It was after that she realised that her bracelet was like a beacon to mortals. They were drawn to it like a moth to a flame. And soon it was how she reeled her dinner in.
Shaking her head to bring her attention back to the couple before her, it was the female with the look on her face that could kill as she possessively moved to stand in front of her male to assist Alicia with the clasp.
Hugh was right!
As the female glared at Alicia she started as she always did, a look to the bracelet then up, mortals never failed to follow suit and that’s when she captured their stare with hers. Doing as Hugh had told her, she had the female in a semi-hypnotic state then turned to the male, and once he was fully mesmerized she turned back to the jealous blonde.
She preferred not to take her sustenance from females. Most were full of chemicals, their hormones were elevated and the taste lingered on her lips for hours afterwards. She also observed that when she struck a females neck it was more painful for them. Over the years she realised that when she struck males on their neck, even under mesmerisation, they got turned on. So she always went for the wrist. Sealing the wounds with a kiss, Alicia was finished and prayed that when she turned around, Hugh had not been watching.
“Is it alright tae turn around noo?” Shuggie gave a short laugh before turning to see Alicia grinning up at him, the couple walking away quite content and oblivious to what had just happened to them. Taking out a clean handkerchief, he dabbed the corners of Alicia’s mouth. “Ye dribbled, ya big wean!” Laughing as he offered his arm to her. “An ye cud huv offered tae share some wi’ me!”
“I did it! I really did it!” Alicia’s smile was wide as she looked up, bursting out laughing. “I apologise Hugh, would you like me to catch you some dinner? I got carried away there I’m afraid.”
Patting his flat torso, and giving a bellowing laugh, Shuggie looked at the youngling “Nae lass, ah’m watching ma weight.” He gave a wink as the pair continued their stroll. As the night was coming to a close, Shuggie knew he needed to make his excuses and head for shelter before the sun started to rise.
“Alas, Alicia, I must be away fur the night,” patting her hand as he spoke. “But afore I leave, I wud like tae invite ye tae ma dwellings the morra night - unless ye huv plans?”
Shuggie would not lie to the youngling, as his paternal bond for her had grown this night, but he was very keen to find out about her life story and also clear up the misunderstanding between her and the Commander. She may be the thief they were after, but he sensed that there was a lot more to her than just a penchant for petty crime. A woman of Alicia’s intellect would have a bloody good reason for doing what she was doing, and he knew that once Xavier had heard her out, between them they could assist the youngling in her endeavours.
“Are you asking me out on a date Hugh? Of course I shall meet with you tomorrow eve, seeing your dwellings would be wonderful.” Alicia laughed as she teased him, confusion again showing on her features as he mentioned the sun. He must have allergies she mused internally. Looking around to check the coast was clear, she bid her friend a farewell and flashed herself to London.
Chapter Thirty Five
There was an uneasy stillness in the air, the silence heavy and oppressive as Ricardo and Martinez watched Snr Belcastro slam down the phone. The call had lasted less than ten minutes, but the implications of that call, Martinez mused, would last the lifespan of several of his men — albeit that their lives were about to come to an abrupt, and grisly end.
They had been summoned to Snr Belcastro’s mansion to discuss the progress or otherwise of Commander Raige’s efficiency in tracking down the thieves who had been targeting them. In reality, Martinez knew that the suspicions and doubts as to Commander Raige’s trustworthiness had been growing. The latest rumours from his own spies in Belcastro’s inner circle were that the old man was becoming increasingly convinced that Raige was actually the mastermind behind the attacks himself. As Martinez was the one who had initially hired Raige, and convinced the old man that he was the man for the job, his personal safety and position within the organisation was inextricably linked to him downplaying this rumour and trying to keep the old man calm and focused.
All that went out the window, however, the minute Snr Belcastro took that damn call.
Neither Ricardo nor Martinez wanted to be the first to break the silence, as Snr Belcastro stared at them, his face running the gamut of colours, before settling on a peculiar shade of purple.
