Reese Ch. 03

Vicente picked up the large bowl that Maria had in with her and sat on the side of the bed. He put the bowl to Giovanni's lips and poured a small amount of the blood into his mouth. At first, Giovanni was repulsed and then the repulsion was gone. He tried to rush Vicente into giving him more, but Vicente wouldn't be rushed.

"You are like a baby," he told Giovanni. "If I feed you too much too fast, you will become ill."

An hour later, Giovanni had consumed less than a quarter of the bowl.

"When can I have more?" he asked forgetting that an hour ago he had been disgusted at the thought of drinking blood.

"We will wait an hour and then you may have more, but in the meantime; I will begin to tell you about your new life."

By the end of the night, Giovanni had become something that he had never though himself to be- a vengeful man. He wanted those who wronged him and others to die. The order in which he found them didn't matter. In his mind, he began to formulate a list of those he would seek once he was able. Paolo Rossi, the Borcelli's and the doctor who refused to help his baby girl. As he listened to Vincente talk, he added a few more names to the list. Most of them were minor players, and if he found them; they would be killed.

As time passed, Giovanni began to accept what he was although he hated it. He was an apt pupil and was soon ready to enter the world as a vampire. The other thing that happened was that he found himself drawn to Maria. He tried to keep it hidden, but Vincente was too astute.

"She is a beautiful woman," he commented one night after Maria had gone. "You are drawn to her, I can see it but she is already more involved in this world than what is safe. If you pursue her..."

"Is it because I am a peasant?" Giovanni interrupted.

"What you are has nothing to do with it," Vincente replied. "No, that is not exactly true. The fact that you were a peasant isn't the issue. Some of the most honorable men that I know are and were peasants. Giovanni, you have hatred, anger and vengeance in your heart. You will not stop until all that you perceived to have done you wrong are dead. Maria has no place in that. If you were to stay here and try to exist peacefully with us..."

"I cannot do that," Giovanni said. "These... creatures are preying upon those who cannot defend themselves. They took something from me that I did not want to give-my mortality. They killed an old woman who did nothing other than to show me kindness."

Vincente sighed. Maria was falling in love with Giovanni.

"Then you must leave," he said. "Maria is falling in love with you and you cannot give her the stable life that she deserves. I will give you enough money that you will be comfortable."

For just a moment, Giovanni thought about promising to stay put. But he knew that he couldn't. He decided that Vincente was right.

"I will leave tonight. There is no need to postpone things."

"I am sorry to see you go, but I understand," Vincente replied. "I will explain everything to Maria."

Two hours later, Giovanni was on the road fully aware that he was turning away from a second chance at happiness. A month later, another name was added to his list. Signore Emilio Luca.

*****

Reese found it hard to believe that he had been in existence for over five hundred years. He was amazed at the history that he had witnessed and even took part in. Over the centuries, he had educated himself giving a new meaning to the term 'perpetual student'. He could have been anything, but he needed to be able to leave at a moment's notice. If he was really bored, he found a job bar tending staying until he was bored or felt the need to move on.

By his estimation, Lewis had more than enough time to talk to Paolo. He called the prepaid phone and spoke before Lewis had a chance to say anything.

"Well?"

"You're in," Lewis said. "Now let me talk to Edgar."

"What did you tell him?" Reese asked.

"I told him that you were an associate interested in going in to business with me."

"What else? And I should warn you that I don't enjoy fishing for information."

Reese could hear Lewis swallow before he began to speak.

"I told him that whether you joined me or not depended on how well I entertained you. I also told him that you would be amongst the last of the guest to leave."

"Did he ask where I was from?"

"Yes and I told him Messenia." Lewis replied. "It was the first thing that came to mind."

"Perfect," Reese said more to himself than to Lewis. "What was his reaction?"

"He seemed nervous-do you know him somehow?" Lewis asked.

"That is none of your concern," Reese replied. "What else do you have to tell me?"

"I... I implied that you were bisexual."

"When Reese didn't respond, Lewis continued.

"I had to make you interesting enough that he would allow you to come."

