For the Love of Anna “Take care of your father Anna, it’s all I ask,” was her mother’s dying wish. Anna tried her hardest, working double shifts and getting little rest, plus her dad is an abusive alcoholic. One night Anna is accosted in her home. Her father really did it this time, and two loan sharks are intent on collecting a debt. They threaten Anna’s life, want to prostitute her out to make back the money her father owes. Her father shows up drunk and Anna realizes she has to save herself. Despite her Her father shows up drunk and Anna realizes she has to save herself. Despite her injuries, she escapes. Her friend Stacy lives in Pearl, along with two men Max and Eric Cantrell. When Anna arrives on the ranch battered and beaten, an authoritative Sheriff, an ex-Marine and one sexy cowboy become intent on showing her what real love is. But Anna is an innocent and trust will not come easy. But these three dominant, stubborn men will do anything for the love of Anna. Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys Length: 56,304 words FOR THE LOVE OF ANNA Dixie Lynn Dwyer MENAGE AMOUR Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000." If you find a SirenBookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected] A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour FOR THE LOVE OF ANNA Copyright © 2010 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer E-book ISBN: 1-61034-085-X First E-book Publication: November 2010 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of For the Love of Anna by Dixie Lynn Dwyer from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book. Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high- quality reading entertainment. quality reading entertainment. This is Dixie Lynn Dwyer livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Dwyer right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this book to my husband and our wild and fun nights on the ranch. “Love ya darling.” FOR THE LOVE OF ANNA DIXIE LYNN DWYER Copyright © 2010 Chapter 1 Anna exited the commuter bus. She’d had a long, hard day at the restaurant and couldn’t wait to get home to soak her feet. She glanced at her watch as she walked down Main Street and 5th. It was one o’clock in the morning. He shouldn’t be home yet, or if he were, he was probably out cold in a drunken stupor. Anna sighed in annoyance, then cringed. She needed to be more careful. If she made the mistake of talking back to her old man then he would surely lash out at her again. Hank Parker was a big, mean man, and when he was drunk, he was out of control. Anna was petite, and one shove from a man her father’s size would do serious damage. She instantly thought about last week and how she refused to give him more money for liquor. She was tired. She had worked a month of double shifts getting four hours of sleep a night just so she could pay the rent and food bills. Her dad never paid the landlord. He just pocketed the money and went out drinking. She shook her head at the thought. It made her so damn angry because she was the one working her ass off to support them. Meanwhile, he didn’t do shit! She released an exasperated sigh as the anger dissipated. What good would it do her to get upset all over again? Haven’t I learned my lesson about talking back to my old man? Flashbacks of that fight entered her mind. She would always remember every hit and every For the Love of Anna 9 painful word her father inflicted upon her. She wiped a stray tear from her eye, demanding no more to follow. But the memory of the last fight fought its way to her mind. His face, his slurred speech, and the way he looked at her as if she was the most disgusting and terrible daughter alive, sent chills through her body. When she accused him of taking the money for drinking, he backhanded her across the cheek and sent her flying into the wall. She was dazed for a few across the cheek and sent her flying into the wall. She was dazed for a few seconds, or at least it felt like that, and when she opened her eyes, her dad was consoling her. Does he love me? She knew alcoholism was a disease, one that takes over a person, even those with the kindest hearts. When she thought about it, her father had never been kind. Drunk or sober, he hit her. She gulped so hard it hurt her throat. She should listen to her best friend Stacy and just leave. Stacy offered a place to stay out in Texas, but Anna didn’t want her pity, and she knew her dad needed her. He hadn’t worked in over three years, and her paychecks paid the rent and the groceries. She promised Momma. Her vision blurred as the tears stung her eyes. Anna focused on getting home and sleeping as long as she possibly could. Their crappy apartment complex was just around the corner. Anna had paid the landlord yesterday, so she didn’t have to use the back entrance to avoid seeing him. Thoughts of a hot bath filled her head as she entered the front door. There was no security, hardly any working lights, and the place reeked of garbage. As she ascended the stairs, her stomach began to quiver. She was frightened of her father, and the anticipation of his state if he was home was getting the best of her. 10 Dixie Lynn Dwyer Quit worrying and move faster, she told herself as she reached the third floor. Anna reached her door and placed the key in the lock. It had been left unlocked, and she cursed her dad under her breath. When would he learn to stop drinking and gambling and just be her father? She was tired of being the responsible one, and she was only twenty-three. As she entered the apartment, she closed the door and threw her purse onto the couch. “We’ve been waiting for you, little Parker.” Anna screamed and jumped backward at the deep voice. Two strange men in suits stood in front of her. Instinct kicked in, and she bolted for the door. Large, solid hands wrapped around her waist and easily lifted her off her feet and back in front of the other man. She didn’t recognize either of them. “Let me go!” she screamed, and the man holding her covered her mouth with his hand. He held her like a rag doll. It was useless to fight him, and she knew it. Both of them were mean and ugly, standing at over six feet tall. She kicked and squirmed until he pressed his body against hers, holding her still. “Quit fighting, little Parker.” She calmed down and waited to hear what they wanted. “Good girl,” he whispered next to her ear. The smell of liquor and cigarette smoke made her cringe in disgust. The other man moved closer. He had a shadow of a beard and dark eyes, but it was the evil within them that showed perfectly, causing her to tremble in fear. “We’re not going to hurt you,” he whispered before gliding his thumb across her bottom lip. She noticed the square, shiny ring covered in many small diamonds on his pinky finger. That had to have cost a fortune. For the Love of Anna 11 “Yet,” whispered the man behind her, holding her closer, he was practically crushing her ribs.