Aaron shook his head. “You don’t want to imagine it, Hugo. Trust me.”
“You know?”
“I know almost everything about her. I’ve known her since she was eleven. I danced Giselle with her when she was that age. I was there when she found out Alex was dead. I was there...” He stopped. “I’ve seen her go through hell so many times I don't even want to count them.”
“Why didn’t you help her?” It was an accusation and rightly so, for someone who didn’t know Devin.
He leaned back on the couch. “Because the person who is behind all this is very powerful, and getting killed would have hurt her worse than trying and failing to get her out of a situation that she couldn’t get out of. I would have been dead and she would still be where she was. As it is, I am alive and I’ve been able to help get her out of that situation by playing an extremely high-stakes game of cat and mouse. I hope you can understand that someday, Hugo.”
Hugo stared at him for a long moment and then nodded. “I know you, Aaron. I know you’re a good guy and I will trust what you say, even though I don’t understand it.”
Aaron smiled grimly. “Thank you, Hugo.” His phone rang and was surprised to see it was Wilhelm. “Hi, Wilhelm.”
“Hello, Aaron. Tom told me what happened. Is Anna all right?”
“As all right as can be expected. Did you try to call her?”
“Ja, it went to voicemail and I thought she might be still ignoring my calls.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I believe she is angry with me. I have tried to call her a few times and she has not answered.”
“Why would she be angry with you? She loves you.”
“I did not call her when I heard about Jenna, and I hurt her feelings.”
“You didn’t call?”
“Things have been...very crazy here. I forgot to call. I feel terrible, but, as I said, I have not been able to get in touch with her.”
“That’s really unlike you, Wilhelm,” he accused.
Wilhelm sighed. “Please do not start, Aaron. You will understand in a few months, but I cannot go into it right now.”
Aaron heard the rebuke in his voice. “I’m sorry, Wilhelm. I was out of line.”
“Is Anna there?”
“She’s in the shower.”
“Please have her call me when she gets out. I want to hear her tell me she is all right. Tell her it is a command if necessary.”
“Isn’t it late there?”
“Nein, it is very early. I do not care. I want to hear from her.”
Aaron winced at Wilhelm’s irritated tone. “I will have her call you, Wilhelm, as soon as I see her.”
“Danke.”
They said goodbye and ended the call. Aaron stared at the floor. What on earth would make Wilhelm forget to call Anna?
“Who was that?” Hugo asked.
“Her....” It wasn’t his place to explain she was a slave. “Her father-in-law. Alex’s father.”
“Wilhelm...sounds German.”
Aaron smiled. “He is. He’s the Duke of Hesse.”
Hugo’s jaw dropped and then shook his head. “No, the German state outlawed titles years ago.”
“Except for a few families.”
Hugo looked like he was going to protest and then stopped. “That’s true.” He leaned back in his seat. “God, I’ve learned more about Katrina tonight than I have in the entire month I’ve known her. Which son was Alex?”
“The oldest.”
“Did he have brothers?”
“One brother, two sisters.”
Hugo looked at the ceiling with sad eyes. “I’m not going to get to stay with her for long, am I?” He turned his eyes to Aaron. “Unless the brother is married already?” he asked hopefully.
“He was. He divorced a few years ago.”
“Divorced? I didn’t think that was allowed in those families.”
“Gretchen was a bitch, to say the least.”
“An unmarried brother,” Hugo said softly and shook his head. “She’ll be expected to marry him. Unless the father has decided against it because she’s American?”
Aaron felt terrible as he shook his head. “No, Wilhelm is quite fond of Anna. He’s the one who came up with her new name.”
“Does she know what’s expected of her?”
“She’s guessed.”
Hugo sighed and rubbed his face. “What do I do with that?” he asked softly.
*****
Anna stepped out of the shower feeling much better. She was glad to find out that most of the blood was not hers, though she had quite a few bruises. Part of her wished she knew what had happened. How had she managed to kill her guardian? How could she possibly be that strong? Maybe it was better if she didn’t know and didn’t remember.
She put on a comfortable pair of sweats and a cotton camisole and went back out to the living room. She could hear the deep voices of Hugo and Aaron as she approached but they stopped talking once she entered the room.
Hugo saw her and stood. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly.
She shrugged. “Okay.” She stood in the hallway, not knowing what to do. Did he still want her? He hadn’t left, but....
“Anna, Wilhelm called,” Aaron said. “He wants you to call him.”
Anna grimaced. “I don’t want to talk to him. Besides, it’s the middle of the night there.”
Aaron gave her a look. “He wants you to call him.”
“I don’t want to talk to him,” she retorted.
Aaron sighed and shook his head. “It’s not a request.”
Wilhelm had commanded her? “Fine,” she snapped and reached for her phone. She pressed his picture on the screen and waited for him to answer. She hoped maybe he’d gone to bed and wouldn’t....
“Hello, Anna.”
“Hello, Wilhelm,” she said coldly. “Aaron said you wanted me to call you.”
There was a pause. “I wanted to make sure you are all right,” he said softly.
