DPOV

A patrol car was already parked across from Lissa's house when we got there.

"They must have been on call," Jesse reasoned.

He seemed ancy and anxious.

I still didn't understand why exactly he wanted to make an arrest so soon. From the look on Christian's face neither did he. I pulled up behind the patrol car and shut the engine off ready to get out.

I had to keep my promise. I couldn't break my promise to Rose.

Jesse held tight on my arm stopping me from getting out.

Christian froze.

"The second we arrest them, I want them in the back of that patrol car and taken immediately to two different isolated cells. Understood?"

Them?

"Whatever let's go," Christian hurried, climbing out of the truck.

He didn't stumble once, his previous drunken stupor completely gone. I guess caring will do that to you.

The two patrol officers went ahead of us, all of our guns drawn.

The youngest looking officer nodded to his partner to make sure he was ready before kicking at the door, knocking it open, off the hinges.

We rushed in, one of officers shouting,"DOWNTOWN POLICE!"

The two patrols went forward with Jesse behind them hurrying.

Christian nodded to a side door that led off into a different hallway.

I shoved it open with my shoulder and Christian went ahead.

That shoulder was definitely going to hurt later.

"Anything?" I asked after he circled the large office.

"No. We can come back and check this later."

I nodded in agreement and walked back out to the way Jesse and the patrol officers had gone.

We could hear shouting.

Christian and I walked into the den of the house and it was chaos.

The three officers stood ahead of Ambrose who held a severely beaten Lissa by the neck, the tip of his stake at her neck. Christian rushed forward but stopped when Ambrose pierced her neck, breaking the skin, a long trail of blood oozing out.

He stood with a crazed look in his normally calm face, even when he was beating the life out of somebody.

I could tell by the frantic look in his eyes that he wasn't going down without a fight. His eyes rested on me for a second before continuing their path around the room eyeing an escape.

"Let her go," Jesse said measurably.

The two patrol officers wouldn't react until they were ordered to.

I have to find Rose.

I couldn't help thinking it even with Lissa's life at hand. If this is what Lissa looks like, what about Rose?

If they did something to her…

I didn't let my mind finish the thought, not resting on what I'd do if they hurt her for too long.

Ambrose chuckled as if to say, Not likely or not gonna happen.

Christian gripped the butt of his gun tighter.

It was aimed directly at Ambrose but his eyes were locked with Lissa who was whimpering but stood still in the threatening embrace.

If Christian shot, he'd hit Lissa and Ambrose knew it.

He edged Lissa a little closer into him and whispered something into her ear.

She cringed and started crying a little more.

Christian couldn't take it.

He wanted to save Lissa from hurting. It was the same thing I wanted to do for Rose.

He took the shot.

Jesse shouted a barely audible, "No."

It hit Ambrose…

…but not before going through Lissa's shoulder first.

She cried out in a hoarse whisper and was falling to the ground when Ambrose let go to grab a hold of his own shoulder. He didn't even flinch from the hit. He looked more annoyed and peeved he'd been bothered by being shot instead of in pain.

It would take a lot more to take this guy down.

The two officers took their own shots as Ambrose moved to jump from the large glass window behind him. The glass shattered. Ambrose fell after the third shot hit his lower stomach.

The two officers and Jesse moved to grab a hold of him.

Christian went to catch Lissa.

She fell into his arms sobbing and rolling into a small ball.

Christian murmured trying to comfort her but she only continued crying and sobbing.

"R-r-rose," she shuddered.

I holstered my gun and knelt beside them.

"Where's Rose?"

"I-it's my fault," she sobbed.

"No it's not. Lissa, you have to tell me where Rose is."

She lifted a shaky hand and pointed to another room off to the side of the den.

"'N there with Mikhail," she hiccupped.

I stood and moved toward the room. I could hear the patrol officers still struggling with Ambrose and Jesse standing over them unmoving.

I hurried into the back room and heard muffled voices.

My hand went immediately to my gun.

I almost slipped on a shred of cloth. I knelt to pick it up. It was a piece of the skirt Rose had been wearing.

Oh no.

I made my way throughout the house checking every hallway, room and door.

Nothing.

All through my search I could hear muffled voices not far off.

I realized I hadn't checked outside yet.

I ran through the back patio doors and through the few feet of trees that backed the Dragomir house.

The voices grew louder as I neared a clearing.

I pushed apart the last of the trees before finding them.

No.

Rose was on the grass, her clothes shredded, crying, Mikhail on top of her.

He was trying to tear the rest of her skirt but she was fidgeting trying to get away.

"Get. Off. Of. Her."

A simple order of four words.

He looked up smiling.

"Belikov. Come to watch."

Rose was still trying to get away, unfazed by my arrival.

"I had a feeling you'd come to save the damsel. Or did you come to join in."

I have never felt so disgusted and angry all at once. My fist tightened so hard on the end of my gun my knuckles whitened.

