Dwyer, Dixie Lynn - For the Love of Anna (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by For the Love of Anna

  Anna laughed.

  “I couldn’t imagine one love, never mind two simultaneously.”

  “Oh, come on, Anna, you’re gorgeous. I’ve seen the way the men around here have been eyeing you. You’ll be going out on dates and being the hottest item in town in no time.”

  Anna laughed.

  “Sorry, Stacy, but that’s not me at all. I’m quiet, shy, and picky.”

  “Is that so? I find it hard to believe that you didn’t date a bunch back in New York. I always wondered when I would get that call saying you were in love.”

  Anna looked toward the water and sighed.

  “No time for dating, working double shifts every day and night.”

  Stacy sighed.

  “Well, no need to worry about that now. You’re in Texas, and you don’t have to work double shifts.”

  “I will need to find work, though, and if there’s nothing in Pearl, it’s more the reason to move on.”

  “You’ll find something if you want to. I know the restaurant is hiring. You always loved cooking, maybe the owner has some available shifts for a cook.”

  “That might work.”

  “As far as the dating thing, I’m not pushing you, Anna. Things have a way of working themselves out.”

  “I know. I’m too scared right now for that. Men make me nervous, and after New York, I don’t know when I’ll get over that fear.”

  “You seem to be comfortable with Wyatt, Charlie, and Ben.” Stacy smiled, then sat back in her chair.

  Anna felt her cheeks warm.

  “They’ve been very kind to me. I know it’s because they feel sorry for me. They’ve been real hospitable.”

  “Hospitable, my ass! Those three are interested in you.”

  Anna sat up in her chair and grabbed the armrests.

  “What?”

  “Either you’re lying to me about noticing, or you really are clueless when it comes to men.”

  “The latter, I’m afraid. I’ve never had time for boys or men. It’s always been about taking care of dad and covering medical bills while mom was still alive. There was never time for me, and life just passed me by. Here I am, the twenty-three-year-old virgin.”

  “Virgin!” Stacy jumped out of her chair and nearly stumbled and fell.

  Quickly, she recovered and placed her hands on her hips.

  “Start talking now, girl!”

  Anna cringed. She felt so embarrassed for shouting that out, but it was true, and Stacy got her all fired up about men and dating.

  “I’m afraid it’s true. I don’t know a thing about sex or men or any of the signs.”

  “Oh, darling, that is nothing to be ashamed of. I wish I hadn’t slept with Alex back in college. I could have given Eric and Max something sacred and special. You still have a chance to find true love and embrace it fully, with every part of you.”

  Now Anna stood up.

  “Me? In love with a man? Not gonna happen, Stacy.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Too much fucking baggage, damn it!” Now Anna was annoyed.

  Stacy covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

  “What?” Anna demanded to know what was so funny.

  “I don’t think I have ever heard you curse, never mind use the word fuck.”

  Anna stuck out her tongue.

  “Very funny. Thanks a lot.”

  “Okay, little virgin, let’s discuss this in more detail. I have got to hear your reasoning behind remaining a virgin and never finding true love.”

  Anna took a deep breath and began using her fingers to count off all the reasons she should remain single.

  “One, I’ve always been the breadwinner and have worked my ass off all these years despite any stereotypical and chauvinistic barriers along the way. Men don’t find that type of independence easy to handle. They want to be in charge, and a man in charge is a man with the power to hurt and cause pain.”

  Stacy swallowed hard. “That’s just bullshit. Real men love independent women. The difference between the men you’re used to and men I know is they actually care. If a man loves his woman, he can accept her need to be independent and can encourage her to live her life to the fullest just like him. Go on, give me another one.”

  “Two!” Anna raised her voice.

  “Men need to dominate and control and…cause pain.” Anna began to cry.

  Immediately, Stacy pulled her into an embrace.

  “Oh, Anna. You just haven’t met men who would cherish you and love you and never bring harm to you.”

