Till death do us part [cw]

He sighed at the mutter. That wasnt a good statement. That would mean that there was a chance that Romeo was considering the lunatic’s offer. And as he suggested going with someone else, Eden shook his head. No way. “If it’s a trap, would it matter that you had someone there?” He asked. No if Romeo really wanted to go, then Eden only saw one option. “I want to be there by your side.” He said, even if the lycan wouldnt like the idea of that. His grandfather had already once before shown that the vampyre was a simple nobody to him.

“No, you’re too important to me.” The vampyre argued. This wasnt just a small thing. If his family took him, Eden wouldnt get him back. At least not that easily. No, it would break his heart. He wouldnt argue on this. So it was good that the lycan agreed. “Thank you.” He said, grabbing his hand to hold. “I’ll clear my schedule.” he said. It was nothing important. He had a small meeting at the time the message had set, but it could be moved. “Let me finish this call.” He said, rubbing the back of the lycan’s hand before letting go. It wouldnt be long. He grabbed the phone and resumed the phone meeting, apologizing for the trouble.

The rest of the meeting went alright, but he was a little distracted. He kept worrying for the lycan, hoping that he wouldnt just go ahead and do something silly in an attempt to try and solve this on his own.

The whole ordeal with Romeo’s family was odd because it made Eden so unsure on where he had the lycan. But seeing Romeo waiting in the hall for him, at least made him push the thoughts away for the time being. “Are you surprised that they only want you? I’m a threat to them.” He sighed. “Let’s go then.” He nodded, heading out to the car. Eden decided to drive instead of having someone drive them. At least his mind could focus on the road for a bit. Not that the location was far away. But it definitely wasnt walking distance either. The Trevino firm. Eden parked and looked at the building. Looked around as well. It didnt quite seem like a place where they could just kidnap the lycan, but Eden couldnt quite let go of the thought either.

The receptionist was ready to meet them, smiling softly at Romeo as she saw him, not paying much attention to the vampyre beside him. “He should be waiting for you. Just you.” She said, her smile growing to a soft grin.

“Yeah, it should be.” She said. Eden however wasnt convinced. The mutter made him frown a little at the lycan. “Leave you here?” He asked, wanting to shake his head and deny it. If they were planning sonething then he wanted to stay! But Romeo touched his cold face and the promise made him sigh. “It better be.” He muttered before their lips connected. He returned it rather tender, moving his lips over the lycan’s like he wanted to seal it. He leaned back away and out of the lycan’s grip before he went to sit in the car like Romeo wanted him to.

Lucius sat waiting in his office. He had his hand wrapped, since healing had been difficult. The vampyre had really messed him up, even if it hadnt been that bad. Healing was tedious when you got older.

“My secretary already informed me that you brought Mr. Parish along, so not completely alone.” He remarked, maybe a little sour that his demands hadnt been followed as asked. But if he just told himself that it was Romeo being rebellious, then it was nothing more than setting a teenager in his place. Lucius frowned as Romeo made it quite clear that he couldnt be demanded back like that. “You’re not property, but you’re still a minor; you’re lucky that we havent pulled the police into this matter and turned it into a kidnapping situation.” He said, getting up, though a little careful. He was really getting old wasnt he? Old and weak.  He moved to sit down at the front of his desk. He looked the lycan up and down, stopping at the hair, to which he frowned. “What an odd change.” He mumbled. Sighing he reached down to his office phone, pressing a button for a few seconds. If Romeo asked about it, he would shrug. He would soon find out when Lucius’ lawyer would join them.

No, the lycan wouldnt just be able to leave like that. He crossed his arms lightly, just being silent for a bit. The remark on beating him made Lucius sigh. “You’ve never bent when Kurtis got in a fight with you. Beating you will probably only motivate you.” Lucius pondered out loud, gesturing as if there was something he was forgetting. Which there was. The elephant in the room. He wondered if Romeo was trying to avoid it by directing the conversation to violence. He then looked towards his lawyer. “How long has it been since you last saw Romeo?” He asked, eyeing his nephew for a second, a cruel grin spreading on his lips.

This was were the fun began for Lucius. Knowing that this would be getting to Romeo, yet seeing no sign of it. This was how to get through to the lycan. “Actually. This is to remind you that no one will take care of you like your family would.” He said, getting up before he approached Romeo, not stopping until he was close enough for them to face each other. “Come here.” He said, grabbing Romeo by the back of his neck with his healthy hand, asking the brutes for help if necessary. “Who’s going to keep you safe from men like him?” He asked, pointing at the lawyer. It was quite obvious what the answer was that he wanted and if Romeo wouldnt give it, he’d waste no time and hit him with a closed fist. “I didnt quite hear you?” He mocked him, gritting his teeth slightly. He gestured for the lawyer to come closer. “Maybe it’s not about beating homosexuality out of you. But to remind you what being with men can give you. Do you want that reminder?” He asked, grabbing Romeo’s hair to make him look at the lawyer.

