The store just received a large shipment of books and I finally finished stocking them on the shelves. I looked at the clock. It was around four in the afternoon. My boss told me that we were closing early today and once I was done with the shipments, I could close up the shop. Afterwards I would browse around at the street market down the block. It was already crowded and I didn't want to get stuck in traffic.

I just needed to put the boxes in the recycling bin at the back of the bookstore.

I created a pile of folded cardboard boxes and lifted them in my arms. They were a bit heavy, but it was manageable enough for me to carry for the short trip. Wobbling, I bumped into a few shelves before making my way to the back of the store.

As I started wiggling the doorknob, I heard voices.

My eyebrows furrowed. The trash was being collected today...

My mind went on a rampage with different scenarios. Could it be a drug deal? Gangs? I shuddered in fear.

What should I do? What should I do? I could call 911...

I immediately paused that train of thought. If I weren't carrying these boxes, I would smack myself. I'm overexaggerating. It could be nothing, right?

Hearing a groan, I knew it was something. More voices were talking and I winced when I heard a crack.

After a few more moments of deliberation, I knew I had to check it out. I couldn't walk away when it seemed like someone was getting seriously hurt. Taking a few deep breaths, I lowered the cardboard boxes onto the floor. Before I could lose my courage, I quietly eased the backdoor open. I silently cheered when the door made no noise.

I peeked through the crack and my eyes widened at the...

I gasped as my eyes snapped open. The man's haunting voice echoed in my head, the words repeating over and over again.

"Scatena la verità...Sblocca il cassetto...Enlightenment."

I couldn't breathe. I scrambled to get up, but something was constraining me. My panic skyrocketed as I struggled to get out of the confines surrounding me. Hearing a grunt through my panic, I blinked as everything slowly fell into place again.

Turning my head, I instantly stopped struggling at the sight.

Lying next to me was Damon sleeping, a peaceful expression on his face. It was an expression that I hadn't seen from him before. Seeing him now made me want to take a picture of him on my phone. I deliberated, remembering the pictures he took of me last night, when I saw the position we were in.

We could be mistaken for a twisted pretzel. Our legs were tangled together and my hands were stuck against his chest. Damon's arms were wrapped around me firmly, making sure I didn't move a muscle. His head was next to mine, our faces inches away from each other.

Memories of inviting him into my bed caused my cheeks to flush. I was surprised that I even asked him. I blamed that all on being exhausted. Though all we did was sleep, I felt a bit scandalous.

You're a grown woman Rosaline, pull yourself together. It's completely natural to fall asleep next to the most gorgeous man you've ever met...What was I thinking about again?

Dismissing my thoughts, I cuddled back into Damon, all fear draining away. Looking up at the ceiling, I thought about the dream that almost sent me spiraling.

It was just a nightmare.

But I knew it was more than that. It was a memory that I had been repressing for days. I've been avoiding it like the plague and it seemed like the event was now front and center in my mind. I've been so busy and these past few days I hadn't been able to just think for myself.

I squirmed a bit to see Damon better. If it were possible, Damon pulled me even closer, our noses brushing. My eyes went down to his lips and all the sudden all I wanted to do was press mine against his. I flushed at my bold thoughts.

Good gravy. I needed to get out of here before I did something stupid.

Grabbing one of his arms, I slowly began to push it away. I was almost successful when all the sudden, I was swirled around. I squealed as my back was pressed against the mattress and his large body laid on top of me.

Abort! ABORT! He's squishing me!!!

Feeling his body shaking, my wide eyes looked up to see him chuckling, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Damon rolled off me as he continued laughing. I sat up in shock and looked at him accusingly.

"You squished me on purpose! You...jerk!" I sputtered as Damon smiled in my direction. My heart skipped, but I was still too flustered to care.

"You made it too easy, Flower," Damon said as he sat up with me. "Did you rest well?"

I thought about the question, my nightmare creeping in the back of my mind. The need to tell him everything returned. I rubbed my side gingerly before fiddling with my hair. I gave my attention back to Damon, who was eyeing my form attentively.

"I had a bad dream, but I am well-rested. Thank you for helping me get to sleep," I admitted sweetly and gave him a smile. Damon's eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn't describe before he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of my head.

"I didn't mean to give you nightmares," Damon said as he pulled back when all I wanted to do was pull him back.

"You didn't," I reassured him. "It happens frequently and I'm a hundred percent sure you aren't the one who planted them inside my head."

Damon let out a small smile before giving me a look of concern.

"Why do you have recurring nightmares?"

I gave him a weak smile. It was a perfect time to tell him. I trusted him and I knew he would be able to help. He was part of a widely known security business and lived in a huge mansion for crying out loud. I looked into his green eyes and searched for the courage to tell him.

Instead, I forced a smile.

"There are just some things that the mind never forgets."

And I screamed on the inside for being a coward once more when I diverted the conversation.

~*~

Maria sighed as she sipped on the hot chocolate I made for her.

"Rosie, you are an angel sent from heaven," Maria said dreamily as she drank the hot beverage. I giggled and shook my head at her.

Since she was craving something hot, I heated some milk before cutting chunks of dark chocolate and adding it into her mug. I made sure not to add too much, as I saw on some websites that having too much chocolate was bad for the baby.

"You didn't make us a cup ma'am," Julian sulked as Josh nodded in agreement with a pout.

We were all in a large kitchen in a different section of the mansion. Honestly, I lost track of how many rooms were in this place. It felt like every other room was a duplicate of each other. I started washing my hands in the large sink.

