I suddenly felt warmth over my hand and I looked down. Rose's hand was over my own. I met her eyes in the brief flashes of light from the streetlights and they reassured me not to worry.

I returned the gesture squeezing her hand in return and I actually think she may have blushed but she turned away toward the window, before I could tell, still holding my hand.

When we finally made it to the large downtown building that was holding the party, I was a little surprised. The hall was decorated in mostly white and black, long hallways with arched doors leading out onto the patio that led out to the river. There were large banners indicating a certain side of the room dedicated to a certain politician. There wasn't anything separating the politicians but it obvious by the way people stood in clusters to one side of the room.

The tensions inside the actually banquet hall was more relaxed than I had anticipated. I could hardly hear the music over all of the voices chattering away.

I spotted Adrian Ivashkov's banner and Ivan waved, spotting me.

He pushed his way through the crowd and stood before the Mazurs and I.

"Came to support the Mazurs huh? I can't really blame you since they're better looking than the Ivashkov's clan," Ivan says. He extends his hand out toward Abe and kisses the backs of Janine and Rose's hands.

Janine blushes and is surprisingly flustered by the gesture and mumbles a greeting much to Abe's amusement.

Rose squirms a bit and nestles herself closer to me.

"Supporter of Ivashkov?" Abe asked even though it was obvious by the bright green button on Ivan's shirt. "Is he here already?"

"Not yet but soon. He likes to make his entrance. In all honesty I'm mostly a supporter because he's an old friend and it's a returned favor."

"Yes, Mr. Ivashkov and myself have a…similar arrangement."

"Really?" Ivan asked sounding genuinely surprised but there was a look in his eyes that told me that this wasn't news to him.

Abe gave a leering look with a similar slight smile that Rose always wore, a knowing smile and said, "Yes. You'll all hear about it later tonight. If you would all excuse us, we have to go and mingle a bit. We'll meet you two at the table. Dimitri, keep a watchful eye on my daughter."

The last sentence was directed at me but he was looking at Rose. She suddenly seemed so small and fragile under his gaze but she nodded to whatever silent message her was conveying to her and he and his wife left into the crowd.

There's a brief moment as we watch them loose themselves into the crowd and Rose seems lost in thought. I give her hand a light squeeze and she shakes herself out of her reverie and looks up at me with a forced smile trying to reassure me that she's okay.

She can tell by the look on my face that I'm not buying it.

She looks between Ivan and I and says, "I'm…going to get some air," and excuses herself. She's quickly lost in the throng of people.

"Natasha told me she was hoping you were going to escort her," Ivan says once Rose is out of earshot.

"She asked but...Rose needed really needed me."

"Really?" he says surprised. I can tell by the tone of his voice he suspects something. "Can't blame you, man. I' ditch Tasha too if the Mazur girl was a better option."

"I can't imagine the daughter of Mazur being so easy."

"She's not. Not that I've tried!" I correct flustered.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Listen, normally I'd be on you like white on rice to go for it with Rose but my advice right now: keep your paws off."

"Why the change of heart all of a sudden? Are you pining away for her?" I ask half joking.

"Just…trust me. After tonight, you don't want to be involved in what's going on here. Unless you still need that job," he ads grinning patting me on the shoulder as he passes.

I shake my head disappointedly and maneuver myself through the crowd searching for Rose. I catch the sparkling glitter out of my peripheral coming from outside and I finally see her.

"The party's too much for you already?"

She smiles over her shoulder, realizing it's only me, and hooks her arm through my own pulling me to stand beside her.

"I hate these benefit dinner things. It's full of a bunch of crap liars trying to be something they're not," she ranted. She glances at me apologetically. "Sorry. I just wish I wasn't here."

"Where would you rather be? Any place in the world."

She thinks for a moment to herself and smiles.

"Doesn't matter so long as you're there."

I pause, unsure of what to say. She does this a lot. She'll say something telling me how much she likes me and then she waits expecting a reply.

This time it's different though.

"I feel the same way," I murmur. She looks up at me, her eyes full of light.

With the heels she's wearing she's only an inch or two shorter than me, making it easy for her to lean against my shoulder.

"Russia's nice but I like Costa Rica this time of year. The best time is at sunset, on the beach looking out at the ocean with barely anyone around."

"I can imagine."

"Hawaii sounds pretty good right now too. I think I'd even go for Chuck-E-Cheese right now," she giggled.

"I…don't know what that is but it sounds like fun," I say carefully. We stand watching the moons reflecting on the lake. I'm trying not to ignore the roar of all of the noise from inside by listening to the soft pattern of Rose's breathing. She's so close I can even feel the gentle beating of her heart as she lean against me.

For that brief moment I feel so calm and comfortable I muster up the courage to ask her what's been bothering me for the last few weeks.

"Rose," I say so suddenly she nearly jumps.

"Hmm?"

"Are you ever going to tell me?"

It's such a broad question and it takes so long for her to reply I worry that I might have to be more specific. She stiffens beside me though and sighs heavily. She knows what I'm talking about.

"No."

"Rose I'm just worried about you. I…care about you."

