Rose

Shelly and I walked through the front doors together, ignoring John as we passed him walking towards my car and he turned and followed us back in, deliberately not holding the elevator. Shelly was right, we spent our time filing papers, emailing people, sitting in some meetings and some proceedings. Nothing too big, nothing too exciting which I was grateful for to be honest, it allowed me to do some more digging on John and this mystery man. I was trying to do research blindly and the more I did, the worse my gut kept crumpling with anxiety.

Something strange was happening.

"He's always around you, it's very creepy." I looked up at Shelly as she linked arms with me. "You should go to HR about him." I shook my head.

"I can handle him, besides, I'm on annual leave until after New Year starting tonight!" Shelly shook her head and went to her desk before I went to mine.

Dimitri called me another three times like he always did every day as well as keeping an eye on the family tracker that I downloaded and texted all the time in between. Nothing happened throughout the day, Shelly kept running over whenever she spotted John walking down the hall. I decided to do a full day of work today and start driving to Vlad's that evening. I told Dimitri of my plan and we came up with a plan to get me to Vlad's without anyone seeing where Vlad's was.

It was five in the evening when I finally shut down my work laptop and started to pack it in its bag before I left. I was pushing in my chair with my knee and throwing the bag strap over my shoulder when John came by.

"Hey!" I looked up at John and gave him a smile.

"Hey." I responded, setting my bag on the table.

"You leaving?" I nodded. "Anywhere nice?" I looked over at him and shook my head.

"Home." He gave me a smile. I picked up the bag and put it over my shoulder again.

"To St Vlad's?" I gave him a confused look.

"To the school your mom is planning to enroll your sister? No thanks, I've done my time, I don't want to go back." I started to walk away when John grabbed my arm tightly.

"Homes can change." I took my hand away and started to walk away again. "Hey, did you hear about the murders?" I stopped. "The case Martin pulled you in to a few months ago? There were another two murders. It looks like women aren't safe."

I turned and looked at him. My stomach dropped as I tightened my grip on the straps of my bag. I didn't like the way he said that, with the smile. Something was off, something I couldn't place. I gave him a tight smile and let out a breath.

"I'll be fine." I left, walking down the hall and sipping into another hallway where I still had visibility of where I came from.

John walked out staring down the hall the direction I was heading and walked the opposite direction. Most people had gone home for the day so it was pretty empty. I slowly followed John, keeping low and ducking behind walls, plants – anything.

John stopped outside Martin's office, knocking on the door and walking in. Dhampir hearing was a blessing for these situations because now I can hear what is being said without being so obvious - but that wasn't the case this time. I couldn't hear anything that was being said, but I could see through the glass panel. I squinted my eyes to try and read their lips, but it was no use.

My phone buzzed making me jump. John and Martin both turned around hearing the commotion. I didn't wait to be seen – I ran. I ran down the stairs and into the car park to get in my car. I wasn't scared or nervous – I just needed to keep this job. Obviously, something is going on here. I look my time opening my car and putting my bag in the back with the small suitcase and presents I was taking back to Vlad's. I was about to get into the driver's side.

"Hey Rose! I thought you left?" I looked up at John.

"My car wouldn't start. I think I've fixed it." I lied. John waved towards the car.

"I can have a look for you. Wouldn't want you to break down in the middle of the road, it's a long drive." I shook my head.

"It'll be fine." I replied and turned the key. "See? I'll call my boyfriend if I need a rescue." I got in the car and slammed the door.

"Drive safely now, we wouldn't want you losing your memory." I turned towards him. "You know? And forget to come back to us?" He laughed. I swallowed, nodding and driving away.

"Hey Roza, are you heading home?" I had called Dimitri. I was tirelessly looking in my rear-view mirror making sure there was nothing following me. That was weird – it wasn't a secret that I lost my memory, but no one here knew about it. I never brought it up, the news of it wouldn't have reached this far and if it had, it would have been when I was eighteen. I kept one hand on the wheel as I wiped the other on the jeans and swapped them. "Roza?"

"It's Martin as well. John grabbed me when I was trying to leave." I replied keeping my eyes on the road.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri sounded angry.

"John -" I started and Dimitri made a sound of acknowledgement. "I think he knows that I lost my memory."

"Roza, that's not exactly news-"

"I've never mentioned it here before. And we never spoke about it when you came to visit so it couldn't have been overheard."

"Roza? Are you okay?"

"I don't know Dimitri." I answered honestly. "It was weird. He said that there were more murders, that women weren't safe-"

"Roza? Which way are you driving home?"

"The usual way." I replied. "He was just staring at me. I've never felt anything like this with a human – a human!"

"Roza, we are half human." He sighed. "Come on, Aly, you can go over to Grandma and Grandpa. I'm going to get Mommy."

"I want to see Mommy." I smiled.

"I'll be home soon baby." I heard Dimitri shuffle the phone, probably putting on Aly's coat. "Dimitri - I followed John and he went into Martin's office – I couldn't hear anything." I looked in the rea rview mirror. There was a black car behind me. "I think I'm being followed."

"Roza, don't even think about hanging up this phone." Dimitri warned. I looked in the mirror again, made some weird turns. The car was still following.

"I'm defiantly being followed." I heard Dimitri curse as the sound of the door slamming rang through the phone.

"Change of plan, Princess. You're going to Aunty Lissa and Uncle Christian." I heard a knock on a door.

"Dimitri, when my hair is up, can you see my marks?"

"Hey, can you look after Aly for a while?" Lissa or Christian must have answered the door. Since Lissa was about to give birth any day now, my guess was Christian. "Not if you're wearing a shirt." He answered me. I fell silent for a while.

I just assumed that my marks were visible when I had my hair up especially because Martin knew I had them. My blood ran cold. My eye widened.

"Dimitri-" I cut myself off when I saw the black car speeding up. "Dimitri, Martin knew I had marks-" I could hear Christian talking to Dimitri. "I've been so stupid!"

"It'll be fine, I'll keep driving, making turns and then we'll figure something else out when I get closer. I still have about oh twenty-three hours left on this drive."

"I'm going to meet you. You keep driving and don't stop anywhere-"

"What this I hear? And from Dimitri of all people-"

"Mom, it's really not a good time right now." There was muffling on the other end.

"Are you still being followed?" Dimitri asked as he slammed the door shut. I could hear my mother's grumble of worry so she must be in the car with him.

"Followed?" There was dad.

"Roza?"

"Dimitri!" The black car swerved and rammed into the side of my car. I flinched at the impact. I hadn't seen it move there. I looked to the side; the wheel jerked to the side as I tried to keep it straight.

"Roza?!" Dimitri was yelling my name.

That was the last thing I heard.