A/N: I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Rose
Chapter 8
One Month Earlier (week 1, day 3)…
"Rose, what brings you by?" Sonya asked, as she looked up from her spreadsheets and data, she had piled all around her desk. "I thought you and Dimitri were leaving for your safehouse this morning."
I stepped into her makeshift office, stopping at the edge of her desk. She had blood sample reports, graphs, and a whole other list of documents that frankly made my head hurt.
"We are. Dimitri is just doing one final perimeter check with Mikhail before we head out."
She smiled. "He's always so thoughtful."
More like prepared, stubborn, worried, and specific for what he felt was needed. I couldn't really make fun of him when I happened to agree with everything he recommended and implemented.
She looked up from her work, removing her glasses as she looked me over thoughtfully. She knew I wasn't just here to say a quick hello before we left, and I wasn't going to do her the injustice by lying to her. We had been through enough—I had even been in her wedding—to call us friends at this point.
"What's on your mind, Rose?"
"I wanted to know if you had any new developments with the Strigoi we captured before we headed out?" I asked.
She looked at me suspiciously, guessing that wasn't the only reason I had stopped by. "Not yet. I am still working on the blood samples to separate out the differences. That can take a bit of time. I think it's important to see how much of each blood is in his system, and what else might be there that would give him the ability to walk in the sun." She paused. "I promise I will let you know though once I have the data."
"I know. I appreciate it. Thank you."
She nodded, as she placed her glasses on her desk. "But that really wasn't the entire reason you came down here, was it?"
I didn't even bother denying it. "No. It wasn't?"
"Is Dimitri, ok?"
I hated that I worried her. Ever since Dimitri and Sonya had their shared restored experience, they had become quite close like a brother or sister would. Since Dimitri's biological sisters were back in Russia and he usually only got to see them once a year—if we were lucky—Sonya had become like another sister to him.
"Yes." I paused. I wanted to be careful how I phrased this, since I was sure Sonya would help me. Whether she would do it without involving Dimitri was what I was unsure of. "When we were attempting to capture the Strigoi, he said some things to me beforehand. I was wondering if he may have said anything to you."
She chuckled. "Besides he is going to kill me and everyone I love dear…nothing useful." She picked back up her glasses and put them on her face. "I'm sure whatever he said was just to try and intimidate or scare you as a tactic to get the upper hand."
Dimitri had practically said the same thing to me last night. However, I still couldn't seem to quiet that voice in the back of my head, that feeling in my gut that there might be more to it.
Her brow raised. "Unless you feel it was more than just that," she said, more as a statement rather than a question, ever perceptive to the emotions written on my face.
"I don't know," I said honestly. "But I have an idea on how to find out."
"This idea involves me?"
I smiled sheepishly. "Sort of."
She let out a long sigh. "I am beginning to understand Dimitri's definition of Rose-logic more and more." She stepped away from her desk realizing whatever I wanted was going to interrupt her from her current work. "What is it that you want?"
"I want to talk to the Strigoi?"
Her bottom lip fell open. "Rose, that is dangerous!"
"No more dangerous than your tests and observations," I pointed out.
"Yes, but I have several guardians in the room when that occurs. Plus, our Strigoi is heavily subdued by the silver we keep him wrapped in," she argued.
"You forget, I am a trained guardian. One of the best."
Her fingers came to her lips as she thought over my request, debating whether she would agree to it or not.
"Does Dimitri know you are doing this?"
I couldn't help it; I went on the defense. "Dimitri is not the boss of me, Sonya."
She balked at the irritation in my voice. "I never said he was," she replied softly. "I was under the assumption that you would have talked to him about this."
I let out a sigh. "Here's the thing, Sonya. Dimitri, Mikhail, everyone else, and even you, just think what the Strigoi told me were words of a rambling pain educed tirade."
"And you really believe it is more than that?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I hope not, but I can't seem to just get past it until I see to it myself. I am good at reading people, Sonya. I just want to ask a few questions."
She sucked in her bottom lip, and part of me hoped that when she kept looking back to where I know the Strigoi was being kept and then at me, that she was going to give in and let me see him.
"I…I…"
"You know…I will use my Rose-logic and find another way. I am quite resourceful."
She groaned. "Then why ask!"
I grinned. "Well, I am trying to be respectful and go through the proper channels."
Sonya shook her head in exasperation. "Alright, Rose. Under two conditions."
I showed the whiteness of my teeth. "What are the conditions?"
