Free Foreshadowed by Erika Trevathan Page B

Ask forgiveness from God, yourself, or whoever it is you need to, but move past it. I've done it and obviously been successful. It's too late as far as your emotions are concerned anyway. I've seen you around Anna and you can't deny you care about Brooke. Just man up, deal with your past demons, and live this existence the best you can."
                I couldn't resist adding, "And I'd be willing to bet you care about Alex more than you let on too."
                Ethan snorted. "I'd end him in a minute if he ever got in my way."
                Alex and I laughed. "Sure you would," I said. No one sitting there believed that, least of all him. I didn't think I could even begin to comprehend what the two of them had been through in the past few hundred years. The closest I had to that kind of friendship was with Anna, and right now I wasn't even sure if she was alive.
                With that sobering thought, I looked at them both. "You two have given me the bare minimum on what happened to Anna and what the plan is to get her back... alive. Care to fill me in?"
                Ethan raised his eyebrows at Alex. "Yeah Alex. Care to fill her in?"
                I looked at Alex sharply. They were hiding something-- I was sure of it. "What aren't you telling me?" I demanded.
                Alex glanced at Ethan before looking back at me. "Lucien has Anna at his residence in France. We have an informant from inside his chateau that has reason to believe things have not been good for Anna since she arrived a day ago. To Lucien, Anna is nothing but a human pawn, easily disposable. I've known him for a long time and he's using her poor treatment, knowing it will get back to you, as assurance that you will come to him." He stopped, I'm sure noticing the look of horror on my face, and reached for my hand. "We’re going to do our best to get her out of there alive, but I can't have you risking yourself in the process. I realize that you feel the need to be there with us, but I really need you to allow Ethan and I to handle her rescue. It would be distracting for us both if we were worrying about your safety as well."
                "Why is it so hard to imagine that I might be of help to the two of you? Alex, you saw what I did to Ophelia when she came to your hotel room in London. I obviously have the strength and ability to be of some assistance." I told myself that now was not the time to get snarky with him but, really, the over-protectiveness was starting to get to me.
                Alex snagged my eyes with his incredible blue ones. "Brooke. It's not that I don't think you would be any help. It's that if you're not there, Lucien can't barter with you as an    exchange for Anna. It'll be easier for us to get her and get out."
                I shook my head trying to keep the stony, annoyed look off of my face. Now is not the time for me to start an argument, I reminded myself.
                Alex grinned at me and said aloud. "You're absolutely right."
                I smiled and rolled my eyes, knowing it wouldn't do a bit of good to remind him he wasn't supposed to be reading my mind. I was beginning to think it was a lost cause altogether.

                When I glanced over at Ethan, he had an aggravated look on his face. Clearly he was onto the fact that Alex and I'd had part of our conversation without speaking aloud. Ethan shook his head in annoyance and I found myself wishing that he had what Alex and I had together. Maybe he could... with Anna... if she still lived...

CHAPTER 13
                Once we arrived in France, I found myself stepping into yet another lavish hotel room. This time I was overwhelmed, not with the excitement of a belated honeymoon, but with a sense of foreboding that I couldn't seem to shake. I wasn't sure if it was the visions I'd had or some kind of sixth sense that