The Life of Anna, Part 1: Enslaved Read online

  The Life of Anna, Part 1

  By Marissa Honeycutt

  Kristi Cramer, Editor

  Copyright © 2014 Marissa Honeycutt

  All rights reserved. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All portrayals of sexual acts are between consenting adults (aka, over the age of 18).

  ***WARNING***

  This book is for grown-ups. This book is not for people who are easily offended, get nightmares easily, or have difficulty reading books about tough subjects. I do not glorify bad things, but bad things do happen to my poor characters.

  This is not your typical love story. My heroine does not fall in love and live happily ever after...at least not like the typical heroine. There is a happily ever after, but it is a long, painful journey to that end.

  Anna’s story is told in five, novel-length books. Consider this your introduction to Anna and her world.

  There is a subculture within our own world that you’ve only heard whispers of. The conspiracy theorists wish they knew Anna’s story. What the conspiracy theorists think they know is only put out there to keep them from the real story.

  This book will likely offend you. This book might make you cry; it might make you throw up. It is a dark book. As my friend, Heidi, said, “It’s dark. It gets darker. It gets even darker, and then it gets even more darker. And then, just when you think it can’t get any darker, it does.”

  But, don’t worry. I take you to the deep end gradually. ;)

  There are many sexual situations in this series of books. People die. People get hurt. Things aren’t always truly the way they appear to be. The antagonist isn’t just a bad guy; he’s EVIL. My heroine’s worldview is skewed; things that may appall you are perfectly normal to her. You’ll see why within a few chapters of Book One.

  All sexual acts portrayed in this book are between persons of legal age (aka 18 years old). All sexual acts portrayed in this book are between non-related persons. Any violence is non-gratuitous and crucial to the plot and character development.

  Do not read this if you are under the age of consent in your country. Do not get angry if the subject or actual book upsets you. If you're reading this, you've been warned.

  DEDICATION

  So many people, I can hardly count!

  I’m half-afraid to start listing people, for fear of forgetting someone. I have a mind like a sieve.

  My loving husband, Brian, who found out about my twisted mind after 8 years of marriage and still loves me.

  Kristi, my editor, who still isn’t sure what she got herself into by agreeing to the position.

  Rachael, from Dreams Come True Promotions, my amazing promoter and friend.

  My first readers from the DMC on Goodreads. You guys helped me find out I wasn’t the only twisted person in the world...SM Johnson, BlueRabella, Kelle, Ellen, Lisa.

  Darby, my #1 Fangirl, who put out a dare for something new to read. I dared and got not only a great reader, but a great friend as well.

  Heidi and Ginny, two early readers who have supported me so enthusiastically it warms me to my core.

  Amy, my bestie, for all your support. <3 u!

  Jacquie, my fellow stalker and amazing friend.

  My girls at Book Boyfriends Rock-Helen, Lorna and Karen

  My fantastic street team: Amy, Jacquie, Ginny, Darby, Kelle, Ellen, Heidi, Karen, Vicky

  James, early reader and supporter and overall good friend.

  Dylan, an amazing beta reader that I’d be lost without.

  All my online friends, new and old that have been so amazingly supporting, not only of my writing, but during my bad days as well. Too many to name, but you know who you are and I hold you deeply in my heart.

  Table of Contents

  DEDICATION

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About Marissa Honeycutt

  Excerpt From The Life of Anna, Part 2

  Prologue

  Anna stood in silence, the room before her dimly lit by silver moonlight streaming in through tall windows to her left. The loud argument she’d just witnessed was fading, leaving her ears ringing as the silence of this new room settled over her. Her eyes adjusted, allowing her to see that the room was enormous; larger than her guardian’s kitchen and living room combined, with the ceiling hidden in the shadows above. She could see the faint outline of a white fireplace along the wall to her right. Across the room a vast shadow resolved into the largest canopy bed she’d ever seen.

  She should be terrified. Just a few moments before, she’d been in a smaller, sunlit room; an office of some sort. Two giant men had stood in front of her, shouting loudly at one another in a language she didn’t understand. They were both handsome, with thick blond hair and cobalt-blue eyes. One man was older than the other; one of the few differences between the two. Father and son maybe?

  Their faces were flushed and their hands gestured wildly. The only word she understood was the number ‘nine’, repeated over and over again in voices so loud and so deep that the sound reverberated in her chest.

  Why? Anna thought to herself. What is so special about the number nine?

  The harshness of their tone made her want to cover her ears with her hands, but the fear of being noticed kept her frozen in place.

  The older man stabbed his finger towards the younger man, emphasizing his words with the movements. The younger man kept one hand on his chest and pointed towards the door, shouting back just as loudly. His eyes were dark with emotion.

