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

by Kelley, Morgan

Then again, Chris had no one else to blame but himself. This was entirely his fault.

  He should have just gone home with her after the Christmas party instead of being a gentleman.

  Now he was paying for his stupidity.

  Big time!

  * * *

  He waited for her outside of her apartment. Tonight was the full moon, and he was certain that she would be heading to the celebration.

  If anything, they were all predictable. Witches would frolic naked in the moonlight for just about any reason known to man. Knowing their schedule was making it easy. He’d grab her now and stash her for later.

  If he were to disappear, it would ruin everything. For now, he was moving closer to his goal. Before anyone could stop him, Elizabeth Blackhawk would be the one who was being sacrificed on his altar. Only she wouldn’t get an inverted pentacle on her lovely skin.

  No, she’d get a dagger through the heart.

  That would only happen after he terrorized and completely enjoyed everything about her. She was going to be his ultimate conquest in his journey for power. There would be so much pain for her.

  He had studied her and knew his prey. It would take a lot to break her, but there was a way to do it.

  It would just take planning and timing.

  He would begin working on that shortly.

  Focusing on the woman, he watched her move towards the car. It worked out perfectly that she lived on the outskirts of town in the little cottage. It made watching her that much easier. He could come and go as he pleased, but most importantly, it would make the abduction simple.

  He waited for her to start towards her car, when she saw the flat tire, her cursing filled the night.

  Stifling his laughter, his eyes tracked her movement as she ventured right towards him. She was intending to walk to the circle. Wasn’t her dedication impressive?

  Now, she was only a few feet away from his hiding spot and within his reach. As she was about to pass by him, he swung out and struck her in the face. When his fist made contact with her cheek, she fell to the ground, dazed. Before she knew what was happening, he got to work. The least of his concerns were her screams. No one would hear her.

  “What? What are you doing?” she muttered as her hands were tied behind her back.

  He didn't answer. The only sound from him was the ripping of duct tape from the roll to cover her mouth.

  When the job was finally finished, he bound her legs and dragged her by her hair to his car. Her muffled screams were intensified by the pain that he was inflicting on her.

  “You and I have a date with the devil, witch,” he hissed.

  His laughter filled the air as he dropped her body into the trunk and slammed the lid closed.

  Now it was time to stash his victim and slip back into society as just one more average drone.

  No one would be the wiser.

  * * *

  Back at the hotel room, the three were attempting to read through all the reports that were finally in from the field team. Elizabeth was going over Chris’s breakdown of the victim’s altar and making notes for the white board as she lounged on the bed.

  Callen had taken sentry beside her on the floor. He picked that spot so she could play with his hair. It was free from the tie and behind him on the bed. Every now and then, Elizabeth would run her fingers through it, and it was giving him goose bumps. The familiarity was helping him ease the knot in his gut at what he believed was still coming.

  Ethan lounged not far away from Elizabeth and was diligently working on all the paperwork to keep FBI West up and running. Gabe didn't want to hear that they were out in the field. They were in charge for a reason, and that meant carrying the brunt of the load. Ethan had to admit that he was having a hard time concentrating, since Elizabeth’s toes weren’t far away. One of his big turn ons in life were the girlie colors that she always picked for their entertainment. It was that hidden femininity that made him crazy.

  They had yet to catch her painting them. Somehow, she managed to pull it off, and it only added to the allure. Today, they were autumn colors with little pumpkin decals on them. Every now and then he’d run his pen down the arch of her foot, just to hear her giggle.

  As he was about to suggest that they all get naked, his tablet beeped. There was an incoming video conference call and that meant one thing.

  Their home life was calling!

  Elizabeth was up so fast that both men had to laugh. Their woman loved her kids, and whenever she could see them, it brightened her mood.

  Hitting the connect button, the three lay on their stomachs and stared at the tablet as they waited for Wyler to come on the screen.

  “Hey Dad!” Elizabeth called enthusiastically.

  The older replica of her husband smiled and gave her the famous Blackhawk grin. “How’s my favorite child?”

  Both men began laughing at his comment.

  “Yeah, we’re well aware of who you love best and why,” Callen stated. “You do realize that she wasn’t the ONLY one involved in giving you grandchildren, right? We did help out.”

  Ethan laughed. “I’ve personally seen Callen’s performance. Based on that alone, trust me when I say, he deserves to be your least favorite.

  That earned him a punch as the men playfully fought.

  Elizabeth laughed at their antics. “As you can see, Dad, it’s the same old here, even two hours away. Your boys are proving why girls are far superior.”

  Wyler laughed. “I miss you three.”

  She missed him too. The man had seamlessly entered her life and took on the role as surrogate father, and she couldn’t imagine it any other way.

  “Want to see the kids? I think that I managed to get them settled down for a few seconds.” He turned the tablet and showed them his masterpiece. Each one was dressed like a pumpkin for Halloween.

  “Ohhhhhh!” Elizabeth wanted to reach through the tablet and kiss on each one of her babies. “They are so damn cute!”

  Wyler laughed. “Well, Halloween is coming up. I plan on taking them trick or treating.”

  Blackhawk believed that his father had lost his mind. “Dad, they don’t eat candy. Maybe CJ can handle a lollipop or M&M’s but really, do you want to give the kids pixie sticks full of sugar?”

  He shook his head. “Son, do I look like an idiot? I’m going to take them around to show off the finest Blackhawk and Whitefox children ever born. I don’t care about the candy.”

  “Hey!” both men objected, as they finally got the implication.

  Elizabeth snickered. “Good one, Dad,” she fist bumped the screen and earned one back. “Hey, where’s Bly? Is she making dinner?”

