AN: Just a fair warning, this chapter does contain slight gore. Also, I keep forgetting to mention that as I write, I update my profile with the story's progress, so if you're ever interested in seeing how far the chapter is coming along, just head over there :). I'm also trying to work on a special project for CF, but I'm going to keep that a secret on what it is for now, because frankly, I don't know how it's going to go lol. If it goes well, I'll post it to Tumblr or over on LiveJournal. Either way, I'll give you guys a link when/if it's ready.

A huge thank you to everyone who was so kind enough to leave a review for the previous chapter. You guys are amazing and have no idea what it means to me! So thank you to: justmeanyways, Blissangel91494, ilovesos9467, swimmer07, , Ims86, maggiescousin, Artamisofthehunt, Gigi256, and guest!

This chapter has been revised as of 01/09/2017. A huge thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her hard work on helping me revamp this fic!

Chapter Six

*Rose*

"I think you should go for it," Lissa said with a smirk as she flopped herself down onto the leather sofa later that night. Eddie had just dropped us off.

"I don't," Christian growled, settling himself down beside his girlfriend. "You only just got away from Jesse, Rose. The last thing you need is to get right back into a relationship."

I rolled my eyes at the two of them as I headed into the connecting kitchen for a bottled water. We'd had yet to make it to a grocery store to stock up on food, but Eddie and his parents had been kind enough to buy us a few essentials until we were able to do so.

"It's only his business card," I told them, attempting to take the lid off of the bottle, only to wince at the pain that surged through my arm. Christian rolled his eyes, reaching his arm out to take the bottle, and opened it for me before handing it back. I smiled in thanks. "It's not like he was trying to solicit me."

"At least that would be something," Lissa said, deadpan. "How long has it been since you've had any... fulfillment?"

I shook my head furiously after taking a sip of water. "Nope. We are not having this conversation,especially in front of him," I said, gesturing towards the male.

"Thank God," Christian mumbled, resting his head back against the couch.

Rolling her eyes, Lissa ignored him and turned back to me. "How long, Rose?"

With a loud groan, Christian grabbed the nearest pillow and pressed his face into it. "Can I go? I don't really want to listen to someone I consider a sister talk about her sex life. That's just... gross."

"Thanks," I said dryly, settling into the overstuffed armchair next to them.

Lissa snapped her fingers, trying to regain my attention. Evidently she wasn't willing to let this go. "How long, Rose?"

Christian groaned, the sound muffled by the pillow. "Still sitting here, ladies."

I sighed. "It's been... a long time."

She studied me. "A long time since you've had sex, or a long time since it was pleasurable for you?"

"Am I being ignored?" Christian demanded to no one in particular. "'Cause I feel like I'm being ignored."

Averting Lissa's gaze, I focused my eyes on the natural stone flooring. I knew this conversation would have come up eventually, but it was the last thing I wanted to discuss, especially in front of Christian. The truth was, I hadn't even thought about sex in any sort of pleasurable scenario in so long, I honestly couldn't even remember.

For the past few years, sex between Jesse and I had been nothing but mechanical and had never been about my enjoyment. Only his.

This wasn't something I felt comfortable sharing with anyone. Even Lissa. She was my closest, dearest friend. Hell, we'd been inseparable since we were in diapers. But this was... private. Embarrassing. I knew that my friends would never judge me, nor would they consider me weak.

But that exactly what I was. Weak.

I had been such a blind fool. Trying to convince myself that he had, in fact, loved me despite his treatment of me and that he regretted his actions by apologizing with gifts. I had been stupid enough to believe it. The gifts had been nothing more than his way to continue to control me, to "keep me in my place," so to speak.

My eyes slowly met her intense stare, silently pleading for her to drop the subject, for now at the very least.

Her jade eyes met mine, widening slightly as if in understanding. She sighed, the corners of her lips quirking up as her eyes cut over towards her uncomfortable lover. "I guess we'll need to get you a vibrator, then."

Spluttering, Christian haphazardly flipped the pillow from his face and stood abruptly. "And with that, I'm going to bed. Thanks for the nightmares, ladies."

Lissa and I watched him scurry out of the room before turning back to each other, erupting into a fit of giggles.

Once our laughter died down, the blonde patted the now empty spot next to her. I complied, settling down slowly so as not to jostle my ribs or arm, and laid my head in her lap. Lissa immediately started messing with my hair, and I closed my eyes in bliss.

We were silent for several moments, and the sensation of my best friend playing with my hair was quickly lulling me to sleep. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft and comforting. "Are you going to call him?" she asked. "I was watching you guys for a while, and I could tell he was into you."

I looked up at her and shook my head. "I'm not ready, Liss," I whispered honestly. I had to admit, Dimitri was incredibly sexy, especially with that accent. "I'm... scared to get involved with someone else. I-I don't know if I ever will be."

I watched as my best friend bit her lip. Her expression slowly hardened as she finally decided what to say. "Rose, I've watched Jesse slowly suck the life out of you for the past two, nearly three years," she said, her voice determined. "I want to see you deliriously happy for once in your life, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let your fear destroy you."

