A Little Too Much, A Little Too Deep

Chapter 8

After signing out at the main gate we are off heading towards one of the larger cities outside of court. Sitting back in the leather passenger seat, I allow a smile of excitement cross my face when I look back over at Dimitri. Feeling my gaze on him, he turns his attention to me for a moment and flashes a smile at me and takes one of his hands off the wheel to take mine.

"So are you going to tell me where we are going?" I ask him excitedly, raising my eyebrows at him. He smiles again and shakes his head, at my question or at my antics I'm unsure of.

"No, it's a surprise."

I roll my eyes and lean back in my seat, with a large smile still plastered on my face. I let my mind wander as to how we tell his mother and sisters that he was a dhampir again. We would need a plan because if the people at court had a hard time believing it, I can assume that we would have the same problem in Baia. I mean, his family had a memorial for him. I shiver slightly thinking about the memorial, and how much vodka I ended up drinking that night.

"Are you cold?" he asks me, breaking me out of my train of thought.

"No, I was just thinking about something," I say. As we stop at the red light he looks over at me, trying to figure out what I was thinking. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking about Baia... and about the memorial your family held for you. Also, the ridiculous hangover I had the next day. Russian vodka is like drinking jet fuel, Comrade."

He raises his eyebrow at me, and I can see amusement in his eyes mixed with sorrow.

"I'm not surprised that Mama did a memorial. Back home they don't really consider people to be turned, they prefer to think of them as having died. And who was giving you vodka? I know that it's customary to drink but, who would be stupid enough to give you Russian vodka? It would put on your ass with two shots," he explains, letting out a small chuckle at the end. I roll my eyes and huff at him, debating if I should tell him that had been his youngest sister to give me the first glass.

"I know that it is morbid in a sense, but how was it? The memorial...my family. How did they handle things?" he asked as he turned his attention back to the road, turning onto the main strip of the city. I squeeze his hand again, pushing back the dread that rose its ugly head when I thought about sitting at the fire with his family and neighbours.

"It was actually beautiful. There was a service with the pastor from your church. Lots of food and people filled your house. I didn't know anyone besides Sydney and your family, so I kept to myself for the most part. Near the end, they wanted to know what you were like before the attack and leading up. They all treated me like I was your widow. Your grandmother and Vika took it the best I think, but they are more like you and can school their emotions better. Your mom took it ok. I think it will be better when they know that you are alive though." I say with a steady voice. He is quiet as we pull into the parking lot of a plaza and he parks the car, turning the engine off. He turns to me and places a hand on my cheek, wiping the single tear that ran down my face.

"Thank you. Thank you for being there for them," he whispers and places a chaste kiss on my lips before leaning his forehead against mine. I nod gently and give him a small smile. My eyes flicker out the windshield to see where we have stopped.

"Ok, first you knew that lilies were my favourite flower without me telling you, and now we are at Texas Roadhouse. Are you psychic like your grandmother or something," I gasp, feeling a large grin split over my face. He laughs and gets out, walking around to my side of the car before I can get my seat belt off. He opens my door and offers me his hand.

"I think you forget that I was assigned to bring you and Lissa back to Saint Vladimir's, Rose. We tailed you two for three weeks before we moved on you, and in those three weeks you had takeout from here four times. I also know that you secretly enjoyed going into the tiny bookshop and café around the corner from your house," he explains and he guides up through the front door and requests a table.