Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 14. The Gruesome Death of Brett Marshall

Had I wanted this? To become a vampire? Perhaps, but I never dreamed it would ever happen.

Mom was calming down, but still worried. She was my mother, the worry was part of the job. “Shouldn’t he be screened for things like HIV or something? That man broke the skin.”

Colin nodded. “Brett wasn’t HIV positive, Betty.” He smiled but looked at me. “I’m so sorry, Devon.”

I touched the area where the bite was, it wasn’t hurting nearly as much as it had. I looked at him and saw his face was holding guilt. “You didn’t do this, Colin. And you and I discussed that possibility.” I shrugged. “I went into this relationship with you with my eyes wide open.” I sighed. “This wasn’t your fault.”

Colin nodded. “It was.” He shook his head putting his forehead in a hand as he sniffed. “I should have stayed in New York. I should never have come back.”

I slid off the bed and moved toward Colin putting my arms around him. “Then Brett wins! He almost defeated you before. He destroyed your family by making you and Gabriella vampires. He forced you to live underground…” I looked at Gabriella. “…and in the dark. You didn’t give up. Don’t give up now.”

He looked with pain in his eyes. “I’m waiting for George.” He shook his head again. “Everyone I touch…”

“I love you, Colin.”

“You shouldn’t have,” Colin said bitterly.

“Well, I do!” I stated firmly. “If you back out now, Brett wins!”

Then I saw a look on his face I’d never seen. It was pure hatred. “I’ve never felt this before, but I will kill him.” He said with determination. “I will kill him!”

I nodded. “But we do this together, Colin. You’re not alone. You have Gabriella and me now. Don’t be afraid anymore. We will stop him.”

It was just before dawn that the doorbell rang. Gabriella opened the door to let George and seven others in and took them upstairs to me and Colin. My mother refused to leave me. George came in carrying some equipment. The others carried everything from a cooler and more equipment. George smiled at me as he sat down on the bed beside me. “It seems you are in a unique position, Devon.” Mom looked at the men who began setting up equipment. A microscope and other items that were medical for centrifuging blood. “You’re the first that has been bitten and gotten the serum so quickly.”

“I felt the serum working as the venom was trying to do…” I waved at no one. “…what it does to make a vampire.”

George nodded, smiling more. “That was what it was intended to do.” He looked in my eyes closer. “Your eyes are clear. I’m going to do some tests to see what’s happening, okay?” He went to the cooler. “I brought with me enough blood the same type you have to refill you from head to toe three or four times. I’ll begin flushing your system.”

“What does that mean?” Mom asked. “Is he a vampire?” The hope was clear in her voice.

George looked at her. “I’ll look and see. The venom hasn’t had time to get in his very cells. The serum will latch onto the venom. I’m going to flush the old blood out and put new blood in. That’s kind of like sucking venom from a snake by sucking the wound and spitting it out. If we get it soon enough…” he shrugged. “He could skip that part.”

For the next few hours, he took more blood samples as well as tissue samples and examined them carefully. The dawn came and he still worked. Colin never left me, neither did Mom. Gabriella did give in as she took her serum and went to bed. Colin had to give himself his. It was noon when George smiled at last and came over.

“You did it,” George said to Colin. “The blood samples I took first had the venom in the blood. The serum was administered in time to attach itself to the venom and it didn’t have time to rewrite your DNA.”

Colin let out a breath of relief. “So, he isn’t a vampire.”

George shook his head. “As of now, no.” He grinned at me. “You are the first person to be bitten who didn’t either die or be turned.” Then he raised a hand to hold off the celebration. “I will continue to monitor you for a while, but unless we’ve let some slip past…”

Mom let out a sound of extreme gratitude as she sighed. “Thank God.”

My reaction was two kinds, relief, and disappointment. I was relieved I hadn’t been turned, but disappointed that I wasn’t. That didn’t make sense. Understand, my disappointment was due to the idea that Colin and I wouldn’t be spending an extremely long life together. I mentally shook my head. There was no guarantee if I were turned I would live, so we were no worse off.

“As I said, I’ll monitor for now,” George said cautiously. “Whether you missed this bullet, we’ll have to see.” He rubbed his stomach. “I’m hungry.”

I chuckled. “We need to do something about that.” I looked at the other two with him. “Who are these gentlemen?”

