Draco paced the ceiling of their home a frown creasing his brow. "What do you mean Catherine was shot? How could this happen?!" He growled angrily.

"Evidently a madman broke into the house last night and tried to kill the entire family." Mr. Alucard replied.

"I swear, if she dies I am going to kill her foster father with my bare hands!" Draco growled.

"Calm yourself. Her injuries were not fatal. She shall recover in time." Mr. Alucard replied.

"Who was this madman who tried to kill our beloved Catherine? Some deranged killer with a personal vendetta against her foster father?" Draco demanded angrily.

"No. It seems that it was her biological brother. He broke out of a mental facility and once he found Catherine, he tried to stab her. In an effort to protect his family her foster father aimed his gun towards the man. However, Catherine evidently jumped in front of the bullet to protect him."

"But he tried to kill her why would she want to protect him?" Draco asked confused.

"She loves her brother and from what I understand, he loves her too. He could have killed her last night, but he chose to spare her life. The bullet went into her belly. She has lost a lot of blood, but the doctors expect her to make a full recovery."

Mr. Alucard replied. "Oh, and there is one more thing, Catherine has been beaten. She has many bruises on her back that could not have been caused by the gunshot. Do you have any idea how she got those wounds and bruises?"

"Of course not father. I would never lay a hand on our beloved Catherine. Perhaps her foster father can shed some light on the subject when he arrives." Julian replied.

"He had better not have caused those bruises himself." Draco replied his eyes flashing with anger.

"What would make you think that my son?" Mr. Alucard asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The night I went over to her house to ask her on a date, he was in the middle of quote on quote punishing her."

"Oh?" Mr. Alucard and Julian replied cocking their eyebrows in surprise.

"Supposedly she had been disrespectful towards him earlier in the day." Draco replied.

"Catherine is a great many things but disrespectful is not one of them. How exactly was he punishing her?" Mr. Alucard asked with a frown.

"Like you would a disobedient slave." Draco replied his eyes flashing angrily once more.

"He whipped her?" Mr. Alucard asked surprised his frown deepening.

"In a manor of speaking. He had her facing the wall with her shirt raised up to her shoulders and was hitting her back with his belt. It took all my will power to keep myself from killing him and his horrible daughter right then and there." Draco replied.

"So instead you created a fake debt and demanded that he pay it?" Mr. Alucard replied with a chuckle.

"Oh it wasn't fake. Her foster father loves to gamble and he owes a great deal of money to several of our casinos." Draco replied.

"Our casinos?" Julian and their mutual best friend Vincent asked with a smile.

"Yes. Anyhow, I warned him never to lay a hand on her again but evidently he didn't heed my warnings. I want to make him suffer father. I want to hurt him like he hurt her. I want to watch the life drain from his eyes." Draco snarled his eyes flashing in anger as his clenched his hand into a fist.

Mr. Alucard, Julian & Vincent nodded in understanding. "As the pharaohs of ancient Egypt used to say, so let it be written, so let it be done. His life is yours son, to do with as you please. However, you must not kill him. He could still be of some use to us." Mr. Alucard replied with a nod. "I shall get the wine.

No sooner had Mr. Alucard left to get the wine bottle there came a knock on their door. My foster father opened the door slightly and peeked his head inside. "Hello."

"Come in, come in we have much to discuss and the night is waning fast. Come, eat." Mr. Alucard said waving his hand towards a table that held numerous foods. "This is a very old wine, I hope you enjoy it." Mr. Alucard said a he poured my father a glass.

"Aren't you going to join me?"

"We never drink, wine." Mr. Alucard replied.

"Oh ok then." My father replied nervously raising the glass in a toast "to our business arrangement, may all things work out for all parties involved." Mr. Alucard smiled as he watched my foster father sip the wine. "It's good."

"I am glad that you have enjoyed it. Now I must take my leave. My sons will join you momentarily." Mr. Alucard replied. However, not long after Mr. Alucard's departure my foster father found himself feeling extremely woozy. Soon he blacked out. When he awoke he found himself chained to a wall in the basement.

"What happened? Where am I?" My foster father asked looking around.

"Where you are is of little concern." Vincent replied appearing before my foster father. "I'd be more worried about what's going to happen to you."

"I thought we were going to discuss the terms of my debt. Please don't torture me. I promise I'll get you your money."

"It too late for that. You really should have headed my friend's warning about not hurting Catherine." Vincent replied.

"I swear, I haven't laid a hand on her since that night. All of her injuries are from that madman. You've got to believe me."

"I don't have to do anything. Besides, I call tell that your lying to me, and I hate being lied too."

"Why do you care about her?" My foster father replied confused.

"Oh, We've know Catherine for a lot longer then you think. We've watched her from a distance for years. We've seen how you've treated her and we are not happy."

"My freinds and I intend to make you pay for every cut, scrape, bruise on her body and for every tear and drop of blood that she has ever shed." Vincent replied his eyes sparkling in amusement at the look of horror on my foster father's face.

"Please don't kill me. I'll do anything. Anything you wish but please spare me."

"Anything?" Vincent replied cocking his eyebrows in semi amusement.

"Yes, anything. I'll do anything."

Vincent smiled his vampire teeth glistening in the dim light. "Wha...: what are you?" My foster father stuttered backing away from Vincent slowly.

"The stuff nightmares are made from." Vincent replied with a laugh. "I am going ensure that you will never lay a hand or belt on Catherine again." He replied with a snarl.

"No please! Please don't! Please have mercy." My foster father pleaded.

"Mercy? Did you ever show Catherine any mercy when she begged you to forgive her?" Vincent  snarled.  Suddenly Draco and Julian appeared next to Vincent.

"Did you start the party without us? Vincent, you've hurt my feelings. You know how much I was looking forward to torturing him." Julian replied.

"Be my guest." Vincent replied with a wave of his hand and Julian smiled his eyes sparkling in delight as he looked at my foster father's terrified gaze. He chuckled in amusement.

"This is going to be fun." Just as Julian was about to approach my foster father his arm was grabbed by his brother.

"Just remember, father warned us that we are not to kill him." Draco replied a slight frown on his face.

Julian pouted "he's such a spoil sport." He muttered.

"For once we are in agreement brother." Draco replied.

"Draco I'm surprised. I expect that kind of behavior from Julian, but not from you. Vincent replied.

"Don't worry, I promise we won't kill him. No matter how much I want too." Draco replied.

Several hours later, my foster father awoke feeling extremely lightheaded he groaned in pain. "Oh my head. What time is it?"

"It is nearly midnight. My sons found you unconscious at the table. You must have been exhausted." Me. Alucard replied appearing out of nowhere.

"I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It's fine. Your welcome to stay the night in our guest chambers." Mr. Alucard replied with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you. Mr. Alucard I wanted to apologize  about what said at the hospital. I had no right blaming Catherine for what happened. I should have never offered to have Catherine work off my debt. I will find some other way to repay the debt I owe you."

"I'm afraid that simply isn't possible. A deal with us is eternally binding. Catherine belongs to us."