CHAPTER FIVE #2
“She’s always looked out for herself, and we both know how heartless she can be. We’ve seen it and felt it.” He reached over and laid his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. "She's not worth your sadness, Kyle."
"I know, I know." He said, coming around, forcing himself to see reality.
"This is a shock, and it will take some time to work through it, but just know that you are not alone. You have me, and you have the entire Old Mission Coven backing you up.” Bram stood and wrapped his arms around them.
He would never get enough of these wonderful young men, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for them.
"Are you okay, honey?" He spoke to Kyle, who nodded first and then spoke.
"I'm okay, it's just that it's kind of a shock to find out your mother wants you dead.”
"She wants eleven million dollars, the dead part doesn't matter, just a means to an end in her book." Casey was cold as ice. Each brother was processing the information in their own way.
“Let’s go, Truce is waiting.” Bram urged him to grab his jacket. They headed outside to the SUV.
Brad and Hank sat in the restaurant at the Lodge, waiting. Margret would be arriving soon, and they weren't looking forward to her taking over. They hadn’t called the cops yet deciding to wait for Margret.
“What if some hunters find their bodies first. Won’t it make us look bad for not reporting that they were missing?” Hank was analyzing every angle of what they were doing, hoping to get through it unscathed.
“We stayed close to the border with the Cabot Winery. No one hunts close to that border. It’s rumored the guards are pretty vicious if you happen to wander across.
No one will find them because no one hunts there.
We’re fine.” Brad assured him and explained the research he’d done on the area.
The Winery people are scary if you cross them, so no one crosses them. ”
“What if they find the boys?”
“They don’t bother with state land. They only react if you cross onto their land.”
“What if the boys crossed their border?”
“Then it’s likely they will never be heard from again.
” Brad laughed hard this time. "As it is said, it would be great if the Winer shot trespassers.
" He continued to laugh. Hank was shaking his head and not joining in the laughter.
What he was hearing were assumptions; no facts were being shared, just a lot of what-ifs and likelys.
"I think this is going to get all fucked up before the day is over," Hank commented and slowly drank his beer.
Where they were seated gave them a clear view of the front doors so they could see when Margret arrived.
Unfortunately, what they saw walk through the front doors had them panicking and scrambling to hide.
"Oh, my God." Hank strangled out the words, and Brad quickly looked toward the front doors. Walking in looking healthy and well were Casey and Kyle, and they weren't alone.
“Oh, fuck.” Brad moved quickly with Hank close behind. They left payment for their meal on the table and slipped out the side door that led to the back lot where they’d parked their SUV. They drove around to the front and parked near the edge, concealed by a couple of pine trees.
"What the hell are we going to do?" Hank yelled, completely losing his cool and slamming his fists on the dashboard.
Brad looked pained, but he pulled out his phone and did what he knew he had to do.
He called Margret, who was due to arrive, and explained the situation.
Within about 15 minutes, Margret appeared at the side of their vehicle and got into the back seat.
“You’re a couple of fucking morons.” She shouted and started punching Brad in the side of the head.
“I should have done it myself. It was a perfect plan; no one would have asked questions.
Now it's a clusterfuck of stupidity.” She calmed a bit but continued to punch Brad in the head periodically.
"I'm in the mood to kill you both.” She finished and took a deep breath.
“We need to stay calm and think this through rationally.” She paused, and neither man spoke nor even moved. “You said there are two men with them, and they are probably from the Winery.”
"They look like guards, yes," Brad said.
“Shut up, don’t talk, just listen.” She screamed. Brad did not respond.
"If I can get access to the boys, I can take care of this." She began to relax, and her words took on a gleefulness that was just as frightening as her anger. "They've been drugged and apparently are recovering, but that doesn't mean a terrible relapse isn’t possible.”
"Get me alone with them, and I will make sure they relapse. It will look like the original issue was the cause of death. Hypothermia is unpredictable; we just need to make it look like natural causes." She kept talking, not completely making sense, but Brad and Hank were beginning to follow.
Hank took the chance and repeated her thinking just to make sure he was following correctly.
They wouldn’t be allowed to make another mistake.
