Tony woke up groggily. He didn't know what time it was. Where was his timepiece? He pulled himself out of bed and searched his wardrobe. He pulled out a drawer and frantically searched through it. He had to know the time. He didn't like to try to go outdoors any sooner than an hour before the sun set. The sun was at its weakest then and Tony could handle it easily.
His hand grasped something odd. He picked it up. It looked familiar. He studied it. It was a woman's hair comb. It had a stain glass piece that was shaped into a butterfly. The memory rushed to him. His Eliana. How could he have forgotten? And Demetrio, his boy!
Tony collapsed onto the floor in agony. His memory returned of who he was, he remembered his life with his wife and child and the love that he had for them, and he remembered what he had become.
Why had Massi let him become such an evil being? Why was Massi such an evil being? They were never like that before they were transformed. Tony sobbed ashamed of himself and ashamed of his friend.
When he had no more tears left in him he pulled himself together. Antonio decided it was time to break free of what only could be described as Massi's power over him. He had heard of a boat sailing to the Americas. He decided he would join them and start a new life for himself.
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Tony blinked the memories away. The silence in the room was deafening. He'd forgotten that he'd been speaking. He'd forgotten that he had been telling his friends the life he'd kept so well hidden from them for so long.
He poured another glass of wine. "Massi was angry with me for leaving him."
He'd lost count of how many glasses of wine he'd had. It didn't matter anyway as the alcohol had no effect on him. The taste of the wine did though. For now, it suppressed the hunger of blood with the feeling of his homeland. But Tony knew he must feed on something soon or his friends may see the worst of him.
"I'd never seen him so angry. He called me ungrateful for all the things he had done for me. He even blamed me for Eliana and Demetrio's deaths, saying that if I'd gotten word to him sooner then they'd still be alive!" Tony shook his head at the memory.
"I don't know why I hadn't realized before what I had been doing and then all of a sudden I knew. Maybe I had grown stronger and could finally control the vampirism. Whatever it was Massi wasn't happy that I remembered myself. He bid me good riddance and that was the last I saw him.
I set sail for America in, oh, I guess it was 1700 or so. I participated in the American Revolution, on the American side, of course," Tony said with a smile toasting them.
"War was great because it was easy to get blood without anyone noticing. I've been in every war since then because of this reason. The sides actually did matter to me after I left Italy, after I left Massi. Whereas when I was with Massi, I didn't care. It was about the kill, all about the blood. Without Massi I was more myself and I did fight for the politics of it all; it wasn't just for the free food," Tony said with a smirk.
"I took care of the vineyard from overseas and every so often went back home to check on things," he said with a shrug.
"Before planes, it wasn't so easy to go home whenever I wanted. Now, I can go whenever I like."
"You have not seen Massi since you left Italy?" Isabella asked curiously.
"Seen? No. Felt? Yes. Every once in awhile I feel his presence and I turn to face him but he's not there when I look. I guess he still doesn't want to see my face."
"How do you feel his presence?" Raven asked.
"I just do," Tony sighed, "I don't know, honestly. It's a vampire thing because I can feel other vampires when they around. But Massi, I know when it's him."
Tony started pacing the floor again, "Hmmm... to describe it like a human feels....it's like you're walking down a dark alley and no one is around and you can hear your own footsteps echoing down the street. You don't hear anyone else but you swear that someone is walking behind you, ready to grab you, kill you even. And your heart is racing, sweat moistens your palms, and you don't want to turn but you do out of sheer fear. But then when you do no one is there. You turn back around, and you continue to walk, and you feel the presence again, following your every footstep."
"That's creepy," Raven said rubbing her arms which had gotten a chill.
"He's creepy," Tony countered, "and dangerous. He's not someone you want to be anywhere near."
"But he was your friend," Isabella said softly.
"Was is the key word in that sentence," he answered.
Tony blew out his breath long and hard. He ran his fingers through his hair roughly in frustration.
"I need to take a break. Would you guys mind?" Tony asked with a sigh.
They shook their heads that they didn't and Tony quickly left the room.
Emily began to clear the table and the others followed suit.
"Are you alright?" Isabella followed him.
"Yes, I need to... eat." Tony said. "Why don't you ask someone to show you around? I'll be back soon."
Isabella nodded, "Alright."
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Isabella joined the rest of the group in the kitchen. Emily and Jake were washing the dishes and George, Raven and Ray were putting away the leftover food. They looked up when Isabella entered. She backed away shyly.
"Come on in," Emily said to her with a smile.
Isabella stepped inside the large kitchen and studied it. It was a recently remodeled kitchen that had every modern appliance. The floors were a black and white Italian marble which Isabella was delighted that it was Italian. The cabinets were a dark wood and the appliances were copper.