I breathed a laugh, though there wasn't much humor behind it. "It was just his business card, Liss," I reminded her. "it doesn't mean anything."

She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But let's say that it does mean something, and for argument's sake, let's say that you were completely over Jesse. Would you date him then?"

I shot her an exasperated expression. "Did you actually look at him? The man's gorgeous. Hell, yeah I would!"

Lissa giggled, giving my hair a gentle tug. "Now that sounds like the Rose Hathaway that I used to know."

I smiled, extracting myself from her lap, and stood slowly. "Well, I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Me, too," she agreed, stifling a yawn, then her eyes suddenly brightened. "Hey, why don't we do a little shopping tomorrow? You need some new clothes and you have to replace your laptop anyway."

I nodded in agreement. The entire reason we had come to Hawaii was so that I could work. I agreed to the trip before giving my friend a hug, then I headed to bed. It didn't take long after my head had hit the pillow for me to fall asleep.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn't a peaceful night's rest.

Strong, calloused fingers dance sensually across the skin of my shoulders, drawing a path of intricate patterns across my heated skin, the touches so gentle and loving they cause a shiver of desire to surge down my spine.

Soft lips brush across the nape of my neck, trailing slowly up my jaw to the sensitive spot just behind my ear. I cannot see the man who is causing such delicious sensations to coarse through my body, and when I try to turn to face him, his arms slide around my waist, pulling my back flush against the front of his body. My desire spikes as I feel just how happy he is to be there.

Trying to clear my head from its passion induced haze, I try to discern exactly where I am, and who I am with. The room we're standing in is dimly lit and unfamiliar. Looking down, I notice I am wearing only my pajamas; a black tanktop and a skimpy pair of shorts. The realization causes me to feel a little uneasy, pushing back some of the lust for the moment. Why am I in this strange place with a stranger in so little clothing?

He says my name, his warm breath tickling my ear and reigniting my ardor. His voice, though vaguely familiar, is not the one I'm expecting, its soft cadence sending tingles over my flesh. But try as I might, my mind cannot picture the face that goes along with it.

My treacherous body, however, responds immediately to the velvety soft voice, pressing back against him instinctively. I want more of this mystery man's touch, needing those soft lips of his on me once more.

As if reading my mind, the man presses his hips into mine, causing a needy breath to escape my mouth before I can stop it. He chuckles darkly, pressing a smile into the curve of my shoulder.

He's whispering words I cannot understand in a language I'm unfamiliar with as his hands begin to explore my body, trailing a teasing path up and down my sides before pausing momentarily at the hem of my tanktop. Slowly, he slips his fingers underneath the thin fabric.

I release a ragged breath I didn't know I was holding, my body enjoying this man's touch as deft fingers make contact once again with my bare skin. My eyes flutter shut as he traces a slow, tantalizing path across the smooth plains of my stomach.

It had been so long since I had been touched with such a tenderness that it nearly brings me to tears. I arch into him, my body desperately wanting his hands lower on my body. Once again, I try to turn in his arms, but the man's hold on me tightens, restricting any movement as his hands settle above my abdomen.

My eyes fly open as something in the atmosphere shifts, the scene around me taking on a darker, more dangerous edge. A sense of foreboding settles into the pit of my stomach as the man's embrace tightens further, his touches becoming more insistent, more demanding, and far less gentle.

The pressure of his fingers around me increases, cutting off my air supply. White hot pain shoots through me as his blunt nails suddenly sharpen, biting into my stomach and tearing away the thin layers of skin. Hot tears spring to my eyes and I try to scream, try with every ounce of strength I have left to free myself. "Stop! Please, please, stop!"

He laughs, a dark, sinister sound that I can just barely hear over my screams for help. "No one can hear you, Rose."

No. This can't be happening. My fear multiplies and I redouble my efforts to escape. This voice is not the same as the one with the soothing velvet voice with the gentle touches. No, this is a voice I know well.

"You're pathetic, Rose. I warned you not to leave me, but you didn't listen. I told you that no one wanted a battered and weak woman. Now, I'm going to make sure no one is ever going to want you again. I'm going to break you."

Blood. There is so much blood. I can feel the sticky substance running down my bare legs, dripping onto the floor to pool at my feet.

"Jesse, please," I whimper, my head spinning from the lack of oxygen and the pain in my gut. I can feel the last of my strength drain away the deeper his fingers probe the gaping wound he has left in my stomach. He finally releases me as my knees buckle and I sink to the floor into the puddle of my own blood.

I feel Jesse loom over me as I cling desperately to life. I'm not sure if it's from blood loss, the debilitating pain, or the fact that I am holding onto consciousness by a thread, but Jesse's appearance seems to shift. His translucent blonde hair darkens into a medium brown. His baby blues are now a gorgeous shade of the richest chocolate. Even from my position on the floor, I can tell that even his height increased.

It is no longer Jesse standing above me, but Dimitri Belikov. The bartender for the Kahu. I try to speak, but can only manage a strangled sob.

