The Life of Anna, Part 4: Ensnared (7 page)

Anna figured that her friends didn’t know she
had joined for at least a week, because she wasn’t bothered. But
Aaron spotted her coming out of the studio after class on the
second Tuesday she was there and ran up to her.

“Anna!” he hugged her.

A few of the Corps dancers mumbled around
her. Anna was getting a reputation of being a cold, icy bitch,
which was fine with her. Anna suspected that some of her fellow
dancers thought that, because she’d been a Principal before, she
was unfriendly because she was a snob and was too good for the
Corps. This, of course, was untrue, because she just didn’t want to
be there in the first place. It didn’t matter what part of the
Company she was in. She danced to the best of her abilities because
if she didn’t, Devin would find out and punish her.

So when she pushed Aaron aside and walked
past him without responding, the dancers were surprised.

“Maybe she’s just a bitch,” one girl
muttered.

Aaron turned and stared at the girl. “You
have no idea what Anna has been through in her life. Don’t you dare
judge her!” He turned around and jogged to catch up with Anna.

Anna turned and saw him coming after her and
ran quickly into the bathroom. She poked her head out ten minutes
later and was relieved to not see him in the hallway.

When she returned to the studio for the
morning rehearsals for
Petrushka
, she noticed a couple of
the girls trying to be friendly and chat with her. Anna glared at
them and walked away.

Unfortunately, Aaron caught her at lunch and
held her arm to make her go with him.
Fine
, she thought as
he led her out the door. She’d just make him regret he took
her.

She refused to admit to herself that she was
lonely.

Aaron took her to a deli down the street and
tried to buy her lunch.

“I can buy my own lunch,” she snapped. Now
that she was in the Company again, she would be getting a regular
paycheck. Not a very large one, but enough to keep herself fed.

Aaron protested, but Anna glared at him and
stood stubbornly with her arms crossed until he walked away. She
ordered her lunch and then walked to sit with him at a table near
the window.

“What do you want?” she asked before taking a
bite of her salad.

“I’m glad you’re eating,” Aaron said,
ignoring her sharp tone.

“I have to eat,” she retorted. “I have to
take care of myself and dance well. Other than that, I don't have
to do anything.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Is that what
Devin told you?”

Anna nodded. “Pleasing him is my purpose in
life. Anything else will just get in the way. Especially
people.”

He looked sadly at her. “I miss the old
Anna.”

She shrugged and took a sip of her ice tea.
“The old Anna was stupid and naïve and...just dumb.”

The old Anna had fallen in love with a
monster. The more time passed, the more she hated Alex. For lying
to her. For making her believe that life could be worth living. If
he hadn’t interfered with that ritual...well, none of this would
have happened. She would have been blissfully ignorant of many
things in life.

“I don't think she was stupid. God, Anna, I’d
never seen a happier woman than when you and Alex were together.
You glowed.”

“I was pregnant. Pregnant women do that.
And...well, Alex wasn’t who he said he was.” He was a monster who
liked little girls.

Aaron gave her a confused look. “I thought
you knew about what he did.”

“You knew? How could you still be friends
with him?”

“Anna, I found out...after he died. But, I
don’t think any less of him. It sure explains all his mystery
trips.”

“Yeah, it’s not exactly something you
advertise,” she grumbled.

“I imagine it would be dangerous if it was
general knowledge.”

“Dangerous? Why would it be dangerous?”

Aaron looked bewildered. “Well, I don’t
know...like you said, it’s not something you want to advertise.
But, I mean, considering all that the Brotherhood does, I don't see
why it’s a big deal. Aside from the whole killing thing, it’s
actually kinda cool.”

“He killed them?” she squeaked. The little
girls hadn’t looked like they died, but maybe they died later.

“That was his job, Anna. Or part of it
anyways. He wouldn’t be a very good assassin if he didn’t.”

His job? Assassin? “What are you talking
about, Aaron?”

“You’re upset because of his...well, the
reason for his black diamonds, right?”

Anna shook her head. “No. I knew about that
before he asked me to marry him. I’m upset because I didn’t know he
had a penchant for hurting little girls. He lied and pretended that
he was—”

“Anna, what on earth gave you that idea about
him?” Aaron’s eyes were wide. “He would never do anything like
that.”

