A.N: Hey Guys!
I know how much you were waiting for this chapter. Now you'll get Rose answer, I hope you are not TOO disappointed but you really thought she would do otherwise?
Anyways thanks to my all my reviewers you made might week end so awesome. Reading you always makes me smile.
Well I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review.
Take care
Steffy.
Chapter 11:
"What?" I asked totally dumbfounded, my eyes locked on the probably insanely expensive ring. The emerald, the same color as Adrian's eyes, was almost the size of my thumb nail and was surrounded by diamonds! Something was sure, Adrian didn't go light on that ring.
"You heard me Rose, you admitted you love me and I love you more that I could even say. I love you so much it hurts to breathe. Please Rose marry me."
"Oh Adrian," I looked up with a small smile. "I do love you, but I can't." I shook my head. "No I'm sorry I won't marry you."
Adrian scrutinized my face for a second before closing the box loudly and falling back on the bed in a huff. "It's because of him isn't it?" he asked calmly keeping his eyes locked on the ceiling.
"No Adrian it's not because of Dimitri," I replied wearily. I wrapped the bed sheet more tightly around me, sitting straighter on the bed, my legs dangling on the side, ready to stand. "Even if Dimitri wouldn't be back I would have said no, and deep down I know that you knew that already. I'm not- I'm just not that kind of girl Adrian. I'm a guardian and I'm 18, getting married right now seems way more of a punishment than anything else."
Adrian put the velvet box back on the night stand and propped himself on his elbow to have a better look at my face. "Look at me Rose, no lying or anything okay? I won't even try to compel you because we respect each other more than that."
I nodded warily not really knowing or liking where this conversation was going.
"When he was first back, when he was in his cell…" Adrian closed his eyes for a minute like he already knew that what was coming up, will be hurting him. "If he had asked you then to be his wife, would your answer be the same as the one you just gave me?"
I opened my mouth to answer but no sound got out. What could I say especially knowing he was probably right? If Dimitri would have asked me to be his wife when he came back I would have said 'yes' so fast it would have made his head spin.
"I…I don't know Adrian," I said not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to hurt him more than I already was.
"Yeahhh that's what I thought." He shook his head with what seemed to be weariness before falling back on the bed again, his eyes closed.
"But… Adrian look at me." I moved slightly and stroke his arm. "Please Adrian, just-Just look at me."
He moved just a tiny bit so I could look into his eyes. There was some sadness and resignation in his usually happy eyes and I hated the idea to be the source of his pain.
"But if he were to ask me to marry him now, the answer would be no." I said keeping my eyes locked with his in order to show him I wasn't lying.
"What changed?" He asked with a voice so neutral it almost didn't sound like him.
"I did." I sighed. "I cared about you, you were important to me but I hadn't realized yet that I loved you too."
"Too?" He sat up.
"Come on Adrian, you know I love him. What do you want me to tell you huh?"
"The truth Rose just the truth. You promised me honesty do you remember?"
"I do remember and the truth is yes I'm confused. I'm trying to move on and I mostly succeed but some days are harder than others. I want to stop loving him of course I do but- it's complicated. I'm -" I stood up awkwardly trying to keep the sheet around my body. "You knew I had issues. I've spent the last year fighting for us, for Dimitri and I.. Did you really expect me to just turn around and forget about it all? I mean really?"
"But you love me?"
Could you spell pigheaded? "Yes I do."
"And you are really trying to move on? Really trying to give me an honest chance to conquer your heart?"
I nodded keeping my spot by the bed.
He reached up and pulled me to him more quickly than I expected a Moroi to do. I was now laying on top of him and he had his arms tightly around me.
"It's okay Rose, we'll work on that," he kissed me. "As long as you love me, even if it's just a bit. We'll figure something out, I'm just not ready to let you go."
"And I don't want to go anywhere." I replied with a smile leaning down to kiss him. "Well physically I do need to go and pee but…" I winked.
He laughed tightening his hold around my waist. "I love you." He kissed my forehead before letting go of me.
"I love you too." I stood up. "Oh by the way, I got a bit sidetracked before but I've got some information about the bank account...The Jane Doe account." I said as I quickly jumped into my underwear and black dress
"I liked 'sidetracking' you that way," he said with his cocky grin. "But how did you get the info?"
"Believe me you don't want the details, but I managed to get a copy of Eric Dragomir's file that had been stolen from the Alchemists."
Adrian's smile faded and he looked concerned. "Did you do anything risky and or stupid?"
