Dawn of Evil_FBI Flashback

by Morgan Kelley

  When the waiter left, she was thinking. He could tell that she was distracted.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “It doesn’t feel right,” she said.

  He got worried.

  “What doesn’t?”

  She stood.

  “We can go somewhere else,” he offered, not sure what was going on. He watched as she moved her chair beside him, and then sat again.

  “I just wanted to be closer to you.”

  His heart skipped.

  “I thought you were going to leave.”

  She took his face in the palm of her hands and gazed into his eyes.

  “I won’t leave unless you hurt me. I’m happy with what we’ve found together.”

  He leaned in and left a kiss on her lips.

  So was he.

  Chris had never been happier.

  The waiter came back, and he poured them each a glass of red wine, and Chris ordered them dinner.

  Elizabeth let him, and she didn’t even protest. There was something sexy about a man taking care of his girlfriend.

  It was different for her.

  Normally, she took care of everyone, and this was a delightful change.

  “I love Alfredo,” she said.

  “Oh, I know. It’s your favorite next to steak. I’ve seen you order it every time we get takeout.”

  She picked up her glass of wine.

  “To our first date, and may there be years of them,” he said, clinking his off of hers.

  She smiled. “I hope so.”

  They each sipped their wine, and as some man playing a violin walked around, he stopped to play for them.

  Chris placed his arm around her back, enjoying the evening. When the man finished, he tipped him.

  “This is nice,” she said.

  “But?”

  She looked at him.

  “But nothing. It’s really nice. I don’t ever get to just be Lyzee and a girl. I’m always a Fed and…well, still a girl.”

  He laughed.

  “You are. I check you out periodically to make sure you are. I’ll let you know if something changes.”

  She found him funny and charming.

  “So, we need to talk about this, and I’m scared shitless,” he said, bringing it up.

  There was something about dating your best friend. While he at first feared it would change them, it hadn’t.

  Now he had to sweat this.

  “What?”

  “The whole Charlie thing.”

  “What about it?” she asked, trying not to laugh. While she was amused, clearly, he was not.

  “What he said about grandbabies and getting married.”

  She didn’t want him stressed out, so she was honest with him. Honesty was the best policy.

  “I’m not getting married. I thought we had this discussion. You don’t want to marry me, right?”

  “Well, I don’t want to get married in general. If I wanted to marry someone, it would likely be you, but I don’t really buy into the whole marriage thing. It’s just a sheet of paper. Why do two people have to have someone say it’s a rule you stay together? Shouldn’t it be something you want?”

  “I’ve never thought of it that way,” she admitted. “Someone should have told Charlie that,” she added.

  “I’ve seen too many go bad. I want a relationship that’s strong, unified, and allows both people to be individuals. You wouldn’t like being a wife and losing your identity, would you?”

  “No, I like me. I love being Elizabeth LaRue. I couldn’t imagine putting a ring on it and changing my name. I’m not that kind of girl. That would take some act of God.”

  He figured as much.

  “And I like me. Is your father going to be okay with that? I don’t want him to hate me because we’re sleeping together and don’t plan on tying the knot.”

  She gave him a kiss.

  “Here’s the thing about Charlie. His bark is worse than his bite. If I’m smiling and happy, he is. When he met you when he was in, he told me to give you a chance. He actually likes you. If I were an investigator, and I looked at the clues, I would say you have him in your corner.”

  He relaxed.

  “He liked me?”

  “Yes, because what I do recall about my mother and father’s marriage was that he brought her flowers all the time, he opened her car door, and he treated her well. Did they fight? Yes, but people argue. We had a disagreement this morning.”

  She had a point.

  “I was raised by a woman without a husband. I know how to treat a woman.”

  “What’s your mother like?”

  He didn’t want to go there. So, he tried to make it seem like a bad idea.

  “Let’s just say no one I bring home will ever be good, so I don’t do it. I love my mother, but she’s not good with people. She’s very judgmental and tough to be around. I avoid her as much as possible.”

  She understood.

  Charlie was good with people, but her step-mother—ex-step-mother—was not.

  She wouldn’t let Chris anywhere near that box of crazy.

  Never.

  “You’ll be fine, and I trust that you can show Charlie that you’re a great guy because you are—even if we never get married. I don’t feel the need.”

  “Live with me.”

  She nearly choked on her wine the minute the words were out of his mouth.

  “What? Where did that come from, Christopher? We just said we liked being us. How did you make that jump?”

  “Stay at my place with me.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I like my place too.”

  “Okay, then we can stay at my place a week, and then yours a week. Why can’t we switch? I want to wake-up beside you.”

  “That sounds like marriage.”

  “Elizabeth.”

  “Slow down for me. This was huge. I need to think things through. It’s not you, Chris. Really. I’m a plotter and planner. I need to think about it.”

  He let it go.

  “Can I sleep over at least a few nights?”

  She laughed. “Yeah, you can.”

  He’d take it.

  When their food came, she began sharing her Alfredo as he did the same with his lasagna.

