Chapter Text
Gerri rubbed her temples, still seated at the oversized ornate table amongst her mostly dead and dying colleagues. She had a headache from whatever alcohol Logan had been forcing down their throats all night. It was mostly quiet aside from the choked sobs of those near the end of life. What a fucking mess.
She knew coming on this hunting trip was a risky idea, knew coming back to this place would lead them straight to her doorstep. Gerri Kellman wasn’t allowed in the country, wasn’t welcome in the slightest. It was silly to think she could skirt by, that Lukas Matsson had forgiven and moved on. The accident that took his wife was technically her fault, yes, but that was decades ago. Was she really banished from Eastern Europe forever? What’s so great about Hungary anyways?
Roman was crouched on the ground by her chair, trying to quiet his cries. She felt for him really. Seeing your dad and brother get their heads pulled clean off would be horrifying and gruesome, no doubt. Gerri had heard Cyd’s heart attack come on before the woman had even felt it, let alone succumbed to it. Ray hadn’t even seen any of it coming. Being the first victim has its upsides. It was quite the scene. Lukas stood watching his loyal little subjects feast on the young corporate suits of Waystar. A sinister smile spread across his face, satisfied with his surprise attack. From their seats, Tom, Frank and Karl looked on in horror, untouched as of yet. Tom was crying big old crocodile tears as one of the henchman emptied Greg of all his blood. Sour, she’d guess it to be. She was getting bored now.
Lukas jumped up on the table on the opposite end of Gerri. His arms wide, making a spectacle. Taking several steps forward yet leaving ample space between them, he set his eyes on her. Understanding his enemy, he didn’t pounce or try any sudden moves, he was careful. Gerri sighed, looking up and down his impressive frame. He was such a show off.
“I have paid my debt, Lukas.” She spoke. Addressing him for the first time.
Technically there was no actual debt to pay, but his wife was dead and her husband was dead. It seemed to Gerri that there could be a reset of sorts at this point. Let bygones be bygones.
“That wasn’t the deal.”
“Come on, Lukas.” Gerri waved her fingers through the air. “You have Ebba now.”
“You killed my wife.” The anger rolled off of him.
Gerri pushed her chair back, straightening up, filled with anger and annoyance. “She attacked Baird.” Her hands slapped against the wooden table. Since it didn’t seem like he was interested in a truth, she’d have to get her hands dirty. Which was unfortunate.
Lukas scoffed. “She was playing, you didn’t have to take her from me.”
“He almost died.” Her teeth clenched. “I had no choice. And you know what, now he’s dead, he’s been dead for a decade now. So it doesn’t even matter anymore, Lukas.” Her hands laid flat upon the wood as her eyes tracked his subtle moves.
“You might be able to forget your mate, but I can’t toss mine aside so easily.” His head was bowed, but his eyes bore into her.
Gerri had had enough, had no more patience to give. In the blink of an eye she had jumped up onto the table with grace and ease, mirroring Luka’s position. “So what then? Wanna fight me?” She cocked her head. Ready to fly at him. She flashed her fangs at her opponent.
“Gerri?”
Romans voice was too quiet for any human alive in the room to hear, her name was barely a nervous breath from his lips. But Gerri heard. Lukas had heard. Roman was hugging his legs, and rooted to the floor. His eyes glassy and wide as he stared at his general counsel above him.
Not taking her eyes off the elder vampire in front of her, she spoke to Roman as if she was doing the dishes. “Not now, Roman. I’m a little busy.”
Lukas’s smile widened. A flash of teeth and fangs. A grating chuckle came from his throat. “No, you can’t be serious?”
Gerri grimaced, having never admitted out loud that she had feelings for the kid. Yes it was fondness, a little crush, she couldn’t help it. Damn him. Damn all of them. Every time she raised her voice or gave him a scathing look, his blood whooshed harder and faster through his body. His physical response to her was alluring and she had become addicted to it in a way. It was new and fun. She had started doing things on purpose to hear his heart flutter about and it would make her day. Lukas sensing this was not great for her.
“Come near him and you know what will happen.” She warned, a clear threat.
“It’s 3 against 1, Gerri.” Lukas pointed at the four of them. His two minions dropped the now fully drained men and stood on either side of the table behind him. Waiting for his word.
“They’re what, 5 years old, barely nursed I assume?” She gave a wry chuckle. “It’s been a while since you’ve been in my company, do you remember Seoul ‘93?”
