8. Garrett

I'm pleased that her family showed up here. I was testing their mettle, whether they realized it or not. Some people would've seen my bottom line and not given a second thought to their sister or daughter as long as that much money was involved. They might even have tried talking her into giving in to me.

But the Archers were not like that. Their response was meant to show me one thing: what kind of people they were and where she stood in their lives. I knew all I needed to know about her, so there was no need to test her the same way.

She's diabolical as fuck, which is just fine by me. You need to be that way sometimes with the world we live in. Her brothers didn't care one wit about my money; their only interest was in their sister's wellbeing.

"Alright, what the hell is it you want with my sister?"

"Brian, right?"

"How did you…"

"It doesn't matter how I know, but to your question, I'm going to marry her this weekend in fact. Didn't you come here for a wedding?"

They looked around at each other before turning back to me. "Did she say she wanted to do that?"

"We were just discussing that very thing when you showed up. That was good detective work, by the way, finding this place."

"Yeah, well, you left enough breadcrumbs for us to follow."

"We don't understand how this all came about, though; there was nothing about that in your dossier, only that you met at a business meeting a few weeks ago."

"Yes, that's when I met and fell in love with her."

"Wait, what? In love?"

"Yes, but she doesn't know that, and you're not to tell her."

"Why?"

"Because your sister is complicated. She has…. trauma." I looked at the Dad when I said that.

"If I pressure her right now or come on too strong, it'll just push her away because of the fears in her heart. She's fooled all of you over the years that she's fine, but she hasn't been fine since she was eight years old."

"What are you saying? Do you think you know her better than us?"

"Not now, Trey. Carry on." Brian interrupted.

"As I was saying, she's been living like a robot for the past fifteen years or so. She was willing to marry a man she didn't love and who obviously didn't love her. What does that tell you? She has a scar on her heart, and I'm going to heal it."

"Ask me anything you'd like; I'll be honest with you. You may even request a lie detector test if you'd like one as well."

"Let us think, this is a lot to take in, but no matter what, the decision is Alyssa's."

"Bri, what're you saying?" His second brother asked.

"He knows her." That's all he had to say, it seems, to get the rest of them to see his views.

"So, what now?" Trey asked.

"Now, we wait and see what she has to say. That doesn't mean that we're agreeing to anything just yet. But she should have the first say. Dad, you're being very quiet."

"I, uh, I don't really know if I have the place to do that. It's obvious he knows about our family background, so maybe he doesn't think that I am an authority figure in love and marriage."

"I still don't understand why you think you know her so well after just one meeting."

"That's easy, Cam. I saw all I needed to in the way she handled this last crisis. Stone cold rage. It's the most dangerous kind there is, worse even than instant rage that burns hot and fazes out. That kind of rage festers and grows and can become very dark."

"None of this makes any sense. How would this work? Will she have to move to the West Coast to be with you?"

"No, I won't do that to her; you guys are her tethers; you've been her anchor ever since the divorce. No, we'll be living in her favorite place."

"You can't mean the mansion; how do you know about that?"

"I not only know about it, I already bought it."

"That can't be; that place isn't for sale."

"Everything is for sale once you've got the right buyer."

"What if she doesn't agree to marry you? What then?"

"Then I might use the house as a bribe to get her to see the error of her ways. That's a joke. Maybe."

"Wait, what do you mean you saw it that day? How do you know about that? Did she tell you?"

"Your sister has had her own security team about two hours after she left my sight. They report to me about her safety. Stalkerish I know, but you have no idea the danger she would be in if anyone knew what I felt for her."

"Who did you tell?"

"No one, but I wasn't taking the chance that someone might catch on, so I had to put things in place because I won't take chances with her."

"How would someone catch on if you don't say anything?"

"I have no idea how I was looking at her that day, but I know it's not my usual. There's always someone watching me, taking pictures of me. I didn't want anyone catching that look and putting two and two together before I had her protected."

"Well, that's kind of…"

"I think your sister would call it anal, Trey."

"She would!" She walked into the room with her mother.

"I wondered how long it was going to take you to stop eavesdropping and get in here."

"You knew I was listening?"

"Not at first, no, but I smelt your perfume and knew you were close by."

ALYSSA

I'm not sure that I like the fact that he knows me this well. I'd been standing just outside the door listening. It hadn't been my intention, but when I got close enough to hear him mention my childhood trauma, it kind of stopped me in my tracks.

No one outside of myself knows the truth in those words. His investigation couldn't have picked up on that so he had to have spent a lot of time since the time we met piecing the picture of me together.

