He was alive! Alex was alive! And been here two months without bothering to see her. He hid behind red curtains and blindfolds, keeping her from knowing he was there. Why? Was he ashamed of her? Where had he been?
Fear gripped her heart and she stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk. Had he found someone while he was gone? No, was that where he had gone? Had he fallen in love with someone and faked his death so that he could be with her? His father never would have allowed Alex to divorce Anna.
Wait, did Wilhelm know Alex was alive? Had he known the whole time?
No, she knew Wilhelm thought Alex was dead. She had felt his grief and healed him of it. Had Alex deceived his family?
Then why come back? Why find her and become “Mr. J?” No, it didn’t make any sense. Why would he run off with another woman and then come back to her? No, that wasn’t it. She started walking again.
What had he first said? That he’d escaped? From where? After Vlad became Elder. Vlad? Had he escaped from Vlad? Had he been in Russia the whole time?
Her dreams...she’d dreamed of him...but Alex had said they were real. He’d gotten angry at her because she didn’t believe him in her dreams. He’d always been in the same room. No, he hadn’t run away to be with another woman. He’d been imprisoned by...Vlad? Vitaly?
Peter! Peter had to have known Alex was alive! And he hadn’t told her?
Anna stopped cold in the middle of the sidewalk again. Peter, the man she’d lived with for a year. The man who loved her...he knew her husband was alive, and he’d never told her.
How many people knew Alex was alive and didn’t tell her? How many people had lied, letting her continue in her grief?
“Hey, sweetheart. What’s a pretty thing like you doing out alone this time of night?”
Anna looked around and saw a man walking up behind her with a creepy smile on his face. The street was small and surprisingly devoid of people. She backed away, looking around and trying to figure out where she was. None of the buildings looked familiar.
She walked away from him quickly, breaking into a run when she heard him following her. It was the middle of the night. Where were the bars that stayed open all night? Wasn’t anyone out this late?
Arms wrapped around her waist and she shrieked, kicking and screaming, then suddenly she was on the ground and the sound of flesh hitting flesh was behind her. She turned and saw the man who had been following her up against the wall and another man with long dark hair and a beard punching him in the face.
Anna didn’t stop to find out what would happen. She ran down the sidewalk as fast as she could and waved down a taxi at the corner. She gave the driver her address and slumped into the seat, wrapping her arms around herself and trying to stop trembling.
By the time she unlocked her apartment door, Anna was an emotional mess. Anger, fear, hurt, confusion, all filled her, leaving her emotionally raw. She closed the door behind her, and fell to the ground and sobbed.
“Anna?” Aaron walked out of his room, bare-chested and running his hand through his hair. “What are you doing home? I thought you were going to see Mr. J.”
She stared at Aaron. What would he say about the news that Alex wasn’t dead?
Concern immediately filled his eyes. “Anna, what’s wrong? Did he hurt you?”
She laughed bitterly. “You could say that,” she said, anger rising inside her again. She stood and lifted her chin, wiping the tears away. “I found out who Mr. J. is.”
Aaron’s brow raised and she heard quick footsteps behind Aaron. Cameron appeared beside Aaron. “You saw him?” he asked excitedly.
Anna looked back at Aaron, her jaw trembling. “It’s Alex.”
*****
Aaron stared at Anna’s tear streaked face. “Mr. J. is Alex?” He shook his head. He couldn’t have heard her correctly. Alex was dead. “What do you mean?”
“Who’s Alex?” Cameron asked.
“Alex, Aaron,” Anna said with a strained voice. “Alex is alive and hiding behind the persona of Mr. J.”
Aaron shook his head. “No...he’s...dead....”
Her face screwed up, but he wasn’t sure if it was in anger or grief. “He’s been in the city since July,” she spat. “And he’s been pretending to be someone else.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say. Alex was alive? How was that possible? A million thoughts crammed into his head. He, too, didn’t know if he should be angry, happy or what. How did you deal with finding out someone you thought was dead for four and a half years was alive?
