The Art of Death: Pittsburgh Vampires Vol. 11 Read online

  Copyright © 2019 by B.A. Stretke

  Published by Superiorland Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person (living or dead), place, or event is purely coincidence.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Killian Frey has been working in the field as a soldier, killer, spy, whatever Master Hadden required of him, for the past forty-three years. Now he has been called home to serve as a unit leader at the Imperial Club. He appreciated the change but having worked so long on his own, he found commanding and directing others a bit of a challenge. Killian was used to just getting the job done, not delegating or working as a team. He had been tasked by Master Hadden with the leadership of a new team they called the privacy guards who secure and police the feeding rooms for the Imperial Club.

  This newly designated team of guards possess concentrated skills in mind control, physical restraint, and the art of a quick death for both human and vampire. The rules stated that death as a method of clean up was to be used only when there was no other option and had to be in defense of the Coven itself.

  Death was the easiest and most efficient method of clean up and security, as far as Killian was concerned. But according to Master Hadden, too many deaths and disappearances may become problematic and could ultimately cut into their bottom line if the Club was implicated in any way. Killian never left a mess when he killed. There would be no problematic disappearances or implications, but he was a soldier, and he did as he was told.

  Killian's team was assigned specifically to guard the feeding rooms on the balcony level and the always active private rooms on the second and fourth floors. Several serious incidents occurred over the past year, and it was determined that the Coven needed a separate team to maintain and secure safety and secrecy.

  Master Hadden had expressed to Killian that the threat of exposure was greatest in these venues, and he needed someone who had no qualms and expertise in dealing with blood, violence, and death. Killian had a reputation for getting the job done, whatever it might be, and keeping everyone quiet, no witnesses and no loose talk. He never killed without cause, but he never shied away from it either when necessity called. Some considered him heartless and as the years wore on Killian was beginning to agree with them.

  …

  “The Imperial is hosting the Data One business party this evening. Data One is vampire owned and operated not a single human in the bunch. You know what that means?” Andrew, Master Hadden’s personal assistant, was constantly checking his tablet and notes as he spoke with Josef, the Second in Command of the Hadden Coven.

  Josef nodded. “Don’t worry, everything’s under control.” He patted Andrew’s shoulder and smiled. “Shortly after Gavin, Ellis’s beloved was so rudely introduced to the vampire culture by stumbling into a feeding room, we installed a division of guards whose priority is guarding the feeding rooms. They also surveil the private rooms just in case anything gets out of hand. They’re forceful yet discreet. Nothing and no one has gotten out of hand since they’ve been on the job.” Andrew nodded but seemed unconvinced that the evening would go off without a hitch.

  He squeezed Andrew's shoulder again. "It'll be fine, Andrew, trust me. Killian Frey leads that team." He cocked an eyebrow at Andrew. "Do you honestly think anyone is going to try and screw with Killian? Even if they're not familiar with his reputation, the man has an aura that would have Genghis Khan looking for an exit."

  Andrew laughed and eased the tension in the room. "I've heard the rumor that he eats kittens for breakfast." He laughed again, but Josef was shaking his head.

  “He’s a dark one for sure but the best man for the job.”

  “Okay then, everything should be fine.” Andrew chirped. “But keep someone at the front doors ready to wipe minds just in case.” He added.

  “Always the pragmatist.” Josef grinned.

  …

  Killian checked the duty roster for the night. It should be a fairly easy evening. A bunch of tech guys who probably haven't been out of their basements in months were coming here to let off some steam. He figured it would just be an evening filled with a series of social miscalculations. In his experience, tech types tended to be lacking in interpersonal skills. They were all vampires which meant their primary goals will be to feed and fuck.

  Besides the Data One crew, Josef had limited the outside guest list to hard partiers only, no couples or virgins allowed. This was going to be a long night, but everyone deserved a night out to let off steam and better to do in a controlled environment like the Imperial club.

  The Data One crew had worked closely with Master Hadden's own tech department recently to install updated surveillance, and information acquisition, i.e., hacking equipment for the Club and this was their reward for a job well down.

  One of the names on his duty roster for tonight bothered him. Finn Malloy was a capable guard well able to handle any situation, the only problem being, Victor Rossi. That oversexed, little waiter was twisting his guards into knots with his flirtations and sleeping around among them. Rossi was trying to sleep with every guard and soldier in the Club who wasn't already bonded and seemed to be paying Killian's men special attention.

  The nasty part was he only slept with them once and then immediately discarded them. This left some of the men at each other’s throats. Fighting over a piece of ass was so unseemly in Killian’s opinion. There are enough men on this earth for everyone and then some, just move on for God sake.

  As it were, Finn was a recent discard and had been causing some trouble within the ranks since Victor's interest moved on to another soldier. Victor would be working the floor tonight as will his new focus Michael King. Michael seemed to be completely uninterested, but that didn't stop Victor from trying or Finn from fuming about it. Killian hated emotional bullshit, especially when in it interfered with work.