  “They don’t exist,” Anna cried, then laughed at how childish the words sounded to her own ears.

  “Sure they do. Look at Eric and Max. Never mind Charlie, Wyatt, and Ben.”

  Anna pulled away. “No, no, no, can’t you see what I mean? It’s not Eric, Max, or the others…it’s me. The problem is always going to be with me. I’m scared, Stacy. I’m so damn scared. I can’t sleep, I can’t…live a normal life. I feel like I’m destined for pain. Like I’m no one, and I’m stumbling through life taking up space.”

  “No, Anna, it’s not true. Don’t think that way.”

  “I couldn’t even see what my own father was doing.”

  Anna crossed her arms in front of her chest and rubbed her arms. She looked out across the water, and Stacy stood beside her.

  “I should have demanded that he show me receipts for the shopping, for the rent, for the bills. But I was afraid. I was afraid of being alone, and I was afraid of his drunken stupor.”

  “He was abusive, Anna?”

  “Yes…he didn’t hit me as often as when I was a kid or when momma was dying, but he had some bad nights.”

  Stacy cursed under her breath and caressed Anna’s shoulders.

  “When he didn’t pay the rent after I gave him the money and the landlord threatened to evict us, I should have demanded he straighten out. I was working every day and every night, getting four hours of sleep, while he drank. I should have known something was up that night I arrived home so late and he wasn’t there.”

  Anna began to shake.

  * * * *

  Stacy felt her own throat tighten and the tears begin to form in her eyes. She had to be strong for Anna. Anna needed to tell her what happened.

  “What happened?”

  “When I got home, I was thinking how crappy our apartment complex was and how there was no security and garbage everywhere. I was tired. I had been working so much to make up the money for the back rent. As soon as I saw that the door was unlocked, I should have run back downstairs.”

  “Instead, I figured my dad was drunk again and forgot to lock the door. I thought for sure I would have found him on the couch, passed out or even on the bathroom floor. But as I entered and tossed my purse on the couch, there was no sign of him.”

  Anna inhaled, and Stacy waited for her to continue. She felt Anna’s body tense, and then her voice began to quiver.

  “I never saw them. Not until the one guy grabbed me and the other emerged from my bedroom.”

  “Who were they?”

  “Men my dad owed money to. They had warned him that time was up and the money was due and now they were going to send a clear message. Pay up, or your daughter gets the punishment.”

  “Oh, my god, Anna, what did you do?”

  “I tried to run. I tried to explain that I didn’t know where my father was, but they didn’t believe me. They touched me and threatened me.”

  Anna began to cry. “He squeezed my breast so hard. I felt the bruises instantly, his breath against my neck, the smell of his cologne. I can smell it at night…when I’m sleeping,” she cried.

  Stacy could no longer hide her tears as she held Anna.

  “They started hitting me, demanding for me to tell my father that his time was up. I fell to the floor in the fetal position, hoping to block any further hits to my head and face. If I fell unconscious, then I was as good as dead.

  “I thought they were going to kill me
. The pain was so terrible, and they wouldn’t stop kicking me and punching me. Then I heard my father’s voice.

  “I was so…I was so relieved.” She sobbed as Stacy caressed her back.

  “What did he do? Did he fight them? Did he have the money?”

  “He owed thirty thousand. He didn’t have anything.”

  “What happened?”

  “He told them that he didn’t have the money and that he needed more time. They told him he was out of time and that they would take me…take me as down payment.”

  “What?”

  “I cried for him to help me, but the other man kept fondling me, touching me everywhere. I didn’t want him to rape me, Stacy. I didn’t want to go with them.”

  “I know, honey. I understand. What did you do?”

  “As the guys continued to touch me and talk about my body and turning me…and turning me into a cash machine…my father asked if anyone needed a drink.”

  “What the fuck!”

