Tainted Freedom {Formerly Stalker} (Book 2) (Completed)

Chapter 3

"He really hasn't gotten over the fact that you've moved on, has he?" Cory said.

"I think he still had feeling for me when he left and now he's regretting it." I said.

"Rosa, he's really turned into a butthead." Melanie said, walking into my house.

"I take it you saw everything?"

"Yes, I did."

"He needs to be stopped. I need to get him to leave me alone. It won't be easy, but I have to do it. We have to do it. This could be bad for you too, Mel. He knows where you live and will probably use you to get back at me. I'll have to start teaching you the self-defense techniques that the Guardians use. We'll start tomorrow at work. Everyday, your Language Lab and lunch periods will be used to train you. I'll make sure that he doesn't get into the school. Rose, Dimitri and Janine will walk the halls and check the perimeters. They'll go everywhere we do. Luckily, I was just assigned more Guardians. The Court must have heard about this. They'll be arriving tomorrow morning and will come with us. I'll make sure one stays with you, at school and at home. He will not hurt you. I'll make sure of it. I'll take away his immortality, too."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"If I bite him again, he's made a Strigoi. Then we stake him."

"Sounds easy enough."

"You know what, your family will stay here. My house is big enough. I'll have a Guardian drop the kids off at school and pick them up. I won't take no for an answer." I said.

"I can't shake off what that letter said." Melanie said.

I reread it:

Kait,

It was a mistake to ever let you go. You can't fool me, I see that you've moved on. I haven't. I know where you hide, you can't fool me. I'll always be there, watching, waiting. I will get you back, that's no lie. I'll do whatever it takes. I look forward to the rest of our eternity together.

XOXO

"That reminds me of the letter Dimitri sent me with my stake when he was a Strigoi." Rose said, looking at the letter.

"I never knew he could be so malicious." Melanie said.

"I should have known he was trouble." I said.

"Why?" Melanie asked.

"No one who's been with only one woman makes love like he did. I should have known."

"Rosa, you were young and stupid. You're 34 now, you know not to make those mistakes anymore. It was the heat of the moment fueled by pure lust. I don't think he ever truly loved you. I think he was just using you for sex."

"That's what I wonder."

"Just don't let him get to you. We'll come live here until he finally calls it quits. No one will be hurt, and no one will be taken. You're with someone now who will love you as long as you both could possibly live. If he stays through all this, he's serious. You'll get your happy ending. It'll just take some time and work to achieve it." Melanie said.

"Kait, we'll make sure he's gone. If he has any sort of intelligence in that giant head of his, he won't mess with us." Rose said.

"It's the kids I'm worried about more than myself. Rachel and Melanie will go with him even if I tell them not to. He knows that, too. He's their dad. They'll listen to him no matter how fucked up the reasoning is. That scares me. They don't know that he's a bad person. No matter what, they'll always see something good in him. There is no reasoning I can give to them that will makes then see my side and only my side. My god. I'm turning into my mother." I said, sitting down and cradling my head in my hands.

"I know the feeling, Rosa. It happens to every parent."

All they did was sit down next to me and hug me. After a little while, I got up and went out to the bushes by my front window. Crouched down so only eyes could show in the window, was my ex-husband.

"Get the hell off of my property. You don't belong here. You had your chance to stay. You blew it. I found your note. You'll never get me back. I'll make sure of it. I've moved on and so should you. Leave me and my family alone! If you wanted to talk about this, you had your damn chance! You blew that, too! We could have talked about it instead of my coming home to no husband and divorce papers on the fucking counter, but no! You chose to be an asshole and take the easy way out!" I said.

Cory and Melanie ran out. I realized I was shouting at the top of my lungs.

"Rosa, Rosa, Rosa! What's going on here?"

"He was looking in the window again! It was him the other day too! I know why I saw you at the store the other day! It wasn't a fucking coincidence! You're following me and I don't appreciate it! This needs to stop! I'll get a damn restraining order if that's what it takes!" I hissed, lurching forward as if I was going to bite him.

"What good will biting me do? I'm already immortal." He said with a grin.

"You'd be surprised." I said.

Through the bond, Melanie gave me instructions on how to change him back. Afterward, she gave me a look that told me to do it now.