Fratelli: The Awakening (The Vampire Cartel #1)

34. Detail

Chapter 34

Detail

H enderson, Nevada

April 14, 2018

(8 Days Before Death)

Curious, Dolly explored Lucio’s closet. The double doors opened to the crisp, clean scent of his cologne, a fragrance that made her feel both protected and cherished whenever he let her close enough to inhale it on his skin. The closet was meticulously organized—business suits in shades of coal black and dark ash gray lined one side, with rows of polished shoes beneath them. Every silk shirt was the same crisp black, paired with matching black ties. A collection of watches encased in glass, caught her eye; only one was adorned with diamonds, while the others appeared expensive and foreign made.

She snooped further and searched for any sign of a feminine presence—a forgotten earring, a stray piece of clothing. But there was nothing. No hint of anyone else’s life mingling with him. The stark emptiness only underscored the solitude of his existence.

“Maybe that’s why you want company. Sometimes a guy just needs a friend, huh, Lucio?” Dolly mused aloud. As she turned, she bumped into the island of drawers at the center of the closet. A side drawer slid open. It revealed a golden ring that rested on black velvet. The ring was set with a black gem at its center. Under the light, the gem sparkled so pristine it cast beams of dark light across her face.

“A black diamond?” she breathed, fascinated. But it was more than that. In the center of the gem was a tiny red dragon, an intricate detail likely missed by most. But she saw it clearly. Her new eyesight, sharper than ever, caught the design and pulled her deeper into the mystery of Lucio’s solitary world.

The sound of the shower filled the room, and Dolly glanced over her shoulder. She envisioned Lucio’s tall, Adonis-like body stepping into the shower, steam swirling around him. With a playful smile, she slipped the ring onto her thumb. It barely fit, which amused her. She then chose a fresh suit, shirt, and tie for him, laying them neatly on the bed alongside the diamond-encrusted watch.

Dolly undressed slowly and deliberately. She tossed her panties into the closet, leaving them there for him to find later. After all, she didn’t know if this would be the only night she spent at his home. Then, with a purposeful stride, she entered the grand bathroom, her mind set on one thing. Her sexual appetite never seemed to be satisfied; she craved more, always more. Inside the shower, large enough for eight people, stood Lucio, his back turned to her as he lathered his chest and arms with suds.

He paused when he sensed her presence, his hands freezing mid-motion. Through the steam, he watched her approach, his gaze traced the curves of her body. A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Perhaps he was wrong—maybe she wasn’t Wanda’s daughter, after all. Maybe she was just a descendant of Julia Brown. Perhaps Wanda was still out there, somewhere, living a free and happy life with a new family—a life he had once dared to imagine sharing with her. But as Dolly stepped into the shower, those thoughts evaporated.

She giggled playfully. “Started without me?”

Her attempt at seduction didn’t have the effect she’d hoped. Lucio remained silent; his dark eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her uneasy. His stare grew even more intense when he noticed the ring on her thumb. She held up her hand, wiggling her fingers to make sure he saw her boldness. As the water cascaded over her body, soaking her hair, she did her best to maintain his gaze, but the silence between them stretched, cool and heavy.

Dolly took the bar of soap from him, lathering her hands as if to break the tension. She soaped his chest, moving down to his pubic hair, unable to resist the temptation of his semi-erect penis.

“Are you going to talk to me? You’re acting like a weirdo,” she teased.

The spell he was under broke. His features softened, losing the hardness from before. He stopped her hand from stroking him and brought it to his lips, kissing the ring on her thumb.

“Wow, you are so yummy,” she said, looking up at him in wonder.

“So are you,” he replied.

“I thought you were losing interest. First, you act weird when I sing, then—” she prattled on.

“Why would I lose interest in you? You’re more confident than that,” he cut in.

“I dunno. Sex does that when you give it up fast. Every time I think of our sex, it’s fast,” she said.

Lucio laughed. Dolly smiled, relieved.

“Turn around,” he ordered. When she did, he smacked her butt, the wet slap giving her a nice sting. He ran the bar of soap over her back, massaging her with suds.

“You surprised me when you joined me,” he said. “I like it when you come for me. Do it often. And submit your body to me like this. I want to be pursued, obeyed,” he teased.

“What are you talking about? Who said I’ve submitted?” Dolly shot a look over her shoulder at him.

He winked. She turned her face upward and let the warm water wash over her. She sighed as his hands caressed her, and moved from her back to her breasts. The soap slipped from his grip, but he didn’t care. One hand cradled her breast while the other slid down to touch her sex.

“Listen to me, Dolly. Your body wasn’t just given to me. You gave me your trust. You gave me… your soul—and for me, that’s a commitment to explore what we share further.”

“After one night? A commitment? My friends think I move too fast. Wait until they hear this,” Dolly chuckled.

“I will not touch another woman like this. No one will take your place.” Lucio kissed her shoulder.

She sensed he wanted her to say the same, but she turned to face him. “Lucio, I have an idea. Why don’t I come with you to your meeting? Hear me out. We can go to the club afterward, or better yet, the casino. I could hang out while you have your meeting and win us some money. Sounds like fun, right?” Dolly asked.

“Do you remember anything, Dolly? Our first night together, anything?” Lucio avoided her suggestion.

“No, I told you I must have drunk too much?—”

“You didn’t drink. I put nothing in your food or drink. Try for me. Do you remember when I released part of myself, the darker part of myself, during sex?” he asked.

“The darker part of what?” she frowned.