“I know better now.” His tone filled with malice, remembering the run in that nearly cost him his existence.
Gerri stepped forward. Her little boots clicking against the wood with each confident step. “You don’t win this.”
As soon as the words left her lips, Lukas had lunged at her, slamming her back down onto the tables surface. It cracked underneath her with the force used. She pushed him off her body with one swift kick to the abdomen. He went soaring backwards.
She saw Frank—who sat between Tom and Karl—shoot his hands out to stop the other men from retreating. “Don’t move.” He had whispered to them.
“Listen to Frank, boys.” She said in that motherly tone.
Lukas was back on her as she stood, knocking her back down. He had her pinned. His snarling face growling above her. She was stronger than him, not by much, just enough to wrestle out of his grip and throw him across the room. She breathed heavy at the exertion, watching him fly back and hit the wall, cracking it.
Lukas may be older than her, but she carried Bairds blood within her. Her husband had been much older than her challenger. She had fed off Baird for decades after turning and that would always give her the upper hand in most situations. She watched as Lukas slowly stood, brushing some dust off his clothes from the broken wall.
She had been so focused that when Roman screamed it had startled her. One of the baby henchman had bit him and was violently feeding on him. Not hesitating, she jumped on the newly turned vampire, snapping his neck and ripping it off. His head rolled away from them. When the other surged towards, she did the same to him. As if he were only a toothpick, tossing him aside. His body flung across the room, coming to a thud as it hit the floor. His head, she kicked away from Roman’s dying body.
The vampire may have only had him for a short moment but it was enough to damage him. His throat was viciously torn into. A cruel and amateur attack. He had been grabbed and thrown down with harsh, clumsy hands. A quick examination made her suspect possible broken bones, dislocation, maybe internal bleeding.
On her knees, she held Roman’s fragile face. Searching his eyes, then watching the blood pool around him. Her dusty pink cardigan was blotched with his blood. With a firm hand against his wound, she told him he’d be okay. She didn’t look away from him as Lukas moved towards the door. Coward.
“You have 1 hour until I summon the others.” He had yelled from the doorway. “If you want peace, then you’ll leave.”
“I’ll go.” She hissed, trying to halt anymore blood loss. She looked at the tall Swede suddenly, an intriguing idea flashed in her mind. An idea Lukas might just help her with. “Would you mind?” She waved her delicate little fingers in Tom’s direction. “For old times sake?” She smiled sweetly.
His scoffed, but a sly grin came over him. Though they were currently enemies, they were still family of sorts. “Having me do your dirty work now?”
“My hands are a little full and you’d be doing humanity a favor honestly.” She ground out. “What’s one more on this night?”
Lukas swiftly and expertly detached Tom’s head, then he was gone. She sighed with relief, thankful to not have to deal with that chunk of cheese anymore. Shiv would be sad, but the girl would be better off.
The room came to life now that the threat had gone.
“Gerri.” Romans frightened voice was faint in the air. “Gerri, help me.” His eyes watered while darting about her face. He was weak.
Karl, who was rooted in his seat staring at Tom’s newly decapitated slumped body, was in shock. “I pissed my pants.”
Frank had already rose from his seat and was coming toward Gerri. “Shut up, Karl.” He called over his shoulder. He slowly crouched down to her side, a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You have to go.”
Gerri was drowning a little in Romans eyes. The smell of his blood, it was keeping her fangs from retreating. She wanted a taste. More than a taste. “Maybe I should…” She trailed off.
“Gerri, you can’t.” Frank squeezed her shoulder.
With teary eyes, Roman pleaded with her. “I don’t wanna die. Please, I don’t wanna die.”
Gerri didn’t break her gaze with Roman, but spoke to Frank still. “I can’t let him die.” Romans eyes were wide, not understanding what was happening around him.
“He'll be a liability, he’s a loose cannon—on a good day.” Frank supplied, even though he knew his friend had made up her mind.
Gerri ignored everything but the boy in front of her and his pleading eyes. She bent to his neck where the careless monster had tore into him. Running her tongue along the edges of the ripped skin, the exposed tissue, the tantalizing blood. Enough of her saliva would slowly mend the wound. She lapped it up and swallowed the small amount of blood she had collected. It filled her with the desire to feel him inside her, to become acquainted with how he slid through her body and veins. He was much sweeter than she’d imagined.
Taking a finger and cleaning his blood from the corners of her lips, she spoke softly. “He has potential, Frank.”
