She felt hands on her, rolling her over onto her back. Anna looked up to see Elliott talking to her, but she couldn’t hear him over the blood pounding in her ears. He was removing his jacket and rolling it up in a ball. She felt him pick her up and place the material behind her, pressing hard. Everything started to happen as if she were outside of her body. People were rushing past and grabbing the men who were with the cartel. Agent Monroe was directing things from behind Elliott. She saw Sam standing off to the side with a gun in his hand and an evil smile on his face. So it’d been him who had shot her. Anna didn’t blame him. He knew it’d been her who had set them up. Sam Fowler had nothing to lose by killing her, and he knew it.
Anna still felt like she couldn’t breathe, and the edges of her vision were fading into blackness. She had so many things she wanted to say to them, but most importantly those three words. They had given her almost five weeks of the life she craved. Anna couldn’t have asked for more than that. She looked up into Elliott’s face, wanting to erase the fear and worry that had settled over his features. Anna had always known it would end like this, but she hadn’t counted on leaving behind her heart. She knew Mitch was there somewhere and wanted to see him, assure him somehow that he was just as worthy as Elliott. They were men who deserved to be loved. She tried her best to keep her eyes open, waiting to see the other set of molasses eyes, but blackness took over. Elliott faded into the darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
Elliott came out of Anna’s room and walked into the waiting room that was situated at the end of the hall. Although all the people sitting in the chairs and leaning against the walls should have surprised him, it didn’t. Their friends and family had rallied around them, knowing the woman they loved had been hurt. This camaraderie and support was what made the town of Triple so special.
“How is she?” Russ Davidson asked. His friend had been closest to the entryway, and when he spoke, everyone turned their heads to await his answer.
“You guys didn’t have to wait around,” Elliott informed them. “We appreciate your support. Anna’s doing fine. She hasn’t woken up yet. She’s in a private room, and Mitch refused to leave her side. I figured you guys would still be here.”
“Honey, we wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Elliott watched as his mother got up from her seat and walked across the cold, sterile floor. Reaching up, she pulled him down for a hug. “I can’t wait to meet the woman who has stolen my boys’ hearts.”
“You’ll love her, Mom.” Elliott returned his mother’s hug.
“Mrs. Wheelock called when she heard what had happened and has set up meals to be delivered to your house once Anna is released,” Willow said. “I told her I would keep her posted.”
“Tell her we appreciate the gesture,” Elliott replied.
“I still can’t believe that Sam—”
“I know, Willow,” Elliott said, cutting her off from any further conversation about Sam Fowler. He was the last person that Elliott wanted to talk about. If the name was never mentioned again, that would be fine by him.
One by one, they all filed out. Brody and Cooper Jackson had come the minute they’d heard what had taken place, along with Cyn. Dakota, Chad, and Elise Collins had joined them in their wait. Russ and Cameron offered to look after the garage, although Cameron joked it might not be standing when they got back. Elliott smiled and laughed but took them up on their offer. He was well aware that Cameron could take apart an engine and put it back together faster than Mitch could, and that was saying a lot. His mom and dads were the last ones to leave, demanding they see Mitch before they leave. That wasn’t going to happen, but Elliott got them to leave by promising to look after his brother.
Exhausted and knowing it had to be at least three or four in the morning, Elliott made his way back to Anna’s private room. Quietly opening the door, Elliott stepped in and noticed that all the lights had been turned off except the fluorescent one above the bed. It was enough light to illuminate Anna’s red hair, which was fanned across the pillow. The strands were separated, and he knew that Mitch had been running his fingers through the silky tresses. Her pale face made her freckles appear darker and her lips weren’t the rosy shade he’d come to love.
Mitch was still in the same position as when Elliott had left the room. He was sitting on the edge of the oversized hospital chair that converted into a bed, grasping Anna’s hand as if she were trying to run away. Walking over, Elliott held out a Styrofoam cup.
