Poison Ivy

Ch 23

ROSE

One week, one week was all it took for Scarlet to love me and tolerate Dimitri. I was surprised at first that any dog actually liked me. Lissa had a cat, Oscar, he hated me and hissed every time I went to her house. Maybe me and Scarlet were kindred spirits, she understood me and I her.

I had been spending the last week at Dimitri's place. I was originally staying over there to help Scarlet get adjusted, but now I was there for my safety. Monday night while I was at Dimitri's place my car had been broken into and ransacked. My car wasn't anything special, but it was mine bought and paid for and now it was totaled. I didn't keep anything of value in it, so I knew no one was breaking in to steal anything. It was done in retaliation. I knew it wasn't Jesse, he was still recovering and in a wheelchair. I told detective Croft I believe it was his friend, Ralph.

Ralph was just as bad as Jesse, he grew up rich and privileged. Ralph's family was just as well connected as Jesse. My car was parked in a parking garage that had no surveillance cameras. But that didn't mean we didn't know who was behind it, we just couldn't prove it. After that my dad freaked out and insisted that I was never alone. He didn't trust that someone wouldn't come after me next. I didn't mind being told I needed to spend more time with Dimitri.

My dad had let Dimitri work from home, but he had to come into the office today. He had a big meeting so I was hanging out with Sydney. We were currently in Adrian's office playing with Scarlet. Yes I brought her with me everywhere.

"Little sis, really a sweater and shoes?"

"What? It's raining and I didn't want her to get her paws wet."

"She's a dog, she's supposed to get her paws wet."

"Not her, she's special."

"Adrian, don't bother. She won't listen to a word you say." Dimitri came over and kissed me on the head.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, just let me get her raincoat on."

"My God I've seen it all now." Adrian sighed dramatically.

"Shut up Addy, are you guys still coming over for dinner?"

"Of course we are. I need some help picking from the table decor that the wedding planner gave me." Said Sydney. She and I became really close really fast. She had been strained from her family and had two sisters she missed desperately. I filled that role of sister for her and her for me. She had no other friends so I had become her maid of honor and only bridesmaid. They were having a large wedding mainly because of Adrian, well my dad. It was a business opportunity for him, Sydney didn't mind she was just happy to marry Adrian.

I will say one thing if I marry Dimitri it will not be a big show like this. Am I really already talking about marriage? I guess I am.

DIMITRI

The girls were in my kitchen looking over wedding stuff. Me and Adrian had left the room a long time ago, this was so not our thing.

"Heard anymore about my father?"

"I haven't. I'm not sure what stakes he has in this now, since the charges against you and Ivan are being dropped."

"Think about it, he's always been an opportunist. After your dad sent some of his people to scare him, when he showed up in Baia. He probably got mad, then Jesse happened. He sought that as an opportunity to get money and try to get back at me."

"How would he even know about Jesse?"

"He works both here in the states and in Russia. I'm sure he has spies all around to keep an eye out on me."

"Is he really still mad about what happened all those years ago?" I shook my head yes. My dad may have stayed away, but he wasn't happy about it. I knew he was just waiting for the day to get his revenge.

"He's lucky my dad let him live." I raised my eyebrows.

"Seriously, he doesn't take too kindly to men who beat on their wives. Honestly, Jesse is lucky he is only in a wheelchair."

"Let's just say my dad knows where to hide a body." He whispered.

"I don't want him dead, just to leave me and my family alone."

"Well, now that you and my sister are together, anything he does to you affects her."

"You know I won't let anything happen to her, right?"

"I know, but your dad being around would add more stress for her."

"I know." I said with a sigh. Rose has a setback in her recovery when her car got broken into and totaled. She started having debilitating migraines almost daily. Lissa said this was something that can happen to people with a TBI. The stress from what happened triggered them. She was doing good today, but I wasn't sure how long that would last.

ROSE

The longer I looked at pictures the more my head started to hurt. Lissa had told me this was normal for people that had brain injuries such as mine. She had prescribed me some medicine that would help when they came on. Even with that they still put me on my ass and made me bed bound till the pain subsided. Dimitri had been taking such good care of me, I don't know what I did to deserve him.

"You okay Rose?"

"My head is just starting to hurt."

"How about we stop for the night?"

"That sounds.." I started to slur my words and was seeing spots in front of my eyes.

"Rose? Rose?" I could barely hear Sydney yelling my name, I think I heard Scarlet start barking. Things were starting to get a bit fuzzy.

"Roza." I felt Dimitri's arms wrap around me and pick me up. When he did, the world started to spin and I wanted to throw up. He gently carried me to the bedroom and laid me on his bed. Scarlet was right on Dimitri's heels.

"Roza, I'm going to get you a cold rag and your medicine." I couldn't respond. I just laid there and wanted to cry because I felt so bad. He came back into the room and sat a water bottle on the table.

"Do you think you could sit up and take your medicine?" I barely nodded a yes. He helped me sit up and handed me my pill and the water. I swallowed it hoping I wouldn't throw it back up. I sat there for a minute making sure I wasn't going to throw it back up. He helped me lay back down and pulled the covers over me and put the cold rag on my head, the coolness felt so good. Scarlet jumped up and curled her little body into mine.

"I'll be right back." He said then kissed my cheek. I heard muffled voices in the hallway, then the front door shut. Dimitri came back in and I could hear him getting undressed. He then slipped into the other side of the bed. He grabbed my hand.

"Sleep well Roza."