Ugh—I’m starting to sound like a damn novel.
Pitbull dragged his fingers roughly through his hair and pushed from the chair. The views outside did nothing to assuage the turmoil inside him and he longed for a stiff drink. But he had to remain focused, clear-headed. He had to be ready in case Tex and the others found something that needed his immediate attention. No matter how hard his body grew in her presence, no matter how much she made his heart race and her lips called for his kiss—Anke Fischer was off limits.
6
Long after she all but fled the office, Anke pressed her back to the closed door and exhaled long and hard and loud. It would have been so easy to kiss Daniel—to let him take her mouth and drink his fill. She had no doubt a man like him knew just how to kiss a woman to make her do whatever he wanted. But what kind of woman throws themselves at their best friend’s brother?
Though she said she wanted to take a shower, Anke’s brain was too busy and she feared she’d drown. Bravely, she ventured back out to find Daniel in the kitchen tapping away at the keys of a laptop. He glanced up at her but only for a moment but it wasn’t with the same eyes as the man who’d caught her arm earlier. There was no denying he oceans for eyes for her to get lost in and wouldn’t even care.
This man seemed uninterested in what he was looking at when their gazes locked. Anke coughed and took a seat on one of the stools.
“Um—what’re you doing?” She asked.
“Some research.”
“Oh—on what?”
“Missing persons.”
“Oh—do you think someone might have reported Claudia missing?”
“I don’t know. I just—I want to keep busy.”
“I see...”
Daniel wasn’t much of a conversationalist afterward. Most of the time, he looked at her with a silent contemplation and it both worried and turned her on. Anke couldn’t even begin to fathom what that meant. Her friend was in danger, and here she was doing all manner of naughty things to the woman’s brother in her head.
“Um—okay—going to shower now. This time, for real.”
He spared her another look, curiosity filling his gaze and she backed out of the room. When she figured he couldn’t see her, Anke ran into the bedroom and closed the door.
She frowned as she picked up her bag and dropped it on the large bed. The curtains blew inward carrying with it the smell of impending rain. She’d always loved that smell, ever since she was a child. It was one of the pleasures she kept to herself, one of the things her family couldn’t tarnish.
For a moment, she walked to the window and pushed the bellowing curtains to the side. She leaned her shoulder against the frame, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
It never failed to stir her spirits and made her feel as if she was able to do anything. A little voice in the back of her head screamed at her—telling her she couldn’t really do anything she put her mind to it. She was still stuck serving subpar food at a restaurant named after one of the biggest traitors in history.
The thought ruined her mood and she muttered a few profanities under her breath before grabbing her bag and setting it on the bed. After rummaging through it to find a change of clothes, she locked herself into the bathroom and took a quick shower. Spending very little time brushing her hair, she twisted to the left, then the right to check how her body looked. Sure, Daniel wasn’t interested in her but it made no sense walking out looking like a jacked up sack of rocks.
She brushed her hair and cornrow it back. She had no make-up except for her lip gloss so she rolled some on to save her lips from drying out, then took another gander at herself.
Better.
Barely.
Letting herself out of the bedroom, she wandered down the stairs stopping periodically to check out the pictures on the wall. It seemed CIRO was indeed Daniel’s family. There were pictures of them in uniform and out. They seemed so happy and from what she remembered from the short time they’d been together at the HQ, it was no pretense.
With her arms wrapped around her body, she continued working her way down until she could see light coming from the open concept living area. When she found Daniel again in the lavish kitchen, he was going through a box of things.
“What are those?” she asked.
“Memories from my childhood.” He handed her a picture.
“Aww, is that you and Claudia?”
“Yeah. I was eleven and she was thirteen—about to hit fourteen. We haven’t always been the way we are. Life just—well—happened.”
The pain in his voice was evident. Though she didn’t want to push, Anke was more than curious as to the story there. He continued going through the box, and soon the counter had a bunch of things laid out on it. Pictures, a gold cross pendant, letters from a young Daniel to his sister on her birthday, a drink bottle cover with the name Claudia inside it and a few other things. To her, they meant nothing. But it seemed they meant the world to him and quite possibly to Claudia. She listened to the stories he told about them and despite what she’d thought before, Pitbull loved his sister.
“I didn’t know what to do anymore.” His voice cracked. “My father used to tell me this story. The end result was this—if you pass a hole down the street and you warned the person going toward it that there is a hole and if they continue to go they will fall in. If they ignore you and falls in, it’s their fault. If they didn’t know about said hole, and fell in, you help them out. If two days away, you’re passing the same hole and you find the same person in it, you leave them.”
“Why wouldn’t you help?”
“Because, they knew there was a hole there. You keep helping them out, one day they’re going to pull you in—then what?”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“Didn’t used to. But, things changed. Too much time has passed. When you see some of the things I do—experience the shock and awe of the world—you start to believe all sort of things.”
“I’m sorry you lost her, Daniel,” Anke said. “But, there is a chance the two of you could build something again. Impossible.”
