Hi everyone, thanks so much for the comments people have left, I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far! Please please please leave more comments and reviews, they've died off a bit and I dont want to keep writing if no one is going to read my story.

Thanks heaps, and enjoy. Believe me, it's going to start getting more exciting after this chapter.

After another forty five minutes of endless tarmac Adrian slowed down and pulled over. Standing by a white minibus was Abe Mazur, flanked by two of his flunkies, and wearing a fedora. He should have looked ridiculous but I could tell everyone else found him even more menacing. He strode over and gave me a kiss on the forehead before addressing the group. 'Glad to see you all got out alive, where are you off to?' Adrian started to say Las Vegas but I managed to shut him up with a swift kick to the shins. 'We're not sure yet, nowhere in particular.' He eyed me wearily, sure I was lying no doubt. What can I say; I'm definitely my father's daughter, and if anyone knew how to lie, break laws and remain unfound it was Zmey.

Dimitri then cleared his throat and everyone, except Adrian of course, turned to listen to him. 'We should get moving, we don't want to attract attention.' His voice was respectful as he addressed Abe, but Abe was not a man easily impressed and he barely acknowledged Dimitri's words before turning back to me. It seemed someone, perhaps my mother, though I wasn't sure if she knew completely about mine and Dimirti's past relationship, had told Abe of my broken heart.

'Rose, I don't want you to worry; I have people working around the clock to prove your innocence.' I rolled my eyes but grudgingly admitted to myself that if anyone could do this Abe could. Our relationship was still in its early stages but I knew I could trust him, he was my father, and despite our unorthodox relationship I knew he loved me. 'Ok old man, don't start getting sentimental, we'll be fine.' It was his turn to roll his eyes then and I smiled before I felt a tap on my left shoulder. Dimitri was looking at me expectantly and I realised he was still waiting to set off once more, grudgingly I agreed that it wasn't safe for us to be stood out in the open suspiciously like this, plus it was beginning to get dark, the last thing we needed was a Strigoi attack, I didn't even have a stake handy.

'Well Zmey as nice as this has been we'd better get going.' I gave him a small wave and expected everyone to turn back to the Escalade. Instead they stood looking expectantly at Abe and his minions. 'Guys?' I said, already sick of not calling the shots in what was turning out to be a slightly slap dash kind of rescue mission. I looked at Adrian, reluctant to acknowledge his authority here. 'You didn't think we were just meeting here for a chat did you Rose?' Abe asked. 'We're switching cars with you so that you won't be so easily found. There will be CCTV of you leaving Court in that car.' I sighed, admitting he had a point. Adrian looked so joyful I thought he was about to wet himself, this had obviously his idea also.

We said our goodbyes and piled into the minivan, I was about to call shotgun when I saw who was taking the driver's seat for this leg of the journey. No way did I want to be sat next to Dimitri for god knows how many hours. I was even more annoyed when, after I had slipped into the back with Adrian Lissa took the passenger seat. Adrian took my hand, giving it a squeeze and I rearranged my features to hide the jealous look that had appeared on my face. The last thing I wanted right now was to hurt Adrian more than I already had.

Dimitri's driving was noticeably more cautious than Adrians, something I knew Lissa was thankful for. The bond had let me know how on edge she was every time Adrian took a corner. After another hour of driving, and with the snacks having been demolished with not so much as a crumb left over, thanks mostly to Christian and myself, we pulled into a motel car park. With hardly any luggage between us it didn't take us long to get checked in and up room we had just paid for with a hefty cash deposit. Adrian knew as well as I did how easily traceable credit cards were and so it seemed did Abe, he'd left a suitcase full of cash, fake ID's and credit cards under multiple names on the passenger seat of the minivan. In my eyes that made the whole thing more legit and I felt myself slowly feeling more secure.

The 'suite' as it was advertised included a room with a double and single bed, a double fold out couch, kitchenette and bathroom. I knew Dimitri, like me, was relieved that one room would be enough. As guardians we knew that one room for all of us was easier to defend should the need arise. That didn't mean I was happy about being stuck in a room with Dimitri for at least eight hours while everyone else was sleeping.

Lissa and Christian took the double bed and Mia slept on the single which left Adrian with the fold out couch. The awkwardness of the situation can barely be described. Here I was in a room with the love of my life who no longer loved me while my best friend who was now the light of the aforementioned ex-boyfriends life slept in the next room, and I was expected to sleep with my new boyfriend, on a fold out couch while my ex-boyfriend sat across the room in an arm chair with no where to look but straight at us. Not to mention the fact that Adrian was feeling particularly affectionate no doubt due to my recent release from jail, and the fact that he had co-orchestrated the whole affair with my mobster father whom he had some sort of man crush on.

The need for sleep eventually won out over my urge to stay alert in order to better protect my friends and also the urge to stare at Dimitri who was reading one of his old western paperbacks. I felt the familiar feeling of an Adrian dream settle around me, it was set this time in a bedroom I had never before seen, the king sized bed situated centrally was the most inviting thing I'd ever seen, Adrian was sat on the edge of it, his trademark lazy grin showed he was happy to see me.

'Er, you're lying right next to me.' I said, unsure of the need for this dream. He merely took my hand and pulled me onto the bed next to him. 'Yes, but can we really talk with Belikov staring a hole right through you in the waking world? No.' I began to argue that point but Adrian interrupted. 'You may be trying not to look at him, yes Little Dhampir I know that you're trying, and I love you for it, but he isn't trying. You may not see it but I do, every chance he gets he stares at you, he's staring at you right now. And I'll tell you something, he hates me as much as I hate him, if not more.' I didn't want to talk about Dimitri, especially not to Adrian, I was still bitter.

We kissed for a while, but before I was able to ask Adrian anything in relation to my escape, or what his plan was now, he ended the dream, himself drifting off to sleep I assumed and left me to my own dreams. That was until I was woken up by what felt like someone sticking a sharp stick in my upper arm.