Devil Hath Come (an FBI/Romance Thriller ~book 7)

by Kelley, Morgan

  When he saw her, the voice in his head screamed in demand. She was the one and his master had to have her.

  She was perfect for so many reasons, but mostly because there was a secrecy about them, and that intrigued him. No one could find anything out about her, but he had. When it came to what he needed, the woman must be flawless, so that when she lost to him, it would only be that much better. He’d made the bargain with the devil and now he needed to follow through. The woman he found was beautiful, smart and successful.

  When you made an offering, it had to be the best you could find, and no one could top this one.

  She would be his crescendo and final victory.

  If she could defeat him, there was no doubt that he would be the one going to meet the all-powerful one.

  But… if he won the battle then he’d be stronger.

  The devil promised.

  He’d heard the words in his dreams. They bounced about in his brain as a reminder of who owned him.

  He had the mission, the ultimate prize and the goal in sight. Now, it was a matter of luring her there. He’d watched her enough to see that she was proud, bossy and possibly arrogant. When it all came down to it, there’d be one way to draw her to the trap.

  To get her attention, all he needed to do was openly challenge her.

  He already knew that she would never come alone. The men who surrounded her would never agree to that. She wore their matching rings and was the apple of both of their eyes.

  Well, now she was his too.

  Or she would be shortly.

  As he finished with the carving, he slipped into a pair of gloves and left the carefully worded note tucked into the wound in her throat.

  It entertained him that it was held perfectly like a place card at a table. The invitation was set, and now it was only a matter of getting the woman to come to him and begin the chase.

  Releasing the quarters and setting the guardians free, he moved safely out of the circle. Stepping out of his clothes, he stoked the fire that he’d set earlier. He was well prepared for what was to come. The perfect scene must be set, and he’d hide any evidence of his existence there.

  It was time to eliminate the proof of what he’d done, and since his master lived in fire, what better way?

  If the media was right, all three were very good at their jobs and always found the killer.

  So, he’d have to be better.

  Tossing his clothes into the flames, he added the gloves and the wipes that he used to clean the blood from his face and arms.

  There were more sacrifices to plan. Murder didn't just plot itself. His laughter filled the night air. “Right, witch?” he asked the dead woman, as he enjoyed the screams that were forever saved in his mind.

  Scanning the scene he had set, he marked everything off his mental checklist. The fire would put itself out, and before long someone would find the woman and read the note. He’d done an excellent job, if he did say so himself.

  It was perfect.

  Staring at the note, he knew its importance. Once she was found, they’d call for the raven haired beauty and she’d come.

  There was no way that she would turn her back on a killing.

  She was one of those who fought for justice, and he was one who would triumph for the darkness.

  The battle was brewing.

  At this point, it could be anyone’s game.

  For now, he would bide his time and wait for her arrival. Soon, his final victim would show up, and he’d do what he’d promised. He would hand her over to his new God and claim his reward.

  It was time for Elizabeth Blackhawk to prove her worth.

  Or die trying….

  ~ Chapter One ~

  Monday Morning

  Seven days until Halloween.

  There was the even beat of footfalls as the quiet morning air was broken by their rhythmic syncopation. Together, they were running as a unit and like much in their daily lives, they had her tucked protectively between them.

  They were the guardians and she was the one who laid claim to their hearts.

  To the world they looked like three FBI agents getting in their morning exercise, but to those close to them, they knew the truth. They were a family and she was their core.

  Her breath puffed out in a steamy cloud and drifted up towards the heavens, as her heart pumped the blood through her body. There was nothing like forcing yourself to meet the morning with an excruciating dose of exercise.

  Running was both pleasurable and total hell. It fired off the endorphins; it toned the body and made you strong, but six miles was borderline torture. Since having children, her body had definitely changed, and so had her metabolism. As she became older, she needed to work for it more. Food had become fuel, and exercise had become a necessity.

  Unfortunately…

  As age ticked away and tacked more numbers to the count, this was the one way to counteract its effects. Now that winter was coming, they would only get a few more morning runs in before they had to head to the local gym to workout.

  For a while, they used the facility at FBI West, but it became irritating to be watched like you were under a magnifying glass. Getting a gym membership in town had assured that they could run and exercise without the stares of their employees. It wasn’t that she didn't enjoy tormenting and messing with their minds- oh, she did. It was just that when you had to get down to business and get back in shape, you didn't want everyone watching you like you were a circus side show act.

  They may be the bosses, but they were still the victims of rumors and open speculation.

  Today they opted to run outside, and now she was sandwiched between the loves of her life. Once they came out as a couple and family, Elizabeth had to defend them and her choices quite often.

  How can two brothers share the same woman?

  How can the man, who was betrayed by the other, forgive him and make the ultimate sacrifice?

  She had been deemed morally unjust in a world of the puritanically sin free.

  When it came to true love, she refused to question it or rationalize it. Let the haters hate and let the hypocrisy continue.

  She knew the truth and would stand by their choices.

