Blood red love 
118 

Charlie had a hard time believing it was really happening. She had been the one telling Vidar she wanted to get married straight away. But to plan an entire wedding in three weeks had been somewhat of a challenge. Despite her being satisfied with a small wedding, everyone else had encouraged them to go all out. The reason was they felt like everyone needed something to celebrate. Charlie didn’t mind. The important thing to her was that she ended up being Mrs Grim and if their friends wanted to be there to celebrate the occasion, it was fine by her. The old hotel by the river that had once been the symbol of status and luxury was 
owned by one of Vidar’s friends. A demon with a flair for the twenties. He was more than 
happy to offer up the place for the wedding. It had a grand ballroom with a terrace that stretched out over the water and a dining room with murals and gilded decor. The ceremony was to be held in the sunroom and there was plenty of room for out of town visitors. Charlie’s side of the guest list was limited. Her brother and his family, Lilly with her girlfriend, Jenni and Leo. It looked pitiful when she compared it with Vidar’s side. On the other hand, Vidar had twelve hundred years to collect friends. When the clan had got a wind of this, they all had placed themselves on her side of the list. Lilly had been upset with her for a day because Charlie hadn’t told her about the magical world and the fact Lilly’s new love interest was a vampire. But it only lasted a day and then she, Tyson, Liwei and Jenni happily accompanied Charlie to look at dresses. As usual one of the clan members had a contact. Nasir sent Charlie 
and her friends to a seamstress he knew and Charlie was sure the woman had some kind of magic, because in two weeks she had an amazing dress ready for Charlie. As she looked in the mirror, Charlie still couldn’t get over the beautiful dress Lilly had helped her get into. The skirt was in soft flowing organza, as was the bellowing balloon sleeves that was off the shoulders. The bust was a constructed piece in satin which created a lovely contrast to the 
softness of the rest of the dress. 
“You look amazing,” Lilly told her. She was wearing a dove–blue organza dress that suited her light complection. She was helping Charlie to pin back her slightly curled hair with hair pins. decorated with pearls. 
“So do you. Thank you again for being my maid of honour,” Charlie said. 
“Oh please, I’ll be happy if Gabrielle looks at me today, everyone else will just have eyes for you. And of course I accepted. No one else has known you since you wore pigtails and refused to go anywhere without Mr Snuggles,” Lilly told her with a smile. 
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“I had almost forgotten about Mr Snuggles,” Charlie exclaimed. They both laughed and continued getting ready. Not long after there was a knock on the door to the suite where they were getting ready. Lilly went to open the door and came back with Tyson and the twins. 
Liam and Aiden were both dressed in cute little suits that were two shades darker than Lilly’s dress and they looked adorable in them. 
“Charlie, you look like a vision,” Tyson said and carefully gave her a hug. 
“Thank you. You are as handsome as always,” she told him. She looked at him and saw tension in his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked. 
“Nothing,” he said. But he said it a little too quickly. Lilly and Charlie exchanged a look. 
“Neither of us believe you,” Lilly told him. He looked defeated and sighed. 
“Your father is downstairs with James,” he confessed. 
“Oh fuck, Vidar is going to kill them,” Charlie said. 
“If he or that friend of yours doesn’t, then I’m going to!” Lilly hissed. By the look on her face, 
she might be telling the truth, Charlie thought. 
“No one is getting killed on my wedding day.” Charlie told them. “How is it being handled?” 
she then asked. 
“Hux is handling them,” he told her. 
“And he sent you up with the twins to get them out of the way and make sure I didn’t find out,” Charlie said as she picked up her phone. 
“Yes, who are you calling?” he asked. 
“Hello, Loyd,” Charlie said as the giant picked up.” 
“Hey Miss Charlie, why are you calling me? I’m in the same building as you,” he cheerfully 
said. 
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“Because I can’t leave my room at the moment,” she started. 
“Is someone keeping you against your will again? Do you need me to come and get you?” he asked. Charlie giggled.. 
“Thank you, Loyd, but that is not necessary. I’m just in the middle of getting ready. But I could use your help with something else,” she told him. 
“I’ll do anything.” 
“That’s sweet of you. You remember my brother Huxton?” she asked. 
“I do,” he told her. 
