Chapter 9.- Midnight.

Rose's POV

"I want to tell them about us," I whispered.

"You what?!"

I looked at him, pleading him to quiet down before anyone could hear him in my room. "Adrian, I don't want to hide anymore. I think he'll agree to us, he even said you're the only competent one within the lot. That's a straight up compliment, coming from him."

"Rose, you know what's going to happen to us if we stay. You'll probably get the better end of deal and I'll end up as fertilizer for your garden."

I gazed into his green eyes, I wanted to delude myself into thinking all of this would work out, that I didn't have to leave everything I loved. But deep down, a small voice told me that that wasn't going to happen.

"Then what do we do? I can't bear to lose you, Adrian. You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me and the only one brave enough to take me out on a date."

He smiled. "You got that right, sunshine. Which is why I have a plan, though I'm not sure how you'll feel about it."

"If I get to be with you, I don't care. Let's do it."

"You, sunshine, are the reason why I do all that I do, to make a better life for both of us." he said before giving me one of the sweetest kisses he'd ever given me. "I'll find you tomorrow and then we'll be on our way outta here, okay?"

"Tomorrow." I said, watching him dexterously climb out of my window and into the shadows. Tomorrow we would get to be free from it all.

*.*.*

"Won't they notice the van is missing and come looking for us?" I asked, trying to keep my lunch down.

"Don't worry, sunshine, I have this all planned. The van belongs to us now, a friend of mine sold it to me for a good price. I was hoping that until we found a good place to stay we could make it our home."

I looked at the old vehicle and hoped to god that it wouldn't break down on us, because in its state there was a giant possibility that we would most likely end up in the side of the road. "Well, it's better than better than being out on the streets, I just hope that this doesn't last long and that my father can see his mistakes and let us be together."

Adrian sighed, "I want that for you, Rose. But if I know your father the way I do, let's just say that I really hope this works out for us."

Without any further thought, we placed our meager belongings into the back of the van and before we knew it we were ready to leave.

"Are you ready, sunshine?"

I took his hand. "As I'll ever be."

"Well, aren't you two cute…" my father's booming voice ricocheted off the walls of the empty warehouse.

This wasn't supposed to be happening, how did he find out?!

"Dad, I can explain—"

"Don't you dare call me that, you're a disgrace to the Mazur name. A pity for all of our ancestors, they must be rolling around in their grave knowing that within their bloodline runs the blood of a mere slut."

I stepped back into Adrian, the force of my father's words like a physical slap to my face. Sure, he'd never had a mug with World's #1 DAD printed on it, but I'd never actually seen the disgust on his face until now.

"You should have more respect for your daughter, Mazur. She doesn't deserve to be called that and you know it." Adrian said, taking a step in front of me, shielding me from his words.

My father laughed, cynically. "She does, especially when she chose such a scum to be messing around with. Sadly for you, I've never enjoyed a Cinderella story and settling on anything below our level is unacceptable. Such a pity too, because you were a good element, but everything in this life is replaceable, my boy, even you."

And with that he pointed his gun and shot Adrian, sending him to the floor.

"Adrian!" I yelled, leaning over him. His green eyes, always expressive, looked dazed as if he could barely keep them open. "Stay with me, Adrian, you're going to be okay."

"Don't lie to the boy, even I know that no dying man deserves being lied to. Especially when you could've avoided his death, my child."

"You're the one who shot him." I sobbed.

He tsked. "That's were your wrong. I'm not the one with blood on my hands, am I?"

I'd killed him, hadn't I? Before I knew what was happening Adrian's body was ripped from my grip and dragged away. Leaving a trail of blood behind him, his green eyes no longer sparkling but a dull lifeless green. As I turned to look at my hands, I knew that they would no longer be clean no matter what I did.

I woke up with a start.

It had been so long since I'd had to relive that fateful night, that I'd honestly forgotten the horror of it. But as I watched Adrian bleed out in front of me again, I couldn't help the unease spreading over me.

I was terrified that if I turned on the lights I would still find blood on my hands. Lifting the sheets over my legs, I walked into the bathroom without turning on the lights. I turned on the shower, not caring at all that I was still dressed and that cold water wasn't the best for a midnight shower. But comfort wasn't what I was after, I wanted to feel clean and the best way I could do that was scrubbing until I was numb.

