“And Director Whitefox?” she asked. “Isn’t he Liaison to the Native community? Last I looked, there weren’t any Indians here.”
“Native Americans,” she said, her eyes narrowing. This was exactly how she got the coffee dumped on her before. Diane Reilly was baiting her.
Well, fuck her.
It wasn’t going to work.
“Actually, that’s his title, but as an agent, he works in the field. Director Whitefox is my partner.”
“In bed too?”
All the other reporters shut up.
Gabe saw the explosion coming. He could see the red flush creeping up her throat. She was going to vault the steps and take the woman out.
He could feel it.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. “As stated in previous press conferences, by my husband, we don’t discuss our personal lives with the media. If you wish to talk killers, I’m your girl. If you wish to talk about sex, you should probably do more research, since I’m betting your sex life sucks.”
The woman opened her mouth.
“You know, since you have to get your jollies by talking about what other people do in bed. Isn’t voyeurism a little kinky for a prude like you?”
Gabe knew this was the end of it.
If he didn't step in, the president would be yanking both their jobs. Screwing with the media, baiting them like this, was always a bad idea.
“If there are no other questions,” he began.
As the media shouted, both of them ignored the questions. It was time to head in. As they walked up the stairs, he went to speak.
Only, Elizabeth cut him off.
“I know! I let her get to me. I’m pregnant, cranky, tired, and hungry. That’s a lethal combination.”
“You’re scared too. I know you, Elizabeth.”
She sighed.
“I’m three days past scared. Bad things are coming, Gabe, and it’s going to be all my fault.”
“Lyzee…”
She wanted to cry.
It was a buildup of everything, including the hormones. Elizabeth Blackhawk was a woman on the edge. This was another reason she was done with having kids. It screwed with her objectivity, making her job so much harder.
“We need to talk,” he said, pulling her into a conference room. When he locked the doors and dropped the blinds, he pointed at her. “Get it off your chest. If you don’t, you’re going to blow. None of us need that. I’ve been out of the field for too long, so I can’t work this one alone. I need you to be on your game, and you’re not. If you need to scream or shout, have at it. This is between the two of us, and no one will be any the wiser.”
She kicked the chair and it went sliding across the room.
When she looked over, her eyes were full of tears. “I hate this!”
He wasn’t ready for her to break. He honestly thought she’d toss a few things around, get mad, and get over it. Gabe could count the times that he’d seen her cry on one hand.
Elizabeth Blackhawk didn't pull the girl card.
She never did that with him.
“Lyzee. Talk to me.”
“I’m dying here, Gabe. This is eating away at me from the inside out.”
“Because you can’t be you, and you’re afraid of what’s going to happen?” he asked, handing her a tissue.
“Yes! I want to go in with both guns blazing, but I’m afraid of what will happen.”
He listened while she got it off her chest.
“I can’t do my fucking job if I’m walking on eggshells. I’m not that kind of investigator. I’m in your face, I flip people off, and I take no damn prisoners. That’s Special Agent Elizabeth Blackhawk. I’m not a director, and we both know it.”
He was aware.
It was simply a title for her.
For Ethan, it was his career. Everyone knew that she didn't take authority seriously.
“Can I make a suggestion?”
“What? That I should quit my job, move to the Himalayas, and become a Sherpa?” she asked.
He laughed at the visual. “No, honey, be yourself. Stop walking on the eggshells. Run this investigation as if you mean it. Be the boss. Go in there, show them who Elizabeth Blackhawk is, and take no prisoners. That’s the woman we admire and love. You’re not a weepy mess. You’re badass, and you get the job done.”
“I really hate being called that. It’s a lot of hype to live up to, and you know it, Dragon Slayer.”
He grinned. “It is, but you’re more than enough to fill that role. Why do you think you have two Natives following you around?”
“Because I like kinky sex in the bedroom.”
He closed his eyes. “I’m never getting the visual out of my mind now, thanks.”
She laughed.
“They love you because you’ve always been you. I love you because you’re a pain in my ass. Remember what you said to me the first day we met in the gym?”
“You’re a sweaty mess?”
He shook his head.
“I don’t remember.”
“You’re either going to love me, hate me, or want to have sex with me.”
She laughed. “That’s because you were checking out my ass at the time, if I do recall.”
He grinned. “Well, I fell in love with you, I didn't want to have sex with you, and I never hated you. There’s a charm about you, Elizabeth. You’re loyal to a fault, super smart, and funny as hell. Be you, chase this killer down, and make him pay, Tex.”
“But if it gets out…”
He moved toward her and kissed her on the forehead. “Honey, we have the bullet, the killer is dead, and the gun…it’s been dismantled and dumped all over the world. With each trip, I left a little behind. That’s the beauty of the FBI and a private jet. Jesus himself couldn’t put that gun back together again. You’re in the clear. Unless someone saw you do it, there isn’t proof. It’s all speculation from here on out. Your career can withstand speculation. You’ve made a name for yourself.”
She relaxed as she leaned against him.