“You heard what was said,” Snr Belcastro barked. Actually, the two men had only heard his side of the conversation, but unless they were suicidal it would not have been politic to point this out to him.
“Well?”
Belcastro slammed a chubby fist on his desk, making the papers and paraphernalia jump in unison. Martinez was used to the old man’s tantrums and remained impassive. Ricardo, however, made the rookie mistake of flinching ever so subtly, and that was enough for Belcastro to hone in on him. Thank fuck, Martinez thought to himself. Ricardo would be the one to take the fallout from the old man’s mood today for that reaction alone.
As Ricardo stuttered under the glare of Belcastro, it bought Martinez time to mull over what was going down. From the pieces of conversation he gathered that the latest shipment had been compromised — and that the Russians were still wanting paid, even though it was defective goods. Martinez knew that it was important for Belcastro to keep good business links with the Russians, but he also knew that the old man would not hand over money just for the fuck of it.
As Snr Belcastro stopped to wheeze in between berating Ricardo, Martinez seized the opportunity to speak up.
“Boss, I think that you should consider some damage control in light of these defective shipments.” Not giving Snr Belcastro time to interrupt, Martinez continued, “This situation is not beneficial for you or the Russians, and it may be worth, in the interests of business you understand, taking the higher ground.”
“If you told the Russians that you will pay them for the soiled goods but, tell them that in light of the condition of the product it would be good business for them to send the next batch earlier than scheduled. Further, tell them you want it at a discounted price for the inconvenience you have had? That would let the Russians know that you honour your word, but also that you are not to be messed with. If you start arguing over this shipment, it could compromise the entire operation. At least give them the impression that you are giving them the benefit of the doubt, just until our men in Poland and Romania can finalise the operation from their end. By the time that is done, we will not rely on the Russians, and it will be up to you whether we continue our arrangement with them or not?”
Martinez sat back in his chair, giving a small snake-like lick to his dry lips, and held his breath to see which way his words would fall with the old man.
Snr Belcastro’s left eye twitched, and Martinez knew that was his ‘tell’. The old man was no poker player, and that small betrayal of his body let Martinez know that he had successfully defused the situation. He could also hear the sigh of relief from Ricardo as he realised that he was now off the hook.
“So, I tell the Russians this, and they respect me for it? They get paid, but I deal with the disposal of their faulty goods?” Snr Belcastro lit up a cigar as he did his trademark reaction, taking his goddamn time, before giving a final answer. It was as though he had watched too many reality TV shows or quizzes on the television — he had to build up the suspense. After a long, overstretched dramatic pause, he pursed his lips, nodded and said, “Yes, I like this. Do it.”
Martinez closed the door behind him as he grabbed Ricardo by the throat, slamming him against the wall. Through clenched teeth he warned him, “Act like a pussy in front of the old man when I’m with you again, and I’ll make sure you’ll be thrown to the dogs.” Martinez dropped hold of Ricardo, pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his hands, before stepping over the slumped body and walking out the mansion to where his chau
ffeur was waiting.
Once inside the car, Martinez flicked open his cell and waited for an answer. “It’s Martinez. Shut the fuck up and listen. The last shipment of prostitutes was delivered last night,” he paused, nodded, then spoke again. The recipient of the call was as much a conversationalist as he was.
“No, all soiled goods. Some stupid asswipe forgot to leave a vent open, so they were all dead on arrival.” Martinez looked lazily out of the window as he spoke, his tone matter of fact, as though he were merely telling someone that he had spilled his coffee and not that human beings had been found suffocated to death in a container that morning. “Thirty, or forty, not totally sure, but that’s not the fucking point. Point is we need them all disposed of before the next shipment is brought forward in the scheduling. Don’t breathe a word of this to the contacts, just feed them some shit about weather conditions holding up the docking of the ships. The last thing I need is the contacts getting edgy, thinking there’s a problem, capiche?” Without giving any indication, Martinez ended the call.
