Captive Of My Heart - Chapter Thirty Seven

After Dimitri gets me back to our room, he tries to calm me down. Ella's threats have me all tore up. Dimitri tries really hard to convince me to relax that I'm safe in his room with him. I head to the bathroom and take a nice long hot shower, which helps calm my nerves. To lighten the mood, I step out wearing just my underwear and bra. Dimitri's eyes shoot up and start from my feet and work their way up to meet my eyes. "Like what you see?" I smirk at him as I lick my lips.

It only takes him a second to have me in his arms and down on the floor. He's kissing me hard as his hands move up and down my body. Yes, finally, I got his attention. I knew it wouldn't be long before his will power broke.

"I'm sorry," Jen says as she turns toward the door. I never even heard her come in. Not again, I think to myself as I feel myself blush.

Dimitri releases me and pulls me up from the floor as he gets up. "Jen, this better be good for interrupting me," Dimitri says in a stern voice.

"I'll go get dressed," I say in a whisper as I leave them in the room.

I get dressed really quick and head back into the room. "Luke found a strange man snooping around the grounds. Luke says he knows the guy. He put him in the interrogation room downstairs. Luke wanted you to know about him before the Ella, and the others found out about him being here," she explains to Dimitri. "Why would Luke come to me?" he asks Jen. "He mentioned the name Chris," she replies.

I walk back into the room, and their conversation comes to a halt. I glare at them and see that Dimitri is hiding something from me. What it is I can't be sure of.

"If you have something planned, you better think of it fast," Jen says.

"Dimitri, what's wrong?" I ask.

Dimitri walks over and runs his hand through his hair. He only does that when he's nervous about something or trying to hide something from me. "Please tell me," I ask him.

"I have to go and take care of some things. Stay here with Jen, I'll be back soon," he says.

"No, don't leave me alone, take me with you. You said you wouldn't leave me alone, you promised," I beg.

"Fine, but stay quiet and follow me. Let me handle this," he says as Jen, and I follow him down the hall.

I follow Dimitri into a room that takes me off guard. It looks like a torture room that they seem to use very often. I see blood splatters with what looks like a torture table. A stand-alone chair sits in the middle stained with past victim's blood. As my eyes follow Dimitri, I see a man that I recognize immediately chained to the wall. "Chris," I choke out. My heart is in my throat as fear grips me. Why is he here? What plans do they have for him? My mind is running wild with all kinds of questions as I try to stay focused on the situation. I move toward Chris, but Dimitri shoots me a look of I wouldn't do that. I freeze in my spot.

Dimitri stoops down in front of Chris. Chris looks scared to death. I want to run over and comfort him, but I know Dimitri would get mad. "You should have stayed where I left you, but no.... you had to follow. Now you have left me no choice but to kill you," Dimitri sighs. "It's you, I thought you were dead! Where is Emily," Chris says.

Without hesitation, I pull at Dimitri, who darts around in almost a defensive move. My eyes grow wide as I drop to my knees in front of him.

"Please don't! He's the reason I'm here. He saved me, remember?  He took care of me. If you were to ever do anything for me, please do this. No one has to know that you set him free. I can't handle any more deaths. It will destroy my soul," I plead with Dimitri. "Emily!" Chris chokes out. Dimitri looks back at Chris with a cold stare. "Be quiet," he hisses through clenched teeth.

He turns back around, facing me. He sighs, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. "Emily, you still love him, don't you?" he asks. I don't want to tell him that I still love him, knowing this will break his heart. "Yes," I whisper. I can see the pain in Dimitri's eyes as he turns away from me. I know I have hurt him, but I can not lie to him. Dimitri walks over to Chris. 

"Say goodbye, I will be back in a few moments," he says as he leaves Chris and me alone.

I crawl over to him. "Who did this to you?" I ask as I take in his bloody face. "I'm not sure, I didn't get to see him," he replies. "I'm sorry, for everything," I whisper. "Emily, it's alright. I'm just glad to hear your voice, are you ok? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Chris asks. "I'm ok," I tell him.

I lean in and place a kiss on his temple. "I love you, I will not deny it. I will do anything to keep you safe," I say. "Emily, you can't put your life before mine. I'm supposed to protect you with my life. Do not put your life in jeopardy for mine," he tells me. "If I can save your life like you have saved mine, then this is what I will do," I say. He starts to protest, I place a finger over his lips.

"Live, be happy. Dimitri will keep me safe. I do love him. I know it's my destiny to be with him. I can only do this if you will do as I ask," I whisper only a few inches from his lips.

"Emily.......," he says as I cut him off with a kiss. I kiss his sculptured lips, putting every feeling I have and ever will have for Chris into it. I feel the tears start to run down my cheeks as I run my fingers through his hair. His lovely face that will only be a distant memory in my mind after this moment.  

I hear the door and leap up off of Chris as Dimitri enters. Chris sits silently in the chair, not moving at all this time. I watch as Dimitri walks over to Chris. I hold my breath as I watch him reach over, taking off Chris's blindfold. "Don't try anything, I don't want to hurt you," Dimitri tells Chris as he unties his hands.