  It was blissful.

  It was peaceful.

  It was…them.

  “It’s almost time for our vacation,” he stated. “Any ideas where you want to go?”

  She laughed.

  “OUR?”

  “Well, we took a trip to the beach a couple months ago, but we weren’t a couple. I just assumed we’d continue the tradition. Where do you want to go?”

  “I like the beach.”

  He did too.

  It had everything to do with that tiny white bikini against her tan skin, and the sexy tan lines when she got naked.

  Shit!

  His whole body reacted.

  “The beach it is. I can rent a boat.”

  She stopped him.

  “WE can rent a boat.”

  He laughed. “Are we going to have this argument on our first date?” he asked.

  “I don’t like when you buy me things. That’s not fair. I should pay for myself.”

  He kissed her.

  His mouth moved slowly over hers, and they both tasted like expensive wine. It was rich, it was deep, and it made her forget what she’d been thinking.

  He set her mouth free.

  “I’ll rent the boat, and we’ll go float off the coast of some tropical island. You, me, and you naked. That will be payment enough.”

  She snorted.

  “My daddy was right. You are a pervert.”

  He grinned wickedly.

  “We all are in some way. I want a week of you on a boat wearing a bikini. That’s how I like spending my time off after digging in bodies. I want to ogle yours.”

  She was down with that.

  “I pay for the plane tickets, and you
pay for the boat.”

  “Elizabeth.”

  “I’ll lie on the boat topless and maybe bottomless if you give me this.”

  That stopped him in his tracks. He’d be a freaking idiot to say no to a naked woman on a boat.

  Alone.

  His.

  “Deal.”

  And that was how a relationship was supposed to work. It was give and take, and she was getting good at it.

  “We’ll schedule our vacation,” she stated.

  Oh, hell, yeah, they would.

  She was just feeding him a forkful of linguine when she saw someone moving from the corner of her eye. She tensed and turned her head.

  “Miss LaRue, our boss would like to speak to you if you wouldn’t mind.”

  She stared at him.

  “And you are?”

  “I work for Michael O’Banion. He has a booth. If you’d come with me, your friend here doesn’t get hurt. I think you’d hate to see us take him out back and break his pretty boy face.”

  Her heart pounded.

  His hand found hers.

  “She’s not going anywhere with you,” Chris stated. “You’re not touching her.”

  “Mr. O’Banion says differently.”

  When she didn’t move, the man grabbed Chris by the suit jacket and his fist clenched.

  “I’ll go.”

  “Elizabeth, don’t do it! I’ll be fine.” Chris knew if she left him, he was going to be killed, and so was she. This was a mob boss in an empty restaurant. He could end them there and no one would find them.

  She knew that wasn’t the case. She’d miscalculated with O’Banion. Now she understood why the place was emptying out. They were no longer in public.

  He’d played his cards differently than she thought he would.

  “Let him go, and I’ll go, but if you pull anything, I’ll kick your ass.”

  The man laughed.

  “Try me.”

  The man released Chris and shoved him back into his chair at her warning.

  “I’ll be right back, Christopher.”

  She gave him a kiss.

  “If it goes bad, get out and call the police for backup,” she whispered in his ear.

  There was no way that was happening.

  Only, he knew he couldn’t fight the men. Plus, they had guns. He could see them.

  Elizabeth stood.

  “This way, Miss LaRue.”

  Meanwhile, one of the guys sat with Chris. “So, you like the food? I’m a fan of Italian myself.”

  Chris didn’t even look at him.

  He was watching Elizabeth walk away, and he prayed she’d be okay.

  God!

  He had never prayed so hard in all of his life.

  When she was brought to the table, there was a dark-haired man there with deep blue eyes. When she thought Irish mob, that was NOT what she expected.

  “It’s a pleasure, Miss LaRue. I’ve been waiting for this moment. Have a seat.”

  She did.

  Only because she was worried about Chris.

  “Mr. O’Banion, what is it that I can do for you? We could have had this meeting during the day when I was on duty. I stopped by the bank to see you.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t there.”

  She grabbed his glass of wine off the table and took a sip. “Oh, you lie. You were there. You were being a tad bit lecherous. I know when I’m being watched.”

  He laughed.

  She had balls of steel. No one dared talk to him like that, and to poach his wine?

  He raised a finger and a man rushed over and poured a second glass.

  “Thank you for joining me.”

  “This is more of a hostage situation,” she stated.

  He roared with laughter.

  Michael O’Banion wanted her in the worst way. Not since his first wife had he been this attracted to a woman. She reminded him of Dianna. He’d married her because she was ballsy, tough, and stood up to him. That tenacity was rare in the women who tried to get into his bed.

  “God, you are gorgeous. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “Yeah, and I ignore it because I’m more into kicking asses than being told I could walk a catwalk.”

  He grinned.

  “I’ll throw you a bone, Miss LaRue. I was at the bank, and I did watch you. Let me tell you that while you were stunning in jeans and boots, you are radiant now. Come home with me.”

