Deadly Inheritance (completed)

Chapter 5

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Charlie

The food was placed on the table and the boys dug in, but I still kept getting an evil eye from Dale. I know he doesn't like me. I just don't know what I've done for him to hate me. Jose was sitting next to Ryan with the seat on the other side of him empty and I watch Jose nudge Ryan and nod towards me. Ryan smiles big and scooped up his food without saying a word. It doesn't seem to bother him that two of the hands have an issue with his attention geared to me. Ryan looks over at me and motions for me to come sit down next to him. I bit down on my lip and turn my back ignoring his request.

Cleaning up the stove seems safer than sitting next to Ryan. Especially after all the touching and kisses he's giving me. I'm not comfortable with it. No one had ever shown me this kind of affection before. It makes me wonder what it is Ryan wants from me. I scrubbed the stovetop while I wait for the oven to preheat. I've got an Apple cobbler and peach cobbler for the boys as well. It won't be ready until dinner time, but will be a good dessert for my pork tenderloin. As my oven dings that it's ready, I open the door and taking my big cobblers, I bend over putting them one at a time in the oven to cook. The kitchen goes silent. What's wrong? I turn around and see all of them watching me. Or more looking at something on me. I must have gotten flour on my black pants. I do tend to wipe my hands off on my rear. That's probably what they see. I must look a mess, I'll change when I'm done.

"Charlie, sweetheart, this is delicious. Thank you for cooking this up." Pops says eyeing the boys to speak up as well. Each one murmur their appreciation of the meal finally taking their eyes off me and going back to their food and conversations. Thank you Pops for that. I don't like it when I get looked at. I get so uncomfortable knowing how socially inept I can be.

"Char, get over here, sweetheart. You need to eat too." Ryan says looking at me pointedly waiting for me to come to him. Guess he was tired of me ignoring his silent request.

"I just had a cinnamon roll, you forced me to eat." I reminded him. I'm gonna get fatter the way he keeps pushing food on me. "I'm not eating anymore right now."

"You need regular meals, baby. Not just sugar." Ryan grins at me and takes a big bite of his biscuit. "I'm gonna make sure you eat at every meal with us. Besides, I want you sitting here next to me."

What is he trying to do? Establish his territory for the crew? Show them who's in charge? Great! Another man with an ego who has something to prove. That means more put downs, more humiliation and more self destruction for me. I don't know if I can really handle going through this again. Between my father and Steven, it's been hard enough for me to face myself in the mirror. Now to have Ryan doing this, I will have to be the subject of regular humiliation from all of them. I have a hard enough time dealing with how much I despise myself, I guess I shouldn't say that. I'm trying to get better. It's just so hard when I can't find something good about myself.

"I thought you said you weren't interested in frosty?" Dale's voice was cold and his eyes were hot. "You said she was too cold for you." His red hot stare darted over to me then back to Ryan. There was something in those eyes that made my skin crawl.

"I was bullshitting you." Ryan said harshly, the anger in his tone with his eyes narrowing in on Dale was fierce. I'm not sure these two actually like each other by the looks they're giving one another right now. "Besides she's the boss, have some respect for her. She's off limits to you."

"And why would she be available for you to tap, but not for me?" Dale asked curling his hands into fists as he stood up and leaned his fists against the table. It was obvious he was itching for a fight. He wanted to push Ryan, I saw a flare in his eyes as if he needed payback against Ryan for something. That icy shiver of fear crawled along my skin and settled at the base of my spine. It was uncomfortable.