"Thank you so much for the dinner. It was wonderful".

James wrapped his arm around Isabella tighter and stared down at her with admiration.

"It's our pleasure. Hope to see you again Rosie".

I felt a small tap on my shoulder and noticed Dean holding out my coat towards me with a small smile. My cheeks began to heat up from his very small yet kind gesture. Avoiding his gaze I grabbed the coat from his hands and mumbled a quiet thank you before turning back towards the beautiful hosts but noticed James staring at Dean with a smirk on his lips.

"Well we best be off. Got an early start tomorrow". Dean wrapped his arm around Lucy and stared down at his sister who was yawning uncontrollably.

"Of course. I best start getting ready for bed. Got to keep up my beauty sleep". Isabella excused herself and waved us all goodnight.

"You don't need it, you're already beautiful" James shouted after her making her blush and run off around the corner. My goodness they were so in love. I'd kill to have a love like theirs.

"You're right though. You best be off. But Rosie, may I have a word?".

Me? Why would he want a word with me?

Dean stared between James and I with a frown. Probably wondering why his friend would want to talk to me in private.

"Sure. Rosie, we'll be waiting in the car".

I watched Lucy and Dean walk out the door occasionally turning to glance at both James and I.

"I do apologise Rosie, but I just wanted to have a chat in private".

This man was incredibly intimidating with his smooth voice and gorgeous looks.

"That's alright. What did you wish to talk about?".

James lent against the beautifully decorated walls and crossed his arms across chest accentuating his very large muscles.

"I don't know how well you know Dean and Lucy, but I just want to tell you that they have not had the easiest life. They've experienced a hell of a lot and at times I do worry about Dean and his well-being, but I'm sure over time he will tell you more. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is the happiest I've seen him in a very long while. Just, please, look out for them both Rosie".

He was a stern looking man, but he had the softest voice I'd ever heard, the type of voice that could calm a chaotic storm.

"I will do. Goodnight Mr Richardson".

"Please, call me James. Anyone that's a friend of Dean is a friend of mine" he smiled before waving me off.

************

The next day -

"Shall we move onto the next tub of ice cream or did you want another packet of Oreos?". Lucy opened up the fridge and freezer and shrugged at me.

"Lucy, I can't eat anything else. I feel like I've gained 10lbs in one hour".

Lucy was so excited that Dean let me and her go to the shops to buy junk food for our girls night. Apparently Dean never let her go out anywhere without guards. A part of me wanted to ask why, but then I remember what James had told me and shut my mouth not wanting to intrude on their privacy. I was only a lodger and not part of their family.

"What? Look at you, you're blessed with a beautiful body that doesn't gain any weight. As for me I eat a cookie and bam that's like 2lbs added onto my stomach". Lucy grabbed at her slim stomach and attempted to make a mouth out of her non existent rolls.

"Anyhooo, what shall we do next? We could watch another movie and fangirl over Ryan Gosling"-

"You're too young to be swooning over anyone".

My head whipped over to the doorway to see Dean dressed up in black trousers and a perfectly fitted white shirt with the sleeves rolled up accentuating his tanned arms. He looked so good. Probably going out to meet a girl. Lucky her.

"I can swoon over whoever I want thank you very much".

Dean rolled his eyes knowing he could never win a fight with this little fiery girl.

"Did you want anything because you're interrupting girls night and you're not a girl so be gone". Lucy grabbed a large bar of Lindor and took a big bite whilst giving Dean the stink eye.

Suddenly Dean's demeanour changed and began to fidget slightly on the spot. His confident stature was long gone, instead he now looked nervous.

"I, um"-

"Hurry up, Rosie and I want to drool at Ryan Gosling".

Dean frowned momentarily before turning his attention towards me.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me for dinner Rosie".

Did he just? Dean ran a hand through his hair effectively messing up his neat chocolate brown strands.

Lucy slowly turned away from the TV screen, her face lit up like a child at Christmas.

"I um, well Lucy and I"-

"YES! She would love to. It's fine. Rosie's not a Ryan Gosling fan anyway".

The betrayal.

My mouth fell agape as I stared at Lucy in horror and disbelief. I cannot believe this girl. She threw me in the deep end.

My eyes flew back to Dean who was staring straight at me with a genuine smile on his face. The kind full of pure happiness.

"Excellent, Rosie it is a fancy restaurant so I've left you a dress on the bed upstairs. But if you don't like it then put on whatever you want. I'll meet you in the car in say 25 minutes".

What is happening? A fancy restaurant? A dress? Is this a date? If it is then that was unexpected.

"You butthead! You selfish google jerked douche. 25 minutes is not enough time to work my magic, but it will have to do. Come Rosie".

Everything was a blur, I had no idea what to think. My heart was pounding at a fast rate and nerves shot up my spine. This is all too much.

"Oh and Lucy, Nathan is going to be looking after you".

"Great. A babysitter. Why can't Maria watch over me?".

"Because she's visiting her husband's grave. I trust Nathan the most to look after you".

Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head before looking back at me and gave me a huge smile.

"Now, not a moment to spare". Lucy grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the room and headed straight to the stairway. My eyes fell back to Dean who was staring straight at me still with a soft smile on his lips.

**********

"You look beautiful Rosie".

The restaurant was truly magnificent. I felt like a lamb sitting in the middle of a herd of lions. I didn't belong in this world of the rich and powerful. I had money issues. Money issues that weren't even my fault, yet being here with him kept me sane. Normally places like this would make me feel intimidated, yet I felt at ease.

