Both men relaxed.
Ethan took a deep breath. “I better get ready for my meetings. I’m going to go work out first. I feel like pummeling something.”
“I love you, Ethan,” she said, kissing the tablet.
It got him to laugh. “I love you too, Lyzee. Be safe today. Call me if you need me.” He stared at his brother. “You too, Cal.”
When he was gone from the screen, Elizabeth laid back with Callen. “Are you okay?” she asked, running her fingers over his cheek.
“I’m angry, scared, and pissed off,” he admitted, “but not at dad. Bly Cocheta is dead to me,” he stated. “If that were EJ or Cat, I wouldn’t have been as magnanimous as my brother.”
She was well aware. If anything, Elizabeth was damn proud of Ethan. He’d kept it in check. It was obvious the therapy sessions were working. Their unit was on its way back to being fully healed.
“Timothy never hit me,” he suddenly blurted.
She rolled to face him. When he mimicked the motion, they were staring at each other.
“I know.”
“But he hit Ethan. In fact, I’m pretty sure that my brother took it for both of us.”
She stroked his cheek. Even then, her husband was protective of his brother. He may not have known about Callen being abused, but instinctually, he was wise enough to take one for the team.
“I don’t know what to say,” Callen stated.
“Why do you have to say anything?” she asked. “You know your brother loves you and would do anything to protect you. When I first met you, there were the tales of Ethan going to jail to keep you safe. Of course he’d suck up a slap here and there to watch over you.”
“I love him so much,” he admitted.
Elizabeth kissed him softly on the lips. “You think he doesn’t know that? Your brother loves you too, and so do I.”
Callen thought about their children. “EJ is lucky. I know CJ will keep him safe.”
“Yeah, or get him tossed in jail. That’s still up in the air, thanks to you reprobates.”
He laughed, the tension in his body easing. “Still want to get soapy with me?”
“Hell yeah, Mr. Whitefox. You bet I do.”
With that, she allowed Callen to carry her off to the small bathroom. This was going to be interesting, and honestly she couldn’t wait.
* * *
The scent of flowers filled his senses. In his dream, he was lying in a field of them.
In reality, he was on a couch with Jaxon pressed to his body. The sun was rising, and he could hear the birds outside. Despite having to sleep on a couch, he was pretty happy. After all, when in his life was this going to happen again?
In fact, they weren’t just lying against each other. The woman was twined around his body. Jaxon’s hair was wrapped around his wrist, her leg was between his, and her face was buried in the crook of his neck.
Now, he only wished they were completely naked.
In his opinion, that would make it a million times better. As her soft breasts were pressed to his torso, he took in the sweet sensation of having her in his arms.
It was heaven.
Oh yeah, and it was hell.
Already his libido was stirring. From where her body rested, once she woke up, there’d be no hiding his response to her. Well, he was going to go with the fact he was a male, and there was a sexy woman on top of him. It was simply a physiological response.
Yeah, she wasn’t going to buy that at all.
Damn!
He was out of his element here.
There was no doubt. He was going to have to call in the big guns and get some advice.
And soon.
Jax slowly pulled from sleep. It occurred to her that for once, she slept like a rock.
Then, it was apparent why.
The last thing she recalled was sitting on the couch in the dark with Tony, and now she was…
Lying on him.
Holy shit!
What they hell had she done? Keeping her body perfectly still, Jaxon weighed her options. Until she figured a way out of this, she needed to stay calm.
Taking in the situation, she analyzed her predicament. Beneath her was Tony. Her hand was on his chest with her fingers in his chest hair. God! She wanted to run them back and forth.
It took all her willpower not to do just that.
Since her leg was wedged between his, she was well aware that he was aroused. Yeah, this was going to suck. The man was already awake. The telltale thumping in his chest and throbbing against her hip was giving it away.
Despite the situation, part of her was thrilled.
Yet, the majority of her was scared shitless.
This was her co-worker. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
Breathing in the scent of soap, it offered her some calm. Well, they couldn’t stay like this all day. Someone had to move. Sliding her hand down his chest to signal she was awake, his body shook.
That simple act delighted her.
“Good morning, Jaxon,” he said huskily.
Lifting her head, her eyes met his. Somehow, the five o’clock shadow made him look even sexier. He was tousled and just waking up. It made her long to see if this was what he looked like every morning.
Holy heck!
He was incredibly attractive.
“Uh, good morning,” she answered, unsure what the proper protocol for a situation like this would be.
“Are you okay?” he asked, trying to tame the lower half of his body with only his thoughts, except it wasn’t working at all.
“No, I’m not okay,” she replied, sharing the truth. After all, she’d used him as her pillow. Why start to lie now?
“Want to talk about it?” he asked.
Jaxon laughed. “Uh, what’s there to discuss? I barely know you, and now I’m sleeping on your body.”
His heart sunk. Maybe she wasn’t feeling what he was after all. “So, are you saying it’s totally awkward or horrifying?”
She stared at him, caught off guard by his blatant honesty. There was no way she thought he’d ask that. This scenario was far from horrifying. It was too pleasurable, and she never wanted it to end.