“Here. The caffeine will help, because I know you aren’t going to sleep.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yeah, he’ll live,” Elliott said. When Mitch shook his head at the coffee, Elliott sighed in defeat and placed it on the tray beside the bed. Walking around, he grabbed the other chair and pulled it close. Taking Anna’s other hand, he didn’t like how cold it was. Elliott started to rub his thumb back and forth over her skin. “You really shouldn’t have gone after him like that.”
Elliott was referring to the man he didn’t want to mention ever again. Sam had pulled his gun and shot Anna in the back, knowing it didn’t matter if he committed murder or not. The cartel would forever think that Sam Fowler had betrayed them, and he would probably be dead within a month, once the contract surfaced for his death. Sam knew it and had wanted payback. He had almost gotten more than he’d bargained for. Mitch, for a brief moment, had lost his sanity. It had taken four of Agent Monroe’s men to pull him off of Fowler. By the time they’d had Mitch under control, Fowler had been lying unconscious on the ground, his face covered in blood.
“If the cartel doesn’t take him out, I’ll do it myself.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” Anna whispered, her voice coarse. “You already spent time in jail.”
“Anna?” Elliott quickly grabbed the control and pressed the button for the nurse. “Don’t say anything else. The nurse is coming.”
“Since when am I not allowed to talk?” Anna asked, giving them a weak smile. “I’m alive. That’s got to count for something.”
“You’re alive, Ginger,” Mitch murmured against her hand. For the first time that Elliott could remember, his brother had tears in his eyes. “The bullet tore through your shoulder blade but missed your lung. It’ll be a while before you have full use of your right arm, but you’re right—you’re alive.”
“That’s good,” Anna whispered, licking her dry lips. Elliott could see a little color coming back. He wasn’t sure if that was the pain but really wished that nurse would get in here. He pressed the button again. “There are some things I need to say before they take me into custody.”
“If you ever scare me like that again, I swear I’ll lock you up in a jail cell myself,” Mitch said.
“Let’s not talk about that right now.” Elliott lifted her hand and kissed the back of it gently. “Maybe I can bust you out of here and we can all live on the run.”
Anna started to laugh, but it came out as more of a moan laced with pain. He and Mitch immediately stroked her skin to soothe her, and Mitch shot him a look that could kill. Elliott got the message and would curb the jokes. He didn’t want her to hurt because of him.
“That won’t be necessary.”
Instead of a nurse appearing in the doorway, Agent Monroe stepped over the threshold. He was out of his ATF uniform and wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and a baseball cap. Elliott wouldn’t have recognized him if it weren’t for his blond hair sticking out from underneath the hat.
“Agent Monroe, I hope you got everything you needed.”
“Yes, we did. We can’t thank you enough,” Agent Monroe said, taking a few steps forward until he came to the end of her bed. “There are still some loose ends to tie up, but one of the cartel men is spilling his guts about what he knows. We should be able to make some additional arrests.”
“What did you mean by ‘it won’t be necessary’ to break her out of jail?” Mitch asked, sitting up straighter.
“Again, I’m pretending I didn�
��t hear that,” Agent Monroe said with a smile. “Ms. Valdez, it looks as if you will receive probation. The judge overseeing the case has agreed to place you into Elliott Braxton’s protective custody. We’ve placed word out on the street that we didn’t have enough information to tie you to any drug charges and that the vehicle of illegal weapons wasn’t in your name. Everything we had on you was circumstantial.”
“Why?”
Elliott shared a look with Mitch, who then closed his eyes and nodded his head. His brother had figured out rather quickly that it was Elliott who had spoken to Judge Williams regarding Anna’s fate. Judge Williams was a family friend—it never hurt to have friends in high places.
“Why are you being given probation? Or why have we leaked out wrong information?”
The nurse, who immediately started to chastise them for having too many people in the room, chose that moment to come through the door. Mitch stood up, and the woman instantly closed her mouth, although Elliott could tell she wasn’t happy. Agent Monroe diffused the situation quickly.
“Nurse, I just stopped by for a brief moment. I’m with the ATF, and this is still an ongoing case for which I needed information from Ms. Valdez.”
