Page 47 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

“What’s wrong with her?” The voice sounded familiar, but Anna’s brain was too fuzzy to put a face to it.

Relief flooded her as she realized the white-hot pain was gone, though everything ached.

“She’s fine. Just some aftereffects of the morning.”

“Can I take her home? I have things I need to do this evening.” It was Peter. His was the voice she’d first heard. He sounded irritated.

“Of course. Or you can come get her tomorrow.” Devin sounded amused.

“I don’t want to drive back out here. You could have told me before I came that I’d be waiting. Besides, you had her already last night. I had to sleep alone.”

“You are always welcome to come on Fridays, Peter. You know that.”

“I appreciate that, but Friday nights are my favorite night to go to the clubs. Women are easier on Fridays after a long week of working.” He laughed and Devin laughed with him.

So that’s what Peter does on Fridays when I’m at the Manor. Well, at least she knew the truth about him now. Everything he’d told her, all the kindness... it had all been a lie.

“Just to warn you, she gets pretty bad morning sickness about a month in.”

“Great. And I have to deal with it?”

“You get to fuck her every night. That more than makes up for it.”

“Except for those lovely nights when she’s too beat up to be any good to me.”

“It can’t be helped, Peter. Men have violent appetites.”

Her belly cramped, and she rolled to her side and curled her knees to her chest. She groaned and someone pushed at her shoulder to roll her onto her back again. She opened her eyes to see Kaveh looking down at her with his golden eyes.

He put his hand on her stomach and smiled. “It’s done.”

Anna closed her eyes, and a wave of hopelessness swept over her. Another pregnancy to deal with. There was no happiness with this one. No Alex to give her hope. The baby would grow inside her until Devin needed it in the spring. And then he would rip it from her body. She wished she was doped up on drugs again. She didn’t have much memory of the previous two experiences and was plagued with the memories of what had happened the first time.

Peter sighed. “Where are her clothes?”

Fabric hit Anna’s legs and she slowly sat up. “Get dressed,” Devin said. “Your boyfriend wants to take you home.”

“Will I hurt the baby if I fuck her?”

“No,” Kaveh said. “It is nearly impossible to hurt the baby. Do not stab her in the stomach and it will be fine.”

The three men laughed and Anna crawled to her feet to dress. Her hands trembled, and it was difficult to fasten her jeans.

She hung her head as she followed Peter and Devin out of the Manor. Peter had deceived her like Devin had when she’d first came to the Manor. The last few weeks she’d begun to trust Peter. He’d been treating her like a real girlfriend, taking her out when he went somewhere or hung out with his friends. She’d thought he cared about her. But once again, she’d been deceived. What a stupid, naïve, too-trusting girl she was.

Suddenly, an unexplainable urge welled up within her to visit the house she’d shared with Alex. She couldn’t pinpoint the reason, but the desire was almost unbearable. Maybe because that had been the one place in the entire city where she had felt truly safe. But she couldn’t ask Peter to take her. The thought of sneaking out crossed her mind. After all, who would even notice her absence?

But no, that would be foolish. She would make Peter angry. And Devin, too. Which would lead to punishment. Painful punishment. She pushed the thought aside.

Peter helped her into the blue Audi R8 he’d bought a few weeks previous and then drove away from the Manor toward home. Well, the apartment. The only home she’d ever had was where she’d lived with Alex.

Peter put his hand on her knee and she stiffened. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” she whispered. She stared out the window and blinked away tears.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

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