“That night, you should have been afraid of what happened between us. You saw the real me. You should have pushed me away. But you didn’t. Try, Dolly. Remember what happened when we went too far? Instead of running from me, you embraced me. I want to do that for you. Embrace whoever you are,” Lucio said.

“Of course I embrace you.” Dolly’s hands lowered from his chest. “What are you talking about?”

“Listen to me. Listen, please. You gave yourself to me on the first night, and every night since, you’ve given me both sides of you. You showed me who you are inside. I will cherish you both, as one. You can trust me. Close your eyes and try for me. Try to remember that night my Draca was released, what happened on the plane, what happens when things go too far.”

“Oh okay, whew, you were scaring me,” she said and turned from him. “The turbulence,” she added, leaning forward, pressed her buttocks against his erection as she placed her hands flat on the wall. She ached deep within, desperate for him to slip inside her. She parted her feet slightly, granting him access.

But Lucio resisted, despite craving the same. He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stand and face him. He took her face in his large hands; he tilted her gaze up to meet his while gazing down at her. The beauty he saw touched his heart.

“Stop it,” he said, his voice almost desperate. “You’re in there watching, seeing it all when she comes through. You just won’t believe it. You and Darlene have been playing this game since you existed, all the way back to your mother’s womb. It takes a strong woman to submit to me and survive, to face my Draca and live. We’re done with this game, Dolly. Open your mind, sweetheart. Try. Not for me, but for yourself. For your truth. You’re stronger than you know. There’s more to you, and I know deep inside you feel that. Don’t you feel it? Don’t you feel her?”

“Stop holding my face like that!” Dolly tried to pull away.

He seized her by both arms and shook her. “Darlene… do you hear me? Let her go! Drop the veil and let her face you!” Lucio commanded; his voice filled with the power of his Draca.

Dolly struggled, pushing him and scratching at his arms. He had no choice but to back off.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You’re talking crazy again. Grabbing me! Fucker! Go to hell!” Dolly fumed.

“Darlene is in you,” he said and tried to stay calm.

“What?” Dolly shouted.

“The other half of you. Darlene. She’s in you, controlling your memories, blocking you from seeing me!”

Dolly blinked at him. She frowned as if he smelled bad. She looked him up and down as if he were insane. “Of course, she’s in me. I’m Darlene. That’s the name on my birth certificate. Christina Brown is my real mama, and she named me Darlene.”

“Who was your father?” he pleaded.

“None of your damn business!” she shouted.

“No. Darlene—I mean, Dolly—you don’t understand,” Lucio pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

“I know if you touch me again like that, I will kick you in your nuts,” she said.

“I’m trying to help you,” he reasoned.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you or what the hell a Draca is, but you need to stay back. I mean it,” she said, her fists clenched, ready to defend herself.

“Why aren’t you afraid?” he said and frowned.

“Of who? You? Why should I be afraid?” Dolly asked.

“I’m bigger, I’m taller, I’m a fucking stranger to you, and you don’t run. You don’t even question me the way you should. Think about it!” He snapped his fingers in front of her face. His frustration boiled over. “ Mi stai facendo impazzire, signora! ”

Dolly took another step back from him, but something kept her rooted to the spot. She couldn’t bring herself to run, couldn’t bring herself to answer his question. She just stood there, facing him and his madness.

“Why? Look at where you are. With a man you don’t know, in his home, isolated. Why do you not fear me, Dolly?” he asked again.

“Well, I’m beginning to. Fuck this, I wanna go home.” Dolly turned to leave the shower, but Lucio stopped her. He pressed his hand against the shower glass and prevented the door from opening. When she looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. It hurt him deeply to make her cry.

“Why are you ruining it?” Dolly asked.

“We have to get past this, sweetheart,” Lucio said.

“Stop talking crazy! You’re trying to make me crazy like you, trying to make me afraid of you! We were having a good time, and now you’re being an asshole! Like when you bit me! Asshole!”

Lucio blinked in surprise. Her words caught him off guard.

“You keep trying to tell me to remember something I’ve never forgotten?—”

“Sweetheart, wait…”

“You keep trying to push me away, but you brought me here, knowing I was looking for a job I can’t afford to lose. You fucking weirdo!” she screamed.

“Dolly, please wait,” he said. He tried to reach her through her anger. She was shaking with fury. “You said I bit you?”

She blinked at him, suddenly unsure of what she had said.

“Do you remember me biting you?” He touched the spot near her jugular, and she slapped his hand away.

“No. I didn’t say that motherfucker!” she shouted.

“You just said it, sweetheart,” he reasoned.

“No, I didn’t… I don’t…” Dolly stammered, and her confusion grew.

Lucio waited as she struggled to recall something she had been certain of. She touched her neck, her fingers trembling.

“I bit you. Do you remember screaming when these teeth sank into your shoulder?” He drew back his lips into a tight smile, revealing his diamond-capped canines.

“No, no, no you didn’t. It didn’t happen,” she whispered, shaking her head as if to banish the thought.

He sighed, his heart heavy. “I’m trying to wake you up, tesoro. Don’t you understand? I’m trying to wake you up before she wakes up.”

Dolly crossed her arms and stood her ground. Neither of them would bend, but Lucio saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She knew, on some level, what he was, what Darlene was. But for some reason, she refused to join him in that reality.

“We’re done,” she finally said, her voice steady. “You hear me, Lucio? Done! I want off the crazy train with you… Now!”

Lucio didn’t respond. He stood there, watching as Dolly turned away from him, her steps resolute as she left the shower. The weight of their conversation hung in the air, heavy and unresolved. He knew he was losing her, but he also knew that if he didn’t break through to her, the truth would tear them apart before it could set them free.