Chapter 6 - The Last Supper
At 8:00 PM, the knock came at the door.
I had spent the last two hours splashing freezing water on my face, pacing the length of the suite to force my metabolism to burn off the remaining sedatives, and applying a touch of pale powder to my cheeks to complete the illusion of a sick, helpless bride.
When I opened the door, Lucas stood there holding a silver tray. On it rested a steaming porcelain bowl of cream of mushroom soup, a glass of water, and two small white pills resting on a linen napkin.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Lucas asked, his voice dripping with an oily, sickening sweetness that made my stomach churn. He stepped inside, his eyes scanning my face with clinical scrutiny, looking for any sign of resistance.
“I’m still so dizzy, Luke,” I murmured, letting my eyelids droop and leaning weakly against the doorframe as if I could barely keep my balance. “My head feels like it’s floating. I don't think I can make it to dinner on the upper deck.”
A microscopic flash of annoyance crossed his handsome face, instantly masked by a wide, sympathetic smile.
“Oh, my poor girl,” he coaxed, gently wrapping an arm around my waist and guiding me back toward the bed. “You just need to eat a little something to keep your strength up. And take these—they’ll clear up that dizziness before midnight. Trust me. Once you get some fresh air out on the aft deck under the stars, you’ll feel like a brand-new woman.”
I’m sure I will, I thought, keeping my expression blank and compliant.
“Here,” he said, sitting on the edge of the mattress and picking up the spoon. He dipped it into the soup and brought it to my lips. “Eat up, Eleanor. For me?”
I opened my mouth and swallowed the soup. It tasted rich, earthy, and spiked with a bitter, chemical undertone that my tastebuds instantly registered. He watched me swallow every drop, his eyes shining with a predatory triumph that he barely bothered to conceal.
Then, he picked up the two white pills and handed them to me along with the glass of water.
“And the medicine,” he prompted gently.
I took the pills, placed them on my tongue, and raised the glass to my lips. Instead of swallowing them, I let them slide back against my tongue into the cavity of my cheek, pretending to tilt my head back and swallow. I lowered the glass with a small, pathetic sigh.
“Good girl,” Lucas praised, patting my hand as if I were a well-trained golden retriever. “Now, rest here for a little while. At eleven-thirty, I’ll come back, help you put on your heavy wool coat, and we’ll go up for that fresh air. Sound good?”
“Sounds wonderful, darling,” I whispered, letting my head loll back against the pillows as if the sedative had finally taken full effect.
Lucas smiled, a cold, empty grin that didn't reach his eyes. He picked up the empty tray, whispered a quiet goodnight, and slipped out of the suite, locking the heavy deadbolt behind him from the outside.
May you like
As soon as the click of the lock echoed through the room, my eyes snapped open. I sat straight up, spat the two white pills out into my palm, and dropped them into the wastebasket.
The countdown had begun.