Jax swallowed. “Oh, it’s very awkward.”
He relaxed, especially since she wasn’t exactly rushing to get away from him.
“Before I sleep with someone, even in this context, I generally like to know them better. I usually kiss a man before falling asleep with him.”
She couldn’t believe she said that.
Holy shit!
It was official. She was out of control.
Jaxon Armstrong had sexy doctor on the brain.
Tony listened to what she had to say, and then decided to make a move. After all, they were pressed together. There was no way she was missing the pink elephant in the room.
His state of arousal was obvious.
Bringing his lips to hers, he gently gave her what she wanted. The kiss was soft, delicate, and didn't hurry anything. In fact, it coaxed her from the awkwardness.
Slowly, she kissed him back.
His heart soared.
Jaxon’s pulse thudded beneath his palm on her neck.
This moment was everything he thought it would be. From the second their lips touched, heat swelled, rushing through him as it filled his life with peace.
Jax fell into the kiss. She slid up his body until she was in the perfect position to allow her mouth to move over his. Lips caressed and tongues explored as she let go of her fear. For now, she was enjoying the feel of the sexy doctor’s embrace.
Never in her life had she felt this before.
It was absolutely amazing.
When his entire body went taut beneath hers, there was such a power that rushed through her. Doctor Tony Magnus wanted her.
From this kiss, there could be no doubt.
Then, reality came crashing back. Slowly, she pulled away, only to stare down into his eyes. They were filled with so much emotion that
she was too afraid to read into it.
“Still awkward?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t say yes.
“I don’t have words for it.”
Yet, she looked like she was ready to bolt.
Instinctually, he went with logic since that was safe ground for him. “Well, think of it this way. Early man didn't date long. They found the female they wanted, went after her, and made them hers. It’s part of our species and instilled in our DNA.”
She stared at him. Well, awkward was gone and horror was now taking its place. His dismissal of the moment took the wind right out of her sails. For a minute there, she thought he wanted her for more than some ingrained instinct.
Yeah, she’s been wrong.
Jaxon couldn’t help but feel the sting of his words as a heated blush filled her cheeks. Now, she’d do what she did best in life.
Escape.
Pulling away, he saw the notable change. Gone was the woman he was kissing a minute ago, and in her place was someone completely void of all feeling.
“Jax?” he asked, watching her move away from him.
She couldn’t even look at him. “I’ll meet you outside. We have autopsies to watch. It’s time to get to work.”
With just those few words, he knew the truth.
Tony Magnus had screwed up.
Yeah, it was official.
He needed help on this one before he burned it to the ground.
~ Chapter Five ~
Devil’s Lake Morgue
Elizabeth and Callen were the next to arrive, right after the ME and techs. They stood in the small space holding their coffees as they waited for the festivities to begin.
No one liked autopsies, but it was the element of the beast. In their lines of work, you had to be willing to stand over the dead, even as they were cut open.
“As soon as Tony gets here, I’ll begin,” Zane said. “I have to admit, I’m curious as hell to unwrap our victims.”
Yeah, that wasn’t a word Elizabeth could use at that moment. In their past, she’d found that when things were opened up, bad surprises were bound to be found.
She didn't want to be Pandora and release anything out there that she couldn’t contain. One day, it was bound to happen.
“Sorry we’re late,” muttered Tony, entering the room.
Elizabeth glanced over, and his face said it all. Normally, her anthro was happy and pleasant. Today, he looked off his game. Since the woman beside him was saying nothing, she had to make assumptions.
Uh oh. This was going to be bad.
It was hard to miss Callen giving her the look. It screamed ‘I told you so’, and he might just be right. Maybe the men in her life had been correct. Cupid might not have a place on a crime scene.
“I’m just about to begin,” Doctor Legend stated.
Tony suited up, quickly pulling on the scrubs and gloves. This wasn’t his first time assisting an ME. Even without Chris in the morgue, they were a well-oiled team.
Now, he wished he didn't feel so off-balance.
There was no way he could miss that Doctor Armstrong was keeping her distance. Tony hoped it was because of the fleshy victims and not his earlier faux pas.
“I’m starting with this one, only because I feel something sticking out of the chest cavity,” Zane admitted.
Elizabeth didn't care either way. It was obvious that curiosity was getting ready to kill the Native cat.
Moving closer, as the man began snipping his way through the strips of cloth wrapped around the body, they all prepared for what lie beneath. As Tony held out an evidence bag, Zane dropped them in, one by one.
“Doctor Armstrong, please move closer,” Doctor Legend stated.
Reluctantly, she did just that.
Tony watched as his co-worker got down to the skin.
“Walk us through it, Doctor,” Elizabeth said. “We have to hit the ground running on this.” Where Chris wouldn’t guess, Zane was a little more forthcoming with his information.
“We have a woman. There’s an incision on the left side of her body, and I’ll add that it was done sloppily. The person who did this didn't take their time. It looks like he hacked away at her.”
One of the techs made notes for the ME.
