Getting Close - 27

"Left here," Dimitri said as he looked up from the map. I slowly turned left, trying not to hit the curb as Adrian made comments in the back about my driving.

"Shut up Adrian, I know how to drive," I yelled at him. "I drive better than you do." I made the turned and waited for instructions from Dimitri.

"Go about another twenty-six miles and make a right," he said as he studied the map. "I tell you what to do after that." I kept on driving, trying to block out Adrian's whining about every little thing to just get on my nerves. I mean, how many things can he whine about? The air conditioner, the radio, how uncomfortable he was, my speed, anything and everything. Gosh, he gets on my nerves so much sometimes.

After about nineteen miles, we finally saw a sign reading, 'Welcome to Nevada'.

"Finally," Adrian groaned. But I just ignored him as I watched the road as the road got more and more crowded. "Damn this traffic," Adrian muttered.

"Do you have to whine about everything?" I screamed. "Just shut up for a few minutes Adrian." I looked at him again through the rear-view mirror, giving him one of my most angry looks. I heard a chuckle and looked beside me, seeing Dimitri trying to hide his smile.

"Sorry," he mumbled. I glared at him to, which just made him laugh some more. "Should we pull over soon, or keep going. It is getting late after all."

"Keep going," I said, looking back at the road. "I've already slept enough, and we're getting close anyways. Why stop and let them possibly leave. No." I ignored Adrian as he started to whine again, saying that he needed a long shower and a good night's rest. The whole time the other two guardians just rolled their eyes and whispered to each other about wanting to throw him out of the van, or just tape his mouth shut, and Christian chuckled beside him.

"I heard that," Adrian glared at Christian and the other two.

"You were meant to," Christian chuckled, leaning away so Adrian wouldn't hit him. I laughed as they kept bickering.

"Maybe we should rest?" I said after we had sat in traffic, hardly moving, for three hours. I looked back at Adrian, hearing him quiet for once, just to see him already asleep. "Dimitri?" I looked at him for an answer, seeing him halfway asleep.

"Yeah?" he groaned as he stretched his arms.

"Should I just find a motel for the night?" I gestured to the back, pointing out everyone asleep.

"Sure, if you can find a place." I looked around, trying to see if I could see a sign anywhere to indicate if there was a hotel, or motel, or anything, nearby. After a minute or two, after we pulled forward a bit, we finally found one, and pulled over. It was the best place to stay, which left another thing for Adrian to whine about, which left me angry. Is there nothing to please this man?

"Fine, it'll do," he said as he hoped out of the van. "As long as I can sleep in a bed."

"And that's what I've been saying," I yelled. "Finally, we agree in something." I opened my door to get out just as Dimitri came around and helped me out. "Thanks," I smiled at him as he grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. "So, how much longer till Vegas do you think?"

"We'll early I said about twenty-six, and we went about nineteen, or twenty, so I'm going to say around six, maybe seven if I didn't count right earlier."

"Wow, he can count!" Christian cheered as he came up behind us.

"Oh shut up. It's not like you can do better," I said as I punched him.

"I never said that I could," he said as he ran to his room that he was sharing with Adrian.

"He's such a dork," I whispered. "They both are."

"You should be talking?" Dimitri laughed as he tickled me.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means. You're just like them. Well, better of course. But that's one of the many reasons that I love you Roza."

"Aww, well I love you too comrade." I giggled as he tickled me again, making me run from him and to our room, slamming the door right in his face.

"EVERYONE GET UP!" I yelled, pounding on everyone's doors. "We're leaving in ten, no later. If you're not in the van, we're leaving your asses."

"I think we all heard you the first couple of times," Christian yelled as he opened his door to me.

"Then get your lazy asses up," we're so close to them, I don't want to lose them now. So, GET YOUR ASS MOVING." I walked back to my room, finding Dimitri walking out of the restroom in nothing but a towel. "Ooo, comrade!" I whistled. "Is that for me?" I gestured to his whole body.

"Only if you can handle it," he replied, walking up to me and grabbing me in a hard kiss.

"I can always handle you," I grinned as I raked my hands up and down his hard, wet chest.

"But I thought you wanted to leave?"

"I do, but I said in ten minutes, we still have a few left." I pulled him to me, kissing him passionately, when the door was thrown open.

"Get your asses out to the van now, before we leave you," Christian yelled at us. "Or do you guys get longer to get ready?"

"No, we were just getting ready," Dimitri replied before I could open my mouth. "See?" he said as he pulled on a shirt from the bed.

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered as he left the room, eyeing me up and down. "Hurry." I giggled out loud as he grabbed me again and kissed me hard.

"We better do what Miss Fire Boy tells us," I laughed, grabbing my bag from by the door. "I'll see you in the van." I walked out the door just to get grabbed by Adrian. "Aww!"

"Get your ass in that van Rose," Adrian huffed as he threw me over his shoulder and grabbed my bag.

