I wasn't stupid enough to question where I was or who took me.
It reeked of one person, and I was furious.
When I woke up, I was on a bed that was bigger than any bed I had ever seen. The room screamed money and ignorance. I got up and smoothed my clothes out, cupping my stomach for a moment before going to the door and testing the handle.
It wasn't locked and I slipped out of the room, walking quietly along the wood floor. It was polished and gleamed under the lights, so much so that I could see my reflection in it. I made it to the stairs and climbed down them, my eyes moving over everything I could see.
The first thing I noticed when I got to the stairs was the security system that was on the wall by the door. I huffed quietly to myself and looked around the hall, creeping down toward what I presumed to be a kitchen. It was big, just like the rest of the house but the windows were open and I ran to it.
We were in the middle of the countryside.
It took everything in me not to throw the vase that was on the counter, and I turned around, looking for another way out. Just to be safe, I grabbed the paring knife out of the butcher's block and tucked it up behind my arm to conceal it.
It was a house, that much I knew, but it was like a prison. The windows had sensors and the system needed a code to disarm it. I kept moving through the house and went downstairs, following the hallway there.
I opened the door slowly and found the snake sitting behind his desk.
"Oh good, you're awake," he mused as he looked over a handful of papers in his hands.
"Did I stutter when I told you that I would slit your throat? Don't think that you being my sperm donor changes that," I scoffed with a shake of my head.
"I think I'd prefer the term father," he said without looking up from the papers.
"I think I'd prefer dead, but then again, you were a deadbeat dad."
Ibrahim looked up from the papers with a slight glare. "That's enough," he said.
"What? You gonna try and kill me again? I'm sure Janine would love that. It's not like she's tried to keep me away from you for the last eighteen years."
"Fourteen," Ibrahim corrected as he stood up, "And I have no intentions of killing you."
"Now," I bit out.
"Never. That was an accident."
"But you had no problems trying to kill Dimitri."
"He needed to learn his place," Ibrahim snapped, and I rolled my eyes, placing one hand on my hip.
"You're fucking delusional. Do you really think that would bode well for you? If anything it'd make me hate you even more than I do right now."
Ibrahim ran his hand through his curly hair and came around his desk, coming to stand in front of me.
"You don't hate me."
"I hate anyone who tries to kill the people I love. You couldn't hurt Dimitri, and instead, you almost killed me and my daughter in one fell swoop. I don't think there isn't a bone in my body that doesn't loath your very existence."
Ibrahim's eye twitched. "Daughter?"
"Yeah, maybe if you weren't a psychopath, Janine wouldn't have felt the need to hide me, and you'd know that I was pregnant. But no, you're just some mobster who thinks he can control everyone and everything."
Ibrahim muttered something in a language I didn't recognize. He seemed a little irritated, but I didn't care that he was irritated, I wanted him to feel just as pissed off as I did.
I huffed and walked into the adjacent room, stilling when I noticed what was in there. There were bulletin boards everywhere, they looked like crime boards from shows I had watched. Photos of people everywhere, strings, the whole shebang.
I looked over it all and stopped when I landed on a photo of someone I recognized. I pulled the picture off the tac and took an unsettled breath.
"What is it?"
I turned and found Ibrahim standing behind me.
"Why do you have this picture?"
"Why?
I looked down at the photo and swallowed thickly. "He led the attack at the Academy. He taunted me about Lissa. And when we were executing the rescue, Dimitri pushed me out of the way and was bit by him. He wanted me because of the bond with Lissa."
Ibrahim plucked the photo from my fingers and put it back up on the board.
"Unfortunately, that's not the only reason why he wants you," he said quietly, almost with a touch of sadness in his voice.
"Oh really?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, and I'd like it if you'd lose the attitude. I may have thought it was endearing with your mother, but you have both of our tempers! You need to lose the tone," Ibrahim snapped.
I swallowed and stepped back a bit, shifting on my feet. I looked back at the board and tried to figure out what was going on, but none of it made sense to me. That and looking at the board meant that Ibrahim couldn't see the pesky tears I got any time someone raised their voice at me lately.
Tears of irritation were not fun.
"Why does he want me?" I asked quietly.
"Someone hacked into my servers. I don't know how but there are a lot of things that I keep records of. One was your education. Alberta wouldn't let me meet you or see you, but I had people on the inside who would give me updates on your education. He must have found out you were my daughter and thought that you could be used as leverage."
I wrapped my arms around my waist. "That's not very comforting."
"No, it's not."
I nodded and stared at the face of the blonde Strigoi that attacked Dimitri.
"So, anything things food-wise I need to be concerned about?" Ibrahim asked as he walked away.
"What?"
"Well, I don't need a repeat of what happened the other day."
"I'm not staying here," I said bluntly.
"Rosemarie, until I feel that it's safe for you to be out there, you're staying here, under my protection."
I scoffed. "You literally kidnapped me. I have people who will be missing me, many people actually. I had a meeting with the Head Guardian when your goons snatched me out in broad daylight!" I exclaimed and threw my hands up in the air.
