Feral Hearts Read online

  With a speed birthed by her newly cursed existence, Angela whipped out the cleaver from behind her back, the blade still dripping with ruby droplets of poor Jenna’s blood, and swung like the possessed woman she was. Viktoriya’s dismembered head flew in a bloody tangle of locks and astonished staring yellow eyes, splashing away into the pool.

  Now Lucy advanced on Barry, who held up his hands.

  “Hey, it’s all fun and games. Looks like we’re all on the same team now? Right?”

  “Wrong,” Lucy retorted. “It’s my turn to stick something into you, if you catch my drift!”

  Barry moved like a great colourful cat, but he was outnumbered and no longer the predator. He was the meat.

  Angela buried the blade of the cleaver in his tattooed back, and Lucy brought out the item she’d shielded behind her back and flowing open shirt—the busted chair leg stake formerly toted by Stefania. The demon face on Barry’s torso saw it coming, but clawing furiously at the cleaver interred in his back, Barry didn’t.

  He sure felt it though. The inhumane strength he had engendered in the formerly mild-mannered Lucy was used to thrust the wooden object right into his chest, ripping into his throbbing monster heart.

  She released it, and the male vamp stumbled, took a few erratic steps away, and then pitched into the waters of the pool, floating alongside the staring eyes of Viktoriya’s severed head.

  * * *

  Just before sunrise, they surveyed the sprawl of mayhem littering the grounds of the hotel. The polizia would come and drag away the multiple corpses strewn throughout. They would burn them, destroy them, and sweep everything under the same huge blanket they brought out every time the Feral Hearts femme fatales went on a bender like this.

  This time, though, it would be different for them and for everyone else associated with the Feral Hearts establishment. Derosso was now under the reign of new night dwelling empresses. Come nightfall, all these unwitting souls were going to learn what it was like to scream and to bleed.

  After a lifetime of cruelty and manipulation by men and women alike, Angela Rollins was poised for a long reign of getting even.

  Lucy Ricci came to Derosso with a vague fantasy of perhaps landing a man. Now she could have all the men she wanted…except they might not be too overjoyed to be on the receiving end of what she had to give them.

  As for Stefania, the sole human remaining, her loyalty to Angela—and by proxy, Lucy—was unswerving and undying. In due course, her links with the Derosso Grande hotel would ensure that it became the stronghold for them all.

  The hordes of twisted insane oddities set free by Viktoriya were left to their own devices, wandering the streets, another massive clean-up job for the constabulary to contend with. It may have been the end for Feral Hearts, with any few survivors of Viktoriya’s clan fleeing after the death of their queen, but there was a new regime now.

  Cursed with perpetual vampiric rule, the town of Derosso was now the playground of two new entities, themselves cursed by an affliction they could never have predicted coming.

  Chapter 16

  Alternate Ending #6

  There’s A New Sheriff In Town

  catt dahman and Edward P. Cardillo

  “Who is she? The woman?” Jenna asked.

  “Viktoriya,” answered Barry. “She’s the one who…runs the joint? Whatever you call her…the madam or queen bitch…she’s the leader. She runs it all, and she’s mighty pissed off.”

  “And you killed one of the strippers?” Lucy asked.

  Paul glared at her. “Really? That’s the concern? Yes, we killed one. They aren’t strippers. They’re whores. They’re vampires. Vampiric whores.”

  “Vampires?”

  “They seduce men, bite them…see Barry’s neck? That’s a bite. See my neck? They drink blood. Those bitches have real fangs.”

  Angela opened her mouth.

  Paul shushed her with a motion. “And they are strong. You want to tell me it’s natural for them to bend iron like tin-foil, to move like the wind, and to control lunatics and not be vampires…well….”

  Angela shrugged. “I wasn’t going to argue. I was going to say it’s pretty amazing that you two made it out alive. So, what do you all think Jamie is talking to the head vamp about down there?”

  Jenna frowned. “She didn’t bite him.” In fact, although Jamie looked a little nervous and shifted his body several times, he didn’t look very afraid of Viktoriya, at least not afraid that he was in any immediate danger. The woman seemed to be explaining something to him, and each time he shook his head or looked reluctant, she leaned in closer to his face, baring her teeth.

