The Dark Secret of the CEO
Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Too bad,” he whispers. “I could have kept a cute one like you as a pet…”

A pet? Another chill crawls down my spine. I don’t know what that fucker’s thinking about, but that’s ahuge no. I finally manage to utter a faint, pathetic hiss, but he chuckles. He’s only steps away now. I’mscreaming for Bart or Richard to show up, but it’s all in my head, not a single sound comes out of mymouth.

“Thanks for leaving some for me,” he chuckles, stepping right in front of me. “I’ll enjoy them right after Iget rid of y-”

He suddenly disappears out of my sight. In the blink of an eye, I just have time to see a black shadowbefore the guy is violently thrown against the opposite wall, the bricks making a horrible sound. Thepressure I felt until a second ago is gone, and Bart appears. He grabs the guy by the throat, pulls himaway from the wall for just a second before brutally slamming him against it again. I can hear the guy’sskull break in at least a dozen places, and he croaks, his throat crushed under Bart’s clutches.

“What was that you said you were about to do to my little sis, exactly?” He tilts his head with a furiouslook.

The guy’s eyes open wide in horror as he realizes his mistake. He glances at me, then back to Bart.There’s nothing left of the guy that was terrorizing me seconds ago. I’m still shaking, but I’m alsofucking relieved, and a bit impressed at how easily Bart just destroyed the guy’s throat and crushed hisdominance. A bit scared, too, but I’m glad he’s on my side… The stranger pathetically tries to grabBartholomew’s hand to have him release his grip, but even I can tell that’s not going to happen. Thedifference in strength is far worse than he and I.

“I…” He wheezes. “I didn’t… The S-scotsman…”

…The Scotsman? Does he mean Richard?

“Yes, you pathetic piece of vampire shit,” hisses Bart. “She’s a Heartgraves, and the Scotsman’s back.So you’d better scram the fuck back to whichever shithole you came out from, and if I ever get sight ofyour pathetic mug again, anywhere near London or near us, I’m wiping those streets with your fuckingintestines. Are we clear?”

The guy can barely wheeze some faint approval, but the terror in his eyes is good enough. Bart slowlylets go, still glaring furiously at him, and we watch the guy vanish at record speed. I let out a sigh.

“…You alright, Baby?”

“Don’t you ever be late again,” I mutter, almost a cry.

I try to wipe the blood off my face, but my hands are still shaking. I don’t want to imagine what wouldhave happened if he had been just a minute late… Bart walks up to me, and takes out another tissue tohelp me out.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d be unlucky enough to cross paths with this kind…”

“What kind is that?”

“The scum of vampires,” he scoffs. “Scavengers. Those guys are pathetic. They hunt easy targets,leave a mess behind them and usually target young vampires like you to kill them and have lesscompetition, or worse, force them to do their deeds. They are partially the reason why there aren’t asmany vampires as before.”

I faintly nod. I had no idea…

“Are there many?” I ask, my voice a bit raspier than I would have wanted it.

“Normally, no. But he probably thought he could have a good time while the local Overlord wasn’taround.”

“…The Scotsman he mentioned, is it Richard?”

“Yeah, that’s one of the names they know him by. Though I’m pretty sure he’s older than that…”

What does that mean? …He can’t possibly mean older than actual Scotland? Bart turns around to goand check on the two guys I left like that. He grabs them to look at their necks, and chuckles.

“You did this?”

“I managed to stop myself on the first one,” I protested, slightly hurt.

“What about the second one?”

I get worried for a second, but I realize I can hear the passed out guy’s heartbeat. I shake my head.

“I can’t tell if I would have been able to stop, to be honest. I was getting to the good part when the otherbastard startled me.”

“Fair enough. Having two preys at hand was a good move. …Your hunger’s still to be trained, but youdid a good job at charming them, Baby. You got a knack for this.”

“Is it supposed to be hard? Not to gloat but it felt rather instinctive to me…”

“It depends on the vamp,” Bart shrugs. “Some are better at holding back their thirst, some have talentfor charm, others for domination. Some have it all, some never get good at any. From what I’ve seen,you’re faring alright.”

While he takes care of the two guys, checking on the injuries I made and charming them to go homewithout a complaint nor a word, I can’t help but stare at the wrecked wall on our left. Everythinghappened so fast, and I still feel chills about it… I have never felt so powerless, and it was terrifying.

“Bart, how old was he?”

“What?”