I love my brothers and know they love me, too, but no one has ever gotten me like this. This was a whole other level of knowing. I was so lost in my head I didn't hear part of the conversation that carried on around me.

"What was that?"

"I was just telling your brothers that they can't heal your hurt, that they've done all they could do and more, but it's time for a different kind of healing." I know this crazy freak wasn't talking to my brothers about having sex with me. Since he was still walking upright, I guess it went right over their heads.

"Where did your mind go, little Alyssa?" He had the nerve to shake his head at me as if he could read my mind.

"You don't wanna have this conversation here because I will answer you."

"It's up to you." Oh, this bastard, is he matching wits with me?

"You two can go easy on that. Thank you." Brian was starting to look murderous while the others tried to keep up.

"What's going on?" Cam asked, looking as lost as he was.

"Nothing!" Bri answered and gave me the big brother look.

"Come on, boys, I think we should leave these two alone to talk. The girls are waiting back at the hotel." What the hell, Mom? Way to sell me out? She knows the last thing I want is to be alone with him right now or have this conversation.

"Mom?" Trey looked mutinous.

"Gigi?" I think that's the first time Dad had called Mom by her nickname in fifteen years. That insane woman had the nerve to wink at me before walking over to kiss my cheek.

"Listen, boys, she's only got one day to make up her mind. Speaking of which, we have to find a wedding dress."

"All taken care of." Said the asshole who was trying to wreck my life.

"What do you mean?"

"Your dress is hanging upstairs. The Helen Rose Princess Grace dress you've always wanted. Right down to the veil."

"Get the frack outta here."

"And you can't see it unless you say yes." Oh, this bastard. I should marry him just to make his life a living hell.

"Trust me!" Mom whispered in my ear and patted my shoulder. And then I watched my whole family get up and walk out of this strange man's house, leaving me behind.

"So, do you want to see your dream dress?"

"Didn't you say I can only see it if I agree to marry you?"

"That still stands. So do you wanna?"

"Let's talk!"

I took a seat on the leather couch, and he went to one of the wing-back chairs.

"Seriously, why?"

"Why not?"

"Can you be serious for once?"

"I know you know that I'm serious. You're nervous. What do you need? Tell me. What is it that would make you comfortable?"

"I don't know, this doesn't seem real."

"I know, but that's not what I'm asking. I'll get you a pen and a notebook; you can write down the pros and the cons. I'll give you some time alone." He got up and left the room, only to return two minutes later with the aforementioned notebook and pen.

He gave them to me, kissed the top of my head for some reason, and left. Why did he kiss the top of my head? My father used to do that. Now, my brothers do it once in a while. But why does it make me feel so different when he does it?

GARRETT

Control that's what she needs, but she doesn't seem to know it. When her father left, she had no control over the situation going on around her, and she'd felt rudderless ever since. She needs to feel some kind of control to feel safe; that's why she was fine with marrying someone she didn't love because there was no danger of her being hurt if things went wrong.

That's why she's having such a hard time with me because she feels and it scares her. Too bad for her I'm not walking away. I'll give her all the control she needs because I'm sure about us. My great-grandparents met and married two days later and spent the next eighty years together.

They had one of the most wholesome and beautiful relationships I've ever known. The men in my family tend to be monogamous, like mandarin ducks; we mate for life, and though I wouldn't call any of them conventional, we've never let that stop us from going after the woman we want.

We've never given too much thought to class, race, or financial status when choosing a mate. All that mattered was that initial feeling of one soul meeting its other half. The half that it was meant to walk through this life with.

I already have everything in place anyway, so she'd better get onboard quickly, or she'd be at our kid's first birthday party before she knows what hit her.

What she doesn't know and what I'm sure her mother and at least oldest brother realize is that I have no plans on letting her go ever. I won't live without my other half just because she decides to suddenly play the coward.

Somehow, I don't think she would. From what I know of her practical side, once she weighs the pros and cons, she'd see that this was her best bet, much better than what she'd had planned for herself for the future anyway.

She could have no questions about me because I'm sure her company had done an in-depth background check on me, not to mention all the things I'd divulged in the folder I gave her. Well, there might be one. But I'm more than ready to answer anytime she's ready.

I'd barely had that thought when I heard her come up behind me where I stood at one of the windows in the foyer looking down at the waves crashing against the cliff below.

"Where's your bedroom?" That's my girl? I saw the quick flash of my own smile before I schooled my features and turned to take her hand. "Come with me."