King of Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

deadly, ex-military-something, and a damned pit bull—as fiercely loyal as he was ferocious. There wasn’t anything Mack wouldn’t do for King. Anything. Including throwing me under the bus, lying to me, and placing me in danger. All because King had freed him from being the whipping boy of another 10 Club member—Vaughn’s psycho wife— Christ —widow. In any case, I didn’t trust Mack and never would.
    “Hey, Mack.” I jerked my head.
    “You still mad?”
    Mad? I assumed he referred to all of the lies—too many to count—he’d told me over the last few months.
    “This isn’t about being mad.” I walked away from him and the ostentatious estate.
    “Of course it is,” he called out.
    “Idiot,” I grumbled under my breath, just as Mack caught up and stood in my way.
    How dare he? “Move.”
    His blue eyes narrowed, and with the bright sun shining over us, I noticed the red highlights in his dark blond hair and a few white whiskers sprinkled throughout his stubbled jaw.
    “We need to talk,” he said in a cold voice that reminded me of King.
    “No, we don’t.” I tried to step around him, but he pushed me back.
    “What the hell is the matter with you?” I barked.
    “I need to talk to you.”
    Feathers fully ruffled, I stared for several moments. A guy like him wasn’t going to leave until he got what he wanted, and I desperately needed to be alone. “You have ten seconds.”
    His eyes focused on my white tee shirt, which I now noticed had splatters of blood on it, along with my jeans. “Christ, Mia, you did kill Vaughn.”
    I hissed, “That’s what you want to talk about?”
    “No, actually. I was only curious about that—it’s not like you.”
    I shrugged. “Yes. I did the world a giant favor and ended him. Your point?”
    “You really have become a cold-hearted bitch. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t heard you say it.”
    I lifted my brows. “Are we done now? Because this ‘bitch’ isn’t in the mood for small talk.”
    “No. We’re not done.” He glanced over his shoulder back at the house. “I need to tell you something, but it’s not safe to talk here. Someone might hear us.”
    I shook my head. Obviously, he wasn’t worried about any Spiros sneaking up on us; we could see those “someones.”
    “You mean King,” I stated.
    “Yes.”
    “I don’t have time for this, Mack.” Anything he had to say would only serve to advance some twisted hidden agenda of King’s. I turned to head back toward the house, only to be yanked by my arm.
    “Mia,” he growled, “I know you don’t have a reason to trust me, but I swear on my life that I’m trying to help you.”
    I stared into his vivid blue eyes as he towered over me. “What are you up to?”
    His gaze moved to my lips as if he were contemplating doing something he shouldn’t. I instinctively stepped back.
    “Fine,” he said. “If you won’t come with me so we can talk privately, then I’ll tell you here. Just know that if he overhears, I’m dead.”
    Again, I didn’t believe a word the man said, so I shrugged.
    “You really have changed, haven’t you?” He shook his head.
    “You sound disappointed.”
    “I liked the old Mia. As annoying and whiny as she might’ve been, she genuinely cared.”
    “You’ll get over it.”
    He scratched his chin, and the wind picked up, pushing his blond hair back. “Already am.”
    “Good. So what did you want to tell me?” I asked to hurry the chat along.
    “Something is wrong with King.”
    I burst out laughing. “Yeah, no shit.”
    “Goddammit, Mia. I am serious. He’s not himself.”
    My laughter trailed off, but I couldn’t help still smile. “Really, now?”
    “You need to be careful.”
    “Are you trying to warn me that King is dangerous?”
    Hilarious. Tell me something new.
    “No. Not like before. I mean…” He looked down at his leather sandals, searching for the right words. And, as off topic as it might be, I thought to myself how odd