A/N: I wanna start by apologizing again for taking so long to update this story. My last quarter of school and my internship just got too overwhelming, and I had to drop the fun stuff. Now that I am officially a college graduate with only my job to occupy my time, I can totally concentrate on what I love now. I've been so excited about this story since I started writing it. So glad I can finally continue with it.
A few things before we get started, though. Number 1: The opening scene of this chapter is from Katya's P.O.V., but it will be played off as a flashback when we get to Dimitri's P.O.V. Number 2: This is just a reminder that this story takes place between Last Sacrifice and Bloodlines, so Jill and Adrian will be in it. Number 3: My experiment to write this story in the present tense has failed miserably, so I am going back to past tense. Number 4: This chapter picks up right where 2 left off with Dimitri remembering his last night with Katya, and Rose struggling to deal with Dimitri's decision to keep secrets.
Now, without further ado, Safe and Sound…
KATYA
My last night in the hands of the monster that was Dimitri Belikov was the most terrifying since the night he killed my father and claimed me as his own. It started out just like any other: He had his way with me, leaving me in a sobbing heap when he was finished. He didn't even bother to make sure that I was okay—not that I really expected him to. I cried myself to sleep like I always did praying it would be a long time before he decided he wanted to play again.
I awoke to series of bangs and the sound of someone running. I swear I could hear screams, too, but I couldn't be sure. When you can't see what's happening, it is easy for your imagination to get the best of you. There was no doubt in my mind that a fight had broken out, though.
Sadly, all I worried about was what was going to happen to me when it was over. If Dimitri survived, I'd be the one to take the punishment for whatever caused the fight, but if he died, I probably would too. I'd seen enough of Dimitri's relationship with the others to know that his keeping me was tolerated because he did his job better than the others. If he was killed in some kind of rebellion, then I most certainly would be, or worse.
I honestly wasn't sure which ending I'd prefer. Death was probably the only I was going to survive this, but I had hope there was a better way out. I just wish I knew what that way was.
I pulled my knees to my chest and sat there praying for an end to the fight. Hoping that I would be found when it was over.
The fighting seemed to go on forever before silence fell. I sensed that I was alone and prayed that someone was still alive. If I was going to die, I'd rather it be a quick death from a vampire bite than a slow one from starvation.
I sat in the silence too shocked and scared to even move for what could've been hours, or days before I finally heard the lock on the door click. I took a deep breath and prayed for a savior as the door swung open.
Terror seized me again as the door swung open to reveal an enraged, soak, and wet Dimitri standing before me. And when I say enraged, I mean nostrils flaring, deep, furious breathing, and a face on the verge of turning purple.
"Up, now." He growled. I didn't even hesitate to follow those orders. This was the angriest I had ever seen this monster, and I didn't want to suffer the consequences of disobedience.
He grabbed the chain connecting my shackled wrists and dragged me from the closet. This was the first time I had been outside the closet since he brought me here, and that scared me. Was he finally going to kill me? Or was something else going on?
"What are you going to do to me?" I asked unable to stop myself.
Dimitri didn't give me any kind of an answer, or even punish me for speaking without permission. He simply continued to lead me down an elaborate hallway and up a large staircase. If I was so scared, I would've been amazed at how well monster like Dimitri and his friends had lived.
I had always imagined living in a house as big and beautiful as this. I just never thought it would be as a prisoner.
Dimitri continued to drag me along until we reached a dented up door that stood partially ajar. There was some kind of key pad next to it. He muttered something that sounded like "Oh, Roza" under his breath before dragging me inside.
He pulled me through another short hallway that led to another partially open door with a key pad next to it. He growled and shoved the door hard enough that it banged against the wall crashing through the plaster and not bouncing back. I flinched and gulped. I was in more trouble than I originally thought.
Dimitri pulled me into a room that reminded me of what Americans called a studio apartment. One big room that served as a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. It was much bigger than it should be, though, and it looked like a crime scene. The bed was a mess and furniture was upended. There was even a broken chair in the middle of the kitchen. I wondered if the fight started up here.