"First, you don't get any closer or engage past the yellow line around his bed."
"Easy enough."
"Second, you have at least two guardians standing by at the door. If they even feel there is an ounce of trouble, they will intervene and the interview is over."
I didn't like the idea of other guardians being privy to my conversation, but I realized it was going to be the best I was going to get.
"Deal," I agreed.
"Come with me." She beckoned, leaving all of her data on her desk as we started walking away.
Since Sonya was using a wing in the infirmary, guardians were on guard at almost every post in the hallway. Each offering me a nod of respect as we passed.
Once we reached the end of the corridor, Sonya stopped at the last door to the right. The two guardians as part of her condition were already standing on either side, both of their stakes visible and ready in the event of the unthinkable.
"Guardian Cruz, Guardian O'Connell, Guardian Hathaway will be entering into the room for a few minutes to speak with the prisoner," said Sonya.
The two guards looked at each other. "We were to believe that there would be no visitors," Guardian Cruz, the more senior of the two responded.
"This is on order directly from Queena Vasilisa Dragomir. If you would like to disturb our queen to confirm these orders, we will happily wait," Sonya said with an air of authority.
Both guardians paled. "That won't be a problem," Cruz remarked; turning to open the door.
I leaned into Sonya, my voice a whisper. "Now whose using Rose-logic?"
I could see one side of her upper lip twitch. "You aren't the only one who has to embellish things to get what you need." She winked and then turned. "Five minutes, Rose. The chains keep him pretty weak, so he will be in and out of consciousness."
I stepped into the room, waiting for the two guardians to step back towards the door. I made sure to keep my promise to Sonya by staying behind the yellow drawn rectangular outside of his bed.
The Strigoi was wrapped in sliver chains, almost as if he was mummified. The only areas of his body visible were his hands, feet, and head. His eyes were closed, making me hope that he hadn't been passed out.
I know I had no right to feel sorry for a Strigoi. They were unnatural, dead creatures that only inflicted pain and suffering to anyone they crossed paths with. Still, even armed with the fact that not twenty-four hours ago, this Strigoi not only attempted to kill me, but as well as the life of the man I loved, and a friend…I still felt a bit of sorrow to know it was laying here in pain.
His eyes jerked awake, jostling me out of my appraisal of its condition. His eyes narrowed at me, attempting to move its shoulders and arms as it thrashed in the chains. I could see the two guardians outside were on edge, but I gave them a quick nod and wave of the hand to let them know I had everything under control. Even if I didn't feel I had.
"You," it hissed.
"Me," I confirmed.
"You. Will. Die!"
I crossed my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes. "I don't think you are exactly in the position to be making any threats."
It snarled; his upper lip pulling back to give me a very thorough view of its fangs. When it said nothing else, I pressed on.
"Answer some questions for me, and I will see what I can do to make you more comfortable," I lied.
His hiss came out more like a garbled cough. Like he was choking. "My life is insignificant in the bigger scheme of things."
I schooled my expression. That reply was so unlike the characteristics of what Strigoi were normally like. Even if you did happen to come across a larger clan, they rarely worked out because of the nature and conquest for power. This Strigoi was truly bought into whatever was sold to him, and that was intriguing and borderline scary that it was willing to ride out its existence in pain to keep the information from me.
"You seem to know me, but I don't know you. Did you specifically seek me or Dimitri out?"
Bingo! His eyes flashed, giving him away the moment I said Dimitri's name.
"You. Will. Die!" He repeated again, each word spoken like a promise.
"Why can you walk in the sunlight?"
He scoffed, a smile creeping on his lips that he knew he had information that I wanted and he had. That even trapped in the manner he was, surely to be put to death once we had all the information we could collect, he still didn't want or attempt to trade for anything.
"Are you the only one that has these kinds of abilities?"
He turned his head to meet my gaze, giving me a sickening smile. "You can't stop what's coming. Your days are numbered."
A chill went through me at his ominousness threat. I drew in a breath as I studied him. One thing I didn't like, was being threatened in anyway. Call my crazy, but my cranky side came out.
"Just as your days are numbered. With each hour that passes by," I retorted.
He laughed. "My death is a sacrifice for the reckoning that is about to come."
My face must've been so red I could swear it was on fire. "You want me to believe that somehow, you've been oppressed all these years? Your unnatural. Your evil."
He closed his eyes, a look of elation crossing his features. He didn't open them when he uttered his next words as he spoke them. "Enjoy was precious time you and your Dimitri have left."