“I’m fine.”
“You do not sound fine. You sound angry.”
Anna turned and walked to her room and sat on her bed with her head in her hands. “I’m fine. Aaron and Hugo are taking care of me.”
“Hugo?”
“My boyfriend. The one I called you about several weeks ago.”
“Ah. I remember. You have gotten serious with him, then?”
“I guess so. Is that okay? Do I need your permission to date someone?” She was snapping, but really didn’t care at the moment.
He was quiet for a few minutes. “Anna, I am sorry I did not call you when Jenna died. It was unthinking of me.”
“Are you going to come see me dance tomorrow?”
“I cannot do that. Showing up in New York, especially now, would arouse Devin’s suspicions.”
Anna clenched her jaw and blinked back angry tears. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him how much he was hurting her by not being here for her. Any other time he would have been here in a heartbeat. Now that she was safe in New York, he seemed to think she didn’t need him anymore. Well, maybe she didn’t need him anymore. “Is there anything else you need, Wilhelm?” she asked coldly.
“Nein, Liebling,” he said, not responding to her coldness. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that you know that I love you.”
“I’m okay.”
“I love you, Anna.”
She didn’t respond and he was quiet.
“I will let you get on with your evening, Anna,” he said after a long pause. His voice was strained.
“Good night,” she said, and ended the call.
*****
Anna threw her phone down on her bed and sat down hard on the floor, drawing her knees to her chest. She felt abandoned by Wilhelm. He had his own family and he was probably realizing that he needed to attend to them first. She was just a side distraction. A plaything.
She stared at the floor in front of her until there was a soft
knock on her door. She looked up to see Hugo standing in her doorway, looking concerned. “Is everything okay?”
Anna shrugged. “As okay as it ever is.”
He walked over and sat behind her, hugging her to him. She sighed and relaxed into his embrace. “I’m glad you’re here. Thank you.”
He kissed her cheek. “As long as you need me, I will be here for you,” he whispered and kissed her cheek. They sat together in silence for several minutes. “Do you want me to leave so you can go to sleep?”
Anna thought for a moment. “I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered. “But I understand if you need to.” She didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.
Hugo hesitated. “I don’t want to leave you like this, Kittycat,” he said softly. “I’ll stay if you want me to.”
Anna nodded. “I want you to.”
“All right. Let me tell Aaron,” he said standing and helping her up. “And I’ll be right back.”
Anna sat on her bed. This wasn’t exactly how she’d envisioned the night going, but she was glad he was willing to stay. He’d been adamant about not staying with her for weeks. Was it because he knew what she was now? No, he didn’t know what she was. He just knew that she’d been abused by her guardian. He wanted to take care of her and she was grateful for it.
He returned several minutes later, closing the door softly behind him and held up a pair of sweats. “Aaron lent me something to sleep in. Jeans aren’t very comfortable.”
“Oh! I hadn’t even thought about that.” She smiled shyly. “What do you normally sleep in?”
He grinned. “My underwear or sweats.” He wagged his eyebrows and she giggled. “What do you normally sleep in?”
She looked down. “Something like this, I guess. Or naked.”
His grin widened. “I can’t say I’m not looking forward to the second.”
Anna blushed.
“I’ll go change, if that’s okay?”
She nodded. She changed into shorts while he was in the bathroom. She realized she hadn’t even seen him with his shirt off. That was so weird to her. She was used to seeing guys naked first and then getting to know them.
The door opened and she turned, nervous for some reason. Well, there was reason to be nervous, she supposed. They were spending the night together, although she had a feeling there would be no sex involved, which was fine with her. She was still sore from Jack and really wanted to be able to enjoy their first time together.
He smiled and walked to her bed, pulled down the covers and looked at her. “You sleeping over there?”
Anna shook her head and walked across the room and stood by the bed, looking at him. Hugo. Her boyfriend. She smiled at the thought.
“What’s that smile for?” he asked sitting down and patting the bed next to him.
“I was thinking about you being my boyfriend.”
“I’m glad that made you smile.”
“Me too.” She was stretching out her legs under the covers when she remembered the light. “Oh, the light!” She moved to stand and he put his hand on hers.
“I’ll get it,” he said.
He turned the light off and then made his way back to the bed slowly. “It’s dark in here,” he commented with a chuckle.
Anna giggled. “It happens at night.”
“Mmm.” She felt the bed dip beside her and him moving around, getting comfortable. He reached for her. “Come here,” he said softly.
She moved under the blankets and stretched out on her side next to him, head resting on his chest as he lay on his back. He played with her hair. “I’m glad you’re okay, Katrina. I was so worried about you. Especially when Aaron freaked out.”
“I’m sorry I worried you.”
“What matters is that you’re safe, Kittycat. I can’t ask for anything more than that.” He tucked her in closer to his side and she rested her hand on his bare stomach. When she moved her hands she could feel the ridges between his abdominal muscles. There was no chest hair to tickle her nose and he smelled good. A spicy vanilla scent of some sort. She closed her eyes and was sound asleep within minutes.
