The Sins of Anna

"I happened to enjoy learning the waltz, and my mother had been a dance instructor before she passed." I watch his face become sad.

"I\'m sorry you don\'t have to say if you don\'t want to." I say trying to stop him.

He shakes his head. "She always said a man that could dance could master any steps in his life, and it was a great way to impress the woman you love." He winks at me. "My father, used to dance with my mother randomly any chance he could at night, with or without music. It was his way of saying he loved her, without saying it. Since I liked learning the waltz, she taught me other types. When she passed, I continued to learn in her memory?" He picks up his glass and takes a longer sip than normal. I try to swallow the lump in my throat before I speak.

"Your parents sound like they where very much in love."

"They were." He says quickly. "Guess the apple doesn\'t fall far from the tree. I always thought it was stupid, my father marrying for love, because when she died, it ruined him. My mother, she wasn\'t the daughter of another clan head." I look up at him in surprise.

"You said she was best friends with my…"

"She was!" He cuts me off. I bite my bottom lip. Was this conversation going south? "We go to normal schools to you know. They met in high school. I guess my father, mother and your mother they all went to high school together. Your mom and my father where to be engaged." I sit back eyes wide with shock. Then how the hell did the events happen the way they did? "Your mother new my father had feelings for her best friend and vise versa. The story as I heard it was, she wasn\'t happy about the arranged marriage either. She thought of my father more like a brother, so she played match maker. There was a lot of fighting, my mother got caught in the cross fire. After high school she left and went to a dance academy. My father, who was starting to feel trapped. Went to see her, even if it was just for a night. The night they shared changed everything. He had returned home though the following day, she had agreed to be his mistress since they couldn\'t be married. He had promised her everything he could, he would do for her, and give to her as if she was his wife. I don\'t know how much time passed but as the wedding day neared your mother informed my father that she couldn\'t marry him because my mother was pregnant. My grandparents demanded she abort, but her and my father refused. Seems he promised, if he wasn\'t allowed to marry her, he would never marry, or conceive a new heir. My grandparents wanted nothing to do with me but still they gave into my father. That\'s why I don\'t understand how your mother could have done such a thing to her own friends. Was she secretly harboring a grudge against my mother for ruining the wedding?" I want to reach out and touch him. Our food had been long forgotten. I wanted to tell him who did it but I didn\'t have proof yet, and now with this I wasn\'t sure.

"Ren." I call his name but my voice fails me as it shakes. I had opened the box with my question, but I probably shouldn\'t have poured out the box after all.

Our eyes meet. His smile is weak but he reaches out and takes my hand. "Sorry, we were supposed to be having fun." I can hear the sincerity in his voice.

In all the reports, in all the investigating I never heard this story before. I shake my head, "I\'m with you on a date, I\'m happy." I say cheerfully as I can. Still with this new info could I be wrong about something.

"No. you\'re worried and upset. Your eyes get cloudier when you worry, and when you lie. They turn more like a grayish green." I crease my brows together. Was this how he knew what I was always thinking, he read the changes in my eyes. I see him smile. "When your guard\'s down your generally easy to read, at least for me you are."

"You still think it was my family, right?" His smile fades. He looks deep into my eyes, then closes his. I hear him take a deep breath.

"Yes, Maybe." He tightens his grip on my hand. He was being honest. I try to calm the pain of my heart. "How about we go for a drive. I\'d really like a change in the scenery, quietness would be nice so we can talk." I nod. He lifts his hand signaling for the waiter who comes over leaning into Ren. Ren whispers into his ear, he nods Ren hands him a card and he quickly leave. He says nothing as he finishes his drink looking at me as if the conversation had never happened. When the young waiter returns Ren signs the receipt stands and walks over to me holding out a hand to help me out of my seat. He takes my arm in his, exiting the restaurant.

Honestly, even though I had been here 5 months, I hadn\'t gone out much to explore the area. I was surprised when he takes me towards the outskirts of town the only light are the headlight on the road and the radio playing whatever was coming on the station. About twenty minutes later he pulled off onto an unmarked road. Why where we going so far out here. I sit in silence waiting when I see a clearing, he turns again pulling off the road and turns off the car.

"Ready?" I hear his voice but the car is really dark.

"Ready for what?" I ask trying not to panic. I don\'t know why but I felt worried, but I need to trust in Ren. He would never hurt me even if he was the ruthless Lord Feng.

I hear him chuckle a little, the sound of the car door opens and the lights come on for a brief second then off again. I curse under my breath at the sting from the lights. I shield my eyes preparing as my door opens. Ren\'s hand takes mine helping me out once again. I look around. It was chillier here I shiver a little.

"Cold?"

"A little." I rub at my bare arms.

"We won\'t stay long, promise." He intertwines his fingers with mine, and leads me down a path. My foot sinks.

"Sand?" I look at Ren. I can see a gentle smile on his face in the dim moonlight. I slip off my black high heels, and let me feet sink into the cold sand. It feels so good. I walk forward looking around. I could hear the sound of waves and the smell the salt water.

"You like it?" Ren comes up wrapping his arms around my waist. I nod.

"I never knew this was here." I look out toward the water taking a deep breath.

"I wanted to bring you here no matter what but then I ruined the mood. I hope this makes up for it." His grip tightens

I wrap my hands over his, "You said you still wanted to talk."

"I do, there is so much we have to learn about each other but the most important thing is, your worried if I blame you. I tried to Anna, but I can\'t. Like my father, I fell in love with a woman not of our world, but for me, she grew strong, stood tall, and more than that, she completely enraptured me, twisting me around her finger. She even started looking into the death on my mother to prove her innocence and love for me."

"How did you?" I tense.

"Mike told me everything, at least I hope it is everything. He told me when I asked him to help me arrange the date? The man is a natural gossip least with me we are like brothers how he kept his mouth shut for so long. Is mighty impressive, honestly."

I sigh, "Guess he felt he better try helping again, this plan is better then telling you I am trying to marry into the Black Panther clan, but still." My shoulders drop. "What does this mean exactly? I don\'t intend to stop just because you know that I trying to figure out our family\'s mystery."

"I know." He says calmly.

"So…." His cell begins to ring. I hear him curse. I laugh a little as he loosens up a little reaching in his pocket to grab his cell.

"What!" He barks into his phone. I feel his body tense. We are on our way.