I shook my head negatively.
"Do I want to ask how you got this file?"
"No you don't."
"K" he nodded. "I guess you don't want to join me for a shower…" He said standing up totally naked and apparently very comfortable with it.
I tried to keep my eyes on his face only. "Well as tempting as that offer is, we actually need to get clean and I'm pretty sure that a shower with you will only get me dirtier."
"In a figurative sense, yes absolutely." He said with his trademark grin.
I laughed. "Yes I figured. What about meeting me in my room in lets say…" I looked at the clock on the night table. "One hour?"
"Yes, a lonely shower will be a quick shower." He walked up to me and I couldn't help but blush slightly when he kissed me goodbye, but what else could I do? The man was still naked for heaven sake!
I walked carefully into my room expecting Liam to be asleep but he was already awake, freshly showered reading a book.
"Hey!" I said a bit embarrassed to do the walk of shame in front of one of the only family members I had. Well… better him than my mother or father.
"Hey. This human schedule is a bitch you know. I gave up the idea of sleeping a couple of hours ago there was no need to try anymore. Did you…" he blushed slightly, "get some sleep."
"Actually I did, thanks for asking." I pointed to the bathroom. "Just a quick shower and I'll have something to show you guys."
"Do I want to see?" He asked teasing.
I mocked punched him in the arm. "You want to, believe me."
I took a longer shower than I expected as the hot water helped to ease my sore muscles, last night had been more passionate than I thought at first.
When I came back in the room, Adrian was already there chatting with Liam. Was he trying to put my cousin in his pocket too? He already had my father.
"So what did you want to discuss?" Asked Liam.
I grinned reaching under my mattress getting out the file Victor gave me.
"Where did you get that?" Asked Liam peeking curiously as I set the file on the table.
"Trust me on that one, if she didn't tell you straight away she won't answer the question." Said Adrian teasingly running his hand in my hair.
Liam looked at me for confirmation.
I nodded. "Yep, Ignatius is right."
Adrian faked a glare. "This one didn't slip through did it?"
"No, and it will be used every once in a while." I winked.
"You are lucky I love you," he said pulling on my arm so he could peck my lips.
Liam cleared his throat loudly.
Adrian sighed before concentrating on the file, browsing through it. "Damn! It would have saved us a lot of time if the alchemists were keeping track of the illegitimate children and potential mistresses of the Royal Moroi too. You should suggest that to your friend Sydney…But it will be crazy work for them."
"Yes I guess since EVERY Royal that is married will cheat on his wife one day or another," I said crossing my arms on my chest.
Adrian seemed to understand my point since he glared. "Well it depends if the person they really love accepts to marry them or not."
"Oh yea but maybe they just expect everything to go smoothly when they want to because-"
"Because they love the person so much that they know with every fiber of their being that it's the person they will love forever and that no love could ever compare? So yeah, I guess this man might end up cheating on his wife if they can't marry their reason for breathing."
"I don't know why, but I have the feeling like we're not really talking about Eric Dragomir right now." Liam piped in.
"Well you see your cousin just -"
Liam raised his hand to stop us both from adding a word. "Did I mislead any of you about NOT caring about your private life? If I did I'm sorry, I don't give a rat's ass, but let me just say that you are both morons. Now lets move on and go back to the reason that brought us here."
Adrian nodded. "Okay here we go," he said pointing at a pink piece of paper. "The Jane Doe account has been opened at the Bank of America and the account manager in charge of that specific account is Mr. David Christensen, who is also the bank director apparently."
"Damn, it has to be a major bank. How will we crack their system?' Asked Liam sitting heavily in a chair.
"But you seem to forget that I have a gift," Said Adrian standing straight.
"Yes and you are going to compel the whole place? Don't forget there are video cameras there." Added Liam taunting.
I shook my head. "We don't need to compel the whole bank, we just need to get into that David's guy office and then Adrian can work his magic."
"I already did work my magic last night," he said with a cocky grin earning himself a bitch slap behind the head.
".way" said Liam bringing us back to now. "And please tell me, you almighty knowing couple, how do we get into that guy's office without compelling anyone?"
"Easy," said Adrian with a lazy smile. "I'm Adrian Ivashkov, let me just tell them I want to open an account and I'll be in front of that guy before I count to ten."
"True," I nodded ripping off the pages concerning the bank account before closing the file. "Sad but true."
"We can't look at the file anymore?" Asked Adrian with a babyish pout.
