The Rose Trilogy Box Set

by Tish Thawer

  The club was dark and sexy. A thin layer of smoke drifted in the air as different colored lights pulsed from all different directions. The music was sensual and had a very bump-and-grind beat to it. The guests were just as Jillian had described them...oozing sex. There were amazingly beautiful women and men dancing and making out everywhere I looked. Suddenly, I didn’t like the idea of Christian working here anymore.

  “Come on, Evie wants to talk to you,” he yelled into my ear.

  As we made our way toward Evie’s office at the back of the club, I kept getting a weird feeling that everyone was watching me. I was used to people staring since I was pretty tall and had a very curvaceous figure and my blonde hair always seemed to attract attention. But this was different. It was like they were waiting to see what I was going to do…or what Evie was going to do to me.

  As we entered Evie's office she gracefully rose from her chair. “Hello, Rose. I’m so glad that we could accommodate you tonight. I’m sure Christian already told you, but I want to extend my invitation personally. You are welcome at The Rising Pit whenever you want as long as you wear your bracelet.”

  “Thank you so much, Evangeline.” I had never felt comfortable calling her by the nickname Christian and everyone else used for her. “I really appreciate you thinking of me. I'll be turning twenty-one in just a few months, and until I move out of my dad’s place I won’t be down that often, but this is such a generous thing for you to do in the meantime.”

  “You’re moving out? When?” Christian suddenly sounded serious, and not very happy.

  “Well, yeah. As soon as I graduate college, which will be at the end of May, remember? I told you–I'm graduating early because of all the AP classes I took in high school. I only agreed to live with Dad as long as I was in college, and since that time is almost up, I’m ready to start looking for a place of my own.” I felt slightly annoyed and more than a little confused by the change of subject.

  Christian seemed upset at my news and I couldn’t understand why. I thought he would be happy that I would be out on my own and able to see him whenever I wanted. Frowning, he continued, “I don’t like the idea of you living alone. Not after what happened to your mom.”

  And now my evening was ruined. “Oh, Jesus Christ. Really? You sound just like my dad. Do you think the guy who killed my mom has been keeping tabs on me this whole time? What, has he just been waiting for me to move out, biding his time until he could strike? Be realistic, Christian. Just because I’ve had to face tragedy in my life, doesn’t mean I’m different from any other twenty-one year old living on her own. Besides, I’m tougher than you think,” I spat as I headed towards the door. “Thanks again for the kind gesture, Evangeline, though it looks like I won’t be needing it tonight after all.”

  I spotted Jillian at the bar as I rushed out of Evangeline’s office. I realized that she had just had a drink placed in front of her when I grabbed her arm. “Sorry, change of plans...let’s go.”

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Ruined

  (Rose)

  Just as I reached the club's front door, Christian grabbed my arm. "What's wrong with you?" His face was lined with genuine concern. Christian and I had never fought before, so this was his first taste of my temper, and right now it had just started to boil.

  "What's wrong is that I'm sick of everyone treating me like a kid," I screamed over the bass of the music. "You don't seem to think I'm a kid when your tongue is down my throat or your hand is up my shirt, now do you?"

  Taken aback, he gasped and dropped my arm. After a moment, he cocked his head towards the door. "Let's go outside." He walked out, leaving me standing there wondering if we'd survive our first fight.

  I glanced at Jillian who was standing there watching me with a concerned look on her face. I leaned in and raised my voice enough for her to hear, "I'll be right back." She nodded and headed back to the bar to reclaim her seat and drink.

  After I passed through the door and popped my ears, adjusting for the void of the loud music, I spotted Christian leaning against his car. His eyes were locked on mine as he tracked me from across the parking lot.

  "I don't understand why you're so mad." Thick emotion laced his tone. "I love you, and it's only natural that I would be concerned and worried about you."

  Listening to him express his feelings so openly made me realize that I had just ruined our entire night. Feeling ashamed I whispered, "I'm sorry. After all these months of my dad babying me, I guess I'm just overly sensitive to anyone who tries to coddle me."

  He took my face in his hands. "Rose, I'm not trying to coddle you. I'm just worried about you living on your own. I'm your boyfriend, I love you, and that gives me the right to be concerned."

  He loves me. As the fact settled deep in my bones, a warm feeling started to spread in all the right places. I pulled his hands away from my face and stepped closer. "Can we talk about my moving out later?" I reached up and laced my fingers through his hair. "I just really need to be close to you right now."

  I didn't wait for his response. I leaned in and brushed my lips across his. When I pulled back to gauge his reaction, his eyes were closed and his breath was shallow. He licked his lips and then that sexy smile of his started to crook the corners of his mouth.

  He opened his eyes, pulled me into his arms, and hugged me tightly. "All I ever want is to be close to you," he whispered in my ear.

