I took his hand, went out of the garage, and stood near him, straightening my dress. Markus waited for me, then pointed to the big garden with blooming flowers, trees, and clean green, freshly cut grass. I noticed a pathway on the grass here and there, so there are a lot of ways how to spend a day that is not so busy with mafia business or police investigation. After examining it quickly, I looked at him, while he turned around with his face to the mansion. I slowly turned around too, a flow of wind making a mess of my mahogany hair and free dress skirt, while I look from the ground towards the thick gray brick walls, to the black roof, then from the corner of the garage to the right side of the building far away from us, and only after that at marble staircase and big metal doors.
"What a…"
He chuckled, then stood on the first stair and looked back at me, holding his hand in my direction. I took it without any fear, then we slowly went upstairs, feeling the wind playing with my hair and dress, and making a mess of his bleach hair as well. I noticed two guards in black suits who opened a front door for us, bowed their heads at him, and looked at me from up till down, noticing my breasts and thin bare legs. Even if they are vampires, they are males after all. But I don't care anymore, because I'm with Markus, and I was one hundred percent sure he will show it to everyone very soon.
We stepped inside the building hall, noticing a crowd of people on both sides, and as soon as we entered, they came closer as if to look at us, but I knew they were looking at me. Suddenly the door was closed, making me jump inside, while I tried to remain calm and peaceful on the outside. Markus let go of my hand when the staircase ended, but I felt I'd like him to hold my hand forever, and never let go of it, so I'd feel his support and wouldn't be so much scared. I don't mind even his hand at my waist, and I don't care what we'll look like.
He threw a quick look at me, then held me this hand, showing his best gentleman side.
"This mansion is old, for about two hundred years, or so. It has a lot of secret paths, staircases, and rooms, so be careful while walking. Let me show you the right way," I put my hand on his, observing the crowd stepping back, revealing the path to the staircase. "I'll make a guide for you later…"
"Fine," I said shortly as he likes to answer, then slowly followed him to the staircase, feeling everyone's eyes on me. He helped me to go upstairs, remaining silent until we reached the second floor, where he stopped and turned to me.
"This mansion has four floors, and three of them are easily found by following that staircase. The fourth floor is all mine, it's mostly closed for visitors, and to reach it, you need to ask my permission and use the lift that is near the staircase, the button on the wall…" He didn't even care about showing me that damn button, because we all knew I'd not need it.
Unexpectedly, we heard voices somewhere further on the second floor, where we had been. Voices were on their high levels, seems a few vampires were arguing about something, not hiding their emotions. It triggered his attention as well as mine.
"Let's go…" he said, then went straight to the left corridor, from which we heard voices, and his footsteps were echoing in my ear. I was going slowly, making my heels click and echo the same way his steps were. Voices heard us coming, and calmed down. Markus stood at the end of the corridor, opened a metal door for me, let me in, and went after me, closing the door. He looked over all the vampires sitting in their places near the big round table, then pointed me to the two chairs at the head of that circle. I went straight to the chair he pointed, clicking with my heels to the floor. I let him pull a chair for me, sat at it, and moved it closer to the table while he sat on his chair near me.
"What was the argument about?" he asked with his low voice, making clear he wanted to hear the story and will not allow anyone to hide it. Two men in their black leather office chairs cleared their throats and stood up. The first one, a tall pale vampire with bloody eyes, chocolate hair, and a thin body dressed in a black classic suit weakened his tie, starting his speech.
"There were rumors that… That you preferred an unknown girl as your Underboss, and…" he cleared his throat as if something stuck in it, not letting him go on with his speech.
"We were arguing about…" the second man with black hair, dark eyes, and in a black classic suit, weakened his tie as well. I felt they were lying, and knew Markus felt it too, "We were arguing about her origin… He said…"
"It's a lie! A lie! Markus, you know it!" some young guy burst with anger, jumping from his chair. His hazel hair was all in a mess because of him constantly moving his head left and right as if it were a spinning top. I noticed his bloody eyes full of anger, his pale body trembling, "They're lying! They were arguing about her being a girl!"
"Rick, calm down, now." Markus's voice was strict and cold. A man who was like a balloon full of anger calmed down in a second as if nothing had happened. Then tightened his white tie, straightened up his black shirt and pants, then sat down in his chair with no emotions on his face.
Markus looked at him calming down, then moved a folder full of documents in my direction, standing up from his chair. He accidentally touched my hand, and I immediately caught his body burning like a fire. He seems to hate when someone lies, and it arouses his fire, but is he able to control it?
I turned my head in his direction, staring at his back. He was standing straight with his shoulders back, and his face turned to the window. He put his hands in his pockets, then turned around, and his strict cold look froze at the two men standing at the end of the table. They didn't even move a single muscle, waiting for his decision.
"Fired…" his eyes moved from the two men to the four guards, going through the door to the room, then took those men and went with them to the corridor, closing the door behind them. I looked at Markus, while he looked at Rick. "Is there anyone left in the room, who has something against my Underboss?"
His question echoed in the room and vanished in the silence. Then, Rick stood up and pointed to the men, sitting a few meters from me.
"He thinks that it's not appropriate for a woman to be in the mafia…" a man near me immediately stood up and turned at me, pointing with his finger almost at my nose.
"Females aren't allowed to be in the mafia! It's a well-known rule and no one can violate it!" He didn't even finish his words yet when my chair was pulled away, and Markus stood in my place, looking eye-to-eye with that man, calmly waiting for him to finish. The man stepped away from Markus, but his back was pressed to the window, separating the room from the corridor.
"Are you sure?" his voice was joyful, and I immediately thought something bad will happen, so I stood up and came closer to Markus, and that man, then put my hand on his shoulder. His onyx eyes with a mix of the burning fire looked at me. I didn't say even a word, but it wasn't needed. Markus calmed down, wrapped the throat of the man with one hand, and threw him flying away to the door. He fell to the floor and hissed from pain.
In a second, the door opened, guards took him by his hands, and pulled him out of the room, closing the door after themselves.
"Who else wants to leave his chair forever?" Markus looked into my eyes as if challenging me to say something, to protect more chairs and prove that I wasn't chosen for that place by mistake.
"Maybe, you will tell them who I am, so we'll not have a headache about whom to put on those three free chairs?" my voice sounded a bit rude but strict as it should be with the Mafia Underboss. He smirked while no one looked at us, then turned around and faced the nine people sitting in their chairs.
"It's Aurora Borealis, a very rare creature called dhampir," he said with an enthusiasm in his voice, looking somewhere in front of himself, but standing behind his back I can't see where.
We heard whispers in the room, and it wasn't hard to hear them.
"Dhampir? Do they still exist?"
"Is that true? Can she prove it?"
"Where are her fangs then?"
Markus pulled my chair back to the table as if he heard nothing, and turned it to me as if asking to take my seat, so I did as he asked. Then I opened a folder with documents and started examining them as if I heard nothing as well. Markus sat near me, relaxed on his chair, and closed his eyes for a second.
"She might be interesting for us…" those words made me tilt my head up and look at the man, who was saying them. It was the same young man called Rick, who could read minds, as I suggested. He was looking straight at me with a lot of interest in his eyes.
"Explain…" Markus said without opening his eyes or moving his body.