A/N: Hey, thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this, and those who added it to your favorites/alerts, you're all really sweet. I really love hearing what you guys have to say, and it's always encouraging to receive kind words from readers. I know this story is really random, but I hope you like it :)

Disclaimer:

Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy and all its characters. No copyright infringement intended. I do own my own creativity, plot and characters that are not recognised by anyone else.

Chapter Two: False Alarm

The next day, I woke up to the sound of an alarm going off. Not the kind of alarm you hear on an annoying alarm clock. No. More like the sound that alerts fireman kind of siren that blared throughout the whole house, guaranteed to wake up the whole neighborhood. People in Mexico would have probably heard it. I bolted upright and cringed. The sound only got louder as I roused to consciousness.

"Fuck! What is that?" I slammed my hands over my ears in an attempt to muffle the sound, but to no avail. I looked toward the windows and it was still dark out. It had to be at least 4am.

Fuck me. Who in Gods name would attempt to wake me up in this ungodly hour. The red neon numbers confirmed it was 3:45am on the alarm clock, sitting to the side on my nightstand. I growled.

"Turn it off! Turn it off!" I chanted loudly to no one in particular.

The damn sound was obnoxious and irritating and very very constant. I froze when a bunch of guards came crashing into my room, practically knocking my door down like a bunch of SWAT soldiers, guns and all with infrared lights beaming in every direction as they searched out a potential threat. In my room no less. Before I had any time to take it all in, I found myself being hauled out of my bed, half dragged out of my room…in my underwear!

"What the fuck! What is the meaning of all this?" So early in the morning, one had to wonder where I even found my voice, but I was dragged out of my room with not so much as my own free will. Did I mention in my underwear?

"Miss Rosemarie, there's been a breach of Home LAN security. We're taking every precaution, and drastic measures of security to ensure yours, and Mr. Mayor's safety is well out of harms way."

I frowned, as they hauled me off toward the basement. We shuffled through a wine cellar.

"Well, shit! At least warn the girl first! I'm still in my underwear." I complained. I had to admit. I looked pretty good in my underwear, but that didn't mean I wanted to give them a free show of it.

They didn't seem to think that was of any concern. I had to remind myself to wear pajama bottoms, to prevent matters like this one. I noticed a woman amongst the guards, walking alongside Eddie.

Stan addressed her by the name Petrov. She must've been new. I was surprised that my dad had not discriminated against woman after all. Though, it appeared that she was the only woman security guard here.

I admired her for that. She turned to me, and gave a nod.

"I'm sorry, this is standard procedure. We'll get you something to wear on the way there." Alberta had said with a small apologetic smile. I decided I liked her.

"Thanks."

I was walking on my own accord now – in my underwear and tank top, down another windy staircase in the basement, complete with guardians in tow. I had the feeling we were underground and the slight goose bumps forming on my skin made me shiver. Alberta and Eddie leading us, and I caught up to them as they reported the way was clear.

"So, where are we going?" I asked Alberta since she seemed to be the only one who shared the same chromosome.

"To safety, where you and Mr. Mayor would be safe." Eddie said behind his ak47. I eyed him with a frown.

"Safe from what exactly?" Eddie didn't answer, he ditched me and went scoping out the front view again. I turned to the culprit who had spoken instead. It was Stan. My father's second in command and he hated it. Thick eyebrows, on a sharp face. His dull eyes flicked to me briefly. It was like he had a permanent glare to him. He'd been racing for the top job for years and as soon as he saw the opportunity arise when Eddie's father had died, he'd been kissing ass to fill the spot ever since. I hated the guy.

"The house was broken into last night and a few files are missing. Someone was careless and stupid enough to leave the backdoor open and forget to reset the alarm."

Uh oh…

"That wouldn't happen to be the lower balcony, right?" Eddie stopped in his tracks, and eyed me warily.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I was suddenly feeling uncomfortable when all eyes darted my way in suspicion. Stan with his accusing eyes. Eddie with his gentle but cautious ones. I looked from face to face trying to feign innocence.