*.*.*

Dimitri's POV

I wasn't a heavy sleeper by any means, but when the sound of the shower started to blend into my dreams I knew something was going on. Reaching out to Rose's side of the bed, I found that it was cool to the touch. What was she doing the shower at two am in the morning?

I walked over to the bathroom and there was no light slipping from under the door. Quietly opening the door, I found her huddled on the floor completely dressed. What the hell…

As I turned on the lights, I noticed that she was trembling and holding out her hands in front of her, as if washing them. I walked into the shower with her, but not before feeling the cold spray.

"Fuck, Roza! Your lips are blue." I said as I sat her down on the bench and turned the hot water on full blast. "What were you doing in here?"

"Can't you see?" she said finally lifting her gaze off her pink palms and into my face, the look on her face nearly broke me.

She closed her eyes and two stray tears slipped out. "They're dirty, they always have been…"

"Oh, Roza." I said as I wiped her tears away. "They're clean, baby, I promise."

"No, Dimitri, you don't understand. Every time I close my eyes I can see them, my hands covered with blood. Because it doesn't matter who pulled the trigger, in the end it was because of me. I killed him, or so I thought…"

"Roza…" I said trying to understand. Rose could never kill someone, it wasn't in her nature. But her father on the other hand, wouldn't stop at anything until he got what he wanted.

"You should've stayed away from me, married someone else with less baggage. If I were a a decent person I would leave you and your family, but I love you too much for me to do that."

I felt the air being sucked out my lungs, she loved me. She fucking loved me!

And instead of her feeling safe and content when uttering those words, she was terrified out of her fucking mind, and all I could do was stare? Hell no…

"Look at me," I said holding onto her chin. "You my Roza, are nothing if not the best woman I've ever met, the strongest and most resilient. And you are also done carrying those damn burdens by yourself, I am yours to share them with."

Taking her hands in mine, I reached down and kissed each of her fingers. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you and I was too damn stupid to even realize it."

Kissing her with all the passion I felt for her, I tried to show her how much I adored her and that I would stand by her side no matter what. She was part of my family, a part of me.

Placing her hands on my face, she removed my hair out of my eyes. "Make love to me."

Rose's POV

How I managed to say those words without going up in flames was a mystery to me. I'd said I loved him first and now I had asked him to make love to me…I had gone momentarily insane, that was the only explanation for my behavior.

Feeling my blush up to the roots of my hair, I apologized. "Sorry, I don't know—"

He shut me up with a slow and loving kiss, as if I was made of spun glass. And dang it, as much as I wanted to be cherished and treasured, I needed him.

Stepping away from him. I gripped the hem of his shirt and slipped it over his head throwing it on the shower floor. "You should stop wearing shirts."

"There's my girl." He smiled against my lips. "And stop objectifying me, woman."

"Well thank goodness you can't read my thoughts, you'd scare yourself."

Dimitri growled. "I want to make love to you, but you're making it hard for me."

"That's what it's about isn't it," I laughed hiding my face in his neck.

"You terrible, terrible woman. I mean it, I want to take it slow."

"Fine, but I'm not going to enjoy it."

"Oh we'll see about that," he said before removing every stitch of wet clothing off my body and caring for me the way I'd always wished. After he made sure we were both squeaky clean, he turned off the water and carried me out of the shower and into the bedroom without even bothering to stop for a towel.

"Dimitri, we're making a mess!" I squeaked

"I don't care. I want you in our bed, we'll clean up later." He said shushing my excuses as he made his way down my neck, peppering kisses and a trail of fire I couldn't ignore.

"Dimitri, I know you're enjoying yourself, but…" I gasped.

"Uh-huh." He grinned against my skin. The devilish man, was enjoying making me squirm.

"Stop it," I pleaded. "Please."

Deciding that we'd both had enough torture, he kissed me one more time before finally making me his wife.

*.*.*

"I don't want to go to work tomorrow," Dimitri said as he played with my hair.

"We have to go, you're the boss." I said resting my head in the crook of his shoulder.

"For the first time, I can honestly say that I don't want to be anywhere else than on this couch." He said pulling me closer to his warmth.

"Well only because the bed is soaked, Celia is going to kill us," I joked.

The smile he gave me was so beautiful that I remembered when I wondered if he'd ever smile for me like he did when he saw his family. And now I could honestly say this one was even better, because it was only for my eyes only.