“And what about your self-image?” Mitch asked, sitting back against the chair and stretching his legs out. He threw the conversation toward her. Two could play at this game. “Why deny that there’s something between the three of us?”
“That has nothing to do with my self-image,” Anna answered, looking at him with her blue eyes. There were moments when there was an honest vulnerability in her eyes, but then a coldness crept in, wiping it away. Right now, her openness shined brightly through. She was an enigma. “My not getting involved in a relationship is something I’ve come to accept, which is why a one-night stand sounded pretty damn good. I have my reasons, but they’re personal. You, on the other hand, seem to think because you spent time in jail, you’re not as worthy as your brother.”
With any other person, Mitch would have walked out by now. For some reason, he wanted to stay and convince her that what he believed was the truth. It was very important to him that she understand where he was coming from. He wasn’t sure when he’d lost control of this conversation, but maybe if he was honest for once in his life, he could save the three of them a lot of heartache.
“Elliott is twice the man I will ever be.”
“Why?”
Mitch couldn’t look at her while recalling the past, so he fixed his gaze above her to the window overlooking Main Street. Feeling his scar throb, he brought his hand up to rub it. The curtain had been pulled, but that didn’t stop the streetlights from displaying the shadows of the town. He hadn’t talked about what had happened to anyone since he’d gotten out, but he needed her to know. “I was twenty years old, away at college, and thought I was impervious to everything. I went to every frat party there was on campus, knew everyone there was to know of importance, and had the teachers eating out of the palms of my hands because of my football scholarship. It didn’t hurt that I was actually smart.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Anna said. She had spoken so softly, he wondered if she was afraid he would stop telling his story.
“It was a Saturday night, but we’d been partying all day. I was taking a girl upstairs when we heard a bunch of commotion by the front door. Turned out to be a rival football team that had heard we were hosting an end-of-the-season bash. Obviously, things got out of hand quickly and a couple fights broke out. The campus police showed up and cleared everyone out.”
Anna looked at him quizzically. He knew she was wondering how this could lead to a murder charge. His throat was dry and he realized he’d spoken more in the last ten minutes than he had in months. Unscrewing the cap to his water bottle, Mitch chugged half of it in one swallow. While putting the white cover back on, Mitch finished his story.
“We noticed that our trophy from winning the playoffs was missing, so a few of us decided to go get it back. We shouldn’t have been driving that night, let alone that far. It was the worst decision of my life. A bunch of the players from the other college lived off campus in an apartment complex, so we rode by there first. They were always boasting about their digs, so we knew exactly where it was. Sure enough, the parking lot was full of their vehicles and they were still there, our trophy sitting on top of a car. We pulled in, told them we were taking it back. No one argued with us. We got the trophy and started back to the car when they jumped us.” Mitch stopped and looked over toward the bed. Her nonjudgmental stare prompted him to continue. “I had height as an advantage, and the player that attacked me was smaller and didn’t have the meat of a linebacker. I turned and rushed him, hitting him directly in the middle. Neither one of us realized how close we were to the sidewalk, not that it really would have mattered. He lost his balance and flew backward, hitting the back of his head on the curb.”
Mitch stopped talking, letting that bit of the story sink in. He closed his eyes at the nausea that, to this day, hit his stomach every time he remembered the sound of that boy’s skull connecting with the cement. He recalled how everyone had seemed to stop what they were doing and stare in horror. His breathing had caught in his throat and his heart stopped beating, along with that boy’s—only his resumed to live a life of regret.
“Life doesn’t deal everyone a fair hand,” Anna said, her voice closer than he remembered. Opening his eyes, Mitch found that she was on her knees in front of him. He was surprised he didn’t see pity written all over her face, which is what he’d become accustomed to. “You were a young man that a tragic event happened to, but that doesn’t make you a murderer.”
“My choices back then made me a murderer.” Mitch knew his voice came out as a growl, needing her to understand why Elliott didn’t deserve Mitch just fucking her and ruining his brother’s chance at happiness. “If Elliott had been there, he would have made a different decision. He’s a better man than I’ll ever be.”
“And what about the boy who died?” Anna asked, her blue eyes still clear of blame. How could she not see the truth laid out in front of her? “Was it not his choice to be a part of stealing an insignificant trophy? Was it not his choice to jump you from behind?”
“Was it his choice to die that night?” Mitch roared, the anger and resentment for the events that occurred bubbling to the surface.
“Mitch, we all make decisions, and some of them alter the course of our lives. But it’s our reactions to them that make us the people we are. Would Elliott have chosen not to go after them that night? Maybe. Does it really matter?”
“He deserves to find love and not be held back by me.”
“You’re holding yourself back,” Anna said, leaning her body into his. His anger started to slip away under her tender hands, which were sliding up his abdomen. When her fingers reached his face, she used her palms to cup his cheek. A sadness overtook her expression and he wanted to be the one to wipe it away. “Someday, you will realize what you have to offer a woman. You and Elliott will have the life you have always dreamed of. I envy her.”