"It's better if we don't. I loved Eric Dragomir, we don't need to find out more about him, let's keep what's left of his memory intact."
Weirdly enough neither Liam or Adrian contradicted me.
Liam dressed in his guardian outfit for our cover, and as Adrian predicted, as soon as he gave his name to the cashier and asked to talk to the bank director we were in his office without even getting the time to blink. Liam stood in front of the door, stopping anybody from coming in.
"So Lord Ivashkov what can we do for you today?" Asked Mr. Christensen. The fact that he used 'Lord' led me to think he knew about our world well enough.
"You are going to take this bank account number," said Adrian keeping his eyes locked with the bankers' eyes. "And tell us everything you can find out about it," he adding extending a piece of paper on which he had wrote the banking information. "We need to find out where the money is."
The banker had a small frown before taking the daze look that I knew only too well…Compulsion 101.
"Of course, I will see what I can do." The man started the research typing endlessly on his keyboard, frowning from time to time.
"What's taking him so long?" I stage whispered to Adrian.
Adrian shrugged. "Ask him."
I glared. Was he mad at me? I thought we were good. "What is taking you so long?"
Mr. Christensen looked at me like he just realized I existed before turning to look at Adrian.
"Answer her." Adrian ordered with a calm voice.
"The account had been emptied and it's very hard to find out the final destination, it went from bank to bank just give me a minute." He said and even if he was compelled there was a condescending edge on his voice. Stupid banker!
I was about to say something when Adrian reached over and squeezed my hand to keep it shut.
I looked at Adrian who gave me a small smile and I smiled back. I guessed the storm was over…for now. Sometimes following Adrian's emotions was tiring.
The banker sighed with clear frustration. "I can't find much," he said looking at Adrian.
"Try harder, try everything you can think of," said Adrian in his last attempt to compel this man to find the info.
I was getting restless, I would be gone to New York in two weeks and this bank account was the one and ONLY lead we had. If nothing came out of it we were pretty much screwed.
The guy kept his eyes locked with Adrian's for a couple of seconds, probably trying to figure what his next move should be.
"Fine," he let out a breath reaching for his phone. He started to speak fast giving identification numbers and codes and stuff like that while typing on his computer.
It was both confusing and boring so I started to look around the office letting my thoughts wander. What will I do when this 'Quest' will be over? What will happen to my friendship with Lissa? To my relationship with Adrian? To my non-existing relationship with Dimitri? To my guardian job? So many questions I didn't really want the answers to. Will I regret going to New York? Should I accept Tasha's offer to let me go and try to stay at the Court even if it was to work with Hans Croft? I had been convinced my whole life that I had to stay by Lissa, fight for her and by her side no matter what but what now? Things changed, people changed…I changed.
"Rose? Little Dhampir?" I heard Adrian bringing me back to reality. The banker was looking at me with curiosity while Adrian looked at me with concern.
How long did I space out? I thought trying to keep my face straight. "Yes?" I tried, looking as smug as I could.
"I couldn't find much, all I have is printing right now," the Banker said pointing to the printer, in case I didn't know what 'printing' was maybe. "I couldn't find a name, only a location."
"Better than nothing," I said standing up and reaching for the two sheets of paper folding them in four and sliding them in my back jeans pocket. "Let's go," I said turning to Adrian, there is nothing more that guy can tell us.
Adrian sighed turning to the banker. "You are going to forget why we came here, you will think we discussed different possibility of investments." Adrian stood up and joined me by the door. "Well it was nice meeting you," he added with a bright smile resting his hand on my lower back, breaking eye contact with Christensen. "I'll think about those investments and I'll contact you."
"Yes I'll be waiting for your call," Christensen said joining us at the door shaking Adrian's hand with profusion completely ignoring me. Yes, I was not rich enough to be of interest.
I intended to wait to be home to read the papers the banker printed for us, but as soon as we exited the bank, my curiosity had the better part of me and I took the papers out of my back pocket.
Adrian chuckled, "I didn't expect you to wait that long my curious little dhampir," he said fondly.
"Uh huh," I said quickly scanning the pages and it was very general, nothing that could lead me to more until I reached the end of the last page and read where the funds were.
That's when it all became clear. I stopped walking my eyes still locked on the page.
"Rose what's wrong?" Asked Adrian resting his hand on my shoulder.
"I know who it is! Damn it…I knew it all along!"
"What?" Asked Liam dumbfounded.
"I know who Lissa's sibling is!" I repeated not even comprehending how blind I had been.