"We need to separate the boys from the guards, and then you plan to meet Casey and Kyle and kill them with something that would look like the effects of hypothermia.”
“What are you going to use?” Brad asked carefully.
“Something that will stop their hearts, perhaps a standard opioid. Don’t worry, I’ll find something suitable.” She said with complete satisfaction. "Design a distraction to separate the four of them, and I'll do the rest."
Bram kept his hands on both Casey and Kyle as they made their way down the long hall to their room.
Brad and Hank were not in their rooms, and the front desk had no information on them.
Bram scented them in the lobby, but it was from earlier in the day.
He and Truce stayed alert and attentive, clearly aware of the danger facing Casey and Kyle.
They searched the room before allowing the boys to wander and gather their things. Truce positioned himself outside the door, and Bram remained inside, overseeing to make sure there were no surprises.
“They haven’t checked out?” Kyle asked.
“No, they haven’t," Bram answered.
“Do you think they’re looking for us?”
“They're probably working on a cover story and waiting for your bodies to be discovered." Bram was honest, but he didn't like the way Kyle flinched at the news. "It's okay, Kyle, you're safe. You and Casey are safe, I guarantee it."
“Have you ever had someone want you dead?” Casey asked, his tone more sad than defiant. The impact of the betrayal was making its mark.
"I'm a vampire guard, and I'm over two hundred years old. I’ve experienced many hardships and sadness, but I have also enjoyed much beauty and happiness. The greatest happiness was finding my beloveds and bringing them into my life.” He stepped toward Casey and pushed the hair back from his eyes, looking at him with all the love he was feeling.
He wanted him to see how much he was loved and valued.
“I love you both with all that I am and pledge to you my loyalty and my life." He reached out to Kyle, who stepped over to stand beside Casey. "We'll finish this, and you will have a new life with your Coven and me." That brought a lovely smile to their faces.
“Our Coven?” Kyle stated.
“Your Coven. As my beloveds, you are made members for life. They are your people now, and they will never betray you."
"I'm ready for this new life, Bram," Casey said with a nervous smile. He pulled them in, cuddling them to his chest and dropping a kiss on the top of their heads. At that moment, Truce entered the room in a rush.
"Something is going on in the lobby; we should check it out. There’s a lot of shouting.” He stated. Bram understood and released his beloveds and then turned to Truce.
“It could be them.” He turned back to Casey and Kyle. "Stay here, do not leave this room until I return. Keep the doors and windows locked and the curtains closed.” He stared at them both until they agreed.
"We'll not leave the room," Kyle promised, and Casey nodded.
"Thank you." He said, then headed for the door, where Truce was waiting. They waited in the hall until he heard the lock click, and then they took off for the lobby. There was madness and confusion in the lobby, people shouting and throwing things as security tried to regain control.
"It's staged." Truce said, and Bram turned to see Brad and Hank running out the back doors off the lobby that led to the woods behind. “They’re trying to escape.”
“Or trying to get to Casey and Kyle." Bram took off after them with Truce beside him. They were not getting away. They’d run for the woods, and Bram slowed, wanting them to get deep enough that their screams would not be heard.
They kept running, glancing back periodically to see if they were still being followed.
Bram and Truce spread out, tracking them and keeping them scared and on the run.
Finally, they were well away from witnesses, and Bram struck, grabbing Brad by his coat collar and flipping him backward through the air, landing several feet away.
Truce tackled Hank, taking him to the forest floor and pinning him there, letting him watch as Brad was attacked. Bram dropped to one knee and placed his palm against Brad's forehead, reaching into his brain and reading all the thoughts, all the deeds, all the evil.
"You brought them out here to die," Bram stated his anger and hatred, bringing his vampire to the surface, and the fear on Brad's face was so satisfying. “You drugged them and left them to die.”
"No, no, it was Margret. It was her idea." He tried to scream, but Bram cut him off by abruptly breaking his neck, and then he turned on Hank.
“It was Margret she set this up. She's at the Lodge; she had us cause a diversion so she could get to the boys. It's Margret." Fear and panic exploded inside Bram, and he took off back to the Lodge, moving like a man possessed. Truce finished Hank and followed.