"It was nighttime," Ibrahim sighed as he walked up the stairs. I shook my head and scoffed again, following after him. I protested more as I followed, but it fell on deaf ears.
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I think the baby knew that I wasn't somewhere I was familiar with. She was moving around, restless in her cozy little home. But that meant that I couldn't sleep even if I begged for it. After about two hours of trying to sleep, I got up, pulled the blanket off the bed and left the room, heading downstairs to the living room.
Ibrahim had tried to tell me that I wasn't a prisoner, but being locked inside a house for the foreseeable future didn't make me feel any less than that. Even the windows were shatterproof in my room. He wasn't stupid, that was for sure.
After my protests fell useless, he showed me around the house, telling me I was welcome to everything. He told me that he had streaming channels on the TV and I could watch whatever I wanted and that the snacks in the kitchen were free game as well.
I didn't have any of my personal things, and while the clothes that were bought for me were nice and comfortable, there was nothing here to comfort me. I climbed onto the couch and curled onto my side, flipping through the movies and shows on Netflix.
I landed on my current favourite and set the controller on the table in front of me, tucking my hands under my cheek. While the comfort wasn't as good as it would be if it were Dimitri comforting me, it was helping.
Getting up to the part where Nani and Lilo go surfing I realized I wasn't alone anymore. I tipped my head up and found Ibrahim leaning on the back of the couch, eyes on the screen.
"You still like this one?" he asked with a smile.
I nodded and looked back at the screen. "Yeah."
Ibrahim chuckled. "I remember when I took you to see this," he said wistfully.
"You do?"
"Oh yes," he chuckled, "You didn't want to leave after. You were convinced that Stitch lived inside the screen. Threw a massive tantrum. The only way I could get you to leave was to bribe you with a new stuffed animal. That turned into two new stuffed animals. Stitch and Scruff."
I pursed my lips and looked up at him again. "You bought me Stitch?"
He nodded. "Yes. And you were in love with it. I had never met a three-year-old so attached to a toy. You brought it everywhere with you. You even tried to take it in the bathtub once. And you used to sleep with it under your head, with his feet sticking out on either side of your neck. Scuff was almost always ticked between your ankles. It was adorable," he reminisced.
Hearing him talk about a memory of a childhood I didn't remember stirred something in me. It was hard to think of him being a father, but he knew me until I was three. There was a lot that could happen by then.
I ran my finger over the edge of the blanket. "I still have it. Stitch, I mean," I offered.
Ibrahim grinned to himself. "Really?"
I nodded. "Yeah, still sleep with it tucked under my neck when I'm stressed. Dimitri thought it was cute," I mumbled, "He didn't tease me for it either, which helped."
I sighed and sat up. "Were you really going to hurt them?"
Ibrahim looked and me and shook his head. "No. I've been friends with Olena for years. Now, Dimitri, not sure about him."
"What could he have possibly done to make you want him away from me? Seriously?"
"That is between him and I."
I glared at him and he rolled his eyes. "Zmey!"
Ibrahim straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. I could feel my patience starting to thin and I knew that I needed to keep myself calm, solely for the baby, but I wanted to punch him in the throat.
He didn't get to be all nice and reminisce and then clam up when I ask why he wants my boyfriend dead.
"You have a minute to tell me before I punch you," I growled as I untangled myself from the blanket and stood up.
"A few years ago, a handful of novice students decided that raiding one of my houses would be fun. Now, they didn't know at the time that it was mine, but one of them thought it'd be fun to have a go with my assistant who was staying there while I was in America. She was never sure who it was, but Dimitri was a part of the group of miscreants who broke into my house. Money was stolen, and priceless items were destroyed. Why would I want my only child with someone like that?"
"That doesn't sound anything like Dimitri. I can guarantee you that he didn't do shit!"
Ibrahim shrugged. "I know what my security cameras showed. He was most definitely there."
I shook my head and walked around the couch. "He may have been there, but he didn't rape your assistant!"
"And how would you know that?"
"Because I know the kind of man he is," I said plainly, "I know that the idea of a female novice being expelled and sent to a commune makes his blood boil, I know that hearing other Guardian make lude comments about female Guardians makes him grit his teeth. I know that he has torn strips off my classmates for making the same remarks about the female novices. I know him, you don't."
By the end I was heaving, my jaw set and face pinched. Ibrahim leaned against the couch and stroked his goatee absently. I shook my head and grabbed my blanket off the bed, heading towards the stairs.
"I don't know if you thought that maybe, just maybe, you might get to have a relationship with the only blood you have, but having a vendetta against the father of my child isn't going to help you," I said trudging up the stairs. He didn't follow me, and I was glad that he didn't, I might have actually punched him.
I climbed onto my bed and curled on my side, slipping my hand under my shirt. The baby had settled down a bit, but rubbing my hand over my stomach was the only thing that I could think of right now. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to be wrapped up in Dimitri's arms while he searched for movement.
If Ibrahim wanted me here to keep me 'safe', how long would that be? How long would I be away from the people I love?
I didn't have any choice in the matter. Ibrahim had made it clear.