Before Mitch could ask what she meant by that, a banging on the door brought both of them to their feet. She looked up at him with alarm but not surprise. Mitch had been right all along. She was in trouble. Anna took a step behind him and opened the bedside table drawer, pulling out a gun. Where the hell had she gotten that?
“Mitch, open the damn door now!”
“Looks like it’s time for you to leave,” Anna said.
“Want to tell me why you need a gun?” Mitch asked, ignoring her statement. “For someone who’s supposedly just a waitress, I’m surprised you would know how to use a Colt Model 1911A1. That’s used by military around the world.”
“Mitch!”
When Anna didn’t reply, Mitch walked toward the door. Not taking his eyes off of her, he flipped the lock. Knowing his brother would hear the deadbolt release, Mitch stood back. Elliott threw open the door but came to a stop upon seeing Anna standing at the end of the bed in Mitch’s T-shirt with a gun in her hand.
“So it is true,” Elliott said, his usual carefree attitude erased. Mitch had never seen him look so intense. “You’re caught up with the ATF and using an alias. Although which one is the alias? Anna Valdez or Anna Cruz?”
Mitch looked at the weapon in her hand. Where had Elliott gotten his information, and why hadn’t Mitch’s contact known about this? He wasn’t surprised to see her blue eyes turn to ice. He crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against the wall. It was rare that Elliott ever got riled up, but whatever information he was given had certainly done the trick. The one question he wanted answered, though, was whether she was involved with criminal activity of her own free will or if she was being coerced. He’d spent ten years with convicts, and her little speech regarding his past about how he was a good man indicated she had morals and values. Her next move didn’t surprise him in the least.
“I’m tired, is what I am,” Anna answered. Walking to the bedside table, she opened the drawer and tucked her gun inside. Slamming it shut, she crawled underneath the covers, turning her back toward them. “I’m going to sleep. Make sure the door is locked on your way out
.”
“I’m not leaving,” Mitch replied, moving past Elliott. He stood above her, waiting for her to look up over her shoulder. She never budged, for which he gave her credit. But he could guarantee that he had a hell of a lot more patience than she did. He’d wait her out. “Elliott, the bed’s not big enough for both of us. Wanna flip for the bed?”
Mitch made sure his lips didn’t crack into a smile when she tilted her head up toward him and opened one of her blue eyes. Hell, his lips probably would crack if he smiled.
“Mitch, she’s involved with illegal activities,” Elliott said, exasperation evident in his voice. “That isn’t something you can ignore. We need answers.”
Mitch shrugged his shoulders, indicating Elliott had lost out. He usually slept in the nude, but since Anna was already on edge, Mitch kept his jeans on. He picked up the sheet and slid in behind her. Her body was as rigid as a tie rod. He knew there was no way she was going to open up now, not with Elliott’s guilty verdict already being placed on her.
“Anna needs sleep. We’ll get our answers in the morning.” Mitch let his head rest on the pillow, closing his eyes. “Good luck with the chair.”
Chapter Eight
The sun shined through the window curtain, causing Anna to roll over to avoid the brightness. Her face hit something solid and the jolt brought everything back from last night. She moaned and then buried her head between the hard body next to her and the soft mattress beneath them. Maybe if she stayed like this, he would eventually get up and leave.
“For someone who lectured me on choices last night, you’ve certainly made a few of your own recently, haven’t you?” Mitch asked, his chest rumbling from the gruffness of his voice.
The vibration made her body come alive and want attention that she knew it wasn’t going to get. If she thought she had been sexually frustrated yesterday, that was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Having slept beside Mitch the entire night, her skin felt as if it were alive and sparking with sensations. The coarse hair on his legs brushed against hers, while the hard muscles of his thighs had pressed against her pussy most of the night. Exhaustion must have claimed her, because she had eventually fallen asleep, although not with the deep satisfaction she knew he could provide.
“My choices are mine and none of your business,” Anna murmured against the sheets.
“You made them our business when you agreed to have dinner with us last night,” Elliott said, his voice coming from the doorway.
Anna lifted her head to find him standing in the doorway, holding a tray with three coffees and a bag that hopefully contained breakfast. Unfortunately, she knew those gifts of goodies came with strings attached. They wanted the truth.
After Mitch had informed Elliott that he had to sleep in the chair, things had gone from bad to worse. He had demanded to know why she was buying illegal guns and how she got caught up with that type of criminal activity. Mitch hadn’t said a word while Elliott raged on about her choices. She figured out quickly who had clued Elliott in on her background. So much for Agent Monroe taking care of Cooper and Brody Jackson. Mitch had surprised her, though, by saying he was staying. It dawned on her that he thought she had been coerced into a life of crime, but without going into specifics, she couldn’t tell him the truth. This was her life, and she wouldn’t drag them into something where they could be taken from her like her family was.
“As you can see, nothing happened last night,” Anna said, rolling over and placing her arm over her eyes. Maybe if she ignored them long enough, they would leave. “No guns were sold, no weapons bought, no one arrested. Mitch and I didn’t even fuck. Satisfied?”
“No, we’re not,” Mitch said, although his innuendo had nothing to do with her background and everything to do with sex—which is what her body craved. She lifted her arm and let her gaze drift down his rock-hard stomach to where, unfortunately, he still wore his jeans. Yep, he was sporting a bulge like Elliott had been last night.