"Is this a bad time to mention I had a cigarette on the same balcony last night?" Stan glowered at me like I had lost my mind. Eddie sighed in exasperation as if he knew that one was coming.

"You forgot to reset the alarm and you left the back door open?" he scolded, then threw his hands up in the air.

"Maybe…" I bit my lip. He glared.

"You've only been here in no more than 24hours and already you've managed to aid a break in, lose the most important files, just from your lack of judgment and stupidity?"

"Hey! That's unfair, and a little bit dramatic don't you think?"

"You could've gotten us all killed you stupid, stupid little girl!" I flamed red, and I decided to get in his face and throw it back in his.

"How the fuck was I to know some creeper was going to break in and steal my dads' precious files?" He was fuming with rage.

"Well, if you'd used that thick head of yours, like normal people do, instead of the Rose-I-have-no-care-in-the-world method, maybe you would've stopped to think about things like that."

"Easy Stanley, I don't like the tone you're using with my daughter." It was my father's voice of authority. I ran to his side and glared at Stan.

"Yeah, Stanley. Take a fucking chill pill." My father scolded me with his eyes.

"Rose, watch your mouth." He never called me Rose unless he was pissed.

"Besides, I'm just glad it was files they had taken. No one was hurt, so I count my blessings.

When we were in the comfort of my father's office, he had that I'm-really-disappointed-in-you-Rose look. I knew I was in deep shit.

"I'd like to have a word with my daughter. Leave. All of you." He pointedly stared at Stan. I felt a little smug that my father overpowered him.

As soon as they were out of his office, my father draped me with a big fluffy white robe. He made his way toward his desk and sat on the corner, crossing his feet at the ankles. I could see the disappointment leaking out of his stare. I gulped. Getting ready for the lecture.

"Baba, I'm sorry." He shook his head.

"Take a seat Kizim." I did as I was told, and felt the room close in on me at this very instant.

"What you did was careless, you know that right." I nodded, slumping further into my shoulders.

"I just…I had one cigarette on the balcony…and…it was one mistake."

"Let's set some ground rules while I have you under my roof and in my care. No smoking on balconies, porches, anywhere in the house, your dirty habit stops here. I don't know what that boarding school has gotten you into, but I won't tolerate that in my house." I was about to protest, but he silenced me with his eyes.

"Second, you do not go outdoors without a guard. I don't care who it is, I want you around the clock protected by one of my men. It would also give me some peace of mind knowing you're in the hands of someone I trust." I gritted my teeth. Why doesn't he take my freedom and priorities away from me. Oh wait! He already has.

"And third?" I prompted.

"You don't go anywhere without informing me firsthand. You got it?" I was silently fuming at all my rights and what little I had left of them. Does that count toilet breaks?

"Do you hear me?" I nodded reluctantly.

"Good, now get out of here. Tell Eddie I want to see him."

The guards escorted me back to my room after finding out about my carelessness. Despite the missing files, nothing appeared to be out of order. Sirens had been turned off and guards went back to 'guarding'.

God! One has to wonder how an outsider could even be successful at breaking in, considering the amount of guards on watch duty, you'd have to be some badass ninja and have some balls to attempt something so risky.

The weekend finally arrived, and my best-friend Lissa was expected to arrive in less than fifteen minutes. We'd planned a trip to the mall today, and a lunch date, since we hadn't seen each other all week.

After my stupid stunt I'd pulled last week, I'd been forced on 24/7 'round the clock lock down. I was screaming to get out of this prison, so I was looking forward to Lissa's visit. Plus, she'd explained that a much needed shopping therapy was exactly what I needed. I wasn't too forthcoming about the shopping therapy part, but if it got me out of this hell hole? I'd take anything at this point.

I was dressed in my faded black jeans that had rips at the knees, and a maroon halter top that showed a little too much skin. It also gave a good view of my tattoo I'd gotten on the middle dip of my lower back of a rose. The thorny stem was snaked around it in a complicated twist so the whole picture formed a wide V. Lissa had gotten one in the same spot, but she'd decided to get a small dragon that was shaped like an S.

