Chapter 139

“I’m so sorry about Chris, Connor.”

Devin and Tyler sat in Connor Diaz’s large living room in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He and Tyler had stopped by Conner’s house to accompany them to the funeral. His wife and four younger children were somber, sitting together on the couch. The second youngest son, Chad, was in his mid-twenties. How would he be as an Elder?

“Thank you, Devin.” Connor was more sober than Devin had ever seen him. He sat in a leather recliner, staring out the window.

Devin didn’t want to imagine what it would be like to lose his son.

Tonight would be the Funeral Gathering for Chris, and Chad would become Elder-Son. He grimaced, reminded once more that Anna had run away. He was at risk of losing his position as Chairman. No one had said it outright, but there were quiet murmurs questioning his ability to maintain his authority without an Elder-Mistress. He’d assured the other Elders that he would find Anna. Soon. And oh, how he would punish her!

Twenty minutes later, it was time to leave. His limo waited by the curb, and the group made their way outside. He walked next to Connor, asking him a question about Chad, and suddenly there was a loud bang. A moment later, Connor fell to the ground.

Devin stared in horror at the bleeding hole in the center of Connor’s forehead. Screams from his family echoed in the area as Devin dropped to the ground, pulling Tyler down with him.

“What happened?” Tyler asked in a shaky voice.

Devin couldn’t pull his eyes away from his friend’s dead body. First Chris, and now Connor? What the hell was going on?

Anna woke with a heavy heart. She lay in bed, staring out the window for a long time. There was no reason to get out of bed; she couldn’t go to rehearsal, or anywhere, for that matter. She was stuck inside until next week. Yes, it was for her safety, and after what happened with Devin, she certainly didn’t want to risk being found.

Pain shot through her head as she turned onto her back. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples. A reminder to not disobey her Master again?

She’d never disobeyed Devin like she’d disobeyed Wilhelm last night. And she wouldn’t ever again. She didn’t need the threat of punishment to keep her in line. Her mind did it all on its own.

Should she let Hugo come over tonight? Would that be disobeying Wilhelm? Should she avoid Hugo to be safe? Maybe she should just avoid everyone. Go back to being on her own, like when she was in San Francisco. She never wanted to feel that searing pain in her head ever again.

The pain subsided, and Anna sighed and reached for the TV remote. She wanted something to distract her. Anything.

A woman in a red suit looked somber as she spoke about a shooting in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She sat up in bed, leaning in and staring at the TV. Who had been shot? Wilhelm and the other Elders were there today! Finally, the name was announced and a familiar picture flashed across the screen: Connor Diaz.

The Philadelphia Elder had been shot? The reporter said that he’d been on his way to his son’s funeral when he’d been shot in the head. Anna despised the man, but she wouldn’t wish the loss of a father and son in one family on anyone. His poor wife.

She changed the channel to an 80s movie she’d seen before and let her mind drift as she watched it.

Around lunchtime, she wandered out to the kitchen. She wasn’t hungry, but was tired of lying in bed. A knock at the door made her jump and she went to answer it.

Hugo stood there with a tender smile on his face. “Hey, Kittycat. I missed you last night.”

He leaned in to kiss her, but Anna stepped away and shook her head. “I can’t.” Hot tears filled her eyes and she winced at the ache in her heart. The hurt in Hugo’s eyes made her feel even worse, and tears ran down her face as she turned away. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, burying her face in her hands.

“Katrina? What’s wrong?” Hugo sat down next to her. “Do you regret what we did?”

“No, not at all. I...” She swallowed and shook her head, wiping the tears away. “Wilhelm has forbidden me from being with you again.”

“Forbidden you? What does that mean?” He put his hand on her leg and she scooted away.

Anna struggled to get the words out. “He . . . knows what we . . . did, and he told me . . . I couldn’t be . . . with you anymore.”

“Who the hell does he think he is? It’s none of his business what we do!”

Anna’s voice cracked as she spoke. “It is. Everything I do is his business. He’s my Master, remember?”

Hugo growled. “You don’t have to tell him. He doesn’t have to know.”

“Hugo, I can’t. I can’t disobey him. I feel... physical pain if I do.”

He drew his brows together and stared hard at her. “Are you just saying that because you don’t want to be with me?”

A sob escaped her throat and she pressed her palms to her eyes, shaking her head vehemently. “Hugo, if I could run away with you this moment, I would. I would go anywhere with you, to escape my life and spend the rest of it with you.” Her shoulders slumped. “But I can’t,” she whispered.

“Why not?” He cradled her cheek in his hand and stared deeply into his eyes. “Run away with me. We’ll go somewhere no one will find us.”

“I want to, Hugo. I want to so badly, but I can’t. My... my life is not my own.” Her shoulders slumped. That was the ultimate truth. She was not her own person. “I’m a slave. My desires don’t matter. I can only do what my Masters want me to do.”

“Slavery’s illegal, Katrina.”

She shook her head. “Not in my world.”

Hugo leaned back into the couch and rubbed the top of his head. “I don’t know whether to believe you or not.”

She gasped and then choked. “Why would I lie? I—I care so much about you!” Damn Wilhelm and Kurt! Why had they visited last night? She blew out a shaky breath. “Ask Aaron if you don’t believe me.”

Hugo didn’t say anything for a few minutes, and Anna wished she could rip her heart out of her chest.

“Regardless, we should rehearse.” He stood. “Do you need to change?”

Anna glanced down at her pajamas and nodded. She understood why he didn’t believe her. He knew nothing about The Brotherhood. He was lucky.

Rehearsal was productive, but sad. They only spoke of dancing, ignoring the wounds in their hearts. When they were finished, Hugo gave her a sad look and left. Anna returned to her room and fell onto her bed in a heap of tears.

When Aaron came home later that evening, he lay down behind her and held her. She slowly told him what had happened with Wilhelm and Hugo.

“That’s really fucked up,” Aaron said.

She laughed bitterly. “Story of my life.”

Aaron sighed and kissed the back of her head. “Too bad you can’t go out tonight.”

“If I could go out tonight, none of this would’ve happened.”

“True.”

Anna turned over to look at him. “I hate this. When I got to New York, I had just gotten to the point where I didn’t resent Alex saving me. Aside from the whole Devin-wanting-ultimate-power thing, I’m beginning to resent it again.” She sighed. “I wish it was all over now. Just... ya know, move on with my life. No more possibilities, just... life.”

“I’d miss you, though.” He smoothed her hair back from her face. “I like having you here with me.”

“I like being here with you, too.” She sighed and scooted forward, leaning her head on his chest. “I don’t know how Wilhelm expects me to go without sex until I marry Kurt.”

“Does he know about Mr. J?”

Anna shrugged. “I certainly didn’t tell him. But I don’t know if Mr. J is still interested in me. It’ll have been three weeks tomorrow that I haven’t seen—er, felt him.”

Aaron chuckled. “If he’s found someone better in the sack than you, I want to meet her.”