“I’m so sorry this has happened, Liebling,” he said softly. “I will speak to the others as soon as I am able and we will get you away from him as soon as we can.”
She looked up at him with mournful eyes. “Will it have to wait until next month?”
Wilhelm shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I cannot make that decision on my own. Don’t give up hope. He will come for you.” Wilhelm leaned down and kissed her head. “Anna, for your protection, I am going to bury many of your memories since you went to New York, especially of Alex, all right? Devin cannot know he is in the country.” He cupped her chin and made her look up. “Do you trust me, Liebling?”
“Of course, Wilhelm,” she said softly. “Will they return?”
“Yes, Anna. I will release them when it is safe. I will also hide the memories of your escape so you can’t tell him who helped you.”
Anna nodded and gave him a brave smile. “Peter told me that everything would be all right last night.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. Another memory to block. He leaned down, as if to kiss her head again and began to murmur the ancient words that would protect her mind from Devin’s probing. He gave her new, temporary memories that would conceal the truth of what happened in New York with his son and her escape. They only had to last a week or so.
He hoped.
*****
Anna felt as if she were trying to hold on to smoke. Her mind was desperately clinging to something that was rapidly disappearing. A faint memory of...something. Something good...she thought. It was gone now. She sighed, having felt that she lost something of importance, though she had no idea what.
She looked around. She was in a courtyard of a cathedral. Elders surrounding her... a funeral. Oscar and Rylan’s funeral. But why was she here?
She looked up at the person who was holding her. “Wilhelm? Why am I...?” As she continued to look around her, she spotted Devin. Devin. He had found her. In New York. Oh, God, he found her!
Suddenly she remembered everything that had happened the last two days and her knees buckled. Wilhelm held her close. “It will be all right, Liebling,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “He found me...he’s going to punish me.” Terror filled her heart. There was no hope. No hope for escape. He’d found her in New York and he would take her back to San Francisco. He would never let her out of his sight again.
Devin glared at her from across the courtyard. “He’s angry,” she whispered, and looked up at Wilhelm.
“Anna, it will be all right,” Wilhelm said, cupping her cheek. “I promise.”
“Wilhelm, can’t you keep him from taking me?” she whimpered, seeing Devin walking towards them.
“Anna, you ran away from him. There is little I can do.”
Anna stepped away, her face contorting as she tried to control her emotions. Her immense hurt and disappointment. “I thought you cared about me, Wilhelm,” she whispered, incredulous that he would do nothing to help her. She hadn’t seen him in what seemed like forever, and he wouldn’t help her? She didn’t even remember the last time she’d seen him. Why were her memories so fuzzy?
“I do, Liebling. So much. Please trust me. Everything will be all right.”
Tears filled her eyes as Devin approached and dread filled her heart. “Please Wilhelm...,” she whispered. “Please don’t let him take me.”
Wilhelm’s eyes filled with grief.
“Come, Anna,” Devin said sharply.
Anna’s jaw trembled as she stared at Wilhelm. Why wouldn’t he do anything? Had Devin done something to him?
Devin grabbed her elbow and Wilhelm grabbed her hand.
“Devin, please...,” Wilhelm said softly. “Please, let me spend some time with her. I haven’t seen her in—”
Devin laughed and pulled her away, but Wilhelm held onto her hand. “What, days? Surely you helped her run away from me. She couldn’t have done it on her own.”
Anna was being pulled between the two men and the crowd was beginning to take note of them.
“She belongs to me just as much as you,” Wilhelm snapped.
“I’m not saying I won’t share her, but she must be punished for what she did,” Devin snapped back.
“Gentlemen!” Neither man released Anna as the respected British Elder, Shaw Wilson, walked into the circle. “Why are two grown men fighting over a woman?”
“She ran away from me. I have a right to punish her,” Devin snarled.
“She knows she did wrong, let her be,” Wilhelm countered.
“Release her, both of you,” Shaw commanded.
“You have no jurisdiction here, Wilson.” Devin growled, but he released Anna’s elbow and Wilhelm let her go as well.
“You are attracting the attention of outsiders, and even you should know how dangerous that is, Devin.”
“He’s trying to take my slave away from me,” Devin said in a soft, snarling voice.
“He’s going to torture her,” Wilhelm protested in an equally soft, intense voice.
Anna saw Creda, the British Mistress, standing next to Shaw and studying her. Anna gave her a pleading look. She was desperate enough to reach out to a fellow Elder-Mistress for aid in getting away from Devin, even though she knew Creda didn’t care for her.
“It’s disrespectful to call her a slave, Devin,” Shaw reprimanded.
“Whether you like it or not, it’s the truth and you know it.”
Shaw turned his gaze on Anna. “Who brought you here today, Anna?”
“D-Devin. Devin brought me.”
Shaw studied her intently. “You ran away from your Master?”
Anna’s eyes widened in fear. She had run away. She knew she had, but the memories were so fuzzy, she really only remembered arriving in New York. She finally nodded timidly.
“What is it that you want?” Shaw asked, looking back at Devin and Wilhelm.
