Crimson Bound (Blood Oath #7)

18. Lex

18

LEX

B ecoming a vampire decades ago didn’t save me from the dullness of office work. Even working for Atlas’s company, I’m forced to suffer the mundane hellscape of an email inbox.

I suppose I should be grateful I can wade through the messages from the comfort of my bed or the couch or anywhere, really. I’m lounging on the couch in Atlas’s office when my phone buzzes from the coffee table next to me. I reach for it without looking away from my computer screen, answering the call.

“Lex.” Lenora’s voice instantly sends a chill through me. “I cannot reach my son. Where is he?”

“Mrs. York,” I say in greeting, forcing a pleasant voice. “Good to hear from you. I believe he’s in a meeting at the moment.” I’m not sure what he’s doing with Calla in the gym would fall under that category, but Atlas’s mother doesn’t need to know that.

“I see. You will pass along a message to him.”

I roll my eyes, keeping a neutral tone. “Certainly.”

“Simon and I require his attendance at our home tomorrow.”

I rake a hand through my hair, sitting up on the couch. “Oh, uh?—”

“That is not a request, Lex. He will come.”

“Right. Of course.”

“Perhaps you should join him.”

I cringe, my head falling back against the couch cushions as I lie through my teeth, “It would be my pleasure.”

“Good. We shall see you both tomorrow.”

The call disconnects, and I curse to the empty room. I haul my ass off the couch and head for the gym to find Atlas.

My shoes echo on the concrete floor in the garage, and I jog up the stairs to the gym, catching the tail end of whatever heated bickering match Atlas and Calla are in.

“You’re playing with fire,” Atlas warns, his voice muffled from the other side of the door. My hand pauses halfway to the doorknob, gripped with curiosity and admittedly a bit of jealousy.

“Then burn me,” is Calla’s breathy response before they kiss, and she murmurs for him to, “Relax.”

Right . I don’t think Atlas has been able to relax since I’ve known him.

I open the door and walk into the gym before they can start ripping each other’s clothes off. As much as I hate interrupting when I would rather be joining, I need to let Atlas in on our unexpected travel plans.

Atlas pulls away from Calla as I approach. He must see something in my expression, because he immediately says, “Calla, go back to the house.”

Of course she doesn’t just listen. She turns to him, getting her back up. “I want to know what’s going on.”

His voice sharpens. “And if you need to know, you will. Now go back to the house.” He isn’t glamouring her—yet.

“I…” She deflates, seemingly deciding it isn’t worth the fight when she knows it isn’t one she has a chance of winning. “Fine.”

I catch her gaze as she crosses the room to pass me, but she doesn’t say a word as she leaves the gym, jogging down the stairs.

Atlas grabs a bottle of water from the mini fridge, downing half of it. “What’s going on? You’re unusually stoic and quiet.”

I cup the back of my neck, exhaling a sigh. “I just got off the phone with Lenora.”

His expression hardens, a muscle feathering along his jaw. “She called you?”

“Well, she was trying to reach you, but you were otherwise occupied with Calla.” Whatever they were up to in here made the tension palpable even when I walked in.

“Get to the point faster, Lex,” he says, an edge to his voice as he glares at me, his expression morphing into something cold and calculating as he tries to work out where the conversation is headed. Atlas has always been the most serious of us, but the mention of his parents always heightens that part of him.

I slide my hands into my pockets, rocking back on my heels. “You’ve been summoned to New York.”

His eyes narrow. “When?”

“We leave tomorrow.” When he arches a brow, I add, “Your lovely mother suggested I tag along.”

“Fuck,” he mutters, raking a hand through his hair. “I don’t suppose she deemed to mention what this impromptu trip is about?”

“Nope. She’s a woman of few words.”

“And it’s still too many,” Atlas remarks in a dry tone.

My lips twitch. “I’ll book our flight.”

“You don’t have to come, Lex. I can handle whatever it is.”

“Have you ever said no to your mother?”

He shakes his head, scratching the stubble along his jaw.

“Yeah, neither have I, and I’m not about to now. That woman has always scared the absolute shit out of me. I’d very much like to stay on her good side as much as possible.”

Atlas chuckles, though the sound lacks any humor. “I can’t argue with that.”

After a morning of travel the next day, Atlas and I arrive in New York and rent a car at the airport to make the rest of the trip to his parent’s property. It’s outside the city, surrounded by thick forest, and it’s the only house for miles in any direction.

We stop at the front gate, and I offer a wave to the gentleman stationed there. He nods as us and presses a button on the tablet in his hand. A moment later, the wrought iron gate in front of us slides open, and I drive through. The winding drive feels unending as we travel along it, the property landscaped expertly on both sides. Eventually a building appears, along with a long reflection pool leading to the front of the house.

The moment I shift the car into park, the front doors of the house open, and a man dressed in an all-black uniform comes out and hurries down the wide marble stairs. The pillars on either side make the building appear more like a palace than a house, which is precisely why Simon and Lenora had it built that way. They are, after all, the self-proclaimed royals of our world.

Atlas and I exit the car, meeting the head of the York’s staff at the base of the stairs.

“Good afternoon, Mr. York,” he greets Atlas before turning to me and offering a subtle nod. “May I assist with your bags?”

