VOLKO

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dean had sneaked me back to my room late last night, the guards words still played in my mind, reminding me of the past Dean and Victoria shared. However, I refused to allow the negative emotions of jealousy to taint the here and now.

That didn't stop them from keeping me awake, or Dean it seemed. Just two hours after he had left my room, I watched from my window seat as Dean ran the same run he always did in the mornings.

Most of the time he ran by without looking up, yet today I saw him searching the windows until he saw me. A faint smile broke out, changing his features from serious to relaxed in a second. His eyebrows raised whilst he made a gesture for me to g0 outside, then gave me a cheeky wink before returning his focus to the task in hand, making me far happier than I wanted to acknowledge.

Backing away from the window now that Dean has disappeared from view, I looked at my neatly packed bag for tomorrow. Not being able to sleep had made doing that boring task somewhat easier.

Home, I thought. Subconsciously a smile came to my face whenever I thought of the Cotton's. How could it not? Dean coming along not only calmed the anxiety I felt about traveling back, but also made me nervous. Would the Cotton's like him? I had no doubt Chase and Dean would hit it off like a house on fire, and Mr C, he'd love how sharp Dean's mind worked.

Obviously, I couldn't tell the Cotton's what was going on between Dean and I, I reminded myself. An exercise which might prove challenging with Jay around, the guy living to solve mysteries.

Having told Gemma about the kiss at the party and the fall out afterwards, I wondered if her feelings towards him would be hostile. Gemma was a blunt person at the best of times. Her sugar coating had a far bitter taste to them than sweet.

What would Dean think of Gemma? My stomach dropped at that one. Glamorous Gemma, who's beautiful was undefinable. Most people would love to be as stunning as her. Hell, I'd love to be as stunning as her. I knew Gemma wouldn't take a second look at Dean, not because he was beneath her. But because of me, we were sisters, true sisters, not like Jessica. We may share half the same blood, but she was no sister to me.

On the Gemma front I didn't have to worry, I knew that. But Dean, he had no loyalties to me. We were nothing more than two people who hooked up at night. I confess, the situation had begun to lay heavy on my shoulders. I didn't love Dean, no, that didn't mean I hadn't developed feelings.

The what if's played through my mind. Torturing me with their damning words. Not just Dean's likelihood to like Gemma more than me, but the safety aspect. Whilst Dean's presents made the journey safer, the imagining of Tony's body lying still in the car caused an undeniable pain in my chest. Often it changed to Dean lying there instead. A vision which sucked the air straight out of my lungs.

As promised, I dressed suitable for the hot day outside. Leggings and a loose t-shirt, not the most dazzling of outfits, yet fitting for adventuring out of my room for the first time in a while.

To my astonishment, the task was a lot easier than I'd previously thought. Taking the scenic route, mostly because nobody really came this way, I ended up down the hallway of family portraits.

Dimitri's presents lingered, sending a chill down my spine. I tried to focus my attention on the paints, reading over the small golden plaques they had beneath. Each one was written more glowing than the one before.

Not a single woman hung. I scoffed, either Robert's sexiest views of women had meant he'd chosen not to hang them, only the men, or my ancestors were just as sexiest. No way could you tell me that in the long line of ancestors which hung on these walls, not one female had done something worthy to be honoured.