Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy

It was a hot day. People often complained about the coldness of the north, or mountains, but I preferred it to the hot sweltering heat of the South. I told almost everyone I was born in the wrong part of the world. I was a lousy Southerner. I hated grits or rice. Don’t offer me any greens, be it collard, mustard or whatever. I didn’t like nearly any beans, lima, butter or any other bean. We here in South Carolina seemed to never miss one of these items every day of the week. So, I sat in my little Ford Fusion with the air conditioning on full blast in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but what had to have been fields for crops that the trees that were around was trying to take it back. And I mean nowhere. There was nothing around! The nearest sort of town was miles away. Let me explain. There were many islands on the coast. James Island, Johns Island, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and more. Now I didn’t know what this island was. It was below Kiawah, Seabrook, and Edisto but above Huntington. That doesn’t help much, does it? Needless to say, I needed a job. My mother had come home the other day ranting that she’s made a big sale! She sold real estate and said she sold a property she didn’t even really know about. In the millions, she told me.

Property like this was usually sold to developers who built these great resorts or communities. The problem with this one was not a lot of beach on it. It was a little inland, the Harbor River ran next to it, so not many developers would pick it to build on, but Mom said the man she showed it to hardly even looked at it and seemed to know the island before he even got out of the car. In the office he’d asked if someone knew the area and would help him. My mother immediately thought of me. Why? I had just returned from nearly eight years in the Air Force. I had been a medic handling all kinds of injuries to men who also served in the Middle East. I was now twenty-eight and I did know the area.

“What does he need help with Mom?” I asked.

She shook her head of auburn hair. “The property had the ruins of a house on it. It may have been burned during the Civil War. He’ll need contacts with construction crews and things like that.” Mom smiled. “And you would know where to look and who was good at doing whatever he needs.”

“But I don’t know that much about construction or things like that.”

Mom frowned. “Devon McGee, you’re smart and you need a job.” She shrugged. “If you can’t, you’ll know who to refer to Mr. Wentworth.”

Wentworth was a name everyone in Charleston knew. There was even a major street in historic downtown named Wentworth. There was a mansion downtown that was now a hotel and pretty ritzy. “Is he related to Charleston’s Wentworths?”

Mom shrugged. “His driver’s license says New York, but he did have a slight Southern accent. Not one of those real country ones, more of a softer, downtown sort of accent. You’ll see.” She handed me a paper with directions. “I said you’d meet him at ten in the morning. It's a little drive, but nice. Don’t be late.”

I took the paper she handed me. “I’m never late.” And that was true. My late father had instilled in me it was important you were never late, or you prove yourself untrustworthy. I normally arrived fifteen to twenty minutes early, sometimes more. So, I waited for this man, who I have to say Mom was a little charmed about. I watched as the heat just made the air shimmer around me. My car said it was 95 degrees outside, but I knew the heat index made it feel much hotter.

It was about five to ten minutes before ten o’clock when I saw a car pull up behind me. Yep, he had money because what he drove was not a simple Chevy. It was a Mercedes something. The lone driver opened the door and got out. I got out too to greet the man.

“Devon McGee?” The man asked me.

I nodded. “If you’re Colin Wentworth I am,” I said extending my hand to him.

“I am.” The man nodded shaking my hand.

This Colin was puzzling. He looked like a young forty-something or a mature thirty something. He was fit and big! He had to be over six feet and a few inches and trim. A powerful chest and he was tan. Dark brown…almost black hair and green eyes and not just a faint green, but emerald, spring grass green. He was a very handsome man, and I could see why my mother, who was just about fifty now was a little smitten. I favored my father having the black hair and brown eyes at five feet and ten inches. Colin’s hair was cut well, and I could tell if he didn’t keep it cut, it would curl. I still had the cut of the military. The other thing was his eyes. They were pretty, but they looked…old. Much older than even forty-something, which I wasn’t sure he was that old, but his eyes said otherwise. Dressed casually…sort of. The pants weren’t jeans, but not khaki either. Beige and a green sports pull over. Polo?

“Your mother said you could help.” Colin said. “You were raised here and know the area.”

I nodded. “I was. I served overseas a lot while in the military, but I know the area pretty well.”

Colin nodded. “Have you seen the house?” He jutted his head toward the path in the trees beyond.

I shook my head. “I waited for you. I’d like to know what you want and see the place with you.” I looked through the trees. “To be honest, I didn’t even know there was a house here.”

Colin nodded scratching his left ear. “Well, there’s not much left. There are mostly ruins, but I plan to restore my ancestral home.”

“So, you’re related to Frederick Wentworth,” I smiled.

Colin gave a shrugging nod. “Distantly perhaps. My side of the family left here right before the Civil War, but it’s wasted land if I don’t bring it back. That’s just what I want to do.” He waved toward the opening in the trees. “I’ll show you around.” He got back in his car and started it.

Once we were in the trees, it did get a little cooler, but not much. We got toward some overgrown ruins. Someone in the past thought Kudzu was a great plant to bring here. Wrong! That Asian plant seemed to overgrow everything choking everything else out. It needed light and where the house had been there was more light, and that plant had overgrown what remained of the house. I could see it had been a traditional Southern Plantation house. Columns in the front the Kudzu wrapped around trying to bring them down like the many trees, but a lot of the surrounding house had fallen in. Watching Colin, I saw…sorrow? His eyes told me seeing the house like this was hurting him. Like it had happened to him personally.

“We’ll have to get rid of this growth,” He pointed at the Kudzu. “And of course, we’ll have to clear a lot of the area so work trucks can come in.” He looked at the porch and then pushed on the front door, it didn’t matter if it was locked, we could go in a few feet away through the wall! Once inside, I saw a floor covered with tree limbs, leaves, and other things. The feel under my shoe was hard, kicking away debris I saw a hard, stone floor. Marble? The entrance may have been grand at one time, but all that was left were some deteriorated walls, a gaping hole above, the remains of stairs that had taken you to the second floor, but there was very little of the second floor and much of it had collapsed due to weather and exposure.