“The records have been burned, the knife is gone, and he’s dead. Find who is killing these people. Run it like an ordinary case and stop being afraid. I believe in you.”
“You ride me pretty hard.”
He lifted her chin. “It’s my job. Outside it, you know the truth, Elizabeth. I’m your biggest fan. I have your back.”
She hugged him.
“If you could run this any way you wanted, what would you do now?” he asked, trying to get her in the right frame of mind.
“I’d be looking at the family of the killer. They might have known something. They’re the logical starting point.”
He smiled, setting her free. “So, saddle up, Cowboy, and interrogate them. You need a direction or the media is going to mock you.”
She was well aware.
“I have your back.”
There was that fear.
He could see it in her eyes.
Sadly, Gabe knew why it was there. He’d put it in her heart with his actions.
“You still don’t trust me, do you?”
She didn't speak.
“Elizabeth, do you believe I’ll hurt you again?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry. The Oracle thing was a mess.”
“I wasn’t talking about that, Gabriel. Oracle was the job. I can forgive that. I’m talking about when Livy was hurt.”
He sat on the table and ran his hands over his face. This was a long time coming, and of course, it was going to come full circle while they were working this case. He’d spent the last fifteen years avoiding it. The last thing he wanted was to talk about it with her.
Only, he had no choice.
“I hurt you when I bailed.”
“Yes, you really did. I was still reeling from this mess, and then you two showed up to roll right over me.”
“Elizabeth.”
“You left me behind, Gabe. You two freaking eloped. I didn't even know until after t
he fact. When Ethan and I were married, I had the common courtesy to have you by my side. You’re my family. You’re my brother.”
He understood her pain.
Only, there were things Elizabeth didn't know about. “I wanted to come to you, Lyzee. I needed a friend too. I was blindsided too. Livy had been raped. She was dying inside, and then she was pregnant.”
She stopped moving.
It was time to give something to her to prove he didn't do it to hurt her. She’d taken one for the team, and now he was going to trust her with his biggest secret.
“No one knows this, Elizabeth. No one. She and I kept it our secret for fifteen years.”
Elizabeth hoped he didn't mean…
“We had Amy and we tested her DNA. She’s not mine. When Seamus raped her, he left his legacy behind. For nine months, I carried it alone, and I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to reach out and lean on you, but Livy begged me not to say a word.”
“I’m sorry, Gabe.”
“I wanted to call you so many times. I wanted to weep with the one person I knew I could trust, but Livy…she couldn’t bear it. The idea that we were going to have the baby from the man who violated her was overwhelming. We weren’t sure we were keeping her. How horrible is that?”
She moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Immediately, Gabe dropped his chin on the top of her head. It reminded him of so many moments when she’d let him lean. “I wasn’t sure I could love her.”
“She’s your child, Gabriel. I see it in your eyes.”
“When she was born, I fell in love. She looked like Livy. She had that red hair, and I got over it. I still wanted to tell you, but you’re both of our friends. I didn't want my wife to hate me for sharing that one secret shame.”
She looked up at him. “I would have carried it for you. I wouldn’t have told Livy that I knew. She was my friend first, Gabe, but you’re my brother. You have always been special to me.”
He felt better getting it off his chest. It lightened it. “Please don’t say anything.”
She punched him in the ribs.
“Shit! What the hell?”
“That was for not trusting me with it and for telling me to keep my lips zipped. You know I wouldn’t spill it.”
He laughed.
She was right.
He probably deserved that.
“Well? Do you feel better?” he asked
She did. “Are you sure you want me running this one Elizabeth Blackhawk style?” she asked. “It’s bound to get ugly at some point.”
He was well aware.
“I never thought I’d say this, and if you tell anyone I did I’ll fire your ass, but do your worst, Elizabeth. Make this asshole pay.”
She rolled her shoulder and grinned. “Let’s go. I’m going to burn this city down. When I’m done, they’ll either throw me a freaking parade, or ban me from the place.”
He laughed, and then realized she was serious.
Gabe should be afraid, but for the first time, in a long time, he wasn’t.
Elizabeth Blackhawk had this.
There was no doubt.
CHAPTER SIX
Autopsy
Tuesday Noon
She felt a million times better.
Her little talk with Gabe gave her the reassurance that she needed to pull this off. Plus, she knew she wasn’t the only one battling demons.
In her wildest dreams, she never thought that Gabe and Livy’s oldest daughter wasn’t his biological child. He loved Amy so much, that it never seemed like a possibility.
She belonged to him.
It struck a chord with her. After all, she understood how Gabe felt.
Children didn't have to be born of your body. Look at Cat. She was her little girl, even if she had been a gift from someone else’s womb.
Elizabeth got it.
Now she wanted to make the killer suffer for bringing this wound back to the surface. They’d all carried the scars of this killer, and she was going to end it, once and for all.
As she strolled into the autopsy suite, Gabe right behind her, there was life back in her step. Elizabeth was going to hit this head on, and she didn't give a shit.
When she entered, Livy and Callen were working off to the side, playing paperwork monkeys, and Ethan was standing there talking to some man.