  As slowly as it had appeared, the office faded and she found herself in this silent, moonlit bedroom. The rug against her bare feet felt luxuriously soft and she dug her toes into it. The windows allowed in enough light to illuminate the foot of the bed, but the head remained shrouded in darkness.

  Where was she? Why was she here? She had no answers to these questions, though she felt herself drawn to the bed to see who was there.

  Carefully, she stepped forward into a moonlit patch and heard a sharp intake of breath from across the room. Fabric rustled and she froze, hoping to remain unseen as before.

  “Wer bist du?” a low, gravelly voice demanded from the darkness.

  Her heart skipped a beat, and even though her mouth moved, no sound came out. She had no idea what had been said. Terror seized her as she stared at the dark shadow of the bed. More fabric rustled and she heard a thump as a tall figure stepped into the moonlight.

  It was the younger of the two men she’d just seen arguing. His broad, muscular chest was bare and his hair stood out, wildly disarrayed. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, as if trying to decide whether she was real or not. He took a step forward, then stopped and looked down. They seemed to both realize he was naked at the same time.

  Her cheeks burned
as she looked away, though the sight of a naked man was nothing new to her. She’d seen plenty of naked men since her parents...no, she didn’t want to think about that.

  She sensed, rather than heard, his approach a moment later and turned back to face him, thankful that he had put a pair of pants on. As he knelt in front of her, her breath caught in her throat. She’d seen him before. She’d dreamt of him many times since her parents had died, but he’d never interacted with her before. His gentle smile took away her fear and she found herself thinking that he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

  He looked at her curiously and stretched his hand out as if to touch her face, but pulled away before he touched her. “Wer bist du?” he repeated, this time in a softer, gentler voice. “Wie bist du hierhergekommen?”

  She wanted to respond, but couldn’t find her voice. Once again, her mouth moved, but no sound came out. All she could do was stare into his kind and gentle eyes. Something about him made her feel safe, though why she needed to feel safe was beyond her comprehension. She had a wonderful guardian that cared for her every need.

  She wanted to launch herself into his arms. She took a step forward and reached her hand out to him but froze when she heard movement in the bed. A female voice called out and the man turned his head away and responded in a hushed voice.

  He turned back to her, eyes full of regret. Without knowing why, betrayal lynched her heart, and tears of sadness and frustration welled up in her eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment before the room began to fade.

  She opened her eyes to look into the face of Devin.

  *****

  Devin saw Anna’s eyes fly open, their deep green nearly lost to the wide pupils as they darted wildly from side to side. The sixteen-year-old’s dark hair spread out like a halo behind her head and her chest expanded and contracted quickly as she gasped for breath.

  “Anna, what did you see?”

  The delicate arch of her brows wrinkled in confusion, but she didn’t answer.

  “Anna!” Devin snapped and she jumped. His eyes narrowed. “What. Did. You. See?”

  “I...,” she began, blinking back tears. Her body, which had relaxed during the vision, stiffened as she took in her surroundings. She lay next to him on the bed and clenched her fists, grabbing hold of the blanket on top of her.

  “Anna! Look at me!” He grabbed her chin, turning her face towards his and she winced, but the movement accomplished what he desired. She looked up into his face, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. Devin frowned, temper rising. He didn’t like being ignored. Her lower lip trembled for a moment before answering him.

  “I-I saw two men arguing,” she said in a soft voice. “A father and son, I think.” Her voice cracked as she continued. “They were very angry and were yelling at each other.” She winced. “Then I was in a huge bedroom and the younger one was there.”

  “What were they arguing about?” Devin demanded, impatient to learn what he needed to know. She’d never made him angry before, but she’d seen it. No one in their right mind wanted his anger directed at them.

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t understand what they were saying.” She blinked and more tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “How could you not understand what they were saying?” Devin said with a growl, gritting his teeth. “Were they mumbling?” His words dripped with sarcasm.

  “No, they were shouting. I couldn’t understand the words they were saying. They were...the words sounded very hard.”

  “Maybe they were speaking a different language?” Devin murmured to himself. He paused at the possibility. A different language? Interesting. He hadn’t considered that his opposition might come from outside his own country, though it shouldn’t have surprised him; everything was international these days. But there were thousands of languages around the world. How was he supposed to figure out whom to watch for? “Do you remember any particular words?” he asked. If she remembered a few words, he would at least know where to start.

  “They kept repeating a number,” Anna said softly. “The number nine.” Fear and pain filled her eyes and he could tell she was trying to be as helpful as possible.

  His gaze softened as he looked down at her, trying to regain his patience. He’d waited almost twenty years; he could wait a few moments more. Especially if it meant obtaining information about any obstacles to his plans.

  Anna was key to his plans. He needed her and her abilities so he could gain the control he needed. She was to be his prime asset, but he had to get control of her now before she realized the power contained inside her.