I growled; well aware that I moved passed the yellow line, clawing at the chains near its heart so I could stake him myself. "What did you say to me? I'll kill you. I'll kill you right now!"
"Rose!"
I heard Sonya's voice behind me, not even bothering to stop until both of my arms were yanked away by the guardians, and shoved back out the door. I didn't fight them as I went, mostly because I didn't trust myself at this point on what I would do if I managed to get back in there.
Sonya looked at me with concern. "I told you nothing good would come of this. I knew he would only say something for you to lose your temper."
There was a note of panic in her voice, that had me instantly calming down and looking up to face her. Sonya had done me a favor and possibly risked getting in trouble. The least I could do was be appreciative.
"I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I got what I needed."
I turned to start walking, Sonya instantly running to catch up with me. "Is…is bad?"
I glanced at her, even though my strides held a new purpose now. "Oh, you know, just the promise to want to wipe out the world and our kind."
Sonya's shoulders relaxed slightly. It wasn't an uncommon sentiment by the Strigoi. What Sonya didn't know, was this time, it was different. Strigoi walking around in daylight was a game changer.
"We'll figure this out and stop them, Rose."
I stopped at the door at the end of the corridor, and half-turned back to face her. "Your right. They won't. Because I am going to stop them."
With that, I threw open the door, and went in search of Dimitri.
"Not again," I complained at the choice in music stations from the passenger seat.
After leaving Sonya and saying good-bye to Mikhail, Dimitri and I were on the road and ready to head to our safehouse. By choosing to leave today, it gave us one extra day to drive around the area and do some reckon. Check out the area of where we would be working undercover for the next month. Also check out all the area's where abduction and disappearances were reported.
I was already in a foul mood after my talk with the Strigoi. I could tell Dimitri knew something was up with me no matter how much I tried to hide it. I attempted to chalk it up to the fact that I was just nervous, but I knew Dimitri wasn't buying it. Mostly because I didn't really let things like nerves get the best of me.
To top it off, I lost the coin toss for driving and was stuck in the passenger seat, while Dimitri tortured me with another of his radio stations from the dinosaur era. I loved this man, but his taste in music was one I just didn't understand.
"What does spin someone right round even mean?"
He tried to hide his grin, as he took a quick glance at me. "Not everything has to have a meaning," he answered.
My mouth went agape, the back of my hand coming to his forehead. "Who are you, and what have you done with my Dimitri?"
He took my hand from his forehead, kissing the top of my palm. "Oh, Rose. Life is never boring when it comes to you."
"That's why your glad you met me. Your life had to be WAY boring before I came into it."
He interlocked his fingers through mine as he held my hand. "I'm always grateful for you being in my life, Roza."
The drive wouldn't be more than an hour, and I was surprised that Dimitri even gave me until halfway, before he attempted to finally try and get whatever he could out of me on why I had been upset.
"Talk to me, Rose."
I looked away from the window of the SUV, and back to him. "Okay. Do you want to take bets on how many guys I am going to have to punch on my first shift based on my uniform?"
Dimitri's lips twisted. He had been less than thrilled when I had pulled my handy dandy uniform from the closet to show him exactly what I had to wear during each of my shifts as a cocktail waitress. Let's just say, he hadn't been thrilled. I couldn't blame him.
"I can't say it is something I am looking forward too. But that isn't what I was talking about, and you know it," he replied.
My look to him was innocent in that I had no idea what he was talking about, but he wasn't buying it. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"
"Why you went to go and talk to the Strigoi?"
I gaped. "What?"
He arched a brow. "Are you going to deny it?"
I looked out the window. Mostly because I sucked at even trying to lie to him. "No," I said haughty. "How did you find out?"
If Sonya blabbed, we were going to have words.
"Rose, you forget that I am highly regarded in the Dhampir world. Not much goes on that I don't know about. Half the time, I even know before Hans."
"No one likes a bragger," I said sarcastically.
"Rose…"
"I have my reasons," I said stubbornly.
I could tell by Dimitri's posture we were very much headed for a disagreement. "I thought we agreed not to keep things from each other."
"Says the fiancé that knows everything, but doesn't share it with me."
Dimitri ever the picture of calm and taking my outbursts in strides, ignored my last remark and continued anyway.
"If you're worried about something, or you think it has to do with the case, you need to tell me, Rose. I'm your partner."
