Sorry it has taken so long to update, sometimes I just don't have time to write and then there are times that I actually have time but hate what I am coming up with. The last thing I want to do is have a good story and have it finish up poorly b/c I rushed. I won't make any promises when the next chapter will be up b/c I don't want to make a promise I am not 100% sure I can keep. I have 3 weeks of school left for the summer semester and then 3 weeks off until the fall semester starts in Aug. I will try my best to get things moving between now and then. Thank you for your support and comments, may you have a blessed and safe weekend :)
"Where is Dimitri?" I asked.
"Rose" he groaned. I knew he wasn't going to want to tell me, but I didn't think it would actually stop him from telling me.
"Adrian I need to know. You said you threw him out a two story window into the sunlight and he didn't die. But he is a Strogio, he should have died. Why didn't he die?" I practically yelled. I knew I was becoming hysterical, my emotions had gone from zero to sixty the last couple of hours and now I was finding out the man that I once loved that almost not only killed me but my daughter was still alive.
There had never been a time that I hated Dimitri as I did now. Even when he held me against my will the first time and the past few weeks there was always a tiny part of me that cared about him and cared about what happened to him, but now all I felt was hate when I thought about him and what he had done.
"Rose it is late and you are tired. Baby I love you and I know you are not going to like me saying this but you need your rest. I promise I will tell you but I don't want to tell you while you are still struggling to accept everything else" he said moving his body closer to mine so he could wrap his arms around Abigail and me.
"I know I am sorry that I am acting this way but Adrian he almost killed her. I can't bare the thought that he is still out there" I said staring down at our beautiful baby girl that was peacefully sleeping.
"I know what he almost did, but he didn't and she is here with us safe and healthy and loved. Now how about we put Abigail in the bassinet and get some rest" he said shifting to sit up so he could take Abigail from me.
My body reacted on instinct, I shifted back and away from Adrian until he could no longer reach Abigail.
"Rose?" he said raising an eyebrow at me clearly confused by my reaction.
"I don't think I can be away from her, even if she is in the same room as me. I know it sounds crazy but I just can't" I said quickly wiping the tears from my eyes. I knew things would change once I became a mother but I had no clue I would become an overprotective basket case. But knowing Dimitri was still alive made me hold on a little tighter.
"It is not crazy you went through a lot, if it makes you feel better then she will sleep with us" he said scooting back into the bed and pulling us toward him.
Shifting my body I moved closer to him until my back was pressed against his bare chest and Abigail was snuggled in front of me. Adrian wrapped his arms around me pulling us even closer. I could feel the beat of his heart and the warmth of his breath on the back of my neck. The comfort that I got from him was overwhelming. I finally felt safe.
"I love you more than you know" he whispered kissing the back of my neck.
"I love you too and trust me I do know."
His breathing slowed and I knew he was asleep. I watched Abigail still amazed that she was ours but the more I looked at her I could see the traits she got from me and the overwhelming traits she got from Adrian and I loved her even more. Eventually even my fears could not keep sleep at bay, my eyes fluttered shut and sleep over took me.
The warm breeze hit my face and I knew things were finally shifting back to how they were suppose to be. Adrian was standing at the water break staring out at the ocean and the setting sun. I moved silently until I was standing behind him snaking my arms around his back to his chest I pulled him toward my body.
"Hi" I mumbled into his back placing small kisses on his spine and shoulder blades.
"Hey" he said warmly shifting his body, turning to face me. His hands slid down the side of my body sending shivers of anticipation through me. "I missed this" he said bending down until his lips made contact with my shoulder "and this" he mumbled as his lips moved up my neck "and most of all this" his lips grazed across mine. Just the feel of his lips on mine took my breath away and he was there to suck it into his lungs. The kiss was soft and gentle but so passionate that my heart raced knowing that he loved me and nothing would ever change that.
His hand came to rest on my stomach. "Is it weird?" he asked his fingers making small circles around my bare stomach as his eyes danced between my stomach and my eyes.
"What?" I asked as my breathing picked up as his lips came back to mine.