It was a charming room she thought. It felt like it was a cozy place. A family place.
"Can I be of help?"
"No, we're fine. You are a guest, at least for tonight. Tomorrow we'll put you to work," Emily said to her with a smile.
Isabella smiled back. She liked Emily. Isabella's first impression of her was that she was generous. The way she had instantly welcomed Isabella and made her a part of their dinner party was not something Isabella was used to. And now she was continuing to make her feel welcome.
"Tony says he needs to eat now. He asked if someone could be kind enough to show me the rest of the house."
"George, you seem to be the official tour guide. Why don't you show her around?" Emily said looking over her shoulder back at him.
George grinned. "Sure," he answered enthusiastically and set down the plate he held.
Emily smiled at him."Why don't you see where you can set a bed up for Isabella? We have an extra bed lying around in the basement somewhere. I'm sure you and Tony could throw it together for her."
"Sure, but after he's done eating," George said with a dramatic shiver.
The thought of Tony drinking blood always made him queasy. He knew at least Emily and Raven had donated blood to Tony. George couldn't bring himself to do it yet. He couldn't bear to get blood taken at the doctor let alone having a vampire drink his blood.
"This way, Isabella," George told her, gesturing to the other door in the kitchen.
George led Isabella to the front hallway, his stomach in his throat. He was usually nervous around pretty girls but this was ridiculous. He supposed because she was drop dead gorgeous and not just pretty that made him even more nervous. He tripped over her suitcases in the hall.
"Oh, excuse me," Isabella said rushing to pick them up.
"No, no, my fault," George said, helping her stand them back up. "Um, family room." George gestured to the room across from the kitchen.
He led her inside and showed her the large flat screen TV. He opened up the large cherry wood cabinet and showed her the video game systems and games they had in there. George was surprised she seemed to know what an X-box One and PlayStation 4 was. Isabella actually smiled when she saw them.
George relaxed a bit and led her over to the library. She didn't seem as impressed by it as Jake had been. Or George had been when he had first seen it. She must have seen Tony's library at his house in Italy. When George had seen it, he got dizzy just looking up at how tall it was. It was amazing. He had never seen such a large home library before. Tony's villa and vineyard was even more beautiful than Witch Hill, which was saying a lot as George had considered it to be as close to paradise as one could get on earth.
He showed her the exit to the backyard between the library and the living room. Isabella only glanced at the pool in the patio but smiled at the grand landscaping.
George smiled too. It was a sight to see. Gorgeous colors were everywhere. Flower gardens of different varieties were everywhere and trees to give them shade.
And in the distance they heard the crashing of the waves below. George thought of their backyard as their own private beach just below them.
They had to climb down the path of the steep cliff to get to it but it was theirs. Private and the most beautiful place on earth, George had thought when he'd first seen it. The sand was white and the water was aqua and it seemed always warm.
He led Isabella back inside and passed the library and the door to the basement where Tony lived on the left and headed up the stairs before the entrance to family room. They passed a set of stairs that led up one more flight to Emily's room of yellow and white.
The next door on the right, all in navy blue was Jake's. The first door on the left, was Raven's all in red and black. The next door on the left was Ray's in white and browns. At the end of the hall, was a bathroom of green and white for Ray and George to share. Jake, Raven and Emily were lucky and had their own bathrooms.
George's room was dark green which was his favorite color. It reminded him of the forest. His furniture was a cherry wood which he also loved. He loved antique looking furniture.
"It suits you," Isabella said to him, studying his room.
It was neat, which Isabella was surprised by a man of his age. Not many were. She stepped into his room and he followed. She picked up a picture on his dresser.
"That's my mom and dad. My dog, Oreo, you know, like the cookie because he's black and white," George said nervously and sat on the corner of the bed.
He was uneasy having her in his room. He wasn't used to any girl but Raven or Emily in his room. But they were more like his sisters, if he had any sisters that was. But they didn't even stay this long. Usually, they just said dinner was ready or something and then left. She picked up a cd next to his stereo system that was built into the back wall. She picked up the others and looked through them.
"Do you know any of them?"
"Yes. I like many," Isabella said, putting them down.
"You ready to see Tony's room?" George asked a little desperate to get her out of his room.
Isabella looked at the fat silver watch on her left wrist. She shook her head. "He, ah...needs, more time for him to eat," Isabella replied, sitting down on the bed next to George.
George shifted uncomfortably.
"You no, I mean, you do not, like me?" Isabella asked him with a frown.
"I like you," George said to her quickly.
"You are...shy?"
"No, not at all," George said avoiding her eyes.