“No,” Atlas says curtly. “We’re not staying long.”

I glance at him but say nothing. We have suitcases in the back seat, but if Atlas has no intention of getting them out, I’m completely amenable to that.

The butler nods. “Very well. Your parents are awaiting your arrival in the sitting room.”

“Fine.” Atlas walks toward the house, and I follow, trying not to grind my molars as we step inside. The marble from outside carries into the foyer, and the ceiling spans two stories, centered by a grand staircase beneath a chandelier that likely cost as much as the car we drove from the airport.

The place hasn’t changed at all since my first and last visit shortly after I turned, courtesy of Atlas. Simon and Lenora didn’t take too kindly to their son siring a vampire, but they’ve somewhat warmed up to me over the decades.

We pass a sitting area to the side of the entryway with an unlit fireplace and a piano. The intricate art hung on the walls are all pieces Lenora collected from different artists in Europe, and are likely worth millions to someone who cares about art. To me, they look a little…boring, though I’d never say that aloud. Not that Lenora would care to ask my opinion of her art collection anyway.

The butler leaves us after opening the doors to the sitting room, and I follow Atlas inside, leaving the doors open in case we want to make a quick getaway.

Simon and Lenora are sitting at a small table, sipping wine and moving chess pieces around a board that’s likely as old as I am. They stand as we approach, and I force a smile as if I’m glad to be here.

Atlas is a carbon copy of his father. The older vampire straightens the lapels of his maroon dress jacket and eyes me before focusing on Atlas.

“Welcome home, son,” Simon says in a deep, smooth voice, and I bite back a scowl, knowing just how deeply Atlas despises coming here at all.

“Father,” Atlas greets, nodding respectfully.

My eyes flit to Lenora, her long auburn hair falling in loose curls past her breasts, which are barely contained by the plum colored, floor length dress she’s wearing. Her features are striking like Atlas’s, and her eyes are cold as she regards me. Her red stained lips curve into a slow smile as she shifts her attention to Atlas.

“Hello, darling.”

“Mother,” he says in return, stepping in to kiss her cheek, then back again to stand next to me. “Care to explain what you’ve brought us here for?”

Lenora exhales a delicate sigh. “I will admit, Atlas, I am a little disappointed you did not bring that redhead of yours.”

“Gabriel sends his regards,” he says automatically.

Lenora has always had a fascination with Gabe. None of us have figured it out, and Gabriel chooses to mostly ignore it, though I’m sure he’s extra glad to have stayed back in Washington with Calla and Kade.

She beams at Atlas. “How nice.” Exchanging a look with Simon, she straightens her shoulders. “We have brought you here to discuss something of concern that your father overheard while on business in Chicago.”

“What’s that?” Atlas asks in a level tone.

“I understand you may have found yourself in a conflict with a vampire by the name of Dante.”

My brows lift. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised Simon and Lenora know about Dante’s recent antics. But that suggests they also know about Calla.

Atlas shrugs. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Dante is not a genuine threat,” I add. “We’re not concerned about him.” That’s not entirely true, but we’re handling it. The thought of Atlas’s parents getting involved with that situation is…less than ideal, and based on his stiff posture, we’re on the same page there.

“What does this vampire want from you?” Simon asks.

I press my mouth into a thin line, letting Atlas take that question.

“He’s power hungry. Always has been. He seems to think he can pick a fight against us—against me—and that winning will give him a reputation in our world.”

Lenora offers a delicate laugh. “How silly.”

“Exactly,” I chime in. “Nothing to be worried about. We’re handling it.”

“Atlas?” Simon checks.

“Lex is right. There’s no need for concern. We’ll head back to Washington and make sure whatever is being said is quickly and quietly put to bed.”

“Good.”

Lenora clasps her hands in front of her. “Now that business is out of the way, why don’t you join us for a drink before lunch?”

I force a smile. “That’s a kind offer, but we should head back.”

Her mouth falls into a pout, which looks ridiculous on a woman her age. “That is disappointing. You have just arrived.”

“Another time, mother,” Atlas says, his voice deep and firm like his father’s. He’s used to dealing with the theatrics of his parents. Knows just how to placate his mother.

She sighs. “Very well. We must plan a proper visit soon.”

“Of course,” he says, hugging her briefly and kissing her cheek once more before moving to shake Simon’s hand.

I follow suit before we head out of the house, and I have to force myself to walk at a normal pace as opposing to vamp speeding the hell out of here.

“Talk about a meeting that could’ve been an email,” I say when we get back to the car. “Hell, even a phone call. But no. Your parents just love to pull the puppet strings and make us travel across the country for a half hour conversation.” It’s all about power with them. Even over their own son.

“You know that by now,” he comments absently.

I exhale a long sigh, getting comfy in the passenger seat. “Well, it could have gone worse.”

Atlas’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, and his tone is dry when he mutters, “Yes, they could have driven a white ash stake through our chests.”

I chuckle, glancing down to where my phone sits as it vibrates with an incoming call from Kade. I pluck it out of the cup holder, answering the call.

“Get your asses back here right fucking now,” Kade all but growls into the phone as soon as I pick up.

“What the hell is the matter?” I ask, and Atlas glances over at me from across the table, a single brow arched.

“ Calla is gone .”