After I backed out from spilling the beans to Damon, he had to leave to get some work done. I got ready myself before I went to check on Maria. Thank goodness for Josh and Julian, or I would be trapped in the hallways for eternity.

As Maria's new caretaker, I would need to make sure that she was comfortable and helped her throughout the day. Since she was only a few months pregnant, I didn't need to assist her as long as I helped entertain her. Maria claimed she would go crazy if she had to stay in this castle by herself.

"I told her not to make you two anything. You both are already bouncing off the walls without any sugar," Maria said as she hid a smile behind her unicorn mug.

Seeing the sad expressions on the twin's faces, I discreetly slipped each of them a small piece of chocolate. They both beamed at me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Before Maria noticed anything, they stuffed the delicious morsels into their mouths.

We talked amongst ourselves, enjoying the morning. Julian was eagerly talking about a new sword that he bought when a man stepped into the room.

"John!" Josh cheered as he jumped out of his seat and rushed towards the man, who seemed to be wincing at his fast approach. My jaw dropped as Josh tackled the poor man, causing both of them to fall on the floor. Maria and Julian began to cackle and I couldn't help the small giggle that escaped my lips. Josh seemed surprised to be on the floor while the man scowled at him.

"You were supposed to catch me!" Josh chastised the man as they both got up.

"I don't know how many damn times I have to tell you. I'm not picking you up– ever," the man said and Josh crossed his arms with a huff.

Remembering that I was in the room, Josh's smile reappeared as he tugged on the man's arm like a little kid begging for attention.

"John! This is Rosaline Sinclair, Damon's woman. Julian and I are her security guards!" Josh said, puffing out his chest.

Standing up, I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear and gave John a small smile. John seemed to be looking right through me, examining me like he was trying to recognize me from somewhere.

"It's nice to meet you," I said timidly when he didn't say anything. I stuck my hand out and John's eyes widened. Before I could ask him what was wrong, John arranged his face into a smile before he shook my hand firmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Rosaline. I heard a lot about you from Damon." John said as he pulled his hand back. His eyes seemed to be glued to my left wrist. "I like your bracelet. Where did you get it?"

I looked down at my chain bracelet that had small rose charms.

It was a nude color, not expensive or shiny, but it held strong sentimental value to me. It once belonged to my grandmother, which she passed to my mother, who passed it down to me. This bracelet became a part of me when my mother passed away, a security blanket. I never took it off and rarely thought about it unless I wasn't wearing it. If I wasn't wearing it, a part of me was missing.

Thinking about my other valuables in my old apartment, I made a note to get them sometime today. There weren't a lot of things, but I would be happy to have all of my stuff in one place again.

"Thank you. It was my grandmother's– a family heirloom, so to speak," I explained as I played with one of the charms. "My mother once told me that roses symbolized immortal love, that even through death, a person's love would never fade. No matter where they are, no matter what day or time, they will always be with you," I placed my right hand over my heart. "They will always be beating with you while your heart beats for them."

I didn't realize how silent the room had gotten. I looked around the room and saw everyone looking at me with soft eyes. I flushed at the attention as I tangled my fingers into my hair. The intimidating aura around John seemed to have faded as he gave me a soft smile. His eyes seemed to reflect...admiration?

"Um...I-I'm sorry for rambling. I read too many novels and well...I'm going to be quiet now." I mumbled as I tugged on my hair.

"Damn it, Rosie, I'm starting to cry." I turned to see Maria swiping away some tears from her cheeks. "My hormones are all over the place."

"My wife's mood swings were the worst when she was pregnant. I wouldn't have had it any other way. If she were here, I'm sure she would be with you right now," John said with a faraway look.

I caught on right away what he meant. I knew that look of grief more than anyone. It was the loss of a loved one.

John cleared his throat before nodding his head at all of us.

"If you may excuse me, Damon and Xavier wanted me to stop by to make sure Josh and Julian didn't destroy anything."

The boys shrugged with a grin, not taking any offense to the statement. They knew it was true.

John waved one more time before leaving the kitchen.

I turned to Maria and handed her a tissue that was on the table to wipe the remainder of her tears.

"Is there anything else you wanted to do today?" I asked her.

Maria rolled her eyes playfully at me.

"Just because you are my caretaker doesn't mean that you need to be at my beck and call. You're not my slave, all right? Besides, I was planning on lying in bed today. Morning sickness shouldn't be called morning sickness. It seems like once I realized I was pregnant, the baby decided it's free game for me to throw up anytime," Maria sighed and rubbed her face in exhaustion. "You can tour around the mansion if you'd like, to get a better idea of the place."

"Actually, I was going to see if I could go back to my old apartment and gather my things. Even though it's not a lot, there's some stuff I want to take with me. I can take Josh and Julian," I said.

The twins perked up at the prospect of a new adventure.

"Let's do it!" Julian shouted and threw his fist up in the air.

"I don't know...maybe we should wait for Damon and Xavier to finish their meeting. The area you used to live in wasn't the safest. Damon would kill me," Maria said reluctantly.

"No one will get to ma'am. I'll even take Bethany for extra precaution," Julian said as if his precious dagger solved the whole problem.

Maria still looked conflicted.

"It will be a quick trip. I will just walk in, get my stuff, and leave. They won't even know we're gone," I pleaded and the twins gave her their puppy dog eyes.

Seeing she was losing this battle, she threw her hands up in the air.

"Fine...hurry and leave before I regret it," Maria sighed in defeat.

The three of us cheered as the twins led me to the entrance. While I grabbed my coat and shoes, Josh called for a driver. We all had the goofiest grins on our faces.

Somehow I knew there was going to be a bit of mayhem coming to New York City.