Wearing this halter made my belly button visible too, my father had given it to me for my sixteenth birthday. Though, I'm sure it wasn't meant for a belly button ring, It resembled an eye, and was kinda creepy but cool. I left my dark hair out, letting it cascade over my shoulders, and I wore a pair of black pumps to complete my look. Lissa arrived right on cue.

"Thank god you're here!" She squealed when she saw me, and we greeted each other with a hug. She wore a pale blue summer dress, that flirted above her knees, and her platinum blonde hair in thick waves. It complimented her pale skin. She smiled.

"You know, I didn't know how extreme this security thing was, but man…there's a lot of guards out there. I'm almost scared to look at them."

"Don't be, most of them are born with those mugs. It can't be helped." She giggled.

"Hey, not all of us." Eddie protested. I smiled.

"Except Eddie of course. You remember my friend Lissa, don't you?" He nodded and shook Lissa's hand.

"Nice to see you again Eddie." Lissa gave him a genuine smile that touched her jade-green eyes. My father strode past my room and stopped midstride. I could see him behind me in the mirror. He wore a classic black suit, with a yellow cashmere scarf. He had a weird dress sense, especially since he thought his left gold earring gleaming in his left ear was stylish. He looked like a sharp dressed pirate.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, instead I turned around and met his curious stare.

"So, I'm going out, just thought you'd like to know." He raised an eyebrow, and I silently wondered why I didn't inherit that from him. Cool. Lissa smiled at him and waved.

"Hi Mr. Mayor. Thanks for letting me stay the weekend." He flicked his eyes over to Lissa and smiled.

"Vasilisa. You quite welcome anytime in my home." He nodded in greeting, and then glared back at me.

"Kizim, you're not going anywhere. Dressed like that no less. House rules remember." I clenched my teeth.

"House rules my a-" I caught my tongue, and sighed. Better to keep it cool first. I was already sensing a final 'no' but I was anything but determined. I swallowed my pride and tried a different approach.

"Baba, you can't keep me locked up in here like a caged animal. I need to breath without these zookeepers hovering down my throat. I'm nearly eighteen for god sakes, I need to get out." He crossed his arms over his chest, and shook his head.

"It's not safe for you to be out there, for either of you. It's risky."

"Risky? It's the mall Baba not a nightclub. We'll be back before you know it. Please."

"No." I threw my hands in the air.

"Oh come on! Are you still mad at me for leaving that damn door open? It was a week ago. I told you, it was a simple mistake. It won't happen again."

"It's not just that."

"Please! Please let me have this one day of freedom. I promise I'll follow every house rule on the planet, but just give me this. I can't stand another day in this prison. I need freedom." I could see his eyes softening a bit and I took that opportunity to dig deeper. Even if I had to swallow my pride and beg.

"I'll even promise to take up those defense classes you want me to attend. Please." I hit Lissa to do an exact replica of my puppy dog face. We both stood there with pouted lips, and droopy eyes. My father's mouth twitched a little like he was warring off a smile. Bingo. I got cha!

"Okay." I actually squealed when he nodded in defeat. Never in my life had I squealed, but this called for it. I ran up to my father and hugged him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Baba! You're the awesome-est." Not a word, but what the hey! I was allowed my freedom back…even if it was just for a couple of hours. It suddenly felt like my own 4th of July.

"But Eddie goes with you." I slumped in defeat and frowned in annoyance. Way to kill the mood. He noticed the change and raised his eyebrow.

"It could be worse. I could send Stan if you'd like?" He warned. I grabbed Lissa by the hand and scurried out of my room yelling down the halls for Eddie.

"Eddie! Get your ass down here. Where going to the mall." My father chuckled behind me as I searched out for Eddie. No way in hell, was I going to spend my one day of freedom with that ass of a man Stan. We were at the bottom of the stairs heading for the doors, when my father stopped Eddie.