He felt a gentle hand on his and he looked down to see Cameron holding his hand. “Aaron? What’s going on?” he asked in a gentle voice, his blue eyes full of concern.
“Alex,” Aaron choked out over the lump in his throat. “Anna’s husband. The one we thought was dead. He’s apparently not.”
Cameron’s eyes widened. “Omigosh!” He slapped his hand over his mouth.
Aaron had told Cameron about his physical relationship with Alex before Anna came into the picture, and that they had been best friends. Cameron at least kind of understood why Aaron was upset.
Anna’s phone rang in her pocket and she looked at it. Her eyes narrowed and she hit the ignore button and put it down on the ground. “Wilhelm,” she said, looking up at him. “He probably knew too. He had to have known.”
Suddenly, Aaron felt the anger that he saw in Anna’s face. He had trusted Wilhelm. Why hadn’t Wilhelm told him? Why all the secrecy? “I need some air,” he growled and went into his room to get dressed. He slipped his flip-flops on and stormed out of the apartment.
*****
Back at his condo, Alex ran his hands through his hair as he slumped down on the white couch in his dark living room. Oh, what a mess. This is not how it was supposed to go. Not at all. Anna was supposed to be happy to see him, not hit him in the face.
Anna had been so angry that she had hit him! He’d never seen her like that...never imagined she could be that way. He would strangle Devin for what he’d done to her...once she was freed from him.
But once she was freed from Devin, she would be freed from Alex as well. Would she stay with him? He hadn’t doubted before, but did now. Vati had told him she’d changed, but Alex hadn’t realized how true it was.
He heard the door to the condo open and close and looked up to see Seth walk into the room.
“Did she get home okay?” Alex asked in English. He’d insisted on speaking English since he arrived in New York. He was rusty and he wanted to be sure that Anna could understand him when they were reunited.
“I think so,” Seth answered and held up his hands, palms out, at the dirty look Alex gave him. “Some guy attacked her on the sidewalk and I took care of him. She ran away and got into a taxi.”
How would he find out if she made it home? It wasn’t as if he could just call Aaron and ask. Aaron would freak out.
“So what happened?” Seth asked, turning on the light.
Alex sighed. He’d just told Seth to follow Anna and make sure she made it home. He didn’t have a chance to tell him what happened. “I blew it.” He leaned his head on the back of the couch and looked up at the high ceiling. “I was...passionate, I suppose, and I was letting her touch me. It felt so good to have her touching me.” He looked at his friend, who gave him a sympathetic look. “I was being stupid, but I couldn’t stop her. Couldn’t bring myself to pull her hands off me. But then I spoke and she froze. I don’t think she knew it was me, but she knew something was off. She tried to leave, but....” He shook his head. “I couldn’t let her leave like that.” He closed his eyes. “She knows it’s me.”
“Oh, fuck, Alex.” Seth sat down hard on the couch across from him.
“She hit me. She was so angry, she hit me and then she left. That’s why I told you to follow her.” He looked back at Seth. “Did the guy hurt her?”
Seth shook his head. “He grabbed her and I got hold of him before he could do anything.” His brow raised. “Anna hit you?”
/>
Alex nodded and rubbed his cheek where she’d hit him. “She’s strong.”
Seth chuckled. “She’d have to be to survive everything she’s gone through.”
“She hates me,” Alex said, scratching at his beard. “She yelled at me.”
“Alex, think about it. She’s in shock. She doesn’t hate you. She couldn’t. She just...needs some time—”
“You didn’t see the look in her eyes, Seth.” Alex felt the tears burning his eyes. “She accused me of lying to her.” He grimaced. “She’s not wrong.”
“You have your reasons for doing so, Alex. They’re good reasons. She never would have let you out of her sight to do what you need to do before you can face Devin.”
“Now I wonder if she’ll let me into her sight.”
“She will. I’m sure of it. She just needs some time to process it.”
Alex’s phone rang. “Hello, Vati.”
“She’s not answering her phone,” Wilhelm said and then sighed. “She’s so stubborn now.”