“I bet this place was amazing once,” I said softly as I looked around.

Colin turned to me, but he smiled a little. “You can see that?” He nodded. “It was.” And then he hurried on. “I hear it was.” He looked at me firmly. “I want it completely restored. If we have to clear it all away to start over, fine, but it will be rebuilt.”

I nodded. “That could be expensive.”

“But worth it,” Colin pointed out. “This sort of building should never had died like this.” He looked again at me. “And it did die. Or rather it was killed. Now, I’m determined to bring her back. Can you help me with that?”

Immediately I thought of a couple of people that had businesses that did just this sort of work. “I can.”

Colin nodded satisfied. “We should start as soon as possible.” He started to walk further into the ruins of the house. I followed as I wanted to see more.

It was in a room…I wasn’t sure at first, but I figured it was either a library or music room. The remains again of a fireplace. I cleared some of the ground.

“At one time, this was the jewel of the South,” Colin said in a whisper I almost didn’t hear. “It will be again.”

I uncovered what was a picture. An oil painting that was in tatters, but smoothing it out, I dusted what was left. The leaves and other trash had guarded a lot, but it was pretty hard to see what it was. As I smoothed and pulled it I saw a face. I looked at the picture and looked at Colin. “It’s you!”

Colin looked over at me and saw the painting. His eyes widened, but then he smiled. “So, I look like a grandparent?” He shrugged.

I was stunned. “Look like?” I shook my head. “No, you look exactly like this man! If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was you.”

Colin smiled, but I saw something in his eyes that wasn’t happy I saw that. “Well, that would make me what? Two hundred years old? And we both know that’s impossible.” He said scoffing at the notion.

Of course, he wasn’t!

“Well, we deserve a good lunch,” Colin said suddenly. “Let’s head back into Charleston, I’ll buy and we can talk more.”

I nodded, but I looked back at the face in the painting. It was as if he posed for it! I let the picture drop back to the floor. “Sounds good!”

Colin Wentworth stayed at the Charleston Place Hotel. That was the place to stay in Charleston. It was fancy enough for the most discriminating tastes. Luxurious. We ate in one of the finer restaurants there and had a late lunch as the drive was about two hours to get back. Now, as much as I disliked much of the Lowcountry’s Cuisine, I loved seafood and Charleston did seafood very well. I told Colin about some good companies here that could do a lot of the work which he just nodded as he listened. He did comment a little, but mostly listened and gave me the go-ahead to begin and even gave me the credit card and information to start.

“I’ll have your name added to authorize,” Colin said calmly.

I frowned. “Shouldn’t I sign something? You don’t know me. I could run off with money or even charge frivolous things on it.”

Colin smiled. “But you won’t.” He shook his head. “I do know people and you seem trustworthy. I’ll trust you.” He shrugged. “I’m not often wrong about whom I trust, but I’ll have some papers to sign later, for your employment reasons.” Then he smiled. “A man that could see grandeur in what was left…” he shook his head, “…I will trust you. I can sense a man’s values and you seem trustworthy.”

I nodded. “I hope I can live up to that trust. I’ll have to wait for you to authorize me on this card. Would tomorrow be soon enough to make calls?”

Colin nodded. “I’ll make arrangements with the bank today. We will meet again. You can work from here. I have a suite on the fourth floor. Suite 426.”

“What time is too early? Is there a wife or significant other I should consider?”

Colin shook his head. “No. Just me. There’s no one else. Let’s say nine? We’ll have breakfast here.”

I nodded. “I’ll be here.” Another great meal here? At least the eating would be great.

When I got home, which I was happy to be, but hated I was living with my mother. Then again, she would be alone if I weren’t here and having just returned from duty I hadn’t had time to look for a place. The job would make it possible now.

“Well?” Mom asked me.

I shrugged a nod. “He hired me.”

She gave a light clap. “That’s wonderful. So, when are you returning to work?”

“I meet him at nine tomorrow.” I couldn’t figure Colin out. I had followed him back to the hotel. He drove a car that had New York plates on it. The card he gave me was a bank I knew wasn’t around here in the south. But Mom was right. He did have a slight Southern accent. Not the hard twang of many in the rural areas around Charleston or my distant cousins[RM1] . They were mostly in North Carolina. Most were in the middle of North Carolina and there were some in the mountains. Their accents were the hard twangy sounds. I was told I had a light one, but Mom’s side was in the mountains, and she worked hard to get rid of hers. Colin’s was a softer accent of a man that had Southern roots. He was smart and apparently educated. There were many accents and Charleston even had one unique to Charleston, but his was…different somehow. He may have had Southern parents, but there was that picture! He was connected with that house and the family that lived there. A Southern Gentleman Yankee? I hated puzzles, but I’d learn more, I thought. I thought about him. He was very good looking. Very attractive. So, why did he have no one? He was rich, educated and in good shape. He should have had to fight them off! I shrugged. “Maybe he got tired of having to do that.” Later, I thought. I’d find out later.

Being who I am, I wasn’t late in the morning either. I waited until five minutes before nine to go upstairs. I waited until the minute hand told me it was nine and knocked. I couldn’t help but grin, he wasn’t too much of a gentleman. If I guessed, I’d say he had an eventful night. His hair was messed up, he had on a bathrobe…loosely, and he was unshaven.

“Should I come back?” I asked trying to keep the smile from my face but chuckled inwardly.

Colin looked at his watch. “I said nine and it’s…” he squinted, and his eyebrows rose. “Nine!” He shrugged and opened the door more. “Come in while I order coffee.” He shook his head. “And I need a shower.”

He looked more human now. “I can come back,” I said again.

He shook his head. “It’s my fault.” He said picking up the phone. “I’ll get coffee, I’ll shower and then we can go down for breakfast.”