  I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders and started to kiss his neck. He reacted by running his fingers through my hair and tilting my head so he could do the same. Feeling his lips and tongue slide along my skin made me break out in goose bumps. He leaned away, looking concerned. "Are you cold? Do you want to go back inside?"

  I didn't...not really. I just wanted to stay out here in the dark, where Christian and I were the most comfortable. But I knew I needed to get back to Jillian, and Christian needed to get back to work, so after kissing him once more I said, "Yes, let's go." I'm sure I sounded disappointed.

  After Christian double and triple checked that I was okay, I convinced him to get back to work while I found Jillian. She hadn't been in her seat when we returned and her drink had already been cleared from the bar. After waiting my turn, I flagged down Dominique, the older of the two sister bartenders. "Did you happen to see where my friend went?" I had to yell to make sure she could hear me over the loud music.

  She nodded her head "yes" and then gestured towards the bathroom.

  "Thanks," I yelled back in appreciation. I didn't know Dominique very well, but during the few run-ins we'd had, she'd always been really nice.

  I headed towards the bathroom to make sure Jillian was okay. Once inside, I called her name, but there was no response. After checking under the stalls and verifying that they were all empty, I headed back out to the dance floor.

  Looking around, all I saw were the patrons of the club, lost to either the beat of the music or the throes of passion. Finally, I glimpsed a speck of red out of the corner of my eye. Jillian, in her red leather miniskirt, was currently making her way up the curved staircase that lead to the club's second floor. And she wasn't alone.

  Pushing through the crowd, I struggled to keep my eyes on her and her mystery companion, but kept losing them as I elbowed my way to the base of the staircase. When I finally broke through the crowd, I glanced up just in time to see them dip behind a curtained entrance. Just as I started up the stairs, Evangeline appeared, placed a hand on my arm, and motioned for me to follow her.

  I really wanted to head up those stairs to make sure Jill was okay, but I didn't think it would be a good idea to refuse Christian's boss. Feeling frustrated, I followed as she led me to her office, held the door open, and motioned me inside.

  "Are you okay, Rose?"

  "Yes, I'm fine." I tried to sound as convincing as possible.

  "I'm sorry that Christian's concern was upsetting to you. He tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, and as with most men, that can often tr
anslate into a fierce protectiveness. It's obvious that he's very much in love with you." She sounded more like his mother instead of his boss.

  "I love him, too." I replied softly. This wasn't exactly a discussion I thought I would ever be having with Evangeline, but suddenly it felt good to have someone to talk to about this. "I'd do anything for him. That's why I thought he'd be happy I was moving out. We'll be able to spend so much more time together."

  "I'm sure that he'll come around. As a woman who's lived alone for years, I know you'll be fine, but it's always hard to convince the men who love us that we don't need them 24/7," she joked. "Why don't you go wait for him at the bar? I'll go let him know that he can take his first break."

  As we left Evie's office and headed towards the bar, it took me a moment to muster up my courage. "Would it be alright if Christian gave me a tour of the club? Since it's officially my first time inside, I'd really love to see more of the place."

  After hesitating briefly Evangline said, "Yes. I think that'd be fine. I'll send him right over to you."

  Just as I sat down, Tori placed a drink in front of me. I waved my bracelet at her. "Thanks, but I'm not allowed."

  "It's just soda!" Smiling she headed back towards the man who was struggling to get her attention. Right then, I made a conscious note to myself; once I moved out and could come here more often, I would definitely be getting to know her and Dominique better. They seemed like a couple of really cool chicks.

  As I sat there waiting for Christian, I kept thinking about Jillian and what the hell she could be doing up there with a complete stranger. Not that I didn't have any ideas. She was older than me and more experienced, but she was my best friend and I had brought her here, so yeah...I was feeling a little overprotective I guess. How ironic.

  "So I hear I'm to give you a tour." Christian's smooth voice floated to my ear.

  "Yes, you are." I slid off my stool and into his arms. "Let's start upstairs." Yes, I wanted some alone time with him, but this was also where I had last seen Jill. Two birds with one stone and all.

  As we rounded the top of the staircase, I heard noises that indicated that everyone in this vicinity was having a really good time. "What are all these curtained off areas?" I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

  "These are our private rooms. VIP guests can invite patrons to join them up here for a more intimate party of sorts." He sounded a bit hesitant in his explanation. I think he was nervous about how I would react. He probably thought I was going to be mad, which I might have been if Jill hadn't planted her wicked idea in my head earlier tonight.

  "Are any of them empty so we can have a more intimate party of our own?" Tilting my head, I batted my eyelashes and let a sexy grin slowly play across my mouth. Christian's chest expanded as he took a deep breath, a feral look settling on his face. He took my hand and began leading me to a private room all the way at the end of the hall. That's when I heard Jill scream.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER NINE

  Damaged

  (Rose)

  I spun around and ran towards the room that I had seen Jill disappear into. Just as I was about to reach for the curtain, Christian was in front of me, pushing me back. "Let me by!" I screamed. "That was Jillian and she's in there with some strange guy!"

