Flanked
Daniel walked into the room and looked straight at the woman he was there to see. Sharon Raydor was the most intransigeant woman he had ever encountered, and he had encountered his fair share of difficult women. If she thought she was going to get under his skin, he had news for her. Compared to some of the women in his life, this Captain was a cakewalk. Not that she wasn't tough as nails, something he recognized immediately. But he knew who she was, or at least he knew who she wasn't. She wasn't going to turn her opinion of him on a dime, she wasn't going to freak out on him in the middle of the street, she wasn't going to look for his car and scratch the paint job, she wasn't going to withhold food or clothing or affection until he bowed to her pressure. No, Sharon Raydor was going to walk the line and as long as he walked the line beside her, everything would be okay.
He had to believe that, he had to in order to get Rusty into his world. If he had Rusty then he would have leverage in his relationships. It wouldn't just be him against the women anymore. He would have his son, a son that proved that he, Daniel Dunn, had done something no one could take away from him. He was a father, and that meant something in his world of women. With his son, he was no longer a looser like his brother who chose pot over people. At least that's what their mother had declared. And maybe, just maybe, with a son and a marriage to a fairly wealthy woman, he would become the new favourite in the family, something up for grabs now that his sister's ex-husband had gotten equal custody of their kids. When he had Rusty, he would have full custody, and not have to share.
Rusty would come to appreciate him in time, Daniel knew. He already understood what it meant to have choices made for him by a powerful woman, after all he'd been living with Sharon Raydor for months, attending the school of her choice, eating the food of her choice, sleeping in the decor of her choice. Rusty was just as used to being controlled by women as Daniel was himself. With a little bit of coaxing, Rusty would see how alike they were and solidarity needed that connection. Rusty would be his constant. You couldn't really separate a man from his son... the bond was too thick. It was that way with his own father, allies in a common cause. It had even been that way with his brother when they were young, before the drugs became more important.
She didn't notice him initially, which was no surprise to Daniel. He was used to women turning towards him with dramatic flare, conjuring that 'oh, I didn't realize you were here' look on their faces as if they were truly surprised. It was all an act, something he knew they must have been born with because every woman he knew could muster the same effect. Sharon did it better this time than most, almost looking like she really was surprised to see him. She shouldn't have been. God knows she had been yanking his chain for days, denying him access to his own son, forcing him to come to her like a dog being made to heal.
The more Daniel thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Who was she to assume she could push him around like a possession? She was nothing. At least his mother and his sister were related to him by blood and could claim longterm relationship. Even his Annie's control over him was because of relationship. Sure, she was no stranger to reminding him who wore the financial pants in the family, and she had made known early in their relationship she wasn't going to change for him. But why should she? She had two daughters that she had to rise to be strong. He didn't know anything about their father, just that he wasn't worth much because he easily gave away custody of his girls. Who would give up their kid anyway? Annie had made it quite clear she had no respect for the man and had no problem encouraging her daughters to forget he ever existed. At least they had him, Daniel knew, and he was a pretty decent father to them.
The stare-down lasted no more than a few seconds before Sharon moved again, but in that time he had been able to get a good look at those around her. Sharon was like every other woman he knew. She liked the power of men around her. The difference seemed to be keeping only men. At least Annie and his mother had women in their work circles to help keep everyone in line. Sharon seemed confident she could do it all herself. The one exception looked too young to be a balance to Sharon's power.
That Flynn was the one to watch, Daniel knew. He was always standing close to her, sometimes in front to protect her, but more often directly behind in his place, like a consort. Daniel wondered what hold she must have over him. He didn't really want to think of this woman as sexually satisfying enough to keep her men in place, but something must have been going on with the Flynn person to make him so loyal. From the few things Rusty had said, Flynn was trying to be the new 'father' in his life, which could only mean he and Sharon were creating their own family with Rusty. That would have to be stopped. Rusty would come with him and be a family with Annie, giving Daniel more equal footing in the parenting department.
Of course it was Flynn who announced his arrival. It was always Flynn. Even when Sharon turned, she seemed to turn into Flynn first, making sure Daniel knew the Alpha Male in the room. Did she really think he was so stupid that he didn't know her choice? Again Daniel marveled at how dumb women thought he was. He was very well versed in how to deal with the Man of the Moment. His father had taught him that one, always turning a blind eye as his mother 'worked late'. It was the role his father played, and he was quite prepared to play it himself. There was great benefit to being the one always at home. At the end of the day, when the newest piece of distraction had worn out his welcome, Daniel always had Annie returning to him, secure in the knowledge that he had kept her home and daughters waiting for her. Now all he had to do was get a ring on her finger to ensure his place. Rusty would help move that along.
Sharon assumed even more power in the room, and Daniel wondered how that was even possible. She already had the attention of everyone, and was no doubt telling them all what to think. And just like neanderthals of old, they all shifted and practically grunted as the challenger got her attention. He would laugh if the moment wasn't so serious. He had to make her understand what had happened. Annie had given him one chance to make it right, and he knew that was more generous than she needed to be.
How could anyone have known Rusty's actions over the summer? It wasn't natural for a smart person to sell his body. Even though Rusty was his son and he was working on growing affection for the boy, things had to change and the boy had to be told what was what in life. Poor judgement could not be tolerated. It was bad enough Annie now knew. He couldn't even begin imagining how he would tell his mother and sister what his son was. Therapy was only the first step. He had to get Rusty away from Sharon because somehow Daniel knew Sharon was making Rusty feel good about his choices, and that had to be stopped. But until he had total control over his son, he had to play the game. At least he knew the game.
And play it he would. Sharon had given him the silent treatment, then put him in her office to wait. She liked to play power games and he let her think she had the upper hand. Again he was struck by the amateur she was in the ways of women in control. She was predictable and too controlled. By now Annie would have had him on his knees. Did Sharon really think leaving him alone to watch her in action was going to make a difference? He knew what he was going to say, he knew what he was going to do, and he knew at the end of the day she wasn't the one who mattered anyway. The law was on his side, not hers, and he was just here to make things easier on Rusty.
He watched through the window while she returned to her men. Again they surrounded her like she was the centre of their small universe. He would show her what real power was like. He would remind her who had all the cards in this little match-up she was forcing. He would make sure she knew he was the final authority.
Annie wouldn't have it any other way.