He was in a suite that had two rooms…well, three counting the bathroom. The room I was in now was a living room. It had a sofa and chair. There was a little table set with four chairs to eat around. A nice sized flatscreen television in a entertainment cabinet. A balcony through the tall doors. Then there was the bedroom. A king-sized bed with end tables on either side. Another television screen that could be viewed from the bed. I assumed the door on the wall was to the closet and bathroom. The bed was messed up, but he didn’t look like he had company.

“I slept so well last night,” Colin smiled. “I usually wake up on my own about six, but not this morning.” Someone picked up on the other side of the call as he said. “Coffee. I need coffee in 426, and please make it strong. Extra strong if you can swing it.” He nodded to a voice that couldn’t see him. “Thank you.” Then he grinned at me. “So, give me a few minutes, the coffee is on its way up as I take a shower.” He waved at the room. “Make yourself at home.” He waved at the TV. “Whatever…turn on the TV, I’ll just be a few minutes.”

I chuckled. “You’re the boss.”

Colin nodded with a light laugh. “I am, aren’t I?” And he went in the door for the closet and bathroom?

It was maybe ten minutes when a knock came on the door. I didn’t hear the shower now, but Colin wasn’t out yet, so I answered the door and the young guy smiled. “Strong coffee!” He said brightly.

“And greatly needed,” I grinned at room service deliverer. I received a wink and he pointed at me.

I looked at the ticket but saw there was a portion to write the tip in. I shrugged and gave twenty percent. If Colin didn’t like that, I’d pay him back. “This is highly coveted right now. Thanks.” I smiled handed the man the ticket.

Wheeling the cart into the room I could smell the rich coffee. I really didn’t drink a lot of coffee, but this was tempting!

“I smell coffee!” Colin said from in the closet. He peered out as he slipped a shirt over his head. I saw enough of him to see he was pretty hairy on his chest and that chest wasn’t the least flabby. He was a hunk. There was no way he could be single. I enjoyed what I saw. “Help yourself!” He waved for me to try it.

I shrugged. “It does smell good.” I grinned pouring me a little in one of the china cups.

“Just save me some,” Colin said a little gruff, but friendly.

I chuckled. “I would never dream of coming between a man and his coffee.” The cart had the sugar and other sweeteners with coffee creamers from half and half to flavored creams. “This is nice!” I said sipping. “Maybe we can get iced coffee next time.”

Colin came back into the room. He still looked a little more human with his shirttail out. “You like those?” He grinned. “There’s hope for you yet.”

I decided to try a question. “If I can ask…” and then I hurried on. “It’s none of my business, but I find it hard to believe you’re single.”

His face faltered a little. “I’ve…was sick for a while in the past.” He said quietly. “I lost a wife and daughter. I just haven’t been interested in someone new.”

I nodded and that made sense. “As I said, it’s none of my business. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

Colin nodded. “Me, too.” He poured some coffee and almost drank it in one gulp.

I smiled as he lowered the cup with a sigh of satisfaction. “That truly is the nectar of the gods,” Colin said.

“Look, Colin. You said you trusted me.” I began. “Well, I trust, but I like to know people I trust. Is this going to be a working friendship, or a friendship while working?”

Colin’s eyebrow rose again, almost as good as Mr. Spock from Star Trek. “Interesting question.” He looked at me and smiled. “I only work with people I like, and I hired you, so I’d say we have the beginnings of a working friendship. Then, as things progress, we can move to friends that work together.”

I nodded. “That works. I guess you’re not sick anymore. You look healthy. I was a medic, so illness and diseases don’t scare me. If there’s something I should know…”

Colin nodded. “You’re mother said you served overseas. I had a very severe case of Polymorphous Light Eruption. I couldn’t go out in the day at all, or I’d literally burn in minutes. It would kill me if I remained outside.”

I looked at a very tan man. “But you’re not now. You’re tan!”

Colin nodded. “I’m on medication, very new and I’m a trial patient. I take it every day and I do well.” He waved over himself. “Thus, the tan!”

I smiled. “I should get one, too! But the heat was brutal in the Middle East. Those temperatures would be so…you cooked!”

“And you don’t here? It can be brutal here as well. Like yesterday, it was only noon when we left and it was scorching.”

I nodded. “I do here. I hate being hot.”

He finished his second cup of coffee. “Now, we go down and eat!”

I liked Colin. This would be interesting.

We began working after breakfast, which was a delight! Breakfast, I mean. This was a five-star hotel and a top-rated restaurant, so it had to be nothing but delightful. I hated grits, but I loved the shrimp and grits I got. Colin was also great to work with. He didn’t question a thing I did. Based in his suite I made calls around to places I knew did landscaping. Got pricing and what each company could and couldn’t do. We couldn’t do much more until we cleared the property of the weeds and Kudzu. Arrangements were made to have a man there from a local landscaping business and nursery. They did clearing and would do replanting when it was time.

“I assume you have plans and what’s needed if you want to rebuild the house,” I said to confirm I didn’t need to do that, too.

Colin nodded. “I have plans. I had an architect do some work on them. He made some referrals to me as to whom.” He smiled. “But I still hope you’ll work with me on this. I’d like you to manage the property. Not just the clearing, but all of it.” He shrugged. “I may have to go out of town and want the work to continue while I’m gone…if I go. Would that be acceptable to you?”

I nodded smiling. “Sure, but I’m not…” I waved at the papers on the table I had written on about the future landscaping companies. “…construction or even landscaping guy.”

Colin nodded. “But your mother was right.” He smiled. “You know the area and who to call. Managing the property will require that.”

“I need a job, so why not?” I nodded.

Colin got up going to another part of the suite where he got a briefcase. He took out papers. “I need to ask what you want as pay and there are the papers for government…taxes and all that.” He sat again. “I did research, is $60,000 okay to start?”

I was shocked. “Forgive me, but I’ve only ever been hourly so far in life. Are you talking about a salary?”

Colin looked puzzled. “Of course, I could do more.”