“He is dealing with two men downstairs that refuse to leave even though they aren’t invited to the wedding. Could you go and help him? I would be grateful if no one gets hurt,” she 
asked him. 
“I’ll go right away, and don’t worry I will put them outside for you and I will try my best not 
to harm them.” 
“Thank you, Loyd. You’re the best,” Charlie said and then said goodbye to him. 
“Did you just send a giant to deal with your father and James?” Lilly asked. 
“I did,” Charlie confirmed. Lilly started to laugh and even Tyson smiled. Lilly was on her phone, typing like a mad woman. “What are you doing?” Charlie asked. 
“Well, we can’t go there, but Gabriella can,” Lilly said and answered a call and put it on speaker. “We are muted,” she added as they heard Charlie’s brother asking someone to get 
out. 
“You need to leave now, I can’t believe you thought showing up here was a good idea,” 
Huxton said. 
“My daughter is getting married and I haven even received an invitation!” Charlie heard her fathers aggravated voice. 
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“That should have told you she doesn’t want you here. Charlie knows where you live, if she 
wanted you here, she would have invited you. Now get out!” Huxton said. 
“Come on Huxton, you don’t think this is a good idea? You have to see what a monumental mistake Charlie is making,” James said. 
“No, James. I don’t. I think Charlie is doing the right thing. She is happy and Vidar is good to 
her.” 
“How can you say that? He’s a criminal,” James asked. 
“He’s not the one breaking his parole to be here today. In fact, he’s not been charged with a crime at all. You are my friend, but you have made some bad decisions lately and some of them included my sister. She made the right decision when choosing Vidar.” 
“Is there a problem here?” Charlie heard Loyd’s distinct voice ask. 
“Loyd, did my sister send you down?” Huxton asked. 
“She did. Miss Charlie said no one should get hurt on her wedding day but I don’t think she was happy about this,” Loyd told them. 
“What are you going to do?” Charlie’s father asked. 
“I will make you leave,” Loyd told him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 
“But my daughter told you you couldn’t hurt us,” her father objected. 
“I think she would like it if no one gets hurt, but she didn’t tell me I was forbidden to hurt 
someone. The important thing is that she didn’t want you here. I’m almost entirely sure that 
is the main objective and Mr Caine always tells me I need to focus on the main objective. Do you know what that word means?” he then asked. 
“Of course,” James hissed. 
“Just asking, I didn’t know but Mr Caine explained it to me so I understood. But if you know then I can just get on with it. Are you going to leave or will I have to make you leave?” There 
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were objections and what sounded like scuffles and then it became mostly quiet. 
“They were escorted out, no one was injured,” Gabriella told them. 
“Thank you sweetie,” Lilly told her and hung up. 
“One problem less to deal with,” Charlie told them and relaxed. 
“I have something for you,” Tyson said and held out a blue velvet box. “It’s from Vidar, a morning gift he called it. He said it’s traditional to give it the morning after the wedding, but he wanted you to have it now.” Charlie looked at him and then at the box. She opened it and gasped as she saw the diamond n*cklace inside. It looked like a flower vine made out of 
diamonds. 
“That is one heck of a gift,” Lilly said, looking over Charlie’s shoulder. 
“It sure is,” Charlie said. 
“Let me help you put it on,” Tyson told her with a smile. He placed the n*cklace around her n*ck and fastened it. “It’s almost as beautiful as you are,“he said. 
“Oh shut up. You are going to make me cry and ruin my makeup,” Charlie told him. She 
reached for her phone again and sent a text to Vidar. 
C: Thank you. I love it, it’s amazing. 
V: It was the only thing I could find that came close to shining as brightly as you do. Can’t 
wait to see you. 
Charlie smiled and touched the n*cklace. She took a deep breath and distracted herself by playing with the twins until there was another knock on the door. Tyson let Huxton in and he smiled and gave Charlie a hug. 
“You are a vision,” Huxton said. Both Charlie and Lilly laughed. 
“Tyson told me the same, you are starting to sound like a couple that has been married for fifty years,” Charlie told him. Huxton chuckled and gave his husband a k*ss. “Are we ready to 
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get started?” she then asked. 
“We are, everyone is ready for you,” her brother confirmed.