The Rose Trilogy Box Set

by Tish Thawer

After her attack on Meredith, she and that boyfriend of hers, Christian, had gone into hiding. It hadn't taken me long to remember where he worked, but when I went to see the owner and asked if she'd seen them, the answer I'd gotten was, of course, no. I didn't believe her.

  I'd thought about going to the police and asking them to get a search warrant, but since Meredith didn't press any charges and Rose was over eighteen, there really wasn't anything I could do except continue to look on my own. Besides, involving the police could be detrimental to us all since we'd covered up what had really happened that night.

  I did find out from her college that she had completed her courses online and graduated on time, but they were unable to divulge any information as to where the computer's IP address was originating from without police involvement. Again, another dead end.

  But today, I just had a feeling I was in for a lucky break. I had to take a trip back to Seela to go over some business accounts with my boss. After Meredith's recovery, I'd sold my home and moved to Masen to live with her. The decision wasn't easy, but it had been the best choice after my wife's death and Rose's attack on Meredith. I just couldn't stay in the home that carried all those horrible memories. It had been the place where I'd spent the happiest times of my life, but now it was just a constant reminder of everything I'd lost.

  So I moved in with Meredith and we'd been blissfully happy for four months now. Her recovery had been almost miraculous according to the doctors. That type of injury usually would have been life-threatening, but Meredith barely had a scratch left on her, and she'd shocked all the therapists with how quickly she regained full mobility. She'd even gone back to work and so had I.

  I was lucky enough to have moved my office to Masen, and instead of having to travel here every month or so, now I traveled back to Seela instead. Today was one of those days.

  "Do you have everything?" Meredith bustled around the desk, gathering all the loose papers I had spread across it.

  "Yes, honey. I have everything. I don't need those right now; they're for a different campaign." I was the Vice President of D&L Marketing and was headed to a meeting with my boss to go over my latest campaign proposal.

  "Alright. I'll just stack them here then." She always made it a habit to keep my desk tidy for me. I wasn't sure if it was because she was just curious, or a neat freak who was still getting used to my presence in her life. I had tried to ask her about it once, and her response was, "Don't be silly. You're my destiny and I love having you here with me."

  I was slowly starting to share her sentiment, but our relationship was something of a conundrum. I'd originally met Meredith when my wife, Loraine, was still alive, and the shock of how much the two looked alike had been intense: long blonde hair, a tall athletic body, and a killer smile. Then Loraine had died, and Meredith had really been there for me and we'd started dating.

  I'd considered it a bit awkward to be dating a woman that reminded me of my dead wife, but at the time, it was exactly what I needed to help me deal with the pain. But when Rose found out, I was suddenly forced to look at the relationship in a whole new light. One that cast it as something that wasn't as bright and brilliant as I had made it out to be.

  I tried to break it off with Meredith, but then the whole situation with Rose attacking her happened. Her choosing not to press charges, but instead protect my daughter and me, well, that made me fall for her all over again.

  "Are you going back to look for Rose at that club again?" Meredith asked, rousing me out of my stroll down memory lane.

  "I was thinking about it. The owner said she hadn't seen either one of them since that night, but I don't believe her. I might just sit outside in my car instead of going in. Maybe that way I'll see something they weren't expecting me to see." I wiggled my eyebrows at her in an attempt to relay how sneaky and brilliant I thought my plan was.

  "Well, just be careful. And call me when you get there. At least if I'm talking to you on the phone, I won't be worrying that something bad is happening to you." She straightened my tie, then wound her hands around the back of my neck and pulled me into a passionate kiss. "I just got you back and I never want to lose you again."

  The feeling of Meredith's lips on mine and the sensual feel of her curves pressed against me had the potential to make me very late. This woman intoxicated me and I was so grateful to have her in my life during this difficult time, so I had to force myself out the door and into the garage.

  I waved goodbye from the car as I pulled out of the driveway. The trip to Seela from Masen took about two hours, so that would give me plenty of time to think over my plan for tonight. The business meeting was going to be a breeze, same old same old, but a stakeout was something new to me. I certainly hoped it would lead me to Rose because as happy as Meredith and I were, I missed my baby girl.

  * * * * *

  (Meredith)

  As soon as Jeremy waved goodbye and started to drive away, I grabbed the phone and dialed. "Have you had anymore reports of Rose and her vampire at The Rising Pit? Are they still there?"

  "Yes, ma'am. According to our people, they're still there. Rose is now working for Evangeline as her bookkeeper."

  Our people. I liked the sound of that. I came from a long line of human/demon descendants, but until recently, I'd only associated with my own family. But after some searching, I'd begun to find more demons in the area. I'd discreetly organized a few meetings to pull the demon families together. It was tricky since we'd spent our entire lives in hiding, but it was slowing working and it was nice to finally connect with people like me–with demons like me.