  He called both Finn and Michael to come to his office. They'd either work this out, or they'd be off his team.

  …

  Simon sat on the sofa in Victor's living room and felt like he was coming apart, hems were raveling, and seams were splitting so to speak. His thoughts raged, and his focus faded in and out. He couldn't concentrate on anything. Sitting there quiet and alone sometimes helped him settle, but at the same time, it fed into his fear and anxiety about being alone. He didn't know what to do because nothing seemed to work.

  Simon wasn’t sure how much longer Victor would be willing to put up him. Victor had a life here at the Hadden Coven and having Simon in the middle of it all put a serious damper on his social life. He shouldn’t feel responsible for babysitting his brother.

  Victor’s apartment here at the Imperial had just one bedroom, so Simon slept on the sofa in the living room. Having Simon on display in the main room of the apartment made it uncomfortable for some of the people Victor brought home after work. He often got the ‘who the fuck are you’ look as the guys followed Victor down the hall.

  Those random guys seemed to think he was judging them and in reality, he didn't give a flying fuck about any one of them. Simon couldn't recall a single face; they were just a blur in his messed-up mind. Victor's life was his own, and he could live it any way that he saw fit as far as Simon was concerned. He was there for Simon when he needed him, and Simon woul
d forever be grateful.

  Now he just needed to figure out a way to pull himself together so he could get on with his life and Victor could get on with his. He glanced around the dark room and then down at himself and wondered if he'd ever feel normal again if he'd ever get back the man he used to be.

  Before Toledo, he went out often and had friends and a life. Why he took that fucking job with a construction company, he will never know. It was a way to get out of Pittsburgh, he thought. The town was stifling, and Simon wanted to get away to pursue his dream, and most importantly, he wanted to be on his own.

  He wanted to be away from family and friends who continued to tell him he should settle for whatever came easy. Sure, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he wasn't the dullest either. He wanted to try, that's all and what he got was a nightmare from hell.

  "I'm going to work," Victor announced from the archway of the living room, pulling Simon from his thoughts. "If you need me call the bar. I'm working the main floor tonight."

  “I’ll be okay.” Simon forced a smile.

  "There's leftover lasagna in the fridge so try to eat. You're not going to get well on just coffee and crackers." He looked concerned, but there was also frustration in his words. Simon felt them rather than heard them.

  "I'll try," Simon responded, desperate to try and please his brother and prove he was getting better.

  “Okay, I’ll see you after two. I might have someone with me, but we’ll be quiet.” Victor warned with a salacious wink.

  “Have a good evening and don’t worry about me.”

  Victor nodded with a smile. “Just eat, Simon. You’ll make me happy if you eat.” He said as he grabbed his vest and tie and headed out the door. Simon heard the door lock and tried to relax. Being completely alone was not easy.

  He liked his own quiet space, but he didn't like being completely alone. Victor was gone every night, and that was hard. He slept most of the day, but he was in the apartment, so Simon didn't feel completely alone. God, he was a fucking mess.

  He told himself he was going to get up, bath, change into some fresh pajamas and try to eat some of that lasagna. Instead, he sat there for another two hours staring out the small window by the end of the sofa. His mind would not stop terrorizing him with images of those monsters, brutal monsters. At nine o'clock, he forced himself to stand up and walk to the bathroom.

  Looking into the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. His blond hair which he normally wore short and tight because he hated dealing with his hair was now covering his ears and hanging in his face. His skin was ashen, and his eyes held a vacancy that scared him. He dropped his head and closed his eyes as he leaned heavily on the sink.

  He turned away from the mirror and stripped down and stepped into the cool water of the shower. It was refreshing and renewing, and he struggled to focus only on this moment. He noticed that his scars had faded and most had disappeared completely. That was a true blessing.

  Victor had told him one of the DuCane men who rescued them had fed him his blood to save his life. Vampire blood had amazing regenerative properties and helped to heal his wounds. He had very few physical reminders of the horror he’d endured. He wished he could say the same for the damage to his heart and his mind. Those wounds were tougher to heal.

  Afraid to leave the apartment, afraid of people, afraid of being alone, his life was never-ending fear. It just wouldn't let him go. He concentrated on clearing his thoughts, and for now, he was going to lay down and try to get some sleep, clear his mind and sleep.

  …

  “Killian.” He heard his name and turned to regard the man coming up behind him. It was Kristof, unit leader of the guards that handle the club proper. He and his men were in charge of the public spaces and the front doors. “I need two extra men for the club can you spare them. The Data One crowd is looking to cause trouble.”

  "Of course, you can have Finn and Kash." He told him without hesitation. The private rooms were well in hand at the moment, and it would be good to get Finn away from Michael. He met with them both earlier, and they assured him they had no problems working together, but Killian could feel an undercurrent of antipathy surging beneath their words.

  "Thanks," Kristof said and headed back out front.

  Killian found Finn at his post on the second floor at the end of the North hall. "Report to Kristof up front."

