“They’re not related by blood,” Gabe said. “What life can we offer her? Hard work? Lots of kids to run after? Struggling from one year to the next?”
Archie burst out laughing. “Wow, you must really have your head up your ass. Annalise doesn’t want material things, Gabe. She wants the one thing that she’s been denied all her life. Our woman, and that is exactly what she is, wants love. Is that so hard for you to figure out?”
“I do love her.”
“Then focus on that. We’re not going to be destroying Annalise’s life. We’re going to be giving her the life she always wanted. We’re three men who love her, her and only her. She is the only woman I want in my bed, bearing my children. I see a life with her, a future, and I’m not allowing some fucker to take that from me. Annalise is ours, so stop doing that shit. You did it while we were growing up, worried that you were hurting us in some way.” He got it. Gabe took all the responsibility on his shoulders, even when he didn’t need to.
He and Vinny had been there for Gabe. No one had wanted this gruff man, but they sure did.
Archie got to his feet. The air in the café was far too thin.
“Where’re you going?” Gabe asked.
He pulled out several bills and put them on the table. “I need some air. I’m stepping out for a few minutes.” He didn’t give Gabe time to moan at him. He stepped out of the café into the horrible city air.
Nothing was clean here. And he could only see as far as across the street.
Life at the ranch had always been hard, but he preferred it to this.
This life wasn’t fun. Sure, ranch work was hard, painful, and tiring, but he loved it. He wouldn’t change it for anything else, and he certainly wasn’t going to let Annalise live a life of luxury that she clearly didn’t want. Or was he being selfish? Did Annalise want that life?
Memories of her sweet smile as she worked at the ranch, cooking, gardening, helping them with the animals assailed him. She had loved every minute of it. He couldn’t imagine her wanting anything else. Whatever happened, it would be Annalise’s decision. He’d never felt this close to fucking losing it, but his very future was hanging in the balance.
****
“Have you come to your senses?” Raymond asked.
Annalise felt sick as he grabbed her shoulders and gave them a gentle massage from behind. His touch repulsed her. Everything about this man disgusted her.
He hated the word no, but that was all she had to offer.
She was lucky to have gotten away from him for as long as she did, but now, she was back within his trap.
Vinny said they were coming for her. She’d lied and hadn’t told Raymond they were on their way. The hope was that her stepfather would be so surprised it would fool him into saying the stuff she needed him to say. She was done with him. This had to end.
Raymond wasn’t going to get away with this, and there was no way she was going to give in to him, not now, not ever.
His hands started to move down toward her chest, but she jerked up out of her seat and spun around to face him. He burst out laughing and her body shook.
“You never stop, do you?” he asked.
“When are you going to realize I don’t want this? I don’t want you.”
“Oh, please, women are all the same. They love to manipulate men, and you’re no different. Why do you keep on fighting me? You will want for nothing. All you have to do is give me what I want.”
“Stop!” She yelled the word. “Just stop! There is nothing I want from you.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and clicked the button on her cell phone. Her hands shook but with his touch, he wouldn’t have the first clue as to what she was doing. She only hoped that she had done the right thing. “You’re my stepfather, Raymond Davenport!”
“So? What has my name got to do with anything? You and I both know I can have whatever the hell I want, and you, Annalise, have been mine since the moment I put a ring on your mother’s finger.” He shook his head and rounded his office desk. “I thought a night in the apartment I’ve got planned for you would put a stop to this nonsense.”
She laughed. “You think one night in a fancy apartment would seal the deal for me to become your mistress?”
“Yes. You have always been mine, Annalise. Do you really think I married that old cunt for any other reason other than you?”
This made Annalise pause. Every time she had seen Raymond and her mother together, they always looked happy. She felt like a child looking in from the window, unwanted and cast off.