She sniffed. “Really?”
“Mmm hmm. I'll be there in ten minutes.”
Anna was overjoyed. “I can't wait.”
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and thirty seconds after that, Anna was on the couch in Aaron’s warm embrace. Tears still streamed down her cheeks and she started sobbing. Aaron held her tightly and stroked her hair. It felt like she would never be able to stop crying.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Aaron asked softly as her tears slowed.
Anna shook her head. She was too ashamed.
“You don’t have to. I just wanted you to know you can if you want.”
*****
Anna walked into the Ballet studio that night with a happy heart. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have Aaron in her life.
Tatiana stood in the corner speaking to a gray haired man and he turned around when Anna walked in. It was Isaak, the Ballet Master in Chief of the San Francisco Ballet Company. Anna had known him her entire life.
Isaak beamed and walked over and hugged her tightly. “Anna, I’m so glad to see you,” he said. “Tatiana told me what an impression you made on her on Tuesday.” He studied her intensely for a long moment. “Are you still living with Jack?” he asked carefully.
Isaak knew a little bit of what had happened. He’d had several arguments with Jack about Anna, suspecting that Jack was abusive. He had even encouraged her several times to call the police, but he also knew it wouldn’t do any good. Devin owned the police and Isaak knew about Devin.
Anna shook her head. “No, I belong to Devin now.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Are things...better?”
She smiled. “Yes. Much. I have my own place. Devin said I could dance more too.”
Isaak’s eyes filled with tears and he hugged her again. “I’m so happy, Anna. I’m so glad you’re out of that...out of Jack’s control.” He kissed the top of her head then pulled away and looked at her. “Anna, I want you in the summer sessions. If you do well, I will seriously consider you for the Company in the fall.”
Anna’s jaw dropped open. “Isaak, you haven’t even seen me dance....”
“I don’t need to, Anna. You are your parents’ daughter. Tatiana finally saw that.” He chuckled. “Finally.” He looked over at Tatiana, who shrugged with a pretty smile on her face.
Anna smiled.
“Find out about the intensives. They start a week from Monday. Even if you have to start late for some reason. I want you there. Let me know, all right?”
She nodded, her heart beginning to soar again.
“I have to get going. Call the studio when you find out.”
“I will.”
Isaak kissed her head once more and then left for the theater. Anna watched him leave, her heart filling with affection for him. He had always believed in her; always been her advocate. He was like a father to her.
Anna took her place in the corner, dreaming about dancing more often. Class flew by and she felt as if she were flying as well. Tatiana watched her with an approving look on her face and Anna drove home feeling very proud of herself.
Aaron came over after she got home and Anna told him the good news.
“I knew you could do it, Anna,” he said, kissing her deeply. “C’mon. Let’s go celebrate.” He grinned and she giggled as he pulled her into her room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Alex regained consciousness and was very uncomfortable. Without moving, he took stock of what he knew. He didn’t sense anyone else in the room, but that didn't mean an especially skilled someone wasn't there. He was cold and his arms were bound to something above his head. Without opening his eyes, he tried to move his feet and found that they were bound as well.
Where the hell was he? The last thing he remembered was sitting in Devin's study, talking about Anna. Then he got a little dizzy....
Fuck! Devin must have drugged him. He was normally on alert for that type of thing, but, once again, he'd underestimated Devin. There were unspoken rules that one didn’t bother the children of Brothers, especially children of the Elders.
Fuck! He opened his eyes slowly. The dimly lit room had walls of gray stone. It looked like a dungeon, with various instruments lining the walls.
He looked down and saw that he was naked. That was odd. Devin had never struck him as being interested in men. And even if he were, Devin would never proposition him. So why was he here, naked and bound, most likely in Devin's dungeon?
Something caught his eye and he looked closer at his cock. In the dim light, he couldn’t be certain, but it looked like...blood? Oh, hell, what had he done? Or what had been done to him? He wasn’t in pain, aside from tired muscles. Sebastian had healed him last night. By the feel of his joints, he figured he'd only been in this position for an hour maybe.
A light flickered to the side of him and he turned his head to see a TV on the wall come to life. He nearly vomited when the images began flashing on the screen. It was silent footage of himself and three young girls.
Oh, God. He couldn't have done that. No, it had to be a trick. It couldn't be real. He would never do that. Even in his rages, he'd never hurt a young girl. He'd go after the things he wanted, but he'd never had a taste for young girls, except when he was younger, but they were still his age. And never forced. Once he turned eighteen, he swore off any girl who wasn't an adult.
As much as he wanted to turn away, he forced himself to objectively look at his face on the screen. He wasn't raging. He wasn't angry. He was just...enjoying himself.
His stomach churned as he watched the girls silently scream as he forced himself inside them, one after the other. He could imagine how much he was hurting them. Hell, he had to be careful with full grown women. Being as large as he was did have disadvantages sometimes.
He couldn't take anymore. His stomach heaved and emptied itself down his chest. He didn't even try to keep himself clean. He continued to puke until his stomach was empty, then continued to dry-heave.
Tears sprang to his eyes. He'd never been so miserable. The blood was on his cock. He'd done it, but he had no recollection of it.