That was one problem dealt with. The other, and potentially more lethal one for him, was Commander Raige. And Martinez knew that was going to be one motherfucker of a headache to deal with.
Chapter Thirty Six
Alicia flashed away after saying her farewells to her friend, returning to her London abode. She grabbed the fresh lily bouquet that she had placed in the vase earlier that day and disappeared from her home just as quick as she had arrived. It was early morning and the sun was rising for the day, birds were waking and chirping away. Alicia was in her preferred sitting position, legs crossed over another as she bent forward to arrange the flowers in the holding pot. This was her thinking place, the place she could come and talk and her Madre would listen.
Alicia’s slender finger ran over the black granite stone with the names in gold lettering of Alessandro, Naldina and Alessandro Jr engraved into it. She was never able to say goodbye to her parents. Only with the discovery of her Madre’s journal did she know what happened to her Papa and twin. Her Madre she assumed died not long after her last entry, but as a mortal she would have passed over a hundred years ago anyway. With no bodies to bury, Alicia had wanted peace of some kind for them, so had purchased a plot of land and erected a headstone. That way their memory was still alive for her and there was somewhere she could come, lay fresh flowers and just be with her family once a week.
It was her Madre she wanted to tell her news to today.
“I have a friend! His name is Hugh and he knows exactly what I am Madre! After all this time of being alone, unable to share what I am…I can finally be myself! He’s just like Papa, polite and manners you would swoon over.”
“I know you and Papa would not approve of what I am…vampires are killers…but I’m not like that. I only feed and let them go! My little trick helps me control their mind and Hugh taught me how to mesmerise two at the same time tonight. Madre, it’s like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I think you’d appreciate at how he’s looking out for me as Papa and Alessandro would have done had we…well you know. I nearly had them Madre, the living Belcastros were in my reach and then that pri…unkempt looking male with the green eyes was stalking me! I will avenge Papa and Alessandro, I promise you that.”
Alicia raised to her feet and flashed back home, she was going to spend the day in bed then meet up with Hugh later that evening.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Shuggie paced slowly around Xavier’s office practicing under his breath what he was going to say. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that Xavier had been standing behind him watching him for the best part of three minutes. Xavier cleared his throat, an amused look on his face.
“Don’t tell me Shug, you’ve decided that you can’t live without my fuck handsome self and you want us to become civil partners, yeah?” Barking a laugh, he slapped the back of Shuggie’s head so hard, his brain almost rattled, and grabbed a bottle of Scotch. “I would ask if you wanted three fingers, but in your present state you might think that would be a come on, so pour your own,” he said laughing again, he took his glass with him as he sat behind his desk.
“Dinnae flatter yersel ya big ugly bastard, you’re not in mah league,” Shuggie laughed as he poured his drink, the worries of the conversation he needed to have with Xavier momentarily pushed aside. “Ye kin keep yer bromance an shove it up yer arse.” Silently holding his glass up to toast him, he drank greedily. “Although, if ye keep buying this Scotch, ah might be persuaded.”
Shuggie’s laugh bellowed as Xavier threw a now empty glass at him, narrowly missing a direct hit.
“Hey! That nearly hit me oan the coupon, ya nugget!” Picking the now smashed glass and disposing of it in the trash.
“So, you want to enlighten me as to what exactly you were talking to yourself about?” Although his laugh had died down, Xavier’s face was relaxed and good humoured. He had awoken refreshed from his sleep, and was determined that he was going to have at least one day without any shit hitting the fan.
Shuggie’s demeanour sobered almost instantly as he sat opposite his Commander. As Xavier reached over to grab the bottle of Scotch and a fresh glass, he put his own glass down, leaning slightly forward. “Aye, well, it’s jist that ah need tae update ye on a few couple o’ wee matters.”
“What matters?” Xavier arched an enquiring brow as he kicked his feet up on his desk and took a drink from his glass. “Shuggie, you are acting shiftier than a nun in a sex shop. What the fuck do you need to tell me?”
