Page 64 of Bound By Blood

Loxton chuckled, but it was light and airy and friendly. She frowned again. She’d never met a vampire like him. “You sound like Landon.”

“Well, Landon is a smart guy.”

“Look, Landon and I have a plan.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “One that will free both of you and end Drayton’s ruthless reign once and for all. But you are a big part of that plan, Carly, which is why I’m here.”

“What the hell am I going to do against Drayton? I don’t have strength like you guys, and I don’t move fast either. I’m like a little baby ant in the great scheme of things.”

He wetted his lips and sighed a little. “Landon’s in really poor shape, Carly. He’s been starved for the last two weeks. He’s weak and nearly dead on his feet.”

“Shit,” Carly hissed. She knew that he wasn’t enduring her same luxuries, but she didn’t think his own father would torture him.

“However,” he continued. “It’s been brought to my attention that your blood has the tendency to strengthen him. Did you know that? Something about you causes your blood to strengthen him more than anything else.”

She had no idea, so she shook her head. She headed to her closet, and upon passing him, she noted that he inhaled deeply and stiffened. She paused and scowled at him but shoved it aside and went in search of clothes. Maybe he didn’t like the smell of her shampoo.

Without closing her closet door – because what the fuck did she care that he might see her bare ass - she unzipped her suitcase, dropped her towel, and dressed while she asked, “How are we going to escape with him so weak?” Clearly, he had a plan, but that plan wasn’t going to work if Landon was in bad shape.

Loxton moved toward the window and stared out of it as if giving her some privacy to get dressed. “That, my dear, is where you come in,” he began to explain. “We need to feed Landon some of your blood. In order to do that, we need Drayton to let his guard down long enough to let the two of you be in the same room together. The plan is this: Landon is going to tell his father that he’s made his decision. That he’s going to choose him over you. When he does this, no doubt, Drayton will insist that he kill you to prove his loyalty and trust.”

“So . . .” she drew out. She stepped out of the closet while pulling her shirt down over her stomach. “Lie to his father, drink my blood, fake my death?” That was a tall order, and it was something that was not going to be easy to pull off. A whole bunch of vampires in the scheme, maybe, but just two vampires and an immortal? It seemed impossible and even silly to consider.

She could see Loxton smile in the reflection of the window. “That’s about the gist of it, yes. However, Landon will have to drink more from you than he ever has before in order to make it believable. It has to appear as though he’s draining you dry. But since you are immortal, it will only weaken you. It won’t kill you.”

“Comforting,” she mumbled, but in truth, it was a solid plan. “Will his father be watching?”

“That’s the hope. If all goes right, he will come alone and not bring his guards. It’s probable because he won’t believe his son will ever kill him. Deceive him and rescue you, yes, but actually kill him? No. But once Landon is strong enough, which should be instantaneous if your blood is as powerful as he claims it is, he’s going to kill Drayton.”

Carly plopped down onto the bed. “He’s going to kill his father?” she murmured.

“Yes.”

She may not have had the best relationship with her mother, and she may be a murderer, but she would never have killed her. Killing a parent came at a cost, and Landon had been his father’s faithful son for centuries. “Can he even overpower his father?”

“With your blood in his system, he can,” Loxton replied. He turned away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping his distance from her. Probably hoping not to frighten her. Little did he know he didn’t appear scary or threatening, but she liked that he considered that she might. “Killing Drayton is our only option here, Carly. It’s the only way to ensure your safety as well as Landon’s. He’s doing this for you.”

She blew out a breath. “It’s a big ask for someone as insignificant as me.”

“You’re the world to him. And you’re the first immortal. You’re not insignificant.”

She glanced over at him. “I can’t imagine what this is going to do to him. He might hate me forever for it. Maybe not in the beginning, but down the line, he might blame me for his father’s death.”

“Carly, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I’ve known Landon for a very long time. There is no love between him and his father. He’s only followed Drayton this long because he had nothing else to live for. But you . . . you’ve given him a reason. You’ve shown him that there is more to life than just killing and power. He wants to kill his father because he wants to keep you safe. He loves you more than he has ever loved anyone, and there is no forcing him to do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

“Yeah, I know that about him.” She smiled a little, remembering how his stubbornness could sometimes outmatch hers. “Okay, so when do we do this?”

“Probably at some point tonight. Drayton thinks I am still in the basement, trying to convince Landon that choosing his father is the right thing to do. Once I’m done here, I’ll inform him that Landon has made his decision.” He paused and pressed his lips together. “There is a lot riding on Drayton believing this, Carly. Landon needs to be able to catch him off guard.”

“Can I see him before all this happens?”

Loxton shook his head. “As much as you want to see him, you cannot go to him. Just as he cannot go to you. Drayton has to believe that Landon has chosen him. Landon may say things that hurt you, but please believe he doesn’t mean any of them.” He smiled fondly at her. “He made me promise to tell you that, by the way. He wants you to know how much he loves you and how he’s going to spend the rest of his life making this up to you.”

Carly looked at him funny. “You aren’t like the other vampires.”

Loxton sighed. “There was a time when we all had compassion and a sense of humor. But with Drayton in power, there are a lot of us who have lost those particular traits. I managed to hang on to mine on the off chance we gained a new, more compassionate ruler who wanted what was best for all of us. Not just power. But I see a lot of that coming back to Landon as well.”

So did she. From when she met him until now, there was a big difference. “I’m surprised Drayton hasn’t targeted you for it.”

He picked a piece of lint off the bed. “I’m an amazing actor, Carly. You tend to adapt to things when your life hangs in the balance.”