George grinned at the two men working with him. “This is Gavin.” He introduced a blonde man in his thirties. “And this James.” He introduced a dark haired man that was losing a battle to keep hair on the top of his head. “They've been with me for several years.” He waved out of the room to the rest of the house. “There are five others I brought, they will be standing watch and looking through some records and events to locate Brett Marshall.” He looked out the window as daylight streamed in. “I think we’re safe a while. I’ll tell you about what I have as…disflavor for your blood…” he chuckled. “If it works, it will make you less attractive to any other vampire.”

Colin came over and hugged me. He was showing the release of some anger, but was still…he wasn’t acting like Colin. I pushed him away a little. “Colin, is this new event going to change things with you and me?”

Colin looked confused, but he didn’t really answer.

“Do you still love me?” I demanded.

“I don’t want you in danger,” Colin confessed.

“If you break things off with me to protect me, you will be in danger! From me!” I said angrily. “I know you have regrets, I’ve stuck by you a while. I think I’ve proven I won’t leave. Are you thinking of leaving me?”

Colin’s face showed a conflict. “If I put you out of harm’s…”

“This is bullshit!!” I shouted. “Don’t you dare leave me! You asked me to marry you! I said yes. I knew what you were when you asked me. You cannot leave me! Damn it!”

Colin looked so frustrated. “I don’t want to.” He said softly hugging me again. He looked at George. “Will this…stuff this disflavor you call it, will work in Devon’s blood?”

George gave a shrug and nod. “Theoretically. We won’t know until we try it.”

“Can you give it to him now?” Colin asked.

“Let’s do another purge and see if the venom is really gone. We’ll try it after that.” George nodded.

I looked at George. “Will that work for Colin? Replacing his blood…”

George shook his head. “I don’t think so. He’s been a vampire so long, it’s written in his body. He’s keeping himself a vampire now. What would be needed is his original DNA. He and Gabriella are vampires.”

I watched as Colin staggered a little. “Colin?” I asked holding him up.

Colin smiled allowing me to put my arms around him. “I forgot to eat. I told you…I have little storage, so I eat to keep my strength up.”

I kissed him gently. “Then we better get you something. I’m not losing you.”

He chuckled. “I’m not losing you, either.”

Colin ate with not a lot of his usual gusto, but I wondered if it was because he’d waited too long to eat.

Mom was now more relaxed. “This Brett Marshall moved very fast and he was so strong.”

George nodded as he munched. “He’s a predator. A vampire is all about feeding and staying alive.” He sighed. “The venom changes a man into that perfect hunter, he’s faster and stronger to overcome his prey.”

I also noticed Colin wasn’t looking at me much. “Are you feeling better, Colin?” I asked. He just nodded but didn’t look at me. I waited until he’d finished, then put my napkin down and rose from my chair. “Excuse us. I need to speak to Colin alone. Right now.” I said taking Colin’s hand and led him upstairs. In our bedroom, I shut the door and locked it. Turning around I pushed him back onto the bed and straddled the top of him. “I don’t know what’s going through your mind, Colin, but I don’t like it. Since I was attacked, you’re distant and won’t even look at me.”

Colin frowned. “I’ve just thinking how to protect you…”

“Protect me by being with me, Colin. You didn’t do this! Brett did.” I pulled my shirt off. “We’re going to make love. I mean you to me and me to you. I won’t let Brett ruin what I’ve found to be the most perfect human being alive for me. I love you, Colin.” I said looking in his emerald eyes. “You can sense me. You know I’m telling the truth.” I began unbuttoning his shirt. “Tell me what you feel for me.”

Tears were welling in his eyes. “I do love you, Devon. I never stopped. I’m worried! I could get you killed!”

I shook my head as my heart broke. “No, you could not and would not, baby,” I assured kissing him tenderly. “You could never do that to me. You broke out of this…horror you lived in and let me into your heart, don’t shut me out now. Please. I’ll do whatever you say, but don’t shut me out.”

He nodded returning my kiss. It took only a few seconds before he was kissing like before, deep and consuming as his hands were running over me, across my back and up my sides. He did want me. He rolled us over so he was on top, allowing my hands to come across his chest, letting my fingers run through his chest hair I loved, feeling his strength and warmth. We spent the next hour or more reconnecting with each other as I loved him and he loved me. Afterward, I felt I had my Colin back.

