As she kissed him, she could hear the students talking.
‘She’s so lucky!’
‘How romantic!’
‘That’s Jackson James! She bagged him!’
Hell yeah, she did. Elizabeth was the winner in this one. Callen…he was a blessing.
When he set her free, he wiped the wetness from beneath her eyes with his rough thumbs.
“I’ll never cheat on you, I’ll die loving you, and then I’ll wait for you when I cross.”
She didn’t doubt it.
“Are you really taking me away?” she asked.
Callen grinned. “Oh, you had better believe it. I have something in mind. Let me dazzle you. I want a honeymoon with my bride.”
A vacation without a body would be wonderful.
In fact, she couldn’t wait.
“Pick the date, Callen, and I’ll be there.”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose as the people around them stared.
“Valentine’s Day next year.”
That worked for her. She could be free.
While she wanted to play romance with the hubby, she knew that they had to get their work done first.
“Let’s get Chris and head to the pub. I really need a drink, and to mull everything over.”
He laughed.
Callen was glad he could give her something to think about. Now he had to plan a honeymoon.
He was the luckiest man on earth.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
He was thinking about the two dead women. When he put them together, they made the perfect piece of art.
He was proud of himself.
When people said he’d never be anything but a thug, they were wrong.
He was good at his art.
Now, as he sat in the bar, watching the news, he was impressed with the news story.
It didn’t quite give him the credit he deserved, but that was okay. She was his first one.
She was rough around the edges.
With the marionette that he made of the nurse and stripper, he’d get their attention.
Yes, he’d get his story on the news.
Only, they’d never know his name.
They couldn’t.
If they figured that out, he’d be screwed.
That was the one thing he didn’t want to happen, so he was going to be careful.
So, he took his time as he prepped them for his exhibit.
He washed them down after he killed them.
He washed them again after he strung them together.
He placed them in a trunk lined in plastic so they wouldn’t get fibers on them.
He knew how to do this.
He knew the game.
Now, he’d prepare. Tonight, he’d be delivering the next one, and it had to be somewhere close.
There couldn’t be cameras.
Well, he knew the place.
They’d find her, and when they did, he’d be revered. They’d gone from ugly to beautiful.
And by his hand.
He loved his new job.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Commissioner’s Office.
When he arrived, Heath cleared the way. While Ethan considered himself above average size, his security guy was a beast. Callen was a wall, but Heath?
He was scary.
“We’re in the clear, Mr. B. If you need me, you just shout. I’ll bust down the doors for you.”
He patted the man on the shoulder. “You are my guardian angel,” he teased.
Heath punched the wall and left a dent.
“You better bet I am.”
Ethan shook his head. As he headed into the room, the commissioner wasn’t alone.
Ethan knew he was going to do the dance, and it always sucked. At least his wife wasn’t there to stir the pot.
“Deputy Director,” Ronan said, offering him his hand. “I’m sorry we have to meet like this. I don’t know what to say about this situation.”
Unfortunately, the other man did.
“Your wife is a menace. She rolled into this town, again, and it’s a mess. We could have handled this homicide better!”
Ethan calmly took a seat.
“And you are?” Ethan asked.
The commissioner made the introductions. “This is Patty O’Brien. He’s the captain of the homicide division,” he stated.
Ethan didn’t really care if he was Jesus Christ himself. He didn’t plan on dealing with someone out to lynch his wife before he knew the facts.
That was NOT happening.
“Commissioner, I’m here to talk to you about this.”
The police captain went to speak.
“Not you. Sit your ass down and shut it. My time is very valuable, and I could be out working this case.”
God!
He sounded like Elizabeth.
The man stared at him. “Yeah, if banging your brother is time consuming, faggot. Which one of you is the pussy? That brother of yours, I bet.”
The commissioner stared in horror.
“Patty!”
Well, that wasn’t the first, or the last time he’d heard that, but in this case, it really pissed him off.
NO ONE spoke about his brother like that. Ethan would kill for less. The man was lucky they weren’t alone. He’d show him what a pussy was when he made him cry.
Since he couldn’t do that, he had a better idea.
Ethan whistled. “HEATH!”
The door shook.
Then it was kicked open. The two men actually jumped the second the knob slammed into the wall.
Ethan didn’t bat an eye. Instead, he fixed the cuffs on his dress shirt.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Can you escort Mr. O’Brien outside?”
“I’m not going anywhere!”
Ethan looked bored. “Mr. O’Brien. If you can’t sit there and talk like an adult, you won’t be allowed to be here. I don’t like the word faggot—not because it was used in reference to me. I don’t care what you think of me. I just don’t like the word. It’s derogatory. It’s like me calling you a drunken Irish bastard who beats women.”
The man stared at him.
