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“I think her father had something to do with it.”

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Dixie Lynn Dwyer

“Motherfucker!”

“Exactly. But she won’t tell. All she said was that she was alive.”

The tears flowed again, and Eric pulled her close again.

“Where is she now?”

“She’s taking a shower. I told her I would get Charlie, but I think

it’s gonna be awkward. She won’t talk about what happened, so we’ll

have to let Charlie know ahead of time.”

“No need, Stacy. I heard.”

They both looked toward the doorway, where Charlie and his

brother Ben now stood.

“Well, why don’t we make some lunch. That way, when Anna

comes down, she won’t feel uncomfortable,” Eric suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Who knows when she ate last. She seemed

real weak and exhausted. I don’t think she’s slept since she left New

York, but it’s just a feeling,” Stacy added, and when she looked at the

men, they all had scowls on their faces.

“Please don’t scare her, fellas.”

* * * *

Anna felt a lot better after the shower. The scent of the men was

nearly eliminated from her nostrils. It had been tricky and a bit painful

to raise her arms and wash her hair, but she was determined to get it

done herself. Even the water hitting her body caused pain. Her

stomach growled, and she recalled the last time she ate anything. She

was on the plane in coach and had a handful of peanuts and a soda. It

was the last flight out to Texas, and from there, she took a bus. It had

been a long journey of thinking about her life and what could have

happened. The tears stung her eyes. Her father sold her without a bat

of the eye.

She put on the T-shirt and lounge pants that Stacy had given her.

Of course, they were too big and too long. She opted for the pair of

shorts instead. Stacy was five foot six, and Anna was five foot two.

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29

The one thing they had in common was their abundant breast size, so

at least the top had room and the bra fit well.

Glancing at herself in the mirror, she felt as terrible as she looked.

“Car accident, my ass,” she whispered and laughed, remembering

Stacy’s words.

She didn’t want to bring trouble to their doorstep. Would the men

come looking to claim her for the money her father owed? The men

seemed dead set on keeping her for themselves. A chill ran through

her body.

She hoped that the scratch across her breast wouldn’t scar. It was

bad enough that the memories of his touch would surely remain

forever.

She grabbed the sweatshirt Stacy left her and put it on. There was

bruising on her arms, her neck, shoulders…everywhere. Stacy seemed

to trust this Charlie guy, so she had no choice but to trust him, too.

Just as long as she didn’t have to go to a hospital or see the sheriff.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly headed downstairs.

* * * *

“There you are! I was getting worried about you,” Stacy stated as

she headed toward Anna, leading her into the kitchen. Anna halted at

the sight of the very large men in the kitchen. They stared at her, and

she turned away.

“I’m not really that hungry. Maybe I’ll just lie down a while,”

Anna said and tried to step away. Stacy firmly held her arm.

“Nonsense! When was the last time you ate?”

Anna shrugged her shoulders.

“Sit down here, honey, and make a sandwich before Charlie and

Ben eat it all,” Eric teased then smiled.

“We wouldn’t do that, Eric,” Charlie stated as he took a bite of his

sandwich and winked at Anna. She listened as they teased one

another, and she tried to force herself to relax a little. The other two

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men were gorgeous. Shaking like a leaf, she took the seat farthest

away from the men. Every so often, she saw them watching her.

* * * *

Anna was a tiny thing, and Charlie could tell by the looks of the

bruising on her cheeks and neck that they were very recent and not

from a car accident. A feeling of protectiveness came over him. A

glance at his brother Ben and he could tell he felt the same sensation.

Ben’s knuckles were white as he held the mug of iced tea. Lots of

questions went through Charlie’s head, but he knew he had to be

gentle with Anna. Stacy felt that whatever happened was traumatic,

and seeing Anna, he agreed.

She remained quiet and picked at her food. The bruising and cuts

looked new, and his gut said they were days old. He noticed her hands

shook and her coloring was poor. Instinct told him she was weak,

probably fatigued from not eating and not getting treatment for her

injuries. The fact that she sat so far away from them and cringed each

time they spoke concerned him. If she was going to let him check her

injuries, he’d have to help her relax a little. He decided to try and get

her more comfortable with him.

“I’m a veterinarian and medic around here. I take care of all the

livestock and the humans as well,” he stated with a smile.

He watched as Anna nibbled on her bottom lip but didn’t reply.

“Charlie here has a gentle touch. He’s real good at healing

animals and people,” Ben stated with a smile, but Anna glanced his

way, then turned toward Stacy, who rose from her chair.

When they were finished with lunch, Stacy and Eric began

cleaning up.

“Anna, will you let me take a look at your injuries? Stacy is real

worried about you.” Charlie tried to remain calm. The truth was that

he was scared out of his mind to see what injuries had been inflicted

upon this beautiful, delicate young woman.

For the Love of Anna

31

Despite the bruises, she was gorgeous, and the fact that she had

them caused a knot in his chest.

“Of course she is going to let you look her over. She promised

me,” Stacy stated and eyed Anna.

“I’m really all right. I don’t want to be a bother, and I think if I

take a few aspirin I should be fine.”

Charlie touched Anna’s hand. “I promise it will be all right.”

He was drawn to her large brown eyes. His insides quivered, and

his crotch grew tight at the attraction.

Anna seemed to feel it as well as she lowered her long, dark

lashes and pulled her hand away. She placed them on her lap and

remained still.

“Anna, you promised me that Charlie could have a look. He won’t

hurt you. I swear he’ll be gentle, and if you don’t want him to

continue, he’ll stop. I want to be sure you’re okay, honey,” Stacy

pleaded as she kneeled by her chair.

