Dhampir Love (Dhampir Secrets)

by Shirlee Lewis

  I told myself to calm down because there really wasn’t any reason to panic or was there? Just because they followed us didn’t mean anything or did it? So, holding my breath to keep from shaking, I grabbed the door handle in hopes it looked as if I was just coming out of the room. In my peripheral vision I saw a shoe on the landing. Quickly I moved my door, in hopes that it would give a little, to make it look as if I had just closed it. The couple turned toward the hall. The talking and laughing ceased immediately.

  Smiling I went to the elevator and pushed the down button without looking back at them.

  Inside the elevator, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

  The doors opened on the first floor and over to the desk I went as fast as I could.

  The desk clerk was tiding up the lobby. He put a magazine on the table and said, “Mrs. Mureaux, how can I help you?”

  “I accidentally left my key in my room and my husband is gone. Is there any way you could lend me a key?”

  “I’ll be more than happy to help.” He smiled.

  He went into an office and brought out a ring full of keys. Fumbling through them he found the one to my room. “I won’t be able to loan you this key, but I will open your door for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  In the elevator I stated to the clerk, “Could we keep this between us?”

  “Sure Mrs. Mureaux,” was all he answered.

  “Thanks.”

  He opened my door and went back to the elevator.

  Inside the room, I went straight to the table, grabbed my key and stuck it in my back pocket. From now on, I would make sure I had it inside and outside of the room.

  We had requested room service to wait until we were completely out of the room to clean because I wasn’t sure how they would handle seeing Tony’s blood. Not that it was in the open, but incase the maid snooped around. The room was in dire need of a good scrubbing.

  Starting with the bathroom, I cleaned the best I could with a wash cloth and soap from the dispenser. Back home I wouldn’t have my house in this shape. It was all due to Tony not letting me move from the bed because of my swollen feet. He wasn’t here and I cleaned every square inch of the bathroom and our bedroom/living room. Satisfied with my clean-up job, I sat on the bed and waited for Tony to return.

  Soon Tony returned with a map and laid it on the bed. He went to get his flask. Taking the map he sat on the edge of the bed and opened it.

  “Sweetie, could you bring me that pen and paper?” he asked pointing at the nightstand on the other side of the bed.

  Giving them to Tony, he drew a line on the road he was going to take to Sicily. The line went through the Tuscany countryside. “You’re going to see as much of Italy on the way to Sicily.”

  “How long are we going to be gone?”

  Tony shrugged. “As long as we want to be gone,” he smiled.

  “Should I pack everything?” I asked.

  “Pack only what we’ll need the most. The hotel will secure our room for us.”

  “That’s nice of them.”

  Tony grabbed our suitcases from the closet and I started packing only the important items: clothes, camera, toiletries, and Tony’s blood.

  “Oh! I’m having room service clean before we leave and ask them to refrain from cleaning while we’re gone.”

  “Thank you, honey.”

  The maid appeared at the door as Tony and I were finishing packing for the trip. She deep cleaned everything before she left.

  Satisfied with the room, Tony and I went to the lobby.

  In the lobby the couple from our floor appeared to be arguing with the clerk. Tony and I waited patiently for the argument to end so Tony could give him the key to our room.

  “Aah, Mr. and Mrs. Mureaux how can I help you?”

  “I’m dropping off the key. We’ll see you upon our return,” Tony said.

  The clerk took the key. “Have a safe trip.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a smile.

  Tony and I turned toward the front door when I heard the blond woman ask the desk clerk, “Where are they going?”

  The clerk answered, “To see Italy.”

  Immediately, I turned around and looked at her as if to say, ‘really! It’s none of your business.’ She seemed to be very concerned where Tony and I went.

  Tony lightly elbowed me. “Come on Sweetie. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

  Tony and I packed the trunk of the car and slowly left the parking lot. Coming around the front of the hotel, I noticed the man and woman exiting the building. The woman was on her cell phone looking in our direction. She tapped the man’s shoulder, nodded toward the car and said something to him when she saw our car in front of the hotel. He looked toward the car and said something to the woman. Closing her phone they headed to the parking lot.