  "Yes, sir." Finn immediately took off, and Killian went in search of Kash.

  Kash should have been on the second floor at the entrance to the South Hall, but he wasn't there. Sergio was at the end of the hall and looked suddenly and suspiciously very uncomfortable.

  "Where's Kash?" Killian asked, and Sergio paused for just a beat before responding.

  "He's on break sir, I'm covering for him," Sergio stated clearly but avoided eye contact.

  “Does his break involve Victor Rossi?” Killian had about all he was going to tolerate of Victor pitting his men against one another. He already had Finn and Michael at each other’s throats, so now Victor was going to throw Kash into the mix as well.

  "Yes, sir," Sergio answered.

  “Spread the word, the next of my guards to be caught in the company of Victor Rossi will be written up and dismissed on the spot.” The heat of his words was felt, and Sergio nodded his understanding.

  Killian turned towards the back stairs that were positioned not far from Kash’s post and at the bottom of those stairs was Victor’s apartment. He had no doubt were Kash was or who he was with.

  …

  Simon heard Victor return at around twelve-thirty. He was surprised since his shift usually ended at two, but maybe he got off early. He also heard the man Victor brought with him. They were loud at first but then dropped into hushed whispers once the door was closed.

  Simon pretended to be asleep not wanting to engage with them, it was Victor's business. He told Simon that he might settle down someday but, in the meantime, he was young and he was going to have fun. You can't fault a guy for enjoying himself. All involved were adults, and they could very well make their own decisions Simon just wished he didn't have to be front and center for all the activity.

  Simon heard Victor’s bedroom door close and figured they’d be in there for a while but not the whole night. The guys Victor brought home never stayed the night either their choice or Victor’s, Simon wasn’t sure.

  Sleep was difficult as usual, so Simon sat up and cuddled into the corner of the sofa with his blanket wrapped around him. He turned on the little night light Victor had given him so that it gave him comfort but didn’t light up the entire room.

  Quiet set in, and Simon stilled his mind by focusing on the steady tick of the wall clock behind him. All was well, and sleep was overtaking him until a hard knock came to their door. It was firm and loud and then more firm and louder. The person was clearly not going away and was not going to be ignored.

  Simon felt his anxiety ratcheting up even as he struggled to stay calm. The knocking continued, and the force of it was sure to bring the door down if someone didn't answer it soon. His terror peaked as thoughts of what lay beyond the door enveloped him, and a panic began to set in.

  Killian knocked and then pounded on the door demanding the attention of those inside. He heard movement inside and some hushed tones so waited before hammering the door again. He fucking hated this. He'd much rather be killing someone than dealing with this bullshit.

  He wasn't their house mother or their priest, and normally he wouldn't give a shit who they fucked. But Rossi was undermining the cohesiveness of his team and that he would not let it stand. If nothing else, he may have to arrange a sad but timely accident for the oversexed waiter.

  When the door finally opened, it was Kash who stood there looking at his superior with dread and embarrassment flooding his expression as it should. He quickly recovered and looked up at Killian, at six foot six most people, apart from Josef, had to look up at Killian. Killian looked down at him with disdain. His dark eyes b
urning the man where he stood.

  “Yes, sir.” He said as Killian continued to hold his gaze in a brutal grip. Silence hung for about thirty seconds before Killian responded.

  "Report to Kristof in the main room." He said and shifted to his right foot, letting Kash go by him. "Report to my office in the morning." He added with deadly significance. Kash nodded curtly and kept walking. Killian turned his attention to the little blond standing back from the door, trying to look innocent and unaffected by what was happening. Killian observed him for a while, making sure he was suitably uncomfortable.

  The shoulder-length blond tresses and the deep blue eyes against alabaster skin was probably an asset that Victor used to his advantage. Most of the vampires within the Hadden Coven tended towards the darker, his elfin good looks were rare and could lure a man away from his post.

  But with that said, Killian fucking despised the little whore and wished he'd get a taste for someone else's men. Killian demanded dedication and control from his men at the very least, and with this young man playing havoc with their emotions, even the least seemed unattainable for some. He would have order in his ranks even if he had to kill everyone to get it.

  Killian took a calculated step forward and watched as Victor took a shaky step back. The man was intimidated, and Killian was going to take full advantage of that crack in his usual cocky demeanor.

  “What is your game, server?” He enunciated the last word making Victor’s lowly station clear.

  “I . . . I don’t have . . .” Victor began incoherently while continuing to back up.

  “Why do you torment my guards and turn them against one another, what is your objective?" Killian made sure his tone conveyed every bit of darkness he was feeling. He was rewarded when Victor's eyes popped wide, and he turned as if to run, but then something stopped him.

  Suddenly he looked more concerned than afraid, and he rushed into the room to his right, leaving Killian at the door. Killian stepped further into the apartment and looked into the side room, which appeared to be a small living area. There was a man lying on the sofa clutching his chest and gasping for air. The lighting was low, but he could clearly see the man was in considerable distress.