“That guy, the one who tried to attack me?”

“Oh… I dunno, maybe a century old. I’ve never seen him before. Why?”

“…Because I never want to be that helpless again.”

He smiles, but doesn’t say anything. I just wrap my arms around myself. I print that image of thedestroyed wall in my head, I want to remember what just happened if I ever get weak. Both guys gone,Bart walks back to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

“Come on Baby Vamp, I think you got enough action for today. Let’s go home.”

I couldn’t agree more. This meeting with another vampire cooled me down big time. I walk back withBart, letting him guide me in silence while I reminisce about what happened. He doesn’t seem to mindthe silence, but it takes me all the journey back to really calm down. The streets are calm, and I guessthe air is cold on this October night. London is quiet where it’s not buzzling with nightlife, and I can’thelp but glance around at each new street we step in.

“Relax, Hera,” Bart sighs. “I swear nobody else will try to pull that crap on you again. That bastard willspread the word that Richard’s back, all the vermin are going to flee the City as fast as they can.”

“…Is Richard that powerful?”

“He’s an Overlord,” he shrugs, as if that explained it all. “No vampire in their sane mind wants to piss offone, trust me.”

“…What about those who created that guy? Don’t they all have… their own Overlord?”

“You catch on quickly. …But it’s more complicated than that. First, not everyone cares like Richarddoes about our “family”. Some Overlords actually create vampires without thinking twice, or worse, justto drop their offspring on another Overlord’s territory, their way to piss each other off without fightingdirectly. Imagine if you had woken up without Richard around, left to your own devices. …Scary, right?Well, it’s that easy.”

Scary indeed. I would have probably just hid in the streets of New York, hunting like a beast, slave ofmy thirst and with nobody to guide me, or protect me, at the mercy of older vampires. It’s terrifying toimagine…

“So London is Richard’s territory?”

“London?” Bart chuckles. “He’s the Scotsman, Hera. Richard’s territory is all of Britain.”

…Then what was he doing in New York City? From what I can gather so far, he left long enough forother vampires to crawl into his home city, but why? What pushed him to go overseas? I hesitate to askBart, but he seemed already shocked that Richard had gone to New York, he probably doesn’t knoweither. Cata doesn’t seem like she’d pry into the Patriarch’s matters either. …Perhaps I should askRichard himself? He sort of dodged the question once already…

While I’m lost in my thoughts, we reach the house, and Bart opens the door for me. Cata is still in thekitchen when we walk in, cooking something else, but the cookies are nowhere to be seen. What didshe do with them? Does she ever stop cooking?

“How was it?” She asks with a bright smile.

“She’s a killer!” Chuckles Bart.

Her expression drops.

“Oh my god, really?”

“Chill, Cata, I’m joking!” He rolls his eyes. “Baby did just fine for her first day. She’s got some real talentfor charming too.”

“Oh, that’s good… I never got really good at it,” Cata sighs.

“What would you use it for,” Scoffs Bart. “You never leave this house anyway…”

To my surprise, Cata only makes a sorry smile, and focuses on her cooking again. It’s like she just can’tstop for a minute. The second she puts whatever she was baking in the oven, she grabs more utensils,visibly starting another recipe. To my surprise though, she’s actually using one of the unlabelled bottlesfrom earlier and, from the smell, I can tell it’s not wine…

An awkward silence takes place next, during which Bart shrugs.

“…I’m going to shower,” I mutter. “Cata, how can I get another… outfit?”

“Oh, I’ll bring one for you! Any preference?”

“Anything that’s nothing like this,” I mutter, glancing down at my short, tight black dress. “Somethingcomfortable, if possible.”

“I’m on it!”

She walks out of the kitchen and upstairs, and Bart sighs.

“…I’m going to shower too,” he groans.

We both walk out, but split ways after going upstairs, each to our own room. …Does that mean theroom I woke up in is going to be mine from now on? I need to double-check with Cata. I make a stop to

check the wardrobe, but it’s empty. Shit, do I get to do some shopping later? I want to have my ownclothes, I can’t keep borrowing others’.