“Mitch, she needs to come clean with us before we get further involved,” Elliott said, the warning evident in his voice. “We need to know what we’re facing.”
“You aren’t facing anything,” Anna replied. “You’re basing your assumptions off of gossip.”
Anna prayed that Cooper and Brody hadn’t gone into details about who she was. After all, the case they had worked on was not public knowledge and had been kept under wraps from the media. As far as she knew, the town of Triple never knew what happened that night.
“Gossip? Cooper and Brody were there the night you shot a man named Sonny Jones. That’s not gossip, that’s fact. What they are questioning is how you escaped that night without being caught and arrested. Would you like to fill us in?”
“You shot a man?” Mitch sat up in bed and looked at her like she was the one who belonged in jail. He was right.
“Yes, and I’d do it all over again if I had to,” Anna answered, finally giving up on the hope that they could still have a quickie and then she could get on with her day. “Elliott isn’t mentioning the fact that Sonny Jones had a gun to Cyn’s head and was going to pull the trigger. I shot the gun out of his hand and then pulled the trigger again, making sure that his accomplice didn’t hurt her.”
“Would someone please start from the beginning? And who the hell is Sonny Jones?” Mitch asked, motioning for Elliott to come closer. He then snatched up two coffees and handed her one of them.
“Elliott can fill you in on whatever Cooper and Brody deemed important to share from that evening,” Anna answered, taking the offered cup. She pushed herself into a sitting position. Placing the hot coffee between her legs, Anna grabbed the hem of the T-shirt and pulled it over her head. She shoved it against Mitch’s chest. “You’re not getting anything more from me. It’s my life, my choices. And right now, I have to get ready for my shift, so if you’ll excuse me.”
Anna motioned toward the door with her coffee. Surprisingly, she found the cup swiped from her hand and within seconds was looking up into Mitch’s face. His five-o’clock shadow had grown a little more overnight, darkening the lower half of his face even more. Those molasses eyes, so like his brother’s, burned into hers with a hunger that she could relate to. His body covered hers, giving her skin the touch it craved. She didn’t want to fuck nice and slow—she wanted it hard and fast. Anna knew Mitch could provide that and would willingly walk away. Whether Elliott joined them was up for debate, but she hoped that he would.
Grabbing ahold of his hair, Anna twisted her fingers into the silky strands as tight as she could and brought his lips down to hers. He must have taken a sip of his coffee before disposing of it, because he tasted like the dark liquid she loved. The roughness of the kiss didn’t deter her from longing for more. Their teeth knocked together and she slipped her tongue between them, wanting him to play with her. He answered in kind. His flavor exploded on her taste buds and it filled her senses.
Mitch flipped them over, keeping ahold of her tight enough so that their lips remained fused. His right hand had her bra unclasped within seconds. He took both of his hands and placed them underneath her arms, sliding her over him until she was made to release his mouth. Mitch held her up so that her breasts dangled over his lips. With no hesitation, he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.
“Mitch!”
“I need more, Ginger,” Mitch murmured against her breast.
He sucked harder, bringing her nipple up to the roof of his mouth. Using his tongue, he rasped the rough texture over the hardened pebble. She’d never quite experienced this kind of fervor before, always having to be the one in charge while having sex. It was nice to let go for once and let someone else take over.
She lifted her legs higher, spreading them across Mitch’s abdomen. Her panties were soaked, so when her pussy came into contact with his skin, the material stuck to him. She ground her hips into him, needing the pressure on her clit. She liked the feeling of the silk rubbing inside her folds. It was moist, slippery, and
warm. She wanted more.
Mitch released her breast and she sat up, looking down at him while he stared up at her with hungry eyes. A tiny niggling of doubt poked at her, making her wonder if she really could enjoy this and then walk away. Anna knew her body wanted this, but it was her heart that was faltering.
A hand snared her hair and brought her head back, making her breasts push out and her back arch. She met Elliott’s intense stare. He brought his face down to where inches separated their lips. His breath mingled with hers as he spoke.
“If you betray us in any way, I swear that every ounce of pleasure you feel under our hands will be felt differently under my palm when it connects with your ass.”
The threat of his words sunk home and chilled her to the bone, but the heat in his voice had the opposite effect on her body. Unable to stop herself, Anna pushed up on her knees and fused their lips together. It was the first time they had kissed, and the underlying hunger took her by surprise. This animalistic longing was what she’d come to expect from Mitch, but to know Elliott kept these indulgences hidden made her want to experience more.
“Suck his cock,” Elliott ordered, his tone still full of steel.
He didn’t have to tell her twice. Once he released his hold of her hair, Anna made her way down Mitch’s body, enjoying every inch of skin he displayed. Using her teeth, she tugged at his button until it popped. With shaking hands due to the overload of desire, she managed to pull his zipper down and, with his help, slide the denim over his muscular thighs. The outline of his cock was magnificent. It was long and thick, and a damp spot of moisture from his pre-cum made the white cotton almost see-through.
Imprisoned Match [Ménage.com 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6
