Page 272 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

When Anna went to the studio the next day, the other dancers were very kind to her. Aaron had told her what they had learned about her, and their kindness melted away the awkwardness she felt walking into the room.

Thursday after lunch, they were to practice in the theater. Stef ran up to her as she walked into the wings. “Omigod, did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“Do you know why we’re in here this afternoon?”

Anna shrugged. “Staging?”

Stef shook her head excitedly. “He’s here. He wanted to watch us.”

“He? He who?”

Stef rolled her eyes. “You are so dense sometimes. Euroman!”

Anna’s heart dropped to her stomach. Mr. J is here? “Where?” She grimaced at the tremor in her voice.

“First Ring. I already looked. It’s pitch black out there. Can’t see anything. But isn’t it exciting?”

Anna shrugged, masking her churning stomach. “I guess.”

Stef rolled her eyes again. “Well, the rest of us are excited. We’re going back to the club on Saturday. Wanna come?”

Anna shook her head. “I’m staying home that night. Personal reasons.”

“Because of Hugo?”

“What? No. It’s—‍” She sighed. “Saturday would have been Alex’s birthday. I just don’t feel right going out.”

Stef opened her mouth to say something but seemed to change her mind. She nodded. “Next week?”

“Maybe.”

The female dancers preened backstage before walking out. If Anna hadn’t been so nervous, she might have laughed. But Mr. J would be watching her dance for the first time, and her stomach kept twisting around itself, making her feel like she was going to throw up.

She chided herself for being nervous. Why did she care what he thought? He was a lover, that’s all. A purely physical relationship. Maybe he was having one last fling before he got married, too. She vehemently denied she had any feelings for the man she’d never seen.

Anna successfully forgot about the stranger watching rehearsal... for a few minutes... every so often. With amusement, Vincent declared it one of their best rehearsals.

Saturday evening finally arrived and she was relieved to be able to stop hearing about Euroman, but had to admit it was pretty lonely in the apartment by herself. Aaron had gone out with the other dancers and she was alone, as she’d wanted to be. She went to her room, pulled out her memories box from beneath her bed, and took out Alex’s ring.

“Oh, Alex. I thought I had given you up, but you still hold on to my heart, even after all these years. I don’t think I’ll ever really get over you. Especially when I have to go back to your home and live there. Sleep in your room. Eat at your family’s table. Sit in the library we sat in together. You will haunt me forever.”

Chapter 137

Devin dropped his phone down on his desk and stared out the window in shock. Connor Diaz, the Elder from Philadelphia, had called him, extremely distraught. Someone had shot and killed his son earlier in the day. In the head. It appeared to be an assassination, but who would call out a hit on an Elder-Son?

There was no reason to call hits on Sons. They wielded no power, had no authority. They simply were next in line. And Chris was harmless. Yes, he was a jerk sometimes, but no more than Tyler or any of the other Sons.

Why the hell would someone kill Chris?

Devin dropped into his executive chair and rubbed his face. The Summer Gathering had not gone as well as it should have. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but he was definitely losing his powers. Anna had been gone five months now and he was feeling it. The president—idiot that he was—was not listening as well as he should.

He would kill whoever had helped Anna escape with his bare hands. They’d managed to smuggle her out of the country, though he’d spoken to the French Elders and there was no sign of her in Paris. How could she vanish into thin air?

She had been in New York. Fucking Aaron. He’s who should have been killed, not Chris. Devin’s fingers itched to call an Assassin, but Brotherhood Assassins weren’t supposed to be used for “common” people. And killing someone who belonged to Wilhelm probably wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do right now.

The assassination made no sense. No sense at all.

---