Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14)

by Morgan Kelley

  Interesting.

  That might explain the dead man’s wicked deboning skills. This might not be a waste of time after all.

  “Thank you,” they said, heading around back.

  “I’ll question him,” Elizabeth said.

  “Why? I thought you said he wasn’t going to play nice with you.”

  Yeah, she’d said that, but this was a different story. They had a butcher, and a bunch of hacked up people.

  If he had something to do with it…

  Elizabeth couldn’t ignore that Livy wasn’t actually a real agent. Legally, that could bite them in the ass.

  “Why the change of plans?”

  She went with honesty.

  “Well, technically, you aren’t an agent. You’re a temp. I’m going to be the one sitting in front of a jury getting her ass reamed by the defense attorney. Let’s just call it preservation of my sanity, and go with that. I’m sparing you.”

  She understood.

  “It’s all you.”

  They knocked on the garage door, and someone called for them to come in. Carefully, they entered.

  Inside, Livy froze. There stood a man who reminded her of her past. James O’Brien and his dead brother were identical.

  As in twins.

  She wanted to throw up.

  Elizabeth noticed the look on her backup’s face, and she immediately placed herself between them. “James O’Brien?” she asked, holding out her badge. “I’m Elizabeth…”

  “I know who you are. What do you need?”

  “We’re here to talk to you about your brother. I see you’re a butcher.”

  “I don’t know what there is to say,” he offered, pointing at the urn on the shelf. “Seamus hasn’t spoken to me in a long time.”

  “We just need some background on him. We’re working on the case.”

  “Yeah, my sister called. She told me you were heading this way. I don’t get why, but I’ll cooperate. I just want this to end. For years, it hurt thinking about him, and finally I forgot. Now this is starting up again. Already, the media was here. They were digging and asking questions.”

  They sympathized.

  Well, they tried.

  “So, you’re a butcher? Does that run in the family?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Yeah, my father was one and my grandfather too. It’s kinda in the blood.”

  “What’s your sister do?”

  “She’s a nurse.”

  “Do you own a shop?” Elizabeth asked.

  “No, I work for someone else in town. For two weeks a year, I take off for hunting season. I make a lot of money doing this on the side. It’s cold enough that I don’t need freezers to store the kills.”

  They both glanced over at the dead, gutted deer.

  “So, you’re good with a knife?”

  “Yep. I’m not the best in the family. That was my brother. He was gifted, but he didn't have it in his heart. He didn't like the blood. To do this, you can’t be bothered by it.”

  That was ironic.

  “Are you twins?”

  “Yes. Identical.”

  Yeah, Livy could tell. Being this close made her want to be sick. The smile, it was the exact same one she recalled when she’d done the street interview with Seamus O’Brien. Little did she know that on that day, she sealed her fate.

  That haunted her.

  If she closed her eyes, the voice was similar too.

  She’d heard it for years in her nightmares.

  Now here it was.

  She hoped she didn't throw up. If she did, they wouldn’t let her help on the case, and she knew it. If Gabe even smelled fear, he’d yank her to keep her safe. She didn't want that.

  Livy wanted to be free of this, and it meant facing it head on—like she should have before.

  “He was an artist, right?”

  “Yeah, my dad wanted him to be in the family business, but he ran away to follow his dream. Only, it didn't end well.”

  “Yeah, he was killed.”

  “Yes, but I meant before that. He fell in love with a woman, and she distracted him. Then he began blowing off school. Right after he left the university to spend all his time with her, she dumped him.”

  “Do you recall her name?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Yes. It was Helena Brennan.”

  Livy struggled to make notes. This was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do in her life.

  Well, that made sense to Elizabeth. Apparently, he had been heartbroken, right before he started killing women.

  “Do you know what she looked like?” Elizabeth asked.

  There was some hesitation.

  “We need to ask these questions so we can help find your brother’s killer,” Elizabeth offered, lying her ass off.

  “Yes. She was Irish.”

  Elizabeth knew ‘The Butcher’ was killing women who looked like Livy for a reason, and here it was.

  It was unrequited love.

  “Once she dumped him, he lost it. He was never the same again. He couldn’t find beauty in art. He moved to DC to be closer to my sister, and that’s about it. He was walking home one night and he was killed.”

  Livy wanted to kiss Elizabeth right then and there for eradicating that asshole from the face of the planet.

  That one bullet saved her.

  She saw it now.

  She wouldn’t have been able to go on had he still been out there.

  Never.

  “Did you live in Boston?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. I moved here when Seamus died. My sister was a wreck. I closed the family business and took a job. I’ve been here ever since.”

  “Thank you,” Elizabeth said, pulling her card out from behind her badge. “If you think of anything, call me, okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He glanced over at Livy. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

  “I’m fine,” she stated, praying it was over, and soon.

  Elizabeth took that as her cue. Heading out, she made it five feet before Livy started puking.

  Apparently, she wasn’t okay.

  Elizabeth held her hair, trying to avoid the regurgitated brunch.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered between heaving. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

  She rubbed her hand on her back as she kept her eye on the building they had just exited.

