Reese Ch. 03

It was only later while he was recovering that he understood why he was still alive. Paolo was easily bored and saw him as a challenge. He was fully aware of Leo's hatred of him and knew that he would try to kill him if he got the chance. Once Leo understood the game, he began to play. Unfortunately, playing the game meant that he had to turn a blind eye to some things and that he had to bide his time.

"Soon you skinny son of a bitch," he murmured as he heard the woman's voice over the intercom system.

*****

Lewis nervously dressed for the party. He had no idea of what Reese looked like and had no idea of what to expect. He looked over at Jean thankful that she had been too preoccupied with getting ready for the party to notice that he had been distracted. He wanted to talk with Reese again, but had no way of reaching him. Whenever Reese called him, the number showed up as unavailable. One thing was for certain, this was the last party that he was planning for Rossi. He and Jean would have their own parties and the likes of Rossi wouldn't be invited.

"Are you almost ready?" he asked Jean as he put on the finishing touches of his costume.

"Almost... is Edgar meeting us there?"

"I... yes, I believe so," Lewis lied. "He mentioned something about running late."

Lewis grimaced at the lie and changed the subject.

"Jean, I was thinking... you're right about planning our own parties. This is the last party that I'm planning for anyone."

Jean hesitated and looked at Lewis.

"Are you forgetting that we're one of the planners for the ball in Germany?"

"No, I haven't forgotten," he replied. "Alright then, after the ball, we strike out on our own."

"What happened to make you finally decide?" Jean asked.

"I don't know," he lied. "I guess part of it is that I'm tired of the cruelty and the lying to get humans to participate. But at any rate, after this party, we'll start planning our first party."

"Lewis, I know how you feel about Edgar; but he is our son. I would like to suggest that we invite him to join us on this new venture. He's always been artistic and creative..."

"I agree," Lewis said interrupting her.

"You do?" Jean asked surprised.

"Yes I do," Lewis replied. "My relationship with Edgar is something that I've been thinking about for the past couple of days. I would like to acknowledge him as my son if he will allow it."

"Lewis? What's going on?" Jean asked. "This isn't like you."

"Let's just say that I'm finding out what's really important. Shall we go?"

****

Reese looked at himself in the mirror. He thought he looked passable, but he didn't look as natural as the man at the costume shop had made him look. He wished that he had Marco to help him, but he needed him to stay where he was.

"It will have to do," he muttered.

He checked his cell phone, set it on vibrate and went to the panic room to check on Edgar. He found him sitting on the small bed reading.

"What are you supposed to be?" Edgar asked when he saw him.

"A business man," Reese replied.

"I see," Edgar said after a brief hesitation. "Look, it won't fly... the bald look doesn't work for you... it looks fake."

When Reese didn't say anything, he continued.

"Let me fix you up. I have everything to gain by helping you succeed and I'm telling you, the way that you look now, you're going to fail. You're going for the natural look aren't you?"

Reese wasn't sure that he trusted Edgar, but time was getting short. And he did have a point; he did have everything to gain by helping him.

"What do you need?"

Edgar breathed a sigh of relief.

"Scissors, whatever makeup that you didn't use... let's see... do you happen to have any hair dye? I think that you would look stunning as a blond..."

Edgar blinked as the requested items minus the hair dye appeared.

"My hair stays the color that it is," Reese said.

"Okay... have a seat."

Thirty minutes later, Reese's gray streaked dark hair was barely collar length and cut into a business man's style.

"Are you sure about the hair color thing?" Edgar asked. "You look pretty much the same to me. If whoever you're going after knows you..."

A second later, Reese was blond.

"Better, much better," Edgar said. "What about the eyes?"

"They stay," Reese said. He wanted enough of him to be familiar in case Rossi did indeed remember him.

He stood up, went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. He looked behind him to see Edgar watching him.

"Well? Do you like it?" he asked eagerly. "I think you look great! It's too bad that you..."

"It looks fine," Reese said cutting him off. "What else?"

"The suit... it's too old for you. You need something more like 'Armani'. That suit is something someone's grandfather would wear."

A few minutes later, he had Edgar's approval.

"You look like you, but not really," he said with a grin. "Now just make sure that you come out of this alive so that you can set me free."

