Both men stared at her. “You want the geek squad as back up?” inquired Chris. “Have you lost your mind?”
Elizabeth laughed. “Here’s my plan,” she said, breaking it all down.
Both men stared at her. “You want us to go to a strip club and sit there?”
Chris immediately walked over to her and touched her forehead. “No fever. How many fingers am I holding up?” he inquired.
“I’m going to fill the place with as many agents as possible. If I do, then we up the odds that the killer can’t grab Special Agent Christensen, Cyra Austin or myself. Plus it’s more eyes on the club.”
Tony Magnus began laughing. “We’re going to get to watch you play stripper? In front of your husband and boyfriend?”
Elizabeth let them get their chuckles out of the way. “Are we ready to be serious?”
“Sorry,” they both said, composing themselves.
“I need you both there to back up Julian, Callen and Ethan. I don’t trust many people to be focused on what needs to be done. If I throw a bunch of agents that don’t know me personally in there, they may not be focused on the job.”
Chris understood what they’d be focusing on.
“You guys have been my friends for years. You saw me dressed like Miss Kitty, and while you’ll bust my ass, you’ll also keep me safe.”
Both men nodded.
“Tony, I’m three months pregnant. The men are stirred up, and I need my friends to go in there and look around. Chris, you stare at dead naked bodies all day. You’ve always been there for me when I needed you medically, I trust you.”
Chris smiled at her. “I’ll do it, Lyzee.”
She turned her focus to Tony. “If you help me out, you can think of it like studying me.”
Now she was talking his language. “You’ll let me observe?”
All Tony really wanted was to do a paper on her relationship with Ethan and Callen. Apparently, fraternal polyandry was fascinating to her anthropologist.
“You’ve already been observing, and I’d bet my badge you already started writing a paper about us of some sort.”
He looked embarrassed.
“Will you help me, Tony?” she inquired.
“Elizabeth, we’ve been friends a long time. I would have done it without the offer to study your family unit.”
“Thank you both,” she said, hugging the men. Now she needed to talk two women into it too. “I’ll email you the details. You need to wear your guns, but make them inconspicuous.”
“Sure thing,” said Chris watching her leave.
“Which man is the father?” asked Tony, completely fascinated with the entire situation.
“I can’t tell you.”
“You know!” demanded Tony. “You did the pregnancy test didn’t you?”
Chris nodded. “I also did the DNA to give her the identity of the father, but I’m not telling you that either.”
“Man, you’re lucky.”
He had an idea. “Why don’t you make that part of the focus of your paper about them? When one man is the father of the offspring, is it evident or will both men take over the role as alpha paternal male simultaneously.”
Tony stared at him with awe. “That’s genius.”
Chris Leonard grinned. “Yes, it is. You can write the paper without knowing and being unbiased in your observations.” It also got Doctor Magnus off his back, and it kept him from breaking his promise to Elizabeth. Sometimes you had to think outside the box when it came to friendship.
Waiting for her in her office was ‘The Pussy Cat Club’s’ bartender and the stripper Trixie, she’d interviewed earlier. Both looked tired and not entertained about being summoned to FBI West in the early day.
Oh well, she wasn’t exactly all shiny and happy herself. I guess they all had to make sacrifices.
“Welcome to my place of business,” stated Elizabeth, taking a seat behind her big mahogany desk. “I apologize for calling you in here this early. I’m sure you both barely have been to sleep.”
“I hope it’s important,” muttered Chase. “I have to be back at work in five hours,” he stated.
Elizabeth stood and leaned over her desk. “Want to go to jail for pimping, Chase?” she asked, menacingly. “I can and will take you in right now.”
He looked worried. “No, I’ll shut up,” he mumbled.
“I need a little help with something, and you both have been elected to assist me in any way possible.”
Trixie looked confused, but then again Elizabeth didn’t really think that was a phenomenon.
“When is Fred off from work?”
Chase thought about it. “It’s different weekly, but the schedule has him off tomorrow night and Thursday night. Why?”
Elizabeth sat back down and crossed her legs. “I need to borrow the club. The killer is exclusively hunting for women there and I want to place three female agents in undercover both nights.” Elizabeth wasn’t going to tell them she suspected their manager. After all, he was videotaping strippers and using it to get off. A few of the dead women were on that tape. That put him right up there with Patrick Wells in the back of her mind.
Trixie laughed. “You think that any three women can do what we do nightly? I’m sorry lady, but you’re out of your freaking mind.”
“Listen, my idea of fun is not playing dress up. I like my gun, and I like arresting assholes. This isn't a party for me either. My question for you, Trixie is how good are you at your job? Can you take three women and make them fit in seamlessly?”
“It depends on the women,” she stated, nonplussed. “If they are beautiful women, then I can make them look like a stripper. But if they're uncoordinated and awkward then I’m not a miracle worker. Walking in platform heels isn’t for the faint at heart.”
Elizabeth got it. Picking up her phone she buzzed her husband. “Can you send Tori and Cyra into my office for a minute?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, disconnecting the phone.
Both women knocked and entered. Before Trixie could say anything, Elizabeth spoke, “Ladies, we need to do an undercover assignment in the strip club. Are you both willingly to do it?”