“I want my sl— I want Anna back,” Devin snapped. “She ran away in March and I just found her a few days ago.”
“I would like time with Anna as well,” Wilhelm countered. “And I would like assurance that Anna will not be tortured within an inch of her life.”
Shaw looked around and sighed. “This needs to be discussed somewhere more private. Anna, stay with Devin, since he brought you. Those of us with Mistresses will discuss the situation after the funeral and make a decision.” He gave Devin a firm look. “Do not begin your discipline until then.”
*****
Devin did everything he could to remain calm. How dare that British son-of-a-bitch interfere and tell him what to do! And in his own country, no less. But Devin knew he didn’t yet have the power to do anything different. Damn Anna for running away!
“I won't take the pleasure of...discipline until I return home.” He pulled Anna away from Wilhelm, almost satisfied by the old man's look of despair.
“You have embarrassed me, bitch,” Devin whispered as he pulled Anna through the crowd and toward the cathedral. “You will pay for that.” He grinned as she shuddered next to him. He had discovered some interesting new uses of the pain juice while she was gone and was looking forward to trying them on her.
For now, he just had to get her home and to do that without much fuss, he had to behave himself. He took a deep breath. He could stay in control for a few more hours. As soon as the funeral Gathering was over, he would be in his jet and heading back to San Francisco. Once he got Anna back to the Manor, he could lose control to his heart’s delight.
*****
Wilhelm watched as Devin dragged Anna away, and then looked back at Shaw as the crowd dispersed. “You realize that if you let her go home with him, he will torture her.”
“As distasteful as it is, Wilhelm, she is his slave,” Shaw said sadly. “Yes, she is your Mistress as well as his, but his claim of ownership is stronger. No one likes it, but it is what it is. If we decide that he may take her home, we will put limits on what he may do to her, but—”
“You t
hink he will listen?” Wilhelm spat, disgusted at the man’s naiveté. “He performed the forbidden ritual to make her that way, and you think he will listen if you say ‘do not hurt her too much’?” He shook his head. “Give her to me, I will make sure she is safe,” he said, desperation evident in his voice. “You have no idea the things he will do to her.”
Shaw lifted his chin. “We will discuss it later, Wilhelm, and let you know our decision. He would be foolish to ignore our decision. His powers have faded and he knows it.”
“So you’ll give her back to him so he can get them back?”
“His Immortal pawn, Kaveh, has been banished. It won’t happen.”
Wilhelm sucked in a breath. “He has?” Was it really possible?
Shaw nodded.
Despite knowing that Anna would likely be staying with Devin, Wilhelm sighed in relief. At least there was one less thing they needed to worry about.
*****
Alex was in Aaron’s hospital room Sunday evening when his phone rang. “Vati? Is Anna all right?”
Alex looked at Aaron, who sat up at his words.
“She is...for now. I heard from Shaw Wilson that Kaveh has been banished.”
Alex sighed in relief. That was good news. “What about Anna?” His father hesitated, which made Alex tense again. “Vati?”
“The Elders who are Masters of the Mistresses met this afternoon to discuss the situation. Devin and I acted inappropriately at the funeral, and called attention to the situation.”
An unexpected smile appeared on Alex’s lips at the idea of Vati acting “inappropriately.” He couldn’t imagine what had happened.
“I pleaded with them to let me take Anna because of what Devin would do to her, but they ignored me. She will return to San Francisco with him tomorrow with the instructions that he is not to discipline her more than is appropriate.”
Alex’s blood boiled. “They really expect Devin to listen to them?”
“I protested with the same sentiment, Alex. I am to return and take her home with me in three weeks. As I told you, Alex, the Elders, as much as they detest the idea, acknowledge that she is his slave, and that he has a right to deal with her.”
Alex slumped into the chair by the window. His poor Anna. He felt his heart break at the thought of the torture that Devin would surely put her through.
“The good thing is that Devin will be returning directly to San Francisco, not stopping in New York. Tomorrow Vlad, Tom and I will be able to discuss changing your assignment.”
Alex let out a slow breath. That was good news, he supposed.
“How quickly can you be ready to go?” Wilhelm asked.
Alex had hardly been able to sleep or think or do anything except despair about Anna. “A few days. I’ve had problems concentrating.”
“I understand, son. Speak with your men and prepare. I will call you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Vati.”
Alex put his phone back in his pocket and repeated to Aaron what he had learned from his father.
“You should go, Alex,” Aaron said with a nod.
“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Aaron waved his hand. “My parents are bringing me dinner. I’ll be fine. You need to go figure out how to kill Tyler.”
*****
Anna stared out the jet window as San Francisco came into view, the familiar Bay Bridge stretched over the sparkling waters of the bay. How had she ended up back here? Why had she run away? It was all so pointless.
Three weeks. She told herself she only had to last three weeks, and then Wilhelm would come get her. Could she last that long?
She closed her eyes, remembering what felt like her sentencing.
The Elder-Mistresses looked at her with disdain as they sat at the feet of their Masters. Anna sat between Wilhelm and Devin. She tried to lean towards Wilhelm, but Devin pulled her back to the center by her hair.