  When I'd met Jeremy, he didn't have a clue that he was a demon, and he still didn't. I wasn't sure if I was going to tell him or not. I was afraid if he found out the truth about me, let alone himself, he'd start to question everything about our relationship again. And that was something I couldn't permit. Not after finally getting everything I'd worked so hard for.

  When I discovered Jeremy was a demon, I'd made it my mission to seduce him in order to become pregnant and continue my pure demon bloodline. But I'd never expected to fall in love with him. Once I had, the only way to secure my life with him was to kill the one person who stood in my way...his wife. And now, having successfully separated Rose from her father, we'd finally been able to start our life together. So for now, I wouldn't tell him that he was a demon. At least not yet.

  Besides, I wanted to spend more time with the other demons I'd met and see how they lived their lives and what of our histories they knew. A lot of demons were like Jeremy, clueless about their heritage, but every week, more and more demons were coming out of the woodwork and attending our little get-togethers. It was comforting. Especially since I knew it wouldn't be long until Rose and her boyfriend's clan found out that I was still alive. I knew they would be coming after me, and I'd have to be prepared. And the more demon "friends" I had, the better.

  "I'm coming over. I have something I want to talk to you about."

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER THREE

  Spy

  (Christian)

  Once again, I woke up realizing I was the luckiest vampire in the world. Rolling over in bed to find the love of my life, Rose, sleeping peacefully beside me was like waking up in heaven every night.

  After gently brushing the hair out of her eyes, I leaned in and placed light kisses on her cheek before tiptoeing into our bathroom to shower. I needed to talk to Rose tonight. I wasn't looking forward to what I had to tell her, so I was happy for this brief time to myself to collect my thoughts.

  After showering, I wrapped the towel around my waist and slowly crept back into the bedroom in case she was still sleeping. She wasn't. Instead I found her lying in bed with her hands tangled in her hair and a worried look on her face.

  "Rose, are you okay?"

  She sat up and a warm smile spread across her face while she looked at me standing there in nothing but a towel. If I hadn't been concerned over what she was worried about, I would hav
e dropped the towel and proceeded to start our evening off in a much more delightful way, but with a crease to her brow, she pushed herself off our bed and wrapped her arms around me. "I was just thinking about everything that's happened. Terrance, Meredith, my dad. I...I just can't believe how much everything has changed."

  I pulled back from the hug to press my lips to hers and then made sure to look her straight in the eye. I wanted her to know that she didn't have anything to worry about ever again. "I know, baby, but now you're living and working here full-time, and once I become the new Sire, I'll change you and then we'll truly be able to start planning our very long future together."

  When I'd started to show signs of being triggered as the next Sire, I was completely skeptical. Actually...I was still pretty skeptical. I wasn't truly convinced that what was happening to me really meant I was the one, but in moments like these, I hoped it was true. Only a Sire had the ability to create another vampire, and the idea of being the one to turn Rose and to have her join me as my consort was euphoric.

  She smiled at me and then headed towards the bathroom. As I walked towards my closet I heard her ask, "Do you have any idea when you'll become the new Sire?"

  I was happy to hear the question because it meant she was thinking along the same lines as me. "I'm not sure. My abilities are increasing, but I think Evie wants to wait and see what other talents I develop before we do the Passing of Powers ritual. Honestly, I'm not even sure I'm really the one being triggered. It could all just be a big mistake." I didn't feel the need to hide my insecurities from Rose. We'd been through so much together, and I knew we'd face this together too.

  "What happens if it's not you?" she called back.

  After pulling on my jeans and slipping into a navy t-shirt, I shrugged. "I guess we just wait until someone else starts to show signs of being triggered."

  I heard the water for the shower turn on and then Rose said, "I'm gonna hit the shower, but when I'm done...there's something I want to talk to you about."

  I mulled over her words as I finished getting dressed, wondering what she could possibly want to talk to me about. I knew what I needed to tell her wasn't going to be easy for her to hear, but I thought it was something she needed to know. I hoped it would help her get some closure.

  I was a little nervous about how she would react to the fact that Evie had recently sent Renard and Loni to spy on her father. Especially since what they'd found would come as a pretty big shock. Jeremy, Rose's dad, had sold their family home and moved away. I knew it was going to be devastating for Rose to hear, but she had a right to know.

  After her attack on Meredith, Rose and I went into hiding here at The Rising Pit. A few weeks after the incident, however, Jeremy had come to the club looking for us. Evie turned him away, telling him she hadn't seen either of us since that night. He hadn't been back since.

  At the time Evie had suggested that one of us bite him and use our sedative to make him forget, but Rose panicked at the idea. She'd said no matter how bad the memories her father had of her were, she just couldn't live with the idea that he wouldn't remember her at all. Evie tried to convince her we could wipe just the memories of Meredith and the attack, but Rose was adamant. She insisted that he needed to remember those things so he would be more willing to let her go.