He looked familiar.
When he turned, she remembered where she saw him before.
“Holy shit,” he said, staring at her.
Elizabeth flashed back fifteen years. “Come on! What the hell did I do to deserve this now too, Fate?” she muttered.
Everyone looked confused but the man staring at her. He was laughing.
“What do you want?” she asked.
Ethan lifted a brow. His wife was brash, but she didn't often come out of the gate swinging like this.
“I told you we were meant to be. You should have taken me up on my marriage proposal,” he teased, but his voice held an edge of tension she didn't understand.
Both Callen and Ethan froze.
The looks they gave her could have killed. They’d been down this road with Dakota Rakin, and his nasty surprise still left a bad taste in their mouths.
“Hold up. Let me explain,” she said, knowing someone was going to lose it. That was the last thing they needed.
Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance. Jay Melrose interrupted her.
“Ethan, that’s the babe from the elevator. Remember that day I told you I was chasing down the woman I was going to marry?”
Chris began laughing at the irony. It wasn’t lost on him. This was going to be entertaining.
Jay glanced over. “What’s so funny?”
Ethan flanked his wife. “Special Agent Jay Melrose, let me introduce you to my wife, Director Elizabeth Blackhawk.”
His mouth dropped open.
“Remember the agent who screwed up ‘The Butcher’ case? The one all the agents ganged up on and tortured? Yeah, well, she’s my wife.”
“Oh, holy shit,” he muttered. “You married her? You’re partnered with that agent?” he asked, looking back and forth between them.
He couldn’t believe it.
“Lyzee, Agent Melrose was one of those nice men who left you that really awesome card when ‘The Butcher’ escaped. You know, the ones who taunted you,” Chris said, enjoying the show. It was nice to have that little bit of payback.
“What?” Gabe said, getting angry. He didn't like the idea that while he was away on his honeymoon, Elizabeth was a target. It pissed him off that she was alone while she took the heat.
“I didn't know you were going to marry her. If I recall, Blackhawk, you were in on it too.”
Ethan was just tossed under the wife bus.
The room went silent.
“Elizabeth…”
She moved toward them, her hand out to shake his. “I’m Elizabeth. It’s nice to meet you,” she said. When his hand met hers, she grabbed him, foot swept him, and got him flat on his back with her knee on his groin.
“That was for grabbing my ass in the elevator fifteen years ago, and for being a dick afterwards at my expense.”
He swallowed. “Blackhawk, can you call your wife off?” he muttered, as she pressed her knee into his balls.
Callen laughed from his spot on the metal autopsy table.
“Yeah, that’s like stopping Godzilla with a BB gun.” Blackhawk smiled at his wife, hoping he could keep this runaway train somewhat under control. “I love you, baby.”
She didn't return the sentiment. In fact, she wouldn’t even look at him.
Ethan’s heart skipped as a chill raced through his body. This was a bad sign.
Elizabeth stared down at Jay Melrose as she weighed her options. Finally, she set him free. “You’re lying in biohazard,” she stated, satisfied with what she’d done.
Gabe laughed as the man got up.
“Jesus! Director!”
Rothschild shook his head. “I think that was d
eserved, and I do believe you know it.”
“Anyway,” she said, moving back toward Callen. “How about we focus on work and not male jackassery? Chris, what can you tell me?” she asked.
Elizabeth hopped up on the table and Callen dropped his good arm over her shoulders. He couldn’t help but notice the look on Ethan’s face.
He was worried.
“Well, I can now tell you with certainty how our agent died. He was hit on the head. At first, I thought he was struck from behind, but that lump must be from where he landed. There are tiny micro-fissures to the front of his skull.”
“So, he was attacked head on?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes, and he doesn’t have any defensive wounds.”
They all knew what that meant.
“He knew his attacker. If someone came at me, I’d immediately try and protect myself,” she said, glancing over at the other agent. “Then again, some people are clueless and are easy to take down.”
“Ethan!” the man blurted, glancing over at his ex-partner for some help.
“It’s not happening, Jay. You’re on your own. I’m not getting between you and the pregnant, angry bull,” he stated. “I like breathing a little too much.”
“Smart,” she stated.
“Merry has some of the toxicology back,” Chris said, getting her attention.
Elizabeth turned her focus toward the tech. “Go ahead.”
Merry moved closer, curious about what was going on around her. They thought she wasn’t paying attention, but she heard and saw it all.
They were holding back, and that was making her even more curious. Elizabeth Blackhawk was a straight shooter when it came to her staff.
It was confusing.
“We pulled toxicology reports, and both victims had alcohol in their blood. The director had double the levels.”
Everyone glanced over at Jay Melrose, hoping he could fill them in. That was the only reason Elizabeth was tolerating his presence. She needed details, and this man might have something they could use.
“What can you tell us?” Elizabeth asked.
Jay thought about it. “Tristan and I had drinks yesterday. We went our separate ways around nine. On our day off, we always hung out. We weren’t just partners. We were friends.”
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