Anna
okay?” His voice had cleared.
“Devin killed Anna’s boyfriend. Right in
front of her, as far as I can tell.”
“My God!”
Wilhelm repeated to Alex what Anna had told
him.
“That fucking bastard,” Alex growled when
Wilhelm had finished.
“My exact sentiments. How are the plans
progressing?”
“Slowly. I have to be careful if we’re going
to keep it a secret.”
“Will it be done by the time Anna gets
there?”
“It will. I will make sure of that.”
“Good. You might want to send Seth out to
help Greg get Anna to Frankfurt. She is extremely unwilling to
go.”
Alex chuckled. “Who knew she could be so
strong willed?”
Wilhelm chuckled as well. “It would be good
for her to learn some stubbornness. But Alex, I don’t know what
Ben’s death will do to her. She is extremely distressed and blaming
herself. She’s…different than she was. Devin has been ruthless with
her emotions. You’re going to have to be very, very careful with
her. You must have your temper under control at all times or you
will deeply wound her.”
Alex sighed. “I know, Vati
.
As soon
as she gets here, I will put out word that we are unavailable. I
don't want to do it beforehand or it might tip off Devin.”
“Do you think she might be more willing if
she flew commercial? It might be less threatening to her.”
“Maybe. But I hate the idea of her on a
commercial jet.”
“Alex, don’t be a snob. Lufthansa does an
excellent job in their first class.”
“I know, but…I don’t want her getting
hurt.”
“That’s why you’re sending bodyguards with
her. So she’s watched and kept safe. Greg would never allow
anything to happen to her.”
“Neither would any of my men. Seth,
especially.” Alex paused. “I think I will send him out. Just don't
tell Anna.”
“I won’t, believe me. Every time I have
mentioned it, she becomes hostile.”
Alex sighed. “Poor Anna.” He paused. “Vati, I
don’t like the idea of Anna living alone. Do you think you could
convince her to have Jenna move in with her?”
“I agree. I’ll speak to her about it.”
“Good. Keep my name out of it and it might go
better. I don’t want to command her and make her resent me anymore
than she already does.”
“I will. All right. I will let you get back
to sleep. I know you need it, but I thought you might want to
know.”
“Thank you for calling me, Vati. I always
want to know if something happens to her.”
“I know, son. Good night.”
Wilhelm put his phone in his pocket and
headed back to Matt’s apartment. He hoped that Alex’s plan would
work. The poor girl couldn’t take much more before she completely
lost her mental faculties.
Chapter Ten
Anna sat on the floor in the corner listening
to Ben’s family talk about him and make funeral plans. Tears were
intermixed with occasional laughter. His sisters, Marcia and Ruth,
huddled next to their parents, Dave and Katherine. Matt and Jenna
sat together on a chair near the window.
Wilhelm sat in a chair near Anna. He had
tried to get Anna to sit on a chair, but she refused. If she had to
be here, she wanted to hide in the corner.
The family had decided on Friday morning for
the funeral. Anna knew she had a matinee early Friday afternoon,
but would ask Isaak if he would let her miss class that
morning.
Would it be inappropriate to continue
dancing? She couldn’t imagine not dancing, though. Even now,
especially now, she felt a need to go somewhere alone and dance.
Dancing kept her sane. It was the only thing that had done so
through all the years of abuse.
Anna felt the ring box in her pocket. She
should give his family the ring, but they would be suspicious if
they knew she had it. How could she explain how she got it? She
wasn’t supposed to have seen him. She glanced at Matt and then
Wilhelm. What should she do with it?
“It doesn’t make any sense, Mom,” Marcia said
in a broken voice. “How could he have disappeared on Friday and
not…been
okay?” His voice had cleared.
“Devin killed Anna’s boyfriend. Right in
front of her, as far as I can tell.”
“My God!”
Wilhelm repeated to Alex what Anna had told
him.
“That fucking bastard,” Alex growled when
Wilhelm had finished.
“My exact sentiments. How are the plans
progressing?”
“Slowly. I have to be careful if we’re going
to keep it a secret.”
“Will it be done by the time Anna gets
there?”
“It will. I will make sure of that.”
“Good. You might want to send Seth out to
help Greg get Anna to Frankfurt. She is extremely unwilling to
go.”
Alex chuckled. “Who knew she could be so
strong willed?”
Wilhelm chuckled as well. “It would be good
for her to learn some stubbornness. But Alex, I don’t know what
Ben’s death will do to her. She is extremely distressed and blaming
herself. She’s…different than she was. Devin has been ruthless with
her emotions. You’re going to have to be very, very careful with
her. You must have your temper under control at all times or you
will deeply wound her.”
Alex sighed. “I know, Vati
.
As soon
as she gets here, I will put out word that we are unavailable. I
don't want to do it beforehand or it might tip off Devin.”
“Do you think she might be more willing if
she flew commercial? It might be less threatening to her.”
“Maybe. But I hate the idea of her on a
commercial jet.”
“Alex, don’t be a snob. Lufthansa does an
excellent job in their first class.”
“I know, but…I don’t want her getting
hurt.”
“That’s why you’re sending bodyguards with
her. So she’s watched and kept safe. Greg would never allow
anything to happen to her.”
“Neither would any of my men. Seth,
especially.” Alex paused. “I think I will send him out. Just don't
tell Anna.”
“I won’t, believe me. Every time I have
mentioned it, she becomes hostile.”
Alex sighed. “Poor Anna.” He paused. “Vati, I
don’t like the idea of Anna living alone. Do you think you could
convince her to have Jenna move in with her?”
“I agree. I’ll speak to her about it.”
“Good. Keep my name out of it and it might go
better. I don’t want to command her and make her resent me anymore
than she already does.”
“I will. All right. I will let you get back
to sleep. I know you need it, but I thought you might want to
know.”
“Thank you for calling me, Vati. I always
want to know if something happens to her.”
“I know, son. Good night.”
Wilhelm put his phone in his pocket and
headed back to Matt’s apartment. He hoped that Alex’s plan would
work. The poor girl couldn’t take much more before she completely
lost her mental faculties.
Chapter Ten
Anna sat on the floor in the corner listening
to Ben’s family talk about him and make funeral plans. Tears were
intermixed with occasional laughter. His sisters, Marcia and Ruth,
huddled next to their parents, Dave and Katherine. Matt and Jenna
sat together on a chair near the window.
Wilhelm sat in a chair near Anna. He had
tried to get Anna to sit on a chair, but she refused. If she had to
be here, she wanted to hide in the corner.
The family had decided on Friday morning for
the funeral. Anna knew she had a matinee early Friday afternoon,
but would ask Isaak if he would let her miss class that
morning.
Would it be inappropriate to continue
dancing? She couldn’t imagine not dancing, though. Even now,
especially now, she felt a need to go somewhere alone and dance.
Dancing kept her sane. It was the only thing that had done so
through all the years of abuse.
Anna felt the ring box in her pocket. She
should give his family the ring, but they would be suspicious if
they knew she had it. How could she explain how she got it? She
wasn’t supposed to have seen him. She glanced at Matt and then
Wilhelm. What should she do with it?
“It doesn’t make any sense, Mom,” Marcia said
in a broken voice. “How could he have disappeared on Friday and
not…been
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