it might be nice to have some on in the background.”

The confusion vanished from his expression. “Good idea.”

He headed over to grab the remote, and when his back was turned, I quickly switched our drinks.

He returned to the table a few seconds later, none the wiser. I breathed a sigh of relief and sipped at my new glass of wine, watching him do the same with the tainted one. His upper lip curled slightly at the taste, but he kept drinking it anyway. Thank god.

Dinner went well. I did my best to seem calm and affable, nodding and agreeing with everything Elias said. When it was time for dessert, he got up to fetch the tray from the cart and stumbled to the side instead. “Woah,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t feel so good.”

“I don’t either,” I lied, clutching at my stomach. “Maybe it’s the food?”

“Maybe.” He sat back down and put his head in his hands. “I’m so fucking tired. It just hit me out of nowhere.”

“Why don’t you lie down?” I suggested.

His head was lolling now, and he yawned, eyelids drooping. “Yeah. That sounds good. Sorry, Doll, I know I promised you a fun night. I’m just…”

His voice trailed off as he yawned again. I smiled and stood up, extending a hand to him. “It’s fine. I understand,” I said, helping him to his feet. “You said you got some really good news today. Maybe all the excitement wiped you out? That can happen sometimes.”

“I guess so. Is your stomach okay?” He raised his bleary, concerned eyes to me. “You said you didn’t feel well.”

“It hurts a bit, but it’s not too bad,” I said softly. I wasn’t lying. My stomach was in knots from guilt, especially since he’d so kindly asked me how I felt.

I helped him onto the bed, trying to tell myself it was all okay. I shouldn’t feel guilty. As much as I’d grown to tolerate and even crave his company, this man was still responsible for my captivity. I shouldn’t feel sorry for him at all. Besides, I wasn’t killing him. The allergy meds would simply knock him out till the morning. They wouldn’t do any long-term damage.

I waited till midnight, sitting on the bed and watching over Elias. He was out cold, snoring gently. I poked him, hard, and he didn’t even stir.

It was time.

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