Love For Hire

The weeks passed quickly, and at the beginning of treatment, Nicholas’ health fluctuated. Before treatment, he was energetic, smiling, and frisky, but as the weeks went on, he became sicker. His skin had become pale and almost anemic. His eyes had become sunken and dark. He’d lost a lot of weight to the point Kinsley could see his ribs. He spent more of his time in his bed. As much as he tried to get up, he rarely had the strength. The past two weeks, he had not gotten out of bed for any other reason than to go for treatment.

His health was failing quickly, and Kinsley desperately wanted to give him some good news. Kinsley sat in the doctor’s office. She had been feeling off lately, so she had gone to her family doctor to confirm a hunch. She sat in the office, waiting anxiously. The door opened, and in came the doctor. “Welcome back, Miss. Wells,” he said as he shut the door and took his seat behind his desk. He typed something into his tablet and smiled at her. “Shall we see what your test results say?” Kinsley leaned forward, hoping to get a look, but she could not see what was on the tablet. “It looks like your results are positive,” he grinned.

“Yeah?” She was so excited.”

“Yup. You are going to be a mom. I’d say you are four weeks along. Congratulations.”

Kinsley was ecstatic. She could not wait to tell Nicholas. He would have his heir. His health was failing, but she had managed to give him the thing he wanted most.

Kinsley said goodbye and then left the clinic, hopping into the car. Stephen had driven her to the clinic and had been waiting outside. “Is all well?” He asked as he opened the back door for her.

“Yes. Quick take me home. I want to see how Nicholas is doing. I have good news for him.”

***

Matthew took the arsenic from his pocket and dumped it into his brother’s tea. The cook had made Nicholas some ginger tea to help with his stomach. He was far too sick to drink liquor anymore. All he could keep down anymore was water and weak tea. The maid had been taking a fresh cup of tea up to him when Matthew intercepted and said he would take the tea to Nicholas.

For the past two months, Matthew had been the doting, supportive little brother. Making sure his brother was comfortable and well hydrated. The human body could go weeks without food, but he needed fluids, and that was exactly how Matthew made sure Nicholas got his daily dose of poison, and thanks to the radiation therapy, no one suspected what was going on. They simply believed his failing health to be the unfortunate side effects of the radiation.

Matthew walked into his brother’s room to find Nicholas right where he left him — lying in bed, barely conscious. He walked over to the bed and took a seat on the mattress next to Nicholas. The shift in the mattress roused Nicholas. He barely opened his eyes. “Who’s there?” Nicholas barely managed.

“Matthew,” he said with a smile. “I have brought you, tea brother,” he said, placing his hand behind Nicholas’ head and helping him sit up just enough to drink as Matthew held the teacup to his brother’s lips and tipped it so he would drink. “It will settle your stomach, so make sure you drink every last drop,” Matthew’s lips curved in a cruel grin as Nicholas swallowed the last of it. “There you go.”

Just then, the door opened, and Kinsley entered and smiled at Matthew. “How is he doing?” She asked, coming to the bed.

“No change,” he said, watching Kinsley climb into bed with Nicholas and sit next to him as she stroked Nicholas’ cheek.

him, trying to rouse him. Nicholas opened his eyes, then closed than

“Kinsley?” Nicholas breathed.

he reached out

week it really was promising. It would not be much longer before Nicholas kicked the bucket. It took everything in him for Matthew not to grin with excitement.

say

do not have much longer. I do not

tried to hide the sorrow from her tone. “I have good news,”

found a cure?” Nicholas said playfully, and she chuckled in his effort to make

“I am pregnant.”

widened in horror. No, she could

she

smile on his brother’s face.

was not. It was horrible. If this bitch had a son, Matthew could kiss his claim to the throne goodbye. Killing Nicholas would be meaningless and pointless if he had a son to succeed him. He’d been so sure that his brother had been too ill to conceive, but it would appear he seriously misjudged his brother’s sex

worked too hard to place himself on the throne. He was not going to let this child get in his way. He simply had no choice. Kinsley and the

***

He said nothing more and then rose to his feet, placing the empty teacup on the night table next to the bed. “I will leave you two alone,” he snarled as he walked to the door and exited the room pulling the door closed behind him. Something about that man did not sit well with Kinsley. He was suspicious.

of hair that had come off in her hand. She looked down and ran her fingers through Nicholas’ hair, only for more to come off in her hand. She knew that hair loss was one of the side effects of his treatment, but was it supposed

over. Kinsley picked up the teacup Matthew had left behind. There was nothing but a residue in the bottom of the cup left. She lifted it to her nose and smelled the cup. It smelled like almonds. What kind of

She went in search of Naya. She had been spending a lot of time with Naya and Teegan, and she knew that Naya was as worried

found Naya in the library reading a book. “Naya,” she said

book in her hands. “What is on

was just

he

losing a disturbing amount of hair. He is barely conscious anymore,” she could see the pain in Naya’s face. “I cannot help but feel like Nicholas is failing at