  “It’s okay, Livy. That had to be hell. I didn't know he was a twin.”

  “I’m just glad he’s dead. Oh, God, am I glad.”

  Elizabeth handed her some tissues from her coat pocket, so she could wipe her mouth.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  Livy nodded. She was ready to put distance between her and the man’s twin.

  “Where to next?”

  Elizabeth knew they needed to hit up one more place before they headed in, yet she was torn. After this episode, she should probably bring Livy back to the Hoover building.

  This was a tough call.

  “I’m going with you, Elizabeth,” Livy declared. “Don’t treat me like I’m broken.”

  She pointed at the puke. “That says it all, Olivia, don’t you think?”

  “Please.”

  Elizabeth sighed. “Fine. We need to stop and get a beer before we head back.”

  Livy stared at her. “Uh, news flash, but you have a baby on board. You shouldn’t be drinking. I’m pretty sure Callen will shit a ton of bricks if he smells booze on you. Plus, you’ve already pissed Ethan off by the divide and conquer plan.”

  Yeah, he really would, and she was well aware. Sometimes, she had to crack a few husband eggs when she made an omelet.

  “He’ll get over it. This is important.”

  Only, this wasn’t about getting a drink. It was about visiting the killer’s hunting grounds.

  AGAIN.

  There was a sick feeling in her gut, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  Seamus had an identical twin.

  That meant exact DNA.

  Once more, this b
rought up the possibility that she did kill the wrong person. What if it wasn’t Seamus, who was the killer, but his brother?

  This just got even uglier. For a while there, Elizabeth actually believed she was in the clear, but hell…

  She wasn’t even close.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Autopsy

  Callen was trying to find anything he could on the people still attached to this case. It wasn’t easy. Fifteen years had put a lot of distance between then and now.

  In fact, everything was a million times more difficult.

  The agents may have all stayed in the game, but they’d each moved on with their lives. He had to admit it.

  He was batting a big fat zero.

  At that moment, all he could hope was that his woman and brother were safe. Being stuck inside was shitty. He wanted to be out there with the people he loved, doing the job he enjoyed.

  It gave him motivation to push on.

  There was no way in hell he was letting his injury stop him. Callen couldn’t sit at home all day while they were doing FBI things.

  It would kill him.

  “You’re quiet,” Chris Leonard admitted, wrapping up the autopsy. He was putting organs back into the dead agent, as he tried to stitch him closed.

  It wasn’t easy to form the man back into a…man. The killer had made sure of that.

  “I was worrying about my wife.”

  Chris glanced over. “Don’t be. She’s tough. She’s got this under control.”

  He knew the man was full of shit. Chris was worried too. He could see it in his face.

  “What was she like then?”

  Chris laughed. “She was just like she is now, but didn't give a shit about what people thought about her. Elizabeth would walk into a room, say something ridiculous, and people would stare. She saved me on so many levels.”

  “She’s still like that.”

  “Oh, she’s mellowed. She used to do kissy-face in autopsy.”

  He stared at the doctor. “Who the hell was she kissing?”

  Chris laughed. “Mostly me. Don’t tell my wife that. She’ll skin me alive.”

  Callen crossed his arms. “I just might if you don’t elaborate, and fast, Chris.”

  He laughed. “The head tech, Carol Spade, used to torture me. I was a newbie, and I was green. They knew I followed Elizabeth around as if she was the pied piper. The second they saw I was fond of her, they used it to torture me.”

  Callen relaxed.

  “She told people she was my girlfriend just to get me street cred. No one expected the death doctor to be with a hot woman. Eventually, they stopped riding my ass. Meanwhile, she taught me how to fight, belong, and be more me. Elizabeth kept me grounded.”

  “That sounds like her.”

  “Gabe wanted to shit can me about a million times. She wouldn’t let him. Each time I screwed up, and trust me, there were plenty, she busted my chops, kissed my wounded ego, and put me back on track.”

  “Yeah, now that definitely sounds like her.”

  “She did the same with Tony. We were a hot mess when we started with the FBI. Without her, we would have taken different paths.”

  Callen smiled.

  “I can honestly say that she’s the first woman I ever loved. She never used that against me either. She knew I had money, and she batted away all the gold diggers who tried to drain me dry.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah. There were a few women, who crossed my path, who were a bad idea, and she kept me focused on the goal. I owe her everything.”

  Callen saw the adoration, and it wasn’t sexual. “I get it. When I first met her, I fell in love.”

  “If you really see the woman beneath the boots and jeans, it’s not hard to tumble. Many have.”

  “Oh, do tell.”

  Chris laughed. “Sorry, Callen, but that’s not my story to tell. If you want to know about them, you have to ask her. My lips are sealed.”

  Just then, Chris’s phone began ringing on the table, as he was holding the man’s liver. “Shit! It’s my wife. Can you hit speaker, please?”

  Callen grabbed the phone and turned it on.

  “Hey, sweetheart, how are you?” Chris asked, as Callen held the phone away from the gore of autopsy.

  “I’m good, but I miss you a lot. When are you coming home?” Cyra asked.

