Welcome to Wednesday Briefs! It's flash fiction, so this story will be presented in 1000(ish)-word chapters. I hope you enjoy it, and check out the many other flashers, whose links are below. You can also check out the Wednesday Briefs Blog for more info and to sign up for email notifications.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
THE BOYS OF BELSMEADE
Chapter Twenty-Three
Fumaro raced through the woods, crossing the neutral territory and onto the Belanni estate. When he reached the house, he forced the door open and let it slam against the wall, shattering a vase that sat on the entry table.
Lilianna Becker hurried out from the living room, rage painting her face, but when she saw the vampire, she gasped. The viscount passed by without a word and kicked in the door to Becker's study. Becker shot to his feet. "Corleanni! What the hell—"
Fumaro's eyes went black and he hissed. "Listen to me!" When he had Becker's full attention he said, "Your son has joined the Ambrogi."
"Joined?"
"He has tied himself to the second youngest son."
Becker fell into his chair in utter disbelief. "Son? Do you mean that Blake is—"
Fumaro smirked. "Is getting fucked like a bitch? Yes. But that's not all. Blake has also accused you of Galen's murder."
Becker stared at his desk as his world fell out beneath him. Could it be true that his beloved Blake would betray him? "How could he know about Galen?"
The viscount slammed his fist down on the desk. The antique oak splintered under the force. "You fool! I told you then you should have been more careful! You should have planned. Galen was supposed to have run away, but yet he left his car and all his belongings? Of course people would be suspicious!"
Lukas swallowed hard. "What did the count say?"
"He is going to investigate Galen's disappearance."
"Oh my God," Lukas moaned. "And what of Ambrogi? Surely he will not accept Blake into his clan?"
"He has already done so. Your son is lost to you. Now you have nothing. One of the great families of the Belanni Clan has been reduced to dust because you could not control your own children! At least you got rid of Galen's body, so there is no evidence." The viscount towered over him and growled. "You did burn the body, didn't you?"
Lukas slouched down in his chair and screwed his eyes closed. "I could not have risked the smoke and had police show up. So… I buried him."
"Where?" Fumaro bellowed.
"Little Switzerland," Lukas said quietly. "I hoped if he was ever found, we could blame it on the Ambrogi."
"Idiot!"
Outside the door, Lilianna Becker shook with grief. For some time she'd wondered what had really happened to her eldest son. Now she knew. As quietly as she could, she went upstairs to gather what few things she could carry in her shoulder bag. Then she pulled on her coat and boots and jumped out the window. One way or another, she would save her son.
Lilianna Becker hurried out from the living room, rage painting her face, but when she saw the vampire, she gasped. The viscount passed by without a word and kicked in the door to Becker's study. Becker shot to his feet. "Corleanni! What the hell—"
Fumaro's eyes went black and he hissed. "Listen to me!" When he had Becker's full attention he said, "Your son has joined the Ambrogi."
"Joined?"
"He has tied himself to the second youngest son."
Becker fell into his chair in utter disbelief. "Son? Do you mean that Blake is—"
Fumaro smirked. "Is getting fucked like a bitch? Yes. But that's not all. Blake has also accused you of Galen's murder."
Becker stared at his desk as his world fell out beneath him. Could it be true that his beloved Blake would betray him? "How could he know about Galen?"
The viscount slammed his fist down on the desk. The antique oak splintered under the force. "You fool! I told you then you should have been more careful! You should have planned. Galen was supposed to have run away, but yet he left his car and all his belongings? Of course people would be suspicious!"
Lukas swallowed hard. "What did the count say?"
"He is going to investigate Galen's disappearance."
"Oh my God," Lukas moaned. "And what of Ambrogi? Surely he will not accept Blake into his clan?"
"He has already done so. Your son is lost to you. Now you have nothing. One of the great families of the Belanni Clan has been reduced to dust because you could not control your own children! At least you got rid of Galen's body, so there is no evidence." The viscount towered over him and growled. "You did burn the body, didn't you?"
Lukas slouched down in his chair and screwed his eyes closed. "I could not have risked the smoke and had police show up. So… I buried him."
"Where?" Fumaro bellowed.
"Little Switzerland," Lukas said quietly. "I hoped if he was ever found, we could blame it on the Ambrogi."
"Idiot!"
Outside the door, Lilianna Becker shook with grief. For some time she'd wondered what had really happened to her eldest son. Now she knew. As quietly as she could, she went upstairs to gather what few things she could carry in her shoulder bag. Then she pulled on her coat and boots and jumped out the window. One way or another, she would save her son.
********************
The look on the count's face scared the crap out of me. Aramis held me tighter and whispered reassurances.
"Track him!" the count ordered.
"We did," one of the vampires said. He crossed the property line and went into Belanni lands. We did not dare follow until we consulted you."
"Who are the Belanni?" I asked.
Blake sank into a chair. "It's my dad's clan. Fumaro's gonna tell Dad that I accused him. Holy shit. He's going to destroy me."
Aristes shook his head. "You are part of my clan now, Blake. They will not lay a finger on you."
One of the guards came in and said, "Sir, we have captured a Belanni sneaking onto the estate. Shall we bring her to you and the count?"
"Yes," demanded Count Corleanni.
When the guards brought in the trespasser, Blake gasped. "Mom!"
Mrs. Becker looked as though she's seen a ghost. "Blake!" she cried. "You're all right. Listen. I heard them talking."