Cyra nodded. “I did vice on the strip for years. I’m in.”
“Count me in,” said Tori. She didn’t care either way, it meant keeping herself busy and not slipping into a blackout and embarrassing herself.
Elizabeth turned. “Here we are, Trixie. Can you do something with us?” she asked, standing beside the women she worked with.
“Let down the hair ladies. The men love it.”
All three did what she asked. Trixie came over and inspected them. She ran her hands through each womans’ locks. “Okay, we have to do something with these curls,” she said, talking to Elizabeth. “It’s way too much. Can we cut it?”
“Uh, hell no you can’t cut my hair!”
“Okay, then we’re going to straighten it and go from there.” Next she checked out Tori’s red hair. “It’s a little short, but we can get some clip in extensions and make it work.” Stopping at Cyra’s blonde locks, she shook her head. “Yours is fine as is, but we need to make it stand out more. Men like wild. We can put in some colors.
“Not happening. I like my boring plain blonde hair.”
Trixie shrugged and walked around the front of the women. “You're boobs are going to need padding,” she said to Cyra. Then she looked at Tori. “Are they real?” she asked copping a feel.
“Last I looked,” Agent Christensen replied, nonplussed.
As she stood in front of Elizabeth she checked out her chest. “What about yours?” Trixie pushed on them.
Elizabeth promptly grabbed hers back. “Yeah, but are yours?”
Trixie laughed. “You’re funny for some stuck in the mud FBI lady.”
“So they tell me,” stated Elizabeth. “The question is can you get us passable by tomorrow night?”
“Do any of you dance?” she asked, staring at all three women.
“I was a ch
eerleader,” said Elizabeth. I’m bendy and pretty athletic. Tori here was a soldier in the Army. She can carry your ass uphill four miles without breaking a sweat, and Cyra is violent and likes to punch assholes. Can you work with us?”
Trixie contemplated it first. “I promise no one will recognize you when I’m finished with you,” she said, moving back over to her seat.
“Good thing because my plan is to plant FBI agents in there too, as our back up, and I’d prefer they not be reminding me of this assignment for the rest of my life.”
“Be at the club by eleven in the morning. “It’s going to take us girls a few hours to get you three ready. Oh, and don’t forget to shave,” she said, walking out the door with Chase right behind her.
“I shave my legs all the time,” said Tori, not understanding.
Cyra and Elizabeth started laughing.
“Tori, she wasn’t referring to your legs,” Elizabeth winked, pointing down.
“OH!” she shook her head. “What have we gotten ourselves into?” Tori asked.
Elizabeth shrugged. “Unfortunately, we find out tomorrow.”
Ethan sat in his office with his brother and Julian, waiting for the women to finish talking to Elizabeth. Julian kept asking what they were meeting about. It was blatantly obvious he was super protective of Tori.
“Relax, Julian. They’re discussing part of the assignment,” stated Whitefox, working on paperwork .
“I get the distinct impression that you both know what’s going on in there and are specifically avoiding telling me. Now I just need to figure out if it’s for my own good or yours.”
“You’re paranoid,” stated Blackhawk signing off on the papers that the office fairy left for him. If he didn’t keep up with it, he’d be working all weekend.
“We’re all going undercover,” offered Callen, feeling his own blood pressure rise.
Julian didn’t like how they were forcing themselves to be calm. “Undercover doing what?” he questioned.
Just then the door to the office opened and two of the women entered. Elizabeth perched herself on the corner of her husband’s desk and smiled as Julian watched Tori silently. He didn’t have to say a single thing; the look on his face said it all.
Despite what everyone believed about her, she was a romantic at heart. Elizabeth was pretty sure that Julian had fallen in love with the woman.
“Everything’s worked out for tomorrow,” stated Elizabeth. “Tori, Cyra and I have to head over around eleven. Apparently, we’re sub-par as is.”
Tori winked at her boss. “She did like your boobs best,” she snickered, and then laughed even more when the men all looked up.
“Excuse me?” asked Blackhawk, placing his pen on the papers in front of him. “Please tell me that’s code for something. Like this is ‘operation better boobs’?”
Elizabeth started laughing. “She had to check out the goods to make sure we’re all passable.”
Callen wasn’t amused. “You’re beyond passable. You’re in a league none of those women can even compete with. You’re much too classy to be downgraded by a stripper.”
Julian stood up. “Okay, someone is going to explain to me right now what the hell is going on. If I have to put this together on my own, it’s most likely going to piss me off. The visual in my head is making me want to punch someone.”
“You didn’t tell him?” questioned Elizabeth.
“No we didn’t. We figured this was your plan, so you get to tell Julian. You enjoy riling up the Natives, it’s a late Christmas present from us to you.”
There was nothing but laughter on her face. “We’re all going undercover at the strip club. Tori, Cyra and I are dancing and you three plus the doctors downstairs are paying customers.”
Julian started laughing and then realized it wasn’t a joke. “Seriously.”
Both men grinned. “Oh, we assure you that she is dead serious on this one. In fact, it has already caused fights today.”