"Your help will not be forgotten," Reese said as he vanished.

****

Paolo stood still as two female servants dressed him in the outfit that he always wore for the parties. He was dressed in a deep purple sheer toga with nothing on beneath. It was designed so that everyone who cared to look could see his fat cock. It was short enough that when he sat down, it would rise so that he was exposed for any female who wanted to partake of it. His thin, long hair was neatly combed, oiled and arranged in ringlets that framed his long, thin face. The ensemble would be completed with a crown made of gold and imbedded with diamonds and other rare jewels. On his feet were sandals made of the finest leather. On the bed lay his scepter. He would use it to point at the party favors and to punish if the need arose.

"I look magnificent!" he exclaimed as he looked at the servants.

"Yes sire, you look wonderful," they said in unison.

"Go make yourselves ready," Paolo instructed. "I have the feeling that I may be in need of you."

He didn't miss the look of dismay that crossed their faces and wondered which of them would make a good Elena. He chuckled as they hurried off. Then he wondered why he couldn't have two Elena's. As he passed the bed, the coin on the table caught his eye. A feeling of disquiet filled him, but was forgotten as the first strains of the party music filled the air.

By the time he got to the living room, the first guest had arrived. Paolo's party favors for the night appeared in either side of him.

"Welcome and make yourself at home! Help yourself to any and all party favors!"

Slowly the room filled and the party begun. The women at Paolo's side stuck to him like glue. Each woman had a hand on his flat ass massaging it firmly.

"Harder," he whispered, "and pinch me."

The women obliged and pinched him so hard that it left marks. As he circulated, he looked for Lewis and was alarmed when he wasn't there. He was going to call him when he walked into the room with a tall man that had to be his associate.

****

Reese waited for Lewis at the appointed place. He was early, but it gave him time to take a good look at his surroundings. He counted no less than fifty guards and those were the ones that he could see. He stood back and watched the guests as they trickled in looking for anyone that might be on his list.

He watched as Lewis escorted his wife into the house and then a few minutes later come back out. Reese waited for another moment and appeared behind him.

"I am here," Reese said.

Lewis turned around and looked at him. Reese seemed very vaguely familiar to him, but he didn't know why.

"We have never met face to face," Reese said, "but I know who you are. You are fulfilling the same role now as you did then."

"Who are you and where is my son?" Lewis whispered.

"I am as I told you," Reese replied. "I am Giovanni Barresi. I am a business man who wants to do business with you. Your son is for the moment safe but will not remain that way if you do something foolish. Let's go inside shall we?"

Lewis led Reese to the door where he was scrutinized from head to toe. Reese inwardly smiled. The number of guards and scrutiny told him that Paolo was at the very least nervous. Instead of mingling with the guest, Reese found a corner and stood back to watch.

The sight of Paolo disgusted him. He hated the way in which he walked around barely clothed as if he was king of the world. He was revolted by the activities that were already occurring around him. He looked at the humans present and realized that most of them didn't know what they were in for. He saw Paolo talking to Lewis and knew that he was the topic of conversation. He hung back a moment longer before making his way toward them.

"Paolo, this is Giovanni Barresi the potential business associate that I told you about. Giovanni, this is Paolo Rossi; the host of this affair."

"Welcome!" Paolo said with false cheerfulness. He instinctively didn't like the vampire that he had just been introduced to and sensed that the feeling was mutual.

"Thank you for extending a last moment invitation," Reese said politely.

"Lewis tells me that you are a man of varied taste. I hope that there is something here to your liking."

"I am sure there is," Reese replied looking around.

Paolo gave an involuntary shudder and hoped that the unexpected guest would grow bored and would leave early. Reese noticed the shudder, but ignored it. His mind was on saving as many humans as possible.

"Tell me, do you sell any of the humans?" Reese asked.

"Oh no! They are party favors to be taken home," Paolo replied. "Do you see one that you like?"

Paolo's dislike of Reese was growing stronger by the second and if he had to give him a few party favors to get rid of him then so be it.

"Where do you get them?" Reese asked.

"They are human so who cares?" Paolo replied. "Lewis obtains them for me if you must know."