"Castile. Escort my daughter and her friend to the mall. Make sure they get there and back in once piece." He nodded curtly. That was starting to sound like my father's motto. Back in one piece.

"Yes, Mr. Mayor." Eddie replied. We were already half way out the door when I heard my father pull Eddie to an abrupt halt.

"And don't let them persuade you into a detour. The mall and back, got it?" We made our goodbye's and a few seconds were heading toward my skyline when Eddie stopped us. He shook his head.

"We're going in the SUV, and I'm driving." I scowled. "Or would you prefer pouting in your skyline, enjoying the view of the carpark for the whole day?" I narrowed my eyes.

"You know, you can be an ass sometimes." I knew he was just doing his job, but I hated when I couldn't get my way.

"Come on Rose, do what the man says. I'm dying for a shopping trip too you know." Lissa chimed in the background. I took up shotgun, and we made our way to the local mall.

We spent almost an hour and a half shopping for bits and bobs, and Eddie hated every bit of it. It was kind of funny, but maybe a little payback for not letting us take my car.

"Oh my god Rose, this dress is made for you." It was a little classic black dress in the shape of an hourglass, with maroon embroidery on the front of the bodice. It was nice.

"That's cute. But there's no proper reason for me to be wearing something like that."

"You don't need a reason to own a pretty dress. You are so getting this." Lissa spent the rest of the trip talking about how her boyfriend Christian would love this and that on her, and what I would look good in. Her and Christian had a distant relationship, since both attended different boarding schools.

Christian went to St. Vladimir's for Boys or locally known as SVAB. They saw each other most weekends and almost every holidays. I can't say I understood their relationship, but I anyone could tell they were definitely in love. I'd only met him a couple of times, and even though he was a pain in my ass, he made Lissa happy.

She was loving every bit of this trip, and I was loving every bit of her company. Minus the sex talks about her love life.

We bought our things, and settled for something to eat at the lunch bar at the foodcourt. We took it to go, and left shortly after. Lissa and I had loads to catch up on, and she was a gossip queen when it came to catching up. I was vaguely aware of the chop shop we'd passed, before I hit Eddie in the arm.

"Wait! Turn in over here." I pointed to the left of the street. Eddie eyed me warily.

"No. We're not supposed to detour. Mr. Mayor said…"

"Oh grow some balls Eddie, it's just one detour." He grunted at my insults but he pulled over anyway. I turned to Lissa.

"Grease monkey works here." Her attention shot up, as we looked at the garage where a couple of carwrecks decorated the lot. The name Quick Fix sprawled on the top of the building, with the name Dimitri Belikov underneath it, with a phone number. I memorized the number. I got out of the car and pursed my lips.

"Rose, I know that look. What are you planning on doing?" I grinned.

"Just watch and learn." Eddie and Lissa started to look suspicious. "Where do you keep your toolbox?"

"Under the backseat, why?" I searched out for the tool box and pulled out a pair of silver cutters meant for cutting wires. Pliers, if I remember correctly.

"Pop the hood." I said to Eddie. He looked at me like I'd grown a second head.

"Come on, pop the hood." He did, and my smile grew harder. I was under the hood, and found wires and parts I knew nothing about. I wasn't sure what I was doing, and I wasn't exactly sure if I was cutting the right plug, but I cut a random wire with the pliers.

"Need some help?" I banged my head on the hood, instantly startled. I silently squirmed at the low voice that had spoken, perfectly laced with a rich accent. It was the mechanic from last week, and looked every bit as greasy hot as he did the first day I saw him. His body definitely looked good up close. I tried to remain cool despite all the hot blazing off of him. I shoved the pliers in my back pocket, away from his view and planted a smile.

"Yeah, just having car troubles. No big deal." I shrugged casually. His eyes gave me a once over, and stopped on my belly ring longer than necessary. I tried to act as if his stare didn't faze me, but I was silently blazing under his stare. He cleared his throat and focused back on the car.

"I see. Looks like some idiot cut your wires." I frowned at the use of his words. Was that really necessary? Okay, maybe he had a point. It was kinda idiotic.