"I understand," Reese said. "Was there any reaction to my name?"

"No, the only reaction that I got was when I told him where you came from. Look... I've done everything you've asked. Will you let Edgar go now?"

"Not yet," Reese replied. "I may let him go after the party."

"May?" Lewis asked alarmed. "I did what you asked!"

"Yes, you did; but I never said that it was a one-time arrangement." Reese replied. But let's get through the party first shall we? I will meet you there. Don't worry, I know who you are. And one more thing, if you do or say anything to warn Rossi, not only does Edgar die; so does your mate. Stay close to your phone; I may be calling you again."

Reese hung up, thought a minute and then called Marco.

"Is Edgar alright?" Marco asked anxiously.

"He is fine," Reese said. "Is there any more to report?"

"Rossi has increased the number of security that he has roaming the property," Marco replied.

"I figured as much," Reese replied. I need for you to create a persona for me. I am sure that Rossi will investigate me. I am going to the party as a business associate of Nichols."

"I'll get right on it, Reese... Edgar is-can I talk to him?"

"Not until after the party," Reese replied his tone firm. "I'll call you in an hour for the particulars of my new persona."

He could feel Marco's anger and disappointment over the phone. He even understood it, but he couldn't allow Dante to talk to Edgar. He needed Edgar to remain afraid and Dante would be a source of comfort to him.

"I will let you talk to him when it's over. I give you my word."

"I'll talk to you in an hour," Marco replied and hung up.

Reese went back to the panic room to check on Edgar once more before retiring for the day. He found Edgar sitting on the floor crossed legged, his hands resting on his knees. Edgar jumped when Reese spoke to him.

"If all goes well, you may be free tomorrow night."

"What do you mean by may be?" Edgar asked looking up at him.

"I may need your father for other things and as long as I have you, he will comply."

"What's going on here?" Edgar asked. "You're like no kidnapper that I've ever heard of and what other things? My father is a party planner."

"Exactly," Reese replied as he vanished from the room.

***

Elena Borcelli walked around the spacious bedroom of their home in Hamburg, Germany. She had always loved Germany and was excited when her owner and mate told her that they were returning. It had changed a lot in the two-hundred years that they were gone, but it was still a beautiful country. She fingered the gold choker from which hung a single teardrop shaped diamond and continued her tour of the house.

Workers were already preparing for the ball that would happen in a months' time. Elena licked her lips thinking about the delicacies both human and non-human that would be served as both food and entertainment. The large basement of the house was already being sound-proofed and the cells were being made ready. Unlike Paolo, more than half of the entertainment would be there voluntarily.

There were many humans who wanted to be enslaved and even more that wanted to be turned. The latter would do anything in order for that to happen. Each of the willing participants had been told that there was a chance that they could be turned. What they weren't told is that it probably wouldn't happen. All but a few were so excited that they heard what they wanted to hear. The few that had been listening insisted on a definite answer. Those few were seen as a future benefit to the race and were always turned. They then became the property of whoever turned them. In almost all of the cases, the humans regretted their decision. Of those; more than half committed suicide. The remaining ones didn't see suicide as an option and adapted.

Elena and her mate Cristiano had at one point owned six slaves that they had obtained at a party. Of the six, only two remained. Four committed suicide and then there was the one...she didn't want to think about that one too much. Somehow Cristiano always knew when she did. That one was the one that Cristiano had never forgiven her for and the one that she was still being punished for.

She never understood why he was so angry with her about that one slave, but it wasn't her place to ask. She had inadvertently turned others and he had been angry, but not as angry as he had been and still was about the last one. All of the others that she had turned were promptly destroyed and she was punished.

She touched the scar that formed the letter 'C' for Cristiano on her left cheek. It was the only thing that marred her otherwise perfect porcelain complexion. Ordinarily it would have healed, but Cristiano kept applying the brand before the cheek had a chance to completely heal. The result was a permanent scar that served as a constant reminder of his anger.

"This will teach you!" he hissed each time he applied the brand to her cheek. "No one will touch you without my permission and you will touch no one! Every time you touch anything or anyone that you are forbidden to, this scar will burn as it does now."

