Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Anna
T he sound of my phone dinging wakes me. I’m wrapped in Cyrus’s big, strong arms, feeling small and safe and like nothing can touch me. It’s still dark outside, so I nestle down further, deciding to ignore the message and go back to sleep, listening to Cyrus’s deep, rumbled breathing.
Then it dings again.
And again .
Cyrus stirs, lifting one arm from around my shoulders in his sleep, and I don’t want to wake him. He told me about his not sleeping. How he was scared he’s wake up and think I was from him dreams and hurt me.
I told him I’d try to sooth his demons, so I got down on my knees and gave my first blow job.
It was nothing like I imagined and I’ve found a new kink. Sucking his cock which apparently, I sucked all his bad dreams out of his dick because he’s been sawing logs for a few hours now.
The phone dings again. I reach to the nightstand and grab it, then flick the button so the notifications are silent and see who is blowing me up at four thirty in the morning.
The first one is from the center. They’ve been keeping me in the loop on Brittany and think God she’s doing great and they are keeping a close eye on her.
The other ones are from my father.
Dad: Where are you?
Dad: Anna, text me, this is urgent!
Dad: He’s here, Anna. He wants me to use the find my phone app.
Dad: CALL ME! I’m stalling but I can’t hold him off…
I turn the phone off before I’ve finished reading the last message. I don’t know if it’s quick enough to avoid the app tracking my location or if turning it off will even work, but I can’t have him coming here. I glance one more time at Cyrus, then carefully climb out of bed, finding my clothes in the dark and tiptoeing through to the bathroom to dress.
Unfortunately, it looks like it’s time to go. I hate that this is going to hurt him, but I don’t see a way through that doesn’t put other people I love in danger. He needs to live his life, and if that means he finds—
I don’t finish that thought. I can’t. The idea of him with someone else crushes me and my eyes start to burn. I want him to be happy, but that doesn’t mean I want to think about it.
I scribble a few meaningless words on the pad of paper next to the phone and look in one more time at my sleeping giant, then creep on tip toes out the door, to the elevator and ride it down to the bottom floor swallowing against the lump lodged in my throat. The night manager recognizes me immediately, smiling as she turns to greet me.
“Good morning, madam. What can we do for you?”
“Do you have a telephone I could use? Mine is broken.”
“Of course.” She nods, lifting the desk to let me walk through, then points to the office. “Obviously I wouldn’t do this for just anyone, but penthouse guests do get special treatment. Through there, close the door if you want privacy. I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.”
“Thanks.” I try to return her smile, but I’m not feeling it. It feels like I’m going to my execution.
As soon as I’m in the office, I close the door and dial my dad’s number. He picks up almost immediately.
“Dad, it’s me.”
“ Anna! Thank God. He knows where you are. I tried to stall him, but he’s on his way. If he finds you with Cyrus, he’ll kill him. Maybe not right away, but it will happen. If you care about Cyrus, your mother, or me, or even yourself, you’ll come home at once. I’ll send a car to your location. Go to the parking garage right now, smash your phone, make it look like it was stolen, that’s the story we’ll go with. You’ll accept his proposal as soon as he gets back.”
“Dad, I—”
“Stop. I don’t want to hear it. You’ll do this or you’ll accept that you’re the reason for everything that comes next. Family first, Anna. Always. Just get out of there, now. Get back here.”
He hangs up, and I’m left spinning. Confusion and anger toil in my belly. Blaming me for all this? I never wanted any of it.
But what difference does that make? I either do as he says, or live in fear. Or not live at all. My parents will be dead, and as flawed as they are, I love them. Maybe Cyrus could protect me, but not all of them.
He’s one man.
Within twenty minutes, I’m back at the house, stepping out of the white mini-van that was my Uber ride just as a black stretch Lincoln pulls up in the driveway.
I pay my driver and he speed away because the vibe here is unpleasant at best.
The sky is still dark, a hint of the morning sun coloring the horizon orange as my dad stands under the lights on our front walkway with my mom wandering out the front door, breaking into a broad smile when she sees me. She doesn’t look upset at all, blissfully unaware of the chaos and destruction happening around her. I’m tempted to tell her everything, but what would that do except upset her? She wouldn’t remember it tomorrow anyway.
“Anna, thank God.” my dad gushes as he comes over to me and wraps me in a hug. Dropping his voice, he adds, “Follow my lead.”
The other car comes to a stop, the headlights exposing what the dim morning light didn’t and the chauffer emerges, walking back to open the other door and a man steps out in a black suit, white shirt, black tie. His hair as blonde as mine but his skin is the color of a copper penny.
The juxtaposition is equally jarring as confusing.
And creepy.
He moves around the back of the limo, swishing his hand to the side of his head and it’s obvious his skin tone is unnatural. Too much bronzer and time in the tanning booth and I wonder if he thinks he looks good or he’s using it for shock value.