“Trust me, Anke. Once I find Claudia, there is no going back. She’s made her decision and I’m not someone she wishes to have in her life.”
Anke sighed. She refused to believe there isn’t a way to rebuild their relationship. Sure, it wouldn’t be as it was before, but surely it could be stronger. Anything was better than them being on the same planet, same country an hour away from each other and not speak. “I have no family,” Anke said. “They aren’t dead but they might as well be. At eighteen years old my parents showed me the door telling me they were finished with their obligations to me. Can you believe that? Like I was the one who sat them down and ask them to be in this world.”
Pitbull handed her a bottle of juice before wringing the cap off his own. He stared at her in the same, slow way he had in the office back at GSG 9 headquarters. “They just tossed you out?”
“Yeah. They never had any other kids and we never really had family get-togethers. Before Ruby and Claudia I could have been on mars for all they knew or cared.”
Pitbull drank but didn’t speak.
“All I’m trying to say is, at least with Claudia you can make amends.”
He leveled his eyes on her and Anke couldn’t help shivering.
“Let me make you some dinner,” Anke said. “It’s the least I can do.”
“You’re going to cook?”
“I can too cook!” Anke was incredulous. “I mean, sure it won’t be gourmet but I know my way around a kitchen.”
Pitbull smiled. It was the first time he’d directed that beautifully, warm ray of sunshine toward her. She took it, memorized the way his eyes danced, the deepness of his dimples and stored it in the back of her mind.
“I’ll find what I need—now, git.”
“Okay.” He headed toward the living area. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you. But just in case, there’s a fire extinguisher�
��”
“Daniel Hunt! Out!”
Pitbull smirked.
Anke knew for sure she needed a change of panties.
While he waited for dinner, Pitbull sat in his office with his phone on speaker. It was late by then and he figured the others were either sleeping or spending time with the loves in their lives. Beast had Miracle, Barbie had Crash and he remembered Zero was seeing a woman from Bonn. Mouth, on the other hand—well, he seemed to be the lonely one. He hadn’t been with anyone for as long as Pitbull had known him.
Pitbull spun the gold cross around in his hand, staring at it as though he thought it would give him the answers he needed. But the more he stared at it, the more blank space opened up inside his mind.
His ringing phone pulled him from his head and he reached for it without thinking. “Yeah?”
“It’s Tex.”
“Hey. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
“I swear, you and Mel are sharing a brain today.”
Pitbull laughed. “I consider that a compliment, my friend.”
Tex chuckled.
“Listen, I found something out today and it worries me.”
“Oh yeah? You wanna share?”
“I’m going to come in tomorrow to brief the others but…” Pitbull glanced toward the door to ensure he was still alone. “There’s a bounty on Claudia’s head.”
“The hell you say!”
“I don’t know what for and I don’t know who started it. But, Tex…”
“This is bad—very, very bad.” Tex muttered.
“I know. Trust me, I know.”
“What in the actual hell did she get into?” Tex asked. “How much?”
“One Million euros.”
“Jesus! You don’t just throw that kind of money around,” Tex said. “What in the hell?”
Pitbull sighed. “Whatever Claudia is into could, quite possibly get her killed and we have no idea where she is.”
“Well, I did some checking into Claudia like you asked. Pit, her record…”
“I know.”
“Anyway, everythin’ went blank about nine years ago.” Tex’s fingers could be heard dancing over his keyboards. “She went on a long stint to rehab and it seemed it worked. When she came out she got a job workin’ at the diner and sometimes moonlights as a bartender at another pub close by. She doesn’t make much though. Both jobs barely give her enough money to take care of herself.”
“But she hasn’t been arrested since her last rehab stint?”
“No. For all intense and purposes, she’s been clean, on the straight and narrow. But I assume you already know about her record.”
“Yeah. I was the one bailing her out each time like a moron.”
Tex exhaled loudly. “I tracked her phone.”
“You got something?”
“Of course. The last placed it pinged was Düsseldorf—about two hours ago.”
“Really?” Pitbull stopped twirling the cross and sat forward. “Where exactly?”
“Niederkassel.”
“Tex, I gatta go.”
“Pit!”
But he hung up the phone and hurried over to his safe. After putting code, he grabbed his gun and dropped it into the holster. He pulled the badge out, strung it around his neck and shoved it under his shirt before slamming the safe shut and rushing to the kitchen. “Turn off the stove. We have to go.”
“Go? Where?”
“I think I might have an idea where my sister is. Hurry.”
They said nothing else until Pitbull was behind the wheel beside Anke and speeding from his place toward Düsseldorf.
“Where are we going?” Anke questioned.
“Niederkassel.”
“Um…”
“Remember Tex?”
“Yeah. How can I forget? The man is one of the sexiest creatures I’ve ever laid my eyes on.”
“I’m going to take your word on that.” Pitbull scoffed. “But just an FYI, he’s married.”
“Of course he is.” Anke grunted. “All the good ones are either married or gay. I’ve called it.”
“Anyway’” Pitbull said. “He has a way with computers. He was able to find where Claudia’s phone last pinged from.”