Franks grey eyebrows rose. He’d never of guessed that much, never have guessed that Gerri Kellman had a soft spot for a spoiled little squirt. “Potential? What kind of potential are we talking here, Gerri?
“To have it all.” She closely examined the now healed neck in front of her. He will likely survive as long as he was given blood, human blood that was. She would give him some of hers to ease whatever pains he was feeling inside, but it would not be enough.
Frank actually laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
Her eyes met his, hard and full of fire. She didn’t like being laughed at when being so sincere.
“You’re not kidding. Okay.” Frank sighed. “Can I ask why?” Truly perplexed, he blinked several times. “Just, why?”
“Something in his eyes, something about…him. I feel it in my gut.” She looked at Roman’s unfocused eyes. “There’s a spark there.” With her sharp fangs, she tore at the flesh of her own wrist and put it upon Roman’s slightly parted lips.
“Are we lookin’ at the same kid, sure you’re not a little drunk on the blood?” He wondered, watching her do her thing. No longer fazed by blood and ripped flesh or the feral appetite of a vampire. Watching Gerri in this light was something he’d gotten used to decades ago. She didn’t frighten him anymore.
She ignored Frank, there was no need for any more discussion on the matter. While she gazed down into the younger man’s eyes, she spoke softly to him. “Roman, you need to swallow, okay? Suck from me and swallow.” She watched his throat bob as he took her in. “Good boy. Keep going.” Her eyes grew, dilating as he consumed her. Swapping blood was an aphrodisiac no matter the circumstance. She wouldn’t give into the urge, but it was there nonetheless. The desire to climb on top of him and fuck him while taking turns feeding from each other, it was the most erotic and alluring temptation. There was no other action so all consuming and connecting than this savage act. Her body was vibrating with a need to take him fully.
She forgot Frank was there.
“Alright boss, you really gotta get outta here.” He interrupted her focus. “Time to move it along now.”
She rolled her eyes exasperated. “You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“Well…you know.” He waved his hand up and down the scene in front of him. “Bossy.”
It was the same old back and forth. “Just because I could kill you doesn’t make me the boss of you. You know this.” Gerri pulled herself from Roman and stood next to the older man. Licking her wrist until her wound cleared up.
Looking down at the kid, Frank sighed. “Hope you got a plan to keep him in line.”
She looked down to Roman who was blood drunk and passed out. “He’s gonna be a challenge, but I’m up for it. Life was getting awfully dull, anyways.”
“Gee thanks.” Frank joked.
She smiled, joking with him. “Not you, of course.”
“I pissed my pants.” Karl said again louder and was ignored.
Roman moaned some and Gerri and Frank bent back down to asses. Frank placed his hand on Roman’s chest, indicating he had the boy from here. “Take Karl and have a chat.”
Gerri nodded once. “I’ll call Karolina and have her get on the cover story with Lukas.” Gerri groaned. “Don’t let his people take any souvenirs off our dead. It’s fucking barbaric and I won’t stand for it.” She fixed the clip in her hair.
“Yeah right, I’ll tell the group of vampires what to do.” Frank sarcastically snipped. “Don’t have much clout without you around, ya know?”
“Scared?” She smirked down at him.
“Of you? No.” He stood, taking another look at the carnage surrounding them. The corpses scattered about, blood splattered on every surface. “Of Lukas’s degenerative young henchman? You’re damn right.”
“Tell you what, I’ll get Martyn to join you, he’s in London.” She sent a message out while speaking. “They won’t mess with him.”
“He still trying to impress you?” Frank asked as Gerri continued tapping away at her phone.
“Has been since the moment Baird died.” She sighed, arranging her travel plans on her mobile.
“You should give him a chance, Ger. He’s nice.” Standing, he pulled his own phone out to arrange a car.
“Oh we are not going to have this conversation right now. Roman is actively dying at our feet.”
They tilted their gaze down at the passed out boy. The blood she gave him would sustain him for now, but he needed intervention soon.
“Always making excuses.” He teased.
“I don’t have an interest, Frank. Can’t I just be?” She said, finalizing her plans and pocketing her phone.
“I just wanna see you with someone that makes you happy again before I die.”
“Oh okay, playing the eventual death card on me?” She pursed her lips. “Maybe change up your diet and give me a couple more decades to find love, how about that? Maybe don’t be selfish and die prematurely. What did you have for lunch today Frank?”