  "It's my job, Rose. Let me do it." He looked serious, and as I started to protest, I saw Dax bound up the stairs and give Christian a quick nod.

  "Let's go," Dax said.

  Christian placed me by the railing. "Stay here. I'll bring her right out to you."

  I gripped the railing so hard that my knuckles turned white. Damn it, I knew I should have followed her up here. I heard some rustling and low voices, but no more screams. I guess that was a good sign. Suddenly, Jillian appeared from behind the curtain with a napkin pressed to her neck.

  I rushed to hug her. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes I'm fine. I broke a glass and a couple stray pieces flew into my neck." She pulled away the blood-soaked napkin revealing two small, bloody dots.

  "Oh, thank God. I thought that strange guy was raping you or something."

  She laughed. "He's not strange and he's no stranger. I've known Justin for a while."

  I should have felt relieved, but instead a layer of annoyance settled over me. "How do you know him? I've never seen him before. Does he go to our school?"

  Dabbing at her neck again she said, "No. He doesn't go to our school. I met him in the yoga class I take at night over at the gym."

  "Yoga? Since when do you take yoga? And what would a guy like that be doing in a yoga class?" I could tell by the look on Jill's face that I had sounded sarcastic.

  "Picking up pretty girls of course," a smart-assed voice replied. I looked up to see Justin as he made his way out of the private room with Christian and Dax following closely behind. He was definitely Jill's type: longer blonde hair, blue eyes, great body. Wow. Yoga does a body good!

  "Hi, I'm Justin." He extended his hand, which I did not take.

  I'm not sure why I felt so pissed towards this guy, but I did. "I'm Rose, Jillian's best friend. So exactly how long have you two known each other?"

  "About four months." Jillian's tone was clipped. I could tell she thought I was being rude. Too bad.

  "Huh. Four months and I've heard nothing about you." I turned to stomp towards the stairs.

  "Hey, what's wrong with you?" Jill grabbed my arm. "When you were outside throwing your hissy fit, I ran into Justin. We danced and then he invited me up here. We were having a good time, then I broke a glass and screamed. Next thing I know Christian and this brute," she flicked a thumb towards Dax, "come busting in. And now here you are being all shitty. What's up?"

  I didn't have an explanation for her. I should have been relieved that she was okay, but instead I felt angry and annoyed. Right as I started to let my temper loose for the second time tonight, Christian eased up beside me and placed a calming hand on my lower back. It was just what I needed.

  I looked at Jill who had gravitated towards Justin. Once I took a moment to really process the scene, I could tell that he was worried about her. He was holding her hand in one of his, and with the other, reached up and slipped fingers under the curtain of her hair and started massaging tiny circles at the back of her neck.

  I exhaled a breath to calm myself. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just when I saw you disappear with someone that I thought was a stranger, and then I heard you scream...it just really scared me." Feeling embarrassed, I tried to play it off. "I guess Dad's over protectiveness is starting to rub off on me a little." I couldn't tell her why I was really upset...I couldn't tell anyone.

  "Why don't you and Justin join us so I can get to know him a little better?" After almost blowing it with Christian, and now with Jillian, I wasn't sure it was possible, but I really wanted to try to end tonight on a high note.

  Just then, I caught Justin eyeing Christian who had just exchanged a brief look with Dax. "Thank you, but I should really be going." Justin kissed Jillian on the cheek and darted down the stairs. Now I really felt bad because I had just chased off my best friend's boy toy for the evening. Can you say cock-block?

  Just as I started to ask Christian if we could head back downstairs, Dax nudged his shoulder. "Can I speak with you privately?"

  "Sure," Christian replied. Kissing me once more, he left Jill and I standing alone at the top of the stairs. Awesome.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER TEN

  Visitors

  (Christian)

  After kissing Rose once more, Dax and I ducked back into Justin's private room. This was always the one he reserved for his visitors. Justin was a vampire from a clan that resided just east of Masen.

  Evangeline had made it a point to let all the vampire clans in the area know that they were always welcome at The Rising Pit, as long as they followed her rules.

  Rule 1: Don't feed in public.

  Rule 2: Make each feeding pleasant for your guest.

  Rule 3:
Make sure your guest doesn't remember.

  Rule 4: Never kill.

  Simple enough. There had never been a problem with anyone following the rules. On average, there were only about six or seven vampires that visited per night, and since there were fifteen private rooms, that always meant there was a private place available for them to feed.

  Making their visitor's experience pleasurable was just as easy as making them forget. Every vampire has a "sedative" that flows from their fangs; the instant that they pierced a vein, all they had to do was program their desires into that sedative. Tonight it was obvious that Justin's sedative had worked in order to make Jillian believe that she had been cut by stray shards from a broken glass.