Disclaimer: Don't own the plot but I own some of the characters

Chapter 11

We faced each other, completely aghast. She hadn't changed one bit. Still Strigoi and still incredibly beautiful. And a miniature girl version of Raiden. We were both slightly crouched in a fighting stance, yet none of us moved to attack.

So Tasha was right, the sisters were here. I had no intention of fighting Jenna. But since I staked her once, she had the excuse to attack me, but was resistant. That struck me as absurd. Why wasn't she attacking me? If not, glaring at me at least. She was staring blankly at me. My eyes widened a fraction when she cautiously rose to her feet.

Unsure of what to do, I mirrored her.

Not having much of a choice, I spoke, "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. Figured you were up here looking for Raiden," she replied.

Why would I be looking for him? He was outside getting ready to attack, along with my family.

"You didn't answer my question," I pointed out.

"You didn't answer mine either."

Her lack of cooperation was infuriating me. I didn't see where this conversation was going, nor did I believe it would go anywhere if we continued. So, once again, I ruled out a line over the conversation and started a new one.

"How did you survive the attack?" I asked.

"Hayley dragged me out of the prison," was all she offered.

"You, Hayley and Tallon got away."

"Correct."

"How?"

"I just told you-"

"And I don't believe it," I lowered my voice dangerously. "And I'm not in the mood for lies. That's all I've learnt on this trip in here. Things that I thought real weren't this whole time."

I was referring to what Tasha said about Raiden. That he attacked Tasha and Dimitri and that he supposedly didn't love me.

Sensing my dark mood, she made herself more approachable. "Once the bridge gave way, we were under attack by a few members of your family. We barely escaped alive. Tallon just managed to get out of the tank but my uncle didn't. By the time Tallon got out, the tank exploded. Tallon had horrible injuries and it's a miracle he didn't loose a leg or an arm."

"Where's Hayley?" I asked.

"She's with Tallon," she said slowly, and narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

"And who's Tallon with?

"Rai-" she stopped and cupped her hand over her mouth and cursed.

Bingo.

Next to her was a steel door. I grabbed Jenna by her hair and wrenched opened the door. She screamed and whipped her arms out, trying to tug my hand away. I swung open the door with a bit too much harshness and threw her in there. What she didn't notice at first was that the lock was on the outside. And they weren't ordinary locks either, they were huge and there were three of them. After slamming it shut, I locked it and dashed down the hall. So, Hayley's with Tallon and he's with Raiden. There's a reason why Jenna was on this level, and that was because she was making her way to join her siblings.

Flying around the corner, I found myself facing a dead end. That made things so much easier. Whipping around, I flew down the opposite way and frowned when I came to a stop. In front of me was an elevator.

I didn't have any other option. Punching the button, I waited for the elevator.

"Argh!" I heard a scream and then a series of thuds. Backing up, I looked around the corner to see a dint coming out of the steel door.

Just to my luck, the elevator doors opened just as another dint appeared.

After closing the doors, I found there was only one more upward level.

Oh, thank God.

Pressing it, I waited impatiently as the elevator creaked with exaggerated slowness upward.

In those few moments, I had some time to think.

Okay, assuming that Raiden was up to no good and was going to see his family behind my back did not necessarily mean that he didn't love me. Ozera was on the verge of going nuts and since she was a Strigoi, it isn't pretty when one of us gets a wee bit wacko.

What was scary was that it all fit. Raiden lied to me before and I caught him. Was I about to catch him lying again? I hoped not, but I also hoped that some questions would finally be answered.

My heart missed a beat when the doors opened and beheld a corridor making its way to the only door in it. Walking stiffly out of the elevator, I walked as lightly and quietly as I could to the door and almost rejoiced when I found it ajar.

Tippy toeing to the door, I looked inside the room and found it was a luxurious suite with a polished wooden floor with dark chocolate coloured couches. Behind the couches was the very modern kitchen and which was where Hayley was with her back to me, sipping from a wineglass of blood.

Tallon was standing up in the middle of the lounge room with also a blood glass, occasionally sipping it, with his back also to me.

And there, sitting comfortably on the couch was Raiden.

My heart dropped to my knees.

He wasn't looking at me but if he so much turned his head, he would. I inched myself out of door slightly, but I was still able to see them.

"I wonder where Jenna is. She should have been here by now," Tallon said, looking over at Hayley.

She shrugged and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. "She might have ran into Rose," she joked.

Yep, I sure did. Literally.