"Th-thank you". The dress Dean had bought for me was truly exquisite, something you only see in the movies. I just couldn't understand why he'd do all this for me.

"How's your food and wine?". He seemed so casual, but incredibly nervous too.

"It's unlike anything I've ever tasted. I've never had something so tasty". Dean chuckled lightly as he sipped on his water whilst shaking his head.

"Does this beat McDonald's chicken nuggets?".

"Now you're crossing the line".

We tucked into our meals silently taking in the atmosphere of the busy restaurant. I had 100 questions, but I bit my tongue and kept them at bay.

Dean suddenly placed down his knife and fork and stared at me with a slight frown.

"Rosie, I'm sure you have 100 burning questions about tonight's very unexpected event, but I'm just gonna go for it. Ever since I met you, saved you, I felt a connection unlike anything I'd ever felt. Lucy and I have been through some dark things that have shaped me into the man I am today. But having you with us has changed me. You make me happy and I can't even explain why. I suck at this emotional stuff, but what I'm trying to say is that I want to explore this new connection with you and see where it goes. Yes, consider this a date. I'm sorry if this is blunt but since you came tumbling into my life I felt like a new person. What do you say?".

"Are you two ready for the bill?"

Perfect timing.

What.The.Frick.

I couldn't tell if the wine had gone to my face or I was blushing incredibly hard, but my cheeks were burning within seconds. This, I was not expecting this but my heart was doing somersaults within my rib cage. I felt butterflies swarm my stomach making knots form in the pit.

"Yes of course. I'll pay by card".

"Of course, here if you enter your card and follow the instructions on the card machine".

Whilst Dean paid, I slipped my jacket on over my shoulders and grabbed my belongings. As he finished up, I opened up my purse and pulled out a £5 note and placed it on top of the £50 note that Dean had already allocated as a tip. I felt my cheeks heat up at the comparison between us. I wish I could tip more, but I had so little. But I wanted to show my appreciation. Having being a waitress myself, I knew how hard it could be, especially with nasty customers. Even though money was tight, I always gave to those who provided excellent customer service. You never know the battles people may be going through under the surface. As humans, we have to look out for one another.

"Thank you very much. Hope you have a nice night". Dean walked over to me and slipped his hand in mine.

The friendly waiter bid us both goodnight and thanked us for the tip as we stepped out of the restaurant and onto the nearly empty street.

He let go of my hand and looked away, but I quickly managed to catch a glance of his pink cheeks.

"Dean, I"-

"Fuck, this is embarrassing. Shit I'm sorry for scaring you".

In an impulsive moment I grabbed Dean's hand just as he was about to walk away from me and made him look at me.

"What you said was the most genuine and sweetest thing anyone could have ever said to me. Don't be embarrassed because I too was drawn to you from the moment I saw you. I was too scared to say anything". Something lit up in Dean's eyes as he turned to fully face me.

Without sparing a second Dean lifted one of his large hands and dragged it ever so gently across my cheek making my eyes fall shut at the small gesture.

"What are you doing to me Rosie?".

My eyes flew open to stare into his own beautiful eyes, but his eyes weren't meeting mine, instead they'd fallen and were now staring intensely at my lips. He slowly leaned in and my eyes fell shut as his lips gently pressed against mine.

His lips locked with mine so perfectly, it was as if they were moulded only for us. As I began to get lost in the taste of his lips, one of Dean's arms snaked around my waist pulling my body up to his. I normally hated seeing people showing too much PDA, but I was too lost and intoxicated by his every touch. But he slowly pulled away, eyes piercing my own as if trying to stare into my soul assessing my thoughts and feelings.

His smile was the widest I had ever seen it and small dimples appeared at the sides of his face making me smile.

We turned around and began walking down the empty street both of us smiling uncontrollably, yet neither of us could say a word. I was still in utter bliss from recent events.

As we walked silently down the road, the sound of a roaring engine came up from behind us. Turning around to glance at the loud and clearly speeding car my eyes widened as it screeched to a halt beside us.

In that moment time had slowed down and everything came to a still. The back door of the car opened up and a man dressed in black clothing and a black balaclava jumped out and clamped one arm around my waist and within seconds dragged me inside the car whilst getting in after me.

Dean shouted and banged at the window screaming for the men to let me go, but the car started driving away from him getting further and further away. I lay on the laps of 3 men all smiling at me sinisterly and touching me like I was a rag doll.

"Dean! Help. Let go of me".

I kicked at the door in hopes of making it swing open and throwing myself out the car, but the men had deadly grip of my flailing body.

"Hush hush little dove. We will see Dean very soon".

***************

I ran for what felt like miles trailing after the car that had taken away the one girl who healed my broken heart. I would never let anyone lay a finger on her, yet she was snatched right in front of me. Who was after her? Did they know about us?

Suddenly my phone buzzed in my pocket. My heart thumped manically unsure of whether it was a text I wanted to open. And sure enough it was a picture message from an unknown number.

Tick tock Dean. Time is running out. If you want to see your loved ones alive then come and meet me at 521 Warner Acre Warehouse. I also advise you don't bring reinforcements as you won't be the one to suffer the consequences.

The phone dropped from my hand and I collapsed against a nearby wall. There underneath the text was a picture of Lucy bound to a chair with rope and a blindfold over her eyes. My heart dropped seeing a man holding a gun to her head. They took Lucy and they took Rosie. They took the only people I cared about most.

Shakily reaching down I picked up my phone and instantly clicked on the number of the one men I trusted most.

"J-James, t-they took Lucy a-and Rosie. I need your help".