“Mr. Wentworth…” I began.

Colin stopped me with a raised hand. “Even in the beginning, I prefer a working friendship. Call me Colin. I plan to call you Devon. Is that okay with you? Or do I call you Mr. McGee?”

“Why are you trusting me, Colin?” I asked. “You haven’t asked me for references, you give me a card to use…I could be a crook!”

Colin shook his head. “You’re not.”

I shook my head again. “How do you know? A crook or conman will convince you he’s telling the truth.”

Colin chuckled sitting forward. “Yes he does, if he’s any good at it.” He looked at me with those emerald eyes. “You must be very good if you are a crook and if you are, you’d be elsewhere.” He smiled a little grimly. “I’ve always had the ability to tell things about people. Little signals they give off that tell me more than some people pick up. Flushes and subtle face and twitches to say they’re lying or dishonest. I don’t get that from you.” He chuckled again. “One of those signs is the fact you wonder why I trust you.” He sat back waving his finger at me. “That’s the sign of an honest man. I trust you.” He smiled. “I get a very good feeling about you. In fact, I’m going to share a lot with you and that’s something I haven’t done in…well, it’s been a long time. I just feel I can.”

I nodded, still not really understanding, but respecting the fact he extended that level of trust to me. “I won’t let you down,” I said sincerely.

Colin nodded. “I know you won’t. Do we have a deal?” He asked moving the papers forward. “If we do, sign here.” He pointed and handed me a pen.

I was taught to never sign your name without reading what you’re signing. Colin just grinned more as he saw me looking over the contract. It was a standard form for what my duties were going to be. I looked up as I saw Colin wasn’t offended at all. “Sorry, but I don’t have that…ability you do of telling whether someone is trustworthy or not. I just was taught to look for fine print and know what it says if there is any before signing anything.”

Colin nodded with a smile. “That’s always wise.”

After I’d read the contract and signed it, I slid it back to him.

Colin took the contract and put it away. “Now, as we don’t have anything to do until tomorrow, can I ask you to help me with something…more personal? For me, not for the house or property.”

“Of course, you can ask,” I grinned.

Colin chuckled. “I like this hotel, but I don’t like living here. Can you direct me in the direction of more personal space? A furnished apartment or condo to live in while the house is being rebuilt or even a house to live in would be good. I have to live somewhere.” He said logically.

I nodded. “I can think of several. Do you want to be in the city or suburbs? Luxurious or less?”

Colin grinned and patted me on the arm. “I never doubted that you’d know.” He waved at the suite. “This is nice, but I like a little more room…and more rooms.”

Okay, you already guessed I was attracted to Colin. I’ve said it enough. In fact, it was part of a reason I wanted to work for him so I could spend time with him. I know there’s no gaydar, but I got nothing from him. He had no mannerisms or anything to say he was straight or gay. I hoped I didn’t give anything to say I was gay either. Usually, when they didn’t give off any signs, they were straight. He mentioned a wife and child, but what little experience I had told me that didn’t mean much sometimes. I had lusted from afar before and was happy to do so again. I wondered if since he could read people and knew whether to trust or not, he didn’t pick up on my attraction to him. If he did pick up on that and it offended him, I’d have a few days or weeks of liking Colin.

“Now, I have to take my daily medication,” Colin said going to the little refrigerator and taking a vial out.

“Should I leave?” I asked pointing to the door.

Colin looked at me and I saw he was nervous about it. “It’s kind of important if you see me do this, but I’d like you to stay. If you would?”

I nodded now more curious, and I did see him take his “medication.” In the refrigerator were these little vacuum sealed vials. A lot of them. What was puzzling was there were no labels on any of them. The liquid was pink to a reddish color. There were several vials. Like a diabetic, I watched as he pulled out a syringe and he did the prep necessary I knew from being a medic, but this wasn’t the little needle, it was big for deep and full infiltration. I watched as he stuck it in his arm after cleaning and doing what you do to prevent infections. What I found also interesting was he didn’t just insert it just under the skin, but in a vein. This was deep. He put a tourniquet on making the veins bulge and inserted the needle in the vein. What I didn’t like was the look of extreme discomfort on his face a few seconds after he did this. Whatever this medication was had a good effect as in letting him go outside and even tan, but it looked like near agony for a few minutes as I watched him grip the arm of the chair he was in, and his face had eyes shut tightly. It hurt me to watch! It was hurting him a lot! Then as the medication worked, he slowly began to relax and soon he sighed as his breathing eased and regulated. I saw the bead of sweat on his upper lip. His eyes slowly opened, and he looked at me, I guess to see how I reacted. He smiled patiently. “Now, for the answers to questions, I know you have because I would have them, too.”

I just shook my head, and I know my face held a look of absolute horror at what I saw. “Shit!”

Colin just laughed at my reaction. “That’s a good word for it.” He nodded. “I developed this….condition. It’s not even got a real name as such…well, there is, and I’ll tell you more if we work out, which I think we will.” He stood grabbing both my arms holding me at length. “I trust you with honesty. I know you’re not a crook or anything like that. But I want to trust your reaction to what I tell you. There are maybe a thousand like me in the entire world. I only met four I know personally.” He looked at me seriously. “I can count how many people have seen me do this, take the medication, which is only a treatment, not a cure. I’d still have two fingers left over.”

I nodded. “Your body’s reaction to the medicine was agony!”

Colin nodded. “Yes, it was.” He smiled waving to the window. “But as long as I take it…five minutes or so of agony is a fair exchange for being able to move around and have a pretty normal life. It’s worth it.” Then he looked at me. “I can see your mind working and you have some ideas, but if I say anything…I will tell you why.” But then he got a look of almost pleading. “I will never hurt you or anyone else…I never…well….I won’t do anything to you. I won’t make you go through working with me if you can’t deal with what I have.”