Anna whispered something to Stacy that Charlie couldn’t hear.

Stacy smiled. “He’s big, I know. All the men around here are,

honey, but that doesn’t mean they’ll hurt you,” Stacy whispered, then

stood up from the table. Her voice had cracked, and she quickly

turned away.

Charlie was angry at the thought that Anna was scared of his size

and scared that any of them would cause her harm. There was a man

involved with this, a dead man if he ever met him.

“I’ll grab my bag and be back in a minute,” Charlie stated as he

and Ben headed outside.

* * * *

Charlie took his bag off the bench on the front porch where he’d

left it. He didn’t want to bring it into the kitchen earlier and scare

Anna.

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“I want to know who hurt her, who put that fear in her eyes,” Ben

stated from behind Charlie.

“I know, Ben. So do I, but you see how scared she is. She was

shaking the whole time we were in the kitchen with her. I’ve got a

real bad feeling.”

“You think she’s on the run from trouble?”

“What do you think?”

Ben was silent a moment as he looked out toward the fields.

“I think I want to protect her and keep her safe. She’s beautiful,

Charlie. She could be the one we’ve been waiting for.”

“I know. Let me examine her and see how bad it is. Then we’ll

work at getting her to trust us.”

“I’ll stay nearby in case you need anything.”

Charlie smiled as he entered the house.

If Ben was feeling the attraction to Anna as he was, then he

wouldn’t want to be far from her. Charlie knew that one day they

would get their wish and find their woman just like Max and Eric

found Stacy. They wanted that, too. He, Ben, and Wyatt knew that

one day they would find a woman to share. They each wanted the

same thing. They wanted a wife and a family. They each had learned

through casual sex that something was missing. They each

individually demanded control and submission in the bedroom, but

together, making love to one woman was their dream. They had

shared one woman once, and it hadn’t worked out. She had been in it

for fun, but there were no real connections between the four of them.

It would take a very special woman to be able to handle their sexual

appetites as well as love them and accept them as a package deal.

They had grown up in Pearl just as their parents had. From a

young age, their parents told them they each had a choice to make

when it came to love. No one pushed them either way.

They had started off with separate lives that eventually led them

together on the Triple C. Charlie had gone off to war, wanting to do

his part in the fight against terrorism. That had put quite the damper

For the Love of Anna

33

on his relationship with Wyatt and Ben. Ben downright told him off

the day Charlie shipped out. Charlie smirked at the thought. When he

had finally returned from the war, injuries and all, his brothers were

there for him as if he had never left.

Their bond was strong, and one night, after years of one-night

stands and discussions over sharing a woman, they gave it a try.

The sex was incredible, but the connection with the woman was

all wrong. It was frustrating and complicated because Ben liked the

woman and he and Wyatt didn’t share the same feelings. That’s when

they realized that if they were going to share, then they would all have

to be attracted to the woman and feel a connection immediately. It

wasn’t solely about sex. It was about love, emotion, and a feeling of

completion. He could only hope that Anna could possibly be the one.

Anna was definitely a possibility. The simple fact that he and Ben

felt the need to protect and comfort her was a step toward achieving

their dream. It would take Wyatt’s acceptance of Anna and a shared

attraction for her to be their mate.

* * * *

Charlie placed his medical bag on the bed as Anna stood straight

and stiff in front of him. He tried to make her feel comfortable, but it

seemed to him that she was still very scared.

He towered over her, and he remembered her fear in the kitchen

and that his size added to her discomfort.

He smiled, and she nibbled on her bottom lip. He had noticed that

Anna did that when she was nervous. She was adorable, but he did his

best to act professionally and not think about the attraction he felt. It

was becoming increasingly difficult the more he thought about what

her body would look like without the clothes.

He swallowed hard, then cleared his throat.

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Dixie Lynn Dwyer

“Why don’t we start off slow? I’m going to take your blood

pressure and then your temperature. I’ll listen to your heartbeat, and

then we’ll take a look at your injuries. How does that sound?”

“Okay,” she whispered, and her voice cracked. It was hoarse and

rough.

“Come have a seat here.” He patted the bed, and she slowly sat

down. He noted her contorted expression. She was obviously in pain.

Her hands shook as he took her blood pressure.

“It’s a bit high, but that’s understandable when you’re stressed

and in pain.”

“I’m all right, really,” she whispered, her voice low. His stomach

cramped at how appealing she was without her even knowing it.

“So you keep saying. Why not let me be the judge…for Stacy’s

peace of mind?”

She nodded her head.

Charlie placed his hand against her cheek and instantly felt the

warmth penetrate his skin. Anna stared up at him with big, brown, sad

eyes like that of an injured doe. His chest tightened at the thought that

even his touch put fear in her. Her skin was soft and supple. He

wanted to caress it and pull her to him into an embrace, but he knew

he couldn’t. Not now. He lifted his hand then pressed gently against

her forehead. She felt warm to his touch. He smiled, trying to reassure

her that she was safe with him, but Anna immediately looked down to

the rug to avoid his gaze.

Reaching back to his bag, he retrieved a thermometer. He took her

temperature. The minutes that passed brought an awkward silence

between them. He focused on her beauty and the need he saw in her

eyes earlier, and his groin tightened. He tried to think of something to

say, but Anna had yet to respond to any of his questions with anything

other than a nod of her head. He removed the thermometer and found

she had a low-grade fever.

For the Love of Anna