Page 40 of Pitbull
“Always.”
“Okay. I don’t have time for this so pull over.”
Without signaling, Barbie drew to a slow stop. The car behind them screech to a halt almost crashing into the back of Pitbull’s truck. Barbie barely had the vehicle in park before Pitbull was out of the truck, gun raised and walking toward the vehicle. “Turn off the ignition!” He ordered.
Instead of obeying, the driver threw the vehicle into reverse and began backing up. The engine to his truck revved once more and the loud hum of the hemi sounded around to his left. He continued walking toward the car. “Stop, police!”
Barbie drove around the car and pulled in behind it. The driver must not have seen or cared because he sped up in reverse, slamming into the front of Pitbull’s truck. When the driver realized he couldn’t get away, the car began peeling toward Pitbull. With a grunt, he fired toward the tires but the vehicle was so low to the ground, he missed both times. Instead, he lifted the gun and fired into the driver’s side.
The car careened to the left, crashed into the guardrail but stopped before falling over into the water below. Once Barbie was at his side. With their guns trained, they inched their way to the car. He took the driver’s side, Barbie handled the passenger side. When they got the door opens, the driver was slumped over the wheel and alone in the car. Pitbull reached in and felt for a pulse. There was a weak one.
“This is Lieutenant Sabine Henson, GSG 9 CIRO – we need an ambulance…”
Anke didn’t getany sleep the whole night. She kept getting up to use the bathroom or wander Pitbull’s beautiful home like a lost soul. Each time she did either of those, Mouth was standing by a window, or seated in the sofa, watching late night infomercials. After around midnight, there was the changing of the guards—Mouth and Miracle were replaced by Zero. She’d wanted Miracle to stay but the woman had to go babysit Barbie’s and Crash’s little ones.
A part of her had been disappointed it wasn’t Pitbull. She missed him—strangely enough. Then again, there were crazies out there taking shots at him and that tore her open every time she thought of him getting hurt. When this mess was cleared up, Anke knew she had to build up enough courage to ask him for a coffee.
She’d take Miracle’s advice. Even if Pitbull told her he wasn’t into anything serious—one date would make her happy.
To keep her mind on something else, she challenged Zero to a duel of chess. Anke had never been any good at the game and lost every round. She didn’t even know what most of the pieces were called and Anke couldn’t think moves ahead like she was supposed to. Neither of them spoke of the impending doom she felt pulsing through her soul. It was probably for the best.
When the sun began peeking through the blinds, Anke showered, changed into a pair of track pants and one of Pitbull’s oversized shirts. It fell down her body like a dress but she didn’t have a choice. Somehow, she’d packed more pants than tops, Pitbull had ripped the only other one she had to shreds and she couldn’t very well wander the house topless.
By the time Pitbull and Barbie walked through the door, Anke and bitten off all her fingernails. The moment she saw him, not caring if anyone guessed what they had done, she dove into his chest and wrapped her arms shamelessly around him. To her pleasure, Pitbull returned her embrace, pressing his face into her neck and moaning.
When she did manage to pull back and look up into his eyes, she saw the ghosts of so many demons swimming in his gaze. “What happened?”
“I shot someone.” Pitbull confessed.
“What?” Zero asked. “What happened?”
“A long story,” Barbie said. “In the mean time we need to get you back to base. We have to start closing ranks. These guys are going after CIRO to get to Anke and we’re not about to let them win.”
“Has Claudia changed her mind?” Anke asked.
“No.” Pitbull said, heading in the way of the bedrooms.
Anke ran after him. Once they were alone, Pitbull held her against the closed bedroom door and kissed her. He drank from her lips as greedily as he’d done while they made love but this kiss felt different. This time it was as though he was trying not to lose his mind and she was the only one who could help him. She allowed him to hold her, to kiss her to his heart’s content, then to press his face into her neck. She never imagined her body would sooth anyone, especially a man like Pitbull, but when he lifted his head again, he seemed like the man she’d met that first day.
“Claudia is now being charged with kidnapping.” Pitbull explained, while he pushed some stuff in a duffle bag.
“What? Why?”
“The woman she’s hiding has been reported missing.”
Anke sighed. “Maybe you should try talking to her again.”
“We both know she’s not going to listen to me.”
“What’s the punishment for kidnapping?”
“Anywhere from four years to life—depending.”
“Well, now she’s facing more jail time, maybe she will want to talk. I could try with her again.”
Pitbull nodded. He walked over and brushed his lips against hers. “I really wish we’d met under different circumstances.”
“Oh?”
