Chapter 28

The company only had rehearsals through Wednesday morning. Peter and Anna flew to Los Angeles that afternoon and drove a rental car down to his family’s home in Laguna Beach.

Peter drove into an upscale neighborhood and parked in front of a spacious white house featuring two garages and a gated courtyard. Behind the house, the clouds were painted shades of pink and gold as the sun dipped low on the horizon. The air carried a hint of saltiness, and she could hear the ocean. Stepping out of the car, she held Peter’s hand and closed her eyes, allowing the sounds and smells to wash over her.

Peter moved closer, wrapping his arms around her. “You seem to enjoy it here.” He leaned in and kissed her. Since her visit to her old house, she’d started to trust Peter again. Devin approved of their relationship, which added a sense of security she’d not had since she’d married Alex.

“It’s so warm.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “So different from home.”

“I hope my parents let you stay in my room, otherwise I’ll be visiting you in the middle of the night.”

Anna giggled and leaned her head on his chest. “I just hope they don’t hate me.”

Peter smiled. “There’s nothing to hate about you.” He had warned her about his father and uncle’s stubbornness, cautioning her that once they made up their minds, it was like trying to move mountains to change their opinion. Peter remained hopeful that despite her being an Elder-Mistress, they would see her as more than just a tool of The Brotherhood. “Let’s get our bags and hope for the best.”

He popped the trunk. They retrieved their suitcases, and Peter led her through the gate and to the front door. He gave her a reassuring smile and then opened the door.

She stepped into a small foyer that overlooked a two-story-high white room with massive windows on the opposite wall, offering a breathtaking view of the golden sunset over the ocean. Anna froze, captivated by the breathtaking view in front of her. “Oh, Peter... It’s amazing!”

Peter chuckled. “It is. Just look where you’re going and don’t fall down the stairs. Isaak will kill me if you get hurt.”

She nodded and followed Peter down a curved staircase leading down into a wide living room full of people.

Peter said something loudly in Russian and the people downstairs looked up and shouted in excitement. As they approached the bottom of the stairs, a teenage girl ran up to Peter and hugged him hard.

“Peter!” She was beautiful, about fourteen or fifteen, with long, almost-black hair and electric blue eyes. She was tall and thin and had dimples in her cheeks. It was clear by the way she looked at Peter that she adored him.

“Natalya.” Peter hugged her back and then stepped away and put his arm around Anna’s waist. “This is Anna. Anna, this is my little sister Natalya.”

Anna bit her lip. “Hi.”

The girl gave her a bright, welcoming smile. “Hi, Anna. Welcome to our home.”

The other people walked up to them and Peter greeted them all with hugs and kisses and affectionate greetings in Russian.

“I thought I heard you, Dorogoy .” A woman in her late forties with shiny black hair pulled back into a low bun walked in from another room. She was about Anna’s height and smiled broadly at Peter.

“Hello, Mama.” Peter hugged the woman tightly.

She beamed at him and tapped his cheek. “I like the beard. You look like your father.”

“Everyone, this is Anna. Anna, this is... everyone.” He laughed. “My mother, Jackie. My brothers Sergei, Pavel, and Yuri.” The three younger guys nodded as Peter said their names. Anna guessed Sergei to be about her age. Pavel was a few years younger and Yuri looked to be about sixteen. “You’ve already met Natalya. This is my Uncle Vlad and Aunt Nina and my father, Mikhail.”

Anna smiled shyly at everyone as they were introduced. Both Nina and Jackie gave her bright smiles as they greeted her, while Vlad and Mikhail’s expressions were filled with suspicion.

“Dinner is ready,” Jackie said with a smile. “I was hoping you’d make it in time. Let’s eat.”

Peter took her hand and the whole crowd moved into a huge kitchen and dining room combination where a large table was set. Steaming dishes sat in the middle of the table and Anna’s mouth watered as she sat between Peter and Sergei. Peter sat near the end next to his father.

Dinner was a noisy affair. Everyone wanted to hear Peter’s stories about living in San Francisco and dancing. He apparently hadn’t been to visit for several years, though they had gone out to visit him in St. Petersburg.

“You couldn’t come visit us?” Natalya pouted prettily.

“I’ve been busy, Nati. You know how it is.”

After Peter finished telling his stories, the conversations at the table meandered in various directions. Anna kept quiet, watching as Peter’s father and uncle spoke softly in Russian, occasionally glancing in her direction. Vlad seemed particularly unfriendly, and Anna couldn’t help but wonder what she had done to offend him. She’d only met him once, at Alex’s funeral, and he had seemed polite, although Anna had been anything but. Perhaps that was what had earned his disapproval.

“Dariya called me,” Sergei said, leaning forward to look past Anna at Peter.

Peter’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. “Why did she call you?”

“You weren’t answering your phone, so she called me to find out what happened to you.” Sergei looked at Anna. “I guess I know now.”

Anna had a feeling she knew who Dariya was: Peter’s girlfriend back in St. Petersburg.

Peter looked down and stabbed at the chicken on his plate, staring hard at it. “Can we talk about it later, Sergei?”

Sergei shrugged and went back to eating.

Anna forced a few more small bites of food into her mouth, then put her fork down. Since she and Peter had been getting along, she’d forgotten about his girlfriend. Did he call Dariya? Did he miss her? Anna was glad she wasn’t further along in her pregnancy or she might have become sick. As it was, her stomach was churning with the harsh reminder she and Peter were only together because Devin wanted them to be.

Peter put his arm around Anna’s shoulders and leaned close, as if to kiss her cheek. “Are you alright?” he whispered into her ear. “Sergei... I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have said that in front of you.”

Anna shook her head. “It’s okay.” She forced a smile. “I... just forgot about her.”

The depth of affection in Peter’s gaze was so overwhelming that Anna had to look away. She didn’t want him looking at her like that. It brought up too many complicated emotions within her. She liked him. A lot. They lived in the same world of The Brotherhood, and he understood and accepted her role in it. He protected her from Devin.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled, realizing that the reminder of his other life—his real life—was a necessary evil. Sooner or later, he would return to his own life back in Russia. This was all temporary. If she forgot, it would only lead to heartache. But at the same time, they spent so much time together, it was hard to imagine her life without him.

After dinner, Jackie took Anna up to Natalya’s room, which had two twin beds. She’d be sharing the room with Peter’s sister.

Anna heard Peter arguing with his father in Russian, but Peter didn’t seem to be winning.