*****
“You’re kidding, right?” Devin asked, pushing away from his desk in shock.
“I wish I was, Dev.” Tom's voice was tense. Devin could tell he was shaken even through the phone lines. “It was...really a disturbing sight. His skull was caved in, his neck was broken, and his dick.... I can’t imagine what happened. He must have put up a fight, though. His room was all torn up and...God, did he have mob connections or something?”
“With him, you never know.” Jack didn’t think things through sometimes. Devin stood and paced over to the window, gazing out at the downtown skyline.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was here? I could’ve offered him a place to stay or something. Kept whoever wanted him dead off of him.”
Devin sighed. “I wanted him to see if Anna was there, and keep out of sight until he confirmed either way.”
“I really don’t think she’s here, Dev. I’ve looked. I don’t sense her here.”
“I can’t figure out where she went, though. I should be able to sense something from her. The bond is still active.”
“I’ll keep looking, Devin.”
“Thanks, Tom. Let me know if you find out anything else about Jack’s death.”
“I will.”
Devin tossed his phone on his desk. Jack was a smart man, but sometimes his passions got ahead of his brain. He couldn’t imagine what trouble he could have gotten into to deserve such a horrible death.
Shit. Now who would train his red girls?
Chapter Ten
Safe. Warm. Strong arms around her. Happy.
Anna stretched her arms and legs and Hugo jumped slightly behind her. She turned over to face him and gave him an adoring look. “Did I startle you?” she asked softly.
“No...well, maybe.” He grinned. “I’m not used to sharing a bed with someone.” His voice was gravelly and lower than usual.
She ran her hand over his rough cheek. “I’m glad you stayed with me.”
“I have to say, I slept very well.”
“Me, too.”
“How are you feeling?”
Anna thought for a minute. She wiggled a little bit. “Better.” She still felt a little achy, but knew she’d be better after moving around a bit.
He moved closer and kissed her softly. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
She felt his erection brush her thigh and bit her lip, looking up into his eyes.
“Sorry. I’m a guy.” He shrugged sheepishly. “It happens.”
Anna smiled. “I know.” She stopped herself from offering to help. It just didn’t seem appropriate to say that to him.
He kissed her cheek and then stood. “Bathroom,” he said, turning away from the bed. She watched his back muscles ripple as he stretched while walking across the room.
She stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out across the city and the river. It was nice being here. Even with what happened last night, she still felt safe. She felt more and more like “Katrina” every day. And tonight, she would debut as Katrina the dancer.
Butterflies invaded her stomach as she thought about tonight’s performance: The Firebird. She still had a hard time believing Vincent gave her that part. It was so...demanding, but in a good way. He trusted her, she supposed. She loved the part. It was fun, but it was still nerve wracking. Her comfort was that she knew once she was on stage, she would lose herself and become the character. Hugo was dancing tonight, too, and she was thankful he would be backstage with her.
She felt his warmth before he put his arms around her. “This is an incredible view,” he murmured, kissing her cheek.
“It is,” she agreed. “I like seeing it in the mornings. It reminds me....” She paused. “That I’m not in California. That I’m safe.”
He gave her a little squeeze. “I’m very glad for both of those things.”
&
nbsp; She smiled and they stood together, watching the boats in the river.
“Do you want to come to my place tonight?” he asked softly after a while.
Tingles shot through her body at his question. “Yes,” she whispered. “If you want me to.”
“I do.”
She felt her nipples harden at the thought of him touching her, kissing her everywhere, and making love to her. She closed her eyes and her breaths came in little bursts.
His hands lifted to her upper arms and he kissed her shoulder. “I should get home so I can get ready for the day.”
“But...,” she began, turning around.
“Katrina, I can feel your desire. It matches mine. But I don’t want to just throw you down on your bed and fuck you.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “If I stay, I will. I want to make love to you slowly tonight and then fall asleep holding you close to me.”
Anna nodded, understanding. She gave him a tentative smile. “You’re such a different type of man,” she whispered, moving to her toes and kissing him gently on the lips.
He smiled boyishly. “I try.”
“You succeed.”
He went into the bathroom to change back into what he wore last night and then Anna walked him to the door. “I’ll see you in a little while,” he said after kissing her goodbye.
After Hugo left, Anna went into the kitchen and ate breakfast. Aaron came out a few minutes later and poured a bowl of cereal.
“So, did you?” he asked with a grin.
“Did I what?”
“Did you guys fuck?”
“Aaron!” she exclaimed, hitting his arm, and then rolled her eyes. “You would know the answer to that. I’m not exactly quiet.”
“I didn’t hear any screaming, so I’m guessing the answer is no.”
“Correct. We’re...I’m going over to his place tonight.” She smiled. “Providing I’m not kidnapped again.”
Aaron shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t even joke about that. You nearly gave me a heart attack last night.”
“Sorry.”
Aaron chuckled. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose and I’m glad you were able to defend yourself, however freaky it may be.”
The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged Page 9