“Yeah yeah, I’ll see what I can do.” He squeezed her arm.
“I pissed my pants.” Karl said once again.
“Fucking Karl.” She mumbled rolling her head around, easing some tension. “Come on Piss Boy.” She called loudly, stalking towards him. He looked at her wide eyed, shaking.
“I pissed my pants.” He mumbled.
“You don’t say?” She said mockingly. “Up. Let’s go.”
“Are you going to kill me?” He rose as ordered.
“Haven’t yet.” She smiled thinly at him. “Nights young though.”
“Ger.” Frank shot her a friendly warning.
Karls voice shook as he followed Gerri. “Where are you taking me?”
“Home.” She tugged on his arm to make him move faster. “And you’re going to forget all about this.”
She couldn’t literally make him forget anything, but he would forget it if he wanted to live. It was a short drive to the airport and Karl was taking direction well. Before settling in, she got him to change into fresh clothes and rattled off instructions and expectations.
There were only a handful of people at Waystar that knew of Gerri and or were vampires themselves. It needed to stay that way. With small threats of torture and death, Karl seemed eager to keep her secret and be of service if called upon. They’d need to keep a watchful eye on him for an awhile though.
With Logan and Kendall out of the way, it wouldn’t be too hard to get Roman into the top job and if she pushed the right buttons, he could prove to be an invaluable asset. It had been a long time since she’d been this excited about the future. Roman brought something out in her that had been buried with her husband. It wasn’t just about her and what she wanted anymore. Gerri wanted him to succeed, to be loved and admired. And she wanted to be the one to give that to him.
Frank called later that night once Roman was resting. “So consensus is, Council wants Lukas to let it go. You’re not in trouble for crossing into his wife’s territory, but you’re still not welcome there until Lukas formally drops it.”
“Well that’s good to hear.” She ran a hand through her hair while leaning back on the tan leather plane seat. “Any repercussions for him? He murdered Logan after all. Not exactly keeping a low profile.”
It wasn’t a strict a rule to keep a low profile, more of a code of conduct they all followed as to keep their kind safe and secret.
“Doesn’t seem to be.” Frank groaned, it was too late for him to still be up and about. At this age, adequate rest was a must. “But I might not be privy to all that.”
“Right.” She chewed her pen. “Well thank you. For taking care of all that. I assume, Martyn was well behaved?”
“As good as ever. You know he’d do anything to be in your good graces.”
“Can it.” She snipped. “What else?”
“The scene is all set, Karolina will run the story first thing in the morning. Should be seamless.”
She was grateful for being surrounded by trusted and competent friends. It’s not always like that within her world.
Gerri Kellman of New York has been her favorite life to lead as of yet. For the first time she’d had a career, adopted and raised children, mourned the death of her husband. It felt like a real life. And now with the recent turn of events, a new opportunity had been dropped in her lap in her final years.
“And Roman?” She dared asked.
“He’s sleeping, but he’ll be fine.” Franks tone softened. “Doctors gave him some blood, checked for internal bleeding. He had some nasty bruising, but it was all superficial.”
“Good.” She sighed in relief. “That’s good.”
“How’s Karl?” Frank ventured.
Gerri looked to the still frightened man. He sat as far away from her as he could on the private jet. “He’s…adjusting.”
“You think he’s gonna be a problem?”
“I don’t know.” She took off the black cat eye glasses, snapping them closed and leaned forward. Speaking to Karl with the phone still at her ear. “Are you going to be a problem Karl?”
“No ma’am. Madam. Gerri.” He stuttered.
“We'll make sure you get that golden parachute soon enough. Does that sound good?”
“Y—yes.” He choked out, not liking the attention.
Gerri went back to Frank. “When you get Roman back to the states, he comes to me first, got it?”
“You bet, Ger.”
Gerri hung up the phone, tired and cranky. Wishing she was just about anywhere but here. In the air with the CFO and his stinking perspiration. She should feel bad really, the man went through a traumatic event tonight. It just wasn’t in her now. She was too worried about Roman. “I need a drink.”
Karl squirmed, visibly shaken. He made a high pitched mewl.
“An actual drink, Karl.” She snorted. “Unless you’ve got vodka for blood, I think you’re safe.”
He nodded many times over.
“Relax. I am Gerri Kellman, General Counsel of Waystar RoyCo, and you’ve worked with me for over 20 years. Nothing has changed.”
She lied. Everything had changed.