Slowly, he kneels down beside me. I try to flinch away as he reaches out and brushes his fingertips across my damp cheek. The touch is gentle once more, his expression one of pure sadness and regret.

He opens his mouth to speak, but it is Jesse's voice that flows from him. "Why do you make me do these things, Rose?"

I shot up in bed, desperately gasping for air. Frantically, my hands shot to my stomach, and I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn't actually bleeding out.

I ran my shaking hands through my tangled hair as I tried to calm my ragged breathing. What the hell was that?

Tossing back the covers, wincing as the motion pulled at my sore muscles, I glanced over at my clock and groaned. It was only four fifteen in the morning, but I knew there was no way I'd be getting back to sleep after that.

I padded my way to the bathroom, the hardwood floor cool on my bare feet. After doing my business, I splashed cold water on my face, grimacing as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the gilded mirror. The bruises on my face and neck were slowly fading, but they were still an angry purple, yellowing around the edges.

I turned away, unable to look at myself anymore, and left the bathroom. I desperately needed coffee, but before I left the bedroom, I grabbed a crocheted blanket from the closet, smiling briefly when I recognized it as one my grandmother had made for my mother for her birthday one year.

Exiting the bedroom, I draped the blanket over my shoulders and made my way to the kitchen, wincing as the cold stones touched my bare feet. I made a mental note to pick up some flipflops while we were on our shopping spree later today.

Coffee made, and making sure I left a note for Lissa and Christian, I made my way to the back patio, taking care to cut the alarm system before stepping outside. Despite being in a tropical environment, it was November, so the morning air was a little chilly. I gingerly made my way down the stone path to the gate that would lead me to the beach and the ocean beyond. I smiled as the salty sweet air and the sounds of the waves assaulted my senses, a soothing balm to my still rattled nerves.

I settled myself onto one of the lounge chairs, taking a sip of my coffee, enjoying the warm liquid and the sounds of the waves as they kissed the shore. Sunrise wasn't for a couple of hours, but I was content to sit and wait. Pulling the blanket over my bare legs, I sat my now empty mug aside and leaned my head back as I tried to clear my mind of that horrible nightmare.

It had started off so nicely. I was inclined to blame Lissa for my subconscious' treacherous behavior. I felt my body warm from just the thought of those hands, Dimitri's hands, I now knew, skimming over my body. What that could mean scared me. I had just met the man, and while I had no delusions that he was incredibly sexy, I knew nothing about him, except that he was a bartender and his little sister was a fan of my books. But that was it.

The second part, funnily enough, wasn't much of a surprise or anything new. I'd had more than my fair share of nightmares since Jesse became violent. But dreaming about a guy I had just met? Yeah, that was a new one. I closed my eyes and sighed. What was wrong with me?

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, I was being gently coaxed awake by a soft nudge to my knee. I slowly opened my blurry eyes, trying to focus on the shadowy figure.

"Rose?" came the accented voice that broke through my sleep-induced haze, as if my own subconsciousness had summoned him to reality. His expression was one of amusement with a touch of concern and a hint of a smile curling his lips. "Are you okay?"

I jumped, wincing once again as it jarred my ribs. "Shit, that hurt."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said gently. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Dimitri, from-"

"From the bar. Yeah, I remember." I gave him a tired smile as I tried to calm my racing heart. I stared up at him, his body outlined by the sun that was just starting to peek over the horizon. I gestured to the empty lounge chair next to me. "How could I forget my knight in shining armor?"

Especially when you're even showing up in my dreams.

His lips quirked up slightly as he took a seat.

"What has you out here at this time of morning?" I asked, suddenly wishing I had thought to run a brush through my hair before venturing out here.

He chuckled, pulling his ear buds from his ears and stuffing them into his pocket. "I could ask you the same thing."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at him, unsure if he could see it due to the dim light. "Easy, Comrade. Cryptic answers like that will lead me to believe you're stalking me or something."

I was rewarded with a gorgeous smile from the man next to me, a smile that caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle and a small dimple to appear in his right cheek. He laughed, and the sound caressed my skin like silk. "Comrade?" He chuckled and shook his head. "And no, I'm not stalking you. I've run by this house every day at the same time for the past six months that I've been here."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You live close by?"

He nodded. "Not too far, about two miles back. I live with Eddie, actually."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching as the sun rose, when I heard him make a pleased sound in the back of his throat. I looked over at him questioningly. "Hmm?"

He was facing the ocean, but I could see a small smile playing on his lips. "This is the first time I've been able to enjoy the sunrise with someone," he said honestly, and he turned towards me. "It's nice."

There was something sad in his brown eyes that tugged at my heart. "Well," I replied nervously. "I'm not entirely sure how long I'll be here, but I'm sure I'll have many more sleepless nights. Maybe we could enjoy the sunrise together on those mornings?"

He stared at me, his expression unreadable, and I internally kicked myself for opening my big mouth. I started to make a joke out of it, but he smiled that gorgeous smile again and my breath hitched.

"I'd like that, Roza."