“So I’ve seen.”
“I can’t get there until Monday. Marcus’ funeral isn’t until later today. But I don’t know if it will do any good. She’s angry at me, too.”
“She wouldn’t have been angry at you if you two had been more careful with her,” Alex snapped. “Kurt’s been treating her like shit, too. How is she supposed to trust either of you?”
“I know, Alex,” Wilhelm snapped back. “I was going to try and make amends on Tuesday.”
“It’s a little late for that.”
Wilhelm sighed. “Perhaps she would respond better to your mother.”
The Penthouse phone buzzed and Seth went to answer it. Who would be coming here in the middle of the night? Maybe Anna changed her mind! Everyone knew where he lived.
“Someone’s here, Vati,” he said, standing and looking at Seth, whose face wasn’t very encouraging. He looked expectantly at Seth who turned and grimaced.
“It’s Aaron,” Seth said.
“Aaron?” Alex exclaimed. “Vati, Aaron’s here. Maybe he’ll be able to talk some sense into Anna.”
“Call me in the morning and let me know.”
Alex tossed the phone on the wooden coffee table in front of him and looked at Seth. “Is he coming up?”
Seth nodded. “Ken said he didn’t look very happy and was hesitant to let him up, but I said it was all right.”
Alex nodded and sighed. Another friend angry that he was alive. No, that wasn’t fair. It was unlikely that Aaron was upset that Alex was alive. He was probably upset for the same reason Anna was. Oh, what a mess. But at least he could assume that Anna got home all right.
“When’s your dad coming in?” Seth asked.
“Monday. Funeral’s tomorrow, er today.”
“It’s too bad they can’t let on that they know what’s going to happen already. What a waste of time, having to hang around Chicago until the real funeral.”
“Devin can’t know I’ve escaped yet. I wish I could go punch him in the face.” He shook his head. “Poor Anna. It’s not going to be as easy as I thought it would be, getting back into her life.” The thought of not having Anna in his life made his heart feel like it had been stabbed with a dull knife.
A knock a few minutes later announced Aaron’s arrival. Alex’s stomach churned as he waited to face his best friend after so many years.
Chapter Thirty
Aaron’s fists clenched as he waited for the door to open. He had no idea what he would say to Alex. Right now, he just kinda wanted to hit him like Anna had. How could Alex have not told them that he was here? That he was alive? Why had he hid himself?
The door opened and Aaron stared at the broad man with long dark hair and a beard. “Seth?”
Seth smiled nervously. “Hey, Aaron.”
“You’re alive too?” What the hell had happened?
“And Greg and Tony. And Erich.” His face darkened. “We didn’t all make it.”
Aaron’s anger abated at Seth’s words. He didn’t know the other guys as well, but he knew them. “Jason, Michael and Jesse?” Sebastian was Immortal. Was he allowed to come back?
Seth nodded, grief in his eyes. “C’mon in.” He stepped aside and Aaron walked inside.
The entry foyer was round, with dark wood floors and white paneled walls and ceiling. He followed Seth around a corner and into a large living room with a very high ceiling and two long couches. At the end of one couch stood Alex.
Aaron stared at his dead friend for a long moment. He was older, with messy, long blond hair that brushed his shoulders and neatly trimmed beard, but it was him. There was no doubt about it. He was just as tall as he had been when he’d left, though not quite as broad. The cobalt-blue eyes that watched him nervously were the same.
A myriad of emotions flitted through Aaron’s mind. He wanted to hug Alex and punch him at the same time. Having been in a relationship with a guy for several months, he couldn’t help but see him through the eyes of a man who liked men. Damn, he was still fucking hot.
“Hello, Aaron,” Alex said in a quiet voice. His accent was very strong, and different from before.
“Alex.” Aaron blinked, still having a hard time believing Alex was standing in front of him. “I don’t know whether to punch you or hug you,” he admitted.
“Please don’t hit me. Anna already did.”
Aaron nodded. “I know. She told me.”