"Her not being in there anymore."
As soon as he mentioned Abigail I snapped out of my minor brain fog. "Oh my gosh we are asleep" I said pulling away from him.
"Rose she is fine"' he said attempting to pull me back to him.
"How do you know I need to wake up" I said attempting to concentrate my mind on waking up.
"Baby she is fine, but if it will make you feel better you sleep and I will wake up" he said grabbing my arm and pulling me toward him.
"You took care of her for nine months I think it is time I start to play catch up, now sleep" he said placing a single kiss on my forehead, before I could protest he was gone. I knew he was capable of taking care of Abigail and would be upset if I didn't trust him to do so.
I stared at the place where he had been standing, even now it amazed me how he could do that. Turning my attention back to the ocean I watched as waves rolled across the calm sea before crashing into the white sanded beach. I moved toward the blanket Adrian must of set out and laid down. I closed my eyes taking a deep breath in enjoying the feel of the warm breeze dance across my skin. All of the memories that I shared with Adrian here flooded back from the times he use to bring me here against my will to the times we held each other under the only sun we would ever really enjoy together.
I couldn't help but smile when I thought about all the things we had done on this beach. I never thought I would be whole again after I lost Dimitri and now I was more complete than ever. The thought of Dimitri made my skin crawl, I knew part of what Adrian said was true there was a lot to process and I am sure it would be a bad idea to attempt to add more to my plate but I had to know.
I knew getting it out of him might be difficult but there were a lot of other people that had to know, now all I had to do is find one that Adrian hadn't gotten to yet. I thought about Lissa but I was sure she wouldn't be giving up any more information after the look Adrian had given her when she left earlier.
I ran through a list of people that would know what happened and then narrowed it down to the ones that might actually tell me. Unfortunately I wasn't left with a big selection. Christian and my dad.
Dimitiri
Blackness was all I could see. My head was pounding but I knew what I had to do and she stood right in front of me.
My precious Roza had changed so much. Her once small muscular body had transformed, I could tell she had maintained some type of workout because the only part of her body that had changed was her stomach. I would of had to laugh seeing her pregnant but my gut twisted knowing that it was with another man's baby. Someone else was going to be the father of her child, but I had every intention on changing that.
Once I pulled my eyes away from her stomach I looked around surprised that she had very few guards around her and even more surprised that the disgusting prince himself was not with her. I glanced around one more time trying to find him, making Roza mine would be a lot easier with him out of the way. Unfortunately there was no sign of him anywhere, so getting rid of him would have to wait for another day.
I slide the door open as did the others that I had brought along. When I came back to America I didn't have a problem finding other Strigoi to follow me, although there hadn't been to many coming around after I killed a few for their disobedience or just for merely annoying me. I shook my head attempting to clear it and focus on what I had waited so long for.
"Listen to me and listen well if one of you even think about touching Rose I will kill you so slow that you will beg me to just end your miserable life. Do you understand?" I asked meeting the eyes of over fifteen Strigoi. "Yes" they all said in unison, with a slight nod of my head they were all running toward Rose, Lissa, and the guardians.
I walked toward the SUV that was clearly from Court and watched the surprised look on all of their faces when they realized they were being attacked. Rose and Lissa took off running toward the SUV clearly not seeing me.
It amazed me even pregnant she was quick. She was quick, but she still had her down fall and that was her heart. Even as she ran she glanced behind her with pain in her eyes that she was running away from a fight they were clearly going to lose.
As she neared the SUV I slid behind another car so she wouldn't see me.
Once she climbed into the SUV I made my move, slipping out from behind another car my hand made contact with the door as she attempted to shut it. Halting its movement. When her eyes meet mine there was something missing when she looked at me. Something had shifted or changed but she no longer looked at me as she had, but I knew now was not the time to think about that.
Her fist flew forward in an attempt to hit me but I saw the move before she made the fist and quickly stopped it.
"Roza is that anyway to greet me" I hissed at her, grabbing her arm pulling her body out of the SUV. Lissa was in the background screaming for help and was attempting to get out of the driver seat in an attempt to help Rose.
