Blood red love by Dripping Creativity

Blood red love 

104 

Vidar dropped Charlie off in her office and asked Lucas to come to his office in twenty minutes. When Vidar walked up to Miss Juliens desk she smiled at him, handed him his coffee 

and mail. 

“Thank you, Miss Julien. I’m expecting a couple of hard blows being directed at us in the coming weeks. Why don’t you take some of that saved up vacation time and let me treat you and your best friend to a trip to my estate in Wales,” he said. She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“That is generous Mr Grim. But I think I will stay put. Marta is away visiting her mother and I don’t feel it would be worth my time going alone,” she said. 

“Are you sure? I have estates around the world, I’ll give you a free pick.” 

“More than generous of you. But I’ll stay where I belong. Right here. If it’s as bad as you say, you will need people you can trust.” 

“Truer words have never been spoken, my friend. I am honoured by your loyalty,” he told her. She just nodded. 

“Should I make any arrangements regarding Miss Charlie?” she asked. 

“No, Charlie will be safe.” He took his coffee and mail and made himself comfortable behind his desk. If they came out of this in one piece, Vidar would ask Charlie’s help to figure out how they could reward his secretary. She buzzed the intercom and let him know Lucas had 

arrived. Lucas took a seat opposite Vidar like he always did. 

“Mr Grim, you wanted to see me?” 

“I did. You have been one of the most loyal workers in the company for a while. Charlie likes you and I trust her judgement. A couple of years back I entrusted you with insight about the shadier parts of my business and you have never betrayed that trust,” Vidar said. Lucas nodded. “It’s time you knew the whole truth. I’m a vampire, as is Caine and Charlie. Most of the men and women working security are as well, or some other kind of magical creature,” Vidar said. Lucas looked at him for a while, then he adjusted his glasses and ran his hand 

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through his curly hair 

“Right. Well that is mine I guess,, so is itt lite a lifestyle choice?” Lucs asited. Midur had tro 

“No. Lucas. It’s not like a game or pretend, we truly ane vampires.” 

“Right, night. Didn’t mean to offentl. So in this a recruitment? Do you want me to join?” Er in like a church or a club on something?” Widur fluughed. He had no idea why people continued to take his big events like this. Unmilly they were either fine with it, which was rarely the case, or they became temiffed and fund or tried to run away 

“No recruitment just information. Chulle meets your help with something, will let her explain it, I’m not sure if it even if I tied. It will not be a grey arm project. It will be a fuil on illegal project, she tells me it will brent several federal and international laws. It’s up to you whether to go ahead and help her or forget she ever asked. Itt won’t affect your job or your standing in the compan 

“Sounds fum. Is it allay ill go find her, or do you need me for something else?” Lucas autentt. 

“gs 

woking com the thing that will tame the internet. Just remember what I toitl 

you.” Lucars was aligdy Hauffway out of his chuir. 

“Sure, wouine a vampire. Gm and alluftthat,” he agreed as he handed out off Witluss office. Vidar picked up his phone and called Chute to tell her how the big even hud gone. She laughed and promised Witir she would do ner best to comine Lucass it was all menil. Witlar want wierd. Wet almour that at least. He got to work with moving things albing arting to their pim. He ate lundh at this desk while working, wanting to call Churie to ask her to join him but knowing she was working jjust as hard. When the albult almost hin five in the aftemon, le gave in to the little voice in his hand that kept telling him he had them away from Chantie for too long, le pudied up the things he would need them his office and said gude Wiss Julien. He found Charlie and hum aiting next to end other in a conference rom. They hd commented their laptops to several screens piedi am the long taille. They were talling as they thath tapped away on the keyhound. Every now andthem they woult pedixas something on one of the surmuris. Victim linew Chillie was aware the was in the room and it was only Lucas that jumped as Vitun ben dem milled niiss com hur 

104 

“Ready to leave?” Vidar asked. 

“I think I’m as ready as I will be. Thank you, Lucas. I couldn’t have done it without your help,” she said, 

“It was the most fun I have had in ages, Charlie. Mr Grim,” Lucas said as he packed up his laptop and left. 

“Did you manage to get him to believe in vampires?” Vidar asked as they headed for the elevator. 

“Of course. All I had to do was show him my teeth, you should have done that and he would have been more inclined to believe you,” she told him. Vidar smiled. 

“Showing my teeth to people used to make them run away screaming bloody murder,” he told 

her. 

“It’s a new age. People are more sceptical of things. They have seen so much on TV.shows, and there are so many scams and religious nutcases it’s not surprising people are harder to convince,” she told him. Caine stood waiting with Malcom and he smiled at the part of the conversation he overheard. 

