My assignment: Take out the Elders and their Sons from Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. One city at a time, each month. Take the Son on Monday and the Elder the following Friday. By the time I got to the third Elder, Devin would be freaking out and wondering who was next. No, I couldn’t kill Devin, but I could kill his son. And then, at Tyler’s funeral, I would show myself and he would be condemned by the world Elders who would, of course, be there. Then I would gladly take him off to live the rest of his life in the same prison where I’d spent the last several years. Russians know how to run prisons, even private ones.
The idea of simply killing Devin wasn’t satisfying. No, I want Devin to feel the pain and humiliation of defeat. That would be far more satisfying than simply a bullet to the head. If I hadn’t been able to get out of Vitaly and Vlad’s prison on my own, there was no way Devin would be able to.
Three weeks. Three weeks until the Summer Gathering and then I’d be able to begin my mission. Once Devin was safely in prison, I would go find you and we’d live happily ever after. I had argued to take them all out at once at the Gathering. But doing it slowly would break Devin. His perfect plans would be falling apart around him and he wouldn’t be able to stop it. It might even drive him insane. I liked that idea.
But I was restless. Very restless. I paced up and down on my rooftop terrace. I felt like a caged lion. I needed to do something. Something other than cleaning my rifle and working out.
Tony came up and sat in one of the chairs. “I need a drink and a fuck.” Tony grinned. “And by fuck, I mean a woman.”
I chuckled. “I can appreciate that.” I only wanted you, but I could understand the needs of my men. We’d been very busy the last few months and had been restricted on going out in public. We hadn’t been out to a bar or club since before we were captured.
I thought for a minute. “Call Simon. Maybe he can offer a suggestion.”
“You’re willing to go out?” Tony asked with a brow raised.
I shrugged. “I need to get out of here. I’m going stir crazy. Maybe there’s a place we can go and remain unseen?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Doubt it.” But he stood and made the call anyway.
My new personal assistant, Simon, was the one person in New York who knew who I was and why I was here. Simon was my “face” whenever I needed to transact business. He was the youngest son of Vati’s friend, Edwin, who was another German Elder. Devin wouldn’t know him. He spoke excellent English and was completely trustworthy. And he’d lived in New York for several years.
Simon knew the perfect place. This particular club was classy and very discreet. There were several private seating areas off the main floor where we could see without being seen. Seth, Tony and Greg could hopefully find some girl to fuck anonymously and get some relief.
I thought it was a good course of action, but as Seth, Greg and Tony and I walked in through the back door and took our seats in the room to watch the activities of the night, I groaned. Before Irina, it had been a really long time since I’d been with a woman, and the mostly naked women gyrating on the dance floor were not helpful. But I didn’t desire anyone but you, and had no intention of sleeping with anyone else. Especially after seeing you earlier in the week.
Of course, I wouldn’t expect the same level of control from the others, though I did tell them to keep it anonymous. They also couldn’t go out on the dance floor in case someone recognized them. It was a small chance, but I couldn’t risk it. I was thankful for the loyalty of my men.
“Holy shit,” Tony said, choking on his beer.
I was talking to Simon and had just taken a swig of my beer when I looked in the direction Tony was staring. The mouthful of beer I’d just taken sprayed across the table.
It was you. Half-naked and extremely sexy. Hell, sexy was an understatement. My pants became very uncomfortable very quickly.
You were wearing a scrap of white over your ass and a sheer pink top that I could almost see your delicious nipples through. I became indignant as I thought of the other men in the room seeing my wife’s breasts like that, and nearly stormed across the room to shield you from the stares that followed your every move.
In fact, when I looked down, both Tony and Seth’s hands were on my arms holding me back.
“What the fuck is she doing, dressed like that?” I growled, shifting in my seat.
“That’s Anna?” Simon said, letting out a wolf whistle, and I turned to glare at him. “Sorry.”
My only comfort was that you seemed oblivious to most of the stares, and even shy when you caught a man’s eye. “Who is she with?” I muttered. The man you stood next to took your hand and led you across the room to a table. I was thankful I could still see you.
The man you were with winked at you and sashayed across the room, making me relax slightly. He was obviously gay, but could he protect you from these...savages who were ogling you like you were a piece of meat? They’d be drooling if they knew how good you tasted....
“Fuck,” I muttered and ran my hands through my hair. Why did Simon have to pick the one club you were at? If I stayed, I would likely wind up killing someone for touching you. If I left, my mind would be filled with all sorts of horrible scenarios, most of which ended up with some guy’s cock in your pussy. I growled again.
“Alex, relax,” Simon said, resting a firm hand on my shoulder. “This is a very safe, discreet club. Nothing will happen to her.”
“Except she looks like she wants something to happen. Why the fuck is she dressed like that?”
“She’s dressed like all the other women in the club,” Seth pointed out. “She has more clothes on than at least half of them.”
“That’s not much comfort.”
The other men chuckled, making me growl again.
A man approached you and spoke to you. I was pleased when your cheeks turned pink and you shook your head. He said something else, to which he was given a head shake; he walked away dejected, and I grinned. “She’s learned to say no.”