“Pinged?”
“Yes—where it was last on.”
“So, she’s in Niedekassel.”
“Was. And it doesn’t necessarily mean she is there.”
Anke tilted her head. “It means her phone was there.”
“Bingo. I’m hoping it or her is still there,” Pitbull said. He glanced over his shoulder before signaling and making a right turn. The adrenaline of getting that info from Tex was wearing off and the dread of what this all meant dawned on him. Since leaving home ten years before, he hadn’t gone back. Sure, at the beginning when the academy became impossible to survive, he thought of going home. But what would he be going back to?
When he drew to a stop, the old house stood in the darkness like a massive monstrosity. It reminded him of the lowest moments in his life. The moments he was the most alone, the nights he would crawl into his parents’ bed and cried himself to sleep. A regular occurrence—every time he remembered that he’d enter the kitchen and his mother wouldn’t be there humming off key to some American pop song she’d heard one too many times. Then he’d think of running to his father who would be on some call or the other with some far off nation Pitbull could barely pronounce.
Then suddenly, he didn’t have either of those places to hide in
He eased the truck to a stop and killed the engine. He watched the house silently. It was dark. There was never a time it looked so sterile and dead. When his parents had been a live there were flowers all over the front. His mother was particular to roses and his father liked sunflowers. They planted them side by side, talking softly and stealing kisses when they thought the kids hadn’t been looking.
Afterward, the house was filled with Claudia’s music and then all it was filled with was silence. At nights he’d lay alone in his bed, staring up at the darkened ceiling, wondering where Claudia was and vowing he was done. But in the wee hours of the morning before school, he’d be up, driving around, trying to find her.
He pulled his key out and sighed.
“Wait—you own this house?” Anke asked.
“Yes. After the fire, even though I wouldn’t be living here, I had it repaired so Claudia would have a place to go. She moved out soon after but I kept paying the taxes on it. I don’t have the heart to get rid of it. I guess I always thought she’d come back to it.”
He checked his weapon and reached for the door handle. Anke did the same and though he wanted to tell her to stay behind, he knew with him was the safest place she could be. Silently, they made their way across the front law but before he could put his key in, he realized the door was unlocked. Pitbull pulled his large frame before Anke’s and undid the safety strap on his holster.
“What—”
“Shhh.”
Using the toe of his boot, Pitbull slowly eased the door open. He made his way through the front corridor as though he’d never left. He kept track of Anke behind him with her breathing. At one point he stopped and she crashed into his back. Her softness made him bite back a moan. Before he could check to see if she was okay, a dark figure darted from the staircase and headed for the back door.
“Stop! Polizei!” He called, reaching for his gun. “Hey! Stop!”
Pitbull took off running, hearing Anke’s hurried footsteps behind him. As he neared the first set of doors, he reached behind it. Thankfully, Claudia hadn’t moved the baseball bat he kept there. He handed it to Anke but kept moving. She should be able to keep herself safe, just in case of anything.
At the back door, he switched on the outside lights and trained his gun. Pitbull made his way down the steps, stopping to search behind the water barrel his parents had kept when he was a child, under the house and in a small area of the woods behind the house. He then made his way around the house, checking
the bushes and the broken down tree house. Minutes later, it was confirmed. Whoever had been in the house was nowhere to be found.
Irritated, he holstered his weapon and brought Anke back inside. She didn’t put the bat down and he couldn’t blame her. Together, they split up and searched the home. After a few minutes, Pitbull heard Anke calling him.
“Yeah?”
“You should come see this.”
Pitbull quirked a brow then hurried back to the kitchen where he found her opening closets and closing them.
“It looks like someone has been here recently,” Anke said.
“How do you know that?”
“The cups in the drainer are still damp and the food on the table is still warm.” Anke pointed out.
Pitbull tested them with a finger and agreed.
“Do you think the person we just chased was Claudia?”
“No. Claudia knows my voice,” Pitbull said, glancing around. “She may dislike me at the moment, but she wouldn’t run off. But she was here. There’s a sleeping bag in the sunroom upstairs. It’s the best place to be if someone comes up the stairs. Since it’s down, she could see them before they saw her—no one would know that if they weren’t familiar with the house.”
Anke flopped into a nearby chair and exhaled. “We missed her.”
“Don’t worry, Anke. We’ll find…” At that moment Pitbull dropped his hands into his pockets. In his right one, his fingers hit something small. When he pulled it out, he was stunned to realize he’d brought the cross with him. “Come. I have one more place I’d like to check.”
“What? Where?”
“You’ll see.”
Back in the trunk was another ten minutes before Pitbull eased the truck to a stop in front of a large church. It was the one their parents got married in, the church both Pitbull and his sister were christened in. The building held great significance to the Hunt family. After ensuring his coat was around his weapon, he stuck his badge down the front of his shirt and led Anke inside. The heavy doors creaked something horrible when he pulled one open by bracing his palm on the other.
Pitbull_Special Forces_Operation Alpha Page 6