  “I couldn’t believe it. I was so helpless. I was in so much pain I could hardly stand, and the guy kept touching me. God, Stacy, I can feel his hands on me. When I look in the mirror and see the bruises, I can picture him there.”

  Anna cried and tried to control her breathing. Stacy cried as well, feeling such hatred and anger toward Anna’s father, she wished she could kill him herself.

  “They told him they were taking me to whore me out to get back the cash he owed. I pleaded for my dad to help. He told them…he told them…to take me. That he didn’t care, that I meant nothing to him.” Anna couldn’t stop crying.

  “The slimy bastard! How could he do that?” Stacy cried.

  She pulled Anna into an embrace, and they held one another tight.

  A few minutes passed before Anna calmed her breathing, pulled away, and continued.

  “I had to get out of there. I couldn’t let them take me away.”

  “What did you do? How did you escape?” Stacy cried along with Anna.

  “I told them I had money stashed in my room. I said I would give them the money I had and that I would get the rest of the money my dad owed them as soon as I could. They believed me, but when they asked how much, and I told them a few thousand…” Anna paused. The tears began to streak down her cheeks as she locked gazes with Stacy.

  “Yes?” Stacy asked.

  “My father called me a bitch and hit me.”

  Stacy covered her mouth with her hand in shock. No wonder she’s so scared. How could she ever trust anyone again?

  “I knew he didn’t love me. It was the final straw. He was going to let them take me. He only cared about the money I made and supporting him. There was no love there.

  “I quickly headed into my room, closed the door, and prayed they didn’t follow me. The one guy wanted to break me in. I was afraid he was going to do it right there in the bedroom while my father and the other guy stood outside the door. I grabbed the money I had left and climbed out the window. By the grace of god, I climbed the fire escape and jumped the last twelve feet or so. I ran until I caught a cab and headed to the airport. You know the rest.”

  Stacy took Anna’s hand and squeezed it.

  “I love you so much, Anna. I’m so sorry that he hurt you and that those men hurt you. I promise that you’ll be safe here. I know the men will protect you. You don’t have to run anymore.”

  Anna wiped the tears from her eyes and held her ribs.

  “I don’t know if the men will try to find me. They were dead set on making me theirs. They were very evil, very bad men. My father obviously can’t be trusted, and he could give them your address or name. I can’t bring this to your home. I won’t put you in danger, Stacy.”

  “Nonsense! These are Texas cowboys, and they’re a helluva lot tougher than any city gangsters or thugs. Plus, Wyatt is a real badass, never mind my Max and the others. Wyatt has connections in New York, and Charlie was in the Marines. You can’t get better protection than that.”

  “I don’t feel right coming here and interrupting their lives, Stacy. They don’t have to fight my battles. Someone could get hurt.”

  “Why don’t we let the men make their own decision?”

  Anna shook her head. Stacy held her hand and wouldn’t release it.

  “They’ll need to know the truth. They’ll want to be prepared just in case those guys come looking.”

  Anna turned toward the water.

  “They’ll hate me.”

  “I doubt that very much.” Stacy giggled.

  “What?” Anna asked.

  “It’s getting late, and we’re gonna have to start getting dinner ready for the men. I’ll talk to them tonight. Don’t be surprised if Charlie, Wyatt, or Ben are there and want to tuck you in.”

  “Tuck me in?” Anna asked as Stacy began to gather up their stuff.

  “Don’t fret about it now. It will be all right.”

  Stacy winked, and Anna helped her clean everything up.

  As they headed toward the house, they walked side by side talking about their plans to swim in the river once the summer temperatures hit.

  Chapter 7

  There was silence as Stacy told the men what had happened to Anna back in New York. She tried her hardest not to cry, but the pain and the sadness she felt for her best friend was too powerful to fight.

  Eric and Max sat on either side of her for moral support as she retold the story in detail.

  “Jesus!” Ben exclaimed as he shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

  Stacy saw the concern and the anger on the three Cantrell brothers’ faces. They were good men, genuine men of great moral fiber, so she expected no less of a response.

