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“There’s nothing to explain Gabriel.”
 
Roseline tried to push past him but he didn’t budge.
 

“It’s Steve.”

Roseline jutted out her hip and allowed him to see every ounce of anger his betrayal had cause.
 
“I don’t care what the reason is Gabriel.
 
I want you to leave.”

“No.”

Roseline glared at him.
 
“If you don’t move I will make you.”

Gabriel’s laugh was harsh, filled with bitterness.
 
“You think you can?”

“I know I can.”
 
She marched towards him, daring him to test her.
 
Instead he sighed and stepped aside.

Roseline shoved her hand into her purse, digging deep with trembling fingers until she found her keys.
 
She fought to still her hands as the key jumped all around the lock.
 
Finally Gabriel took pity on her and unlocked the door for her.
 
“I really am sorry.”

Sighing, Roseline turned.
 
“I get it; you have to make your dad happy.
 
Whatever.”

Gabriel grimaced.
 
“That’s the crazy thing; Steve isn’t even my real father.
 
He kinda lords that over me.”

“Wait a second,” Roseline cried, her fingers clenching a handful of his shirt as she yanked him forward.
 
“You have two dads and you failed to mention that before?”

“Why?” Gabriel frowned.
 
“Do you think that’s important?”

“Of course it is, you idiot!”
 
Roseline turned and chucked her purse through the doorway.
 
“Do you know anything about him?”

“A little.
 
I’ve never met him but my mom talks about him from time to time.
 
I think she’s still smitten with the bastard.”

Roseline’s eye brow raised on that one.
 
“You’re not bitter, are you?” she snickered.

“All I know is that the guy really did a number on my mom.
 
Messed her up pretty bad.
 
She still has the scars to prove it.”

“Oh Gabriel,” Roseline sighed, thinking of the tortures she’d lived through.
 
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Gabriel nodded, clearing his throat.
 
His fists tightened.
 
“That’s what’s so confusing.
 
The guy put her in the hospital for almost two weeks and she still holds a flame for him.
 
She’s like one of those battered women you see on TV,” he spat, lip curled with disgust.
 
“He must’ve been a real nut job to slice her neck so many times.”

Roseline’s head whipped around.
 
“How many times?”

“Fifteen.
 
Maybe twenty.
 
Why?”

A tremor started in Roseline’s feet, every fiber of her being quaked as she struggled to remain calm.
 
“What was his name?”

A light bulb flickered to life.
 
“Hey, you might know the guy.
 
The internet says he’s some kind of royalty in
Romania
.”

Her terror mounted as she fought for control.
 
“His name?” she choked out.

“Lucien Enescue.”

“Oh no,” Roseline gasped.
 
The porch spun as Roseline fainted.

“Rose!” Gabriel cried, rushing to her side.
 
She was completely limp in his arms, eyes rolled back up into her head, as he carried her through the door.
 
Glancing around, he realized just how empty the house really was.
 
Gabriel headed upstairs, following Roseline’s scent.
 
Pushing open the door, Gabriel stood in the doorway to Roseline’s bedroom.
 
“Oh Rose,” he sighed, lowering her onto the mattress.

Glancing around the room, Gabriel’s heart ached for Roseline.
 
“How could I not know this was how you were living?”

Guilt riddled him as his eyes swept the room.
 
They landed on her lap top; watching the screen saver spiral around.
 
Peeking to make sure Roseline was still passed out, he snuck over.
 
His fingertips lightly brushed the keyboard and the screen popped to life.
 
Without fear of anyone having access to her computer, Roseline had foolishly failed to add a password.

Gabriel was about to turn, his guilt mounting, until he glimpsed his name.
 
He silently pulled out the stool and began reading.

Dearest Fane,

I miss you so much it hurts to breathe.
 
Speaking with you on the phone was amazing, but I miss seeing the twinkle in your eyes and the warmth of your smile.
 
I miss so much about
Romania
.

The boy I spoke to you about, Gabriel, is starting to ask too many questions.
 
I don’t know what to say to him anymore.
 
How long can I stall him before he finds out my secret?
 

Should I be afraid of him Fane?
 
His markings…I can’t understand what they mean.
 
Could he really be a danger to me?

My heart tells me no, but it’s been wrong before.
 
Oh Fane, tell me what I should do!
 
I’m so lost without you…

The email cut off.
 
Gabriel’s mouth suddenly felt as dry as the
Sahara
Desert
.
 
He glanced back at Roseline and a tear slipped from his eye.
 
“How could you keep this from me Rose?”

Gabriel tore out of the room, his thundering footsteps echoing through the empty house.
 
Roseline awoke as the front door slammed.
 
Less than a minute later she heard tires squeal down the street.

She held her head, the spiraling still making her feel nauseous.
 
For a moment she was confused, about where she was and how she’d gotten there.
 
And then it hit her.
 
“Gabriel!”

Roseline rushed to the window in time to see his silver Land Rover slide recklessly around the icy corner.
 
