Page 168 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

He shrugged. “I don’t know.” Those in charge had kept a lot of things on a need-to-know basis. Ian hadn’t even been told where they were going, but he was a smart guy and Justin was pretty sure he’d figured it out. All Travis had told him was that someone would meet them at the station. Someone that they both knew.

Chapter 93

Aaron restlessly paced inside Penn Station on Tuesday evening, stopping every few minutes to check the arrivals screen. Anna and Justin’s train was supposed to arrive over two hours earlier, and although this train was notorious for being late, Aaron’s anxiety grew with each passing minute. And there was no way to get in touch with them. They’d left their phones in California.

He hadn’t seen or spoken to Anna in nine months. Their goodbye had been passionate and he couldn’t stop himself from wondering if things might get going between the two of them again. She was a free woman now. No obligations to The Brotherhood, other than staying out of Devin’s sight. What would she do with herself?

The overhead speaker blared and he was pretty sure he heard the train number he’d been waiting for. God, he hoped so! He didn’t know if he could stand waiting any longer.

He turned and headed back to the waiting area and, sure enough, he saw the arrival notification for the Number 48 train. A wave of relief wash over him and he scanned the crowd, his eyes eagerly searching for the sweet face of the woman who still held his heart after all these years.

Justin’s tall, thin frame was easy to spot as he walked toward him. But where was Anna? Panic surged within him as he locked eyes with Justin. A grin spread across Justin’s face before he leaned down to address the small figure wearing a hat beside him. The hat lifted and Anna’s green eyes appeared, darting around the room. Aaron’s heart took a nosedive when her eyes met his. A wide smile spread across her face as she exchanged words with Justin, who nodded in response.

The next thing Aaron knew, Anna was in his arms, hugging him tighter than he’d ever been hugged before. Heaven. “Aaron!”

Aaron reluctantly detangled himself from Anna’s embrace, and Justin and Aaron shook hands.

“What’s with the hat?” Aaron tapped the brim and grinned down at Anna.

Justin looked up at the numerous TVs hanging on the station’s walls. “She’s all over the news as a missing person.”

Aaron frowned. “She is?” Shit, that wasn’t good. But he watched the news and he hadn’t seen anything. “Where did you see that?”

“Chicago,” Anna said, looking up at him with anxious eyes.

Aaron’s heart raced as he gazed into her eyes. Oh, he just wanted to lean down and kiss her, but she looked away before he could decide whether or not he should.

“C’mon, let’s get going,” Aaron said with a heavy sigh as he took Anna’s backpack from her. He would take them to the Ritz, where Wilhelm was staying. Tomorrow, he would introduce her to her new life.

They went outside and he flagged down a taxi.

Anna pressed her nose to the window of the taxi, staring at the tall buildings as far as the eye could see. “Where are we going?” Aaron had told the cab driver, but she had been overwhelmed with her surroundings and hadn’t paid attention.

“The Ritz. Wilhelm is there.”

Anna sighed with a smile. Wilhelm. “Is Kurt with him?”

Aaron shook his head. “He couldn’t risk bringing Kurt.”

“Why?”

Aaron glanced at the cabbie. “Traveling difficulties.”

“Oh.”

She sat between Aaron and Justin. Both men wanted her attention and she wanted to give it to them both. Justin had risked his life by bringing her out here and they’d connected on the train. Aaron... Aaron was Aaron. Her best friend and first love. She intertwined her fingers with both and smiled at each of them.

They arrived at the hotel and Aaron led them up to the Royal Suite and knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Wilhelm opened the door and smiled at her, his blue eyes full of tenderness. “Mein Liebling.”

He opened his arms and she rushed into his embrace, sighing as he held her tight.

Wilhelm stepped back without letting go of Anna and motioned to Aaron and Justin. “Come in, please.”

Justin and Aaron stepped inside and Aaron closed the door behind him.

Justin let out a whistle as he looked around. “Wow,” he muttered under his breath.

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