"Maybe she did," Tallon said seriously. "If that was true, then she has already killed Tasha. The silver bullets should do the trick."

"And she suspected nothing from me," Raiden replied.

I do now!

"You've won her trust," Tallon said, sipping his glass of blood. "You almost lost it once, when I said it was you who took Maggie. This time, I don't think she'll forgive you if she found out," Tallon teased.

"She's never going to find out, is she, Tallon?" Raiden spat. "And besides, the last person she'd expect that led her family into a trap is me. Soon Dimitri will have killed them all."

Oh my God.

"And then what will we do with Rose?" Hayley asked.

"Leave her to me."

I couldn't feel my body. I couldn't feel anything. Raiden was plotting against me this whole time. Even after he took Maggie. Even when I said 'I do' at our wedding.

My jaw tightened and my nostrils flared. This was not good. When this happens, I can't control my angry, like a true Strigoi.

"What do you propose to do-"

Without thinking, I kicked open the door and walked three steps inside and aimed my gun at Raiden.

All three heads whipped around to face me. Raiden jumped up and crouched in a fighting stance before realizing it was me. Out of shock, he slowly stood up. Hayley yelped and covered her mouth with her hands.

The elevator dinged and my eyes narrowed slightly. Who the hell-

"Rose is coming!" Jenna yelled angrily and ran through the door. She stopped short after seeing me.

"Get over there with them," I said in a low voice.

After a few moments of hesitation, she slowly moved to stand stiffly next to Tallon.

I tried not to show them I was shaking with anger…and sadness. I was pointing my gun at my lover. Or so-called lover.

Raiden took a step towards me and I pulled the safety off my gun. He stood where he was, but raised his hands.

"Rose-" Raiden started.

"Where's my family?" I growled.

That's all I could think if. Where were they? They obviously weren't outside. Dimitri isn't that stupid. And he would have noticed Jade and Joe coming in. He would have seen Hope too.

Raiden was trembling. He wasn't the only one surprised at my sudden appearance. Tallon was holding Jenna's arm, as if trying to comfort her. Hayley held onto the bench, looking from Raiden to me.

And me? All I wanted was to pull the trigger. As per usual, my anger got the better of me.

"From the start it was you," I forced out. "I loved you. And this is what you do to me?"

I was losing it. Soon, I'll shoot randomly.

"Rose, please. Let me explain," Raiden pleaded.

"Explain to me where my family is, Raiden," I growled in a low voice.

Tallon took a step forward. "Rose, we'll tell you where they are. Just put the gun down," he said cautiously.

Wrong move.

Retrieving my other gun from my belt on my low back, I aimed it at Tallon.

Jenna and Hayley gasped in horror.

"Let's try this again," I threatened. "You either tell me where they are or one of you is dead," I gestured to Raiden with my gun. "And you're first."

Raiden flinched and then nodded slowly. "I understand that you're angry right now, Rose-"

"Raiden, at the moment I hate you. I hate you so much that I won't hesitate killing you. This is the last time you're going to lie to me," I said, then threw my gun slightly up in the air as I took off my ring and flung it at him. Jenna flung herself forward in hopes to get the gun, but I was quicker.

She was so close that when I aimed the gun at her forehead, it touched it. She whimpered.

"Wait!" Tallon cried and lurched forward desperately.

"Please don't, Rose!" Hayley sobbed loudly. "We'll do anything-"

"WHERE IS MY FAMILY?" I roared.

"They're on the roof!" Hayley cried.

On the roof of the club. That was the most dumbest place to hold Strigoi. They could jump off and escape and yet wouldn't break a bone.

Throwing Jenna against Tallon, I shot at the window. The bullets cracked the glass but still didn't do the trick. I grabbed the lamp from the little table near me and threw it at the window, finishing the job.

Jumping out, I reached for the gutters. Hanging there for a second, I started to swing my feet.

Raiden popped his head out of the window. "Rose-"

I kicked his cheek, causing him to fall back in the room. Hard.

After I swung up enough, on the last push I flipped my body backwards towards the street and pushed up so that I landed on the roof tiles. After running up a wall that led to the roof, I jumped on the flat rooftop and was confronted with nothing.

Or so I thought. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement.

A man appeared, wearing a black duster. The only man up here.

So my family wasn't up here after all, but that's okay. The man I wanted to see was standing right in front of me.

"Hey, Belikov," I said, flashing him a mischievous smile.

This was the end. This fight would change everything.

And only one Strigoi will be walking away.


A/N: Please review :D