He was good with keeping her away from him.
When he was done calling the police, he called Noah and gave him and Alex the job of dealing with the guy.
As the police came and transported the man, he stared at Elizabeth as she was entering his house.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting the puppy’s food. Then you have to help me sneak him into the hotel.”
“WHAT?”
“I was dead serious. I’m taking the dog. Look at him. He’s underweight, he’s mangy, and he’s abused. I’m not leaving him here. Anyone who names a dog Killer is an asshole.”
Gabe was flabbergasted.
“I’ll name him Beauregard. He looks like one with that moppy hair and big paws. You’ll fill out, won’t you?” she asked, as she grabbed the bag of kibble inside the door.
“I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it. He’s not sticking around to be abused, and I want Israel charged with attempted assault on me and the dog. I get mean when people hurt animals.”
Elizabeth grabbed a leash and clipped it to his rope collar.
“Can we stop and get a real collar?”
“Are you kidding me?” he said. “You’re here to solve a case—not adopt a dog.”
“I can multitask.”
Gabe got into the rental, and she let the dog in the back. The puppy began eating through the bag to get to the food.
Clearly, he was starving.
“Fucking idiot. I hope they starve him in prison.”
“ELIZABETH!”
“What? I didn’t tell them to. I was thinking out loud and hoping,” she said, staring at the puppy.
“I don’t know what the hell to do with you. You’re an agent. What are you going to do with a dog? You travel all the time.”
She’d make it work, or she’d find him a good home where he’d have kids, a yard, and a good life. Dogs had ten to fifteen years of life, and they deserved the best.
Besides, Chris had wanted a cat.
Well, he got a dog instead.
Crap.
She didn’t ask Chris. Wasn’t that some kind of rule when you were in a relationship?
She hoped this didn’t go bad.
“I can do my job. Just get me a new collar for Beauregard, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Gabe put it in drive and kept his mouth shut.
His agent…she was absolutely nuts.
Here was the proof.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
Monday Afternoon
Oh, Michael O’Banion was pissed.
During the FBI’s reign of terror in his town, he’d lost one of his soldiers.
Tommy ‘The Greek’ was good at what he did, and he’d gone down in one hell of a firefight.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Then he lost his cool, wanting to scare her at that scene, but it backfired. She was ballsy, tough, and called his bluff.
Oh, he really wanted her.
In bed.
And to hurt her.
For now, he was out of options. With only two reliable men at his side, he had to plan for the worst-case scenario. The FBI was moving in, and he needed to shuffle his plans around to protect his assets.
They were going to be relentless, and that woman would eventually pay.
He was torn.
Did he keep her for his own or break her for her defiance?
It was up in the air.
“What are we going to do, boss?” Carl asked, getting nervous. “We have to keep them off this case.”
Oh, he was aware.
“Go make sure those bodies are gone, and do it now!”
Carl hustled out.
“What do you want me to do, boss?” Joey ‘The Thug’ asked. “I can help out.”
Yeah, he wished Tommy was around.
He was his favorite. These two assholes were more trouble than they were worth.
Michael had news for them.
When the heat was on, he’d cut them loose. The first rule of being the king was it was okay to sacrifice the soldiers when it was them or you.
“For now, Joey, I’m going to lay low. Let her handle it. I don’t want my businesses destroyed. The cops, who aren’t on the take, will be gunning for us, and I can’t risk it.”
“That’s probably wise, boss.”
Yeah, he was aware.
He didn’t have the heart to tell the crazy in front of him that he was going to likely swing in the gallows for him.
Oh well.
That was not his problem. He had other ones he had to deal with for now.
“What about the killer? What do you want to do? He’s one of ours.”
He laughed.
“Correction. He’s someone else’s responsibility—not mine. I protected him as long as I could, and now the FBI is going to hunt us. Do you want to be caught, Joey?”
“HELL NO!”
That’s what he assumed. He didn’t want to be caught either. It was time to get ready to save himself.
“Elizabeth LaRue has screwed up my slice of heaven. She’s more of an opponent than I thought, and I appreciate her brains. She is going to be on my mind a long time.”
“I think she’s hot,” he said.
“Yeah, she’s mine. Hands off, or I cut them off.”
Joey said nothing.
One day, Joey knew he’d get his shot at her. He was a patient man. He wanted her for his own, and he knew Mr. O’Banion. He’d get bored and toss her.
Then he’d play one hell of a game with her.
“I need to get them out of Boston. Point her in the right direction. Tell everyone that we are done protecting him. He’s screwed himself. We protect the family.”
Yeah, him.
“Okay, boss.”
Michael watched him head away, and he was feeling a little better.
“Oh, Elizabeth LaRue, this is far from done. One day, you and I will meet again, and you will be mine. I promise.”
She could bet on it.
