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“It’s not a goddamn competition,” Jake said. “There’s a young woman in a hostage situation here – why are turning this into a game?”
“Work with us, Daniel,” Astrid said. “We can pool our resources. You both surely have people in the NYPD who can help.”
“We’re in Pennsylvania,” Daniel reminded her.
“Then you’ve got no fucking hold over us,” Jake said. “Now get that fucking gun out of my face before I add you to the number of men I’ve killed.”
Daniel smirked sinisterly. “Actually, Jake, you’ve killed one less man than you think.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Well, I guess it’s probably time to tell you the truth about the drug dealer you shot. It’s so funny – I can’t keep it to myself anymore.”
Jake’s muscles coiled under his suit. “What?”
Daniel grinned as if he was telling a joke. “You didn’t really kill him. I amended the report. He recovered from his injuries and he’s at large back in Mexico.”
Ripples of fury emanated from Jake. “What!”
“Don’t worry, I made sure he was deported. I wouldn’t let him carry on dealing drugs in America, would I?”
“But why? You ruined my career, you motherfucker.”
“For revenge on my brother.”
Astrid couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But Jake didn’t kill your brother.”
“What would you know about it?”
“Because it was an accident. He told me all about it, and I believe him. You need to let this go.”
“You fucking asshole.” Jake lunged forward to pounce on Daniel – probably hoping to pummel his face into the ground.
But Astrid stepped between them, causing Jake to halt abruptly like a bucking stallion. “It’s okay, Jake. Listen to what he just said. You didn’t kill anyone. We all know you didn’t kill his brother, and now you didn’t even kill that drug dealer. You’re free.”
Jake stared at her with anger plastered over his face. The anger slow
ly subsided. He grinned, then laughed. “You’re a smart woman, Astrid. Brave too to stand between me and the man I do want to kill.”
She smiled into his eyes. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me. Not even in the crossfire.”
“I’d never hurt you. But he’s still holding a gun – and I doubt he’d care too much if he accidentally shot you.”
Astrid glanced back to Daniel, who was still pointing his gun at her and Jake. Daniel started assuring Astrid he’d never hurt her either, but Astrid wasn’t listening… There was someone else around, wasn’t there? Where had she gone? Astrid darted her eyes to find Clara, and she quickly suppressed her grin as she saw Jake’s sister standing behind Daniel holding a hefty baseball-bat-sized stick, ready to thwack him.
Astrid realized she needed to keep Daniel talking. “So… why did you leave the NYPD, Daniel? Couldn’t handle the strain of being a small fish in a huge pond?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but Clara swung the stick and hit Daniel on the side of the head, making him stumble and cry out with shock. He dropped his gun – and Jake quickly kicked it away as he grabbed the dazed Daniel by the shirt and pulled him close to shout in his face.
“You fucking asshole! You ruined my career, and now you want to risk Emma’s life, just so you can fuel that sad little ego of yours. Well you’re not fucking doing it!”
Daniel started to protest and struggle in Jake’s grip, but Jake punched him into silence, then he reached down and unhooked Daniel’s handcuffs from his belt.
“What the hell are you doing!” Daniel shouted, writhing to escape. But Jake’s grip was powerful – and so was his punch, which he delivered again directly into Daniel’s smarmy face with his strong fist.
Daniel’s head flew backwards, as Jake growled at him. “That’s for making my life hell, you fucking asshole!”
Daniel’s nose was bleeding now. “What are you doing to me?”