Clearing his throat, Shuggie decided it was probably better just to cut to the chase.
“Aye right, well, aye - it’s jist this.” Oh fuck here goes nothing, he thought. “Ye see, ah managed tae get intae that laptop that ye gave meh, and it turns oot - an ye’ll likely laugh at this - but it turns oot that Friera isnae Friera after all. Her name is Alicia Carberletti.”
Xavier’s reaction hadn’t changed, but then Shuggie thought, why would it? He hasn’t heard the interesting bit yet.
“An Alicia Carberletti is the thief we’ve been after.” Still, not unsurprising to Xavier who, although was getting a bit impatient, hadn’t changed his mood one iota. Shuggie continued to speak, but the last part of his sentence was spoken so low, so quickly, that Xavier nearly missed it.
“Say again?” Xavier’s expression changed in a heartbeat, his feet off the desk, glass slammed down and leaning over the desk, almost nose to nose with Shuggie. “She’s a fucking vampire?” The last word was blasted in Shuggie’s face as he sat, averting his eyes from Xavier’s glare. “Friera, is Alicia, who is a vampire. And you know this, how? Was there some fucking file in the cunting laptop that was entitled ‘diary of a bloodsucking kleptomaniac’?”
There was a vein throbbing in the right hand corner of Xavier’s forehead, and Shuggie knew that he was going to get his arse well and truly kicked.
“Naw, well,” he had thought of a smartarse comment to make, but backpedalled so fast there was almost steam coming from his feet. Xavier was no longer in any mood for frivolities. “Naw. Ah met her. A couple o’times actually. Ah’n I’ve invited her over here the night tae talk.”
Xavier scanned the room for hidden cameras. He was sure that he was being set up for some shitty candid camera show, because what he was hearing from Shuggie could not be serious. It absolutely couldn’t be fucking serious. “You have precisely ten seconds to tell me that you’re having a fucking laugh, or I swear to damnation that you are going to get an all over suntan. Do you understand?”
“Actually, as ye mention it, there’s summit else ah need tae tell ye, Commander.” Shuggie had suddenly found his hands very interesting, staring at them so that he didn’t have to look Xavier in the eye. “Cos Alicia isnae quite normal.”
Xavier almost laughed.
“Tell me something I don’t fucking know! The female is wired to the bloody moon,” his scornful tone biting back at Shuggie.
�
��Naw, ah mean she’s…” he struggled to find the words, “…she’s different. Think aboot it Commander. She’s a vampire, bit think back tae when you huv met her.” It was only then that Shuggie raised his eyes to look at Xavier, and could tell the moment the recognition of what he was implying took hold.
“Every time I’ve seen her it’s been in the daytime. She was fucking sunbathing at the dockside! But how the actual fuck could that even be possible? Shuggie?” Xavier felt his ass connect with his seat as he replayed in his head all the interactions he had had with the little nuclear bomb whom he had known as Friera, but was in fact, Alicia Carberletti. “Vampires can’t go out in the sunlight, she’d fry, wouldn’t she?”
Shuggie shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Apparently, she kin tolerate the sun. Ah’n I’m no a hundred percent sure she is pure vampire. We need tae get a hold o’some o’her blood tae get the Doc tae test it, jist tae be sure.”
“And so, let me summarize this. You have invited a known thief and head case into our base.” Xavier’s growl had returned, “Our secret base,” and was getting more menacing, “and not only that, but she may be some sort of creature that even you don’t know about? Have you taken leave of your fucking senses, Shuggie?”
“That aboot sums it up, aye,” a sheepish Shuggie agreed reluctantly, adding, “bit nae point cryin’ over spilt milk. The lass will be oan her way soon, so we kin discuss it aw the gither.”
Xavier must still be asleep, or had fallen into a crack in time and landed in an alternative universe because he knew that this was NOT happening. His best friend did not actually say that to him. He knew that for a fact because Shuggie was not a suicidal maniac who didn’t value his balls.
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