The gay man returned with several drinks in hand. Two shots and two martinis. You clinked your shot glasses together and drank. You giggled and wiped your perfect pink mouth.
“I need an ice bath,” Greg mumbled.
The man spoke excitedly and you looked around. When he pointed in my direction, you turned around and my heart skipped a beat.
“She knows you’re here,” Seth commented.
“She probably found out that the rich mystery guy is here,” I grumbled.
“Oh, Alex, you know she’s not the money chasing type,” Tony pointed out. “God, she’s got your family’s fortune. What does she need to chase rich guys for?”
I shrugged. Tony had a point. You weren’t the type, as Seth had found out this afternoon. That pleased me immensely.
We watched you like starving men watch a chef preparing a juicy steak.
“I can see about arranging some companionship for you if you’d like,” Simon offered.
I shrugged again. Simon knew I wasn’t in the market for a cheap fuck. Oh, how I just wanted to walk over there, pick you up and bring you back here. I would fuck you hard until you screamed so loud the entire club heard you over the music. A grin spread across my face at the thought.
“Shall I see if there’s any gossip about her?” Simon suggested after a few minutes.
“Yes,” I said quickly.
As Simon walked away, another man approached the table and this time you nodded and went onto the dance floor with him. He pulled you to his body and put his hands right on your ass. A moment later, you gave him a seductive smile and put your arms around his neck.
I growled. “How can she do that!” I exclaimed, gripping my beer bottle tightly.
“Alex, you’ve been gone for years,” Seth reminded me gently.
“But she’s engaged to my brother.”
“Who is treating her like shit.”
I didn’t like the reminder of what Kurt had done to you. But still...had
you turned into the type to go out and cheat? Was it cheating if the engagement wasn’t real? From what I understood, Kurt had made it clear that you could do whatever you wanted when he wasn’t in town. Did you go out every weekend and find a different guy to fuck?
I could feel my anger rising, and when the man you were dancing with leaned down to kiss you, I squeezed my beer bottle so tightly it broke.
“Whoa!” Seth said, grabbing my arm. “I’m thinking this wasn’t a good idea.”
“We didn’t know she’d be here,” I snapped, and stood with my fists clenched. It would have been fine had you.... God, the man’s hands were on your ass and crawling up your skirt.
I had taken two steps forward when Greg and Tony grabbed me at the same time you pulled away from Groping Man. You shook your head and stepped further away. The man grabbed your hand, but you pulled away and went back to your seat.
“Good girl,” I breathed, and collapsed back on the couch.
“Apparently....” Simon trailed off as he looked at the glass on the table. “What happened?”
“Someone groped Anna’s ass,” Tony said with a chuckle.
Simon let out a small smile, but didn’t allow more expression than that. “Well, I hope this doesn’t cause more beer to be wasted, but I got the information as requested.”
I turned quickly. “What’s going on?”
He shook his head. “According to the bartender who is a friend of Cameron, the guy she’s with, she’s engaged to a fuckhead and is in desperate need of a cock between her legs.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or curse. To hear my brother referred to as a “fuckhead” was extremely amusing. That you were desperate for a fuck angered me. Kurt should have been visiting you. You have needs. You have the strongest sex drive I’ve ever seen in a woman.
A plan formed in my head. “What’s the closest hotel?”
“What are you thinking Alex?” Greg asked in a wary tone.
“She wants sex.” I shrugged. “I’d rather her be with me than some asshole she picks up here.”
“You can't!” Greg protested. “You can’t reveal yourself this soon.”
“She doesn’t have to know it’s me. She can be blindfolded. Isn’t that the big thing in romance novels now? The mystery and all that shit?”
“You’re a big guy, Alex. How are you going to keep her from knowing?”
“It’s been years. She’s absolutely convinced that I’m dead.”
“What about your piercings?”
“I won’t let her touch me.”
“She’ll know your voice.”
“I won’t speak.”
Seth raised his eyebrow. “You won't speak? How will you get her into bed if you don’t speak?”
I glanced at Simon. “Simon can make the arrangements with her. Kurt told her things had to remain private. I can offer her privacy. Something likely these men can’t. It will be noticed if she goes off with one of them.” I glanced at Greg. “Go find a hotel with a suite and have it made up nicely. Good smells since she’ll be blindfolded.” I looked at Tony. “Go find a good blindfold.” I looked at Seth. “Stay with me to make sure I don’t kill any of the guys who approach her.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Anna did not have the amused expression Alex had imagined she’d have when he finished his story. He would have thought her to be giggling at his silly jealousy, not staring at her hands in her lap.
He glanced at Seth who shrugged. Seth was as confused as he was.
“Anna?” Alex’s voice was soft.
“You slept with Irina?” she whispered.
“I—” Fuck. He hadn’t realized he’d mentioned her name. Until now. “It happened when I came to you. I had to take in the Immortal essence, but I couldn’t take it straight and—”
“I’m very familiar with the process, Alex,” she said bitterly and stood.