And when he made a promise, Michael O’Banion kept it.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
Hotel
When Chris had finished all the paperwork and the autopsy on Francesca, he wanted to get back to the hotel to check on Elizabeth. She’d been quiet all day.
That wasn’t like her.
The entire time he was working, he was worried about his girlfriend, and if she was doing okay.
So, to brighten her day, he picked up some cookies at the bakery not far from the Office of the Medical Examiner, and then figured he’d cheer her up.
When he put his key in the lock, there was some wild barking from inside their room.
He had to look at the door to make sure it was hers, and it was.
He knew she suggested he go back to his room since Gabe was there, but did she get a guard dog to keep him out?
Or had Gabe done it?
“Uh, Elizabeth?” he said, peeking his head in.
The dog barked at him.
She came toward the door and picked up the dog.
“Uh, I have a surprise for you,” she said. “We have a dog!”
He stared at her.
“What?”
“You said you wanted a cat, but look what I found, honey? Our very own mop.”
Chris stared at the dog.
Then she shoved him into his arms.
“I got you cookies.”
“You’re the best,” she said, as she walked back to the whiteboard.
“Um, Lyzee, where did you find a dog?”
“Well, I went to go interview Israel, and he was abusing it. He kicked it, dumped hot coffee on it, and it pissed me off. I couldn’t let it get hurt.”
Of course she saved an abused dog. Elizabeth was one to always take in someone who was getting the shit kicked out of them emotionally or physically.
‘Saint Elizabeth of the Underdog’ should be her name.
/> “Honey, we both travel. The dog…”
“His name is Beauregard.”
“Beauregard can’t stay in our townhouse alone. He needs a yard. He’s got huge paws. He’s going to be a beast.”
“Oh, I know. He’s really only going to be our dog until we get back to DC.”
Chris was so confused.
“What will happen to Beauregard then?” he asked. “Will he turn into a cat?”
She laughed and ate a cookie.
“No, watch.”
She pulled out her phone and made a call. It was answered on the second ring.
“Lyzee, what’s wrong? Is Gabe hurt?” Livy asked, terror in her voice.
“No, I’m calling to see how you are.”
“Oh,” she said, laughing. “Paranoid. He hopped that plane and hasn’t called yet.”
“Well we did have an issue.”
“Uh oh, what?” Livy asked.
“We went to this guy’s house to interview him, and he was abusing this sweet puppy.”
“What a dick. I hope you hurt him. NO, I hope my husband did. Who hurts a puppy?”
“I know, right? Well, I rescued him, but he needs a big yard. He’s one of those Komondor dogs. You know… the moppy ones. He needs a family, and Gabe, knowing how much Amy would love him, suggested you rescue him.”
“Oh my God! I love my husband so much. He’s such a sweet man. I am so lucky. I can’t wait for him to bring me my puppy!”
“You should see him, Livy. Beauregard is so damn cute. This guy was starving him too. He’ll do so well at your house, and I read that they are great with kids. They protect and herd.”
“Well, I’m going to give Beauregard a big kiss, and tell baby Amy she’s getting a puppy.”
“You do that. Oh, and then call Gabe and tell him how hot the sex will be.”
She laughed.
“No man has ever given me a dog before. I can promise it will melt him into the floor.”
Elizabeth smiled at Chris.
And there solved their dog related issue. Now she could visit the puppy whenever she wanted too. It was like having a dog with zero responsibility.
“Tell him that.”
“I certainly will.”
“I have to go, I’m mid-whiteboard, and this case blows. I’ll come see you when I get back, and I’ll bring Amy her new dog.”
“I can’t wait. Love you!”
“I love you too. Bye.”
When she hung up, Chris started laughing. That was the slickest thing he’d ever seen.
“Gabe doesn’t seem like the dog type.”
“Oh, he’s not. He didn’t want the dog, but now he’s getting one. Problem solved. Beauregard has a home with a big yard and two kids. He’s saved.”
Chris put the dog down and gave her a kiss. She tasted like cookies.
“You’re pretty awesome to save a puppy.”
“Well, who wouldn’t? He’s cute, in that mop kinda way. Now I can go play with him there, and Gabe is going to shit three bricks.”
And on cue, her phone rang.
She saw the number, and she didn’t answer it.
“He’s not going to be happy.”
Yeah, Chris assumed.
“If you don’t answer it, he’s going to show up. He’s down the hall, and here I am…”
“Crap.”
She answered.
“Yo. You need me?”
“Why does my wife think I got her a puppy?” he asked. “Here I am, talking to my boss, and she calls me. I think something bad is going down because I get two texts that say ‘call me’, and when I do, she tells me I’m the best husband ever.”
“You got Amy a dog.”
“NO, I did not.”
“Go home and tell her that. She’ll be broken for life. You know you can’t break your child like that—even if she’s a baby.”
Chris was trying not to laugh.
There was only ONE agent who got away with shit like this with him, and it was Elizabeth. For some reason, Gabe tolerated it.