I couldn't argue with him there. How did I tell him that I couldn't let go what we had already talked about and put to rest? Everyone thought it was crazy rumblings of a Strigoi, but I knew different. Just like I knew I wasn't crazy when I was seeing ghosts. Half the people—excluding Dimitri of course—still believed that I was mistaken even though everything I had seen had been true.
Dimitri counted on me to be objective and grounded. It is what any guardian should be like going into an assignment. If I told him this, I know he would be more worried about me and my ability to control my emotions then the job.
"I just thought I would try one last attempt to gather any information before we started our assignment."
There. That was half-true. I did attempt to find out information even though the only thing I got back was more death threats.
He stared at me for a long minute, before he resigned and accepted my answer. "And you got nothing?"
I grinned; giving him the same answer I gave to Sonya. "Oh, you know, just the promise to want to wipe out the world and our kind."
Twenty minutes later, Dimitri pulled into what had to be the world's most rundown apartment complex I had ever seen.
"Seriously? Are you sure you put the right address into the GPS?"
Dimitri put the car in park in the assigned spot right outside of the ground apartment at the end corner.
"We both work at a nightclub, Rose. We wouldn't exactly be able to afford a penthouse."
I swung open my door. "Yeah, but we can certainly afford something better than this," I exclaimed.
He shook his head, as we rounded to the trunk to grab our bags. "This is a safehouse, Rose. We're here for a reason."
Dimitri grabbed both our bags, leaving me to close the trunk. "Hey, I am all business and no play. But that doesn't mean we can't at least be one level up from B&E's and roaches."
He shot me a look. "It's not that bad. Your over exaggerating."
We stopped at the door, while he switched both bags in his hand to put the key into the lock.
"And you're just doing what you can to try and find the silver lining in what you know is a crappy apartment."
He leaned in catching me off guard as he gave me a quick kiss. "It's why we work so well together."
He opened the door, allowing me to enter first. "If there are any bugs, you're dealing with it."
He chuckled. "What…big bad Rose Hathaway afraid of roach?"
"You tease, Comrade. You try taking a shower and have one of those sick freaks fall on you, and see how you like it," I said, a shiver coursing through me.
"Don't worry, Roza. I'll protect you."
I stuck my tongue out at him. "My hero!"
Our grand apartment wasn't so grand. It was no more than one-thousand feet, with a small kitchen, living area, dining area that barely fit a table for two, and our bedroom with an adjoining bathroom.
Dimitri went right towards the room to drop off our bags. At least there was a king size bed, and unlike the academy we would be sleeping together.
I moved over to the bed and plopped down. I felt a spring hit me right in the ass. This wasn't going to be comfortable or romantic. I turned to see Dimitri leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched me with amusement.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I have a surprise for you."
After seeing our apartment for the next month, I was more than interested in the surprise. "I love surprises."
He jerked his head. "It's in the kitchen."
I jumped up from the bed, running the six steps into the kitchen. Dimitri was behind me just as I opened the pantry, a smile breaking out on my face.
I loved this man.
The apartment may be less than desirable, but he had the entire pantry filled with all the foods that I loved. Between donuts, cakes, and chips, everything was here.
I rounded the kitchen, flinging myself into his arms, my arms around his neck, as I wrapped my legs around his waist. "I love it," I said, leaning in to give him a sweet kiss.
"I know this isn't ideal, but we can try and look at it like some sort of adventurous vacation."
"This is why I love you. Your positive optimistic outlook."
He smiled. "And here I thought it was because of my hot bod."
I wiggled my eyebrows. "Oh, that's mostly the other reason."
He slid his hands up under my shirt at my waist, a moan escaping my lips at the feel of his touch. He leaned in to kiss my jaw and neck. "We can't get started; we have recon work to do."
"Then why are you kissing me?" I pointed out.
He pulled back and I had to stifle my whimper. "Because you are extremely hard to resist."
"Hmmm…maybe we can spare ten minutes?" I asked, with a salacious smile.
He smirked; his eyes twinkled. His grip tightened on me as he took the three strides to our bedroom and tossed me on the bed.
Dimitri
I pulled the SUV into the parking lot of the nightclub, making sure to park us as far back as possible while we scoped out the place.
Rose had both of our files in her hand, going through all the details about the entryways, exits, and current staff on hand.
"Two major entries. Two stories with the top floor seems to be private office and reserved VIP spots. Current staff is about twenty, with more than half of that being your new security team," she said, giving me the rundown.
