DPOV

Rosemarie Hathaway. Chosen name "Rose".

Age: 22.

DOB: March 21, 2000.

Background: Turkish, Scottish, American.

Eye Colour: Brown.

Hair Colour: Brown/Black.

Height: 5'7.

Weight: 130lbs.

Occupation: n/a.

Education: St. Vladimir's Academy – Graduate/ UPenn – Animal Welfare and Behaviour – Uncompleted.

I sighed and looked at the brown eyes that stared at me in the picture attached to the file. I had sworn I would give up this job after my last client, but this case was special.

"Who's that?" my roommate and best friend Ivan asked, mumbling over the toothbrush in his mouth.

"My new client," I said quietly, closing the file and reaching for my coffee cup.

"I thought you said you weren't going to do this again after Carrie?" Ivan asked as he leaned over the sink to spit. I glared at him because that wasn't the first time he had done that in the kitchen sink.

"This one is different," I said quietly.

"How?"

I sipped my coffee and stacked my things together as I stood up.

"She just is."

Ivan raised his brows at me. "She? This is already personal for you. I think this is a bad idea."

"I owed her father a favour, that's all. She was attacked a few months back and she's terrified. It was the only thing he could think of," I explained, "So, yes. In a way, it's personal, but it's also a job."

"Who attacked her?"

I gritted my teeth. "Her ex. It wasn't the first time either, they just can't nail him with enough proof. First, it was showing up at her dorm, then it was stalking her after classes. It ended with him purposely driving into the side of her car with her in it. She was in a medically induced coma for three days because of injury. He's a monster, and Abe feels like having someone around might put her at ease," I said, my blood already boiling in my veins. It wasn't the first time that I had read Rose's file this week.

When a man from my past called me, all but begging me for my help, I couldn't say no. This man was not a beggar, nor was he a man that ever showed fear, but he did when it came to his only child. He was terrified for her, and she herself was terrified. She would stay all but isolated in their house, refusing to go out for fear of being followed or hurt again.

"Damn. That's crazy, and they can't pin the accident on him?"

"That is the only thing they can pin on him, and even then, all they got was a failure to stop," I said darkly and slipped my files into my bag and downed the last of my coffee. Ivan sighed and shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That sucks. Poor kid," Ivan said quietly.

"I wouldn't exactly call her a kid, Ivan. She's twenty-two."

Ivan shook his head again. "Damn. Well, I'm sure we'll talk more about this later, I have to get to work. I'll see you tonight? I'll bring home takeout."

I nodded. "Sure. I'm not sure how late I will be tonight," I said as I pulled my bag onto my shoulder. Ivan nodded and was out the door in a breath while I picked up the left-over coffee mugs from this morning. I rinsed them out and set them in the sink.

I suspected that they lived in a nice house. With the rate that Abe had offered me to watch Rose, to be a shadow that would provide her with some comfort when she was out and about, or even just at the house, they had money.

I always knew that Abe had money, we whispered about the snake who would come into town every few months back home in Russia, but it was strange to be technically on his payroll.

I parked my car next to the sleek black car and got out, smoothing my shirt as I walked to the door. When I knocked the door was opened by a red-haired woman. She was short and had thick curly red hair, with skin like milk. It must have been Rose's mother, Janine.

"Mr. Belikov?" she asked almost tersely.

"Yes, ma'am," I said politely. Her eyes narrowed a little as she stepped aside to let me in. I stepped in and glanced at her feet, noticing that she was wearing shoes. I heard the clip of another pair of shoes and glance up to see a face I recognized.

"Ah, Dimitri, thank you for coming on short notice. I hope I wasn't taking you away from another job," Abe said as he came down the hall towards us.

"No, I was taking a short sabbatical, but I knew that if you were asking for my help, it was important," I said seriously.

"I appreciate it. I've started to grow concerned," Abe said but his wife made a noise in the back of her throat.

"Rose is being a little overdramatic," Janine said but with the look Abe threw in her direction, I knew that this wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation or argument.

Abe took a deep breath and gave me a tight smile.

"Come, there are a few things that I think we should go over before you meet Rosemarie," Abe said, extending his arm out back down the hall. I nodded and he told me not to take my shoes off. I nodded and followed him down the hall and into what looked like a study. It was a little stuffy material-wise, but I believed it was more or less for show. Abe sat in one chair in front of the desk, and I sat in the other. There was a thicker file on his desk and he handed it to me.

"This is all the information I have on Mason Ashford. The two have mutual friends who have sided with rose on this, but I have subfiles in there for each other them. Also, going forward, feel free to wear jeans. There is no need for you to be in a suit. Especially when you're watching Rose. She'll just end up teasing you for wearing one."