  Their relationship all came down to the love they each felt for one another. Yeah, it was outside the box, but it worked for them. The two men beside her completed her. When Elizabeth first met Ethan, she never thought she could love anyone but him. She’d been wrong when Callen entered the picture. Love blossomed through friendship and the close bonds they all shared. They both equally held her heart and always would.

  To Elizabeth, they were both vital to her survival. Without the three, there could be nothing. It worked for them and didn't need to be rationalized, explained, or described to the world. When you loved someone, you did it unconditionally and threw caution to the wind. You gave them all you had, locking them deep inside your soul for all eternity.

  Let them be judged. Until people ran a mile in her shoes, they didn't understand the true meaning of family and love.

  Elizabeth could feel the muscles begin to burn in her body as the lactic acid pumped into her blood stream. God, she wished she had coffee before the run, but as usual, the everyday chaos just made her late.

  She had been back from maternity leave for a couple of weeks now, and boy was she glad. Having three kids under two was pandemonium. No, she didn't regret it, but yes, it turned their well-ordered lives upside down.

  There were toys everywhere from CJ. He was toddling and causing havoc. When he got into something, he made sure that he wrecked the place. Their one son was singlehandedly taking on the role of head destructor.

  Little Catherine was just sitting up, and her favorite thing was to chew on anything that she could get her hands on.

  Fortunately for Cat, CJ was more than willing to give her any little treasure he could find.

  Wasn’t that sweet of her big brother?

  So, they didn't just have to only watch
her, but now what he was trying to feed her. It ranged from keys, to shoes, and even stray O’s that he had tucked away for later feasting enjoyment.

  Then there was the smallest of the Blackhawk/Whitefox brood. Little EJ was still in the crying and eating phase. Whenever the three were together, bedlam would ensue. If there was this much chaos, screaming, and mess with them now, what was it going to be like when there were two kids beginning to drive and only three months apart?

  Oh hell, that was frightening!

  Three teenagers in cars at relatively the same time was going to break the insurance/car fund.

  Not to mention the terror and fear that was waiting for them.

  Elizabeth forced herself to stop thinking about it, or she’d make herself a nervous wreck. The idea of her babies behind the wheel of large projectiles was nerve wracking. She almost wanted to retch from the anxiety.

  Pushing it aside, she focused on their sweet little faces, as she continued the run. It made her laugh as she thought about what happened when she’d arrived at FBI West with two babies in tow.

  Catherine wasn’t her biological child, but she still found her way into the momma bird’s heart. The protective raven had a vicious twist laid out in the path before her, and she’d traversed it almost seamlessly.

  She’d adopted Catherine as her own.

  You would think that she had made a deal with the devil by the looks on the staff’s face, as she rolled into work to have lunch with the men. There was absolute silence, when they saw her pushing a double stroller with two small infants.

  Everyone stared.

  Eyes went wide.

  And the rumor mill went back into full force.

  Only her medical examiner and anthropologist knew the facts. They had told them what happened with Desdemona and Callen, only because they would have been the most persistent to find out the truth. Yes, he’d fathered a child right before they had their cataclysmic break up. Unfortunately for the child’s mother, she didn't survive birth.

  Luckily for Callen, he had found out about his child who would have remained hidden from him for who knew how long. There was never a doubt in any of their minds that she was now theirs to love.

  She was a Whitefox, and that’s all it took.

  They were an even bigger family, assimilating the little girl into the mix. She now had two men who loved her unconditionally and would stand in as fathers in her life. In fact, Ethan was over the moon about her. Often, they’d find him talking to her and cooing like a crazy person, as he kissed her little cheeks. It was amazing to watch, as the three who so many believed would implode, were building even more bonds to hold them together.

  They were a family and no different from anyone else. There was love, discord, and the same trials as in a normal couple. The Blackhawk/Whitefox tribe was ready to face anything, and generally did it on three hours of sleep.

  Her focus was brought back to the men running beside her. On her right was Ethan Blackhawk, and he was the backbone of their unit. His strength and fortitude helped hold them all up many a time. He was calm, strong, intelligent and a true leader. Elizabeth loved all of that about him, along with how her heart would skip whenever she saw him. There was something about the blue black eyes and raven wing hair that called to her. Nothing brightened her day like running her fingers through the inky silk.

  She couldn’t help it. There were days where it had become so obsessive, that Elizabeth had actually found herself hiding his hair ties, just so he’d have to wear it loose to work. He had accused her, but as of yet he didn't find proof or her hiding spot.

  And he never would, if she had anything to say about it.

  Ethan was far more than just a sexy Native. He was her rock when she couldn’t carry on. He was the one in life who she leaned on for support. With just a look, he always knew what was living inside her and managed to heal, support and love her so much that nothing bad could touch her.

  Ever since meeting him, she just knew that they belonged together.

  He was one of her true loves.

