Fratelli: Eternal Bloodlines (The Vampire Cartel #2)

8. You Need to Feed

Chapter 8

You Need to Feed

B ellagio Casino, Las Vegas - Nevada

April 17, 2018

(4 Days Before Death)

“Lucio?” Dolly coughed and wheezed.

In a flash, Lucio was at her side. He gently lifted her head and neck to help her breathe. Her skin felt feverish to the touch, and her eyes remained closed, though he saw movement under her lids. She mumbled incoherently before slipping back into unconsciousness.

“ Per favore, amore mio, svegliati,” Lucio pleaded for her to wake up. He knew how much she enjoyed hearing him speak to her that way. Still, there was no real response from her.

“ Carissima ? Dolly?” Lucio moved her long tresses away from her face and stroked her cheek. Even with blood on her lips, he kissed her. He tried again to reach her mentally and failed. He shook her gently, panic rising in his heart. “ Stai bene , you’re okay. I’m going to get you help.”

Domencio heard Lucio speaking softly and with tenderness inside the bedroom. He was temporarily stunned by the force Lucio had used to bring him down. It was unworldly. It took a moment for Domencio’s broken back to heal enough for him to stand. He had never seen his brother summon so much strength and recover so swiftly all at once.

Domencio walked out of the bathroom. Lucio was at the woman’s bedside on his knees. His brother whispered to her in a desperate voice and tried to rouse her. He observed the two of them, reached into his pocket, removed his phone, and took a picture of Lucio’s distress. He sent the picture to his brothers with a simple message: LOVEBIRDS.

The door to the suite opened. Lucio assumed it meant Domencio had left. He did not give a shit. He kissed Dolly’s feverish brow, swimming in relief that she was alive.

Tristan entered the bedroom with a medic and four other people, three men and one woman. The team shadowing him wore dark blue suits with gold M’s pinned to their lapels—Marcello’s organization. Lucio’s third eye saw it all, but he and his Draca focused solely on Dolly. He tried again to rouse her from the state she kept slipping deeper into. Blood spots on her white shirt and her ravaged breathing were the only proof that life existed in her. At least she was breathing. Their psychic connection was once again severed.

“MASTER?” Tristan’s voice burrowed into Lucio’s dark despair. There were only a few times when Tristan summoned that kind of power and called Lucio ‘Master’. It worked. Lucio was reminded of his position in the Di Salvo family and got off his knees.

The psychic whip to his subconsciousness steeled him against his emotions and allowed him to focus—he was being watched. There once was a time when he was so lost in self-hate and despair that he needed mental smacking’s.

“Lucio.” Dolly groaned.

Again, he reacted to the sound of her voice. He lifted her up off the bed and held her up in his arms. He held her protectively to his chest.

“We need to get her to a hospital,” said Lucio to the room in a calm, even voice.

Dolly was limp, her head dropped over. Lucio had to shift her weight in his arms to keep her close to him. He made a step to leave but Tristan stepped forward. Their eyes leveled and met. Domencio leaned against the doorframe of the destroyed bathroom and observed.

“ Maestro, per favore incontra Sadeek Patel. è un medico qui al Bellagio. Assisterà il team di Marcello con lei,” said Tristan.

Tristan introduced the medic he brought with Marcello’s team and pleaded with Domencio to let them tend to her. The medic gave a curt nod of respect. Marcello’s scientists stood frozen, expressionless. Lucio's gaze cutover to Domencio. His brother winked.

“I’m taking her to the hospital,” Lucio said and stepped forward. To his dismay, Tristan stepped in his way. A clear sign of disrespect that Lucio would never tolerate. Tristan, however, held firm.

“ Maestro, l’aiuto che offrono è molto più rapido, considerando il suo stato fisico unico. Per favore, permetta loro di intervenire.” Tristan bowed his head in a submissive manner.

Then Tristan lifted his gaze with humility. He regarded Lucio with respect and the term “Master” he used pleaded for the Draca and Lucio to be heard. Of course, he was right. However, Lucio had so much aged anger inside of him, he wanted to react. Even in her distressed state, she had reached out through the darkness and saved his life. Lucio knew Domencio would have killed him if she hadn’t.

Grateful for the effort but racked with grief that it could have made her condition worse, Lucio narrowed his eyes at Tristan, unable to lower Dolly from his protective embrace. The room remained silent, all eyes on him, especially Domencio’s.

“ Fidati di me. Trust me. Have I ever failed you?” Tristan’s tone remained firm.