Elena partly understood his anger. Because of her lack of will power, they had had to leave the home much sooner than planned. But she wasn't entirely at fault. She had warned Cristiano on more than one occasion about the old woman and he hadn't listened to her until it was too late. He had seriously overestimated the control that he had over her. The other thing that she didn't understand was why they didn't leave once they knew that they had been betrayed. She thought that she knew the answer. He hadn't believed her. He thought that she was trying to save herself. To this day, he had never admitted that she was right. If it hadn't been for the warning of a loyal human, they would have been killed. She often wondered what had happened to the male that she had turned and finally came to the conclusion that he had to be dead. There was no way that he would have been left alive. They were going to take him with them, but there had been not time so... he had to be dead.

As she continued her tour of the house, inexplicably; Elena's thoughts went back to the male. No sooner did the thought come did she feel a searing pain that dropped her to her knees. She cupped the cheek that was branded and cried out her apologies. Her forgiveness didn't come quickly. The pain increased and then slowly diminished. By the time it was gone, she was gasping for air. She laid her cheek against the cool marble floor to relieve the last of the burning sensation.

She was vaguely aware of the house staff watching her, but knew that none of them would come to her aid. To do so would be to incur the wrath of Cristiano. The last servant to help her against his expressed orders didn't live to tell about it.

"I see that you still have not learned your lesson," Cristiano said from behind her. "Do I need to brand the other cheek?"

"No my lord," Elena replied with her eyes down. To look at him would be construed as a challenge and a show of disrespect.

"Why do you insist on defying me?" Cristiano asked. "Am I not good to you?"

"Cristiano," Elena said softly with her eyes still pointed to the floor, "I mean you no disrespect and yes you have been very good to me. I only wonder about him as a mother would wonder about her child. After all, I made him..."

"Against my direct orders," Cristiano interrupted his tone cold. "You were to leave him alone. But what did you do? You fucked him not once, but three times and turned him."

Elena blushed and then flinched when Cristiano took a step toward her. She heard the servants as they scurried away not wanting to witness her humiliation.

"Since you seem to enjoy giving away what isn't yours to give, perhaps you would like to be part of the entertainment for the ball..."

"Please no!" Elena begged as she remembered what happened after they left the house. She couldn't walk or sit for a week. There wasn't a spot or hole on her body left untouched. The most humiliating thing was that Cristiano had watched often not stepping in until a line had been crossed. "I have learned my lesson! I swear it!"

"We shall see," Cristiano said softly and then walked away.

Elena's stomach clenched. Cristiano was in a mood and it wouldn't take much more for him to make good on his promise. She slowly got to her feet and followed him. She was prepared to do whatever she needed to do to get back in his good graces before the ball.

****

Paolo nervously stared at the coin that lay on the bedside table.

"It's just a coin," he muttered under his breath. "It means nothing."

As he walked around his bedroom, he thought about the conversation that he had with Lewis Nichols. What were the odds that a coin from his native land and a man from the same region would show up almost simultaneously? He didn't like it. He had never believed in coincidence. He was certain that there had to be some connection between the two events. He was both nervous and curious. It was the curiosity that led him to allow Lewis to bring his guest.

"Giovanni Barresi," he murmured trying to think if he knew anyone by that name. It didn't even sound remotely familiar to him. "Maybe this is a coincidence," he muttered. He knew that Lewis had vast and varied business interests and knew people from all over the world. But his gut was still sending out warning signals.

His pacing took him to the window that faced the back of the house. He looked out at the lightening sky his mind working. He stood back watching as the shutters slowly closed blocking out the rising sun. A moment later, he was sitting at his laptop.

"Giovanni Barresi," he read when Giovanni's name popped up. "His holdings are as vast as mine," he said as he read through the bio. He looked for a photo and wasn't surprised when he didn't find one. Many of them, himself included didn't allow their pictures to be taken. Paolo reread the bio and saw nothing amiss. But still the feeling that something wasn't quite right persisted. The fear that he felt earlier was completely gone replaced by curiosity.