The engine roared as he gunned it forward.
 

“Why did he…” she trailed off, her gaze falling on the blinking cursor at the end of her partially written email.
 
Groaning, Roseline sank to the floor.
 
“This day can’t get any worse,” she grumbled, sinking to lay her face against the cool floor.
 
But it did.

Her eyes flew open wide as the memory hit her.
 
“Lucien!”

Chapter 9

“If you’re trying to make Gabriel jealous then I applaud you,” Sadie grinned as Roseline twirled slowly in the doorway.
 
“Then again I think you might give poor William a heart attack.”

Glancing down, Roseline realized just how different their outfits were.
 
Sadie had gone for a black strapless dress with an added paper clip décor.
 
It was much shorter than Roseline would have ever dared to wear but it looked good on Sadie.
 
Her knee high biker boots, black fish net hose and heavily applied eye liner finished off the outfit.
 
It looked like Sadie’s love for grunge wasn’t completely gone.
 

Roseline’s blood red corset was low cut, pushing all of her organs together to give her a killer look.
 
She was long and lean, yet curvy in all the right areas.
 
Glancing at herself in the hall mirror, Roseline smiled, thankful for immortality’s one good gift.
 
Her bronze hair lay in loose curls, draping down to her waist.
 
She looked like someone a super model would strive to be.
 

“I’m ready.
 
Can we please get this over with?” Roseline begged, wishing the night was already over.

“Not so fast,” Sadie’s mother called as she entered from the hall, pushing a rather reluctant Nicolae in front of her.
 
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he noticed Roseline standing in the foyer.
 
Apparently Sadie had failed to mention she would be joining them.

“Mom!” Sadie groaned.
 
“Did you really have to slick down his hair?”
 
Roseline tried not to laugh, but it was hard.
 
Nicolae looked like he’d just dipped his head in a bucket of oil.

“It’s his first dance.
 
He wanted to look nice,” Sadie’s mom replied, deeply amused by the mortified look on her daughter’s face.
 

“I can’t believe you making me do this,” Sadie moaned, holding her head in her hand.
 
“Couldn’t you find some other way to destroy the best dance of my life?”

Sadie’s mom cocked her head to the side, contemplating.
 
“Nope.
 
This is the best I’ve got.”

Roseline hid her grin behind her hand.
 
She absolutely loved the dynamic in this family.
 
Their pranks might seem cruel to an outsider but in reality it was all down right good fun.
 

“Surely there’s a law against this kind of thing,” Sadie whined, sounding like a tortured animal.
 

“Oh come on Sadie, it won’t be that bad,” William said sarcastically as he came down the stairs.
 
The instant he noticed Roseline, he tripped over the last two steps and landed in a heap at the bottom.
 

“Walk much?” Sadie snickered, feeling slightly vindicated.
 

“Wow Rose, you look freaking amazing,” he stuttered, flushing with embarrassment as he rose to his full height.
 
His usually shaggy hair had been tamed, waxed and styled.
 
His tanned skin looked amazing against his white shirt, left unbuttoned at the top to hint at the muscles beneath.
  
Khaki pants and brown leather dress shoes rounded out the outfit, leaving Roseline slightly taken aback.
 

“Like what you see?” he grinned, twirling so Roseline could get the full view.
 
He paused to shove out his butt, pulling the material taut.
 

Roseline giggled, pleasantly surprised.
 
“I’m impressed.
 
Who knew you could clean up so well,” she praised him.

“I have my moments,” William beamed, his sapphire eyes twinkling.

“What a romantic.
 
I’m so proud,” Mrs. Hughes rolled her eyes.
 
“Picture time!”

Sadie groaned, yanking Nicolae into the living room. “Seriously, is this torture Sadie day?”
 
Once they were in place, Sadie leaned over towards William, a smile plastered on her face.
 
“If you drool all over her the entire time I swear I will kill you!”

Snap.
 
The camera light blinded Roseline momentarily.
 
Thirty minutes and what felt like a hundred pictures later, Roseline finally stepped back into the foyer.
 

William shuffled his feet, his ears tinged red.
 
“Sorry I don’t have any flowers for you.
 
Kinda last minute notice and all.”

Roseline smiled warmly, tucking her arm through his.
 
“They probably didn’t have my favorite anyways.”
 
Orange roses would have clashed with her dress.

“Can we go now?
 
My feet are killing and we haven’t even left the house yet,” Sadie whined.
 

“Alright, get out of here,” Mr. Hughes called, finally reeling his wife in.
 

Sadie pulled Nicolae behind her.
 
“Let’s get this over with.”
 
Roseline followed, grateful to be freed from Nicolae’s unwavering stare.
 
Was she the only one that’d noticed?

The cold night air felt amazing on her bare skin.
 
She hadn’t realized how nervous she was until William led her towards his Escalade.
 
A door slammed nearby and Roseline halted in her steps.
 