That evening Colin gathered everyone in the family room.

“In light of Brett’s return.” He said softly. “Until he’s caught, I think it best that we…Gabriella, Devon, and Betty go to New York. It will be Christmas in a few days. We can spend Christmas there and be safe for now.” His arm was around me and he grinned at me. “I almost let Brett win. I won’t make that mistake again.” He looked at George. “Can we leave tonight?”

“We’ll go as soon as you’re ready.” George nodded. “That’s a good plan.” He looked at the five he had brought with him. “They can stay and look for Brett.”

The men nodded.

That idea was a good one, but I didn’t like it. “What about your families? It’s the holidays.”

One grinned and shrugged. “I’m Jewish. Hanukkah is over.”

Another shrugged as he pointed to another man. “We’ll be with family. He’s my brother and that’s all the family I have.” Then I saw the family resemblance.

“I think finding this man is a little more important.” The last one said. “Consider it a Christmas present. I know we will.”

We flew out landing as the sun was rising soon and we were in Newark again and flew to Manhattan.

Colin had a three bedroom apartment there, but I hated that it wasn’t decorated for Christmas. Gabriella and I had worked to get the house on Tradd Street fixed for the Holiday. I’d have to see what we could do here.

I got Colin’s serum ready, we almost missed a dose, and I gave it to him. He had the pain again, to which I now knew some of what that was like now. I had been told there was a serum for me and I was to take it until George was sure I didn’t have some residual venom lurking in my system. Colin gave me the serum, but I felt no pain at all this time. I did have a raging hard-on.

Colin chuckled. “We could put Viagra to shame with this.” He shook the vial.

“Let’s not waste it!” I grinned tackling him. “I am going to marry you, Colin Wentworth.”

Colin nodded. “Yes, you will.” He kissed me in his usual consuming way. “I’m sorry I was an ass about…what happened.”

I smiled at him as we began our cuddling. “You care about me. I care about you. We will promise each other right now; no one is breaking us apart. Deal?”

He nodded. “Deal.”

The good thing about being this far north, it would snow! Big deal? It is for me! We only had one white Christmas when I was a boy in Charleston and that was because the weather was messed up after we’d had that hurricane in September so I was told. I barely remember it. Colin took us to Rockefeller Center to ice skate, which I determined wasn’t natural. You had to have strong ankles for that and I wasn’t doing it enough to develop those. We went to some stores including Macy’s, which was an experience for me because we didn’t have department stores like it in Charleston and got some decorations. I wanted a real Christmas tree but settled for a relatively life-like artificial tree. The other great thing was it was delivered! To the building, it seemed they wouldn’t let them take them to our apartment. With Colin and Mom helping, Gabriella and I had the apartment decorated before Christmas Eve! Mom even made her famous Holiday Christmas Spice Tea.

Colin smiled at me as I came with a steaming cup for him and me and sat by him on the sofa while he was cruising the internet. “Well, the good news is…” he said taking his tea. “…the only news printed about what happened is crazed lunatic attacks Christmas Party in downtown Charleston.” He smiled. “Now, as long as no one at the party saw too much, and even if they did, as that officer said, he was a vampire wannabe.” He sipped the tea. He grinned. “This is good, Betty.”

Mom smiled as she curled up on the sofa with hers. “I’ve done it many years.” She seemed more at ease now. “I want to apologize to you, Colin. I judged you harshly. You’re a good man.”

Colin nodded. “Because of what I am. I understand.”

Mom shrugged. “Finding out what you are…you and Gabriella…I was frightened. Now that I’ve spent time with you two, I realize none of this is your fault. You aren’t evil and I know you love Devon. I won’t make that mistake again. I’m sorry I did.”

Colin smiled putting his cup down and went over, sat by Mom and hugged her. “I’d die without Devon. I will protect him with my last breath. I really do love him.”

Mom smiled. “I really know that now.”

Gabriella came in with a DVD. “Who’s up for Its A Wonderful Life and the original Miracle of 34^th Street?” She asked knowing Mother had said they were hers. She put the DVD in and pressed play.

