Chapter 7

“Anna, please let me buy you a decent car.” Kurt had been pleading with her to be able to buy her something all afternoon. “Or find you a better place to live. Vati says your place is hideous.”

They strolled through a park close to the hotel. The rain had subsided and the sun’s warm rays filled the day with cheer.

“I like my car. It’s cute. And my apartment isn’t hideous. Well, at least the complex isn’t. I just... didn’t put any effort into decorating it.”

Wilhelm shook his head. “Do you even have a bed?”

“Of course I do.” It was a mattress on the floor, but it was her bed.

Wilhelm raised an incredulous brow and frowned.

“You really think Devin would let me not have a bed?”

Kurt blew out an exasperated breath. “Why are you letting Devin run every detail of your life? Every time you say something, his name is included.”

“Why am I—?” She stared at him, mouth opened. “Why wouldn’t I? He owns me.”

“Only half, Anna,” Wilhelm said softly. “You belong to me as well.”

His words were true, but Wilhelm lived in Germany. And Wilhelm didn’t have that little syringe filled with something that made fingertips turn into razor blades. She shuddered at the thought of Devin punishing her again. She kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. “Devin’s made sure I’ve gotten healthy again.”

“After he let you destroy yourself,” Kurt muttered.

She looked up at him and frowned. “He gave me a way to cope.”

Kurt frowned. “He bribed you with drugs so you would return with him, and then doped you up so badly you could not think straight.”

Anna narrowed her eyes. “I couldn’t deal with what was going on.”

He jutted his jaw. “You think we had it any easier? I lost my brother. Vati lost a son. We all lost friends.” He pressed his lips together. “We would have been there for you, Anna, if you would have let us. I would have been there for you every step of the way.”

Guilt flared in her chest, and she swallowed and pushed it aside. It was too close to sadness. And she hated feeling sad. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I never asked you to come back here. I explicitly told your father not to visit me.” She glared at Wilhelm. “You did anyway, and now you’re angry at me for dealing with my grief?”

Kurt softened his voice. “But you did not deal with it. You avoided it and nearly destroyed yourself.”

“It was my choice. It was none of your business what I did.”

“Of course it is our business. We care about you. We love you. We want what is best for you.”

“I don’t need your love.” Anna huffed and spun around to storm away, but Kurt grabbed her around her waist and pulled her close.

“You do, Anna,” he said softly in her ear. “You need to be loved. You melted in my arms this morning. When was the last time someone held you like that?”

Anna pushed at his chest, hating the tears that threatened to fall. “It doesn’t matter.” Her voice caught in her throat.

“ Ja . It does. It matters because you are a woman that is meant to be loved and cherished. And as much as you try to deny it, you cannot. You are scared. I understand that. But avoiding people and feelings will not make things any better. You will just be miserable again.”

“I’m always miserable.”

Kurt cupped her chin and kissed her, long and hard. When he pulled away, she stumbled and had to gasp for breath. “Does that make you miserable?”

Anna squinted, trying to regain her breath. No, it made her feel alive. And that scared her to death. “Please let me go. Go home. Leave me alone.”

“ Nein .” He kissed her again. And again. And again. Until she couldn’t resist any longer and melted into his loving arms.

She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, unable to fight him any longer. She didn’t really want to.

Her phone rang—Devin’s ring—interrupting the serenity of the moment. She pulled away from Kurt and dug in her purse for her phone. “Hello, Devin.” Her voice shook and she winced.

“Where are you?”

Anna looked around. “I’m at a park... somewhere downtown.”

Devin didn’t reply.

“Devin?”

“It’s Friday. It’s four o’clock and you’re not here.” His tone was even, but she could feel the anger radiating through the call.

Anna gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, God! Devin, I’m so sorry. I’ll leave right now.” She turned to run to the street, but Wilhelm grabbed her hand and took the phone from her.

She grabbed at it, but he shook his head and walked away. “Hello, Devin. It is Wilhelm...”

Anna’s jaw trembled and she watched helplessly. “He’s going to punish me...” She hung her head and wiped away her tears with shaky hands. She’d been doing so well, and Kurt and Wilhelm had come into town and ruined it all in a single afternoon.

“Vati will not let that happen.”

Anna watched Wilhelm as he talked to Devin. His face remained impassive, and he seemed to speak with confidence and firmness. At last, he nodded and ended the call.

Wilhelm walked back and handed Anna her phone. “Your presence is not needed at the Schloss tonight, Anna.” He smiled. “What would you like to do?”

Anna gaped at Wilhelm. She couldn’t even process his question. His ability to stand up to Devin amazed her. Like Alex... She flinched at the thought.

“We had talked about going to the symphony, Vati.”

Wilhelm nodded. “That is true. How does that sound, Anna?”

Anna blinked and stared at him, trying to process everything that had happened in the last fifteen minutes. Wilhelm wanted her opinion about going somewhere. When was the last time she’d been asked about something like that? Devin never did. He just told her what to do. It was kind of nice to be asked.

She nodded and then gasped and shook her head. “I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t have much at all, actually.”

“Finally!” Kurt grinned.

Anna gave him a confused look.

“I can buy you something!” Kurt took her hand and the three of them walked back to the hotel to get the car Wilhelm had rented.