“Elizabeth!”
“Think about it. Livy already told her. She may only be a few months old, but that shit sticks.”
“I swear to God, I’m going to fire your ass for dumping that dog on me.”
“She said there would be hot, kinky sex since no man has ever gotten her a dog.”
That stopped him in his tracks.
“Really?”
“Yes. If you play your cards right, you may get laid every night for a year…”
There was silence.
“Go with the kink, Gabe, go with the kink.”
Well, they did have a big yard.
“Remember me telling you about having that dog and my dad getting rid of it?” she stated.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Look how I turned out. Do you want Amy ending up like this?”
“Oh, shit! She gets the damn dog.”
And there it was.
“How are you going to investigate?” Gabe asked. “You can’t carry around a puppy.”
“We have techs. I can make them watch the dog. They will be all over him. Beauregard is pretty damn cute.”
“I hope one day you have a pack of wild mongrels that make your life insane.”
She laughed.
“Well, why would I do that? Besides, it’s only sexy if a man brings you a puppy. I’m going to be single forever.”
Chris pointed at the cookies, and then himself.
She winked at him.
A man bearing cookies was pretty damn sexy too.
“Get back to work, LaRue.”
She laughed and hung up.
“You have some gift with him,” Chris stated. “Bottle it. The whole FBI would buy it. You could be rich.”
“One kiss and men are bringing me cookies and not killing me. It’s a skill.”
Chris stared at her.
“Uh, when did Gabe kiss you? Shouldn’t I know about this? I hope it wasn’t recently. That would mean trying to kick his ass, and he’s scary.”
She laughed.
“I played date for him when he needed some sexy girl for his high school reunion. I had to make it look good.”
He relaxed.
“Uh, my reunion is coming up soon.”
She kissed him softly on the lips and gave him the good news.
“Well, I won’t have to play the sexy date because I’ll actually be the sexy girlfriend.”
Oh, he liked the sound of that.
“Besides, you brought me cookies. That’s a good quality in a man,” she said.
He was glad.
“How’s the case?”
The mood changed.
It was like a switch was flipped.
“Not good.”
Elizabeth turned and stared at the whiteboard. As if done automatically, she began pacing and working in her head.
Chris played with ‘their’ puppy, giving her a little time.
Just in case.
After about twenty minutes of pacing and staring at the whiteboard, Chris knew that she was going to make herself crazy.
So, he was going to help.
“Hey, sweetheart. Want to stop ruining that rug?” he asked, coming up behind her to rest his chin on her shoulders and wrap his arms around her body.
The dog danced around them.
“I don’t get it, Christopher. It has to be the professor. He’s the one who fits. We have a fellow professor, who he had some weird relationship with and got rough, Daryl Prince’s TA was found dead this morning, and the bank secretary, who went back to school, was found too. Three out of five women connect there. Why can’t I connect the last two? What the hell am I missing?”
He wished he could help her out.
“Anything new with Francesca’s autopsy?”
“No, it was pretty much exactly what I said. He has to be hairless and wearing condoms. The team is continuing to work the trace, but there were no viable fingerprints. He has to be glo
ving up too.”
She was frustrated.
“I have an idea.”
“What?”
“What if your favorite guy took you for a little ride?” he asked. “If we can get a dog sitter,” he teased.
“I have to work through this. I’m waiting on Noah and Alex’s searches.”
“What if it wasn’t just to have fun, but to visit a few people he knows at Harvard? You know…from when he went there. What if he could get you in there now, and you could talk to some people and get a feel for the man?”
Jesus!
With all that had gone on, she’d forgotten that he’d offered that up to her earlier.
This might be helpful. They might know where Daryl Prince liked to hide out. He might have mentioned something to someone.
“I’ll kiss you if you tell me it’s all set up, and all I have to do is find someone to watch the dog.”
“Tony is in his room. Make him do it.”
“Smart men are sexy.”
“Pucker up, honey, because we are going to Harvard to get you some answers. At least you’ll be out of this room and able to think.”
She jumped on him, and he caught her. They landed on the couch and she kissed him silly.
Beauregard thought they were playing and began licking both of their faces.
They laughed.
When she finally got the dog off of them, Chris was staring at her with that look on his face.
“What?”
“I love you.”
She melted.
“I love you, too, but I need to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“Do you have that ‘girlfriend in a tie’ fantasy?” she asked, staring into his eyes.
From where she was sitting, his dick twitched.
She waited.
Chris was embarrassed. He was into pretty straight sex, but sometimes, every guy wanted something racy.
“Yes, most men do.”
She curled into his body, and he cradled her in his arms. “Well, one day, I’ll make that happen.”
“You’re more than enough. You are my fantasy, but if you’re going to do it, do it often. I don’t mind at all. I own a lot of ties.”
She laughed.
Dawn of Evil_FBI Flashback Page 40