  She wanted to tell him she had a date, but that would put a bull’s-eye on Chris.

  “Pass. I don’t go home with strangers or mobsters. It’s kinda my words to live by. I like my life, and I don’t trust you. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to my dinner.”

  She went to stand.

  “Well, I have bad news for you. That concierge sent you here, and I own this place.”

  Well, shit.

  “And do you want me to clap?” she asked, sipping his wine. She was stalling, as she tried to figure out how to get them out of this mess.

  “Maybe after we have sex.”

  She laughed.

  “You’re not my type.”

  “Oh, I will be your type. We can do business, and we can be something amazing.”

  “No.”

  “You’ve heard plenty about me, haven’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, let me tell you what I know about you. You have a great father, also in law enforcement, and you’re clearly sleeping with the man who works as your ME.”

  “And?”

  He laughed.

  “Nothing else. You’re an enigma, and I have to ask myself why I can’t find anything else on you. You have no hobbies, you have no fun, and you don’t go out with your friends. You, Miss LaRue, puzzle me.”

  “Want to know why there’s nothing else to find on me?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Because I am the job. If you think bringing up my father, or my relationship will make me back down from this case, it won’t. Why don’t you tell me why you don’t want me solving it? That will have my attention longer than this little spectacle will.”

  “Because it’s not your town.”

  “Well, newsflash, Mr. O’Banion, it’s not yours either. It belongs to the people who live here.”

  He was enthralled with her. He could see the pulse in her neck throbbing, and he wanted to lick it. He wanted to do so much to her, and he would.

  She would be his.

  He’d bet on it.

  “Are you this fiery in bed?”

  “No. I suck at sex.”

  He grinned and sipped his drink.

  “Liar. Why are you with the doctor? Is it because he’s loaded? Do you know he’s worth millions? The man doesn’t have to work, and yet he does. You don’t want someone like that. You want someone who will be able to give you all of his time, like me. I’m just as wealthy.”

  She leaned on the table.

  “I’m not a gold digger, so that play just fell cold. I do have a question for you though.”

  “Ask. I’ll be an open book for you.”

  “How’s your wife doing? Oh yeah, you got her killed—didn’t you? Yeah, you can’t keep me safe or entertained. Pass. I’m better off on my own.”

  His eyes went cold.

  And she’d found his one soft spot.

  Game point.

  “That’s why I wouldn’t even play your game, Mr. O’Banion. I like my life, and I don’t mess around with illegal bullshit. This is one Fed you can’t buy, and one who will never willingly sleep with you.”

  “Carl, hurt him!”

  The man beside Chris laughed.

  There was a scuffle.

  Elizabeth went to get up, and another man grabbed her where his hands shouldn’t be.

  “Let’s take her back to my place. Kill him, and she’s mine,” he stated.

  Well, she wasn’t having it.

  If they got her out of there, she was dead, too, and she couldn’t leave Chris behind.

&
nbsp; So, she fought.

  Elizabeth drove her foot down onto the top of the man’s, and her heel went through the top of his sneaker. She then elbowed him in the gut, and slammed her fist into his nose, breaking it and taking him to the ground.

  Then she pulled his gun and shot the man in the leg to make sure he stayed down.

  She pointed it at Michael O’Banion.

  “Call him off or I’ll shoot you in the junk. You won’t be raping anyone ever again. I suggest you stop him from touching my date.”

  He whistled.

  The scuffle stopped.

  “Chris, come here.”

  The man on the floor held his hand over his leg. Chris came over, and his mouth was bleeding, and so was his nose.

  “I’m going to find out why you want me to stop working this case, Mr. O’Banion, and I’m going to make sure you realize that you can’t buy everyone.”

  “You’re a Fed. What are you going to do?” he asked, laughing.

  She put Chris behind her and shot the other man, Carl, in the foot. He hopped around and shouted in pain until he went down on their table.

  Italian went flying.

  Then she put the gun to Michael O’Banion’s head and her finger on the trigger.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed.

  “You didn’t do all of your research,” she stated. “You forgot to check out how crazy I am. I’ll put bullets in you and more in your men. You crossed the wrong woman.”

  He stared into her eyes.

  “You wouldn’t do it. You’re not a killer.”

  “I will kill you. If you did your research, you’d know that. If you don’t stop fucking with me and my investigation, you’re going to wind up dead.”

  He laughed.

  “You can’t kill me.”

  She pulled the trigger again, and the bullet went into the wall behind his head. The man went pale.

  “Yeah, I can and I will. Now, we’re leaving, and I apologize for the gunshots in your place. If the cops arrive before I get outside, I’ll be sure to mention how you forcibly tried to hurt me, a Fed.”

  He smiled and leaned back in his chair.

  “I don’t call the cops, sweetheart. I handle my own problems, and you are officially mine. I’m not done with you. I’m patient. I can wait.”

  She had news for him.

  He’d be waiting until hell froze over—that was for damn sure.