Sensitive to light? The picture at the house. My mind was telling me what it was, but…so I just asked a question. But this was impossible, wasn’t it? Medically, it didn’t add up, but I wasn’t even a scientist or doctor. There was a word coming, but my mind was telling that was ridiculous. That picture on the floor at the house was him. “I’m not your Renfield, am I?” Humor was my usual defense.

The question caught him a little off guard, but it only took a few seconds before his smile came back. “No. You’re not my Renfield.” He chuckled. “I guess I’ll just tell you. If you tell anyone else, I’ll deny it.”

Even as my mind had been telling me that it was not possible, but I couldn’t think of anything else, but it didn’t add up.

“I have drunk blood. I’ve never killed a human doing it.” He said still not saying the word. “I was born in 1815 in that house I want to be restored. The picture you found was of me.” His voice took on the pleading sound his face had. “Please, if you want out, I’ll rip up the contract and we’ll just forget it happened…it’s happened before, but I feel I can trust you!” He began to tear around his eyes. “Don’t just leave. Please.”

It was just so…well, it wasn’t what you had happened except at movies and that was pure entertainment, and you knew that! But he was crying or about to cry. Did what…I didn’t want to say he had to be, cry? Could they cry? I remembered all those shows I loved and movies…not to mention the novels about it from Stoker’s Dracula all the way down to Stephen King, Anne Rice and the recent movies that painted a twist on the story. His hands on my arms were warm. He was alive? He sweated! “Okay, give me a second here,” I said not shaking his hands off. I reached up toward him but stopped just short of touching him. “Can I?”

He looked down at my hand and then knew what I wanted to do. He nodded. “Sure.”

I touched his throat and felt a pulse! “You have a pulse.”

Colin nodded. “For the past twenty years.” He smiled. “That’s why the serum I take hurts so much. It starts my heart up again or at least keeps what I got back going…pumping what I have. I breathe. My blood pumps again and I’m more human than I ever was since 1851! It just lasts a day and I have to take another injection the next day.” He explained. “Please don’t be scared, I’m not a monster, but if I don’t take the serum I’ll be….what I was again.”

Was it because I was attracted to him? I never felt threatened by him. Wasn’t that part of being…what I thought he had to be? Or was that Hollywood? I never felt like he was a predator. I put my hand on his chest above his heart and felt the powerful beat. “I never was scared; Colin, but naturally I have questions.”

“Of course, you do.” Colin smiled but looked a little hopeful. “So, you won’t leave?”

I smiled. “If you turn into an asshole, I will.” As I said, humor was my defense and this was a tense moment, so humor was going to come out. It’s how I coped with tense situations.

Colin heard it, but it took a second or two before he chuckled as he bowed his head. “Well, I can be an asshole sometimes, but I’ll try to keep it under control.” He smiled. “So, I haven’t scared you off?”

“I want to say, no problem,” I admitted. “But this is not something one normally hears! It’s movies and stuff. Fiction! It doesn’t happen!” Then I smiled shaking my head. “I’ve not been scared off. Yet.”

“But you believe me,” Colin said. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”

I shrugged a nod. “Well, if I hadn’t seen that picture I might have thought you were crazy, but that picture I knew was you…and those symptoms you said you have…it’s the only thing that adds up, but I still can’t just accept it.” I tapped my head. “Not in here at least yet.”

Colin stood erect again. “Freud would say I did it subconsciously hoping you would see the picture and find out.” He shrugged.

“You didn’t know him, did you?”

Colin laughed at me. “No, I never met him. At that time, I didn’t get out much. I missed a lot in my life until recently.” He wanted to be sure. “A lot of time was used just to stay alive.”

“But you ARE alive,” I said trying to understand, but I shook my head. “I’ve never gotten the whole dead and undead thing. Even when you were….what you say, how could you not be alive? You moved…and hunted…you had some life of some kind.”

Colin nodded scratching his ear. “I don’t understand a lot of what I was, I just was.” He said simply. “The serum takes back a part of it, keeps what I’ve got inside going and even allows me to sweat and blush…it like being alive. I have a pulse now.”

“Are you like that movie where there was a daywalker?” I asked. “Born of a…what you are now?”

Colin smiled a little tightly. “Say it.”

I shook my head. “But it doesn’t make sense! You sweat, cry, you even have a heartbeat. You’re not supposed to!”

Colin nodded again. “From all the others like me you’ve met.”

I threw my hands up in frustration. “I never thought I’d meet anyone like you! You weren’t supposed to be real! But you’re here! But you’re tan and have all the things I understood was gone after you became….” I paused.

“Say it!” Colin demanded.

“Vampire.”

Colin had no reaction. No shock or horror, but just the word had no power. “That’s right.”

“But it can’t be real!” I said again trying to understand it.

“Yet here I am.” Colin nodded. “You’ve never seen me as a vampire, but inside you know it’s true.”

I sat looking up at him. “So, I’ll ask some other questions. Do you sleep in a coffin?”

Colin chuckled and thumbed back at his king-sized bed. “Does that look like a coffin?” He shook his head and sat near me on the sofa. “I have in the past. That was just practical. Is there any place guaranteed to always be dark in the day other than a coffin? There are caves and other places. A vampire goes to the coffin because it’s dark and somewhat safe.”

I nodded. “Fangs?”

He chuckled nodding. “That sort of is necessary to break the skin and get what’s needed.”

I shrugged a nod. “There was a movie or two where they didn’t. They just tore the neck open.”

He nodded. “That is messy.” He shrugged. “And it is messy mostly.”

“Can I see them?”

He shook his head. “Not with me on the serum. I have them if not on the medication. The serum makes becoming the vampire impossible but doesn’t negate everything. As I said, I have to take it every day or I will become that horror again.”

I was having to come to grips with what I was told through movies, TV shows, and books. “But you won’t die unless you’re in the sun or get a stake in the heart.”

“A stake through anyone’s heart will kill, but now I can go in the sun taking my daily serum.”

I kept going back to the original question. “Why me?” I asked. “Why trust me so much?”

