Page 2 of Resisting Your Love

"For my son," Travis finished.

Owen's eyes nearly popped out of his head as his mouth fell open. "Excuse you?"

Travis nodded, having it all figured out. "My son needs a wife, someone to slow him down. I also need my money from you. In return, you're going to give your daughter to my son for three years."

Owen didn't know what to do or say, so he laughed. This had to be some kind of joke. There was no way this man was for real.

Travis clenched his jaw muscles together and narrowed his eyes at Owen. He felt fury making its way through his body. He didn't like the fact that this man laughed in his face. Did Owen take what he said as a joke? One thing about Travis was that he didn't joke around.

"Did I say something funny?" he asked in a hard tone. "If that's the case, you can pay us our money now.."

That wiped the smile right off of Owen's face. "How will this even work? Neither of them would go for this."

Travis shrugged. "I don't give a damn. They'll get used to it. Those are my terms. The first payment will be the day we sit them both down and tell them of the plans. Oh, and there will be a contract and prenup. Your daughter won't get a dime of my son's money when this is all said and done."

Owen had to bite down on his tongue to keep from lashing out. "When do you want to do this?"

Theo finally stepped in. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He knew how his nephew was and knew he would never go for what was about to happen.

Travis looked at his brother and nodded. "It is the way to go. Levi won't like it, but it has to be this way." He shifted his attention back to Owen. "We can do this a month from now. I'll call you and set up the dinner."

Owen gave a stiff nod, knowing he didn't agree with any of this, but it had to be done. He wasn't the best father to his child, but he felt like what he was doing was wrong. This might not end well for his daughter, but he had to hope for the best.

One MonthLater

I removed a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, getting ready to pour myself another glass. "He has never been this distant before. I don't know how to feel," I stressed to my best friend Mianna, but she liked to be called Mimi for short. She came over to my house to keep me company before she headed home for the night.

"Girl, I think you overthink too much. What makes you think Joel is being distant?" She held out her wineglass.

I scoffed, pouring the wine into her glass. "I can give you a whole list of things, but you won't believe it."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not true. I just can't see Joel being distant toward you. That man loves you, plus I hooked y'all up. Y'all are too cute together for any of you to be feeling some kind of way."

"You always throw that up in my face. Just because you go with his cousin, you think we're all supposed to be happy and in love like you are. Sometimes it doesn't work like that." I hated I was taking my frustrations out on her, but I was irritated with Joel.

Mimi threw her hands up. "Well, maybe you need to talk to him and figure out what it is that's going on. It could be nothing."

"Or something, but I won't keep going back and forth with you about it. It won't solve anything, anyway. Not until we talk to each other. Whenever that will be," I mumbled.

I went to take a seat at the kitchen table with her and put my elbow on it. I rested my chin in my hand as I tapped my cheek with my fingertips. "Maybe I should drive to his house to see what's going on."

Mimi shook her head, taking a sip of the wine. "He had to work today."

If Joel were talking to me, I would have known that. I hated that he was cutting me out of his life for no apparent reason. If anything, he needed to be honest with me. How come my best friend knew he had to work and not me?

I threw my head back and groaned. "Now I have to wait until he gets off."

"Best time to do so. Other than having Joel problems. How are you, girl? We don't talk how we used to since you started working at your father's poker lounge."

I cringed, not even wanting to think about that place. "Why did you even have to bring that place up? You know how much I hate it."

"Yes, I know, but you have to get from up under your father. The only way to do that is to work. It's a good thing you don't see him all the time." She chuckled.

I glared. "That doesn't even matter. I still feel like I'm being watched."

I started working at my father's lounge two weeks ago and was ready to quit it already. The work wasn't hard, but the workers looked down their noses at me. They acted like I was getting paid more money than them. One thing about me is that I was unable to hold a job for long. Since my father was a very wealthy man, I didn't want to work. Why should I when he would get me anything I wanted or needed? Plus, I had a black card. Joel felt some type of way about that, too. He hated that I depended on my father for everything and never came to him. We had only been dating for a year, so I felt like I shouldn't have to. Plus, he wasn't even my husband. At twenty-eight, I didn't have marriage on my mind.

"Well, all you have to do is watch them back. They can feel any way they want to. If they have a problem with it, they can take it up with your dad. Ohh, that's what you should tell them." She picked up her wine glasses and took another sip.

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