Dimitri shoved me into the black leather arm chair.
"Don't move." He growled. I gulped but nodded. The anger and hate in his red eyes was threat enough. I didn't know what would happen if I disobeyed, but I knew it would hurt worse than anything he's done to me in the past.
I watched as he went into the bathroom and dragged the body of an unconscious—I hoped simply unconscious—human woman out. He threw her down in front of me, and checked her pulse before walking over to a closet opposite the bed.
He pulled out a skimpy black dress that looked to be about my size before my extended stay with the monster. Now, it would hang off me in place it was supposed to be tight.
"Bathroom, now." He ordered pointing to the door as if I was stupid. I slid off the chair slowly and walked into the bathroom. What was going on?
I stepped in and he slammed the door behind us. He pulled several towels out of cabinet and threw them on the sink. Then he surprised me my pulling a key out of his pocket and unlocking my shackles. They fell to the flow and I rubbed my sore wrists.
"Get yourself cleaned up and put this on when you're finished." He handed me the dress.
"Why?" I asked needing to understand what was going on. Why did he suddenly care if I was clean and clothed?
My question was answered with a hard slap across the face. I stumbled a little, but managed to catch the wall and steady myself before I fell.
"Because I said so." He growled. "And, in case you haven't noticed, today is not the day to question me."
"Yes, Sir." I whispered to the floor.
"Good. Now, I've got some things to do, so I'm going to lock the door. Knock three times when you're done."
"Yes, Sir."
He turned and walked out of the bathroom leaving me to stand there and continue wondering what the hell was going on.
ROSE
I didn't sleep much that night. I was too irritated with Dimitri to do more than just lie there and try to make sense of his silence. We had been through so much in the months following his restoration, and he's told me everything he did as a Strigoi. He told me all about the people he killed so he could feed and the one's he killed just because he could. He told me all about the people he hurt and the torture he inflicted on people because of his bitch of a boss.
I stood by him knowing all of that. I told him again and again that I didn't give a damn what he did in those months, because it wasn't him. I told him repeatedly how much I loved him, and how nothing was ever going to change that. I've stood by that promise even through some of the more horrific stories. I've done nothing in the last few months but prove that he could trust me. Why did he think he couldn't trust me with whatever this was? I just didn't understand.
I pretended to be asleep when Dimitri got up two hours before he had to meet Christian for their Moroi magic and self-defense lesson. The class was an experiment of Lissa's. She wanted to see how many Moroi wanted to learn to defend themselves, and if they had the drive to actually finish the class. Christian and Dimitri were chosen to teach it because they are masters of magical and physical defense, respectively.
"I'm sorry, Roza." He whispered as he kissed me on the forehead. "I love you, more than anything."
I let a few tears leak from my eyes as I heard our bedroom door closed. If he loved me so much, then why was he keeping things from me?
I laid there until I was sure that he wasn't coming back. I didn't like him to see me like this, especially over him. Yes, he may already know that I'm not as strong as I pretend to me, but that doesn't mean I have to show him how vulnerable I can get.
Unable to sleep, I got out of bed and put on my work out gear. There was nothing better to help deal with stress then a nice fight with a punching bag.
When I got to the court's training room, I was surprised to find that I wasn't the only one in the mood for some early morning training.
Eddie Castile, my good friend and fellow guardian, was already going at the sand bag like there was no tomorrow. He was landing punch after punch that sent the bag flying so violently I thought it was going swing right off the peg that fastened it to the ceiling.
"Hey, what did it ever do to you?" I asked grabbing the bag after a particularly violent punch.
Eddie let out frustrated chuckle at the sound of my voice, but dropped his defensive stance.
"Nothing." He answered. "Just imagining it's each member of the council in turn, except Lissa, of course."
"You got passed up, again?" I asked letting go of the bag unable to believe it.