“You ran away from your Master, Mistress,” Shaw said from the middle of the row. “As an Elder-Mistress and as a slave, you should have known better. Why did you do it?”
Anna had stared at him for a long moment, unable to come up with an answer, besides the obvious one of Devin’s abuse. But surely they already knew about that. If they didn’t and she brought it up, Devin would be angry. “I-I don’t know,” she whispered after a moment of silence, and hung her head.
She could feel the condemnation emanating from around the room. If word got out that slaves could run away without consequences there would be chaos. She would surely be made an example of what happened to disobedient slaves.
“As repulsive as we find your methods, Devin, we cannot deny your right to discipline your slave,” Shaw said. “But we would remind you that she is an Elder-Mistress and should be treated accordingly.”
Tears burned Anna’s eyes at the Elder’s words.
“You may have her for three weeks, and then she will be turned over to Wilhelm. You have abused her for long enough. He will keep her for as long as he can without harm coming to her, and then he will return her for another three weeks.”
“You can’t take her away from me, she is mine,” Devin protested. “Even the Immortals acknowledge that. The simple fact that she must be returned to me proves that point.”
“You abuse her, Devin,” Wilhelm snapped. “She is a person, not a punching bag. No wonder she ran away from you.”
“Wilhelm, that’s enough,” Shaw said. “She did wrong, she will pay the price and then you will have her back.” He turned to Devin. “If you demonstrate respect befitting an Elder-Mistress, we will reconsider our decision. The Immortals are already unhappy with us. We will not risk losing our Mistresses because you cannot control yourself, Devin.”
And so she was in Devin’s jet, clinging to the armrests as the jet dropped to the runway. The Manor wasn’t far from the airport, which meant there was little time before the pain began.
“Anna, did you know that the nerve-juice can be injected directly into the clit?” Tyler asked with a nasty grin. “I understand it’s incredibly painful. More so than injecting it into your neck.”
Anna’s face paled and she looked at Devin, who nodded.
“We’ve been experimenting with the expectation of your eventual return. Wilhelm will get you back in three weeks, but you probably won’t know it until a few days later. I intend for you to be in excruciating pain the entire three weeks.”
*****
“I can’t find him!” Alex told his father, anguish squeezing his heart. “He’s never out where I can get a shot at him.”
He had been in San Francisco for a week and had not been able to get a clear shot of Tyler. He couldn’t even find him for the first few days. Seth had finally figured out that he’d been in the Manor the entire time. When he finally emerged, he stayed in his car until he was sheltered by the garage of his apartment building. The curtains were kept drawn over the windows in his apartment. At work, he’d moved into an office whose window had no vantage point that Alex could reach.
“I’m half tempted to get a handgun and approach him on foot.”
“Alex, you can’t do that.”
Alex sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I know, Vati.”
“Devin must be trying to keep Tyler out of the assassin’s scope.”
“Devin’s not stupid. I’m sure he’s figured out the pattern.”
“Don’t snap at me, Alex. I know you’re upset. If nothing else, when I go get Anna, we can relax a bit.”
“I can’t let her endure three weeks of torture, Vati! Every day is killing me. Seth says she isn’t even in her room. He’s keeping her in the dungeon.” Alex was dangerously close to whining, but he was getting desperate. What made the whole thing worse was that Anna had no reason to hope for things to get better until his father picked her up. Vati had wiped her memories of Alex. She still believed him dead.
“Tyler’s an arrogant man. He will expose himself soon. Don’t get upset, or you’ll miss yo
ur chance.”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
“Mr. Andersen?”
Devin pressed the intercom button on his office phone. “Yes, Maddy?”
“The Chief of Police is here to see you.”
Devin’s heart skipped a beat at his secretary’s words. It’s nothing, he told himself.
It was his first day back in the office in two weeks. It had gotten to the point that Anna wasn’t any fun to torture anymore. She no longer responded to anything he did. He supposed a day away wouldn’t hurt. Besides, he had work to catch up on. He would let her sleep today and then return tonight when she had healed sufficiently to know what was going on around her again.
Every joint in her body had been dislocated. Her pussy was so swollen from electricity and beatings he couldn’t get his cock inside her anymore. Same with her ass. Her breasts were black with bruises, as well as most of the rest of her body. Devin took as much of her essence as he could and still keep her conscious, which severely limited her healing abilities. Wilhelm would have a helluva time getting her back in shape.
When he left her last night, she was manacled in the dungeon, lying in a pool of her own blood. The manacles were in case she started to rage, but Devin doubted she had the energy to do so.
Devin took a deep breath. “Send him in.”
Devin stared at the door, praying that his old friend was just here for advice or a casual conversation. He’d been keeping Tyler sheltered in case he was the next target. He could not let anything happen to his son.
The look on the police chief’s face sent chills through Devin’s body as he realized his greatest fear had just come to pass. He gripped the edge of his desk and began to shake, and his voice cracked when he tried to speak. “Tyler?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Andersen....” The police chief continued speaking, but Devin’s ears were ringing so loudly he couldn’t hear anything the man said.
The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged Page 45