  Devin savored his own power and had a plan to increase it. He could charm anyone; he had been accused of possessing supernatural powers of persuasion and manipulation. After all, true power was the ability to manipulate others into wanting to do what you wanted them to do. He was a well-respected member of the community and maintained close relationships with the powerful people in the spotlight; those he manipulated.

  Men controlled the world...or so they thought. Devin knew that men, especially the type of men that crave power, have an incredibly high sex drive. All of Devin’s powerful peers knew this and took advantage of it in one way or another, though most weren’t as forceful as he was. Every country in the world has its own idiosyncrasies, but in America, the power-hungry go into politics. Devin knew he only had to keep those men sexually satisfied and they’d walk the path he lay before them. Put a beautiful, sexy woman in a man’s arms and watch his ego soar...and his willpower fail.

  Devin knew exactly what he wanted, and he would do anything and everything to accomplish his goals. Anything at any cost. Any cost. Patience was essential, though like any man, he had his limits. He’d been slowly putting the pieces in place for years, picking up where his father had failed. Devin knew when to push things and when to let them be. Forcing things at the wrong time would bring everything crumbling down around his ears, and that was unacceptable. Devin Andersen did not allow the unacceptable.

  Devin contemplated Anna’s words: They kept repeating the number nine. What was he supposed to make of that? How could someone get upset about a number? “How did they say it?” he asked. Maybe more information could unravel the mystery.

  Anna swallowed and looked up at him with wide eyes. “They were very angry. The older man would say something and then the younger man would say ‘nine!’ And then the younger man would say something, and the older man would say ‘nine!’ If I hadn’t been so scared, I might have thought it was funny.” She gave him a shy smile and searched his eyes for something; approval, Devin surmised.

  He sighed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’m sorry I snapped, Baby,” he said in a soft voice. “This is just very important to me.”

  “I’m sorry, Devin. I’m trying.”

  “I know you are.” He kissed her temple again and caressed her cheek with his fingers. He leaned forward to inhale the sweet fragrance of her hair that fell down her back to her waist when she stood. So pretty. So young and naïve. Just as he liked her.

  Devin had known Anna since the day she was born. He’d known her parents before they died four years ago, and her guardian, Jack Koslov, was one of his closest friends. Jack was Anna’s guardian because of Devin. Her parents had died without assigning a guardian for her, or at least that’s what the court had on record. Devin had used his political influence to ensure that the Perkins’ family friend, Jack, gained custody of eleven-year-old Anna after the tragic accident that ended their lives that fateful winter night.

  Devin looked up as Jack walked into the room and sat down across from him. Anna's eyes fluttered and closed, exhausted not only from the vision but also from Devin having taken what was left of her physical innocence.

  Jack pulled the blanket up over Anna’s shoulders as she fell asleep. “So now what?” Jack asked.

  Devin was quiet and didn’t respond to Jack’s question. “German!” he exclaimed suddenly, looking pleased.

  “Ger
man? What are you talking about?”

  “German. Anna said that she couldn’t understand the men in her vision, but they kept repeating the number nine. I’m guessing the reason Anna couldn’t understand what they were saying was because they were speaking German. Nein is German for ‘no.’ It would make sense. If the two men were arguing, saying no repeatedly would be likely.”

  “Why Germany?”

  “I have no idea. But I trust her vision, especially since she didn’t know what she was talking about.” Devin paused thoughtfully. “I’ve had a few interactions with the Germans, but not many. They’re rather stubborn,” he laughed. “Although I suppose I should give them some credit: they are the only thing holding the EU together. I suppose that says something for their leadership.” He paused again, eyes narrowed in thought, trying to decide the best course of action. It was, of course, necessary to figure out who these two men were. Was Anna’s vision in the present? Or the past? Either was possible. Knowing what they looked like would be helpful. Perhaps his Russian acquaintance, Vitaly, could shed some light. He dealt with the Germans far more frequently than Devin did. Devin would make the call in the morning. In the meantime, there was work to be done.

  “Would you please get Ian for me?”

  Jack nodded and left the room, returning a few minutes later with a very tall, muscular man whose light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. His shoulders filled the doorframe. “Yes, Devin?”

  “Let Doctor Ansen know that I’m ready for him to work on Anna.”

  “All right. Do you want me to bring the shot in here?” Ian glanced down at the sleeping form next to Devin. “Knocked her out pretty good, huh?”

  “As I wanted. Did you hear her?” Devin grinned at his friend.

  “How could I not? She seemed to enjoy it...eventually.” Ian grinned back.

  Ian, too, was a loyal follower of Devin’s. They’d known each other their entire lives and Devin held Ian in high regard and counted him as a friend. To most, Ian appeared as Devin’s personal assistant and occasional bodyguard. But they were as close as brothers, which they very well might have been. But that was a mystery long dead and, to Devin, unimportant.