B r i a n
"How's she holding up?" I asked Fletcher as he wiped the sweat that had collected on Tua's face overnight. She's been like this for the past three days, sweating through her bed sheets and lightly panting as if she's out of breath.
"If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow I'll have to set up an IV in her arm, she's not getting any fluids whatsoever. I'm worried, I have no idea what's going on with her body. I haven't seen anything like this before, and I'm not totally sure how to treat it." he answered, sighing heavily as he stood back up.
"It's weird not hearing her swear or see her punching the crap out of Vinny," he voiced just above a whisper, but I heard him.
"That's two loud mouths gone in only a matter of a week," I frowned, walking out of Tua's room and downstairs into my office. Vincent was no where to be found.
"I'm headed to work, you should rest up, you have to train the kiddies today. They've been on break for three weeks," Fletcher said as he walked by my office, signalling that he was finished with our conversation. There's been a lot of tension still stirring around the house since Vinny and I's argument. The boys just have small talk with me, nothing more, nothing less. Vinny has been missing since the night of Tua's seizure. He never came back with the kit, but he's not stupid. He's probably gone to let off some steam from the other night.
He surprised the shit out of me, I swear that boy is usually as soft as a cloud. He needs a girlfriend who'll harden him up a bit, during training he doesn't even attack the other boys. All he does is deflect. And I know he has the strength of an ox, I've seen him fight Fletcher, I don't know why he keeps holding back. It's not healthy.
The sound of my walkie fills the air as I await the message.
Falcone, get down here asap
I here Neil's voice pour through the speaker and I outwardly groan. He's been an even bigger pain in my ass than usual these past few days, asking me all these personal questions about Bambi that he thinks I'll just spill. He's got another thing coming.
Don't keep me waiting Brian
I heard him tsk. I will show up when I am good and ready, he already thinks I'm really old so I'll use that as my excuse. I'm only forty-six, that's not too old, I could still kick his ass even if I was eighty. I slowly got up and headed to the kitchen to make myself a frittata and a cup of coffee before heading to Dumphy's office.
Boy did he not disappoint when I did decide to show up.
"I told you not to keep me waiting old man," Neil snarled when I walked inside. Korbin's hair looked grayer than it has ever been as he sighed inaudibly.
"Don't get your panties in a wad, I'm here ain't I?" I said, hiding my grin. I lived to annoy this family.
Before Neil could say anything else, Korbin's walkie went off.
Sir we have a situation, one of them tried to escape. We brought her back but we need you down here to give her the correct punishment
I furrowed my brows in confusion but quickly made my face stern and unfazed as Korbin turned his attention to me.
"Handle this boy, I've got to go." he clapped his hand down on Neil's back before leaving the room.
"Anyway, I called you down here because I want you leading the search party when we look for Bambi. We're set out to leave Tuesday," he told me, taking his father's seat behind the desk and motioning for me to sit. I chose to remain standing.
"And if I refuse?"
"You might not want to. I have three things that you might want, you'll probably crave one of them," he smiled sadistically. "Plus, you forget that if I find Bambi, she will be mine in every which way. I'd watch what you say to me from now on, because I can make her life hell."
I walked over to the front of the desk with a raised brow as I placed my palms on either side of me, fuming like a mad man.
"You will not touch her, I'll kill you before you do."
"Tsk tsk. Strike one Falcone. You and your clan of misfits will die if she doesn't marry me, the McCoy girl with you, so I suggest you listen and you listen good. All you have to do is listen to my offer and I'll make sure I treat Bambi with the utmost respect," he smiled, but it was as fake as a three dollar bill. I sat down and motioned for him to talk, still not believing that I was entertaining this shit.
He grabbed his walkie and said into it, "Bring him in, then bring the other about five minutes afterward."
About a minute after he said this, five guards brought in a bloodied and bruised Vinny, he was fighting them valiantly, trying to free himself from their grasps.
"Vincent? What the hell!" I yelled, standing up and making my way to him before I heard the sound of a gun cocking behind me.
"Sit down Falcone," I heard Neil say, I turned around to see that he had a gun pointed at Vinny's head, causing Vinny to calm down.
"You taught me well, I am the best shooter here Mr Falcone," and dammit he was right. I taught that little bastard how to shoot and now I wished I hadn't.
"Now let's talk like civilized people, shall we?" he grinned, taking his seat. I sat down afterward, glancing at Vinny every few seconds. They really did a number on him, he looked terrible and he was obviously weak, but he pressed on. His left cheek had a yellow-purplish bruise and there were cuts all over his face and down his arms. His hands were trembling as he tried to break free again, only to be punched in the jaw by a man I've never seen before today. Vinny spit the fresh blood from his mouth onto the wooden floor and slumped over in the men's grip.
I turned my attention back to Neil.
"You will lead our search for Bambi, and when we find her you will kill Richie in front of her eyes,"
I scoffed as he continued.
"After killing Richie, I will force Bambi to look at his lifeless body, we're going to display it in the town center for everyone including his family to see. Then you will give her to me to wed. You will help my mother plan the wedding, since Bambi has no mother, however my father will walk her down the aisle. She will only visit your poor excuse for a family every few months unless someone dies. She will refrain from fighting and baiting after our wedding, and take her place as a woman. Cooking, cleaning, providing pleasure, and providing children. Agree to all these terms, and I give you what you want."
"Do all that and you'll be killing her," I growled at him.
"As long as she provides me with a male heir, I don't care what happens to her," he smiled, cracking his knuckles.
"Why do you want Bambi so bad? There are plenty of girls in this village who'd bow at your feet and give you everything you want from them willingly," I questioned him, he was so fixated on her, but I for one wanted to know why.
