The Disappearing Act (Vampire Academy Fan Fiction Book 2)

Chapter 14: Kiss Me

Chapter 14: Kiss Me

                Dimitri was moving before I was. He was out of his seat and halfway across the room before I’d even blinked. I moved after him, trying to keep my face hidden as I snuck back to the door on the heels of a very noticeable Dimitri.

                What the hell was Jill doing here?

                She was supposed to be locked up somewhere, under the Guardian’s care at an institution suited for crazy people like her. She was supposed to be safe and very far away; she was supposed to be out of the picture so the Queen-zilla could keep her throne.

                But, here she was, ordering Cosmos at a strip club with nothing less than a Strigoi.

                I finally caught Dimitri at the door. He had his phone out and I saw Cassie’s contact picture on the screen.

“We can’t call them,” I said sharply as he shoved through the curtains. I hurried after him, the heels biting at my toes. “Dimitri!”

“Rose, we need back-up here,” he answered, not looking at me. “She is the one person who will recognize us, and we can’t have that here.”

                He hit the call button, the ringing echoing into the quieter hallway.

“We’re supposed to be handling this. They’ve done enough,” I whispered back, eyes darting to the curtain. I didn’t know where these Strigoi had ears; I didn’t know where we were safe. Hell, I hadn’t been safe in years.

                Dimitri’s face hardened as the phone kept ringing, his own eyes darting to the shadows around us. He knew as well as I did this had to been done quietly; that was why we’d disappeared like we had in the first place.

                I could see the fight raging inside of him; it happened every time we got close to another lead. We’d been working on this for years, and it was eating away at him; it was picking apart the piece of him that was still broken from his time as a Strigoi. We’d both forgiven him for it a long time ago, but that didn’t mean it’d disappeared, and this ongoing detective mission to find revenge only served to bring up old memories.

                We had worked too hard for him to wreck it now; we had come so far from the tattered wedding clothes. If he called Court, they’d come in and take the credit and we’d be back to a life in hell. He couldn’t do this.

“Dimitri,” I begged. “Don’t blow it now.”

                His eyes flickered to me and he dropped the phone, tucking it into his pocket. I hated when he was so stubborn.

“Let’s go back to the hotel,” he grunted, wrapping an arm around my waist. He planted a gentle kiss to the top of my head and I felt him linger for a moment, borrowing strength like we did all the time. It was a habit we’d had since meeting.

                I began to walk down the hall, exiting the way we’d come, which was the first mistake.

                The guards were now on the inside, their faces grim as they watched us approach.

“We need you to come with us,” one growled, blocking the door.

“The boss wants to see you,” the other added, a smirk on his lips. Obviously, he knew what his boss did at these meetings.

                What he didn’t know was who he was dealing with.

                Dimitri lunged right as I went left, both of us moving in without a sound. I trusted him to take care of himself, though it was a lesson I still struggled with.

                I had the element of surprise on my guy and I landed a punch, producing a bloody nose. He was human; I forgot how fragile humans were. To his credit, he hit back, but it was nothing like me. He was knocked out in seconds and slumped uncomfortably in the corner.

                Dimitri finished his, propping him against the wall. I was already out of my heels with one hand on the door.

“Let’s go,” I snapped, not daring to look behind us. We’d been quiet, but Strigoi had insane hearing; I had no doubt they’d listened in on our fight.

                Dimitri followed me into the alley and the door slammed behind me. I went to run, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back against him.

                I looked up at him in confusion, my eyes blazing with adrenaline and the internal instinct to save myself. We had to go.

“I love you,” he said, his breath heavy. “I love you, Rose.”

“I love you, too,” I said in irritation, trying to pull away again. Why wasn’t he moving?

He guided my chin back, shaking his head in amusement.

“Roza,” he chuckled, “Kiss me.”

I blinked at him, a small smile on my lips as he leaned down and pressed his warm mouth to mine. It was one of those kisses that made me melt from the inside out; it was one of those kisses we hadn’t had in a very long time.

Those kind were saved for before bed, when we’d been teasing each other all day. Or for when we were so happy it was impossible to keep it to ourselves. Or when he was saying goodbye; when he thought we wouldn’t see each other again.

The shouting on the other side of the door broke us apart, and he finally released me.

“Run, Roza,” Dimitri commanded and I obliged, sprinting with him back down the alley.