Lucio’s resolve faltered. He turned away and placed his beloved gently on the bed. The medic rushed in with his case, and the team swarmed the bed immediately with their equipment. Lucio’s Draca surged within him in protective anger, but he forced himself to turn away. His eyes met Domencio’s. “Let’s finish this.”

“You talking to me?” Domencio pointed at his chest with a sly grin. “ Va bene .”

Domencio strolled out.

“Protect her. Don’t leave her side,” Lucio ordered Tristan mentally. Tristan nodded obediently. Lucio followed his brother and only stopped to close the doors to the bedroom behind him.

“Interesting day, isn’t it, bro?” Domencio’s tone mocked him.

“I’m sure you’re disappointed it didn’t go your way,” said Lucio.

“Oh?” Domencio smirked. “I wouldn’t say that. I’ve learned quite a lot today.”

Lucio opened his arms in a confrontational gesture. “And? What do you want to do about it, Dom?”

Domencio’s smirk widened.

The phone in Lucio’s pocket beeped. Domencio watched him with keen interest. He checked his text message. He saw the picture of himself kneeling at Dolly’s bedside. His gaze lifted to Domencio, who now grinned. The text read: ‘Love birds”.

Marcello sent a reply. “Returning to Vegas. Sebastiano?”

Sebastiano sent a thumbs-up text to show he was on his way as well. Lucio was fucked.

“We’ll finish this later when the brothers arrive. You’ve got a princess to save,” Domencio said and tipped his head in respect. He left Lucio standing in his suite alone. He turned to the door, but Tristan’s mental voice stopped him.

“We have her. Do not enter.”

“You don’t command me!” Lucio replied.

“They’re running tests. Be ready for the medic to update you soon. I must watch over Marcello’s team. We discussed this. Take a moment. Take longer than a moment. Feed.”

“I’m not hungry,” Lucio said.

Tristan had arrived with men or soldiers who worked for Lucio as additional security. One was at the door, and Lucio barely noticed. That was until the young vamp opened it. A young and beautiful black woman with a center part of waist-length braids and alluring eyes stepped inside. She wore a hostess uniform for the hotel.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Don Di Salvo. I am here to serve,” she said with a sweet smile.

Lucio grimaced.

“FEED!” Tristan demanded.

The mental command was stronger than the first. Tristan was not holding back. “I don’t know what happened in here between you and Domencio, boss, and I don’t care. We have some serious damage control. Your brothers are returning. Connect with Marcello before he lands and handle Sebastiano’s arrival. We are close to Vittorio learning the truth ahead of schedule. I will protect Dolly and Darlene. I will protect them both with my life.”

Lucio’s hand fell away from the door handle. He ran it through his hair, and let go a deep exhale. Tristan was right. Domencio had gained more knowledge about Lucio and Dolly in the past hour than Lucio had ever intended to share with anyone. He had messed up, and now he had no idea what Domencio would do next.

He took a deep breath and stepped away from the door.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Lucio asked without looking at her.

“My name is Rachel,” she replied. “I was offered a job a month ago here in the hotel, in case my… blood was needed.”

“Let me guess. Creole? From Louisiana?” he asked.

“Yes,” she smiled. “How did you guess that?”

“My favorite,” he replied. Lucio's gaze shifted in her direction. He extended his hand to her. “Come closer, I won’t bite. Not yet.”

Rachel slipped under his spell. The soldier in the room stepped outside. His feeding would have to be fresh, not farmed into a glass by a donating mortal. He needed the offering directly from its source for his Draca. He entered Rachel’s mind and learned everything about her—all of her dreams and hopes. How she was the daughter of the sect that worshiped the Order. She had made this choice under the influence of her mother and sisters. She was selected, promoted, and groomed for him by Tristan since they arrived in Vegas. And he carried guilt for it. But this was part of the life he was cursed to live. A part he could not deny.

“You’re so beautiful, Rachel,” he said and touched her cheek lovingly.

“Thank you, Mr. Di Salvo.” She swooned and stepped closer to him. Her hand went to his chest. Her eyes slowly lowered. She turned her neck to him and her breasts heaved as she drew in a deep breath of anticipation.

He would do his best to make sure she survived and send her away with enough riches to ensure her mother and those around her never tempted her to sacrifice herself again to a beast like him. As his fangs dropped and he took her up into his arms, he thought of Darlene, and her dark whispers when he fed on her: “ You know you like this vampire. You know you want it. Stop pretending. This is what you are.”

The connection he had with Dolly faintly returned as he fed. He could still feel her beating heart, faint but present, providing him with the will to go on. She was there, just beyond his reach. His mental powers over her diluted ones within his veins strengthened him. He needed to be strong for her, to protect her at all costs.