“That’s fine, then,” she said, clearly mollified, although still shooting daggers Mitch’s way. “No more than five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They waited for the nurse to take Anna’s vitals. Mitch made her uneasy as he studied her like a bug underneath a microscope. Once she was done and said that she would notify the doctor that Anna had awoken, the nurse looked relieved as she made her way out the door. Agent Monroe continued with the conversation but didn’t really answer Anna’s questions.
“Trust me, the cartel will plead this out. This won’t go to trial, which is more beneficial to you, because you won’t have to testify. What they don’t know certainly won’t hurt them.” Agent Monroe lifted his arm and glanced at his watch. “I’ll let you rest. I figure the pain meds will be kicking in shortly. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me. And Elliott, you did a real nice job in letting Comprador believe you were just an agent doing his job in making sure Anna didn’t die. When emotions are involved, it’s an easy thing to forget setting the stage for the future.”
Elliott acknowledged the compliment with a nod of his head, but didn’t think he’d done anything that anyone else wouldn’t have done for the woman they loved. He’d had to look on in horror, knowing Sam was going to shoot her. He’d wanted to call out her name and warn her, but knew that would out Anna to the cartel. As he held her in his arms, Elliott longed to confess his feelings and beg her not to die. All he could do was call her by the name of Ms. Cruz and tell her she would be all right. The pretense of the situation almost killed him.
They watched Agent Monroe take his leave. Anna started to throw a million questions their way, but her burst of energy didn’t last long. Monroe was right, and the pain meds started to drag her under. She was still managing a few more words when Mitch leaned up and kissed her lips.
“I’ll answer you as fast as I can, and then I want you to sleep,” Mitch said.
“But I have things I need to tell you,” Anna murmured, her voice back down to a whisper.
“And you’ll get your chance,” Mitch told her, rubbing a hand up and down her arm. “Let’s see how fast I can recap tonight’s events. Fowler shot you, the agents came in to make the arrests, and then we brought you to the hospital. See? Nothing that you haven’t already figured out. Now close your eyes,” Mitch ordered.
“What about Sam being alive?” Anna asked, her words a little mumbled.
“Oh, you know Mitch,” Elliott replied, giving her a wink. “He’s a little overprotective and lost his temper.”
“You attacked him?” Anna asked, her eyes opening up wide. They seemed a little blurry, and Elliott couldn’t resist rubbing his fingers down her cheek. As if a string were attached to them, her eyes closed. When her breathing evened out, signaling that she’d fallen back to sleep, Elliott leaned his head down on the mattress and smiled at the typical words that came out of his brother’s mouth.
“Not soon enough.”
Chapter Sixteen
“I don’t think they meant this type of protective custody,” Anna said, laughing in a way that she’d never thought she would—carefree.
The past six weeks of recovery had been hard, but Elliott and Mitch had been by her side the entire time. After her release from the hospital, they had taken a few weeks off from the garage, letting Russ and Cameron Davidson take over for them. Actually, it was really Cameron who worked on the cars. Russ continued to work their family’s ranch, pulling double duty by doing Cameron’s share of the work. Eventually, Mitch and Elliott had to go back to work, but they alternated shifts. Elliott would go into the garage in the morning to do all the paperwork, while Mitch would take the afternoon shift and work on the vehicles.
Anna had called Sarah, informing her of what had happened and, after a two-hour conversation, finally confessed her secrets. Her friend had handled it well, although Anna could hear that her voice was tinged with a bit of sadness. Anna hadn’t meant to hurt Sarah’s feelings and tried her best to reassure Sarah that their Sunday evenings this past year had kept her sane. Sarah had asked when she was coming back, but Anna hadn’t had an answer to give her. Anna knew what she wanted, but now it was time to see what Elliott and Mitch wanted for their future.
Anna had spent time with Elliott and Mitch’s parents. Chuck, Wendell, and Stacy Braxton loved their sons, that much was plain to see. Stacy never questioned her on what she felt for Elliott and Mitch, for which Anna was grateful. She needed this time with them to make sure the suspense and danger of what used to be her life wasn’t the reason they felt responsible for her.