Eden. That damned vampyre. Lucius hated that man now more than anything. He had taken Romeo and defiled him, changed him into someone that Lucius couldnt recognize anymore. So maybe scaring him could bring back what was lost? He could feel the panic in Romeo as the man came closer but it wasnt enough, which he would soon realize. Romeo yelled and hissed and Lucius frowned. This was not the reaction he had hoped for. Romeo mentioned Josette and Lucius frowned at him, holding a tough grip but the lycan turned his head regardless. The swear made Lucius grit his teeth and the spit was just the cherry on top. He wiped his face before he grabbed onto Romeo’s shoulder. He was done playing games. “You will always be a part of this family. Even if you refuse it. You have done things yourself for this family. No matter how you change your hair or who you sleep with, nothing will change where you came from.” And with that he pressed a thumb into the healing gun wound, quite hard and with the intent to hurt. “Or do you not want to be a part of this family? Enjoy the protection it can give you? From men like him?” He asked, nodding towards the lawyer, though the young lycan was probably preoccupied with the thumb digging into his shoulder.

Seeing Romeo in pain was like a band aid after everything. But a bandaid wasnt enough to fix his broken hand. And Lucius was greedy. Romeo being on his knees only made Lucius able to press his thumb in further, really get some weight in on that, no matter how it’d hurt. Because it hurt him to hear Romeo deny his family. Like it was some self soothing chant! But it didnt beat hearing the lycan utter the most despicable thing Lucius thought he had ever heard. A lycan claiming a vampyre name? He felt his thumb dig through the skin and kept it there before twisting it lightly. “Then you’re nothing more than just another Parish whore.” He remarked, removing his thumb just to kick the lycan while he was on his knees. The old lycan staggered back a little from the force before fixing up his hair. “Fine. Be a Parish. See this as some sort of parting gift. A tribute to your old life. You werent scared anymore, wasnt that what you said?” He said, nodding at the lawyer before he himself went to fix up a drink.

“See Romeo; that’s where I have the upper hand. The trial? Eden Parish’s hands are bound. All eyes are on him. If as much as leaves this place and I got a papercut while he was here? It all depends on how you’d want to spend your time with him. In person? Or separated.” He chuckled. Not that he believed that he could ever have Eden behind bars. But there would have to be some sort of consequence. He took a sip of his drink, pulling a chair over to sit not long from Romeo. “I helped your mother when you were just a little boy. I can help you again. Or I can simply.. watch.” He presented, shrugging lightly. “It’s your choice.” He pointed out, though he didnt have any actual interest in watching, it was more about the principle, the point that he was trying to make. That Romeo had to admit that he would always stay a part of the Trevino family. “Congratulations on the engagment, by the way.” He mocked him, lifting his drink.

Eden had been waiting at the car, on his third cigarette by the time he checked his watch. Something was off, he could tell… or maybe he was just paranoid. Either way, he went in, met by the secretary that was quite surprised to see him come back. “What’s going on up there?” The vampyre asked. She just smiled and checked the schedule. “It’s just a regular meeting.” She said but Eden wasnt convinced. He wouldnt waste his time on her either, moving past the desk and towards the office. The secretary tried to get in his way but he moved past her, though it didnt deter her from following him and protesting the whole way, threatening to call security yet not going through with it. He reached the door, hearing odd sounds that made him freeze for a second. But rather than wonder, he opened the door to be greeted by what was probably the worst sight. “Oh Eden Parish.” Lucius greeted him with a disgusting smile. Eden frowned, seeing Romeo being held by the guards. “Let him go.” Eden demanded, Lucius scoffing. One of the guards had to let go of Romeo to approach the vampyre, though it was safe to say that Eden was pissed. He pushed the guard’s hands away but had no patience to bother with a fight. So he grabbed him and sunk his teeth deep into his neck, tearing it up as he pulled away, leaving the guard heaving for air and a hole in his neck. Lucius chuckled in amusement, sipping off his drink. Whatever chunk it was that Eden pulled from the guard, he spat out, approaching Romeo and the others. The stench of blood on him and Romeo’s all over the room was like a bad cocktail. But the vampyre had to focus, grabbing onto the lycan as it probably was a threatening sight, a bloodied pissed off vampyre heading their way. He pushed Romeo behind him to shield him, looking at the others. “Oh dont look so angry Eden. We were just having fun. Werent we, Romeo Parish?” Lucius remarked. Eden felt his jaw tremble and he wasnt thinking straight as he went towards the old lycan, just wanting to tear him apart.

Eden would’ve torn the lycan apart if he got his hands on him, but Romeo stopped him. He looked at the lycan, his eyes full of hurt and anger and yet he had no problem looking at the lycan with a softness to his eyes. Romeo’s touch was calming but it couldnt wring the vampyre from wanting to hurt everyone else in the room. With Romeo’s mutter and attention moving onto his uncle, Eden looked at the guard and the lawyer. The lawyer seemed preoccupied with the hurt from Romeo’s kick so Eden handled the guard first, quite in the same passion the first one had been handled. The lawyer however. Eden pulled at him, knowing he couldnt just throw him around. But gods how he wanted to. No, this pest of a being was better off gone. Eden almost sucked him dry, even if the blood was ruined with the taint of knowing what he had done to Romeo. Eden wanted him to suffer. Leaving him to bleed out on Lucius’ office, paralyzed and scared. Getting his hunger soothed, he wasnt as affected by the blood stench, feeling a bit more in control now. He moved over to Romeo, grabbing him gently. “Finish him off, we should go.”