  The oddest feeling about this couple hit me like a brick when I turned to face the front of the car. Were they following us? Thinking back to the first time I saw them at the cantina, I couldn’t think of anything Tony and I could have done to attract them.

  Tony brought me out of my thought.

  “Jess, we’re going to stay a couple of days in Rome. They have a lot of sights I know you’re going to enjoy seeing.”

  “Where exactly are we going in Sicily?”

  “Taormina.”

  I couldn’t enjoy the scenery for looking in the passenger mirror to see if a car was following us. I didn’t realize how on edge I felt about the couple, but it was beginning to give me a paranoid feeling. On the outskirts of Bologna, I was satisfied they weren’t following us. Maybe, we left the hotel with enough distance between us so they couldn’t catch us to follow.

  The old brick palaces and buildings were defiantly a beautiful site. The mountains behind them were a breathtaking beauty without words. I rolled down the window and took lots of pictures.

  “We’ll visit the medieval buildings and Piazza Maggione on the way back,” Tony promised.

  Tony drove through Florence and into Siena. He stopped for a short break before taking me through the Tuscany countryside.

  Miles and miles of unforeseen beauty as Tony drove over majestic hills, through green valleys, and vineyards. Olive and pine trees spaced out or clustered together embraced the fields before them as sunflowers opened to the sun taking in its rays and standing tall.

  “Would you like to stay a couple of days here before going on to Rome?” Tony asked. “I’m sure we can find a place.”

  “Maybe on the way back if you’d like.”

  “We’ll visit some wineries if you want.”

  “Sounds good, but I won’t care to taste the wine.”

  Tony laughed.

  The brochures I’d brought with us showed pictures of the Gothic cathedral in Siena. “This brochure says the Gothic cathedral in Siena is a must to visit.”

  “We’ll visit it too on the way back, okay.”

  “Okay.”

  Tony exited off the highway and headed southwest toward Grosseto. A scenic route of mountains, hills, olive trees and pines reminded me of home: Oregon.

  Grosseto was a city I could easily take up residence in. Sitting in a valley surrounded with mountains and pines. I was getting a bit home sick looking at the scenery. Sitting on one of the hills was a home overlooking the Mediterranean Sea surrounded with pines. That would surely be my home if I lived here. The road took us on the outskirts of the National Park of Maremma with the ocean in view up ahead. The water was green close to the shore and blue further out against the skyline. Grabbing my camera, I ended up taking a few dozen pictures.

  My camera showed I needed to dump some pictures. Technology was great because I sent all that I had taken to my computer back home. I loved the fact my camera was compatible with my computer. I enjoyed how I could send the pictures from my camera or phone straight to the photo shop to be processed for prints, but without knowing how long we were going to be gone, there was absolutely no reason to send them there. So,
to my computer they went in less than five seconds and I started taking more. I would sort them out later.

  “I would love to see the leaning tower of Pisa before we finish our honeymoon,” I stated.

  “Then you shall. I’ll make a special trip just for it.”

  The four hour trip wasn’t disappointing. On the outskirts of Rome, Tony rented a hotel room at the Castello della Castelluccia. Driving up to the hotel my mouth fell open. A castle transformed into a hotel with a beautiful garden landscaping the front.

  Entering the hotel, the ceilings were high and the medieval décor set the scene for a spectacular view.

  “How did you find this place?”

  “Father suggested it,” he said smugly.

  Tony checked us in while I walked around the lobby. Our hotel in Modena didn’t hold a thing to this one. The décor was very old and original. Paintings, light fixtures, various wall hangings and furniture.

  The stairs to our room wrapped around a column with a small window painted with flowers. Naturally, I was reminded of the stairwell at the mansion back in England.