William nearly ran her over.
 
“What’s wrong?” he asked, but quickly realized the problem.
 

Gabriel stood, rooted rigidly on the stone path leading to his car.
 
He looked unbelievably handsome in his black tux.
 
His blonde hair was spiked in the front, face cleanly shaven.
 
Gabriel’s eyes shone brightly under the rising moon.
 
Roseline watched as his jaw clenched tightly, his pain raw.

Roseline’s head drooped.
 
They both felt betrayed.
 
William reached for Roseline, gently pulling her back.
 
Gabriel watched Roseline turn her back on him, jealousy burning deeply in his soul.
 
Gabriel wanted to call out to her; to ask her why she’d led him on, but his tongue flopped uselessly in his mouth.

As the Escalade backed out of the driveway, Roseline glanced back.
 
Gabriel’s gaze hardened as he his eyes locked onto her.
 
He hung his head and turned away.
 
Roseline sniffled, letting her billowing hair cover her face.
 

“You cold?” William asked as he turned the corner.

“A little,” Roseline replied, not the least bit interested in the temperature.
 
All she could think about was the look on Gabriel’s face and who he was leaving to pick up.

“Thanks for this,” William said, keeping his eyes focused on the tail lights ahead of them.

 
“For what?” Roseline questioned, confused.

“Going with me to the dance.”

“Oh.
 
Yeah.
 
No problem,” she replied pathetically.

Wanting to say something, but having no clue what would be helpful, William picked the one thing that always made him feel better.
 
His finger flickered over the radio dial and was soon head-banging to a Metallica song.
 
Roseline found the rhythmic beats enticing and was soon able to emerge from her funk.
 
“Sorry about that.
 
I just didn’t think I’d see him so soon.”

“It’s no big deal.
 
But he’s gonna be at the dance you know,” William said hesitantly.

“I do.”
 
Her sigh was loaded with misery.
 
She mentally scolded herself for being such a terrible date.
 
“But I’ll have you to cheer me up,” she smiled.

“You bet!” William chuckled, ducking in and out of spaces in traffic.
 

Roseline glanced out the window, trying to get her bearings.
 
“So where is the dance?”

“One of the fancy hotels in the city.
 
Sadie programmed the directions into the GPS before we left.
 
I’m useless downtown.”

Roseline’s hands gripped the door tightly as they darted across two lanes of traffic to hit the on ramp.
 
“You always drive like this on the interstate?”

His chuckle filled the car, warming some of the ice coating Roseline’s heart.
 
“Yeah, sorry about that.
 
Am I scaring you?”

“Not at all.
 
Just wondering.”

William zipped to the outer lane, stamping down on the pedal.
 
Roseline grinned, thrilled by the deep throaty roar from the engine.
 
She loved the way cars purr in the beginning then growl as they run full out.

Her laughter fueled William’s need to show off.
 
Although his human reflexes were nowhere near as accurate as her own, Roseline found herself truly enjoying the time with William.
 
The minutes sped by as quickly as the white lines on the road that William chose to ignore from time to time.

 
“I think that’s it,” William called, pulling her attention back.
 
She followed his finger pointing towards a glamorous hotel right in the heart of the city.
 
A uniformed doorman stood, waiting for them to park.
 
William got out and tossed his keys to the man before taking Roseline’s arm, ushering her inside.

The plush red carpet whispered under her shoes.
 
“It’s gorgeous,” she whispered, staring at the high vaulted ceilings, plush inviting couches and fashionably dressed guests.
 
Now this was more like it.
 
She was used to splendor and had been sorely missing it.
 
“This place must cost the school a fortune!”

“They have it here every year.
 
And I’m sure every year the hotel manager wishes we’d go somewhere else.”

Roseline’s eyes brows rose.
 
William laughed, tugging her towards the ballroom.
 
Loud bass seeped from under the door.
 
“You sound like you know this from experience.”

William shrugged, grinning from ear to ear.
 
“It was only a little fire.
 
Honest.”

Her laughter was muffled as the doors opened.
 
The room was darkened, bright strobe lights twirled around the room, leaving just enough light for the dancers to see.
 
“This is insane,” she shouted in William’s ear.
 

Not pausing to respond, William grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the crowded dance floor.
 
They’d arrived late, thanks to the impromptu photo shoot back at Sadie’s house.
 

“What are you waiting for?” William shouted, twisting and turning in time with the music.
 
Roseline was shocked to find that William was a talented dancer.
 
She wanted to let go and enjoy herself but she had no clue how to make her body move like William’s.

“You act like this is your first dance,” William called, placing his lips next to her ear.
 

“It is,” she shouted back.
 
Normally when she went to a club back home she sat in the back at a private table, unable to dance for fear of
Vladimir
’s jealousy.
 
But tonight she was determined to enjoy herself.

William pulled her up against his body.
 
“Just move with me.
 
Don’t think about what you’re doing.
 
Just let your body move with the beat.”