“I may not like what you think about myself and my brother, but honestly, it’s none of your business. I will say he’s not a pussy, but I know someone you can reference if you need to see one. I suggest you look in the mirror.”
He went to object.
“So, if you can’t act like a gentleman while Ronan and I talk about this mess, you can leave.”
Heath cracked his knuckles.
“What did he call you, MR. B?” Heath asked. “I know he didn’t say something bad about you.”
“He called me a faggot and Callen—basically my bitch in bed.”
Heath stared at him.
“If he said that, Mr. B, that’s way off base. Mr. Whitefox is all about his wife, as are you. Let me have a talk with him,” Heath said.
The man looked worried.
“Go ahead,” Ethan stated.
After all, he was wearing body armor. Heath would be fine. The police captain?
No clue.
Heath headed his way. When he reached the MUCH smaller man, Heath grabbed him by his captain’s uniform. “I’m gay. You want to call me a faggot?” he asked.
“And that’s why I don’t allow anyone to use that word around me,” Ethan said. “It pisses Heath off. They call him Tank. Anyone want to guess why? It’s not because he drives one.”
The commissioner’s eyes went big.
The police captain…he looked scared.
“Now. Let’s discuss this issue. Heath, you can let him go. If he insults you again, you can kick his ass. I don’t like douchebags.”
Heath dropped the man into his seat.
“Mr. B, if he says faggot again, I’m going to make him bleed. My husband and I aren’t faggots. I served my fucking country. Who I stick my dick in doesn’t matter! This gi
rl here sits in an office. I think he’s the pussy.”
Ethan smiled. “Agreed.”
The commissioner sat.
“I apologize.”
“Don’t. You didn’t say or do anything—just like my people didn’t leak this. We’re working on plugging it. Gabe is handling the Congressman.”
“He’s from our district,” Ronan said. “I happen to like Dorian. He’s gotten us lots of funding for the police. If I can help in anyway…”
“How about this?” he began. “If the leak is your side, you handle it. I have enough on my plate that I don’t want to bust balls.”
“I want to,” Heath said. “You know how we faggots are. We love balls.”
It took all he had not to laugh.
The commissioner couldn’t hold it in. It was pretty funny to see a giant man say that.
“Deal, on one condition.”
“What?”
“If we need a press conference, you’ll join me. I think it will speak volumes if we put on a unified front.”
He could do that.
“Deal.”
“Thank you, Deputy Director.”
Ethan patted Heath on the shoulder. “Come on, Heath. Let’s go meet my wife.”
On the way out, he pointed at the captain. “Be nice. You never know who you’ll offend. My momma would kick your ass if she heard you talk like you did. You need manners.”
With that they headed out, before they left the room, Ethan had to know.
“Do faggots really like balls, Heath?” he teased.
“Probably, sir, since they are a package deal.”
Heath had put on quite the act.
Ethan laughed.
There were days he missed Liam.
Today was NOT that day.
Clearly.
Chapter Ten
Hotel
W hen the Blackhawks headed to the pub, they gave him the rest of the night off. It was odd, and Ivan was beginning to start to get paranoid. Was he being fired? Did they not trust his skills anymore? Was he making himself crazy?
All of these things were going through his mind as they dropped him from the protection rotation.
Still, he wasn’t totally upset.
There was a beautiful agent he could fill his time with at the hotel. He knew where she was, simply because Heath had given her one of their rides.
So, he was going to ask her if she’d like to have dinner with him. After that morning’s kiss, he was pretty sure she’d say yes, and he’d never say no.
The way she felt with her lips against his…
It reminded him of his past, and for once, not in a bad way.
So, he was going to take the opportunity to enjoy the moment. All day, he’d been halfheartedly protecting Elizabeth.
Was that wrong?
Yes, but she had Callen and his security guy lurking. Honestly, when Tex went chasing that kid into the fountain, he’d nearly had a stroke. If Ethan didn’t call them all off…
The woman was a menace.
The other guys didn’t get that.
While they watched Callen and Ethan, two very cool cucumbers, he got the wild card.
Ethan was easy. All you had to do was drive him, watch his back, and get him to his meetings at the White House.
Callen was equally as chill.
Where Elizabeth was, you’d find him. Then at night, you’d find him in his office at the house working on his next book when everyone was asleep.
They were a cakewalk.
Oh, but he had gotten the tough duty. When he’d been given Elizabeth Blackhawk, he actually thought it was going to be nothing but easy. It was like watching any other powerful man’s woman.
You just kept her alive.
Since he’d started watching her, it had been nothing but chaos. There’d been one high-speed chase, her trying to evade them, three times she’d been shot at, and one time when she got into a fistfight with a criminal.
That was all in one week.
What was next?
Was she going to try and score some puffer fish from some dealer in a back alley?