  Tony opened the door to a huge room. My entire house would fit in it with room to spare on all sides. The four, poster bed sat against a wall between two windows facing the terrace. A lit fireplace across the room from the bed with a television mounted on the wall above it. It was on but muted.

  The bathroom was half the size of the bedroom, but larger than a normal bathroom in a single dwelling home. A Jacuzzi sat in the center of the room. The stand up shower was big enough for a family of ten. A mirror running the length of one wall from floor to ceiling and double sinks with two medicine cabinets; claiming one was his and the other hers written in Italian and English.

  Considering the age of the castle it was extremely modern. I was impressed.

  “Honey, you are too good to me.”

  “What brought that on?”

  “Your love for me and I’m having the best honeymoon any girl could have.”

  “I’ll show you love,” Tony grinned. He grabbed me up in his arms and flew to the bed. I went straight for his neck. He moaned and so did I. It was a night full of passion until the sun came up.

  I woke up to the smell of breakfast and my stomach growled. The breakfast cart was sitting at the end of the sofa. Sitting up in bed, I thought of Tony and how much I loved him. I was the luckiest woman on the face of the earth.

  Tony stepped out of the bathroom running his fingers through his wet hair. “Aah Sweetie, you’re awake.” He pushed the cart to the side of the bed. “We have a day full of sightseeing.”

  “What are we seeing first?”

  “I believe the Colosseum. I’ve only seen it in pictures from when mother and father were here.”

  With no time to waste, I swallowed my food, drank my coffee, took my shower and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

  Arriving at the Colosseum, its tall magnificent structure gave me goose bumps. Tony and I were in so much awe over the size we couldn’t wait to see the inside. From the top of the Colosseum I looked down to see rows of brick in single lines. The Colosseum was used, once upon a time, for horse racing and gladiatorial battles. Visiting the Colosseum took all morning and into the middle of the afternoon. We also visited the museum and I purchased a poster of the Colosseum along with a t-shirt.

  Vatican City was next on Tony’s list. Going straight to the museum, my mouth dropped to the floor. The art work was spectacular and took about two hours for us to see everything.

  Standing in front of St. Peter’s tomb a feeling of peace came over me. My worries disappeared as I looked the building over.

  We asked permission to see the gardens and it wasn’t a disappointment. St. John’s Tower, Fountain of the Eagle, and the frosted walkway took us an hour and a half to see, but was well worth it.

  My first day of sightseeing was the best day I had had in a long time. Just two places today, but they were well worth the time.

  Arriving back at the hotel, I filled the Jacuzzi, turned on the pumps and eased myself into the bubbling water. Tony waited on room service before he joined me.

  Fettuccine Alfredo and coffee was my choice for dinner, but it was enough for a family of five. I ate what I wanted and left the rest.

  Tony came over to me as I lay my head back on the edge of the bath. He was in a mood I wasn’t ready for. He started at the top of my head twirling my hair with his fingers. Opening my eyes to see what he was doing, he leaned down and passionately kissed me. His mood brought me in the mood and the rest was history in the Jacuzzi.

  Check-out at the hotel was noon so Tony and I packed and loaded the car before our sightseeing tour started. He reassured me I could rest on the drive to Sicily.

  Our last day in Rome wasn’t as intense as the first. Tony showed me Piazza di Spagna, Ambasciata di Spagna Presso Santa Sede (Spanish Steps), Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Augustus Form (Roman Forum). All were an enjoyment and a memory to last a life time, but it was time to hit the road for Taormina.

  The seven hour trip was tiring, but not entirely disappointing. Basically the same terrain I had seen from Modena to Rome.

  Villa San Giovanni had a ferry service to Messina which took forty minutes. The hour long drive to Taormina was eventful. Mount Etna’s spectacular height could be seen from the road and I stared with wide eyes. I had never seen a volcano and it intrigued me. We stopped at a restaurant that had Mount Etna as the backdrop with an ocean view from the other side. The large terrace showed the breathtaking beauty of the town below and the shoreline. Mountains surrounded Taormina.

