Fratelli: The Awakening (The Vampire Cartel #1)

52. The Road To Freedom

Chapter 52

The Road To Freedom

B ellagio Casino, Las Vegas - Nevada

April 16, 2018

(5 Days Before Death)

The following morning, the sun filtered through the curtains of her room. Dolly woke with a sense of unease. The events of the previous night remained fresh in her mind. She had hurt Lucio so deeply that he had disappeared. She almost believed he was gone for good—maybe it was all a nightmare—and soon she could return home to her job as a paramedic. How she missed that mundane version of her life. After all, she had her slight improvements.

Last night, Tristan checked on her hours after her confrontation with his boss. He found her when she attended the third afterparty with Russell. There was an army of vampire soldiers who guarded her and her brother. How she knew who and what they were, she wasn’t sure. But she knew. Tristan made the arrangements for a private floor and suite, one of the best in Bellagio. He explained to her that he and Lucio would need to stay with them, but she could share a room with her brother. It was a compromise she readily accepted.

Darlene had retreated.

Before Dolly forced Lucio to choose between them, Dolly’s doppelg?nger was determined to break free of the mental prison Dolly had imposed and take control of Dolly’s body and soul.

Throughout her argument with Lucio, Darlene taunted her, laughed at her, and whispered things about Lucio that chilled Dolly to the bone. She even swore that Lucio knew their adoptive mother and had turned her into a vampire—lies. Darlene said she was weak, and he would bore of her. It went on and on.

It became a silent torture that no one could hear but her. The moment Lucio chose Dolly over her, the mental battle she struggled with stopped. She defeated Darlene and broke her in half enough to lock her in the deepest recesses of her mind. For that, she felt relieved.

Dolly looked over at Russell, who slept like a baby. Boy, did he have a good time with his newfound celebrity. She smiled and touched his hair, his face serene. In an instant, her biggest dream came true. He was happy, accepted, and feeling normal for the first time in a long time.

After the second celebration in the casino for the launch of the first day of Gamer Con, she convinced Russell not to go off with Lamont, and the groupies who wanted to take his virginity. Russell, at this point, inebriated, pouted but agreed to join her. She had to protect him. She still had not seen or spoken to Lucio since their fight.

When the night finally ended with both of them showered and exhausted, they lay in bed for hours, talking, until Dolly drifted to sleep at the sounds of Russell's slurred voice. And then it happened. In the middle of the night, she felt him. Not probing her mind or touching her physically. She felt him check in on her and slip away. She eased out of the bed in her brother’s shirt and boxers she’d taken from his duffle bag. The room was so dark she should have lost her way. But her vision had changed. She could see, especially in the darkness.

Once she reached the door, she hesitated. Not out of fear, but caution. What if what she felt wasn’t Lucio? Throughout the night, her protectors shielded her from the glares of men who were vampires or something else. It creeped her out how easily the immortal creatures blended in with regular humans. She gathered her bravery and opened the door. Darkness greeted her. Even her improved vision couldn’t penetrate the multiple shadows in the ensuite. But she was certain that within the darkness there was Lucio. In fact, she considered him to be the darkness. He stared back at her. Dolly suffered an icy shiver that went across her like a wave. She rubbed her arms to stay warm. She closed her eyes and spoke to her lover.

“I’m sorry… for… uhm, for the way I… for how, what I said, what I meant came across as… what I did was mean. I was angry. I wanted to hurt you. That’s not who I am. I don’t know you, really, but I believe you want to help me, so let’s call a truce.”

Lucio did not respond.

Dolly opened her eyes and looked into the darkness to see if he was there, or becoming something scary. She was so terrified she found it hard to speak, but she forced herself to face her fear. It was the only way Darlene could stay out of her mind and out of control.

“Lucio?” she whispered.

Nothing.

After a long empty silence, with him somewhere in the darkness watching her, she closed the door and made the cross over her. She wasn’t catholic, but she remembered in horror movies vampires hated the sight of the crucifixion. She went into the bathroom and found the toothbrushes. She went to the door and got on her knees. With the toothbrush formed into the sign of the cross, she clasped her hands together and prayed with all her might to ward off the evil she had allowed into their lives. When her prayer ended, she felt a little better. Maybe that would keep him out.

Dolly eased back in bed with her brother and scooted in close. His warmth and protection were enough to make her believe they were safe. But with Lucio pushed away and Darlene somewhere sulking in her psyche, Dolly knew deep down she was at her most vulnerable.

Unable to sleep, Dolly lay on her back, reflecting. She stared at the ceiling, trying to think of what to do next. And then she drifted into a short nap.

There was a knock at the door. Dolly sprung upright. Russell groaned and turned his head away from her. Lucio entered without an invitation. He paused at the sight of the cross made from toothbrushes and smiled. He stepped on them, snapping one in half. Dolly watched in abject horror as he carried a tray with breakfast. He placed it on the table, his movements careful, as if trying not to disturb the fragile peace between them.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Hi? Sorry about that,” she said and nodded toward the broken toothbrushes. I thought?—”

“Yeah, none of that works. I can eat garlic, drink holy water, and wear a cross,” said Lucio with a smile.