"That was what I was doing before you decided to grab me," I yelled as I kicked my legs and hit his back. "So let me down. I know how to walk." But no matter how much I yelled and kicked, he never let go. He carried me all the way to the van before deciding to let me down. Then he just threw my bag and his in the back.

"Now get in," he grinned as I looked at him in shock.

"How dare you tell me what to do," I yelled as I headed back to my room.

"Oh, no you don't," he huffed as he grabbed me again. "Dimitri can get himself out here, just get in the van. And no, you can't drive. Christian already has that job." I looked at the driver seat, seeing Christian himself waving at me and grinning like a fool. I glared at him as Adrian chuckled and pushed me back to the van.

"Fine, do whatever." I stomped the rest of the way to the van and hoped in the back seat as Adrian sat in the passenger seat. As long as I'm as far away from him as possible, I thought.

I kicked my feet up in the seat and laid my head back, closing my eyes and ignoring Adrian's voice while trying to sing along to the radio station that he picked. Then it got even worse as Christian tried to sing along to, but he was totally off pitch. But whatever.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, someone slid in beside me, picking up my feet and putting them in my lap. I didn't even have to open my eyes to know who it was. I could tell by the warmth of his hands. Just the way he touched me. I could even smell his unique smell that was just his alone. My Dimitri!

When I finally decided to open my eyes, just to look into his gorgeous ones, he pulled me to him to lay my head in his lap instead of my feet. I looked up at him, seeing him stare at me like he just won the lottery. And in a way, he has. I snuggled into him, feeling myself drip off fast. Dimitri is the best pillow.

I woke up with Dimitri draped over me, breathing heavily as he slept. I could never love him more. He was like my big, cuddly teddy bear.

Just as I was about to decide to fall back asleep, Adrian yells back at all of us. "I think we're almost there. We're in Vegas, but now we just need to find out where they're hiding." I jumped him, waking Dimitri in the progress and looked out the window. "Oh, how was your guy's nap?" I just glared at him as I looked back out the window.

"So how do we find out where they are keeping her?" I asked Dimitri. "It's not like we can look in every building."

"Adrian?" Dimitri said. "Can you try to get ahold of Lissa again? Try to check if the ring has worn off yet."

"Okay, will do," he muttered as he turned the radio off and shut his eyes, getting comfortable in the front seat. We were all quiet for what seemed like hours. Maybe it was, but it just seemed like forever. Christian even pulled over so the pumps in the road wouldn't mess with Adrian. Then he also turned the air conditioner up to keep it cool in the van, maybe it would help him. But he just sat there, with his eyes closed, acting like a statue. I wanted to jump to the front seat and demand what was going on, if he even saw anything. But Dimitri kept ahold of my hand as I just kept staring at Adrian.

After what felt like a life time, Adrian slowly started to move in the front seat. First his head twitched, then he kicked his legs to stretch them out, and then his arms, then he rolled his head around, loosening all his muscles, acting like he hadn't moved forever, which was what it felt like to me. I didn't even wait a second before asking him all the questions. What did he see if anything? How is she? Is the ring still working? Did he find out where she was? Anything to help. But all he did was slowly shake his head and turned around to look me square in the eyes.

"I did see her," he said, answering my first question. "It took a while, but I did finally get to her. She seems to be more aggressive, like the ring isn't even there. But it's still working, but just barely. Probably only for the rest of the night."

"But did you find out where she is?" I asked, trying to get everything out of him.

He looked down, then slowly back up before answering. "They're still in Vegas. She doesn't really know where, but she thinks they're underground somewhere because it's always dark and cold. But she said she's heard from a few of them that they plan on going somewhere else tonight. Which is in a few hours." I whispered the last sentence, not really wanting me to get angry that we were so close, but yet so far away at the same time.

I couldn't say anything as everything took time to register in my mind. How could she not know where exactly they are? I know they must want her not to go outside, not wanting her to possibly run off. "When you saw her, what room, or place, were you guys at?"

"I don't really know. All I really know is that it was dark, cold, and clammy. And kind of damp. Like a basement, or maybe an underground tunnel. But I think it was a basement because whenever any of us walked, boards creaked. So it was probably somewhere old too. But I'm just guessing."

"Actually, that helps a lot. So it must be an old building. If it was the tunnels or sewers, it would of smelled. Or can you smell things when you dream-walk?"

"Yeah, I can. But I didn't really smell anything but the nasty smell of Strigoi's."

"So it's not the sewers or anything because you didn't smell dirt like in a tunnel or sewage?"

"Nope, just stuff like dead flesh. Like the Strigoi's."

"So now we're on the hunt of an old building? Let's go," I said as stared at Christian and Dimitri squeezed my hand. "We have to find her tonight."

I'll try to update soon, but i can't promise anything, even though I do have the next few chapters ready.

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