"How do you know?" He raised an eyebrow at me like I was mental or something. Probably was, after all I'd purposely disabled my father's SUV so I could get the sexy grease monkeys attention. Not one of my bright ideas I admit, but worth every second. He grabbed the wire I'd just recently cut, and frowned.

"It's quite obvious. See right here." He touched his greasy finger on the wire I'd recently cut. He followed the wire to where it connected up to the engine with his broad muscular hands, and I traced every movement, wondering if that's how he'd treat his lover. Gentle, with pure confidence and precision. I licked my lips. Stop it, Rose. I chastised myself.

"This is the wire that connects to the engine. Without the connection, the car is immobile. In short, this car isn't going anywhere anytime soon." Oops. Eddie was going to kill me, and I was definitely going to have a head on collision with my fathers' wrath. He frowned.

"This happen while you guys were parked here?"

"Err…Yeah, pretty much." I lied.

"Man, this is gonna cost a fortune. By the time I'm done with this, you'd be better off buying a new one." I raised my eyebrows.

"Just by one little cut of a wire?" He nodded. Great one Rose, your so called plan backfired.

"Tell you what; just leave it here and I'll take care of it." I looked over at Eddie's eyes rolling and Lissa's silly grin.

"Looks like we're on foot for the rest of the way." I shouted toward my friends. They didn't think my joke was funny.

"Give me a minute to lock up, and I'll give you guys a lift home." I could see Eddie scowling from the front seat. Probably because he lost his driving privilege to escort us back home.

The ride home was silent, as we settled in the pickup truck. Eddie had to sit on the back trailer since the pickup truck lacked seating arrangements. I was stuck in the middle of Dimitri and Lissa. It was a bumpy ride, and an awkward one. Especially since his hand kept brushing my knee every time he shifted into gear. I bit my lip and pressed a dial on the radio to occupy myself from my ungodly thoughts.

"So…I know this pickup truck may have seen better days, but this 80's music you listen to? It's kinda depressing." His mouth twitched at the corners.

"It's the only station I have." I groaned when static sounded, as I flicked through the rest of the dials.

Giving up, I turned it off. Lissa had taken a small nap beside me, and Eddie was still cursing at the back as we drove over every bump. I pursed my lips figuring I should probably get to know this guy, since I'd be pressed up next to this guy for the next half hour. I was liking the sound of that.

"So, what made you want to work in a garage?" He shrugged.

"Something to do I guess."

"You never see yourself doing anything better? You can't be earning more than the minimum wage." I noticed his jaw tense. I bit lip, vaguely aware that I'd just insulted his profession and probably bruised his ego. He frowned.

"No. Besides, doing something you're passionate about shouldn't dissuade you from accomplishing your goals, regardless of what the paycheck is. Though, I admit it's a bonus. It pays the bills."

"Beat's being in my prison I call home."

"Couldn't be that bad. You're the Mayor's daughter, everything falls at your feet." Now I frowned. Was he insulting me now? And I wasn't too forgiving with insults, like he supposedly was.

"Are you insinuating I get what I want just because of my father's profession?" His silence confirmed his answer. He quickly changed the subject.

"We're here." He said instead, and nodded to the guard as if he was a regular visitor and he'd done so many times. Suddenly my attraction for him had turned sour.

We made our way through the wrought iron gates, and I woke Lissa up announcing our arrival. I didn't even thank him for the ride home, though Lissa was more than happy to. She was oblivious of the tension in the air.

"Tell Mr. Mayor I'll have the SUV done as soon as I can." I gave him one last glare and slammed the door.

"Tell him yourself." I hissed and stalked back toward the house muttering 'arrogant bastard' under my breath.

A/N: Thanks for reading, hope to hear from you in a review! Also, please don't hesitate to point out grammatical errors too. :)

Glossary (That you may already know)

Baba = Turkish word for father

Kizim = Turkish work for daughter

Su Casa = Spanish for Your house

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