Colin sighed, looking away. “I can’t explain it.” Then he looked back. “I was going to hire someone to help me with the house. If they knew what I needed, that was it, but I meet you and…” he struggled with an explanation, “…I just know I can!” He smiled. “I’ve never done this before. There have been others I let know, but they couldn’t handle what I told them about me. You haven’t run screaming in horror.” He shrugged. “That tells me I was right.”

“But you eat,” I said. “And I mean food, not blood.”

He chuckled. “After I started the serum, and I had my first real meal of food in a hundred years…that was…unbelievable and so good! Since then, I’ve enjoyed some good meals and love to eat.”

“But you don’t drink blood now.”

He shook his head. “I don’t need to. The serum lets me eat and process food normally.”

“But you’re immortal,” I said.

He shrugged. “I haven’t aged, but who knows?” He seemed to relax more. “Dr. George Holms was the man that came up with the serum and knows how to make it.”

“And is he…?”

Colin nodded. “He is like me. He did the research to help himself.”

I gave a nod. “It works. Why did you leave the South? You were in New York.”

Colin nodded. “I was here in Charleston until the 1920s. I went to the mountains in North Carolina and lived in caves until the 1920s. It was a hard thing for me to move to New York, but it was a city that never slept and easier when I was feeding on blood.”

“But you said you never killed anyone.”

He smiled. “And I didn’t have to. Ten years after I became a vampire, we had that war and feeding was easy. Even before that and after, I would take blood, but never killed anyone.”

At least that was good to know. “You were made how?”

“There was a man that felt I was cheating him. I did kill his brother, but it was in self-defense as regular men. The brother vowed revenge and after he became one, made me like him. Though not intentionally, he thought he’d killed me.” Colin chuckled. “He was new at it and didn’t know how it worked yet. He was very unhappy when we met again later and he couldn’t undo what he did, though he did try to kill me.”

“And the wife and daughter?” I asked.

“My wife died.” He shrugged. “My daughter married and lived, but I know she’s dead now. I don’t know really what happened to her

I frowned. “You loved them very much.”

He smiled. “Gabriella was my daughter.” He nodded. “She was beautiful and kind and the best a human being can be. My wife, Deborah and I were in a marriage that was arranged. We liked each other enough to make it work.”

“But in all those years…no one else ever took their place?”

He shook his head. “I was hiding mostly. I really didn’t have time until twenty years ago to even look for someone. When I was in the world again, I was busy making money.” He smiled. “Now, understand…I had money before as a plantation owner, but much more is needed for today's finances. I used what I had to make more.” He nodded grinning. “And I did pretty well! I invested well and once that was done, I came back.”

I hadn’t realized we talked so long, and my stomach growled. I smiled. “Sorry.”

Colin chuckled. “Are you kidding!? That’s great! We can eat another meal!”

I shook my head. “I don’t suppose you have to worry about gaining weight?”

He shrugged. “I've not yet, but as I understand it, we don’t really have to store as others do, so I haven’t stored fat.”

I growled. “That is such a pity,” I muttered. “For that reason, I have to say you are evil.”

Colin chuckled. “Sorry, but it’s not anything I’d wish on anyone.” Then he clapped his hands once. “So, let’s eat!!”

Man? Vampire? Man wannabe? I was falling in love with him.

What do I tell my mother? Did I want to tell her anything? Did she need to know? How do I tell her? And then I thought, why? I got a job! And that’s all I told her. I can tell her, “I got a job, but he sucks!” I warned you, humor is my defense. “And by that, Mom, he’s a vampire.” I knew that would go over well, not to be deceived, she’d have me at a shrink that very day! Was he a vampire? How did I know? He has no fangs now that he was on this…serum. Other than the picture I saw that was no evidence, but was that real? It had to be; how else could I explain it? It was him!

Colin was also teasing my mind. I even wondered if he was putting some vampire hypnotic mojo on me, but I didn’t think so. He seemed like a nice man…or vampire…whatever!! And he was beautiful! I know, that’s not the adjective you usually give men, but he was! Ruggedly handsome. How’s that? And those eyes! They were so…green! Forget the vampire mojo, he was putting the homo-mojo on me! All those stories mostly said vampires in movies and novels used sex to lure virgins or what have you so the vampire can have dinner. And Colin ate enough food not to need anything else. Yet he claimed he couldn’t store food. What? So, what did he do with all he ate? He ate a lot. It had to go somewhere.

We met every morning. I came to his suite; he had his morning caffeine fix and we went to breakfast.

I chuckled as he ordered another round of pancakes…then stopped the waiter to add more bacon. His eyes came over to me seeing my grin. “What?”

I shook my head. “You’re apparently making up for lost time?”

Colin laughed. “I guess I am.” Then as the waiter refilled his coffee, Colin leaned in. “You go a century or more without food and you’d be amazed how good it tastes!” He shook his head. “It’s so good!”

“I couldn’t live at all without food for even a month!” I said. “But you did consume something during the years you were….” I waved at him. “…you know.”

Colin grimaced. “And blood was all I could consume,” He grinned as the waiter put a steaming stack of pancakes in front of him. “The flavors here!!” He pointed at the pancakes as he reached for the maple syrup and pointed at me with his fork. “You just don’t know until you go without.”

I frowned trying to understand. “Do you gain weight or lose weight?”

He gave a shrugging nod as he stuffed a forkful in his mouth. “Well, I keep some in me a little while. My organs are working again, but not like they are supposed to…I assume.”

I frowned. “Okay, not to be indelicate, but input and output?” I grinned. “I’ve seen your input…”

His eyebrow rose. “You want to see my output!?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to see it.” I chuckled. “You have to do something with it.”

Colin gave another shrugging nod. “Well, sure. It’s a pretty standard shit.” He waved at my plate. “Just like you do.” Then he grinned. “I don’t piss ammonia anymore now that I can digest real food.”

Now my eyes widened.

