AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He nodded. “And if you don’t mind me telling you, getting him some help with his anger issues might be a good idea.”
She pressed her lips together trying not to laugh. “I’ll have a talk with him.”
He smiled and grabbed a set of keys. “Chandler’s a good kid. Odd I hadn’t had a problem with him until now.” He motioned with his head. “Why don’t you follow me, and I’ll release him to your custody.”
Nodding, she choked and smothered another laugh that threatened to bubble up. Max was just going tolovethat.
“Man, I kept telling you yelling wouldn’t help,” another man said. She assumed from the deep thread of New Orleans in his voice that it was Chris Dupree.
“Fat lot of good you are. You told him to call Anna.”
He sounded like a little boy who wasn’t getting his way, and it was so un-Max-like that she didn’t know what to think. When they rounded the corner that led into the jail area, she swallowed a gasp at the sight of Max.
The first thing she noticed was Max was an absolute mess. His white buttoned-down shirt was torn in a couple places and smeared with blood. One shirttail hung out and several buttons were missing. Then there was his face. Holy God, what the hell happened? His lip was already swelling, cuts and scrapes covered his face. The hand wrapped around one of the bars was bruised, the knuckles cut and swollen—not to mention covered in blood.
When she met his gaze, she had to press her lips together again. He looked so damn irritated. As if this was all an inconvenient aggravation and no one in the world should arrest him.
“I told him not to call you.”
Was he pouting? He sounded like it, although it was hard to tell if he actually was with the swelling on his lip. Anna was sure if she got upset and coddled him, he’d get even more irritated.
Pursing her lips, she cocked her head to one side. “For some reason, I always thought I’d be the one calling you to be bailed out.”
fourteen
Max did not lookamused by her joke, but someone else in the cell did. His companion laughed, drawing her attention to him. As he stood, she realized he was about the same height as Max, but leaner in build. His skin was dark brown, and the smile he offered her was mirrored in his warm chocolate eyes. His clothes were in the same disarray as Max’s. The blue Hawaiian shirt he wore was about as ruined as Max’s. There was swelling above his eye.
“I take it you are the Mr. Dupree from Honolulu, Hawaii?” she asked, returning his smile with one of her own.
“Yes, ma’am. And you must be Ms. Anna Dewinter.”
“Enough of the fucking pleasantries.” Max gave both of them an irritated look, then turned his attention to Deputy Frank. “Can I get out now?”
Frank pressed his lips together as if he was trying very hard not to laugh, but he nodded and stepped forward to unlock the cell door. “Understand, Ms. Dewinter is now responsible for you.”
Chris snorted, but neither he nor Max said anything as they walked out of the cell. Max stopped in front of her and stared down at her with a frown.
“I really didn’t want him to call you.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, there was more embarrassment than anger in his tone. For a second, an impossibly long second, her heart stopped, and a chill entered her blood. Was he embarrassed by being associated with her? He’d been the one pushing to go out in public more often than she wanted. Anna just stared up into his brooding gaze trying to decipher his comment, but the moment was lost when Chris broke in.
“Ya want to move it along, Max? I’ve had enough of this jail, and I’m looking forward to a bed.”
He shoved Max, who threw him a nasty look, but he did move out of the way. When Chris stepped in front of Anna, his eyes were still twinkling with amusement, his lips curved slightly.
“I’m Chris Dupree, since our pal Max seems to have forgotten all his manners tonight.” He offered his hand and when she took it, he lifted hers for a kiss.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Dupree.”
“That’s enough of that.” Max snatched her hand away from Chris and practically dragged her out of the hallway into the office. “Let’s go.”
She frowned but stumbled along behind him. Hearing Chris chuckle, she glanced behind her and saw the other two men following them.
“I’ll come by and sign any papers I need to tomorrow,” Max said as he reached the door.
“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Chandler,” Deputy Frank said. “Ruby’s isn’t going to press charges.”
Max came to a dead stop, causing Anna to run into the back of him, then he turned both of them to face the deputy. “You mean I was brought here on false charges?”