It was no secret that Eddie was as unpopular with the royal council as I was before I took that bullet for Lissa. Unfortunately, that was my fault. He helped me illegally sneak Lissa out of the royal court to break a highly dangerous criminal out of jail. Of course, the council didn't know about the jailbreak part. They just thought we had a crazy weekend in Vegas. That little trip hurt Eddie's popularity as a guardian a lot.
There was also the unfortunate incident when he killed a Moroi to protect Lissa. Even though, it was proven he was doing his duty, the black mark was still following him.
Eddie gave the bag another good hard punch in answer to my question.
"I'm sorry." Rose said. "I can talk to Lissa if you want."
"No." Eddie shook his head. "She is already doing everything she can to soften them up. Besides, I have a feeling I'm going to be needed for something bigger and better real soon. It's just frustrating, you know?"
"Believe me, I do."
I remember feeling always feeling the way he did when people would act like I wasn't worthy of guarding Lissa. Yes, my methods weren't always the best, but everything always turned out okay. Whenever she was in trouble, I was able to get her out of it alive and unscathed—most of the time.
Eddie was going through the same thing with the council. With these two black marks on his record, no one wanted him. No matter how hard he fought to prove himself. It made me want to give the members of the council a few good punches in their perfect royal faces.
"So what brings you here, so early?" Eddie asked changing the subject. As close as we remained, he didn't like to talk much about his inability to get an assignment. I supposed it had something to do with my involvement.
"Same thing as you: frustration." I answered humoring him. "Only mine's with my boyfriend."
"Trouble in paradise?" He asked raising his eyebrows.
I shrugged. Eddie was a good friend I knew I could talk to about anything, but this was a conversation I felt was reserved for Lissa. Still, he told me his problems, so I felt like I owed him something.
"I honestly don't know what's going on. There's something from when he was a Strigoi that's bothering him worse than any of the other stuff. He refuses to tell me what it is, though." I explained.
"Did he say why he doesn't what you to know?" Eddie asked.
"Just that he doesn't think I'll be able to forgive him for it. He says he's afraid if he tells me, that I won't love him anymore."
Eddie nodded.
"I wish I could offer some advice." He said. "But unless I know what it is, I can't tell you if his fear are unfounded or not."
"I love him, Eddie. I loved him when he was that monster. Hell, I loved him when I was his prisoner. How can he think that anything he did then would make me stop loving him?"
"I don't know, Rose. I think you're just gonna have to wait until he is ready to talk to you."
I nodded. I had known that was true from the very beginning. I just wished it didn't take him so long to realize that my feelings for him weren't going to change no matter what he said or did.
"Hey, you're frustrated, I'm frustrated. How about a little sparring?" Eddie suggested. "It could be good for both of us."
He was right. Beating the punching bag was nice for stress relief, but it was nothing compared to fighting with someone who could punch back. It took a lot more concentration and strength.
"I don't think my kicking your butt is gonna help your frustration any." I joked.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Perhaps."
"The bring it on, Hathaway, bring it on."
KATYA
My shower took longer than was normal. I had been locked in that closet with no access to shampoo or a hairbrush longer than I thought. As it was, any entire bottle of shampoo and body wash to get myself looking as clean as I was the day Dimitri brought me here.
Once I was finished, I put the dress on as Dimitri ordered. It was a bit large around my stomach area, but the cut and length didn't leave much to the imagination. I didn't think I had ever worn a dress this slutty in my life. After dressing, I found a brush in the medicine cabinet and did my best to brush through the tangled wet mess.
I was just looking myself over in the mirror when Dimitri started banging on the door.
"Are you finished, yet?" He yelled.
"Yes." I called back in a shaking voice trying to swallow my fear.
The first thing I noticed when he opened the door was that he had calmed down a great deal since he left me in the bathroom; the second was that he was dry and wearing different clothes. He was in a simple t-shirt and pair of jeans with a long jacket that looked like it was pulled out of old western flick. The fact that he looked so casual but made me dress like a two cent hooker scared me.