“You don’t think vampires take a piss?” He said in a whisper and then smiled. “Like you said, input and output. Blood’s the input, ammonia is the output.”

I laughed at him. “I just never imagined it,” I waved at his plate. “I just was curious.”

Colin smiled. “And of course, you would be. I am the first in reality you’ve ever met, right?”

I nodded. “That I know of.”

“And the fact that I defy what you’ve learned in movies and literature about us, I am different from you think you know.” He reached over and patted my arm. “So, ask what you want to and I’ll tell you. I trust you, remember?”

“Is this trust because of a vampire's ability?”

He gave a shrugging nod. “It could be.” He sighed drinking more coffee. “I like to think being…what I am, it just enhanced what I had before. I always had a kind of intuition about people. It could be because I lived as long as I have it just got stronger,” He shrugged. “I can’t answer that with any certainty.”

“But you did consume blood,” I said cautiously.

That made him look away from me a little from the shame I could see clearly. “Yes.” Then he looked to me firmly. “I never killed a soul! Never!” Then he shrugged again. “I did assist some that were dying to do so more quickly and with no pain.” Even that shamed him. “I’m not happy about it.” He sighed. “During the war men often lay dying and suffering. They’d never recover. I did feed on them. I ended their lives, but I never was the cause.” He looked at me pleading for me to understand. “Understand? I didn’t DO it. They were in pain and going to bleed to death whether I fed or not. From what I experienced and what I’ve seen and heard, being fed off of by us is sort of pleasurable. Almost sexual. I did help bring their lives to an end, but it was always pleasurable for them.” Then he looked away again. “It was for me. When Brett Marshal attempted to take my life when he bit me, I remember this…euphoria and I will admit I had a raging erection as he did it. There’s something about a vampire when bitten it makes blood flow faster and I wasn't sexually attracted to Brett AT ALL, it was just a side effect of being fed on.”

I shook my head again trying to make sense of what he was telling me. “Your blood was being drained. Blood is needed for an erection so how could it be maintained?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t say it lasted, but sex takes place mostly in the brain. The sensations during sex send signals to our minds and I lost the erection shortly after being bitten. But that didn’t stop the orgasm!”

“You did cum!?”

He nodding with a chuckle. “Like I was a teenager!” He grinned. “Cum isn’t blood and it did gush out.”

I felt a little embarrassed when he said that. “Colin, I’m sorry. This is very personal things we’re talking about. Any time you don’t want to answer a question, just tell me to let it go.”

He smiled for calmly taking my hand. “There is another thing I pick up on with my…gift.” He began softly. “I know you prefer men and I know there’s an attraction to me.”

Now it was my turn to look away embarrassed. “I wondered about that. I’m sorry.”

Now Colin looked understanding, but not offended at all. “Why? It’s a compliment. It’s who you are. I’ve been around over two hundred years. Now that the religious issues are kind of less important for me, it’s more normal that most people can accept. I loved a few men before.”

Now that, I was not ready for. “No way.”

He threw his head back laughing and then looked at me. “Now why would you say that?”

I waved at him. “You just…can’t be!”

“Can’t be what?” Colin grinned. “We didn’t have terms then like we do now. Men like you…” and he shrugged, “…and me…it was never really discussed back then. That just wasn’t done. It did happen often though.” Then he smiled a little evilly. “As a matter of fact, my first with anyone was a man that worked on our plantation.”

“A slave!?” I was shocked. Not because of the man’s color, but… “Did he have a choice!? How could he say no? You owned him!!”

When I said that, Colin got angry. “Listen! First, he wasn’t my slave, he was my father’s slave. I grew up with Josiah! He and I were friends. He could most certainly have said no. In fact, he kissed me first! That was so dangerous for him, yet he took a chance and did it, risking getting killed. That proved he loved me. He and I were fifteen! But I will say, because of Josiah I never bought a human being ever. I saw him and the others as people. They were just people who had this horrible life forced on them. Second, when I realized that fact and inherited the plantation from Dad, I paid them! I couldn’t help what happened to them, but maybe I could help. When I inherited the plantation, I offered every single one the opportunity to leave. I’d give them their papers saying they were free, but as I told them; they weren’t my slaves and I hated if they called me master. They were no one’s slaves. I was no one’s master. What I did offer was a place to live. I improved their homes and I mean homes. Not those little shacks where they were piled in on top of each other. I told them, we can add what’s needed, we could make lives better. I’d help! I worked the fields with them just as hard as they did. We took breaks when we were tired, but Josiah wanted to be free, and it broke my heart, but he left. I couldn’t stop him. He was free! I was in my twenties when the arranged marriage happened. I liked her, but I didn’t love her. I couldn’t!” He shook his head helplessly. “I never lied to her. I never cheated on her. I was her husband, and we had a good life a few years. We had Gabriella and I never saw a more beautiful human being in my life!” Then he smiled to himself as he remembered. “I helped make her. It was so incredible! I could see her mother in her, but I saw me too!” I watched as a tear formed and began to fall on his cheek. “She was part of me.”

“It was just a surprise what you said, I didn’t mean anything bad about what I said.” I said sincerely.

Colin took a deep breath. “It’s okay.” Then he smiled at me. “I know you didn’t, I’m just sensitive about what we did then to humans. Ashamed. All I could do it provide a life for them. I paid them and when they felt they had to move on…” he shrugged. “That was their choice.” He grinned. “But amazingly, most didn’t want to. Where could they go? North, sure. Canada? Absolutely, but there were evil men on the way there and I tried my best not to be one of those evil men.” He chuckled. “In fact, my plantation made more money!!”

My eyebrows rose. “Really?”

Colin nodding laughing. “It really did! It’s amazing when you have people that profited from what they did. My crops were better than anybody else had. I tried to tell other plantation owners around why I was doing well, but they didn’t want to hear it.”

I smiled realizing he was indeed a very good man. “I can understand that, paying people they thought they owned would be unthinkable! They didn’t even have souls! You feed livestock; you don’t pay them.”