He left the website and went to another. He wanted to check on the whereabouts of his favorite couple. He was delighted to read that they had arrived in Germany. He gleaned the website for information about the upcoming ball. His cock rose in anticipation as he remembered the last ball that he had attended.

Elena had done something to displease her mate. Whatever it was, it had to be bad enough that everyone human or not got to use her in any way that they wished. They were even allowed to come inside of her.

"Fuck her until she screams for mercy and then keep fucking her," Cristiano ordered.

Paolo had been one of the lucky ones. He had been one of the first to fuck and then empty deep inside of her. By the time he got a second chance at her, Elena was a come covered mess, but that didn't stop him. A very small part of him felt sorry for her, but the bigger part of him enjoyed it immensely. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that every so often, he picked a female-always vampire; to play the role of Elena.

That had been the only ball that he had attended and he wasn't sure of how he had even gotten invited. He was disappointed to see that the guest list hadn't been posted yet. "No news is good news," he said and logged off. He blew out all of the candles and got ready for his rest. He almost called for a female to share his bed, but decided that he could wait one more night. But then the memory of Elena changed his mind. He turned the intercom on and said the first name that came to mind.

****

Leo heard the summons and bit down his anger. Like so many things that had happened, he had no control over this. He wanted to seek out the woman and tell her not to go, but it would have been pointless. The thing was; she was much better off complying than she was to refuse. He had heard that Rossi was thinking of doing another Elena scenario and if the woman refused, she could be made to play the part as punishment. It didn't matter that the woman was a redhead; Paolo would dye the hair on her head and her private region black and have her made up to look like Elena.

His stomach roiled at the memory of the last time he had witnessed the scenario. By the time it was over, the woman was nothing more than a blubbering idiot. His anger rose as he remembered how Rossi and his friends had laughed at her and then left her lying on the floor a bloodied, come covered mess. He was the one selected to take her away and to clean her up for yet another go round. Tears ran down his face at the memory of cleaning her up, dressing her and getting ready to take her out to the waiting vampires for more humiliation.

He couldn't do it.

He looked into the vacant eyes of the woman and couldn't do it. He couldn't allow her to be humiliated again even if she wasn't aware that it was happening. With tears in his eyes, he turned her so that she faced him.

"I am so sorry for what they did to you. I will allow them to harm you no more."

He could have sworn that for just a second, that he saw a look of gratitude in her dark eyes. He looked around the large bathroom for something sharp. It also had to be long enough to do the job. Finding nothing, he told the woman to stay put. Moments later, he was back in the bathroom with a knife sharp and long enough to do what had to be done.

"Go in peace," he whispered as he held the woman close to him and stabbed her in the heart. Seconds later, she was no more than a pile of dust. Leo squared his shoulders and went out to face Paolo and his friends.

"Where is she?" Paolo demanded.

"She is no longer with us," Leo calmly replied. He was actually surprised that he felt no fear.

"What do you mean?" Paolo asked.

"I mean, my lord that she is now a pile of dust on the bathroom floor."

The room had gone silent with shock and anticipation.

"Did you kill her?" Paolo asked expecting him to try to lie.

"Yes, I killed her," Leo replied.

There was a shocked gasp at his confession and blatant challenge in his voice.

"She was already dead. All that was left of her was her body and I could not bear to watch you defile it again."

From out of nowhere, several vampires surrounded him.

"Lock him away, I will deal with him later," Paolo said his tone furious.

"Why not dress him up and let us use him?" someone called out.

For a minute, Leo thought that Paolo was actually considering it. In preparation, he began to pray to the god that he had never forgotten and waited. He breathed a sigh of relief when Paolo said no. His punishment had been lengthy and brutal. Paolo had him locked away for three months with no food or blood. The only contact with others that he had was with Paolo and the vampires brought in to punish him. He was whipped for several times a day each day wishing that he would die. Not once during the ordeal did he regret what he had done. In fact, he drew strength from it. It told him that at heart, he was still a good man. At some point during his punishment, he knew that he wasn't going to die. He didn't understand why, he had openly defied his master.