  Apparently her plan worked because he'd moved away completely, leaving the memories of what happened and any hopes of finding his daughter behind. I guess he realized his daughter was now a grown woman and there wasn't anything left for him to do but to move on.

  It was a hard situation for everyone, and this conversation wasn't one I was looking forward to.

  * * * * *

  (Rose)

  As I lathered my hair with my favorite honey and oat shampoo, I contemplated the best way to tell Christian that I wanted to go see my Dad. I knew he'd probably say no, that it was too risky, but honestly, I didn't care. It wasn't like he or any of his clan could stop me if I really wanted to go. I would just wait until they were all comatose during the day, and head out on my own.

  I wasn't sure what I would say to my dad or how I would breach the demon subject, but I had to try. I needed to know why no one ever came after me for killing Meredith. Not that I wasn't happy about the fact, just confused. I needed to know once and for all if I was going to have to stay hidden forever.

  I emerged from the bathroom in my terrycloth robe, towel drying my long blonde hair and found Christian pacing. "I've been thinking about it, and I want to go see my Dad." There. I'd said it. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me, then his hair and eyes started to drift.

  "Did you hear me? I said I want to go see my dad."

  "I heard you. But I have something I need to tell you."

  "I don't care if you think it's a bad idea. He's my dad, and it's been four months since everything happened. If the cops haven't showed up yet, then I doubt they will. I need to know what he told them and I need to know if he's okay." I stomped back into the bathroom, threw my wet towel over the shower door, and then took a seat and started doing my makeup.

  Christian entered the bathroom and stood behind me, placing his hands gently on my shoulders. I stopped applying my mascara and looked at him through our reflection in the mirror. "I didn't say it was a bad idea, but I have something to tell you which pertains to your dad that I think you need to hear first."

  I pushed out of the seat and spun around to balance myself on the edge of the dressing table. "What? What do you need to tell me about my dad?" My grip tightened on the table, turning my knuckles white.

  "Rose, your dad has moved. He sold the house and moved away."

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Ruse

  (Rose)

  It took me a moment to catch my breath. I'd heard what Christian said, but it just wasn't registering in my brain. There was no way my dad would have sold our home and moved away. I was born there, and every memory of my childhood revolved around us and that house.

  "When? When did he move?" I couldn't get a grip on whether I was pissed or sad.

  "We're not sure. Evie sent Renard and Loni to check on him a few weeks ago and they found the house with a sold sign in the yard and no one there."

  I pushed off from my perch and began to walk out of the bathroom. Christian reached out to grab my arm but I quickly yanked it away. "Don't!" Guess that settled it...I was pissed.

  "How dare you keep this from me! You said that Evie sent them to check on him weeks ago and you just now decided to tell me?"

  "I was going to tell you, but Evie wanted to try to gather more information, like where he moved to." Christian rushed to explain as he followed me out into the bedroom. "Unfortunately, we haven't found any forwarding address. Renard reported yesterday that he thinks your dad still works for the same place, even though most of his office has been cleared out."

  I flopped down on the bed because I didn't trust my legs to keep me upright for much longer. As Christian continued speaking, I felt my head shaking no as if I was having an out of body experience. "If we could look around during the day it would be easier. We could use our sedative to force someone to tell us the information, but at night, running across someone who knew your dad has proven difficult." He knelt down in front of me and took my hands in his. "I'm sorry, Rose. I wasn't trying to keep it from you, I just wanted there to be more I could tell you when the time came."

  I sat in silence and stared into Christian's eyes. They were drifting from caramel to dark brown and back again, along with his hair. It was obvious this was truly upsetting to him as well.

  "I don't know what to say. I'm sad but also really mad. Can I just have some time alone?"

  "Sure. But Rose, please know that I'm so sorry. Sorry for not telling you before, and sorry it happened in the first place." He kissed my hands, placed them back in my lap, and then strolled out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

  I sat there stunned, thinking back to when my dad had come looking fo
r me shortly after I'd gone into hiding. It'd made me feel good to know that after everything, he still wanted me in his life.

  At the time, Evie suggested that they bite him and make him forget everything, but I just couldn't allow that to happen. Not for the obvious reasons I gave them of course, but because if they bit him they'd become infected with his demon blood. Skating around that had been a little tricky, but I convinced them not to bite him, and instead just tell him that Christian and I hadn't been back to the bar since that night.

  It hurt to know my ruse had worked so well, and that my dad had really given up on me. I knew I had no right to feel hurt by his actions; in his eyes I was a murderer and a runaway. Why did I expect him to care? This was exactly what I hoped would happen. But at the time, I also thought I would soon be a vampire, and would need to cut all ties because of it. But instead, that dream had been shattered. My heart still hurt over losing my mom, and now being faced with having to live a mortal life without Christian or my father...I suddenly felt very alone.