Bloodbound: The Alliance
Chapter 34 - 38

Chapter 34: Chapter 38

Avara POV

We all make our way outside, and Landen grudgingly does the same.

"There are six bedrooms, so you have the pick of the litter," Vance offers.

Kelsey ogles the warm wooden interior, illuminated by natural light.

Landen grabs his things and disappears down a corridor. Vance takes us on a silent house tour, a terrible guide. At this point, Kelsey and I would have more fun exploring this house at our own leisure. The exterior has an amphitheater setting with the lake at the lowest point of the site, mimicking a stage as the outdoor deck. The house design is conceptualized as two separate wings positioned along the contours, connected with an entry veranda that continues through to the lounge to form the deck. From inside the house, windows frame the landscape of the lake and forestry. The two wings have a close connection with the ground, providing easy access to the outside.

Sunlight floods the majority of the rooms, the contours of the land splitting the building wings into two levels. A waterfall of light cascading from the artful skylights. The farmhouse architecture is a combination of yellowy tones of bluestone, timber and corten. Rustic with contemporary themes like the geometric light fixtures and modern furniture.

The master suite is out of bounds, so Kelsey and I take the two rooms upstairs. Vance takes the other and Landen is alone downstairs. I get ready for bed, changing into a matching set, thin-strapped satin pajamas. I plug my phone into my own charger by the bedside table. There’s no Wi-Fi and‌ my bars keep switching from one to none, but one message does get through. A voice message sent late last night on the cusp of midnight. I plug out my phone to play it.

"Hey, Avara. I just stumbled onto something big."

The urgency in his voice flips me upright.

"This might be the lead I’ve been waiting for—for years. And I couldn’t have gotten it without you, kid. Remember when you asked me if I had children?"

Simon falls into a pit of silence.

"I did. Liz. Elizebeth Mansfield, my daughter. I hadn’t never done much good in my life, but having her was like holding a miracle. I joined the academy to make the world a safer place for her. Everything was for her... even my life." A sob tumbles over his words. "It was meant for me. If I wasn’t late getting out of the house. It would’ve been me. The handles were rigged, the car bomb was set to detonate the moment someone tried to open it. I was working late, overslept, and she was late for school... she just wanted to put her bags in the car. She had a project for science class she was taking with her... her uniform for hockey. And her bookbag."

I use the back of my hand to dry my face.

"I was a thorn in the Yakuza’s side. So they tried to take me out but instead they got my daughter. That’s why my wife left me. She blamed me because I was warned off by everyone in the department to let it go. But I didn’t. Liz was the eternal cost. Her death didn’t weaken me, it only made my will stronger. What started as me seeking justice turned into me demanding vengeance."

I pace around the extravagant room, listening to his breaths grow shakier and shakier.

"My daughter, she...she would’ve been your age if she lived. You remind me of her. Which is why I know, despite hating the man. Your father loves you, you’re his little girl—you always will be. Despite what he’s done. When the time comes to confront him, keep that in mind. Love can you make you do things you never thought you would."

The voice mail ends. I switch off my phone, sniffing.

***

We reconvene in the sun lounge the next morning. It’s called the sun lounge because the living room is basically one giant glass room with a massive skylight above and tall windows that overlook the lake. The light of the dawn makes the silver of the water look like diamond flame, molten gold crowning the top of the mountains framing the forestry. The rest of us are dressed casually in light summer clothes, but not Vance. He sports a glen plaid, Dolce and Gabbana slim-fit cashmere suit.

"Since there’s nothing fit for human consumption in this house," he says, standing up as if preparing to give a corporate presentation. "I was thinking I can send someone to get groceries while we go out for—"

"Whoa," Kelsey interjects. Yards of dark curls coiled up in a high bun. "Let’s not skip important details like what is this place and why you two are so sour about being here?"

Vance fixes her with a composed look, stoic and unyielding. "We’re not."

She swings her arm over to point at a mute Landen.

"He hasn’t said anything since he cussed you out on the plane. And your mood is considerably more broody, which says a lot since it’s like your whole personality."

A hint of heat in Vance’s eyes. He dissolves it with a drawn-out breath.

I glance over at Landen and he stares emptily into the distance, his mind worlds away.

Vance cracks a crick in his neck. "This is a... sacred place for my family. Even though we haven’t been here in years," he regales, monotone yet bound with fettered emotions. "Not since our mother passed. She was not one for material things. This was the place where she forced us to leave it all behind, our name and wealth. At this lodge, we were just an ordinary family. No drivers, chefs or cleaners. We did that all by ourselves up here. Mom would cook or dad would hunt or fish. Landen and I did menial chores like other kids."

Landen’s eyes brim with incomprehensible grief, the confident air around him dissipated.

"Hated it at the time." Vance adjusts the collar of his shirt like it’s suddenly strangling him. "Looking back now, those were the best moments, one of the best days of my life."

A grim tension stales the atmosphere, accompanied by a deafening silence.

"Why don’t you just keep to tradition?" Kelsey suggests. "As a way to honor your mother’s memory. Don’t send anyone to pick up the groceries or whatever you rich white people do. We can do it ourselves, too. We can go to the local store and buy what we need, cook what we have and clean what we must."

Vance nods slowly, reluctantly, like he’s not understanding what she’s saying.

"Are you sure? This is supposed to be a hands-free vacation."

Kelsey and I share an amused look.

"Yeah, we’re sure because that’s how ninety-nine percent of people live. Even on holidays. But what I want to know is when was the last time you both went grocery shopping?"

Vance frowns, actually having to think about it. "A long time. Years."

Kels shakes her head with mock disappointment. "That’s going to change today." She gives him a pointed once over. "And can you stop being a stiff for one day and change into something normal? I beg."