My head was filled with images of what I'd do to him for even touching her. I'd make up for all the times he ever looked at her with every impure thought in his mind.

He was going to die.

He needed to.

And I was going to do it.

It had to be slow.

He had to suffer.

I rushed over and knocked him off of Rose, rolling him onto the ground. I pinned him and fist after fist came to his face. He only laughed darkly.

"You had your turn now it's mine," he chuckled.

Hitting him hurt him as much as those three bullets hurt Ambrose.

It didn't care though.

I didn't stop.

His nose was bloodied and purpling at the top and I caught him at the jaw, the bone cracking under my hands.

My knuckles and palms were stinging and bleeding from my punch at his mouth but I ignored the pain.

Mikhail's laughter faded.

He kicked at my stomach once and sent me down off of him. His hand reached for the stake at his belt but I grabbed my gun first and shot a few rounds off. Only one hit him in the chest but not enough to kill him.

"AHHH!" He shouted. Forgetting the stake it went at it kicking and fighting, rolling and chocking me.

We fell down a small part of a hill in the clearing.

I had the upper hand on him and took the chance to knock him out or at least get a pair of handcuffs on him. I took the end of my gun and hit him on the side of the head.

He lulled and his head nodded before he went down. I laid back on the grace to catch my breath.

I heard a rustle in the trees and the others broke through looking as shredded as I did.

Christian, reluctant to let go of Lissa, leaned her against a tree and came to pull me up.

Jesse walked over me and went for Mikhail.

Mikhail was up again, a large bump already forming on the side of his head.

Jesse had the cuffs on him already though.

Mikhail was a smiling, his teeth red with blood.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted. A cop. you'll pay for this Belikov. You'll regret every second of this night."

Jesse walked him away to the front of the house.

He was the only one who hadn't taken any hits. Christian's groggy looked returned and he had a cut on his forehead but he was focused on Lissa.

"How'd you end up out here?" Christian ask wrapping him self around Lissa again. She stood motionless in his arms.

"I think he was trying to get away with Rose but could help but…force him self on her." I cringed at the word. "I don't think he thought we'd check out here."

"Where's Rose?" he asked.

Lissa's green eyes locked on to me.

"She's not in the clearing?"

Christian shook his head.

"Where is she?" Lissa looked from Christian to me expectantly. I was already heading back to the clearing.

There was no one there. Only spots of blood and a grass outline where Rose had been lying.

"I'll fid her," I told Lissa and Christian as the came up behind me.

Christian said something about taking Lissa back to the car and then they left.

I walked the length of the woods thinking Lissa should have stayed. She knew these better than I did.

I followed breaks in the bushes and footsteps.

Rose had been barefoot when I found her with Mikhail.

I walked to the last part of the woods that led into a gate.

Rose was huddle against a tree trembling and shivering.

"Rose," I breathed, relieved.

I ran to her but she skirted back each time I stepped near her.

"Rose please. I'm just trying to help."

I pleaded trying to get her to let me near but she kept shaking her head moving away. Her feet were bleeding from being barefoot, her hair was tangled and standing every which way and the tank top and skirt she was wearing was torn at one of the straps.

"You said nothing would happen to me," she whimpered scooting away. He back met the gate and she could go any farther.

"I know and I'm so sorry. I'm here now. It's all over. No more."

She shook her head.

"You broke your promise."

I felt like I was punched in the stomach all over again. I'd broken my promise. I'd said I'd keep her safe out of harms way.

"I thought I could trust you."

I felt like I'd been hit repeatedly and then pushed over a cliff's edge.

Knelt to be eye level.

"You can. Rose I'm so sorry. I'm sorry about today." I sighed. "I hate the way this all happened. If I could take it back I would. I'd stop all of this from happening. I'd take you away from here and keep you safe."

Her wide eyes relaxed a little.

"I j-just want to leave." She was about to say more. I could guess what she was going to say. She wanted to go home but she thought she didn't have a home. She did though with me. "I want it to be over."

I tested her slight relaxation and moved closer. She flinched but didn't move.

"I'll take you away from here. You'll come home with me."

Tears brimmed at her eyes but she didn't move away again.

I walked the rest of the way.

"Will you come with me?"

She nodded after a second hesitation.

I put my arms under her legs and lifted her up.

I always loved the warm feel of her safely tucked away. I liked knowing where she was and that she was out of harms way and I was the one protecting her.

She was shaking and hesitant to relax in my arms and I knew from this moment on I had to start earning her trust back and that this was a step forward.

She put her arms around my neck and the other at my chest gripping my shirt.

"I d-don't trust you know," she mumbled. She felt stiff in my arms and so small and breakable.

"I figured. I'll earn it back. I'll do anything to win your trust back."

She just nodded and nuzzled into my chest crying softly.

"It's going to be alright. You're safe now," I cooed. "Things are going to change and be different. No more undercover stuff, no more danger. You'll be safe. You're free," I told her making our way through the woods, out the house, and again back into the real world where everything was waiting for us.