Page 3 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

She did as he’d commanded, washing and conditioning her long dark hair, and making sure she got all the dried blood off her back and legs. It took longer than she wanted, and her stomach twisted with anxiety as she kept one eye on the open doorway, expecting Master Jack to burst in at any moment and drag her out of the shower.

But he didn’t.

She turned off the water and ran the small, rough towel over her body before combing and braiding her hair. Master Jack liked it braided because it was easier to grab on to.

Naked, she walked across the room to her closet and pulled out the only clothing she had besides her dance clothes: a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. When she’d dressed, she went upstairs to present herself to Master Jack.

Master Jack sat at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee. He frowned as she approached. “I probably should have bought you something better to wear, but it’s too late now.” He shrugged. “I don’t think Devin’ll care much. You won’t be wearing it for long.” He took one last sip of his coffee and stood, grabbing his car keys from the cabinet next to the garage door. “Let’s go.”

The thought of where she was headed made it difficult to walk back down the stairs to the garage. To Master Devin’s Manor.

The drive to Master Devin’s Manor was a long one, something Anna was thankful for. She was in no hurry to reach her destination.

Few houses lined the road that twisted and turned its way up a hill and ended at a set of tall iron gates, which opened at their approach. Anna tensed as Master Jack drove his black Porsche up another narrow road that wound its way through a dense grove of maple trees. At the end of the road, a massive, gothic-style mansion loomed, its imposing presence partially built into the hill. Master Jack parked his car at the foot of the wide stone steps that led up to the grand entrance.

As Anna opened the car door and stepped out, the huge, arched wooden doors opened and a man emerged from the darkness within. Ian, Master Devin’s friend and co-torturer. He was taller than any man Anna had ever seen and built like an oak tree. His hazel eyes were hard, and he wore his long light-brown hair back in a ponytail, which tended to come loose in the midst of torture sessions. He rarely smiled, and his eyes gleamed with a twisted enthusiasm for cruelty that mirrored that of Master Devin and Master Jack. Ian had seemed to savor every moment as he helped Master Devin punish her after her suicide attempt. He was stronger than Master Devin, and could do things with a riding crop, butt plug, or dildo that no one else could.

Gaze fixed on the gravel in front of her feet and hands clasped in front of her, Anna waited for Master Jack to walk around the car, and then followed him up the steps to where Ian waited. Ian turned and walked inside. She and Master Jack followed.

The moment Anna crossed the threshold into the marble foyer, a tremor coursed through her body. Horrible memories of her previous visit welled up inside her mind. She bit her lip to keep from crying out and tasted blood. Her hands shook as she struggled to unfasten her sandals. Females were forbidden from wearing shoes in Master Devin’s Manor.

She followed Master Jack and Ian into the large reception area, paneled in dark wood that absorbed in all the sunlight that streamed in from the skylight many floors above her head. The white marble floor was cold against her bare feet. She wondered at the choice of white marble and why it didn’t have bloodstains on it. She had distinct and gruesome memories of bleeding on this floor.

Standing silently with her head down and hands clasped in front of her, she listened as Master Jack and Ian exchanged greetings and small talk.

“Where’s Devin?” Master Jack asked. “I’m surprised he’s not out here yet. I thought he couldn’t wait for this day.” He and Ian chuckled and she could feel when their gaze turned on her.

She didn’t move. She hardly dared to breathe. Perhaps if she stayed very still and very silent, they would forget about her presence and she could avoid staying with Devin.

“He’s finishing up a phone call,” Ian said. “Apparently, Alex’s father and brother came into town unexpectedly from Frankfurt, and Alex was letting Devin know. Devin’s not too happy about it.”

“Alex is that German playboy who moved here a few years ago, right?” Jack paused. “I thought he didn’t want anything to do with us.”

“I thought so, too. He rarely comes to anything. Not that he needs to.” They both chuckled, and Anna resisted furrowing her brows in confusion. “Devin’s kept him in the loop as a courtesy, but has enjoyed the fact that nothing formal has come from it. Until now.”

“What’s so special about his father and brother?”

“His Father’s an Elder.”

“Wilhelm’s an Elder?” Another pause. Longer this time. “Shit. Did Devin know?”

“Yeah. Wilhelm lets Devin know any time he’s in town, but he never comes to the Gatherings. And since Alex never got involved here, Devin never mentioned it to anyone.”

“He never mentioned it to me.”

“Probably because of . . .”

Master Jack didn’t respond right away. “So, is Wilhelm...”

“Devin suspects one of them might be.” Ian sighed. “Wilhelm’s coming Friday night and Devin is suspicious. Why now all of a sudden?”

“So is it Wilhelm or Alex?” Master Jack asked after a moment. “Or his younger brother?”

“Not likely the brother. Kurt just visits here to party with Alex.”

“Well, Alex certainly has his reputation. I can imagine his brother following suit.” Jack laughed. “Isn’t Alex married? I’ve never seen him with someone who looks like a wife, but he’d have to be, wouldn’t he?”

“Was, apparently. His wife died about six months before he moved here. I believe that’s why he moved here. It’s also why Devin didn’t give him much thought. But now... I don’t know. Devin’s not saying much, but I can tell he’s... concerned. He didn’t expect this, and you know how much Devin loves the unexpected.”

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