I hop into the shower and, with much relief take a good shower, erasing all the traces and remainingsmell of blood off my skin. I try turning the temperature hot or cold, but the only clue to tell where it’s atis the steam… Damn, I really can’t feel a thing. I don’t spend too much time in there, just enough tosmell like the peach soap and wash my hair. When I step out, I grab a couple of towels to wrap my hairand body in, and replace the clothes Cata left for me on the bed. She visibly handpicked a couple of outfits,probably from my fellow female vampires’ bedrooms again… I go for denim jeans and a simple blackknitted sleeveless turtleneck top. Funny how I’m attracted to darker colors now…

Once dressed up, I can’t help but glance in the mirror again. My face looks a bit more colored, but Ican’t tell if it’s from the blood I drank, or the shower’s heat. My hair is so freaking long… I kind of wantto cut it soon. I need to ask Cata about that appointment she mentioned.

I step out of my bedroom. I wonder what time it is… I kind of miss having a phone. Everything is ratherquiet, aside from Cata back to her cooking downstairs, and Bart’s shower still running above. …ShouldI try exploring a bit? Nobody said anything about anywhere in the house being off-limits, and rooms thatI shouldn’t go in will be locked anyway, right? I decide to walk around, still intrigued by all the rooms.After climbing the stairs to the next floor, I realize there’s sound coming from one of the rooms,something soft at regular intervals. I can’t help but walk over, a bit intrigued. None of the rooms haveany names on them, or anything to signal it’s occupied. The noise, again. It’s coming from a roomupstairs. Is it Richard? I climb to the last floor, replaceing the door behind which it’s coming from. It’s sofaint, but after a few seconds, I hear it again. I knock.

“…Richard?”

I hear steps, and someone comes to open it. To my surprise, it’s not Richard, but a female vampire,with the palest skin I’ve ever seen under her Victorian style clothes. Behind her, I get a glimpse at her

room… and it’s like I’m looking at a library. There are books. Just books, everywhere, from floor toceiling, on every piece of furniture. There’s one in her hand too, but I can’t read the title. She frownsbehind her round glasses, and stares at me with an upset expression.

“…Who are you?” She asks coldly.

“…I’m Hera. I’m new.”

“What do you want?” She retorts, just as coldly.

“I was just… looking around?”

“Well, that’s my room. Bye.”

She slams the door almost on my nose. I grimace. Guess I should not have tried this door…

“That was Agnes.”

I jump.

At the end of the corridor, Richard just appeared. How silent was he that I didn’t even notice himstepping out of his room… He smiles at me, and walks over, his grey hair shining everytime he walksunder a window pierced by the moonlight. I immediately feel calmer from his presence. He walks upclose and smiles down on me.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter.

“She doesn’t like being bothered while she’s in the midst of a book,” he says softly. “You’ll see she’smuch better company when she’s done with it.”

I feel like it’s a bit too late for that, but I don’t reply anything back.

“How was your first hunt with Bartholomew?”

“I think I did alright… Except for some bad company we had.”

His smile fades. He suddenly takes something out of his pocket, and grabs my hand to put it on myright hand’s middle finger. …A ring? It’s not a feminine one at all, but a thick golden ring. I look at itfrom up close. It’s a black insignia, with a golden cross inside a heart on it, with a diamond at thecenter. I’ve seen that symbol before… Richard has the exact same ring.

“It’s not exactly my style,” I mutter, a bit confused.

“It’s the Heartgraves insignia. If you ever get into some bad company again, show this to them.”

“…I see. Thanks.”

He then walks past me, and I follow after, as we’re visibly headed back to the ground floor and thecommon rooms. Cata’s expression brightens as soon as he walks in.

“Richard!”

“Good Morning, Catherina,” he says, putting a kiss on her cheek. “Did you have a good night?”

Cata nods, visibly happy. I thought they would have a more equal to equal relationship, but I got itwrong. Gentle Cata suddenly seems as docile as a cat purring under her owner’s pets…

“By the way, Hera, Riki will be here later today, so don’t sleep late ,” she tells me. “Be sure to be up atsix!”

Oh, I was going to ask… I nod, a bit relieved. Whatever they want to do with my current appearance, Iwant to change it all. Even better if it can be done before more of the Heartgraves family show up andstart asking questions…

“What the fuck is that?”

Bart suddenly walks back into the room, holding his phone. I glance, and immediately, recognize someonline magazine’s layout, the headline clearly about my death, again. I want to roll my eyes and lookaway, but his furious expression tells me I have a bigger problem.

“Bartholomew,” Richard warns him.

“No,” he says, still staring at me. “I want to know why the fuck this is saying you actually committedsuicide?”

“…Because I did,” I mutter.

His jaw drops, and he turns to Richard, furious.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”