The screen went blank and he sagged against the chains. He was thankful the footage had been silent. Seeing it had been bad enough. Their screams would have echoed in his ears. He could almost hear them anyway.
The door on the opposite side of the room opened and Devin walked in, an amused look on his face. Ian followed him. Devin walked towards him and Ian waited impassively by the door.
“You didn't like seeing your work? I'm surprised. You certainly seemed to enjoy it while you were doing it.”
Alex's rage came on full force and he tugged hard against his bindings. “I never would do such a disgusting thing,” he spat as he struggled against his bonds.
“Oh, but you did. You just saw it.” He laughed again and leaned against a table across the room. “I normally punish men who rape my little ones. But this time I think it was worth it. The look on your face when you saw it was priceless.”
It didn’t surprise Alex that Devin had been watching him. “What did you do to me?” he demanded, glaring at his enemy. If the footage was real then Devin must have played with his mind. It was the only explanation.
“I can only imagine what Anna will think when she sees it.”
Alex blanched. No, Anna couldn't see that. She'd never forgive him, even if he could convince her he hadn't really done it. “You wouldn't dare,” he growled.
Devin chuckled. “No, I won't right now. I just wanted you to know I had it. I'll keep it for use later. Imagine what your father and the other Elders would think of their precious Alex raping three little girls with his huge cock.” He smirked. “You really tore them up. One I think you even tore into her ass. I do hope she can be repaired. She's rather pretty, you know.”
Alex's stomach heaved again, but there was nothing left to spew.
Devin leaned back on the table and studied him silently.
Alex glared at him again. “I never would do such a thing on my own. What the fuck did you do to me?”
Devin stood. “That's true. You wouldn't. You're such a 'good guy' that I wouldn’t have been able to trick you even if you were in one of those infamous rages of yours.” Devin cocked his head. “Maybe you should consider a new nickname. Hulk, maybe? Though you don't turn green...except for at the present moment.”
Devin walked around the room, trailing his hands on the whips along the walls. “No, I had to get creative. You really angered me, telling Anna the truth. She was afraid of me.”
“She should be afraid of you, you fucking ass. You're a fucking lunatic.”
“Lunatic?” Devin was amused. “No, hardly a lunatic. I made my plans long ago, and have methodically worked towards their culmination for twenty-five years. I don’t think a lunatic has that kind of mental capacity.” He turned to Ian. “Get one of the girls to come in and clean him and the floor up. Someone over eighteen.” He smiled at Alex. “Better?”
Alex growled.
“But you'll be happy to know that Anna and I are getting along wonderfully now. She spent Wednesday night curled contentedly in my arms.”
Alex's heart pounded, not only in anger, but jealousy. The thought of Anna in Devin's arms twisted at the knife that had been in his heart since he'd met her in real life. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing that hurt her. I just adjusted some of the thoughts in her head. She knows how badly I need her and how sorry I am for hurting her.” He smirked. “I think she may even think that you lied to her to make me look bad.”
Alex didn't respond. How could Devin control her mind like that? Alex couldn't fight against things like that. He preferred his sniper rifle to mind games. The rules were clear in warfare: shoot the enemy. Now he was in a completely different battlefield, one his opponent had been working in for two and a half decades. He was disadvantaged, unprepared, and also hopelessly committed to the fight – Anna was on the line.
Damn his fucking pride! If he'd just listened to Vati none of this would have happened. He slumped again. He was failing. Failing his father. Failing his Brothers. Failing Anna. He couldn't protect her the way he should; the way he wanted to.
The door opened and two young women entered carrying a bucket and towels. One set to work cleaning the floor beneath him. The other worked on cleaning his body. If he hadn’t been so miserable, he would have enjoyed himself. The girl who was cleaning him was a pretty brunette with very nice cleavage and strong hands.
“Oh, all right, Alex. You look so miserable.” Devin smirked. “Not that it will matter to outsiders, but for your own peace of mind, I drugged you. I gave you Scopolamine, which—”
“I'm familiar with it, thank you.” A truth serum that turns the user into a tool, making them do anything and everything, even if it is against their natural instincts. The Brotherhood was known to have used it in the past, but it was an expensive drug and they found that seduction worked as well and was longer lasting. “You made me rape those little girls? Why?”
“Blackmail footage is always helpful. Plus, I knew it would be an effective deterrent from you telling Anna things you shouldn't be telling her. If you do it again, I'll use the drug again. Maybe I'll have you rape Anna.” Devin was very casual about the whole thing.
“She had a right to know,” he growled. The girl washing his chest was distracting him and pissing him off. But at the same time, it wasn't her fault and he was tired of smelling his vomit. He closed his eyes and let her finish.
“There are certain things that Anna may have a right to know, but it wouldn't be good for her to know. Her thinking of me as a heartless bastard who killed her parents isn't good for her to know.”
“I never said you killed her parents,” Alex said in a low voice.
“True, but you're not an idiot. I'm sure you figured it out.”
“I had my suspicions. It was the only thing that made sense. The timing was rather suspect.”
Devin shrugged. “No one noticed at the time.”