He brings his knuckles just under his nose as if he’s warding off an offensive smell, then says, “What is all this, Niko? I got to the hotel and she wasn’t there. Did you lie to me?”
His dead blue eyes drift to me for a moment and I could swear, he gags. This has to be a joke, right?
“Anna, I’d like you to meet Alex Sokolov, finally . Alex, this is Anna. You’ll never believe it but her purse was stolen. She was out with some friends and her purse was snatched. She’s been at the police station ever since…not at the hotel like her phone showed. I’m so sorry--”
Alex’s hand leaves his nose to put his palm out to silence my dad, his brows knit together.
The story is a good cover but I can’t tell if he’s buying it. His eyes are soulless. His dark suit hangs on him like it was made for someone much bigger. He meets my eyes again and bares his teeth on a bizarre hiss.
I hold my breath as he sucks all the warmth from the beautiful day then finally purses his lips, sucking in his cheeks.
“Stolen, purse, huh? Is that what happened Anna?” He asks, walking in a slow circle around me.
I hesitate. I’m not the greatest liar and—my heart sinks—this man is going to be my husband. Shouldn’t there be some sort of trust between us? But then, if he wants trust, he shouldn’t be forcing me to marry him.
I nod as he comes back to stand in front of me. So close, I can see the pale skin around his hairline where the tanner didn’t do it’s thing. “It was terrifying.”
He huffs. “I’m sorry that happened to you. We were all very worried. But it’s given me more clarity about our… situation . I don’t like waiting and I won’t chase you ever again. This marriage is happening today. Right now. Get in the car.” He snaps his head toward his Lincoln as his driver races toward the door closest to me, swinging it open averting my eyes.
“What?” My father and I say in unison.
My mother squeals. “Oh, how romantic! A wedding!”
I shoot her a look, but she doesn’t notice, her blissful private world isn’t connected to reality.
My father steps forward, his brow covered in sweat. “Alex, is that really necessary? I thought there was going to be—”
“She travels in my car. You follow behind with her mother. I have a priest heading to my house right now who will perform the ceremony. Let’s go. This is happening.” He nods to me, then turns, apparently expecting me to follow like a puppy.
If he’s so disinterested in me, why does he want this marriage so much? Is it really just about taking me from my father as payment for a debt?
“Go.” My father mutters with shame in his eyes. “I’m sorry, but you need to go with him.”
I force a smile as my mother waves taking the long five steps toward the open car door and lower my head, sliding across the leather seat, the low throbbing between my legs reminding me of the entire lifetime I lived last night with Cyrus.
As soon as the limo starts to move, Alex turns my way.
“I assume from that performance back there, your father has told you what this is all about? Why this is happening?”
I nod, surprised that he’s opening up this subject.
He huffs. “For what it’s worth, I’m am a bit sorry for what’s going to happen to you. This isn’t your fault, but your father has to suffer for what he did. I’m not going to lie to you, today is going to be the worst day of your life. First, you’ll marry me, then I’ll use you in ways that will make you wish you were dead. But you won’t die. You’ll survive, and then, I’ll do it again and again until you are a fragment of the daughter you once were.” He stops, breathing with his eyes closed for a moment, then finishes as frost forms around my heart. “You’ll go back to him and you’ll tell him how much you hate him for what he’s done to you. You’ll curse him and tell him the horror of your life. You’ll blame him for your pain. You’ll hurt him far worse than I ever could. Do you know what happens in prison, Anna?” He pauses, on a couch and a sniff. “Of course you don’t. But, you will after tonight. Your father will feel pain like I did only it’s worse because it’s happening to you. Every time you’ll come back to me with his blessing. Because if you don’t he knows what will happen.”
His words are so plain, so devoid of emotion but I’m not scared. What he does to me, I don’t care but I want to know more. I want to climb into this monster’s head and pull out anything that might help me later. “Why?” I ask, hoping the open-ended question will draw out something I can use.
“Because that’s how I felt, Anna. That’s why. Because every day in prison, I knew I was innocent, just like you. And every day, I suffered. I suffered in ways right now you can only imagine, but soon you’ll know them only too well. I came out of prison different. Harder. Without emotion but patient. I waited. Ten years I built up my empire. Grew my fortune. Waited for this moment. This marriage will end. Your sentence is the same length as mine. Five years. Unless, of course, after our time together, you want to stay…”
Quietly, I turn away, watching the trees and houses steak by and he doesn’t try to speak to me for the rest of the ride.
And I feel nothing. No fear. No sadness.
Because my body still bears the marks of the man I love. Cyrus was first, and he’ll always be first. Alex can do what he likes, whatever he thinks I have to take for my father’s sake, and I’ll endure it all knowing that he can’t ever take from me what I willingly already gave.
To someone else.