DPOV

"Mikhail," Abe said once we'd exited his office, "be kind enough to introduce Dimitri to my Daughter."

Mikhail's brows lifted in surprise.

"I didn't know she was back."

"Yes this afternoon. She up in her room."

Mikhail grinned and ushered me toward the stairs.

"You and I have a few things to discuss," I heard Abe say to Ambrose.

We walked up a narrow staircase and stopped in front of a long white door. Mikhail didn't knock. He forced the door open, letting it slam against the wall.

A small figure on the bed, who'd been furrowed into a ball jumped up and yelped.

"Rose," I whispered under my breath.

She had gashes all over her body oozing droplets of blood, her cheek was badly bruised, and her clothes were shredded. She glanced at Mikhail, the same fear from the night before, filling her eyes but her gaze rested on me.

Mikhail looked from her to me.

"You two know each other?"

I cleared my throat and looked away from Rose.

"No. She just looks like someone I knew."

Mikhail squinted at me like he didn't believe entirely what I was saying but he let it go and turned to face Rose again.

"She looks like crap now but normally she's sexy as hell. Dimitri, this is Rose." He said it, extending a hand out to caress her cheek. She flinched back but he only reached for her again. "She's stubborn but if you find her weakness you can do anything you want to to her."

Oh my go-

Rose slapped his arm away and moved to the far end of the bed. She glanced at me briefly pleading with her eyes for help.

"Think you can handle her?" Mikhail asked grinning from ear to ear. "If not, I can-"

"I've got it."

He eyed me begrudgingly, looked at Rose savagely, and left.

RPOV

I was so grateful to see Dimitri, I think I actually jumped for joy when I hopped off the bed and slammed into him. I'd never hugged someone so tight. I think I actually knocked the wind out of him to a point where he couldn't breathe. He didn't complain though. To my surprise, he hugged me back.

The only ever person to hug me was Lissa.

My mom hugged me by accident once when she had the spins from drinking too much and need someone to hold on to.

It was different with Dimitri.

I'd only known him a day and a few hours but he was the only person I felt safe with, and warm.

I wondered if this was what being cared about felt like.

He held me just as tightly.

In fact, too tightly.

I didn't want either of us to let go though.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered into his shirt. He moved his hands to my waist and pulled me away from him so he could look at me directly.

He ran his eyes over me, taking in every wound and bruise.

"We thought it best if we kept close enough to keep an eye on you guys. Christian's with Lissa right now."

He cupped my face and ran his thumb over my cheeks soft enough so I barely felt it.

"You're pretending to work for my father?"

"I'll be okay," he said, reading the worry on my face. "What happened to you?"

"Everything we thought would happen when I came home." I pointed to my face. "Punishment for running away." I looked down and said bitterly, "My mother didn't do damn thing to stop it."

Dimitri didn't try to convince me my mom was a good person deep down or say that my parents really did love me and that they just didn't know how to show it. We both knew those were lies.

He just held me.

He laid my head against his chest and held me.

He told me it'd all be over soon.

I just hoped it was true.

After a while, he sat me down on my bed and pulled an old chair out to sit in front of me.

I noticed for the first time since he'd entered the room that he was pretty badly beaten him self. I guess everyone was getting it today. I didn't need to ask where he'd gotten his from. All of my father's men had to go through the initiation.

I overlooked them when I first saw him because I was so happy he was even here.

I told him what happened when I came home.

All the time I was explaining he held my hands in his. I would have pulled away normally. It felt so nice.

When I was done explaining he told me about his position working for my father. We sat in silence letting it all sink in.

"I wish- I wish we weren't here," I muttered.

"If you want out-"

"No. I'm still going to help you guys."

"Why put yourself through this?"

"Someone has to stop him and if anyone puts my father away I think it should be me."

I looked into his brown eyes and they were full of understanding.

And something else I couldn't read.

"Okay. We just have to wait and see how the next few days go."

His brown eyes darkened but I still could read what emotion it was…

I pushed the thought away.

"The next few days…"

"If we're lucky, things will be calm."

"I'm never that lucky."