Every night, they made slow, passionate love to her. Even Mitch had toned down the rougher edge he seemed to like. She was tired of it. So when Anna’s six-week appointment came, she made sure the doctor gave her men the indication that she was ready for more. After all, Elliott and Mitch spoke with Doc Jones every time they saw him in town about her condition.
Just seeing Mitch’s eyes darken at Doc Jones’s reply this morning had Anna’s pussy contracting with excitement. Now that night had fallen, Elliott had shown up with fur-lined cuffs and told Mitch he was deputizing him.
“I’ve got to agree with Ginger,” Mitch said, shedding the last of his clothes. It was just like Mitch to want to forego the play and get to the good stuff. “I’m not into role-playing.”
“Well, the way I see, Anna is due for her probation meeting. We need to make sure she’s been doing what she’s been told and isn’t hiding anything on or in her body that might be illegal,” Elliott said with a wink.
Anna laughed and watched as Mitch lowered his brow. She squealed when Mitch grabbed her around the waist and disrobed her of his shirt that she’d put on after her shower. He plopped her in the middle of the bed, letting her bounce twice before laying on top of her. Careful of his weight, Mitch brought himself up high enough to look her in the eye.
“I swear, officer, I’m innocent,” Anna replied in a high voice, blinking her eyes rapidly in pretense of being a helpless female. “There’s only one charge that I’m guilty of, and I’ll serve my time willingly.”
“What charge is that?” Mitch asked her, his tone carrying a wary lilt to it.
Anna waited for Elliott to walk around the side of the bed, the black leather cuffs dangling from his hand. Seeing the cream fur inside the wide band, she could feel her wrists tingle at the need to see what they felt like against her skin. Her body’s response to these two men never failed to amaze her. She just hoped that her declaration was enough for them to believe in a lengthy sentence.
“Loving the both of you,” Anna said softly, trying her best to wait patiently while her words washed over them. After a few seconds of them not saying anything, Anna could feel herself start to panic. What if they didn’t lo
ve her back? Going back to living a life alone was a prison sentence she didn’t want to experience. “I never expected to have a chance at being happy. Every minute of the day that I spend with you is a minute that I’m grateful for. The path I had chosen for my life—it may have been wrong and I may have done it out of grief and anger—but the fact is, it led me to you. And for that, I have my brother and parents to thank.”
“Thank God,” Elliott whispered, placing his knee on the bed and making Mitch move to her side. Elliott put the cuffs above her head. Leaning down, he kissed her as if the world was ending. When he lifted his head, Elliott said those words she’d been dying to hear. “I love you, too. You have no idea how much we love you.”
“Do you?” Anna asked, looking up at Mitch. He’d yet to say a word and really hadn’t touched her since Elliott started kissing her. “Is my heart safe with you?”
“I would kill anyone or anything that tried to hurt you, Ginger.”
“If I remember correctly, you tried that,” Anna said, chuckling now that she saw the love shining in his eyes. “I’m glad you didn’t succeed. I’d really rather be imprisoned by you, than you being imprisoned in the state penitentiary.”
“You hold the key to my heart, Ginger. It’s now secure in a cage that only you have access to. I love you. I never thought the possibility of loving another person existed for me, but from the moment that I saw your baby-blue eyes, I knew you were the one woman who could handle a man like me.”
“And she’s in our protective custody,” Elliott said, holding up the cuffs again. “Now, are you resisting your strip search?”
Mitch moaned, while Anna laughed. She loved Elliott’s playful side and knew that Mitch secretly enjoyed their spirited pastimes. Anna jumped in with both feet, knowing this role-play could stir up Mitch’s need to dominate. She could feel him holding back, but his underlying intensity was always close to the surface. Arousal beat a path straight to her pussy at the thought that he’d finally let go enough to show her what she made him feel.
Imprisoned Match [Ménage.com 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12
