Page 28 of Pitbull
But Claudia didn’t want to so Pitbull sighed. He pulled Claudia from the truck and turned her to face it.
“What are you doing?” Claudia asked. “Pit—”
“Don’t call me that!” Pitbull growled. “You haven’t earned the right. Right now, I’m arresting you for obstruction.”
“You can’t do this!” Claudia sputtered, pushing backward. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Do you want me to add resisting arrest to it? Because I have no issues with that.”
“Anke?” Claudia pleaded.
“Can’t help you, sister,” Anke said. “You had your chance. I understand you’re trying to be loyal, but you’re going to ruin the rest of your life by catching charges for someone who could already be dead.”
To stress her point, Anke rolled up the window. Pitbull had to admire her spunk but in that moment, he was more angry than proud. He opened the back door and pushed Claudia forward. “Watch your head.”
He rested a hand at the back of her head and helped her into the truck.
7
When Daniel dropped his sister off at the jail, it damn near broke him. Anke could tell. The fury Anke felt then threatened to swallow her whole. It angered her not because Claudia hadn’t been honest with her. The rage was because Claudia was still acting like a petulant child with a loaded gun. There was a woman in danger. Sure, she could hide, but for how long?
They didn’t make it back to Daniel’s place until the wee hours of the morning. Though she wanted to simply pass out, Anke took a moment to make some tea and forced Daniel to nibble on some biscuits. After she went to the bathroom and returned, he was snoring softly on the sofa. She didn’t want to wake him so she pulled a blanket up to his wide shoulders, smoothed his hair back from his face and left the room. She was surprise at the strength of the urge to kiss his eyelids. Still, she refrained and hurried into her bedroom.
Sleep came quickly since she was basically dead on her feet. When she woke again, her eyes burned and it felt as though she’d only falling off to dreamland minutes before. Daniel was seated on the side of her bed with a mug in his hands. Anke smiled. “Morning.”
“Morning.”
“How was your sleep?”
Daniel shrugged. “I’ve had better. I brought you some coffee. It has a little cream. I wasn’t sure how you liked it.”
“This is perfect.” Anke accepted it. “Thank you.”
He watched her take a sip and she couldn’t help moaning as the first bit of caffeine touched her soul.
“What’s the plan for today?” Anke asked. “Do you think I’ll be able to go home?”
“I don’t know.” Pitbull rose. “I have to speak with the others—have them assess what’s happening. I’m too close to it all.”
“Makes sense…”
“Get dressed. We have to head down to the headquarters in a bit.”
When he turned for the door, Anke caught his shirt. Daniel stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. She set the mug down on the bedside table and stood on the bed to be face to face with him. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Anke cradled his face and kissed him. The kiss was gentle, tentative—soft.
“What was that for?” Daniel asked.
She looked into his face to see his eyes were still closed. “Just in case I didn’t get another chance. I want you to know—yes, you do turn me on and if our lives were different I would give myself to you.”
Daniel said nothing.
“I’m not usually this bold, but I felt if I didn’t feel your lips against mine, I’d regret it.”
“I see.” Daniel opened his eyes.
Anke gasped. His dazzling blues now resembled and ocean set on fire. He wrapped his arms around her hips and drew her roughly into his chest.
“If you truly wanted a kiss to remember me by, Anke.” Pitbull angled his mouth. “Then I’ll give you a real one.”