  Correction. She bared her fangs, wickedly sharp and delicately curved. Imagining those fangs biting into Barry’s neck was slightly nauseating.

  “That’s impossible,” demanded Paul. “She was screaming every threat imaginable, punctuating every sentence with words like blood, balls, penis, throat, kill, and rip. She is one pissed off vampire, so why in the hell isn’t she ripping into his throat?”

  “Do you want her to?” Angela asked.

  “If it fills her up and she leaves me alone…ummm….sure,” Barry answered.

  “You’re a real dick, Barry.”

  “Thank you, Angela,” he snarled. “Does anyone have painkillers?”

  “I have valium,” Jenna said. “Seventeen of them. I can spare two.”

  “Waste of good drugs,” Angela said as Jenna handed Barry two pills that he dry swallowed.

  Lucy narrowed her eyes. “How come you two aren’t vampires?”

  Barry and Paul stared at her.

  Jenna put her pill bottle back in her pocket. “Because they weren’t drained and didn’t drink her blood. It takes all that, according to legends…or something like it. It looks like Barry just has is a bad bite. It’s not coagulating, so there must be something in their saliva that does that, but it does look infected already.”

  Barry grabbed at his neck. “I’m infected? Does anyone have alcohol? Hydrogen peroxide? Ointment?”

  Jenna sighed, went to the bathroom, and returned with a cotton ball she doused in alcohol. She handed it to Barry, waiting as he swabbed his neck, dancing in place and cursing. She handed him a little ointment on a swab. He jabbed at his neck, looking around for help, but no one wanted to help him swab his wound.

  “We don’t want the germs, Barry,” Paul said.

  “What about you, Paul?” accused Barry. “You’re bit, too.”

  Paul gently touched the two holes on his neck. “Mine’s not so bad.”

  “He’s coming back now,” Lucy said to the group. “That vampire went back into the shadows, and there’s a lot of crazy-looking men down there running around. They’re drooling and peeing everywhere. They’re worse than wild animals…oh my God…one dropped his pants and is….”

  “Don’t tell me,” Jenna said, covering her ears and closing her eyes.

  In a few minutes, Jamie turned and returned to the hotel while everyone waited silently, watching Barry for any sign of fangs.

  Jamie was quickly outside the room, knocking on the door. “It’s me, guys. I can explain. Please, hear me out.”

  Jenna opened the door for him and let him in, but everyone else glared with suspicion.

  He expected it and was ready to face it. “I know you all think I’m a monster too, but I’m not. I’m scared, and I’m in a bad situation. I didn’t hide the fact that I went to talk to Viktoriya.”

  “You’re right. We all saw you with her,” Paul said.

  “I knew you would. You just all have to know what a bad spot I’m in. I’m scared.”

  “Really? Don’t you think we all are? Look at Barry!” Paul yelled. “We saw you out there with them, man, and they didn’t hurt you, did they?”

  “Are they really vampires?” Angela asked. “Barry and Paul say they are.”

  Jamie nodded. “Yes, they are.”

  “What do they want?” Lucy interrupted.

  Jam
ie held a hand up. “Let me explain.” He sat down but then stood up again, pacing. He went to another chair, sat down and then stood again. He fidgeted as he tried to find his courage.

  “My father and mother divorced a few years ago, and my father came here on a trip to see all of Italy. It was always his dream to do it, and it was the perfect chance. Unfortunately, when he came here, he was lured into Feral Hearts. That’s where he met Viktoriya.”

  “That same chick?” gasped Angela.

  “Yes. Viktoriya. She’s the one I was speaking with and she is…the most evil, cruel monster you can imagine. She laps up misery, fear, sadness, and despair like a cat drinking milk. She doesn’t want a true love or a partner. She wants a good time. For her, that is.

  “She had her way with me, visiting me at night. She even took my girlfriend because she stood up to her. I thought that settled it, but Viktoriya wasn’t finished with her torment.

  “My poor father…he became her plaything, her toy…her slave. Like all the other men that Viktoriya and her female friends have seduced, he went mad and was admitted into the sanitarium.”