"How long did Rose and Mason know each other?"

"Since they were children, four, I think? They were always close and almost everyone expected them to date. They started dating their final year of high school, but it all started to go downhill from there," Abe explained, "Janine doesn't realize the extent to which this has come. She always had a soft spot for Ashford, but after the horrors Rose has told me, I can't watch this happen anymore."

I nodded in understanding and opened it, skimming through the information docket attached to the file. It was similar to the one I had about Rose in my file, but this file was much thicker.

"May I take this with me?"

"Of course," Abe said.

I closed the file and set it on the desk. "Is there anything I need to know about Rose before I meet her?"

Abe's lips pressed into a thin line. "The whole situation has been Rose's mental health into a…delicate state. All the medications she is on we administer to her, she is not allowed access to sharp objects, we monitor how much she takes and how often she takes them. We've had a scare recently," Abe explained as he drummed his fingers against his leg, "She has constant nightmares. I wouldn't say she's paranoid, but she is scared. It's like every time she leaves the house, he's there."

"How is she around men in general? Just so I'm prepared."

"Before this, she was extremely confident. Now? She's skittish around everyone," Abe said. I nodded and stood up, patting my pockets to make sure anything that could be used as a weapon was close to my chest and not easily accessible to Rose.

"I think it's time that I met Rose," I said. Abe nodded and stood up.

"Does she know that you've hired someone?"

"She does, but she's convinced I just hired a doctor."

Abe brought me upstairs and knocked on a door near the back of the house.

"Kiz? Can I come in?" Abe asked. There was no response but a quiet grunt.

"Her door doesn't lock anymore," Abe whispered as he opened the door. I nodded and I could see why that would be. If Rose had shown that she was a risk to herself, I wouldn't want her to have a lock on her door either for safety reasons.

Abe pushed the door open slowly and we walked into a very large bedroom, it was the size of a hotel suite. There was a figure sitting on the window seat directly in front of us, huddled up with their chin on their knees. By the looks of the hair, it was Rose.

We walked closer and Abe cleared his throat.

"Kiz, there is someone I'd like you to meet," Abe said softly, resting his hand gently on Rose's shoulder. I took a slow breath and quickly slipped the file into my bag before she turned. She looked tiredly over her shoulder before her eyes moved up to me.

"Hello, Rose. My name is Dimitri Belikov," I said gently, not wanting to startle her. Rose blinked at me with a slight nod.

"You're the doctor, I take it?" she asked quietly. I looked at Abe and shook my head.

"No. I'm in no way, shape, or form a doctor. May I?" I said and then gestured to the spot beside her on the window seat. She nodded robotically. I sat beside her and tried to make myself seem less intimidating.

"I'm not a doctor, but your father has informed me of some of the things that have happened in the last year. I'm here to help you feel safe," I explained. Rose looked up at me with tired eyes.

"How?"

"I work as a bodyguard of sorts. I sometimes work as a private investigator, but I do work as private security from time to time as well."

Rose nodded softly and blinked again, looking out the window.

"I doubt I'll ever be safe again," she whispered.

"I can promise that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, Rose. I don't make promises lightly."

And I didn't. I took my promises very seriously, and for me to make one on the first day was a little startling for myself. But I couldn't help but feel for Rose. I didn't know exactly how she felt, but to a degree I understood. But instead of fear for my own safety every time I left my house, I was terrified for my mother's safety.

Rose shrugged and I sighed quietly. It was hard to see someone so young so hopeless.

Rose glanced at me and her eyes moved over, analyzing me the way I would analyze her. There wasn't anything about her gaze that was inappropriate, but simply curious. Her eyes moved to my pants and lingered near the bottom of my pant leg.

"Do you have a dog?" she asked quietly.

I raised my brows at looked at my pants, finding so dog hair on the bottom of my pants.

I chuckled. "I do. I have a Saint Bernard. Bailey," I said.

Rose's lips quirked up a little at the sides before her face returned to a neutral expression. I glanced at Abe and he gave me an encouraging look, so I continued with the line of topic, just to get her to open up a little.

"Do you like dogs?"

"Love them. I love animals. Mom says allergic to everything," she said quietly, picking at the material on her pants.

"If you could have a pet, what kind would you have?"

Rose was quiet for a few moments before a small smile crossed his lips. "A German Sheppard. I think they're beautiful. Or maybe a Huskey. It's the closest thing I'd get to a wolf."

I chuckled. "A wolf?"

"What? They're beautiful," Rose supplied with a shrug of her shoulders.

I didn't get much more out of her after that. Rose had mentioned that she was tired and wanted to sleep. Once we left the room, Abe told me that she had been at the hospital the night before for a follow-up appointment, and the new medication they had given her made her groggy.