At nearly midnight Colin and I went to our bedroom, but he lit the fireplace and opened the curtains and turned the lights on the patio so we could watch it snow. I gave him his injection and he gave me mine. Afterward, he didn’t begin any sex yet. He grinned at me as he opened a drawer on his bedside table. He handed me a little box wrapped for Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, Devon.”

You can’t hide a little box like this without the receiver knowing what it had to be. “We said no presents!”

Colin chuckled and looked sheepish a second. “Well, it’s not really a Christmas present, I’m just giving it to you at Christmas.”

I opened the package and opened the box. As I suspected, it was a gold ring. A man’s ring, wide, but it had a deep set diamond in the center. Even in the dim light, the blue-white diamond sparkled. I took it out of the box.

“There’s an inscription.” Colin pointed to the ring.

Looking at the inside, it read: I’ll love you forever. Colin.

I smiled as I put it on. I didn’t blubber for no real reason, but my vision was getting blurry. “But I didn’t get you anything.”

Colin smiled even more. “You did.” He pulled me down to him. “You’ve given me the best present I’ve ever gotten. True, unwavering love. You gave me your heart. I’m showing you, you’ve got mine. You have my very soul. I will love you forever.”

“And I will love you forever.” Making love this time was especially nice. It was slow and we were making promises to each other. Nothing would tear us apart.

It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s when George came to the apartment.

“We got him.” He said without even really saying hello when Colin opened the door. “Brett Marshal came back to the house on Tradd Street and broke in. The men there subdued him and are flying him back here. He should be landing tonight.”

I felt intense satisfaction hearing this. I could see Colin was smiling, but he had that look again of pure hatred.

“What are your plans for him?” Colin asked.

George looked at Colin seriously. “I’m leaving you to determine what to do with him.”

Colin nodded, thanked him and looked at me. “It will be over soon.”

I didn’t like the way Colin said it, but Brett Marshall had done everything to destroy Colin’s life. I’d leave whatever he determined to do with Colin.

Colin told Gabriella and Mom.

I watched as Colin paced those few hours waiting for word that Brett was here.

It was ten that night when the phone rang. I answered and was told Brett was here and where in the building he was being held. Hanging up, I looked at Colin. “He’s here.”

Colin nodded and was about to leave, but stopped and smiled at me, holding his hand out to me. “We do this together.” He didn’t tell Gabriella as she didn’t want to see Brett.

I told Colin what floor and room and we rode down the elevator. This all was new to me in this building, but they had a room like a police interview room. It was all cinder brick with no windows to the outside. They weren’t taking chances with Brett. There was one person standing in the room with one door in or out. There was a window, but it was from this room to the other so someone could see and speak with the person in the room without jeopardizing his own safety. The creature in the room was dressed in clothes that were very old by design and wear. He might have been good looking when human, but what I saw was clearly not human anymore. He was looking around anxiously and he tried the door again, there was no doorknob, but a little hole no finger could get in. I figured it was for a key that would open it from the inside.

George came in. “You can talk to him if you push this button.” He pointed to a panel on the wall. “You can even adjust the volume on it if he can’t hear.” He grinned as he said that pointing at the two buttons, one pointing up and the other down. There was a mute. “He might be swearing at you loud, but he can’t out talk that. You can listen to what he says pressing this button. He can’t see you and he can’t get out.”

Colin nodded to George, who merely nodded back and left. Colin went to the switch to talk. “Hungry I see.”

Brett stopped trying to get out and looked for the source of voice he heard. “Where are you, Wentworth?” He had a Southern accent that was definitely from Georgia.

“Safe from you for the first time in 160 to 170 years,” Colin said sadly. “Where you never will hurt anyone again, not me, my loved ones.”

“Where are you?” Brett spat again.

“In a position where I was given how your life ends,” Colin replied softly. “You destroyed much of what I had, but you never destroyed me.”

Brett was insane before he was turned, it seemed and now he was starting to shout, but Colin turned his voice off and Brett shouted at nothing. Colin turned the volume up for his own voice. “You can hear me even though you’re shouting,” Colin said evenly and I watched Brett cringe and cover his ears at the volume. “I know how sharp a vampire’s hearing is. You hear the scrape of a shoe stepping on feathers and even the heartbeat of a victim.” Brett stopped shouting and listened. “You had your last meal yesterday. In the morning, you and I will be on the roof of this building. The sun will rise and you will either burn or jump. This is a sixty story building so you will die from the fall or the sun, but you will die.”

