Page 31 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Mutti? Vati clearly meant Dad or Father, so did Mutti mean Mom or Mother?

The car pulled back into the heavy traffic and drove out of downtown. Anna watched the buildings glide by. Though she came into the city for her ballet classes, Master Jack hadn’t allowed her to watch the world pass by the window. Ian had given her permission when he drove her to class. Wilhelm hadn’t. She dragged her gaze away and stared at her hands in her lap.

About twenty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of an elegant, three-story white-brick house. The front door opened as they approached, and an older woman wearing a black dress with a white apron stood to the side, a friendly smile on her face.

Wilhelm greeted her in German as they entered the house. He motioned to Anna. “Frau Gersten, this is Anna. She will be staying with Kurt tonight.”

Frau Gersten gave Anna a polite smile and nodded in greeting. “Guten Abend, Herr Kurt. Guten Abend, Fräulein.”

They walked further into the house and Anna’s mouth gaped as she looked around. The mahogany-paneled foyer was so large it had a fireplace with a seating area in front of it. A huge wooden staircase stood across from the fireplace. Two large rooms were positioned on either side of the entryway. A dining room with a long, glass-topped table sat on one side, while on the other side, a brightly lit living room had three large windows facing the street.

The driver brought in Anna’s shopping bags and handed them to Frau Gersten. Wilhelm instructed her to put them in Kurt’s room.

Kurt grinned and squeezed her hand. “Komm mit, let me take you to my room.” He pulled her toward the stairs.

“The Kosmetikerin will be here in a half an hour. I would ask you to stay out of bed.” Wilhelm arched a brow at his son, but his eyes glinted with amusement. “If you see your brother, tell him I would like to speak with him.”

“Ja, Vati,” Kurt muttered as they climbed the maroon and gold carpeted stairs. “Alex is probably in the media room. We will find him and then...” He grinned with that mischievous look in his eyes.

Chapter 13

As she walked up the staircase, Anna realized that the ceiling, high above Anna’s head, was painted to look like the sky. A massive stained-glass picture window illuminated the staircase in a beautiful display of colored light. It looked like the walls were upholstered with... Is that silk? She resisted the temptation to reach out and touch the soft material and followed Kurt into a room on the third floor, where sounds of shouting and crashes spilled over into the hallway.

Two men sat on an enormous dark leather sectional across from the largest TV Anna had ever seen. Large, tough men with military-style haircuts and the build to match. Master Jack had a friend who was a Marine, and although these men were much younger, they had a similar aura. She shuddered, remembering the strength in that Marine’s hands and what he’d done to her. Master Jack had stepped in to stop him...

Anna swallowed and shook her head. That’s in the past. Devin promised good things from now on.

A third man sat in a huge brown leather recliner just inside the door. With his thick blond hair and high cheekbones, he bore a striking resemblance to Kurt, but his build was significantly more powerful. Anna stared, unable to look away. Alex?

He appeared to be in his late twenties and wore dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt. His bare feet hung over the footrest’s edge and his t-shirt strained against his muscular shoulders and chest. The sleeve of his t-shirt distorted around his flexed bicep as he casually rested his hand behind his head. His hair was shorter than Kurt’s and had a slightly disheveled look, as if he frequently ran his fingers through it. The soft room lighting revealed a hint of tiny golden stubble on his otherwise clean-shaven face. Other than a slender scar near his hairline on the left side of his forehead, his skin was flawless. Long blond lashes concealed deep-set eyes beneath thick brows. Anna wondered what color they were.

He’s the handsomest man I’ve ever seen.

The thought drew ice around her heart. She’d had that thought before. Dream Man. Is he... No, it’s not possible. Dream Man wasn’t a real person. Dream Man was a figment of her imagination, a source of solace she clung to during the lonely nights that followed a brutal torture session.

Wasn’t he?

She tore her eyes away and shook her head to clear her mind.

Kurt spoke in a loud voice and slid his arm around Anna’s waist. “See what you missed out on by staying home last night?”

A sharp inhale made Anna look back at the big blond man. Cobalt-blue eyes met hers and her breath caught in her throat. Her lungs refused to take in any oxygen. Those eyes...

Anna gasped and backed away into Kurt. It is him! The man from my dreams! There was no doubt about it, now that she’d seen his eyes.

His eyes widened and his sculpted lips parted, revealing even white teeth.

“Do not let my big brother scare you.” Kurt chuckled. “He is harmless. Especially to pretty girls.” He wrapped his arm around her waist again and pulled her close, her back to his front. “Alex, this is Anna. Anna, this is my big brother Alex.”

Alex and Anna hadn’t broken eye contact since he’d looked up. She hadn’t even blinked. He stared at her for a long moment more, then blinked and looked away.

Alex unfolded himself from the chair and stood. He was a giant of a man, just like in her dreams. She craned her neck to look up into his face, and he gave her a warm smile. “Hello, Anna. It’s wonderful to meet you.” His voice was low, like his father’s, but his accent was much less pronounced. It washed over her like honey.

Anna blinked and moved her mouth, her mind struggling to form words. She finally gave up and just smiled.

Alex glanced at his brother. “Where did you two meet?”

“At the Schloss. Devin introduced us.”

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