“I’m taking it Lucas was hard to convince?” he asked as he got into the car. 

“Charlie made it work,” Vidar told him. 

“And the software you were working on?” Caine asked. 

“Almost finished. Will we leave tonight or tomorrow morning?” Charlie asked. 

“We’ll leave tonight. We’ll have dinner and a nap and then head out. It will be a short trip, we won’t get much rest and I’m guessing the rest of the clan will put us to work when we arrive,” Vidar said. 

“We are going to the city that never sleeps,” Charlie said. 

“Don’t take that literally, lilla lo. Even us vampires need some sleep.” She laughed. Vidar was 

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worried that they were putting too much pressure on her Even after her becoming a vampire 

needs 

she was still a young one and her red were doser to that of a herman than of a vatrome. Ür wanthit Killer hut it mull affect her physical health. He would make me in didn’t happen She was his to protect and he had aheady failed me he would be if tappen again. The three of them tank the devronun her armen and wanted by two toufles that were chasing atter Shutdow Shallow was carving a big, fudy, be 

Liam saquenilerin delight as the cat slowed down and 

them catch him. They gated the baill and wave it amund while Shadow jumped up and down, trying to cench E. Vihar’s instinen was too stop the cathefore he conched one of the chidren. But then he saw that Sirudin hud etted his chaves when he played and with decided it was said to let then continue. Charle laughed at the men and Water muid Eel her relaxing. Tom came walking out affttie Rittdren with a smile. 

“Welcome home. They have been at 

braimonhau. I don’t know if the cat or the two 

are having more fun with the greed them. 

Tim guessing you wont have brother–in–law a hug. & flux 

me ting them to sleep tonight. Charlie sad and gave her 

homme 

“Yes, he’s in the shower staler 

“Groot. Well med oven and them hay down fra hedione we leave for our am.” ve müt him. Wither ett ren’s wormed b 

“Will it the safe?” he wited. 

Toni woy hour me War and Care will male mue I’m as safe es 

att War and Mutar nodded. 

I 

Oktaw. Freethem up and have dinner on the table wavem you are done le 

need us and the devil children out of your hair for a while to len vou nest in pes “he mo 

“Minne you and dont worry, it’s just nice to have some background sounde Vicer told t 

Thought me vampires were supposed to have good bearin Tom met They and then wen. When they gathered in the firing tom Foxton was then 20 

he looked tired. Vidar suspected it had something to do with James and he hated the fact he was unable to protect Charlie from the emotions he knew were coming. 

“Hard day?” Charlie asked her brother as she gave him a hug. 

“A little, but it’s all over now and that is a blessing,” he told her and hugged her back. 

“And James?” she asked. Huxton hesitated and first looked at his husband and then at Vidar. Vidar shrugged and pulled Charlie to his side where he could wrap an arm around her. 

“She won’t let it go,” he told Huxton. 

“He is right, Hux, it’s best to get it out of the way so we can have a nice dinner,” Tyson agreed. 

“He’s not doing good. He has lost most of the things he truly cared about in one blow and it’s just now hitting him how much of his life he has ruined and that there is no one else but himself to blame, not that he hasn’t tried,” Huxton told them. 

“He still has you,” Charlie said. Her brother shook his head. 

“It’s not the same. Some of the things he did are unforgivable. I don’t know how our friendship will look when it all settles, if we still will have one.” 

“You will. You have known him for too long and he has done a lot of good things. Your friendship will change and it probably won’t be as close as it once was. But it will be there. And in a couple of years when we all have had a chance to heal and get some perspective on things, maybe there will be a way for all of us to come together again,” Charlie comforted him. Later, after dinner when they were getting into their bed for their nap, Charlie sighed. 

“Still thinking about James?” Vidar asked. 

“Yes. I don’t regret the decisions I made when it all went down. But I do regret not forcing him to take ownership of it sooner. I can’t help but to think he could have saved the most important pieces if he had,” she told him. 

“I don’t think it would have mattered. Even if he would have confessed earlier, maybe saving 

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r to 

me from reporting him, he would have been demoted. James doesn’t strike me as a man that would accept that without resentment. I think he would have been unable to let go of this, in his mind, wrongdoing and continued to prove me a villain and maybe trying to win you back. His self–destruction would have been slower, but just as guaranteed. Sometimes it’s better crash and burn and then recoup what you can and rebuild. If he had deteriorated over years, it might have been too late when he hit rock bottom,” Vidar said. 

“You might be right,” she said. 

“Don’t feel guilty, my love. You did what 

you could.” 

“You’re right. We have bigger issues to focus on,” she agreed. 

“For now, just focus on relaxing and getting some sleep.”