“You’ll burn, too!” Brett said, he didn’t need volume to read his lips on those words.

“No, I won’t.” Colin chuckled. “I’m not like you are anymore. I never really was. I’ve been out in daylight and love it. Your whole family has been one big failure. You are a failure. You failed as a plantation owner, you failed to kill me and you failed to turn the man I love into a vampire. Devon is fine. He didn’t turn. He’ll be on the roof with us. You’ll see, the only one that burns…is you.” Brett started screaming something as he lunged toward the window, which was strong glass. We didn’t even hear him bang on it with his hands, but Colin had turned him off. He turned to me. “You know it has to be done.”

I nodded. “He’ll never be anything, but a killer. It ends at sunup.” I pressed my lips to Colin’s lips. “I love you. No regrets this time. Agreed?”

Colin nodded. “I always wanted to know why, but…” he shrugged. “Now, it doesn’t matter. His family is dead and in the morning he will be, too.” He wrapped his arms around me, bringing me close to him. “But I won’t feel right until it’s finally over.”

“Then we’ll wait right here,” I said motioning to the few chairs. “You can keep your eyes on him until it’s time.”

Colin nodded and sat down, but patted the chair next to his for me to sit. “Stay?”

“I insist,” I said sitting next to Colin.

It was Winter now and the sunrise wasn’t as early as we wanted, but about a half an hour before sunrise when George came in.

“It’s almost time,” George said as he looked and we saw the door to the interrogation room open, which Brett charged, but drew back as a guard shone a light in Brett’s face. “That’s a sunlight flashlight,” George said. “It gives the same ultra-violet light as the sun.” He chuckled. “A sun gun?” He watched as the guards cuffed Brett’s arms behind his back and put a black cloth over his head so he couldn’t see. “He hasn’t fed, so he’s weak. There is not much of a fight in him now.”

Brett was taken to an elevator where he would ride to the roof. We took a separate elevator. On the roof, I saw all of Manhattan in the twilight before the dawn. I looked at the glow appearing on the horizon. It was cold up on that roof. There was a ding and we turned to see Gabriella come out.

“I realized, I’d never have peace until I KNEW it was over,” Gabriella said softly taking her father’s hand. The wind this high up was billowing hers and Colin’s hair. I realized it was for me, too. The wind up here was freezing! “I needed to see it was really over.”

Colin nodded. “In just a few minutes. It will be.”

George nodded to the four guards that surrounded Brett and one of them took the cover off Brett. He looked at the horizon and then at Colin.

“We’ll die!”

Colin shook his head. “Not we. You will die.” He corrected. “If you had ventured out in the world, you would have found it has moved on, you did not. All you did was seek revenge and kill. Gabriella and I will be in the sun in its refreshing light and going back downstairs to warm up with some coffee.”

I bounced with a smile. “Or hot chocolate.”

Gabriella smiled nodding. “Oh, that sounds good!”

“You failed, Brett Marshall,” Colin repeated. “Now face the wrath of God!” He said as the first beam of light burst the horizon and Brett began to panic as I could see the skin on his face quiver. “You’re a failure, Brett. You failed as a man and as a vampire. You failed as a simple human being! Pray there is no God, for I have no doubt the burning has just begun if there is. You were a piece of SHIT!” He said shit very loud. “Die, you horrible piece of SHIT!!!”

It was like he was in this intense microwave as his skin began to bubble up. No smoke, but he was literally burning. He let out a scream. He reached up to claw his face and skin just peeled off in his hands and now his whole body was bubbling. The sun rose higher.

Colin turned toward the sun. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Gabriella smiled, putting her head on her father’s shoulder, but she was looking at Brett as he was dying. “It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Brett was now writhing in pain as he looked for an escape and then sprinted to the side of the building and jumped.

George came over. “You know, they have those safety nets in case we did have a jumper?” He said simply.

Colin nodded. “Yea, but he didn’t know that. He’ll be ash soon.” We walked to the edge where we looked over. In the safety net, Brett still screamed clawing his body and then lay still. “We don’t have to clean up!” He said brightly pulling my head toward him kissing me on the head. “I think this is going to be a great day!!”