Alex grimaced. “I’m sorry.” His eyes filled with pain and his shoulders slumped. He shook his head sadly. “This was not how it was supposed to go.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Aaron asked in a hoarse voice. “Why didn’t you come see us as soon as you got here?”
“Because....” Alex ran his hands through his hair. “Because I have to do some things before I can confront Devin, and I didn’t want you and Anna to think I was leaving you again.”
“What do you have to do?”
Alex hesitated and then inhaled slowly. “You know what I do...what I did for the Brotherhood.”
Aaron nodded.
“I assume you’ve heard about Connor and Marcus?”
He nodded again and then inhaled sharply. “That was you?”
Alex nodded. “Once Devin’s supporters are gone, I can confront him, in front of the world Elders, and he will face judgment. I was going to come to you and Anna in just a few weeks. After I took out Oscar.”
It amazed Aaron how casually Alex could talk about killing a man, but then he remembered what these men did to Anna and clenched his jaw. “Can I help?”
Alex laughed. “If there was something you could do....” He stopped, growing serious, and his brow twitched. “Help me with Anna,” he pleaded.
“She’s changed.”
“I know,” Alex whispered. “I’ve missed so much....” He took a step forward and stopped. “Please forgive me, Aaron. I had my reasons for staying hidden. I have to leave in a few weeks and take out Oscar. Anna won’t like that...if she forgives me.”
Aaron sighed. “She will. I’m sure of it. She still cries herself to sleep sometimes.” He pressed his lips together. “What the hell is wrong with your brother?” If she wasn’t so angry at Kurt and Wilhelm, she probably would have taken Alex’s appearance better. Although Wilhelm’s command to stay out of Hugo’s bed made more sense now.
“He doesn’t want to give her up,” Alex said simply. “I showed up and suddenly the woman he was in love with belonged to his brother again.”
“He’s been an ass.”
“I know. He knows. He regrets it. He hates that he’s taken his anger out on her.” Alex chuckled. “Believe me, we’ve had words. And fists.”
“You two fought?”
Seth laughed from behind him. “Kurt’s picked up some impressive moves. He beat Alex the first couple of fights.”
“I wouldn’t say beat...,” Alex said with a frown.
Seth walked into Aaron’s sight and leaned against the wall. “I would.” Hi
s eyes glinted with amusement.
Aaron looked between the two men. His friends. His friends that were dead and now were alive. “Fuck this,” he mumbled and walked over to Alex and hugged him.
Alex hugged him back, patting his back. A guy hug. Aaron knew how much Alex had loved Anna before, and was certain he still did, but it didn’t prevent a twinge of disappointment as Alex hugged him as a guy friend.
*****
Alex sighed in relief as Aaron hugged him. His friend wasn’t furious at him. One down, one to go. At least here in New York.
Aaron pulled away and went to hug Seth and then leaned back against the couch, looking between the two of them. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” He looked around. “Nice place.”
Alex smiled. “Thanks. I hope Anna likes it.”
Now that Aaron had seemed to accept his presence, Alex felt like he could relax. At least a little. Like Anna, Aaron had changed in the years he’d been gone. Still tall and lithe, Alex had enjoyed watching him dance when he’d hidden in the darkness to watch the rehearsals. Especially when he and Anna had danced together. His best friend and his wife in the same spot on the stage was wonderful.
And, oh, watching Anna dance! So graceful. It was beauty in motion. She also danced well, exceedingly well, with...what was his name, Hugo? Her ex-boyfriend. He grimaced at the thought of her sleeping with another man, though she’d told Kurt they hadn’t slept together. Had they?
Alex couldn’t blame Anna for wanting a boyfriend, but he was still possessive of her, even if she didn’t know it. That was the reason for having Sebastian help him appear to her in a dream after Jack had been killed. He didn’t like that she’d gotten over him. That she’d taken her wedding ring off.
He’d seen the indention on her finger the first night they were together with him disguised as Mr. J. and oh, how it had hurt. Intellectually, he knew it was good that she’d moved on...except that he was still alive and still in love with her. His wife.
The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged Page 24