Though she remained in fear, she had to smile at his attempt at a joke. She shrugged and pretended not to care. “A girl had to try.”

“Hungry?” He gestured to the tray of dome-covered foods.

Dolly nodded, her eyes wary. When was the last time Darlene ate? “I am.”

“I thought you might be. I brought your favorites.”

She eased out of the bed and made sure to pull down her shirt, knowing it didn’t matter since she wore Russell boxers. She blushed. “Thank you.”

He nodded and turned to leave.

“Lucio?” she said.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Can we eat together? Maybe out in the suite. Russell’s only been sleeping for three hours, and soon he’ll have to get up for round two of his job. They have this big itinerary for him. Is he getting paid?” she asked.

“ Va bene , yes he is.” Lucio agreed and carried the tray back out. She followed. Last night she was so tired she didn’t really take in the plush accommodations. The suite was something straight out of an architecture magazine. They were so high that a helicopter flew past their window. And to her surprise, she saw several bags from Chanel, Balenciaga, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton on the large white sectional sofa.

“You needed clothes, so I ordered some things,” Lucio mumbled. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Thanks, it’s fine,” she said in return.

They ate in silence. The air was charged by all the unspoken tension and words between them. Finally, Lucio spoke. “Today, I’ve arranged a private tour of the Gamer Con just for you. I thought you might be interested in seeing what your brother is up to. I’ve secured the hotel and made sure everything is safe.”

Dolly didn’t look up. “So, you’re a vampire?”

“I am,” he said.

“You weren’t born one?” She asked.

“No. My father came for me and my brothers when we were three. He took us from Louisiana to Sicilia. I was gifted the Draca when I turned thirty.” Lucio confessed.

“Gifted?” She frowned.

“In our way, it’s considered a gift, not a curse,” he said.

“Is that how you see it, being what you are, and doing what you do? You see your immortality as a gift,” she asked.

“No, Dolly. I don’t,” he admitted.

“Ok,” she shrugged.

“I repulse you?” Lucio asked.

She looked up at him in surprise. “I didn’t say that.”

“I can feel it. You’re disgusted by me,” he said again.

“Lucio… let’s not fight—”Dolly sighed.

“So let me get this straight. When I was just some Mafia man with criminal ties, that was okay for you, but now that you know about the other side of me, that drinks blood and turns into a bat, that is too far?” Lucio asked.

“You turn into a bat!” she gasped.

He chuckled. “Not quite.”

“You’re a vampire,” she mumbled.

“And you’re a descendant of the most powerful witch in hoodoo history. Born with a second half of your brain attached to a woman with powers darker and more dangerous than me,” he countered.

She lowered her eyes with an understanding of her prejudices and hypocrisy. Lucio softened his temper. Bringing her into his life would take the balance he didn’t have time for. He figured he shouldn’t force things, including conversation. Especially after his brothers issued an ultimatum to him last night.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“Because I want to make things right,” he said. “And because I know how much this event means to Russell.”

She sighed, running a hand through her strange hair. “Did you do this to me? Improve my eyesight, make my hair longer and thicker, make my skin softer, like this?”

“We did it to each other. Each time I… drank your blood, you changed, and I changed. It was like a communion between us.”

“There is no us, Lucio. There is you and Darlene. But you and I never really had a chance. All the things you two did, I was never part of it,” she said.

“It’s only been three days,” he mumbled.

“So? It’s been a lifetime of dark sleep for me!” she snipped.

“Was it Darlene who sucked my dick in the back of the plane?” He asked. “Who watched television with me and made me sandwiches and guacamole until she fell asleep or gave me the best part of her in the shower?” he asked. “Stop pretending that we had nothing.”

“Stop being so angry with me,” she recoiled.

“You must try to understand, Dolly. For me, you and Darlene are the same,” he began.

“That’s a lie!” She slammed her fist on the table. “You knew what she was before even I knew it. At the very least, be honest about what you did to us. Why you invited me to your house that night. If there was no Darlene, would I have ever left?”

Lucio's gaze lowered. He took in a deep breath and sat back. “Look at me.”

She continued to eat.

“Look at me!” he said in her head.

She lifted her eyes to look at him. “I told you not to do that anymore.”

“I will do whatever it takes for you to let me back in. There are no rules you can put on me, Dolly. This is no game for me. I have not much more time before the curse takes my father's life. I have wolves and my brothers at the door.” he glanced at the door and her vision turned that way as well.

“They want to take you from me. Last night, it took me bringing Darlene out in the open and standing her before Russell to free you. Where were you? Huh, Dolly? Why did you let her escape and become what she became? Ask yourself how convenient it was to pretend with me when I stood in that shower and begged you to open your eyes to the truth. I am in love with you, sweetheart, but you can’t play with me. I’m not some dog for you to kick. You want to figure this out. Then face me the same way she did. Face everything. All of it. That means your role in this, too.”

“Fine. We’ll face each other,” she said.

“That’s all I’m asking,” he said.

As they finished breakfast and parted to shower, Dolly felt a mix of apprehension and determination. She would stay, but not just for Russell. She had learned so much about herself when Darlene took over. It was time to face what she was, and what Darlene had become. Were they different? Were they the same? Could they ever be one person?