Tori pulled him back down to sit beside her. “I’ll be okay, Julian. You’ll be right there, and we can’t let another woman die because of this lunatic.”
Staring into her eyes, he silently weighed his options. They were on tenuous ground and Julian needed her to trust him. “Okay, I think it’s doable.”
“What?” Ethan and Callen said at the same time. They were both sure that Julian would side with them on this one.
“He’s picking women from the club then chances are he’ll strike again. If we’re all there then the women will be perfectly safe.”
Elizabeth crossed her legs. “This shoots my theory to hell.”
All three men looked over at her.
“You know, the one where I used to believe all Native men were pigheaded, irrational and didn’t have the ability to trust their partners. Julian just proved that it’s you two that are flawed.”
Julian started laughing. “Sorry guys,” he said, sitting back and holding Tori’s hand.
“Looks like we’re going to hang out in a strip club,” sighed Blackhawk.
“Yippee,” muttered Whitefox. “I can’t wait.”
~ Chapter Seventeen ~
All the way home in the car had been relatively quiet. Elizabeth knew both men were still unhappy with the undercover assignment, and if it was brought up, it would be a fight. So, no one spoke.
Once inside the house the normalcy of life returned. Callen was playing with CJ on the floor while Wyler took a break from being on kid duty.
Ethan stood in the kitchen in a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt, as he made dinner. It always caught Elizabeth off guard how the men in her life made her heart skip a beat. Ethan looked so comfortable just cooking for his family. It over whelmed her so much, she had to go to his side to give him a hug and a kiss.
“What’s that for, baby?” he asked, holding her protectively against him.
“I just sometimes take for granted that you both mean everything to me. I wanted to remind myself by hugging you.”
Blackhawk dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You mean everything to me too.”
“Are you still mad at me?” she asked, looking up into his eyes. “I hate to go to bed with anything between us.”
He placed the spoon down on the counter and held her against him. “Elizabeth, you know how I feel about risking your life. Then you toss in the entire ‘risking the baby’, and I get cranky.”
She laughed against his shoulder.
“Callen is taking this harder than I am, because you’re carrying his first child. If there’s anyone you should be having this conversation with it’s him.”
“I know, Ethan. I just wanted to make sure we’re okay first, and then I’ll tackle the harder man to conquer.”
Slowly he let his lips show her how he felt about her. When she melted against him and responded, he could have dragged her off to bed right there and then, making love to his wife. Alas, there were issues to be resolved and other hearts to heal. Breaking away, he stared down into the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen and got lost in them yet again.
Elizabeth ran her fingers across his cheek. “I love you, Ethan Blackhawk, and tonight you get to crawl naked all over me,” she whispered.
“I can’t wait,” he said grinning. When he wiggled his eyebrows lecherously she laughed. “Go cheer up Callen, and then we’ll eat dinner, tuck in CJ and play some wicked little bedroom games of our own.”
Elizabeth loved the sound of that.
Heading into the living room, she found Callen lying beside CJ, as he played with his ponytail. For a few seconds, she just sat on the arm of the couch, watching them together. There was no doubt in her mind that Callen was going to be an amazing father. Automatically her hand went to her stomach, as she thought about her life and her loves.
“You need to grow out your hair, CJ,” whispered Callen. “The ladies love long hair, so if you want to catch the hottest woman around, you need the hair to lure her in.”
“Do you really t
hink you need to teach our little man how to pick up the ladies at six months?” she asked, crossing to him and kneeling on the floor beside him.
Whitefox grinned. “I do, because you never know when he’ll meet the one. What if it’s on some play date? It’s best to always be ready.”
CJ continued playing with Callen’s hair, whipping it around and tugging on it.
“Do you think I’m going to be a good mother to your child, Callen?” she asked, staring into his eyes.
“Elizabeth! There’s no doubt in my mind that you will. Look at you with CJ. You did a great job with him. He’s perfect,” and then he got where it was heading.
“I need to know that you trust me. That deep down you believe that I’m a good enough mom that I wouldn’t risk my children, no matter what.”
Whitefox sighed. “I trust you. I’m just scared because you’re having my baby. All I’ve ever wanted in life was a woman that I could love, just like Ethan’s wife. Ironically, I got Ethan’s wife. That’s proof fate has a sense of humor.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“And children that weren’t bastards.”
She visibly flinched, believing they were well past this.
“I don’t feel that way, angel. I’m just telling you what I always wanted. Now I have everything I wanted, and you’re both my hopes and dreams. If anything happens to you then I lose everything.”
Leaning down, she began kissing him, offering him reassurance. Kissing Callen was very much like kissing Ethan, but just different technique. Her world rotated and before Elizabeth knew it, she was on her back with Callen over the top of her.
“I can’t stand the idea that I may lose you,” he whispered, gazing down into her eyes.
Elizabeth ran her fingers across his lips, and he lightly kissed them. “I’ll be safe,” she promised, as he brought his mouth to hers once again. Before she knew it, Elizabeth was lost in the kiss. Then she heard it, breaking the kiss and looking over at her son.
“Ethan, get in here quick,” she yelled, hoping CJ wouldn’t stop.
He ran like a maniac. “What’s wrong?” he said, looking around.
Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) Page 48