Chapter 160

Anna forced herself to eat and be social, a polite smile on her face the entire time. She’d done it before, she could do it again, although answering the “Where’s Alex?” question became tedious.

By two o’clock, Anna was exhausted and her head was pounding. She just wanted to crawl into bed and curl up next to Alex. Everything was right in the world when she was in his arms. But she didn’t know if that was an option. Should she go back to the apartment she’d shared with Aaron? Her bed was still there.

She searched for Seth and found him flirting with Crystal, one of the corps dancers. He met her eye, said something to the girl, and hurried over to Anna.

“You okay?”

“I think I’m going to leave.” Blinking back tears, she shook her head. “I don’t know where to go, though. Do I go back to Aaron’s apartment?”

Seth raised his eyebrows. “No. Of course not. Why would you think that?”

She chewed her lip. It wasn’t fair to make Seth tell her he’d taken another woman home. “If Alex needs his privacy...”

“What are you talking about?”

She gave a small shrug. “I thought maybe Alex . . . found . . . someone?—?”

“Don’t even say it, Anna.” Seth shook his head firmly. “There is no other woman in Alex’s life.” He put his hands on her shoulder. “He loves you. That’s it.”

“But—?”

He shook his head again. “Him leaving was all him. I mean it. He’s being a dumbass.” He frowned and shook his head. “Is that what you’ve been thinking this whole time?”

Anna nodded and burst into tears.

Seth pulled her into his arms, stroking her head. “Oh, Anna. That would never happen. Never in a million years.” He pulled away and searched her face. “You’re tired. And hurt. Let’s get you home and you and Alex can make up and you’ll feel better.” He gave a gentle smile. “Go get your purse. I’ll take you home.”

“I can make it?—?”

“I promised Dumbass I’d get you home safely, and that’s what I’m going to do. Besides, it’s the middle of the night. It’s not safe to go on your own.”

Anna gave a choked laugh at Seth calling Alex a dumbass and nodded. “Okay.”

He searched her face for a moment. “I’ll meet you by the door.”

She nodded and he walked away. She dabbed at her face so she didn’t look as if she’d been crying and then retrieved her purse from the table.

Seth smiled and opened the door for her. “Alex is probably dead asleep and will wake up in the morning regretting leaving you here.”

Anna shrugged, hoping Seth was right. “Just walk me to the building, then you can get back to the party.” She smiled. “And Crystal.”

Seth chuckled, and they walked the two blocks to their building. She hugged him hard and went inside, greeting the doorman as she made her way to the elevators.

She hesitated at the door to the condo. After taking a deep breath, she pushed it open and walked inside.

All the lights were off except in the library at the far side of the living room. She kept her shoes on, wanting to alert Alex to her presence with her steps on the hardwood floor. She didn’t want to startle him. Was he in there?

She peeked inside and saw him slouching on the brown leather couch. He was still in his tuxedo, though his shirt was unbuttoned and his hair was a mess. A short glass filled with ice and amber liquid hung from his fingers. He slowly lifted it to his mouth, took a long sip, and dropped his arm back into place. He stared blankly at the lit fireplace.

“Alex?” She was careful to keep her voice soft.

“I didn’t think you’d come home,” he said in a low voice. His voice was slurred, making his Russian/?German-accented-English even harder to understand.

Anna inhaled sharply. “Did you not want me to come home?” Tears burned her eyes.

“I didn’t think you’d want to.” The hopelessness in his voice broke Anna’s heart.

She hurried over to him and kneeled at his feet. She grabbed his empty hand and gazed up at him. “Why would you think that, Alex? Why did you leave?” Her voice squeaked on her last word.

Alex gripped the glass in his hand tighter. “I thought you’d prefer it if I wasn’t there.”

“Why on earth would you think that? I was crushed when you left.”

Alex finally looked at her with bloodshot, sorrow-filled eyes. “I saw you... when you were dancing with Hugo... you love him.”

Anna gaped at her husband. “Alex... no...” She sat up on her knees. “ This is where I want to be. With you.” She held his big hand with her two much smaller hands as her eyes filled with tears. “Is that why you left? Because you thought I’d rather be with Hugo?”

Alex nodded slowly and the tears spilled over onto Anna’s cheeks. “Why, Alex? Why would you think that?”

She saw the tears in his own eyes and he blinked rapidly. “I saw how you looked at him... how he looked at you. You... I could feel your emotions.”

Anna shook her head. “Alex... no...” Never in her wildest dreams could she ever have imagined Alex being so insecure. The tears in his eyes made her own flow harder.

A hard thought hit her square in the face. Devin had done this to him. Devin had made the most confident man she’d ever met, insecure.