Slowly, he finished unwrapping her. When her head was completely uncovered, they stared down at her. At one time, she’d been attractive. Now, death had changed all that.
Immediately, Zane began his preliminary check on the victim. He lifted the eyelids and noticed his boss looked away. That made him curious. “She’s been doused with frankincense. It’s even in her hair,” he stated.
Far be it for Elizabeth to tell her ME how to do his job, but she couldn’t help it. “I hate to point out the obvious, Doc, but there’s something sticking out of the place you’d normally find her heart. Can we start there?” Elizabeth asked.
Zane stuck his hand in the wound to dig out the stray object.
The sucking sound was absolutely disgusting.
“It’s not all blood,” he muttered, trying to unwedge the object from the chest cavity. Slowly pulling out his hand, he rubbed his fingers together. “Whoever did this dumped more frankincense in the wound.
When he picked up the snips to further crack open her chest, they all moved back. No one wanted to be splattered with blood and oil.
Carefully, Zane made the cuts needed. When he had enough room, he reached in and pulled the object out.
There was a gasp from Doctor Armstrong who then excitedly stepped forward. “That’s a canopic jar!”
Elizabeth looked over at her. “You mean like in ancient Egypt and the dead pharaohs?”
She nodded, pulling on gloves. “May I?” she asked, holding out her hands.
When Tony nodded at Zane, the man handed it over.
Gently, Jaxon laid it on a table to examine it as a tech began snapping pictures.
Zane went back to the victim. Staring down into the gaping wound, he already knew what wasn’t there. “She’s missing her heart.”
“It’ll be in the jar,” Tony said, moving closer to Jaxon. “You can open it,” he offered, handing her a scalpel to cut through the seal. It appeared to have some wax around the lip.
“Thank you, Doctor,” she offered.
To say he wasn’t pleased by her using his title was an understatement. In fact, it put him right on edge.
Elizabeth watched the two anthropologists curiously. It wasn’t her imagination. There was something going on. “So, you’re thinking the killer shoved her heart in that jar, and then stuffed it back in her chest?” she asked.
“Yes,” Tony answered.
Elizabeth pointed at her ME. “I know this isn't customary, but is there any way you can open the other victims right now? If one has a jar, the others might too.”
Zane hesitated. There were procedures for a reason. If they jumped around, they risked mixing evidence and trace. “That’s not how the FBI likes it done.”
She was well aware. “Doctor, I need to get out in the field. I don’t have another day to wait. I’m asking you as a favor to this investigation.”
He handed Tony a pair of scissors and pointed. “You get those two but don’t forget to save the wrappings.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth replied.
“Are you okay with that, Jax?” Tony asked, refusing to be chilly toward her. Whatever he’d done, whether it was kissing her or who knew what, he wasn’t going to give up.
“It’s sealed fairly well. I’ll need to work at it a little bit, so feel free,” she replied, focusing on the job at hand.
Tony and Zane got to work.
It didn't take long for them to remove all the bindings from the bodies. Just as Doctor Legend finished the last victim, he glanced up and his expression said it all.
“What?” Elizabeth asked, hopping down off a counter. “You look horrified, and that’s saying a lot since you dig in bodies all day.”
“We have a sick individual doing this,” he stated.<
br />
When Callen got closer he got the willies. “Holy shit! Please tell me we don’t have another body without a penis,” he stated. It made him think back to his first assignment with the FBI. It never got less startling to see a victim missing genitalia. “Jesus,” he muttered.
Elizabeth moved from body to body, gauging her need to be worried. With all the cases she’d worked, Elizabeth had seen so many different crimes. Yet, just by looking at this one, she could tell it was going to be ugly.
Someone had lost their damn mind.
She didn't need Ethan to tell her that. It was quite obvious.
“We have one with a severed penis,” stated Doctor Legend. “Where it would be on the body, he’s placed a canopic jar.”
Elizabeth scanned the victim. “Yeah, he nestled it all nice and snug between his legs.”
All the men cringed.
They moved to the next body.
“Our first unwrapped mummy is missing her heart,” he continued, moving to victim number three. “This woman has no external genitalia. He hacked the hell out of her too.”
Elizabeth stared down at the mess the killer had made. “Yeah, the crazy train has just pulled in,” she stated, as they moved to the forth victim.
There was a jar beside his head. “From first look, nothing is cut off.”
She already knew. “Well, since I’ve been to this rodeo before, I can tell that our victim isn't missing his eyes. There’s no indentation,” she stated. “So, I’ll guess that his tongue was cut out.”
Zane pried his mouth open. Rigor had relaxed, and he was able to get a good look inside. “Yeah, it’s gone.”
Callen was confused. “What do male and female genitalia, a heart and tongue have in common?”
She had no idea.
“Uh, Directors?” called Jaxon. She’d gotten the lid off. “You’re not going to believe what’s in the jar,” she stated.
“The heart?” they all said together.
“Uh, other than that. May I, Doctor?” she asked the ME, hoping he’d let her do the honors. Already, she was fascinated.
He motioned for her to have at it.
Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) Page 13