Shit!
He worked hard for his money, and her being alive was the testament to his skill.
Now, he was going to earn a nice, peaceful night.
A girl.
Dinner in the restaurant downstairs.
Maybe some heavy lip action.
So, as he headed to his room and grabbed a quick shower, mostly cold because he was thinking about her, he was ready to go. In the hotel room mirror, he spritzed on some body spray, pulled on a clean polo, and checked out the results.
Hell!
He’d do him if he were a babe.
As he headed out, he was grinning like an idiot. It had been a long time since he’d even tried this.
His heart had been broken for almost ten years. It was why he did what he did. Ivan took the dangerous jobs because he didn’t see value in life, and honestly, he hated his.
Now?
In that moment….?
He loved it.
Blue, and her innocence, brought that kiss of life back into him. While he only saw himself as expendable, sitting with her last night and teaching her something silly like folding pizza had touched him.
It was genuine.
It was real.
It was what he wanted.
Anymore, society was fake.
It was her real human reactions that made him feel. As of late, he’d lost the ability to even see a light at the end of the tunnel. Life had become monotonous. He’d seen too much that made him shut down inside.
The tours had brought countless horrors.
Being a Marine…it killed a part of him, and maybe that was a good thing. When you couldn’t feel, you couldn’t hurt.
So now, facing the prospect of enjoying the night with a beautiful girl, he had hope.
Maybe, just maybe, he could survive anything.
As he reached her door, he did the customary pit smell, fly check, and breath sniff.
He was good to go.
He knocked.
“Blue, it’s me.”
As she opened the door, he couldn’t help but be staggered by the blue of her eyes. They were piercing and he desperately wanted to take a swim in them. In that light, they were more green than blue, and he wanted to look at her all night.
“Ivan! Are you off duty?” she asked.
“Yeah, I was wondering if you’d like to head down to the restaurant in the lobby and have dinner with me?”
Her face dropped.
“I can’t.”
He didn’t understand.
“I have to finish working. Elizabeth gave me a job…”
Before she could finish, the detective walked around the corner, shirtless.
“I can’t seem to…”
He looked up. “Hey there! I didn’t hear you! I’m Max Chase.”
Oh, he wanted to chase him all right. Off the side of a cliff and to jagged rocks below.
Immediately, he stared at the younger man’s half naked body, and a million things went through his mind.
She was with someone else.
It was the story of his life.
“I see you’re busy,” Ivan said, his eyes going cold and dead as he glared at her. “I won’t keep you,” Ivan said, backing up. “Have a good night, Ms. Garrick. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
She didn’t know what to do.
Max was her job, and she’d gotten him eating pizza and spilling his guts. Then he dropped sauce on his shirt. He’d been trying to get it out of the white polo in her bathroom.
She watched Ivan disappear into the elevator. He actually punched the buttons on the wall with his fist.
What was with Ivan?
What did she do?
“Who was that?” Max asked. “I haven’t seen him before,” the detective mentioned.
“He’s security. Max, can I leave the rest of the searches with you? I want to go see if he’s oka
y. He looked pissed.”
“Yeah, sure! Go ahead. I’ll pack up and head home. I want to get this stain out. This is my favorite ‘detective’ shirt.”
She smiled at him.
“Thank you. Make sure you’re at the morgue by seven tomorrow. You don’t want to piss Elizabeth off.”
He got it.
Max grabbed his things and headed out.
Blue cleaned up her room and got changed. She was excited that Ivan had some time for her. She knew he was super busy keeping the bosses safe.
So, she’d surprise him in the bar.
That would chase the cranky away.
She was still focused on what Johanna had said. She had to trust her new friend.
She wouldn’t lead her astray.
Right?
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Good Times
Hotel Bar
To say he was angry would be an understatement. When he saw that man shirtless in her room, he wanted to punch holes in the wall.
Then his face.
Then the door.
The color leached from his life, and his heart actually sunk back into the mire that had been holding it prisoner for the last ten years.
Blue, the innocent girl, had talked a man into going to her room.
A man who wasn’t him.
What the fuck?
Had he not been clear enough for her? He’d let her check him out naked, he’d flirted, he’d slept beside her, and he made out with her on his bed.
To him, that screamed that something was there. She said she was bad at social cues, but no one was that bad.
As he sat there at the bar, the waitress was throwing him tit shots left and right.
At first, he didn’t look.
Then, he was just angry enough.
Well, why not?
It wasn’t like he had any hope in life. That went out the window when he saw Mr. Shirtless. If he was going to survive, he had to move on, and that meant putting anything that he’d felt behind him.
This time forever.
“I get off in an hour,” she said. “Maybe we can both get off in two hours.”
Discarded by Fate Page 34