Dimitri then reaches down to unclasp Chris's hands. Chris stands up cautiously, looking around the room at me and then to Jen. Dimitri walks around to face Chris. Chris's eyes grow wide when he focuses on Dimitri. I can see him shake his head as if he can't believe his eyes.

"Why are you doing this to Emily and me?" Chris asks Dimitri. Dimitri pauses and then looks at Chris. "You know that I love her more than anyone else. I never left her, I was taken from her by the Nightwalkers. It was not my fault that they killed everyone and turned me. Not a day went by that I didn't think about her and what she was doing. I spent over a year trying to find her. You know I'm nothing without her. I can protect her in a way that you can't" Dimitri tells Chris who looks angry. "You couldn't protect her, I was the one that protected her," Chris says with a bit of anger in his voice. I watch as Dimitri looks shocked then turns a little angry. "I can because I'm bonded to her as a Nightwalker. Other Nightwalkers can not kill bonded people, it's a rule that all Nightwalkers follow no matter how much they hate it," Dimitri explains to Chris, who still looks shocked. 

"Emily has asked me to let you go, but in return, I have something to ask of you. I need you to take Jen with you when I get you out of here. You need to take her as far away from here as you can. Protect her with your life. She deserves to be free of this world that she has been living," he tells Chris, who looks almost sick."So let me get this straight! You want me to walk away while you keep Emily here hostage against her will and take a strange girl with me to protect," he says with horror.

"Jen has been my bond since I was turned. I have protected her all this time. It's kinda complicated with Emily and me," Dimitri pauses. "Complicated doesn't even touch it," Chris says. "Trust me, I will protect her. They will not be able to kill her because she is now bonded to me. I love her, you know that. Even if I have become a Nightwalker, it has not changed anything on how I feel for her," Dimitri says. "I love her too, we were together because we grew closer after we both watched you die. I can't turn those feelings off, and I can't just hand her over to you just because you say you can protect her. I protected her while when you were not there. I was the one she depended on, not you," Chris says as he bucks up to Dimitri. "I know you love her, and I know she loves you, but the love that Emily and I have for each other goes deeper," Dimitri says. "I'm not handing her over to you," Chris says. 

 It's unnerving to hear them talk about me like an object. I stay still and quiet. Letting them plead their cases to each other. "Then we shall let Emily decide who she wants to be with," Dimitri says as he turns in my direction. 

Dimitri walks over to me, placing a hand on my cheek. "Listen to me carefully. If you love Chris and want to be with him then I will allow it even though it will rip my heart out, I will do this because I love you more than anything on this earth. I will let you decide who you want to be with," Dimitri tells me as his face grows sad. My heart is pounding in my chest as I take in his words. I know who I want to be with, and I know I will be breaking someone's heart. I turn to Chris, who looks devastated, he must know what I'm about to say. "You don't have to say it, I already know, I know I could never replace him in your heart. I know you love me, but you don't love me like you love him. It's ok, I understand," Chris tells me as he chokes back his tears. "I'm sorry," I say to Chris in a whisper. 

Jen walks over to Dimitri. "They don't know he's here. Whatever you have planned, you better do it quickly," Jen tells Dimitri.

 "I'm going to send you with Chris when I sneak the both of you out of here. 

"But they will find us, they will kill us to get back at you," she says with horror. "They want her, not you. Chris will keep you safe. I will send you and Chris where they will not be able to find you. You will no longer suffer at the hands of Nightwalkers again. You deserve to be happy," he says. "How can I truly be free?" she asks. "Chris has trained with me at the academy and can keep you safe. He served with me as royal guardians. He can keep you safe. I owe you and Chris this much," he says. I'm stunned. What does he have planned? My heart constricts with pain.

"I know I have been nothing more to you than a master. A role I did not choose. I hope that I was kind to you," he says. 

"You have been very kind to me. I hope you find happiness with her," she says as she hugs Dimitri, who stiffens when she put her arms around him. I find it kind of shocking knowing that they shared a bed for a long time, and he looks awkward with her. 

Dimitri makes sure it's safe to leave the room. He leads us down a hall that looks familiar. This house is so big it's easy to get lost in. Chris and Jen follow behind us, walking silently. 

We get to a door, and it was the room I was in when I first was brought here. "Wait for me in here, do not let anyone in while I make sure it's safe. We enter the room and shut the door as Dimitri heads down the hall. 

We all sat down, not saying anything, looking from one another with dead silence. Dimitri comes in and joins us. "When it gets daylight out, and everyone goes to sleep, I will sneak you and Chris out. I have arranged a car to get you to the airport. There you will board a flight. I have set up a place for you to go and be safe. I have all the instructions written down and will give them to Chris," he tells us. 

"What will they do to you when they find out that you have betrayed them?" Jen asks. "I plan on taking Emily out of here before they realize what we have done," Dimitri tells us.