Page 11 of Pitbull
Daniel nodded. “But when I came here, we didn’t know each other well enough. And over the years as this family grew, I didn’t want that darkness to overshadow what I’d found. I wanted to bury my past life.”
“You’re forgiven.” Zero grinned handsomely. “Just don’t do that shit again.”
“Aye-ay sir.” Daniel offered a mock salute.
And with that, it seemed, Daniel Hunt was forgiven for his transgression.
“Okay, Pit.” Beast spoke up. “Tell us what you need.”
“Tex, there was a car explosion in Metro Valley recently. Can you get me all you can on it?”
“You got it,” Tex said.
“Thanks.” Daniel told him. “Ms. Fischer and I will be visiting the site of the explosion then she’s taking me back to Claudia’s place so I can look around. When I’m finished, I’ll have a better understanding of what we’re dealing with.”
“Okay, we got this,” Tex said.
“So, in other words.” Barbie shifted in her seat to lean her elbows on the table. “We’re basically cooling our heels until you sound the alarm.”
“Basically.” Daniel rose first. “You’re supposed to be on vacation, guys. Let me handle this.”
“Right.” Zero scoffed. “Like we’re goin’ to let you do this alone.”
“He’s one of them hard learners.” Tex made his way toward the door. “Must get ma tools.”
Anke blinked wondering what he meant by that, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she watched as the others leave the room and she was once again alone with Daniel Hunt.
The way they were around each other was more than just a bunch of people who worked together. They didn’t question his motives or scold him for not revealing his sister. Instead, they gathered around, encouraged him then asked what he needed. Anke was jealous of Daniel. She’d never had such closeness with her blood family or her chosen family. After her parents, her super wealthy, parents disowned her, all her so-called friends vanished.
She craved what Pitbull had found with CIRO and the Americans. There was something special being in a kind of environment filled with love, trust and loyalty—a kind of love that was one of a kind.
“Wait here,” Daniel said, grabbing his coat. “I will get my bag.”
Anke had no words. She merely nodded.
The wait for him to return hadn’t been a long one. But she found herself wondering what kind of man Daniel was—to figure him out in all the ways that shouldn’t matter to her, but did. Honestly, all she truly wanted was to find Claudia. Yet, she allowed herself a few thoughts of Daniel—everything from the way he moved to the deep, almost other-worldly blue of his eyes.
Does a man have the right to own eyes so intoxicating?
The sound of the door opening behind her caused Anke to turn. Daniel had returned, only now he had a badge strung around his neck and his gun sat against his right hip in its holster. The weapon made her queasy, but she said nothing. He was a cop and so it came with the territory. Instead she wrapped her arms around herself until he drew on the jacket and pulled it over to hide the gun.
“We should go,” he said.
4
The only time Anke had set foot in Metro Valley was as a rebellious teenager when she thought she had all the answers. For as long as she could remember her parents were adamant about her going anywhere near the ghetto. Secretly, she’d read the newspaper articles and instead of it scaring her, she just wanted to do it all the more.
Her rebel without a clue boyfriend drove them there to prove to her just how bad-ass he had been. When they arrived, instead of feeling thoroughly impressed at his stupidity—er, bravery—all she felt was a strange sense of sadness at the devastation, the poverty, the vastness of it all. The wretchedness overwhelmed her and he had to take her back home. After she threw-up in her mother’s rosebushes, he broke up with her, saying she wasn’t a bad-ass chick.
Even then, years later, Anke still had to roll her eyes at that. She was amazed at the dumb things kids did and the raw emotions she went through after the breakup. After all, at that age, this jerk was the love of her life and she just knew she’d die without him. In her mind, she’d never find another man who loved her like he did.
Frowning, she refocused on the present. At least this time she was going there with someone who knew his way about bad-guys. And she was hell bent on not throwing up in front of Daniel.
When they left San Augustine, they had to pass through a part of Hennef. As they entered Metro Valley, there was no guessing where they were. The poverty was written across the landscape like a neon sign. She never thought it could get any worse but as she stared at the crumbling buildings and the single stoplight, flashing red like it had when she was a teenager, Claudia knew she’d been wrong.
Daniel’s ringing phone drew her eyes from the outside and toward him but he merely pressed the small, black object hooked to his ear.
“This is Hunt.”