“Yes, he would,” she said, angry tears
filling her eyes. “I saw it.”

“You saw him hurting someone?”

She nodded and stabbed at her salad.

“Anna, he’s been gone for over two
years—”

“I saw a video. Devin showed me.”

“A video?” Aaron stared at her. “Oh, God.
Anna...was it...were there three girls? And Alex was...?”

Anna nodded. “You knew?”

“Anna, that video...it’s not real. Or, at
least...God, Devin showed that to you?”

“It is real. He laughed when they
screamed.”

Aaron shook his head. “No. Anna, no. It’s
not. Yes, he told me.” He sighed. “Do you remember when we were
dating? And that afternoon when that pain started. That
excruciating pain?”

She nodded. “How could I forget?” Especially
now that she’d had the real thing?

“Hon, Devin drugged him and made him do those
horrible things. Then Devin tortured him and that’s when you
started hurting. Anna, he was drugged. I know. We talked about it
afterward.”

Anna shook her head again. “No, even drugged
Alex wouldn’t....”

But Alex had done bad things another time
when he was drugged. When he raped her after a trip. That’s when he
told her he was going back to Frankfurt. Maybe the video wasn’t
true? Maybe Devin had been just trying to hurt her. He liked to
hurt her and didn’t hide it anymore.

“Alex was the man you loved, Anna. He was
exactly the man he appeared to be.”

Anna angrily brushed her tears away and
looked out the window. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. He’s dead. He
left me alone and now all I have is Devin.”

“He didn’t get killed on purpose, Anna. You
know that.”

“He promised me he would come home. That he
would come back to me.” She shook her head. “He lied.”

“Anna, give yourself time to grieve. He loved
you more than anything in the world.”

“And a lot of good that did. I wish I’d never
met him. I would have been better off if he’d never saved me.”

“That’s not true, Anna and you know it.”

Anna glared at Aaron. “When you have lived my
life, then you can tell me what’s true or not.” She stood, pushing
back her chair so hard that it fell backwards. “Don’t talk to me
again.”

She turned and stormed out of the deli and
walked back to the studio where she went into the bathroom and
wept. Knowing that the video wasn’t showing the truth didn’t help
ease the pain. If anything, it made it worse.

If Alex really was the man she thought he
was, then the loss was even greater. There was no hope. There was
only Devin.

The weekend before
Petrushka
opened,
Devin took Anna to the Summer Gathering. She hadn’t been there
since Alex died, but Devin wanted her there this year since she was
“awake.”

“I don’t want any of your attitude while
we’re here, Anna,” Devin warned as they deplaned in Washington
DC.

“Yes, Devin,” she said quietly and followed
Devin through the airport. Ian and Tyler had traveled with them,
but Devin had left Maggie at home because he didn’t want Anna to
feel spoiled. She would attend to herself.

They arrived at the hotel a while later and
Tyler took her to his room while Devin spoke with some of the
Elders that had arrived already.

He pushed her into the bedroom. “Take your
clothes off,” he snapped.

Anna immediately began undressing while Tyler
watched with a wicked grin that was so much like his father’s. When
she was naked, he turned her around and pushed her onto the
bed.

“On your knees,” he said, slapping her
ass.

She obeyed and expected him to take her from
behind. Instead he just looked at her. He pressed into her lower
back and she arched her back.

“Much better.”

Without warning, he smacked her between her
legs.

Anna shrieked in surprise, but didn’t dare
move. He hit her again and again until tears were running down her
cheeks. Her pussy felt raw and swollen.

Tyler laughed. “Tommy won’t let me have fun
with you, so I wanted to do it before he got here.” He pinched her
clit with his fingernails and she moaned in pain. “Hmm, what else
can I have fun with?” he mumbled to himself. Anna heard him walk
out into the living room of their two-bedroom suite and returned a
few minutes later.

She felt something cold against her asshole
and pulled away instinctively. He punched her hip. “Don’t
move.”

The cold moved inside her and she whimpered
as it stretched her hole.

He laughed again. “I’m giving you a beer
tail. You like a beer bottle being shoved up your ass?”