Abe had mentioned that he and Janine both needed to step out for a few hours for work, and said that it would be a good test run for Rose. Abe had let her know that they were leaving and that I would be here. She stayed in her room for a few hours and I used that time to go over the file for Ashford. I made notes as I went through it, things that I felt were important to remember.

There was a shuffle of feet on the floor and I looked up, finding Rose in the hallway. She looked at me tiredly and pushed her curls out of her face.

"Hi," I said gently and set my notes down on top of the file.

"Hi," she said and shifted on her feet. "I need to go to the store. My mom was supposed to go for me but didn't go. Will you go with me?"

I nodded and stood up, picking up my duster from the back of the chair and slid it on.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked. Rose nodded and ran her hand anxiously through her hair.

"Can you drive? I'm not quite ready to drive again."

I nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. I locked the door behind us and led her to my car, opening the door for Rose. She stopped for a moment and glanced at me before sliding into the front seat. I went around the other side and got in, checking the mirrors before backing out.

Rose slumped down in her seat as we drove, almost like she was trying to hide beneath the dash.

"The windows are tinted. Nobody can see in unless they are standing right next to the car," I supplied after a moment, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She looked at me and then slowly sat up, folding her hands in her lap.

"What's your favourite colour?" I asked her.

Rose raised her brows and looked at me again. "That's what you want to know?"

"I figured I'd start off with something easy," I replied with a glance.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Green. What's yours?"

The eye-roll made me chuckle. "Blue."

Rose nodded and picked at the chipped nail polish on her nails. I remembered my sisters doing that when they were nervous.

"Is there anything you'd like to know about me? Since we'll be spending lots of time together?" I asked.

Rose shrugged a little and bit her lip. "You have an accent. Where are you from?"

"Southern Siberia, Russia," I said immediately, "I moved here when I was eighteen."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-nine."

Rose nodded her head and looked out the window, her shoulders starting to relax and her body less rigid. I wondered when the last time she left the house for something other than a doctor's appointment was.

Rose made small comments for directions but once we pulled into the drug store, she gripped the door for a moment.

"Take a deep breath. I'll be with you the whole time," I said quietly. Rose looked at me and pressed her lips together before nodding and getting out of the car. I got out and followed her into the store, glancing around and surveying the room. She glanced back at me a few times before sighing.

"Unless you're enjoying staring at my ass, you can walk beside me," she said in an almost annoyed tone. I smiled to myself and quickened my stride, coming to stand beside her. She didn't seem bothered with me there, picking up items as she went.

I offered to hold something, but she shook her head. It seemed like most of what she needed was hygiene products, mostly things for her hair. Her hand reached for a package of razors before she stopped and pulled back, grunting quietly before moving down the row. I grabbed the package and followed her, keeping them just out of sight.

She stopped in the food section and rubbed her lips together, her eyes darting over the food selections. She grabbed a handful of things, the first look of happiness I'd seen on her.

Mental note: snacks were good for making her happy.

She headed up to the counter and we stood in line. I set the razors on top of her stack of things and she looked up at me with raised brows.

"There are rules to letting you have these," I said not sternly but firmly enough to make it clear I wasn't going to budge on them.

"Rules?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"And what are those rules?" she asked with a snort.

"Door stays open, and you are in my line of sight. I know that women are more than capable of shaving without being in the shower. And I hold onto them when they aren't in use."

"Already wanting to see my naked, comrade?"

My cheeks flushed and I blinked, my mouth starting to form words but she just laughed.

"Easy, Dimitri. I know what you mean. Thank you. My father wouldn't even budge for those rules."

I nodded and waited with her while she cashed out. She gave me a small timid smile as we left.

"Thank you," she said quietly, "For not treating me like I'm a meltdown waiting to happen."

I nodded. "You unfortunately are not the first woman that I have seen in a similar position. Treating you with kid-gloves is not going to help you."

Rose hummed quietly and nodded and dug through the bag, fishing out a box of what looked like brown circles.

"Is it okay if I eat one of these in here?" she asked. I looked at her and nodded. She smiled excitedly and opened the box, pulling a package of two out and tearing the wrapping open. I couldn't contain my smile as she eagerly bit into one.

She chewed with a happy sigh and extended the other one to me.

"Want one?"

"I have no idea what that is," I said.

"It's a cupcake. It's delicious," she mumbled with her mouthful.

I took to be polite and carefully took a bite. It was over powerfully sweet and I liked the frosting from my lip.

"So?"

"It's good," I said after swallowing. Rose nodded in agreeance and continued eating. It seemed like it didn't take much to make her happy. It was good to know.

Let me know what you think!:)