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The large bay window in the kitchen was taunting me. I'd been stuck in this house for three days and I was starting to go stir-crazy. Ibrahim must have told my mother that I was safe. I was sucked into Lissa's head when Janine told them all that I was with him. Dimitri was anything but happy about it, fuming when Janine told him that she didn't know exactly where I was, but assured him that Ibrahim wouldn't hurt me.
Ibrahim must have also told her about why he was keeping me here because Dimitri seemed to back down a little when he knew why. He didn't like it, and he didn't like that he couldn't protect me himself.
"I thought you said wanted Rose away from him because of what he was capable of?" Dimitri demanded.
"I did. But it is also why I know that he won't let anything happen to her," Janine placated.
"Where is she?"
Janine shook her head and sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I don't know. He didn't tell me, worried that someone might be listening in. Rose is okay," Janine promised.
I jumped when someone touched my arm. I blinked and looked up, finding Pavel standing over me. I gave him a tight smile and looked back out the window, wrapping my arms around my knees.
"These are for you," Pavel said handing me a bottle. I took them and snorted.
"Prenatal vitamins. Great," I said and set them down on the table in front of me.
"You don't need those, do you?"
I rolled my eyes and cracked the seal. I took the recommended amount out and popped them into my mouth just to appease him. Pavel smiled and picked up my plate of untouched food and then his. He gestured with his head for me to follow and I did with a sigh.
I followed him and raised my brows when he went to the back door. He held my plate out to me and I took it while he punched a code into the system. It was too long and too fast for me to catch, but I raised my brows when he stepped outside and held the door open for me.
I followed him and he lead me to a patio set that was off to the side. I sat down in one chair and Pavel closed the umbrella, letting the setting sun soak us in light. I picked at my food and sighed quietly.
"Do you not like it?" Pavel asked pointing to my plate.
I shrugged. "It's fine," I said quietly, "Just not very hungry."
Pavel raised his brows at me. "I find that hard to believe. You're burning something like two thousand calories a day? You have to be starving."
I shrugged again. "Just not feeling it," I said, "Kind of hard to eat when my stomach is in knots."
"What's wrong?"
I scoffed. "What's not? I'm stuck in a house with people I don't know against my will, I have no idea where I am, I have none of my own things to make me feel better, and to top it off, I can finally feel the baby move on the outside and Dimitri is missing it! He was so excited and now he isn't here and he can't feel it and I fucking hate it! Okay?!"
Pavel finished chewing and folded his hands on the table. "You know he only wants to keep you safe," Pavel said kindly but I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest.
"And I couldn't be safe in Court?"
"There are too many ways you could get hurt there, look at how quickly Dunston was able to get you out of there. We don't want to leave anything to chance."
I sighed and chewed on my lip. "It just sucks," I whispered.
"I know. I'm sorry," Pavel said and I believed him. He sounded genuine and he was giving me what freedom I could have here. It was the first time I'd been outside. I ate a few more bites of my food before setting my fork down on the plate with a sigh.
"Would I be able to go and get things with supervision? I just need out of the house. Please?!" I pleaded. Pavel didn't look convinced but gave me a shrug. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I let it go for now. I sat and watched the sunset while Pavel finished eating, soaking up every moment of sunlight.
"Are you finished?" Pavel asked. I nodded and he set my plate on top of his empty one and stood up. I stood up too and followed behind him. The property was fenced with a stone wall, but it didn't look like a prison. If I was simply here as a visitor, I would have thought the view was beautiful.
I followed Pavel through the door and sighed quietly when I heard the system reengage. I took the plates from Pavel and went to the sink, scrapping what was left of my food into the garbage and setting the plates in the sink.
When I looked up again Pavel had left. I went back to my room and headed for the shower. The products Ibrahim bought me were nice, and I wasn't going to deny that I was in love with the hair care products. The man clearly knew that curly hair needed special care.
After showering I got dressed in jeans and a flowy yellow shirt. The yellow made my skin look darker, and I stared at myself in the mirror. Even since being at Court, my stomach looked bigger. It might have been my imagination, but it looked that way to me.
There was a knock on the bedroom door and opened it, Pavel standing on the other side.
"There's a mall about twenty minutes from here. If we leave now, you can get a few hours there," Pavel said. I stared at him for a few moments and then grinned.
"You're shitting me!"
"No. You will be supervised, but Abe said that you needed out of the house," Pavel said with a smile. I bolted past him and jogged down the stairs, stopping at the door. I bounced on the balls of my feet and waited excitedly. Pavel came down a few minutes later with a smile, holding out a stake for me.
I extended my hand to take it and he pulled it back, raising it above my head.
"You have to promise that you aren't going to kill your father with this. This is for Strigoi only," Pavel said. I rolled my eyes and gave him a look when he smirked and handed it to me.
"I promise, Strigoi only. And I figured you would take it when we got back," I said tucking it into my pants and covering it with my shirt.
"Yes, but your father is coming with us."
"Do you have to call him that?" I asked with a slight whine.
"Yes," he deadpanned.
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "Alright, where is the man?"
"He's already in the car," Pavel said punching the code into the system and holding the door open for me.
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Another day, another update! :)