Lost in the Shadows

Chapter 14

            

'Ah, you could only be Nikolai. I've had the pleasure of meeting your father already. Please, do come in.' Max stepped aside, bowing his head slightly as he made way for the younger, smiling man.

                'Niko, please,' Niko insisted, resting a hand on his broad chest as he turned back to Max. 'And you are Max. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Max.'  Niko's even white teeth flashed briefly in his tanned face as he took the proffered hand to shake before following through the richly decorated hall and into the spacious lounge. 'You have a nice place here, very comfortable.'

                'Thank you, I'm glad you approve,' Max said amenably, flashing his all-American grin in return as he headed to his walnut drinks cabinet. 'I hope your accommodation is satisfactory? I hear you're doing some pretty good business.'

                'We are used to much more – extravagant- surroundings, as I'm sure you're aware. We come from a great bloodline furnished by many centuries of old money. But in our circumstances, beggars cannot be choosers as I believe the saying goes?' Niko chuckled, a deep, throaty sound, as he folded his long legs easily into one of the soft leather armchairs.

                'That is true,' Max agreed, passing Niko a tumbler of warm amber liquid. Niko tilted his head back and swallowed the whiskey with barely a grimace.

                'Anything stronger?' he asked, brown eyes twinkling. 'I do think the blood here is quite exquisite. It must be the West Coast sunshine, no?'

                Max laughed and brought a decanter to the glass topped table nestled low in the midst of the leather suite.

                'Help yourself,' Max offered and sat down as Niko poured them both a glass with his eyes closed and nostrils flared for a moment, murmuring his appreciation. 'I can't help but think that you've come here to discuss something other than the quality of our blood, Niko?' Max sat back in his chair, fingertips steepled below his chin as he observed the younger man, his eyes shrewd and wary behind his glasses. Niko savoured his drink, taking a slow sip.

                'That is true I am afraid. It is your colony I have come to discuss. Your boy, David, in particular. Let's just say we haven't exactly received a warm welcome.'

                'I'm sorry for that,' Max said, contemplating the thick red liquid in his glass. 'David is very territorial, he always has been. Even in his previous life. Santa Carla is in his blood. I'd go so far as to say it is his blood.'

                'I'm sorry to hear that, but it may make the next few hundred years awkward if he cannot learn to share.'

                'I was under the impression from your father that this was just a stop gap for you until you move on to something a little more permanent?' Max leant forward, twitching at the perfect creases in his jeans. Niko grinned again, wiping a long finger over his lip to catch any blood that may have strayed.

                'Ah, yes. That was until we discovered how lucrative Santa Carla could be. We are waiting now on the rest of our colony. We have been chased out of our home country of Italy, hounded from Spain and France, Greece and England. Europe hasn't been kind to us so we are going to put down fresh roots in America. It is my father's wishes.'

                Max filled Niko's glass and drained his own as though trying to settle his nerves.

                'My only concern is the amount you are consuming and the methods which you are using. Swift and clean is how I've taught my boys. If more of your colony settle here in Santa Carla we're going to be leaving behind a lot of corpses that are difficult to explain. David and I are onto a good thing, in that we carefully select those we feed from – the undesirables, shall we say, for want of a more fitting phrase? People whose disappearance won't raise any eyebrows but may even attract a collective sigh of relief from society.'