Reese didn't answer, but walked away. He had hoped that there would be some redeeming quality to Rossi, but there was none. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked to his left.

***

Leo was already sickened and it was early. He had already disposed of one human body that had been drained dry. To insure that it didn't come back as vampire, he decapitated it and threw it into a bin that when full would be taken away. He circulated throughout the condo looking for bodies and then calling for someone to take it away if one was found. His rounds finally took him to the living room. He was confident that there would be no bodies there. That wouldn't happen until much later. His attention was drawn to the well-dressed man talking to Lewis and Paolo.

After looking around, Leo went to his station to wait for orders. He couldn't help but watch the trio of men as they talked. Rossi looked relaxed, but he was anything but. He didn't like the vampire in the business suit for some reason. Leo knew what it was or thought he did. The vampire looked bored and... disgusted and he wasn't fawning over Rossi as everyone else did. Leo stood taller and watched the man. A flicker hope began to form. Maybe this vampire could help him. Leo watched the vampire walk away from Lewis and wanted to go to him, but he had no reason to approach him. Suddenly, the vampire was staring at him as if assessing him. Not knowing what to do, Leo respectfully nodded at him and then looked away.

****

Paolo was disturbed. He was used to being gushed over and Barresi had been cool and disinterested. But it was more than that. He was convinced that Barresi knew him even if he didn't know Barresi. The question was how Barresi knew him. There was no way in which he would have forgotten meeting someone like Barresi. A warm hand on his cock distracted him from thinking about Reese any further.

"Lead me to my chair," he commanded.

The woman that had her hand on his cock gave it a light tug and pulled him along to the ornately decorated chair that sat in the front of the room. He was no sooner sitting when his member was surrounded by a warm mouth. He moaned in pleasure as the woman whose name he didn't know serviced him. She knew her job... she brought him off quickly as she had been instructed to do and then licked him clean.

"Nicely done," Paolo said patting her head. "Now go get me a drink."

While he waited, he surveyed the room. All around the room, people were in various stages of undress. Although the party had only started, he saw several vampires prepare to leave with their party favors in tow. He smiled and then nodded his farewells to them glad to see them go. The next exodus would take place in another hour or so leaving the hard core partyers with him. He was still debating whether he was going to do the Elena scenario when he saw Reese talking to Leo. He made a practice of never eavesdropping on his guests, but the feeling that something wasn't right returned.

***

Leo held his breath as the vampire approached him. He found himself praying that he wasn't wrong about him and that he didn't turn out to be like the others.

"What is your role here?" Reese asked.

"I am but a servant," Leo replied.

Reese felt a moment of sadness at those words. The last time he had heard them was from the old woman who had died helping him.

"Are you available to be used?" Reese asked with flashing eyes.

It took Leo a moment to catch on.

"I am yours to do with as you please my lord."

"Good, take me somewhere private. I am not one who cares to be watched," Reese said fully aware that they were being watched and listened to.

"Sire, if it pleases you; there are rooms set up in the basement," Leo replied his heart pounding with excitement and relief.

"Are they private?"

"Yes sir, I set them up myself. Would you care to see one?"

Reese gave a curt nod, grabbed Leo's arm and roughly dragged him away. They didn't speak until they were in one of the rooms.

"I apologize for my roughness, but it had to look convincing. Are you certain that these rooms are not under surveillance?"

"I am sure... who are you?" Leo asked.

"I am no one," Reese replied. "How many humans are here?"

"About twenty-five," Leo replied. "We started out with thirty."

"You hate him don't you?" Reese asked. "I see it when you look at him."

"Yes I hate him..." Leo stopped talking.

"I am not one of his minions," Reese assured him. "You know that you can trust me as I know that I can trust you even though we just met."

"Rossi is a brute," Leo said. "I have wanted him dead for centuries but alone I am useless."

"Why do you want him dead?"

"He raped and then killed my Rosaria in front of me. We had only been married for a year. Instead of killing me as well, he turned me. In the time that I have been with him, his perversions grow worse. He has no humanity left in him. He will not stop unless he dies. What did he do to you?"

"As you say, he has no humanity," Reese said. "What happens next?"

Reese listened without interruption as Leo told him what would happen for the rest of the evening.