“No one knew about her at the time.”
“No? Well, that was fortunate for me. I thought someone kept tabs on them.”
“They're supposed to, but something kept her hidden from the rest of us.”
Devin grinned. “I told you I'd been planning for a very long time. I don’t know why you're bothering to fight me. You won't win.”
His arrogance angered Alex more than anything, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing. He needed to hold his thoughts close to his chest, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to defeat Devin.
The girl knelt in front of him and washed his legs and cock.
“Amber, why don’t you make sure his cock is clean enough,” Devin said, looking at Alex's face. “You too, Holly.”
Alex and the floor were clean. The girls eagerly grasped his cock and began sucking and licking him. He groaned. This is not what he wanted right now. But his body wasn't listening to the right mind and his cock began to stiffen. The girls let out appreciative sighs and took turns sucking him into their mouths. They were very good at what they did.
Alex gave in and enjoyed their touch. The faster they were done, the faster he could get back to dealing with Devin and make sure Anna was safe.
He moaned low as one girl sucked on his balls while the other sucked on the head and stroked him. He leaned his head back, not caring that the two men were probably watching. One thing he never worried about was cock envy, at least on his part. He'd never seen anyone larger than himself and he knew he was good looking. Women flocked to him, even when he didn't want them to.
So, the men could watch and envy if they were so inclined. He groaned as he felt his climax approaching and cursed in German as he came into one of their mouths. He didn't care which one. It was over and he could get back to business.
He looked down and smiled at the girls. “Thank you. I enjoyed that immensely.” He spoke in a gentle voice. They giggled and kissed him and then scurried out of the room under Devin's frown.
He looked back at Devin. “Happy?”
“I'm glad you enjoyed that. Because what comes next won't be as pleasant.” Devin gave him a wicked grin.
Alex laughed. “You're going to torture me? Really?”
Alex had been trained to withstand immense amounts of pain. He pushed the thought of the recent punishment to the side. He deserved that and had put down the mental barriers that time. With this, he would not allow Devin to know he felt anything.
Devin held up a syringe. “Yes, Mr. Big Shot Assassin can handle pain. But perhaps not like this.” He walked up to Alex and injected him with a clear liquid.
Alex laughed, amused that Devin thought he could break him with a shot. He'd felt everything that could possibly be felt, pain-wise. But when the pain began, he realized this was something new. His eyes watered and he gasped. Even breathing hurt. Devin walked around him and the slight breeze that resulted from his movements felt like razors on his skin. Devin ran his finger down Alex's chest and it felt like a dull knife.
“What the hell did you give me?” Alex asked, choking from the pain and gritting his teeth to keep from crying out.
“Something I've been working on. Basically, it amplifies your nerves by about a thousand percent and registers everything that you feel as pain. Even a breeze...,” Devin blew air on his face and Alex cringed, “...feels like needles in your skin. Am I right?”
Alex closed his eyes. It was unbelievably painful. God, what would happen if he used a whip?
Devin seemed to have read his mind and walked over and picked out a bullwhip and cracked it a few times. Alex jumped at the sound.
“Poor Duke Alex is afraid of a little whip?”
Devin laughed and stepped back. He drew the whip back and sliced it through the air where it landed with a satisfying crack on Alex's chest.
Alex couldn't help it. He cried out in pain. He knew he could handle a whip, but this wasn'
t just a whip. Yes, he could see with his own eyes that it was a normal whip, but it felt like it had a million tiny razors lining the leather.
Crack!
He cried out again and strained against the chains, but even that was painful. He looked at Devin wide-eyed. What kind of man develops something like this?
Devin cracked the whip several more times against Alex’s chest. He looked down and saw several welts across his chest, but they looked so tame compared to the fire he felt.
Devin cracked the whip again and Alex screamed before he realized what he was doing. He never screamed, but he did now. He kept telling himself it wasn't real, but his body wasn't listening.
Over and over the whip hit his chest and legs. Devin circled around to his back and worked there, then back to the front. When Devin aimed one at his cock and hit, Alex thought he would die from agony. He braced for another one, but Devin had stopped. Alex blinked to clear his vision and saw Devin looking at his phone.
Devin shook his head and tossed the phone on the table behind him.
“Anna's calling. I'll call her back later.”
The phone immediately started vibrating again, and Devin pushed the screen to stop it. He pulled the whip up and cracked it at Alex a few more times.
Alex could see Devin's phone light up again. Devin growled and pushed the screen to silence it again. It lit up again within seconds.
“Something's wrong, Devin,” he said in a hoarse voice. “You know she's not that persistent.”
Devin looked back at his phone after refusing the call, but it didn't ring again. “Maybe not.” He smirked.
Alex knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones. A movement caught his eye in the corner and he saw Ian looking at his phone. He looked up at Devin.
“It's Anna.”
Devin threw the whip down and stalked over to Ian and grabbed the phone. “Anna, if I don’t answer—”
Even in the dim light, Alex could see Devin's face pale. He walked back over to Alex and held the phone up to his ear.
“Anna?” he said in his hoarse voice.
The Life of Anna, Part 2: Entwined Page 21