"Who?" the count asked.
Lilianna fell on her knees bowed her head. "My husband and your brother, sir. Fumaro came to the house and began shouting at Lukas. I listened while they spoke of… murdering my son!"
All of the energy left her body and she slumped forward, holding herself up with her hands. "Poor Galen," she said quietly. "Thrown into a hole in the ground like a dead animal."
The count's eyes were wide. "Buried? Lukas didn't burn the body?"
She shook her head. "No. He said it would have attracted too much attention. Instead, he buried Galen."
"Where?" Aristes asked.
"Little Switzerland. He thought that if it was discovered, he could blame the Ambrogi."
Several of the Ambrogi, including my mate, growled fiercely. Corleanni snapped his fingers and his brothers followed him out of the room. Mr. Ambrogi said, "Marco, Raniero, come with me."
"Be careful!" Aurelia cried. "Becker could have guards everywhere!"
Aristes kissed his wife. "We will bring ours. And we have the count. Nothing will get past him."
They hurried out, and we all sat around the living room in various states of anxiety. No one said anything. Ten minutes went by, and still we heard nothing. Then, twenty-five minutes after we left, we heard several vampires crossing the lawn.
"Thank God," Aurelia said, and she stood to look out the window. I heard a quiet pop, then glass breaking, and then Aramis' mother slumped onto the floor. There was a bullet hole in the middle of her chest.
"Mom!" Aramis screamed. He jumped up to help her, but another shot took him down.
"No!" I cried, but I could barely hear myself over the sound of glass shattering and bullets flying. Blake and Epp barely made it off the couch before they were hit. The countess was the next to be shot, followed by the girls and Blake's mother. Benita shoved my father onto the floor, and was then brought down by a bullet to the chest. The carnage around me rooted me to the spot. I was the only vampire left. Suddenly, the door opened and Fumaro stood there, with a gun pointed at my head.
Two guards I didn't recognize entered and he gave them instructions in Italian. One of them grabbed Mrs. Becker. I thought the other one was going to take me, but he crossed the room and lifted my father off the floor.
Dad reached out for me, "Eliot, help me!"
"No!" I begged Fumaro, "Please, don't do this. Kill me, but don't hurt him!"
A slick, evil grin spread across Fumaro's face. He said, "You are to blame for all of this, Eliot."
Another pop, and everything went black.
"Track him!" the count ordered.
"We did," one of the vampires said. He crossed the property line and went into Belanni lands. We did not dare follow until we consulted you."
"Who are the Belanni?" I asked.
Blake sank into a chair. "It's my dad's clan. Fumaro's gonna tell Dad that I accused him. Holy shit. He's going to destroy me."
Aristes shook his head. "You are part of my clan now, Blake. They will not lay a finger on you."
One of the guards came in and said, "Sir, we have captured a Belanni sneaking onto the estate. Shall we bring her to you and the count?"
"Yes," demanded Count Corleanni.
When the guards brought in the trespasser, Blake gasped. "Mom!"
Mrs. Becker looked as though she's seen a ghost. "Blake!" she cried. "You're all right. Listen. I heard them talking."
"Who?" the count asked.
Lilianna fell on her knees bowed her head. "My husband and your brother, sir. Fumaro came to the house and began shouting at Lukas. I listened while they spoke of… murdering my son!"
All of the energy left her body and she slumped forward, holding herself up with her hands. "Poor Galen," she said quietly. "Thrown into a hole in the ground like a dead animal."
The count's eyes were wide. "Buried? Lukas didn't burn the body?"
She shook her head. "No. He said it would have attracted too much attention. Instead, he buried Galen."
"Where?" Aristes asked.
"Little Switzerland. He thought that if it was discovered, he could blame the Ambrogi."
Several of the Ambrogi, including my mate, growled fiercely. Corleanni snapped his fingers and his brothers followed him out of the room. Mr. Ambrogi said, "Marco, Raniero, come with me."
"Be careful!" Aurelia cried. "Becker could have guards everywhere!"
Aristes kissed his wife. "We will bring ours. And we have the count. Nothing will get past him."
They hurried out, and we all sat around the living room in various states of anxiety. No one said anything. Ten minutes went by, and still we heard nothing. Then, twenty-five minutes after we left, we heard several vampires crossing the lawn.
"Thank God," Aurelia said, and she stood to look out the window. I heard a quiet pop, then glass breaking, and then Aramis' mother slumped onto the floor. There was a bullet hole in the middle of her chest.
"Mom!" Aramis screamed. He jumped up to help her, but another shot took him down.
"No!" I cried, but I could barely hear myself over the sound of glass shattering and bullets flying. Blake and Epp barely made it off the couch before they were hit. The countess was the next to be shot, followed by the girls and Blake's mother. Benita shoved my father onto the floor, and was then brought down by a bullet to the chest. The carnage around me rooted me to the spot. I was the only vampire left. Suddenly, the door opened and Fumaro stood there, with a gun pointed at my head.
Two guards I didn't recognize entered and he gave them instructions in Italian. One of them grabbed Mrs. Becker. I thought the other one was going to take me, but he crossed the room and lifted my father off the floor.
Dad reached out for me, "Eliot, help me!"
"No!" I begged Fumaro, "Please, don't do this. Kill me, but don't hurt him!"
A slick, evil grin spread across Fumaro's face. He said, "You are to blame for all of this, Eliot."
Another pop, and everything went black.
****************************************
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