  “My God, Jamie. Your father?” Paul burst out.

  “You knew, you selfish, cowardly bastard!” Angela didn’t have time for sympathy. He was the cause of this.

  Jamie ignored her and spoke to Paul. “I came here, alone, to get him a few weeks ago. Viktoriya didn’t attack me because I was no threat to her, but she still tortured me, telling me that if I would do her beckoning, she would let my father go.

  “I went to Feral Hearts to face them, and I had everything with me—crosses, garlic. It was a comedy of errors. I held up a cross, and Viktoriya said it was beautiful and snatched it away from me to wear.”

  “What else did you try and how?” Jenna asked.

  “I had garlic. One of those vampires ate it like it was candy.”

  “This is Italy,” said Barry. When everyone glared at him for the interruption, he went back to silently nursing his wound.

  Jamie continued. “So, then I tried holy water. They didn’t want it, but they sure didn’t fear it either. I splashed Viktoriya with it, and all she did was bitch at me for getting her hair wet.”

  “Why did you come back?” Paul asked.

  “I had to. I have to get my father out of here and back where he could be helped. That bitch took my girl; she’s not getting my father.”

  Barry laughed shrilly. “Well, you have one less vampire bitch to deal with. I killed one of them.”

  “How? How did you kill one?” Jamie queried.

  “I bashed her head in, smashed it to a pulp, stabbed her in her heart, and ran like hell. I was already bitten, but I still killed the bitch, so there. Who is bad ass? Me…that’s who.”

  “Who’s bitten? You…that’s who,” said Paul.

  “Then they can be killed,” said Jenna. “That’s good. Was it the head smashing or the stake in the heart that did it? It would help to know.”

  “We need to get out of here,” Paul interrupted her.

  “We can’t leave here because they’re all over, down there, and they plan to attack. We can fight back,” Lucy said.

  “Against an army?” Angela rolled her eyes. “A vampire army? What would they do to us anyway? I have no beef with them. They want Barry and Paul.”

  “They’ll drink you dry and cut your heads off. The men, they’ll play with a while, and then send to the sanitarium,” said Jamie.

  “Why did she allow you to come back to our rooms, Jamie?” Paul asked.

  “I made a deal. I asked for something, and she agreed, for a price. She said that we could go free…me, Lucy, Stefania, Angela, and Jenna…if Barry and Paul come out and give themselves to her.” He toyed with a spot on his shoe, pretending to rub it away as he avoided eye contact.

  It was fairly close to the truth. The vampires wanted one female, but it wasn’t something Jamie thought he should confess. At least the women had a chance now. All, except one.

  “Oh, that is fucking brilliant,” Barry bellowed as he raised his head. “We go out and she tortures us, and you all go free? Just like that? Sure, sign me up.”

  “Those are her terms,” Jamie said. “I am only the messenger. Do you think I like this? I don’t. I just want my father back.”

  “You want him back, and Barry and I are just supposed to surrender to torture and insanity at the hands of demons,” said Paul. “If we refuse? Because we do refuse. No way in hell I’m giving myself to those bitches…those freaks. ”.

  “Hey, those terms actually work for me,” Angela said. “It’s their fault this all happened anyway.”

  Jamie eyed Paul gravely. “If you refuse, then she and her minions will attack, slaughtering the females and taking all the males who are in the hotel. Either way, she will get you and Barry. There’s no reason everyone has to die.”

  For a minute, no one spoke, sorting the information. Jenna paced, counting each step she took. She watched as each person thought about the terms. Despite their individual quirks, they were all now in the same boat…except for Barry and Paul, that is. Eleven steps. Eleven back.

  She looked up with a pensive, sardonic smile. “I spent a fortune to come meet a man and once again, an over-sexed bimbo gets in my way? I left Cattabulous for this? I’ll be damned if this slut is going to ruin my vacation and get in my way of meeting men. Doctor Ed would just be furious if I came this far to be killed by a freakin’ vampire.”

  Everyone stared at her.

  “For all I care, Barry, you and Paul can be delivered to those crazy women because you caused this problem. Had you controlled your urges, we wouldn’t be in this spot. Again…horny men ruin things!” Jenna was on a roll “And Jamie…you are worse than a coward. I trust you less than these other two assholes.”