My eyes were fixed on the front of the club. There were two security that were placed outside, mostly to maintain the line out front. They wore earpieces, their attention to detail not where I would like it, but average to what you would see in most clubs.
There was a line of club goers to the right just waiting to be able to get inside. Majority of the clientele being young females. Not uncommon for a nightclub, but even sweeter of a spot for Strigoi to pick off one-by-one. Woman were naturally smaller and weaker than men, which only made me even more angry. It took me back to my childhood with my Moroi father who liked it hit my mother. Until I started hitting him.
"This is going to be exciting," Rose commented, closing the file on her folder as she looked over the dashboard.
I turned to her, my brow lifting. "Oh?"
She grinned; because she knew that nightclubs really weren't my thing. Was I really that boring? I had to stop myself before I had said I would rather be home plopped in my chair reading a book.
In a life where my world was constantly on every moment, tasked to be prepared for the unexpected, I didn't think it was too much to ask to want a little downtime and peace and quiet. Although, that would never be the case with having someone like Rose in my life. And I wouldn't trade a second of that for anything in the world.
She started dancing in her seat, her arms and her shoulders shimming as if she could hear the music. "Come on Comrade, of all of our assignments, you got to admit, that a little music and dancing might be fun."
"We aren't here for fun, Rose," I reminded.
She shrugged. "Maybe for you. I'm here for a little bit of both."
I shook my head, as I scanned the front another time and the entire parking lot. One thing I hadn't been looking forward to with this assignment was the skimpy uniform that she was expected to wear as a cocktail waitress.
Rose was naturally beautiful, but with her exotic features of dark brown wavy hair—my personal favorite—almond shape eyes, bronze like skin, with a smoking hot body, she usually turned heads no matter where she went.
Clenching my fists was a routine part of my day whenever some guy just thought she was available and wanted to get handsy, but my Roza knew how to take care of herself. It still didn't help matters when you added thumping provocative music, drunk men with crazy hormones, and now the uniform Rose was going to have to wear.
The sound of my phone beeping in the car pulled my attention to my pocket. Rose leaned over, giving me a whiff of the perfume, I had given her after we had made one year of our engagement. Still no closer to setting a date for our wedding.
"Sonya," I greeted, as I answered the phone to my ear.
I put the phone on speaker, setting the phone on the console, so Rose could hear our conversation.
"I have an update for you both," she said.
"You were able to analyze the blood?" Rose asked.
"I'm afraid not. Still working on the breakdown. Sydney just got her samples as well, so we are working together. Hopefully another day and we will have an update there," she answered.
It wasn't the news I was hoping to hear, but at least we didn't hit a break wall yet. I had seen the amount of stress it had been causing Sydney when she analyzed the first couple of samples. Sydney was one of the smartest scientists I know. Adding her and Sonya together, and I was confident we would have answers quickly.
"It's about the Strigoi," Sonya said, bringing my attention back to the phone. "We got everything we could from him with samples and information. No matter what the guardians tried, he wasn't talking."
"So, he's dead?" Rose asked.
"Yes," Sonya confirmed. "But that is the interesting part."
"How so?" I asked.
I could hear Sonya let out a long sigh before she spoke again. "Well, I had an idea. When he wouldn't talk, I thought if maybe I could restore him, we might get answers that he wouldn't give us in his current state."
"That's a good idea!" Rose exclaimed.
"It's risky," I added. "Spirit takes a lot from you, Sonya. I don't want you to put yourself at risk."
I suppressed a chill, thinking back to Victor Dashkov's brother, Robert, who had used spirit one too many times and started to lose his mind. Sonya had a theory it was because he had done too many restores too quickly without allowing their body to heal, but I wasn't willing to take that risk.
Sonya had become like a sister to me, and Mikhail was one of my best friends. While most had gotten over my time as a Strigoi and believing that I was a Dhampir as I once was, it was Mikhail and Rose that were my biggest supporters at the time.
Mikhail had his reasons with Sonya having recently been restored. He had been just as protective as Rose had been with me once I turned back. Luckily, her transition had been met with less hostility as mine had been.
It was Mikhail looking after Rose for me when I had been unable too. When I had thought that I needed to push her away, undeserving of her love, because of the things I had done during my time as a Strigoi. Thankfully, she had pulled me from that self-wallowing pity, because I wouldn't be able to go a day in my life without her.