  Dusk was creeping upon us and the waiter asked if we preferred our dinner on the terrace. We couldn’t refuse. The setting sun had clouds beckoning the horizon without rain. Its rays peaked through thin clouds giving off colors of blue, pink and a small hint of red. We then left to continue our sightseeing.

  Atop a mountain sat the Madonna della Rocca structured into the side of it. The ceilings of the bottom floor were cut out of the mountain. Tony could easily touch it. The town in clear view sat far below with the Greek Theater on the other side.

  Inside the Church of Madonna, a couple was getting married. Tony and I participated as spectators. We didn’t understand a word from the priest, but nonetheless it was a wedding surely to remember.

  Our last stop was the Greek Theater. A modern seating area in the front and a modern stage was over grown with grass. A skit was being rehearsed for this evening’s performance. Tony and I watched the actors and actresses perform with tigers and bears, but Tony and I were ready to get back to Modena.

  Tony had decided to drive back at night instead of in the morning. So after we drove through Villa San Giovanni, I thought I would sleep.

  Tony woke me on the outskirts of Modena. “Sweetie, we’re here,” he whispered, rubbing my cheek with his forefinger.

  Opening my eyes, I squinted and yawned because I wasn’t fully awake. “Where’s here?” I asked. Not sure where here was.

  “Modena.”

  We arrived at the hotel around five in the morning. Tony looked beat when he parked the car. “You need some sleep honey. I’ll unpack the car.”

  “You sure, Jess. It won’t take us but one trip.”

  “You need sleep. I’ll get it.”

  The desk clerk handed our room keys to Tony. He gave me one and I went to unload the car. Tony went to the room.

  Grabbing all but one bag, I looked around to see who was watching me. That uneasy feeling of being watched started to unnerved me and I didn’t care for that feeling at all. The last time I felt this way was with Charlotte and I didn’t care for this feeling then or now. Looking the parking lot over, I was the only one here. Glancing at the building, I noticed a curtain pulled back from a window on our floor. I knew the couple was on the same floor. What I didn’t know was which room. Probably another guest, I guessed and brushed it off as nothing. Grabbing the bags, I closed the trunk and proceeded to our room.

>   Tony was snoring when I opened the door. Setting the bags down, I lightly kissed his forehead, whispered “I love you” and left to retrieve the last bag.

  The couple, who followed us before we left to tour Italy, came out of their room at the same time I came out of mine. Ignoring them, I shut the door behind me, making sure it was tightly shut and went to get the last bag.

  Entering the elevator, the couple joined me. I moved to the back and watched as they turned their backs to me with their heads ducked down. The man pushed the button for the first floor. I had never been this close to them and upon examination of the woman I came to the conclusion she was wearing a wig. Her dark hairline showed around her ears and temple. The wig, mullet style, looked to be too small for her head.

  The man’s hair was short and black without a hair out of place.

  I noticed the odd makeup the woman was wearing. Under her chin it was white as a sheet. Her neck, visible from the front, was tan exactly as her face, making me think of a spray on tan. I giggled to myself.

  When the elevator doors opened, they exited toward the dining area which opened in thirty minutes. The smell of coffee drifted toward me as I exited the elevator and followed the couple to the dining room. “Carl, no sugar this time, only cream,” the woman told him getting her cell phone from her pocket.

  “Jane, I know,” he answered.

  Hitting a number, she held the phone to her ear. Sighing, she closed the phone.

  “She didn’t answer?” Carl asked handing Jane a cup. He looked at me and his body went rigid. Sharply he cut his eyes at Jane then back to me.

  “I’ll try her later,” she replied looking up at him.

  Carl nodded towards me.

  Jane turned around. Her mouth fell into a straight line as her body stiffened. Turning back around to Carl, she whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me she was there?”

  Carl shrugged.