  Then there was the man to her left. She grinned, knowing how much he hated running. The six miles was brutal, but for him it was pure torture. Callen Whitefox was more the weights and light cardio kind of man. Elizabeth gave him credit. Despite it all, he was holding on and keeping up.

  There was no doubt in her mind how he was pulling it off. He was a sucker for her in a pair of running shorts.

  Callen gave her joy and laughter in her life. He was so happy go lucky, that he could find the good in just about every situation. Of the three, he was the most calm and rational. When bad things reared their ugly head, he would find a joke or way to make them all laugh. He was her comic relief and able to melt away her stress with just a look.

  She was watching him from her peripheral and the swing of his long brown ponytail had her enthralled. Again, more hair lust filled her. Where Ethan’s hair was growing out and past his shoulders, Callen’s was to his mid-back. There was an obsession with his silky lengths too. Often, she’d find herself just lying between them with his hair tickling her flesh and her fingers buried in it to play. It drove her wild and made for even hotter sex, in her opinion.

  It wasn’t his only asset in her book. There were the deep chocolate brown eyes and angular features that spoke of his ethnicity.

  Both men were from the same father, but the obvious resemblance wasn’t there. Yes, they had the same lips, ears and body structures, but Callen screamed Native, while Ethan’s heritage was more subdued. A Caucasian mother had tempered the sharp angles and lines in his features.

  Either way, both men were sexier than sin and fired everything in her body when they were near. ‘Mr. Suit and Tie’ made her heart flutter, when he was all dressed up and ready to take on the world, and ‘Mr. Beat Up Jeans’ was ridiculously sexy in his boots and polo.

  It was like having the best of both worlds wrapped up in two very sexy separate packages.

  When it came down to it, Elizabeth was a lucky woman and she was damn aware of it. It was like going to Vegas and winning the jackpot.

  These two were the grand prize in the sexy Native lottery and she was the sole recipient.

  They didn't just intersect in their personal lives. When it came to work, the three were a force to reckon with daily. Ethan was the boss. Even though Elizabeth and he had the same job title and were technically equals, she deferred to him quite often. He was simply better at certain things in life. Micromanaging and control freaking fell under his jurisdiction.

  Have a problem? Ethan Blackhawk had four contingency back up plans ready to fix it and if they failed, then he would come up with a fifth in a matter of seconds.

  He was prepared for everything.

  It was their big joke that they would outlive the zombie apocalypse, just because he’d been planning for it for years. If you had to be on a team, you wanted Ethan leading it.

  Callen was the Director of Native American Affairs. Of the three, he traveled the most. It wasn’t fun when he left, but it was evident that the man had found his niche. Mediating and offering the Native community a bridge to the outsiders just came to him naturally. He was the referee in the unit. If there was a flare up, he’d be the one to fix it. You could trust Callen to be fair and just. It was just his nature.

  Then there was her role.

  Elizabeth wasn’t quite sure what she brought to the table when it came to the men. Sometimes, she found herself a little too crass, not nearly refined enough and generally a tad bit aggressive. It was more often than not, that Ethan had used her to intimidate the employees into compliance.

  It was like she was the hired muscle.

  Come to think of it, she was more than okay with that.

  Together, they were damn good at their jobs, and that’s all that really mattered. FBI West was running efficiently- well as operational as possible for a government entity. What mattered was their closure rate, and that they were solving assignments and catching the killers
. When it came down to it, the higher-ups would tolerate a great deal to show the world they were doing the job.

  The proof was in the numbers.

  Elizabeth focused back on the run, spotting the mile marker on the road. It was obvious that the men were taking it easy on her. They had much longer legs, but yet she was pulling ahead. If she could only hold out the next nine minutes, she could beat them back to the house and be victorious over the mighty men she loved.

  Now, it was time to concentrate.

  This race was hers, and she was about to make her stand for victory.

  Blackhawk grinned and his eyes danced with masculine humor as his wife pulled ahead of him and his brother. If anything, she was predictable. The last mile meant that she would try to race them. Oh, he’d let her have the head start. It was well worth it.

  The view was anyway.

  In his opinion, if he was going to run with his wife, the best place to be was behind her.

  After giving birth, she had fought hard to get her body back, and it was there and better than ever. When she had his son, she coasted through pregnancy, but with the last baby, she had been sick, tired, and worn down.

  Now, that wasn’t the case. The old vibrant Elizabeth was back but with a few alterations. Her body was no longer rail thin. She was curvy and lush and it made him all hot and bothered. Gone was the figure of a woman who had never brought forth life, and in its place was the form of a fertility Goddess. Yes, she was still the same size as before, but now she was perfected.

  There were dangerous curves everywhere, and he loved spending most of his time traversing them. Maybe it was the icy blue eyes and the riotous mass of curls, but his wife just turned him on wildly. Call it the male prowess in him, but she made his body come alive like none had before.

  Their love affair had been ongoing for over three years now. Together they had built something unique and powerful. What he felt for her was nothing less than awe. Here was the mother of his children, the keeper of his heart, and his soul mate.