As if Rose could understand my thoughts, I caught her looking in my direction, her eyes holding mine as if she was silently asking me if I was ok. That she was here for me. I nodded my thanks, her hand, squeezing my reassuringly.
She really was my whole world.
"I know, Dimitri. I promise, I am being careful," Sonya replied.
I knew she was. She didn't use spirit like she once had. To the point where she got the symptoms that told spirit users they were on dangerous ground. The inability to sleep, hearing voices, clawing at themselves. She had understood what she lost the last time she let it get that far, and like myself, she wasn't ever going to let it go again.
"This was a calculated risk we needed to take." Her voice turned somber. "It didn't work."
Rose grabbed the phone off the dash. "What do you mean it didn't work?"
"It didn't work," she repeated sadly. "The moment we tried and put the stake in his chest, his body burst into flames. Whatever it is they did to make these Strigoi, it changes the DNA to where they cannot be restored."
Rose and I looked at each other. My guardian mask was in place, but I could see the added worry lines to her forehead. I had already been turned to Strigoi once before. I couldn't be turned again. In speaking with Sonya and Sydney in what they had been able to study for research, they didn't see anything that would say even with the new cocktail that if someone attempted to turn me, that I would still just die.
But Rose…
This news made my heart clench. It was bad enough having to worry about the possibility of her ever being kidnapped and possibly being turned to Strigoi. It was my life mission to protect her and make sure that what happened to me never happened to her. To never have to face the guilt that comes with that life.
Even with a fate like that, there was still the hope that like me, if the unthinkable ever happened, I would be able to track her down and restore her like I had been.
Now, hearing this news from Sonya, knowing that our assignment thrusted us directly into the path of these newly created creatures that we were still learning about, made my skin crawl.
If one had ever gotten a hold of Rose and turned her…
I swallowed.
I remember one of the first lessons I had ever taught to Rose as her mentor.
Rose walked into the gym just as I laid out the mats for another session. She had been frustrating at our first two sessions. She hated when I made her run. She hated when I made her stretch. The only thing she had cared about was wanting to hold a stake and how to strike someone straight through the heart.
She was different from all the rest of the female Dhampir's. Especially for her age. She understood her duties and responsibilities more than most, especially with having Vasilisa Dragomir as her Moroi.
If she just put that same focus that I had seen, that same potential from when I first met her, shoving Vasilisa behind her as she swore to protect her, even from me. Most flinched when they saw me. Their face transformed for fear.
Not Rose.
She squared her shoulders even though she was out matched in every way making one of her witty remarks as she attempted to stop me from stopping her. She would be a remarkable guardian if she let herself be.
"Comrade, Belikov, I'm thinking we should take it easy today. Between this and my extra classes…I could use the break."
I smiled; after flipping her two more times, earning groans and expletives having to do with her sore backside.
I crossed my arms over my chest, as she stood back up, her eyes narrowing at me.
"Let me ask you a serious question."
She grinned. "Is it how I look this good ALL the time?"
I managed not to smile, even though my first reaction was to again shake her and make her take this seriously.
"You want to kill a Strigoi, yes?"
Some of her playfulness dropped. "Yes."
As I said, she was good at understanding her duties more than most at her age. "And if I taught you right now how to stake a Strigoi, you would do it with no questions asked?"
She rolled her eyes. "Duh. That's the very thing we do."
I raised my brow. "Even if that someone was someone that you used to know? Someone you used to care about? Lissa for example?"
Her entire bravado dropped. "I…I guess. If it came down to me or them…"
I nodded; satisfied once she was beginning to understand the lesson. "You have to remember, Rose, that once someone you love becomes a Strigoi, they are no longer the person you once used to know. Any sort of hesitation could get you killed."
Her eyes dropped. "I get it, now."
"Good. I hope you do. I hope you remember that as you go and run twenty laps."
I shook the memory away, needing to put that behind me. Rose was by my side, and I would look after her. I would protect her no matter the cost.
"I…I just thought you both should know. Since you start your assignment tomorrow," she said.
"Thank you, Sonya."
Rose hung up the phone handing it back to me. "Well, this certainly changes thing," she stated.
"Yes. We will have to keep our guard up."
She turned to me, and I could see it there. I could see the concern in her eyes. "Dimitri…"
"No," I interrupted strongly. We weren't going to go there. "It won't happen, Rose. We follow the plan. We stay vigilant. We'll be just fine."
She offered me a timid smile. "Okay."
I could tell behind those beautiful brown eyes, that she didn't fully believe it.