"She's different from the other girls here. She used to pine for me in high school, she did. She used to follow me around like a lost puppy, and I often enjoyed her attention, until she just stopped. Stopped stealing glances at me during class or at lunch, stopped giving a shit about where I was or what I was doing. She stopped caring about me,"
"She got over you," I said, hiding my smirk.
"No, that imbecilic boy Richard stole her from me. When they became friends she stopped wanting to follow me around. I asked her out expecting her to say yes and be fucking grateful but-"
"She rejected you. This is all because she rejected you?" I asked incredulously.
"I could never understand why she didn't want me after everything we've been through-,"
"You two have literally been through nothing," I said, he narrowed his eyes at me. "The only thing you've been through with her is jobs, and Richie was there for her more than you were."
"I was there when that vampire molested her,"
"What?"
"He had his hands all over her breasts and her flower, thank god it was over her clothes. I was the one who pushed that disgusting vampire off of her while he touched her and she was high off the drugs he slipped into her drink." He yelled, calming down before adding, "Do you think anyone in this village will want her? Knowing she's damaged goods? I'm taking the burden of finding her a man off of your hands if you give her to me."
He did have a point, no one here will want anything to do with her if they hear about a vampire touching her intimately, whether she condoned it or not. The men here were already wary of her because she was out there working instead of being a homemaker. But I also know that Bambi would rather be alone than with Neil. However, I know that she will eventually get lonely, hell I know I am.
"She'd have Richie to love her," I said, almost forgetting about the brown haired boy.
"He's dead the moment I see him regardless of whether or not you agree to my terms, I hate the guy."
Well damn.
"I want her because she's strong. My genetics and hers wouldn't only make an attractive baby, but a physically strong and intelligent one. So what do you say?"
"Let me think about it alright?" I rushed out, all these thoughts roaming around my mind.
"You're not actually thinking about this are you?" Vinny screeched as I heard one of the men strike him again. I heard his body hit the floor.
"I have to think about what's best for everyone," I said, holding back the tears that threatened to surface as I turned around to look at my boy. He had gashes on his forehead and the meat around his jaw began to swell up as his good eye looked up at me.
"She'll hate you everyday," he whispered.
"I know, but I don't have a choice."
"My terms are nonnegotiable," Neil said as he scratched his chin nonchalantly.
"I'm aware that Vincent was one of the things I would receive if I agreed. What were the other two," I asked, seeing if it was truly worth it.
"I know the location of the wolves and vampires who killed your brother and his wife,"
My heart stopped. I had been looking for them for years, but not once had I gotten any leads. I was desperate for any information.
"Prove it," I challenged him.
"Reginam was found with blood under her finger nails correct? I know I'm right so I'll continue. The blood under her nails are a 100% DNA match to someone in a coven we found a few states over that's harboring a werewolf with them," he told me, handing me the paperwork. I skimmed through it, and sure enough, it was all there. I saw the charts and the test results as plain as day.
"I still don't completely believe you."
"I figured you wouldn't, that's why we've already captured everyone who was with the coven. They're in the village, but are under lock key. I will allow you to do whatever you want with them if you agree to my terms."
This was really something to consider. Those creatures were the reason I was in this village in the first place. I'd be a naive schmuck and content if it weren't for those demons.
"What was the third?"
As if it were right on cue, a tall burly man carried in a loud screaming woman who was yelling something incoherent in Spanish. I knew that voice.
"Déjame ir cabrón! ¿A dónde me llevas?"
I turned around to see the face of a woman I haven't seen in nearly two decades.
"Brian?"
"Ant?"
"What's going on?" she asked me, her accent heavy and strong.
I turned to Neil.
"It took a long time to find Ms Antonella Gonzalez Ramirez Montoya. I knew I'd need leverage in case you still said no so why not the only woman you've loved romantically? If you disagree I'll probably kill Antonella and her family along with yours in front of Bambi." Neil smirked, obviously proud with himself. I haven't spoken to Antonella since I was still in Direrock, our hometown. She was who I was with when my parents tried to set me up with Silas all those years ago when Giovanni refused (because he had Reginam). I was with her until I was well into my late twenties, ending our relationship abruptly with no word when Gio and Reginam were killed.
I loved Antonella with all of my heart, she was six years younger than me. Sure our relationship was odd when we first started dating, she was eighteen and I was twenty-four but she was so gorgeous, intelligent, and hypnotic. I agreed to have all of our dates chaperoned, her parents knew about us from the beginning as I asked her father for permission to date her.
I still love Antonella.
"Give me time to think alright Neil? Give me time," I begged, wiping a ghost tear from my eye.
"Well until you make up your mind, I'll be keeping Vincent here. You can take Antonella and all of the papers," he said, waving his hand to motion them to take Vinny back to where ever they were keeping him.
"No!" He yelled repeatedly, kicking and screaming as they dragged him out of the room. I couldn't face Antonella as I placed my hand over my mouth, keeping my emotions at bay. The burly man released Antonella as she rushed over to me and hugged me.
"You can get out now," Neil smiled as he ushered us out.
Antonella gripped my arm as we walked out of Council Hall.
"Ay! Brian, what the hell is going on?" she whispered, wary of everyone who was walking by us, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I'll explain when we're somewhere safe," I whispered, and she shook her head in understanding.
"Uncle Brian! Brian!" I saw Fletcher up ahead of us yelling as he advanced towards us.
"Is that Aunt Antonella? Nevermind introductions can continue later," he rushed out, motioning for us to hurry up and follow him.
"What is it?" I said, pulling Ant with me.
"It's Tua, she's awake!"