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Blood red love
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Charlie was sitting on the couch and waiting for Huxton and his family
to arrive. She was nervous, it was al big thing she needed to tell them. Shadow had taken up a spot in her lap and was purring. Vidar was in the kitchen, preparing snacks, she could feel he was almost as nervous as she was, but for different reasons. He was afraid her brother and Tyson would disprove of her and Vidar’s engagement. Caine was leaning against the wall, looking at his phone, Charlie had no clue if he was nervous or not. She had got better at reading him, but he was still a mystery most of the time. Charlie’s phone buzzed. It was Smith letting her know their visitors were on their way.
“They’re in the elevator,” she told the other two. Vidar walked out of the kitchen, stood behind her and gave her a k*ss on top of her head.
“You okay?” he asked.
“As good as I can be, how about you?”
“I’ll be fine once this is over,” he told her.
“You are a vampire that has lived over a millennia, why are you scared of my brother and his husband?” she asked. She heard Caine snickering and Vidar did as well as he sent his friend a
look.
“Because they are important to you, as are their opinion. I don’t want to be the cause of creating a rift between you and your family,” Vidar said.
“If there will be a rift, I don’t think it will be because you asked me to marry you,” Charlie told him.
“It will be okay,” he promised her just as they heard the faint sound of the elevator arriving.. Charlie let Shadow down from her lap to open the door and he ran straight to Caine and climbed him to perch on his shoulder.
“Charlie, vacations are agreeing with you, you look amazing,” Tyson told her as she opened the door. She smiled at him and gave him and her brother a hug and said hello to the twins.
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“Huxton, Tyson, come and meet Caine. He’s a good friend of Vidar and me,” she said and introduced Caine to her family. “Let’s go upstairs, we can sit and talk while the boys have the room to roam around.” As Caine walked first and Vidar followed, talking to Huxton, Tyson
walked a little further back with Charlie.
“How is it that you seem to pull S*xy looking men out of your sleeve these days. Don’t tell me you are trading Vidar in?” he asked her in a teasing voice.
“Of course not. We are just friends. He is one of Vidars oldest friends,” she managed to say without blushing. She didn’t know if the three of them were friends, or if something else was building. But either way, Vidar was hers and she would never give him. up.
“Good, don’t think I haven’t seen that mountain of a rock on your finger. Your brother may be
oblivious to it, but I’m not,” Tyson pointed out. Charlie smiled.
“I know we are moving quick, but I think you will understand why,” she said.
“Are you happy?” he asked as they started to move up the stairs.
“More than I thought was possible.” He smiled at her and nodded.
“What are you two gossiping about now?” Huxton called them.
“Nothing that concerns you,” Tyson answered. They situated the boys on a blanket with toys and Caine placed one of the armchairs in front of the stairs so they wouldn’t be able to tumble straight down. Shadow remained on his shoulder as he assessed the newcomers.
“I didn’t know you had a cat,” Huxton said as they all sat down on the couches while the twins played.
“We got him just before we left,” Charlie told him. “How have you been? It feels like forever since we could sit down and talk. What’s new?” Huxton looked at Tyson and Tyson nodded.
“James finally accepted a plea deal,” her brother told her.
“I’m happy to hear it,” Charlie said. Vidar had put his arm around her shoulders and Caine took Shadow off his shoulder and plopped him into Charlies lap. “What was the deal?”
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“Two years probation, one year of restricted access to technology wearing a ankle monitor. and a hefty monitory compensation to be payed out to Grim INC. He will lose his job, of course. But our main goal was to keep him out of prison,” Huxton told them. All three nodded.
“Police men don’t do well in prison,” Vidar said.
“No they don’t,” Huxton agreed. “Will you object to the deal? As the victim it’s your right.”
“No. My company has nothing to fear from him and neither has your sister. I don’t want to see him hurt. That was why I chose to do this the official way to begin with,” Vidar said.
“Thank you,” Charlie told him and k*ssed his cheek.
“We have talked to him and he know he is to stay away from you unless you seek him out,” Tyson said to Charlie.
“That’s sweet of you,” she said.
“So what about you? How was the holiday?” Tyson asked. He looked at her knowingly.
“It was amazing,” Charlie started.
“I saw the pictures you sent. Here I was thinking of a cute alp cottage, and there you were living the high life in a castle,” Tyson teased her. Charlie laughed and Vidar joined in.
“I was just as surprised as you when Vidar took me there. But there was some things that happened while we were away that we need to talk about.” she told them. Charlie was nervous. This could all go terribly wrong.
“Sounds ominous,” her brother said.
“Well, let’s start with the small news. Vidar proposed and I accepted,” she told them and held out her hand with the engagement ring.
“Congratulations!” Tyson said and got up from the couch. He hugged Charlie and shook hands with Vidar. Huxton followed him, he hadn’t said anything yet. He stepped up to his
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sister and Charlie met his gaze.
“This is what you want? It makes you happy?” he asked.
“This is more than I ever wanted,” she told him. He smiled a bright smile and pulled her into a hug.
“Congratulations, little sister. You deserve to be truly happy,” he told her.
“Thank you, big brother,” she said. Huxton turned to Vidar, his smile wasn’t as bright, but it didn’t disappear.
“Welcome to the family, Vidar. We are happy to have you. You have put a smile on my sister’s face that is brighter than any I have seen before,” Huxton said and instead of shaking Vidars hand, he pulled him into a hug. The shock on Vidar’s face made Charlie giggle.
“Thank you, Huxton. It’s an honour to be part of your family. I will do everything in my power to keep that smile on her face,” Vidar said as he recovered and reciprocated the hug.
“You better, or I will send Tyson after you,” Huxton chuckled. Before her brother could step. away, Charlie k*ssed him on his cheek.
“Thank you,” she said. He just smiled and nodded. He joined his husband and sat down on the opposite couch again.
“Have you set a date, or are you thinking of a long engagement?” Tyson asked. Vidar exchanged a look with Charlie. It was time.
“To answer that, we need to talk about a couple of other things,” she told them.
“Trouble? Anything we can help you with?” her brother asked and Charlie loved the way he just wanted to help.
“I don’t think so. But it may affect you, so I. No, we need to tell you,” she began.
“I know that what Charlie is about to tell you will be hard to grasp at first, but let her tell you. everything before you react,” Caine told Huxton and Tyson.
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“Okay,” they both said, sounding worried and unsure.
“For this to make a little more sense, let’s start at the basics,” Charlie said. Vidar had placed
his arm around her and Caine took her hand in his to let her know he was there. With her
free hand, Charlie caressed Shadow’s silk fur. “There is a world that not many people know of,
it exist along side the regular world,” she started.
You mean the criminal one,” her brother said and Caine and Vidar both shot him an irritated
look.
“No, not the criminal one,” Charlie told him. “There is a magical world, full of creatures that most of us only think exists in myths, fairy tales and movies.” Both Tyson and Huxton shot. her a look that said they both thought she had lost all her marbles. At least they didn’t interrupt her. “I was as clueless about this world as you just a couple of months ago. Then I walked into a room full of the sweetest vampires I can think of and my view of what is real and not, changed.” Vidar smiled at her and k*ssed her cheek.
.