"Go stand in the center of the room so I can get a good look at you." He ordered in his usual nasty tone. Sadly, I relaxed when I discovered the rage was gone.
I did as he said without hesitating, though. I didn't want to risk bringing back his rage. I even did a slow spin when I got there hoping it would help him get a better look at me.
"The dress is a little big around the middle, but your other assets should be enough to cover up for that." He mumbled walking around me. "The hair will be a mess by the time we get there, but I don't Marcus and Rebekah will give a damn about that. None of their clients will be looking at your hair."
My heart started hammering at the word clients as everything started to make sense. The shower, the dress, the inspection. He was planning on giving me to someone else. Someone who, by the sound of it, would turn me into some kind of prostitute.
"No. Please." I cried dropping to my knees in front of him trying to keep the tears out of my eyes. I had never begged this man for anything, not even when he punished me for not doing it, but I didn't want him to do this. It was bad enough that I had to serve and be raped by him on a daily basis, but to be sent someone where it'd be open season on me. I wouldn't be able to handle that. "Please, don't give me away. I'll do anything. Just don't do that to me, please. Drain me dry. Beat me to death. Anything, but that."
Dimitri chuckled and pulled a pair of high heeled knee high boots out of the closet.
"That's funny." He said. "All that time I spent trying to make you beg me for things. To think, this was all it would take. It's too bad that I couldn't change my mind, even if I wanted to."
"What do you mean?" I asked more terrified than I had been a second ago.
"I'm going on a little trip. As much fun as it would be to bring you along for entertainment, it would be too much of a hassle. So I'm going to leave you with some friends who will take good care of you, until I return."
"Then just kill me, please." I couldn't help the tears that were spilling down my cheeks. I just wanted this to end. I didn't want to continue living this life, especially if I was going to be turned into some kind of whore. "Haven't I suffered enough? Please, just let it end. Please."
Dimitri chuckled again and threw the boots at me.
"Shut up and put them on."
"Please. I'm begging you."
He grabbed me by the hair and yanked back so hard I screamed in pain.
"Shut up and put the shoes on. I'm ready to leave."
He shoved my head back towards the floor, and I dissolved into a sobbing mess. I put the shoes on knowing there was no way I could change his mind.
DIMITRI
I sold her. She knelt on that floor and begged for me to put an end to her misery by killing her, but I didn't listen. Instead, I sold her like she was a piece of property and mean anything to anyone. I had already ruined her life by taking her as my "pet." Why couldn't I have just put an end to her misery when she asked me to? Why did I have to do that to her?
And to make matters worse, I sold her to Marcus and Rebekah, the cruelest, most evil Strigoi I had ever met. God only knew what they were doing to that poor girl now. That is, if they hadn't killed her, yet.
I continued to run my usual path around the court as I contemplated what to do now.
I knew if there was any chance at all that she was still alive, I couldn't leave her there. I had already left her alone in that hell hole for too long. I needed to get her out of there. Somehow, some way.
I knew I couldn't do it alone, though. Word about my restoration had already spread like wildfire, and even if it hadn't, Marcus and Rebekah would know the second I walked in that I wasn't a Strigoi anymore. They wouldn't so much as let me see her.
No, I would need help.
Unfortunately, the only way to get help was to tell the people I loved the whole horrible story. I'd have to tell Rose the one thing that would destroy her faith in me.
Was I ready to do that?
A/N: What do you guys think? I hope Eddie and Rose's dialogue turned out okay. I needed to break up the inner monologue thing a little. I really liked it, though. Also, I hope Dimitri's thoughts make sense. I know he kind of did a 180 from the last chapter, but I look at it like this: The more time he spends consciously thinking about it, the more he is realizing that he needs to do the right thing. He hasn't decided what to do just, yet. That won't come until he has a little conversation with Lissa. Anyway, I hoped you guys liked it. Please review!