"Let go of me" Rose screamed at me attempted to pull herself free of me.
"I thought you might come with me without causing a scene, I suppose I was wrong" I said before bringing the chloroform rag to her face. Within seconds her body was limp in my arms.
Lissa ran around the vehicle and attempted to hit me. With a simple flick of the wrist her body hit the car next to us before crumbling to the pavement. Cradling Rose's body in my arms I ran to the waiting car.
I watched her sleep. She would toss and turn and call out for Adrian. I tried to control my anger, but at times I found myself standing above her the thought of changing her now and tasting her sweet blood again was overpowering at times. Each time she said his name that anger and thirst increased.
She became restless and soon her eyes opened. I could see her glance around the room and then finally she spoke.
"What have you done?" she asked bringing a protective hand over her stomach. Her crying was silent but I could see the tears make there way down her face.
"I told you I was going to get what was mine" I said standing up from the chair against the wall moving towards her. She shifted her body attempting to get away from me. She wasn't able to get far before the rope tied to her foot stopped her movement. The look on her face went from shock to fear.
"You won't get to far don't worry" I said smiling as I turned on the bedside lamp lighting the room.
"My Roza how you have changed" I said bringing my hand away from the lamp in an attempt to touch her perfectly round stomach.
"Don't touch me" she yelled folding her body into a tight ball in an attempt to block her stomach.
"Don't be like that Roza, I have plans for our baby" I said sitting down on the edge of the bed running my hand down her back. I could feel her body tense as I said the word our and the disgust that covered her face.
"This is not now nor will ever be your baby" she hissed at me unwrapping her body so that she could face me. There was something different in her eyes, it was not the same look that she use to give me at the academy it was not even the look she had when she pushed me off the bridge. It was different and all wrong.
I am not sure if it was the words that caused the reaction or the look in her eyes but I did what I did best. I attacked. Before she could register what was happening I was on her. Her hands were pinned above her head with one of my hands while I ran the other hand up her stomach.
"Dimitri don't hurt the baby please, I will do anything you want. Just don't hurt the baby" she cried out.
"I will not hurt our baby and you don't really have a choice not to do what I want you to"
I said stilling my hand when I felt a small pressure hit the palm of my hand. Having nieces and nephews my sisters always talked about the baby kicking but I was never there to experience it. But it was amazing.
"We have a feisty one here Roza. You are just like your mother" I said into her stomach. Rose was still crying silently occasionally a sob would rock through her body. Moving my attention away from her stomach I shifted my body so I was able to see Rose's face. "I have missed you" I said leaning my face closer to hers. She turned her face away from mine and closed her eyes like if she couldn't see me I would disappear.
I could feel my anger creeping through my body and had to fight it, so I wouldn't hurt her.
"I will not punish you just yet because of the baby, but the sooner you learn to behave the better it will be for the both of us" I said removing my body from hers.
"I must go and feed, but I can not wait for the day when I can suck on that beautiful neck of yours again. If you recall you enjoyed it quite a bit" I said running my fingers down her face to her neck. "You smell great by the way."
She remained silent as I left the room after informing her of the food in the fridge incase she got hungry.
The whole time I was gone I couldn't stop thinking of her. What if I returned and she was gone. I knew I not only had to feed but had to check in and see what kind of damage was done at the mall and see who was still left after the fight.
After trapping and feeding off a drunk college student I drove to the house we had been staying at. It was eerily silent. Making my way through the house I could not detect any sounds or the presence of anyone. I thought about calling them, but part of me already knew there was nobody left.
I turned the stove on and tossed a lit box of matches into the kitchen as I made my way back to my car.
When I got back to the room it was back to being dark and silent. I could hear Rose breathing and knew although the room was dark she was not asleep.
"You will have to untie me eventually, being unable to move around and reach the bathroom is not realistic when I am eight months pregnant" she said leaning to her side to turn the lamp on.