I'm not one to really to be open and honest with my feelings but given the circumstances and the fact that I feel comfortable around Rose I just tell her what I'm feeling and what's on my mind.

"I care about you too Dimitri which is why…it's better if I keep these things to myself."

I lean up from where I'm resting against the rail of the patio and unhook Rose's arm from my own. I move so that her back is against the rail and I'm blocking her from anyone's view. I hold her by her bare arms and meet her eyes directly.

The wind blows her hair into her face and I tuck it gently behind her ear.

"I can help if you'll just let me. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you when I could've done something to prevent it."

She opens her mouth to speak but there's the clinging of someone's utensil against glass. We turn to see what's happening and Janine's in the doorway.

"Come, Rose. The candidates are going to make their announcements."

Rose looked at me reassuringly, more for her benefit than my own, and moved past, grabbing my hand behind her and pulling me along.

We listened standing under the designated Mazur area to long speeches basically repeating the same crap about 'making Baia a better place' and ironically 'clearing the streets of crime' when most of the crime was their doing.

Abe was second to last to speak.

He stood at the podium in his dark suit but bright red tied and stroked his ever-growing beard. He gave a brief speech about thanking Russia for welcoming him and his family with open arms and all of his supporters.

"I'm more than capable of clearing the streets and my best qualities are soon to come to light when I am elected as mayor," he was saying. There was a level of cockiness in his speech but the crowd seemed to love it. Even people supporting other politicians were smiling. "I know the secret to gaining control of the trouble that has befallen this small town that I've come to know as home."

"And what's that?" Someone from the crowd yelled.

He searched the crowd briefly to see who had spoken and then answered, "You'll have to vote for me to find out."

With that he gave a sweeping bow to the crowd as if his whole speech was a performance, which I guess it mostly was. He had even persuaded me a little to put aside my bitterness and starting voting.

Okay he wasn't that persuasive but he knew how to work a crowd.

Before walking off stage he tapped the microphone to silence the crowds clapping.

"Now I'd like to introduce a close friend and a competitor of mine who is also running is this forever ongoing election: Adrian Ivashkov."

From somewhere in the sidelines of the stage Adrian Ivashkov appeared and walked slowing up the stairs to the podium, shaking Abe's hand in passing and sharing a few words with the older man before he himself walked off stage. Instead of returning to where Janine, Rose and I were standing he stood to the side of the stage talking to Ivan and a few other men.

Adrian was a tall slender man with hair and eyes so dark it was hard to meet his eyes. He was apart of one of the prominent families of Russia. He was a year or two younger than Ivan and I had been and I vaguely remember seeing him in school with his posse of bodyguards and girl groupies. Any girl would've done anything to be married off to Ivashkov.

As he stood at the podium the crowd was completely still, waiting. I had a feeling most of them were too awestruck to grasp that they were in the presence of the closest thing to royalty.

"I fear I need to apologize to the lovely crowd that gathered here this evening. I was supposed to come here with a prepared speech about why I'd be best for Baia but I came unprepared," he started.

There were a few words from the crowds telling him it was okay and they forgave him. I remembered Ivashkov could work a crowd similar to how Abe just did. No wonder they were friends.

He had held his head low as if ashamed and then straightened up; adjusting the dark tie he wore.

"I am more than capable of making an impromptu speech summarizing my qualifications."

And he did.

I wasn't sure if he understood the definition of impromptu though. He went on for what felt like half an hour before he stopped speaking and took the moment to clear his throat.

"Now, I've come here tonight to make somewhat of an…exciting announcement. I know that a few of the older gentlemen running the current government of Baia were concerned about such a young man being given so much power and especially that I'd get myself into some sort of scandal since I am unwed but I have some exciting news. I have recently become engaged."

The crowd, or the men in the crowd who were glad that Adrian would be off the market and stop taking their women, cheered. I wanted to warn them that a simple thing like marriage wouldn't stop Adrian from sleeping with their wives and girlfriends but I resisted the urge. There was somewhat of a collected sigh from the women but everyone clapped. There were even a few shouted congratulations.

"Now I'd like for you to meet my fiancé-"

"Oh no," Rose gasped. She turned to her mother, whipping her hand out of my own. "You didn't! How could you?"

Janine put on her formal smile and patted Rose's shoulder.

"It's all for the better," was what Janine muttered.

I stood confused by what was happening when suddenly it all came together a few seconds before Adrian said, "Rose, would you like to come up here and join me."

It was more of a statement than a question.

The crowd cheered and turned to look at Rose dead on. She froze like a deer caught in the headlights and I saw her arm extend toward me. I wanted to grab her hand and pull her away from here but her mother gave her a quick shove, ushering her forward, and the crowd pushed her the rest of the way.

"She's a bit stunned I can see," Adrian said into the microphone. "My Rose is a bit shy."

My Rose? Those two words seemed to echo in my head pushing all of my previous worries aside.

I could feel my blood boiling and my fist clench. Janine glance at me briefly and smiled moving through the crowd to stand with her husband.

I was left standing surrounded by a bunch of strangers under the banner that read Mazur Party.

This wasn't a party.

This was a nightmare.