Rage oozed through her veins. She knew what Devin had done to her, but she hadn’t realized the full extent of what Devin had done to Alex.

Until now.

Alex wasn’t exactly drunk, but he wasn’t exactly sober either. He’d been sitting here for hours, imagining Anna dancing and laughing and enjoying the gala, thankful that he’d left. The thought broke his heart. But if she’d rather be with Hugo, he didn’t want to stop her.

When the condo door opened and he’d heard her footsteps coming closer and closer, he’d braced for the terrible unknown. What would he see in her face? Disdain? Disgust? Hatred? He didn’t even want to look at her.

She hadn’t responded to his accusation that she’d rather be with Hugo and he felt even more defeated.

Her hands suddenly clenched into fists and she began to shake. He looked up and gasped. Her face wasn’t filled with disgust, but anger. No, not anger. Rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.

“Anna?” he whispered. He exhaled sharply when her pupils began to disappear. “Anna!” The glass slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor as he grabbed hold of her shoulders.

“Devin...” she growled. “Devin... destroyed you...” She leaned her head back and let out an inhuman scream. Alex jumped to his feet and stared down at her.

She was going into a rage, like she had the night she’d killed Jack. There was little comfort in the fact that she wasn’t angry at him.

Shit. What had the tomes said about this? He fought the alcohol-induced-fuzziness in his mind and thought hard. He... he needed to get control of her. Theoretically, it would be easier if he caught her before it completely took hold.

He sat back down and took her head in his hands, turning her face toward his. “Anna. Anna, look at me.”

She jerked, trying to get free.

“Anna, Schatzi , look at me. Devin will pay. Devin will pay, I promise. Don’t lose control, my love. Please.”

She grabbed hold of his wrists, growling and digging her fingernails into his flesh. He winced, but he would have sworn he’d seen a glimmer of humanity in her eyes.

“Anna, look at me.” He hesitated. He had to command her. It was the only way. God, he hated doing that. “Anna! Look at me.” He spoke in a firm, commanding tone, praying it would get her attention.

It did! Her eyes locked onto his. “Anna, Devin will pay for what he did. Please, please come back to me.”

She growled, but her pupils slowly appeared again. He held her head firmly, keeping his eyes locked on hers, and watched as she slowly—oh-so-slowly—began to relax.

Her jaw trembled and she let out a sob and collapsed into his arms, torrential tears streaming down her face, leaving black streaks of makeup on her cheeks. He sat down on the floor and pulled her into his lap, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

She cried and cried as Alex held her and rocked her gently. His shirt became soaked as she showered him with her hot tears, but he didn’t care. He stroked her silky hair and whispered to her in German as sobs wracked her body.

Grief overwhelmed Anna, making her wail unlike she had in a very long time. She thought she had passed out for a few minutes because she remembered getting angry, and then the next thing she knew, she was in Alex’s lap, sobbing. She tried to stop, not wanting to impose on Alex while he was upset, but she couldn’t.

Devin! Devin had destroyed her handsome, confident husband. The anger had dissipated, leaving only the grief. Intense grief.

An eternity later, when her tears had slowed, she looked up at Alex. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I made you feel like that, Alex.”

He wiped away her tears with his thumbs. “I’m sorry I got jealous.”

“I was dancing for you,” she whispered. “I was barely thinking about Hugo as I danced. It was all for you...”

Alex’s eyes widened and grew wet. “Oh, Anna. Oh, mein Schatzi .” He grimaced. “I am a fool.”

“Devin... he hurt you so badly.” She cradled his smooth cheek. “Alex...” She leaned forward and kissed him, dragging her hands through his hair and thrusting her tongue into his mouth.

He groaned loudly and kissed her back. His hand tangled in her hair and met her tongue’s thrusts.

“Make love to me, Alex,” she murmured against his mouth. He grinned against her mouth and suddenly she was in the air.

Alex stumbled and she opened her eyes to see him giving her a sheepish smile. “I’ve had a bit to drink.”

Anna giggled and wiggled out of his arms and onto the floor. “Are you up for lovemaking?” she teased.

He grinned. “Always.”

Feeling suddenly playful, she flashed Alex a mischievous smile before running out of the room. She heard Alex laugh, and his heavy footsteps followed behind her. She figured this would be the only time she might be able to outrun him.

He laughed and said something in German as he chased her down the hall, and she screamed in delight and ran to their bedroom. His legs being so long, he easily caught up with her and grabbed her around the waist as she reached the door. She screeched and laughed, trying to get away, loving the light in his eyes. He tossed her onto the bed and jumped on after her, making the bed squeak.

“Little minx,” he murmured as he crawled over her and kissed her.

“I love you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Alex’s gaze softened. “I love you, too.”