  “I told you that I don’t know. We’re in the middle of a serial killing. I’m stitching a man up as we speak.”

  “I hate when you’re away, Christopher. It sucks.”

  He was well aware.

  Chris rolled his neck, trying to alleviate the tension. Suddenly, the weight of it felt…unbearable.

  “I know, Cyra. I know. How’s Bethe?” he asked, trying to change the topic. The last thing he wanted was for Callen to be privy to the mess that was brewing in his personal life.

  “She misses you too. If you come home, we can have more kids.”

  Chris knew it was time to end the conversation. “Cyra, honey, I have to go. I’m elbow deep in organs. I’ll call you when I get back to Gabe’s house, okay?”

  There was a breathy sigh. “Okay. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  He nodded at Callen, and he disconnected the call.

  “Uh oh. That didn't sound good,” Callen stated. Since he was privy to it, there was no way he could just pretend he didn't hear the tension.

  “Are we friends, Callen? I mean real friends—not just because of Lyzee.”

  “Yes, Chris, we are. I think of you and Tony as our family, and so does Ethan. If there’s something wrong, or you need to grab a beer and vent, we’re here. We’re not just the bosses. We’re family.”

  Chris relaxed. “I need a neutral party’s advice, so I can’t take this to Elizabeth. Normally, she’s the one I’d ask about this. My hands are tied, so I need a married guy’s advice.”

  Callen looked around, teasing him. “Oh, you mean me.”

  There was a laugh from the ME, lightening the mood.

  “Yeah, you’ll have to do.”

  “Shoot. What can I help you with?”

  “How angry will Elizabeth be if I quit?” he asked, getting it off his chest. As you just heard, my wife isn’t happy. I’m afraid I’m going to lose her. She resents the FBI, and she resents my relationship with…”

  He realized what he almost said.

  “Elizabeth?” Callen stated.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  Chris closed his eyes. “Are you really going to make me say it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cyra’s big fear is that I’ll shack up with Elizabeth.”

  Callen laughed. “Oh, well, I can pretty much tell you that won’t ever be happening.”

  Chris knew it. “I keep telling her that, but I really think it’s the distance. I love Cyra, and I adore Bethe with all my heart, but my job is making my wife miserable.”

  “Is your job making you miserable?”

  He paused.

  “Truth, Chris. If you want my help, then you can’t tell me half the story. I need all of it.”

  He was right.

  “No, not at all. I love my job. I miss my wife and daughter, but this is who I am. I have this desire to do my job and help people. This is how I do that.”

  “It’s a tough place to be at. You’re trapped.”

  “I am.”

  “Well, I can’t tell you what to do, Chris, but I can tell you this. Elizabeth will never hate you. She can’t. You think she saved you, but what you don’t get is that you saved her too. You’re woven into the tapestry of her life. You and Tony are her brothers. You may not have the same blood, but she has claimed you as hers. If you left the FBI, it’ll sting, but she’ll love you until the day she dies. If anything, she’d want you to be happy. If it meant hurting in the process, to give you that shot, she would.”

  “I love her too.”

  Callen saw the pain on the man’s face. “Think long a
nd hard, Chris. If you give it up, there’s no guarantee you can get it back. You know how positions working for the FBI fill up. They take the best and brightest.”

  “I know. When Cyra quit, I was worried about all this. She was a cop, and then a Fed, but she wanted to be a wife and mother. Now I think she’s bored. Training dogs isn’t cutting it.”

  “You quitting won’t make it better. You’ll both be bored. Just make sure you’re doing it for the right reason. Cyra might get pissy, but she has to see that you love what you do. You have to be happy too.”

  He was well aware.

  “I have enough money to never work again. We could travel, see the world, or move.”

  The last option hurt Chris. If he moved, he’d lose the people who took him in. He’d miss the Sunday family BBQ’s. He’d lose the football games on the holidays. Tony would slip away too. It wouldn’t only be Elizabeth he lost.

  He’d lose his identity.

  But if he stayed…

  He’d lose his wife.

  Either way, someone was going to be hurt. What it came down to was him carrying that pain or Cyra. Chris knew he was going to have to choose.

  “Why don’t you think about it, sit down and talk to Elizabeth, and see what you come up with? She’s going to want you to be happy. She loves you. We all do.”

  He looked around the room. “I made a promise to her fifteen years ago in this room—that’s the irony, Callen. We stood here, and I told her that I thought I’d made a mistake in becoming an ME. I never saw this day coming.”

  Callen watched him.

  “And now?”

  “Now I might have to break my promise to her, even though I know it’s a mistake. I have no choice. Who do I choose? The woman I love as a sister, or the woman who owns my heart?”

  “Choices in life are hard, Chris. We’re here regardless. If you walk, we’re here. If you stay, we’re here. Family doesn’t bail even if you hurt them. Even if you move across the country, we’re only a phone call away. I’ve learned that and so has Ethan.”

  Chris’s eyes filled with emotion.

  Callen patted him on the shoulder. “I mean it. Family chases you down, they drag you back, and they make you see how much you’re loved.”

  He was choked up. “I hope you’re right, Callen. I really hope you’re right.”