Page 34 of Protecting Anna
Thankfully Detective Ronson returned quickly, before Ryan had to come up with any more excuses for his abrupt departure. He sat back down in front of them, and handed Anna her phone with the back plate removed, where she could see the SIM card had been removed again.
“I’m sorry, Miss Thorn, I mean Anna, but we need to keep the SIM card for evidence.” He folded his hands on his desk, leaning forward slightly. The energy in the room grew even more weighted. As Detective Ronson opened his mouth to continue, Ryan reached over and grabbed Anna’s hand, needing the connection and knowing instinctively that she did as well.
“When we ran Mr. Fox through the system, we determined that he is a wanted felon. The process is underway to transfer him down to California to face multiple charges of drug trafficking. Where this gets interesting is, Timothy Fox has been evading police and hiding underground for the last few months. Interestingly, the date of his disappearance from the narcotics scene coincided with the death of an undercover Drug Enforcement Agency officer in the Sacramento area. The DEA has been working closely with the Sacramento PD, and they strongly suspected Mr. Fox was the perpetrator. Your video confirms the evidence we had of the location of the murder, thus proving he did in fact pull the trigger on the agent. The DEA has had agents searching California looking for him and thanks to you, Miss Thorn, we’ve got him sitting in our cells.”
When the detective finished his jaw-dropping statement, he sat back in his chair and with a satisfied smile on his face, he folded his hands in his lap. “Please make no mistake. I am very sorry you were injured last night. However, that incident brought the subject of a DEA manhunt straight into custody. He killed an officer of the law, Miss Thorn. That’s a capital offense in many states and a lifetime imprisonment in others. So, let me be the first to assure you, he will never see the light of freedom again.”
Stunned, Ryan turned to Anna to see her frozen, in an equally shocked state. That was not at all the news that he was expecting to hear. Sensing that she was still trying to get her reaction under control, Ryan spoke up. “Thank you for telling us that, Detective Ronson. I hope you can understand that it is quite a shock for Anna to hear all of this. Do you need anything else from her? Or can I take her home now?”
Detective Ronson nodded understandingly. “Yes, it is heavy news to try and process. I want to thank you both for coming down here today.” The detective stood and reached out his hand to give them his business card. “That will be all we need from you for now, I suggest you go home and rest. If you have any questions about the case, please don’t hesitate to reach out.” He paused, and looked thoughtfully. “And, Anna, if you are able to remember any names of known associates of Mr. Fox, or anything else, give me a call. We certainly have enough to lock him up for his lifetime, but if we can take down some of his associates in the narcotics ring that would be even better.”
Anna nodded, still sitting ramrod straight in her chair. Ryan ached to fold her into his arms and feel her soften into his embrace. He would do anything to erase the tension that radiated off her right now. He stood, and gently tugged Anna to stand, keeping a tight hold of her hand. Silently, they walked through the station, murmured goodbye to Detective Ronson at the door, and headed out to his truck.
It worried him that Anna didn’t say a word the entire drive back to her house, but he kept his own feelings at bay, to give her space after the bombshell that had just dropped in their laps.
They pulled into her driveway, Ryan killed the engine, and turned to her. Her expression was one of emotional exhaustion, mixed with undeniable need.
“Take me inside, Ryan, take me to bed. I need you to make me feel whole again. Right now, I’m just so empty. Facing the fact that Tim was a cop killer, has taken everything out of me. I need you to fill me up,” she said, her voice quiet but clear.
Ryan searched her face, uncertain if she truly meant what she was saying. “Sweetheart, are you sure?”
“Yes, Ryan, you are the only thing that has made me feel safe these past few months.” She looked at him, her eyes pleading. “Please, Ryan, I need to be in your arms. I need your love, your strength. I need you.”
“You’ve always got me.”
* * *
The relief Anna felt at surrendering to Ryan in that moment was everything she desperately needed. She knew he would carry her, care for her, and love her both physically and emotionally. But right now, she meant what she had said. The emptiness she felt inside was not necessarily a bad thing. Talking to Detective Ronson had removed a weight from her soul that had taken up so much emotional space, that now she was left with a void that she wanted to fill with love and happiness.
Just as she had hoped he would, Ryan opened her car door and lifted her easily into his arms. She snuggled in and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck as he carried her into the house. It was only when they were inside that she suddenly realized that with all of the trauma she had been through, she had not thought about her dog once in the last twenty-four hours.
“Samson! Ryan, where is Samson?”
“It’s okay, sweetheart, he’s with Jake and Callie. They picked him up yesterday. Samson is fine.”
She relaxed back into his arms with a deep sigh. “Oh, thank god. You really thought of everything. Thank you.”
Ryan’s arms held her strongly as he gazed down at her. She could feel the heat of his stare and looked up at him. His expression was full of admiration, so intense she had to ask, “What is that look for, Ry? You look like I cured cancer or something.”
Ryan chuckled, as she had hoped he would. The mood was far too serious, and she needed him to help make it lighter.
“Anna, your selflessness amazes me. You’ve been through hell and then some, and you’re worried about the dog. I just think it’s incredible how you always put others first, even a pet.”
Anna smiled, warmed by his compliment. “Samson is more than just a pet you know, he’s my tie to my Aunt Theresa. He’s important. But, thank you. Now, can we please go upstairs so you can show me just how amazing I am?”
Ryan’s deep laugh carried them upstairs and straight into the bathroom. He set her down then turned on the hot water taps for the bathtub. Once she realized his intention, Anna wrapped her good arm around his waist, stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “I hope you’re going to join me in there.”
The heated stare he gave her was answer enough, but the rough tone of his voice and his sexy words was enough to send shivers of lust straight to her core.
“You bet I am. We’ll get clean, then we’ll get dirty,” he rumbled. Slowly he helped her remove her shirt, taking care over her cast. “We’ll take extra care of that arm. Can’t get it wet, babe.” His care and attention softened her heart even more. Anna knew she would never find another love as true as this.
When she stood before him naked, she didn’t miss the way his eyes roamed her body appreciatively. Wanting to see him, Anna reached for his shirt, fumbling when her injured arm stopped her from stripping it off him. Letting out a frustrated growl, she was rewarded when Ryan pulled it over his head one handed, in that sexy way men did. He quickly discarded his pants, climbed into the tub and held out his hand for her to help her in.
She settled back, leaned against his rock-hard chest, and let the hot water lap over their naked bodies. Ryan made no move to seduce her at first. He seemed just as content as she was to simply be together in that intimate moment. Steam swirled around them, aromatic with the bath oil Ryan had added when the water was still running. The silence was broken only by soft splashes against the side of the tub when they shifted their bodies even slightly.
As she relaxed into the warmth of Ryan’s body, Anna was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was to rest her injured arm on the edge of the tub. Ryan’s hands worked across the top of her shoulders, gently kneading away the tension. His hands slowly roamed over her collarbone, drifting across the tops of her breasts. He moved under her arms to help support her cast, wrapping his large hands around her torso until his fingers found her nipples just under the surface of the water. She sighed appreciatively when he started to play with her breasts, gently tugging and teasing her. Anna tipped her head back, opening herself up to his mouth. He didn’t disappoint her, as he bent down to press open kisses across the smooth column of her neck and shoulder.
A sharp tweak of her nipple elicited a gasp, and then a moan, when one of Ryan’s hands slid further down her body. He stroked up and down her torso and teased her by pausing just at the top of her sex, barely grazing her before bringing his nimble fingers back up to play with her breasts.