Isabella smiled. "You are shy. That is fine. You will get to know me and we will be good friends. You want to play X-box with me now?" Isabella asked with a smile, knowing that was one thing they had in common.
"Definitely," George said getting up.
They went downstairs Isabella following George. She tried to memorize the layout of the house and where everyone slept for future reference. She enjoyed the rear view of George as he went down the stairs. He had an incredible build, like a swimmer, she thought.
She would have to challenge him to a race in the pool someday. And then she sadly dismissed it. She wasn't to stay too long she knew. She had come to this house for a reason and her mind must not get clouded on a cute boy. She followed him into the family room.
"I like to change clothes, is okay?" she asked as they entered the room. "I smell like plane."
"Sure, no problem, use my room if you'd like."
Isabella nodded. She picked up one of her bags and went upstairs to George's room, which seemed like a safe haven.
She opened her bag and changed into black jeans and a black midriff shirt. Isabella studied herself in the mirror. She hoped she looked more American.
Her skin was tan like most Italians in her region. Her hair was dark and very curly like her father's, her slender face was like her mother's, and her eyes, a light brown were like Antonio's. Couldn't he see his own eyes? She wondered with a challenging look at the reflection in the mirror.
Antonio puzzled her. He wasn't at all like she expected. She'd heard stories of him and they didn't seem much like him at all. The years must have really changed him. And if that was the case, maybe there was room for forgiveness. She zipped her bag and went back downstairs to join the adorable George.
*******************************
Isabella nearly laughed when she saw George look at her when she walked in. Obviously, he liked what he saw. She sat down next to him and purposely brushed her shoulder against his. She pretended not to notice his jolt. Isabella grabbed the game control that was lying on the floor waiting for her.
George was still staring at her. His eyes started on her flat bare stomach and moved up the black shirt to the cleavage peeking out at the top of her shirt. His eyes trailed up her neck which was covered in black wavy curls of hair to her beautiful red lips, her cute small nose and to the eyes.
The eyes pulled at him more than anything. He could see Tony in them, which was a bit disturbing, but really that was more in shape and in color than anything. Her eyes were powerful. It pulled at his chest, he knew he was staring but he couldn't help it. Her eyes were enchanting.
"Are we playing "Halo"?" Isabella said looking away from him to the screen.
"Yeah, you know how?"
Isabella turned to grin at him and he knew that she did.
*******************************
Tony found Isabella and George in the family room playing video games and dragged Isabella away to show her the basement.
He had set up a bed in the spare room in his portion of the basement.
Tony's room appeared to be a gentleman's club with a large bed in it to Isabella. But she'd seen his house in Italy and knew most of his furniture was this way.
He led her down the hall to a room to the right. In it he had set up a double bed and made it up in black linens.
"Black's all I have," he told her apologetically. "Emily can get you another color, something more feminine, in the morning if you'd like."
"Black is fine with me," Isabella said sitting on the bed with a bounce.
There was a cherry wood dresser in the far corner with a large oval mirror above it. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a small lamp with a stain glassed shade above it.
There were no windows in the room, Isabella noticed. No way out except passing by Tony in his room and going through the rest of the basement and up the stairs.
Tony sat her bags inside the room.
"Goodnight, Isabella," he told her shutting the door.
She laid down on the bed tired but not sleepy. She was hungry. Isabella listened for Tony. She could hear his steady breathing in the other room. She listened harder and could hear his pulse. It was steady. He was sitting or lying down perhaps but she knew he wouldn't be sleeping at night; he'd wait until the morning, until daylight.
Isabella opened one of her bags and pulled out a thermos.
"Let's hope you're still good," she said to it unscrewing the top.
She took a long drink finishing off the contents of the thermos. It was cold. "Ugh, that's going to take some getting used to." Isabella grimaced and wiped the stored blood from the corner of her mouth.
She searched her bag until she found her small cell phone. Isabella turned it on and dialed the number that was drilled into her over and over until she saw the numbers in her sleep.
A hard cold voice answered the phone. His voice always gave her the chills.
"I'm in," Isabella told him and hung up the phone not waiting for an answer. She didn't want to hear anything more from him. She had a hard day as it was.
Isabella shut the phone off and threw it back into her bag for thought for another day.
There was a knock at her door. "Enter." She said standing.
Tony opened the door and looked around with a scowl on his face.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I thought I smelled..." he said trailing off to look at her thoughtfully.
Isabella swallowed and then stuck up her chin. "Yes?" she questioned.
"Never mind," Tony replied with a shake of his head and shut the door behind him.
She blew out a breath and sat down on the bed. It was going to be a long night. And she wasn't one to be patient.