  “Her own father gave her up knowing that these men would whore her out to make back money he owed, and he did nothing. He said that she meant nothing to him and to take her.”

  Mumbled curses spread through the room.

  Tears streamed down Stacy’s cheeks. “Then, when Anna offered what money she had stashed to the men to let her go, her father called her a bitch and struck her as well.”

  “That bastard!” Ben stated as Wyatt stood and paced the room. He looked like a caged animal.

  “How did she escape, Stace?” Charlie asked.

  “She climbed out the window and down the fire escape. She grabbed a cab, then headed to the airport and straight here in all that pain.”

  “My God! It’s a miracle she’s even alive,” Charlie added.

  “She was running on pure adrenaline. She was running for her life,” Wyatt whispered as he looked toward the empty doorway and the hall as if he could see Anna sleeping in the bedroom upstairs.

  “She’s safe and sound asleep. Doc Jones gave her something to help her sleep better because of the nightmares,” Stacy added as she held Eric’s hand. Max kept his hand on her knee and caressed her thigh as she told Anna’s story.

  “She told you everything today by the river?” Charlie asked.

  Stacy nodded.

  She glanced toward the screened porch and the direction of the river. It was dark outside, and all she could hear was the crickets.

  “She was so quiet. She said she felt as if she could finally breathe without feeling anxious or worried about looking over her shoulder. She expressed her fears of men, of being controlled.” The men listened to her every word, and she was grateful. Especially if her gut was right and Charlie, Wyatt, and Ben were interested in Anna.

  “It’s important that you understand something. All of you,” Stacy whispered as she took a moment to lock gazes with the three men before her.

  “She feels defeated, unsure, and intimidated. Her experience with men that have entered her life has been of abuse, neglect, and control. She’s twenty-three, she’s had to financially support her family, care for her mom until she died and support her father, pay the regular bills and medical bills. She’s never been taken care of.” Stacy swallowed hard, then began to cry.

  “On the walk back from the river, sh
e said…she said the only love she ever had that she could count on was…was…my friendship.” Stacy felt Eric wrap his arms around her shoulders.

  “It’s okay, honey. You’re a great friend,” Eric whispered. Max squeezed her knee.

  “She never let on to the abuse all these years. Sure, I knew he hit her a few times when she was younger but not during adulthood. I didn’t know that her father continued to treat her like this. She never told me.”

  “How could you know? You hadn’t seen her in so long. There’s only so much you can detect over a phone, baby. She’s a fighter, Stacy. What good would it have been to tell you?” Max asked.

  “Maybe I could have gone to see her. Maybe I could have made her leave there and come with me.”

  “She wouldn’t have left, Stacy. From what you’ve told us, it’s obvious that she’s not a quitter. She sees things through, no matter how tough. She wanted her father’s love, and she thought by taking care of him, supporting him, and working so hard that she would get that love from him,” Charlie responded.

  The room went silent, and Stacy leaned into Eric more as he held her.

  Wyatt exhaled. “What we need to do now is get as much information from Anna as possible. I can make some calls, discretely, of course, and decide the best way to handle an investigation. Max and I will come up with a plan, and if we can get a description of these men, then we can be sure to get those photos out to the community. Any strangers come into town, we’ll know immediately,” Wyatt stated.

  “She knows that you were going to tell us, Stacy?” Ben asked.

  “Yes. She’s most concerned about me. She wants to leave here, guys. She wants to stay on the run and keep any trouble away from us. She expressed concern over all our well-being.”

  “That’s crazy! She’s the one that needs the protection. What could she possibly be thinking? She’s a little thing. How could she protect herself out there on the streets?” Wyatt exclaimed. His hardened expression was traditional bossy Wyatt.

  “Her sole concern is about Stacy and all of us. Her own safety isn’t even a thought,” Max added.

  “Well, that’s gonna change.”

  Everyone looked toward Charlie.