Page 70 of Fratelli: Eternal Bloodlines

And Domencio is mine, Dolly. He belongs to me.The universe wants us together, not divided. From the beginning of this realm, it’s designed that we all find mates. True soulmates. She will serve you, but she now has another love, one that the consigliere could exploit. He will make her vulnerable. That mistake will cost us when we go into battle. There’s no undoing it.

“Can the other vampires mate her too?”

No, and yes. Once Tristan and his Draca claimed her, she belonged to him—but that union could be tested. As he said in Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. She’s his.

“How do you know all of this, and I don’t?” Dolly asked.

Because I’m smarter than you,Darlene chuckled.

“Whatever,” Dolly sighed.

Dolly knelt by her best friend and understood her torment. She knew what loving these vampires could bring. The pain and the hurt were only the beginning. She hugged her.

“Charmaine, you are not my servant. I don’t know what these people did to you, what they told you about guardians, and I don’t care. You are my friend. The best friend I have ever had. And now I’m humbled because your sacrifice made you the Protector of the Light, Goddess of the Realm. I know it’s confusing what’s happening to us so fast. I know it scares you. It scares me too.” Dolly looked up at the half-moon in the sky. “You found your other half. Tristan and Lucio live in the darkness. We live in the light. And one can’t exist without the other.”

Charmaine slowly looked up into Dolly’s eyes.

She wiped her tears. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

“I never want to see him again. I don’t want to be tested like that ever again,” Charmaine said.

Dolly smiled, thinking of how she first reacted to the news of Lucio being a vampire. She knew that eventually, like Charmaine, destiny would win. Even now, in the dark alley, she longed to be in Lucio’s arms.

“We’re not done. Let’s find Sonya. Now,” Dolly said.

After a long pause, Charmaine took Dolly’s hand. Her friend helped her stand.

“We fight one battle, we learn. We live to fight the next. Promise!” Dolly held up her pinky for her friend to hook her own around.

Charmaine hugged her instead. They squeezed each other tight. “I missed you so much. I was so afraid for you,” said Charmaine.

“Tell me about this guardian stuff, and how you got involved. How did it happen?” Dolly asked.

Before Charmaine could respond, a car arrived. It stopped. The headlights blinded them both. The engine purred.

“What now?” Charmaine sighed.

“I dunno. Whatever it is, we’re ready,” Dolly said.

Chapter 30

Path to Perdition

Bellagio - Las Vegas, Nevada

April 18, 2018

(3 Days Before Death)

Midnight—

Russell’s head felt heavy as if ready to explode. He was slow to wake. A hard squint through the piercing aches in his skull helped. As he stabilized his runaway thoughts, he noticed the strangeness of his current situation. His face pressed against something cool, like glass, and his body leaned into a cramped corner with movement beneath him.

Pushing through his fear, Russell opened his eyes. He saw the back headrest of a car seat. To his left, Lamont sat. The young rapper scrolled through Instagram on his phone.

“What the hell?” Russell mumbled. “Why? Why am I here!”

Lamont glanced over. Unfazed by Russell’s outburst, he returned his attention to his phone. The driver and passenger in the front seats remained silent. They didn’t listen to music or have small conversations. The car was eerily quiet except for Lamont’s dancing TikTok’s to his rap lyrics. The phone's lightthat illuminated Lamont’s face dispelled the darkness of the backseat. There was a look of nostalgia for the former hip-hop star over seeing fans of his music doing tributes. Outside, the Vegas city lights faded into a dark. The isolation under a starless desert and mountain scape surrounded them.

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