“I didn’t ask for Sebastian to bring her,” he said softly.
“You fucked her so you could come and manipulate me into breaking up with my boyfriend.” It wasn’t a question and Alex realized how bad it sounded.
“It wasn’t like that. I— I didn’t know what was going on when I’d finished—”
She shook her head and put her hand up, palm out. “I know exactly what happened. You don’t need to tell me.” Her jaw was clenched and she took a deep breath. “I need some air.” She turned and glared at him. “Don’t send Seth to follow me. It’s the middle of the day.”
Anna turned on her heel and left the room, her light footsteps disappearing down the staircase.
Alex looked at Seth. “Is it wrong that I don’t understand why that upset her so much? She would have to know I’d slept with the other Elder-Mistresses before.”
Seth frowned. “I dunno. How she put it sounded really bad.” He sighed. “I understand why you did it, but...yeah, I don’t know why either.”
Alex ran his hands through his hair. “I can’t do anything right with her.”
“Did you tell her about Yelena?”
Alex shook his head. “She won’t take that well either.”
“Who’s Yelena?” Anna’s soft voice came from the stairway.
Alex glared at Seth and then turned to look at Anna. “I thought you were getting air,” he said, a little too defensively.
“I realized I was being oversensitive and came back to apologize.” She stepped towards him. “Who’s Yelena?” she repeated.
Alex sighed. “Peter’s cousin. Vlad’s middle daughter.”
Her face stilled, and he was a little in awe that he couldn't tell what she was thinking. “What should I know about her?”
Alex cursed to himself again. “She came to visit me when I was imprisoned. She...posed as a Dirne, but I knew who she was. She...became pregnant.”
Anna’s face paled, but her expression didn’t change.
“She lost the baby. She got married last year. I only used her to get even with Vlad. I didn’t have any feelings for her at any time.” Anna nodded, face unchanged, and Alex started feeling defensive. “You were pregnant while I was gone, too, you know.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “You think I wanted Devin to do that to me?”
“I meant with Vati’s child.”
Her mouth opened in shock. “I didn’t ask him to get me pregnant,” she said after she recovered from his low blow.
“But you went along with it.” Why was he picking a fight with her?
“I didn’t know what was going on.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t know what was going on!” Her voice rose higher until it squeaked on the last word. “I didn’t know!” Anna fled the room. He could hear her crying in the stairwell as she went back down to the lower floors.
Guilt immediately flooded his heart and he looked at Seth, full of shame.
“It’s gonna take a while for you guys to get used to each other again.” Seth gave him a sympathetic smile. “You want me to follow her?”
Alex shook his head. “It’s daytime. I will respect her wishes.”
*****
Anna ran to the bedroom to dress quickly and then left the condo and wandered around the park for a good hour before sitting down under a tree and staring at the ground.
Alex’s words had opened a wound that hadn’t healed. Her insecurities from not being a proper Elder-Mistress. She hadn’t known what was going on the day that she became pregnant with Wilhelm’s baby. Either at the funeral or after Wilhelm had disciplined her. Alex sleeping with Irina shouldn’t bother her, but her name reminded Anna of that horrible day. A reminder that she didn’t fit in. Anywhere, really.
Alex had slept with Irina so that he could tell her to break up with Hugo. That made her mad.
She pulled her phone out and called Hugo. She didn’t know if he’d still be in rehearsals, but figured she’d try anyway. He picked up after the third ring.
“Katrina? Is everything okay?”
She tried to talk, but suddenly burst into tears.
&n
bsp; “Katrina? Are you okay? Is Alex okay?”
Her voice squeaked. “Are you home?”
“Heading there now. Why?”
“Can I come over?”
He hesitated. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
Anna sniffed. “Please? I...I can’t go home. I just need to talk to someone.”
Hugo sighed. “All right. Where are you?”
“In the park.”
“Do you want me to come find you?”
“No.” Her crying began to subside. “No, I’m okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
*****
Anna sat on Hugo’s comfortable, black leather couch, remembering the last time she was here. The subject on her mind was much the same as it was presently.
Hugo handed her a glass of water and then sat down next to her. “What’s going on?” he asked in a gentle voice.
Anna held the cool glass in both hands and studied it. “Alex and I spent the morning talking,” she said in a soft voice and smiled slightly. “He told me about what went on while he...was gone...and stuff.” Her jaw began to tremble. “He told me that he slept with....” She stopped. How much did Hugo know about her life? About what she was? His expression was one of surprise. “He....” She stopped again and leaned forward on her legs.
“Katrina, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
How could she explain without confusing him? “The day you and I broke up...I...had a dream about Alex. He pleaded with me to not give up on him returning, which is why I called Wilhelm and found out the truth of my future. Or, at least kind of the truth.”
Hugo’s brow raised. “Okay...?”
Anna chewed her lip for a moment. “It...it wasn’t a dream. He...really came to talk to me, though I didn’t know it was real at the time.”
Hugo’s expression hadn’t changed. He looked confused, but supportive.
The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged Page 38