"I will not untie you until you have proven that I can trust that you will not attempt to escape" I grumbled at her. I had learned my lesson the first time around. That night watching her run away from me to only attempt to push me to my death had not only angered me but made me love her all the more. The strength that she held not only physically but mentally was overpowering. That is why I was not willing to lose her again. The last year of my life if that is what you can even call it was consumed with trying to find ways to get her back and keep her this time.
"You have already told me that I would not be able to escape anyways so what is the point of this" she said gesturing to her leg that was tied to the bed. Even as she spoke she refused to look at me. She would glance around the room and then look back down to her stomach. I suppose I rather her avoid looking at me than to see that look of disgust on her face again.
"Comrade I am eight months pregnant, I can not fight you nor can I out run you. What do you really think I am going to do if you untie me" she said annoyance and anger filling her voice. She had a point there was no way she would be able to escape, but that is what I had thought the first time around.
"Actually this place in not suitable to raise a child either. You do not expect me to raise our child in this disgusting room do you?" she hissed at me. If my heart was still beating I am sure it would have skipped a beat or two hearing her refer to the baby she was carrying as our own but I could not and would not let her see that.
"Roza I would not put anything past you especially an escape plan even being eight months pregnant. And we will not be staying here long. When our home is ready we will leave at once."
"Where is here? And where are we going?" she asked as if she was asking for directions to the nearest Starbucks. I knew what she was doing and anger filled me to the core.
"Do you think that I am a fool Roza" I said throwing myself out of the chair so that I was leaning down over her.
She didn't flinch away from me this time instead she grabbed my hand bringing it to her swollen belly. "I ask because flying is not safe for your child and I would be to uncomfortable to travel far in my condition" she hissed at me.
And then something happened, I felt a tiny thump against my hand. "No flying will take place and your comfort will be taken care of. Is it a girl or boy?" I asked pulling my hand away from her stomach watching as the tight fabric from her shirt would occasionally rise with each kick.
"I don't know, we decided to wait until the baby was born to find out" she said looking down at her stomach as she placed a protective hand over it and rubbed it gently.
"That does not seem logical, I will not know what to buy the baby if I do not know the gender" I said trying to figure out why anyone would want to be that unprepared for a child.
"I am hungry do you have any pizza?" she asked officially changing the subject. I saw what she was doing but did nothing to steer the conversation back to the baby.
"No, you can eat a sandwich. Once we get to the new house I will make sure to stock up on pizza until the baby comes" I said moving to the refrigerator and started to make her a sandwich.
"I will make sure there is more nutritious food once we get to the house but this will have to do for now" I said handing her the plate and taking a seat at the end of the bed watching her as she practically devoured the sandwich whole.
Once she was done she stared at the plate then at me "do you have anything else to eat?" she asked.
"You really are eating for two aren't you?" I said grabbing a bag of chips and tossing them onto the bed.
"Thanks" she said picking up the bag and finishing half of them.
"When will we be leaving?" she asked popping another chip into her mouth.
"We will stay here tonight and leave once the sun sets tomorrow. The sun is rising and we should rest before the trip" I said standing to remove me shirt and pants. Rose shifted away from me and then stood up off of the bed.
"I have to go to the bathroom" she said trying to pull as much slack into the rope as she could.
I sat down on the bed wondering how long it was going to take until she gave up on escaping and accepted her life with me. I closed my eyes and rested my head on my hands. Would there ever come a time when she would give up and accept this. She wouldn't be the Rose I feel in love with if she did. No matter what she accepted if I had her nothing else would matter.
"Roza, I believe any need you may have should be well meet by now. It is time to come out" I said knocking on the bathroom door when she failed to come out after fifteen minutes. "I will be right out" she hollered.
When she exited she walked past me without looking at me and climbed into bed. I followed her and laid down next to her. I ran my hand up and down her arm willing her to turn and face me but her body remained still almost rigid. Her breathing slowed and I watched as her body finally relaxed. Even when she was asleep she was beautiful.
"I am sorry I didn't say it on the bridge but I love you Roza. I have never stopped no matter how evil you think I am" I whispered.