Anna didn’t answer his question, but cried
out as he pressed forward. The neck was in and the bottle widened
faster than her body could respond, but still he pressed forward.
She tried to relax her muscles, but the cold made it impossible.
She screamed as he hit the bottle, shoving it deeper inside. Her
ass gave way and he pressed the bottle almost all the way in.

She cried as he twisted the bottle. It was
too cold and too big.

“Aw, Anna. It’s all right. The blood’s
helping it spin.”

She felt him press forward more and suddenly
her muscles clamped shut and she had a terrible cramp in her
stomach. She groaned and rolled onto her side.

“I didn’t say you could move,” Tyler snarled
and moved her back to her hands and knees. He unzipped his pants
and rammed his cock into her pussy.

Anna screamed as the bottle was pushed aside
and moved as he fucked her hard. She gripped the comforter and
buried her face in it. Every move made the pain worse. She sobbed,
which made Tyler laugh.

Suddenly, her pussy was empty and she heard
the sound of flesh hitting flesh. She rolled to her side to see
Tommy pulling his arm back and then swung forward to hit Tyler in
the face. Tyler cursed and lunged at Tommy, but Tommy was more
agile and moved aside. Tyler fell forward and somersaulted back to
his feet. They glared at each other, fists clenched. Tommy was
ready to swing again if Tyler moved.

“You fucking bastard!” Tyler shouted. “What
the fuck did you do that for?”

“You were hurting her.”

“I always hurt her. That’s what she’s for,
you idiot.”

“She’s an Elder-Mistress. She deserves your
respect.”

Tyler laughed. “God, you sound like that
fucking German husband of hers. She’s a fucking slave, Tommy. I can
do whatever the hell I want to.”

Tommy swung again, but Tyler saw it coming
this time and backed out of the way before his fist made contact.
Tyler laughed and didn’t see the next swing coming. Tommy caught
him on the temple and Tyler fell to the ground, clutching his
head.

Tommy looked back at Anna curled up on the
bed. He stepped forward to pick her up and carried her into the
second bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed and she immediately
curled into a ball again and moaned in pain.

He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “Anna,
what did he do to you?”

Anna’s cheeks burned with shame. “He...he
shoved a beer bottle in my ass,” she whispered and shifted
positions, trying to make the cramping go away.

Tommy’s jaw clenched but he didn’t say
anything. He moved to look at her ass. “Holy shit. He pushed it all
the way in?”

Anna nodded.

“God, I don't know what to do.” Tommy looked
around and then made a face. “Can you...push it out?”

“I don’t want to do that on your bed, Tommy,”
she said in a strained voice. Even talking made it hurt.

“How about the bathtub? I could put you in a
bath?”

Anna shrugged.

He stood and walked into the bathroom. Anna
heard the water running and then there was a knock on the door.

“Tommy?” came a male voice.

Tommy walked to the door and opened it. His
dad and Devin stood there with Tyler behind them.

Devin’s eyes narrowed when he saw Anna. “What
the hell did you do, Anna?”

“She didn’t do anything. She was screaming
when I came in.”

“Tommy,” his dad said softly. “Tyler
can....”

“Tyler shoved a beer bottle up her ass.”

Tom’s eyes widened and he turned to Devin.
“Even that can’t be okay, Devin.”

“Not here at a gathering, no.” Devin seemed
to concede. He turned to Tyler and frowned at him. “I brought her
for a reason, Tyler. Not for you to fuck her up the first hour
we’re here.” Devin turned and pulled Tyler with him towards the
door. “I’ll get in touch with Kaveh.” They left the room, leaving
Tommy and Tom looking at Anna with sympathy.

“I was gonna put her in a bath,” Tommy said
hesitantly.

Tom nodded. “I’m not sure what else to do.”
He looked at Anna with sad eyes. “I’m so sorry, Anna,” he said with
sincerity.

It surprised Anna that he would feel bad for
her. After all, he was Devin’s best friend. Why would he care?

Tommy picked her up and carried her into the
large bathtub.

An hour later, Anna was wrapped in a robe and
lying in Tommy’s bed feeling much better. She lay with her head on
his chest and watched TV.