"I think that he is planning to have what he calls an Elena scenario."

"An Elena scenario? What is that?"

Reese was horrified as he heard the description of the scenario.

"Who is this Elena?" he asked.

"Elena Borcelli," Leo replied. "He tells the story at every party that he has the scenario."

"Borcelli?" Reese asked. "Are you certain?"

"Yes... I've heard the story more times than I care to remember. She is mated to Cristiano Borcelli. According to Rossi, they are the ones who turned him."

Reese tucked the information away for later; there were more important things to worry about.

"What happens to the women?" he asked.

"Sometimes they survive and are given a lot of money and sometimes... they go mad," Leo replied.

"We will stay here for another hour," Reese said. "I apologize, but we must make it look as if you have been used. He looked around the room with distaste. He didn't know what most of the equipment was for, but he could guess.

"What do you want me to do?" Leo asked.

"Let me hit you... and your clothes... they must be ruined."

"That's it?" Leo asked relieved.

"After I leave, start getting the humans out of here," Reese said. "One more question, do you have access to Rossi's laptop?"

"No but I know who does."

"Are they here?" Reese asked.

"Yes," Leo replied. "I think that she has everything stored on an external hard drive."

"Rossi allows her access?"

"Rossi is a pompous ass who overestimates his control over people," Leo said. "He thinks that she is too afraid of him to try anything."

"Get her out first," Reese said as he took out his cell phone. "Set up some hotel rooms... I don't know... ten of them. Arrange for secure internet, blood and food in each room."

"Who were you talking to?" Leo asked warily.

"My business associate, now let's get started."

****

Paolo relaxed a little when he saw Leo being dragged away. But he was still bothered by Barresi. There was something vaguely familiar about him. It was beginning to nag at him enough that he wasn't fully enjoying the party. The memory of the coin lying on the bedside table flashed in his brain. Suddenly he knew that it and the extra guest were somehow connected. But how? He was sure that they hadn't met unless.... His attention was drawn to across the room where Leo was trying to slink by. His face was red and swollen and he looked as if he could barely walk. He laughed out loud and called Leo over to him.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" he taunted when Leo reached him. "Where is your new friend but most importantly, how is your ass?"

"H... he awaits my return," Leo said looking down at the floor and not replying to the question about his ass. It was as sore as hell from being from being smacked.

"Just in case Rossi asks to see your behind," Reese explained.

"It's nice to see you so humbled," Paolo said with a smirk. "Hurry along, you mustn't keep him waiting."

The smirk vanished when he saw Reese looking at him. This time, the curiosity was accompanied by a twinge of fear that he quickly stifled. He was grateful for the scent of sex in the air; it covered up the odor of his fear. He blinked rapidly when he realized that he was being stared at with undisguised hatred. Paolo looked around the room trying to spot Lewis. He wanted him to help his guest pick out a party favor and get him the hell out.

He spotted Lewis on the far side of the room with his wife. That struck him as odd. Usually once they were in the door, Lewis and his wife ignored each other. It was their one night that they agreed to forget that they were mated. Paolo watched as they headed for the door taking not one, but three party favors with them. Leo still hadn't moved. Instead of looking at the ground, he was staring at Paolo with anger and hatred.

"I told you to hurry along!" Paolo said glaring at him.

Instead of rushing away, Leo smiled at him and then moved away. For the next hour, Paolo sat tensely in his chair. Whenever one of the women attempted to touch him, he snarled a warning at them. Something was definitely wrong.

****

"Elena Borcelli," Reese murmured under breath. The mention of her name had changed everything. It meant that he couldn't immediately kill Rossi. He had to find out what he knew... or not. He took out his phone and called Marco.

"Find out what you can about the whereabouts of Cristiano and Elena Borcelli...I'll wait."

As he waited, he wondered how many humans Leo had gotten out. He knew that he couldn't save all of them and he was sure that more had already died. He hoped that Leo had at least got the woman who had Rossi's financial information out. Of all of them, she was the most important one.

"Reese," Marco said. "The Borcelli's are the top of the food chain in Europe. Right now they're in Germany. It looks like there's going to be a ball that will make Paolo's party look like child's play. The guest list is pending."