  “Hey!” Barry fumed. “At least I killed one and am not making deals with them.”

  “We didn’t know. How were we supposed to know?” Paul demanded.

  “Oh Paul, Stefania warned us,” said Lucy. “Yet, all you could do was drink and drop your drawers. I put all three of you on level ground. You’re all losers in my book.”

  Barry got in Lucy’s face, spraying her with his spittle. “Listen here, you book worm, frigid bitch! Just because you keep your legs tied together doesn’t mean it’s healthy or normal. Didn’t you learn that in psychology class?”

  Lucy’s palm made a crack against Barry’s face as she slapped him. He went red-faced, and his injury bled again. He had to get more gauze to staunch the bleeding.

  “I’m sorry, Jenna,” Jamie said quietly.

  “Oh, wow. Really, Jamie? Stuff sorry in a sack,” Jenna snapped.

  “Oh, please,” said Angela. “You’ve been mooning over him since we got here. You have no sense at all about men. No wonder you’re still single.”

  Jenna grabbed her tube of Blood Craze lipstick and brandished it. “That’s nasty. You have no idea how I feel. I’m not mooning now, am I?”

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” said Paul as he flopped into a chair and rubbed his temples. “I don’t know who’s worse…the lunatics outside or the ones in this room.”

  “I’m just angry. I didn’t mean to start picking on you, Jenna,” said Angela, coming to her senses.

  Before Jenna could answer, Stefania ran into the room. “A bunch of tourists just arrived, and there are vampires…those whores from Feral Hearts…all over the place and crazy people from the sanitarium. It’s pure chaos downstairs. The shutters are being closed, but those women and the insane men will break inside. Wait…what’s going on?”

  “We were just clarifying that Barry and Paul should be real men, turn themselves over to Viktoriya, and save us all,” said Lucy.

  “She lies. Don’t trust her,” said Stefania. “She will trick you, and she won’t keep her word. She is evil. Those women take the foolish men who can’t resist their charms, and they slaughter the women.”

  Barry let loose with a stream of profanities.

  �
��You knew what would happen?” Paul demanded, sitting upright.

  Stefania shrugged. “I warned you all. I just didn’t expect this. What happened? How…are you bleeding, Barry?”

  Lucy gave a fast overview, catching Stefania up. No one trusted Jamie; no one cared for Paul or Barry; Barry hated Lucy for the slap she gave him. In the room, they traded glares.

  “You ate your M &M, Barry. What’s your big secret? You must have a good one,” Lucy said.

  “I don’t have to tell anything.”

  “You might as well, since your life is fucked anyway. Who knows? It might even make you seem human.”

  “For fuck’s sake, “ Barry grumbled, “I was set to be married to a girl named Elise. I was in a tuxedo in the church, and there were so many guests that people stood in the back. There were flowers everywhere, and we each had seven attendants. It was a big wedding with a huge reception planned and then a honeymoon in the Bahamas. So the bridesmaids came down the aisle in these pink, fluffy dresses that Elise loved. The music began and I waited to see my bride…only….”

  “She wasn’t there?” Stefania guessed aloud.

  “She was there. She was beautiful, except she was crying. I mean, bawling all the way down the aisle. Maybe it was nerves or a bride thing. I didn’t know. As she cried she kept looking at my best man and I looked at him, and he’s got tears running down his face too. He took a step towards her and froze. My God, I knew right then.”

  “Wow,” Paul said. “You’re a cuckold, mate.”

  “Fuck you, Paul. I stormed out, and she fell to the floor, hysterical, and my best man ran to her. I wanted to beat the shit out of him and maybe her too, but I didn’t bother. They got married less than a month later.”

  “Major rejection,” Lucy said. “Even I feel a little bad.”

  “No shit. So there you go. I’m a loser who’s about to have my heart ripped out by yet another cruel bitch.”

  Jamie sighed. “My girlfriend and I were going to be engaged. She left me a note saying she was too afraid to be alone and too afraid to trust anyone, but I knew those were Viktoriya’s words.”