Colin smiled. “You read about that.” He leaned in closer. “Prove you have a soul.”

I nodded grinning. “That’s my point. What about the souls of the men that slept with the women they owned. Did they not pass any soul to the children? How white does a man have to be to have a soul?”

He nodded. “Exactly!” Then he sat back. “But we did break laws!”

“You did?”

“My wife was in on it.” He chuckled. “She ran a school, not just for Gabriella but for everyone on the plantation. Young, old and that was very illegal. Educating people of that color was definitely not done.” He scoffed. “As if the color of a human meant a fucking thing.” He said angrily. “I loved Josiah and because of that, he taught me a lot. Love and respect for humans isn’t dictated by their color.”

I smiled. “You were and are a true visionary,” Now it was certain for me. I loved Colin. I was in deep trouble, but with his intuition, he probably knew that.

“I hope so,” He finally put down his fork. “Well, we should probably head to Wentworth Manor. The workmen will be there in a few hours.” He stood up but stopped and looked at me. “Devon, if it’s right, it will happen naturally, but my life is a problem. I’ve lived for over two hundred years. You won’t.” He looked at me sadly. “I do like you, and I know you like me. The problem is me. I’ll outlive you. I’ve lost too many people before.” He frowned. “I don’t want to become attached and lose you, but that has become moot. I already am attached to you. I think I was when we first met.” He shook a little. “I just am not ready…yet. Give me a few days or so. We’ll see. If you’re still interested.”

My eyes narrowed. “Can you love? I mean like a man, not a vampire.”

Colin nodded smiling. “I have. But they left me when they couldn’t deal with me and the truth. Not that I’m demanding or anything, but…” He smiled weakly. “A little more time, please?”

I took Colin’s hand. “Take the time you need. I don’t know what happened in the past, but I am interested.” Then I grinned. “I warned you in the beginning, you turn into an asshole and I’m outta here!”

His green eyes sparkled, and he smiled. “I’m perfectly aware of that.” Then he grabbed me in a hug, right there in the restaurant in front of all the guests. He didn’t give the fact the others didn’t know or wonder if it was more than a friendly hug. In fact, I was sure he didn’t give a damn! Yeah, I was falling in love deeper.

“And lay off this insight or whatever, it’s sort of creepy that you can read what I feel without me saying it.” I said in a little growl.

Colin threw his arm around my shoulder as we headed out. “Will do!” Then he leaned toward his voice in my ear. “But it’s written on your face, I can’t help it.”

We met with a man and went over what Colin wanted to be done. First, was to clear all the damned Kudzu! Of course, the road in would have to be cleared to get the trucks and equipment in to do that!

Colin led me through the remains of the house telling me about this grand home. “Now, I’m restoring it, but I’m also adding more. It will be Wentworth Manor again, but even grander than it ever was!”

I nodded. “Why not? You have the money.”

He nodded chuckling. “Those brothers up north aren’t the only ones that profited with hedge funds.” He grinned. “So, yes. I have the money. What was good is I did most of it online!” He shrugged. “When I started with the serum, it took a while to work well and I could go out in the day, but not all day.”

“But why New York?”

“They have a lot of city underground,” Colin said logically. “They have old subway lines and places a guy like me could stay…out of sunlight. I did that for decades. I would go out, look for…something to feed off of.” He held his finger up. “Again, I never took a human life. There were times I fed on other things…like a dog, cat a few horses, but again, I didn’t kill a Human Being.”

“And New York was where all the finance and economy was running full,” I nodded.

“You got it.” Colin nodded.

I hesitated to ask, but he said I could. “So, this Brett Marshal, the one that changed you. You had an issue with his brother.”

Colin frowned but nodded. “Ashley Marshal was about to rape a woman on my plantation, her husband assaulted him to stop it.” He sighed. “He was about to kill the man for protecting his wife. I stopped Ashley and literally threw Ashley off the planation! He thought I offended his honor over a stupid slave and challenged me to a duel.”

Now it was making more sense. “And he lost.”

Colin nodded. “He did.” Then he smiled. “But when my turn came, I fired at the ground. Ashley was so outraged for furthering his dishonor, he took one of his witnesses guns and was firing again. I had no choice. He wouldn’t stop, so I had to kill him. It was self-defense.”

He was no killer. He never was. Any fear or uncertainty was gone completely now on my part. I trusted Colin without question now. I moved forward closer. “You may not be ready, but I’m willing to see what can happen.” I grinned. “Who wouldn’t fall in love with you? I am falling for you.”

Colin looked a little worried. “But you know what I am.”

I nodded. “I can’t offer you immortality on my part, but I willing to give you what I have so far. At least see where it could lead.”

He nodded and was about to walk off and then stopped and turned to me. He leaned close and gently pressed his lips on mine. It was almost chaste, but he smiled. “Be careful, I might accept what you’re willing to give.” He bumped his head against mine. “I won’t make you suffer like I have. I could take a decade or two if you can love me. I’m pretty sure I could love you.” He put his hand on my chest. “My heart beats again, but the serum lasts from sunup to sunset. The next day it begins to change me back if I don’t take the serum.”

I smiled. “Even when you were a full vampire, you never killed. I’m not scared of you.”

Colin nodded but looked at me seriously. “But I’m scared FOR you.”

“Why?”

“Because Brett might be still alive,” He said. “He’s dangerous and until I know for certain, you might be in danger.”

I frowned. “When’s the last time you saw him?”

“It’s been over a hundred years.”

I shook my head. “How would you find out if he’s still alive?”

“I can’t.” Colin admitted. “I’ll know if he’s alive when he shows up here. If he knows I’m here, he’ll come to finish the job and kill me.”

I didn’t like that at all. “Then why’d you come back?”

Colin gave a shrugging nod. “Because this is my home. And if he is still alive, my being here will force him out.”

“You’re making yourself a target!?”

Colin nodded. “I am.”