  Their housekeeper was generally hovering around. Wherever Wyler went, the woman was sure to follow. The man had earned a Native woman tail.

  The look on his face put them all on alert.

  “What happened?” Ethan asked, going absolutely serious. The control freak in him was prepared to have to fix some sort of situation that was obviously brewing.

  Wyler sighed. “I have some bad news regarding her.”

  Now, all three of them were sitting up and waiting for him to drop some big scary bomb. In their minds, of course they went with the worst case scenario. They were cops, and that generally lead to more morbid thoughts.

  “Today the kids were napping, and I was,” he paused, trying to figure out how to even bring it up.

  “Go on, Dad,” Callen urged.

  “I was having another slice of pie.”

  The phrase alone almost invoked laughter, and it would have been outrageous giggles if the man didn't look serious. That was their euphemism for Wyler having sex with Bly. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate to laugh at that exact moment.

  “Okay,” Elizabeth said cautiously, waiting for it. She hoped that the woman didn't fall out of bed and break a hip.

  “Bly brought up the topic of marriage.”

  “Uh oh,” they all said together.

  Each of them kn
ew where this was heading. Wyler had been married at one time to Ethan’s mother. After he cheated on her with Callen’s, he ended up divorced. Three decades ago, he swore that he would never get married again, and he was sticking to it.

  He’d had his one shot at his true love and knew that he had squandered it. Since then, he had vowed to remain a bachelor.

  “I told her it’s not ever going to happen.”

  The three of them didn't make a move. This was one of those things that needed no outward celebration. As much as they were happy the man had found companionship, they weren’t all convinced that they wanted Bly to be their new ‘mommy’.

  “Needless to say, she got up and threw a bunch of carved figurines around the room, and informed me that I was a bastard. I’m not shocked, since I’ve heard that all before from other women I’ve slept with.”

  Elizabeth didn't like the hurt on his face. “When I get home I’ll make her bleed just for you, Dad. I’ll kick her up and down the Rez for being a bitch.”

  Wyler didn't miss a beat, “And that is why Elizabeth is my favorite,” he said laughing.

  “Hey! We can’t beat up a sixty year old woman. There are rules,” Callen stated.

  “Is she coming back, Dad?” Ethan had to worry about the kids. Could his father handle it alone? There were three small children at home with an older man.

  “I have this. Your children are angels. They must get it from their mother.”

  She snickered and gave both men a warning look to keep their lips zipped.

  “If she doesn’t show up tomorrow, I’ll let you know. I think I can handle it. Look at them now. CJ is eating Cat and EJ is face down on the floor.”

  “What?” Callen shouted in alarm.

  Elizabeth and Ethan started to laugh.

  “Bro, you need to relax. He busts you all the time. Do you really think that he would sit there calmly if they got hurt? Favorite or not, Elizabeth would hunt him down and skin him alive.”

  Wyler laughed. “Not likely, I’m her favorite too.”

  “Dad, I’m going to email Ginny at FBI West. If you can’t handle it, she’ll head over and play with the kids or escort you and them into the daycare facility.”

  “I can do this,” he reassured them. “Let me try.”

  The three of them knew that Wyler was trying to atone for his past and sins that haunted him. Abandoning his sons was his greatest regret in life, and he viewed his grandchildren as a second chance to rectify his selfishness. He damaged his boys, but he was going to protect their kids.

  “Okay, Dad,” Callen answered.

  Just then two kids began to cry.

  “I have to go. The bosses call! I love the three of you and can’t wait until you get home.” With that he signed out.

  The three of them sat there mulling over everything that they’d just learned.

  Finally, Elizabeth broke the silence. “Is anyone in the mood to do cartwheels that Bly might be gone for good?” she asked. “Or is it wrong to feel that way.”

  Ethan laughed. “I’m okay with you getting all giddy over her departure.”

  “Count me in. She had a mean streak. She washed three of my polo shirts with my red boxers, and on purpose,” Callen stated.

  “We may have to hire a new housekeeper,” stated Elizabeth, “and this time, I get to pick. You two did a shittastic job on the last one.”

  Ethan wanted to point out one little thing, “She was hired because of dad’s suggestion. We took one for the team, so that he could have pie on a regular basis.”

  Callen snickered even more. “Apparently a few times a day too.”

  When Elizabeth went to make a comment, Ethan covered her mouth.

  It bought Callen time to continue, “Well, now that he told Bly that she wasn’t becoming the next Mrs. Blackhawk, his rolling around naked days are long gone. That woman holds a wicked grudge.”

  Today was turning out to have a far better ending than beginning. “Know what I’m in the mood for, boys?” she crooned, getting both of their attention.

  “What?” they replied at almost the same time.

  “Pie.”

  Callen wanted to be clear on her exact meaning. “Are we talking real pie or Blackhawk pie?”

  She wiggled her eyebrows lecherously.

  Ethan didn't hesitate. He pounced on Elizabeth and began kissing her. It was time to celebrate their freedom from their housekeeper’s reign of terror.

  “Hey! Save me some pie too,” Callen insisted as he began pulling off his clothes as his brother heated up Elizabeth for what was yet to come.

  Blackhawk mumbled something into her neck.

  “What?” Callen asked, taking his position beside them.

  Elizabeth was laughing as she translated his comment. “He said he really loves pie.”

  Yeah, that made two of them.

  Chris stood in the hallway, glaring at his watch. He couldn’t believe that he got trapped at work until this late at night. He didn't get to have dinner with Cyra, or anything else that was on the agenda.

  It almost made him want to weep.

  He stood there, staring at her door. In his head, he was trying to figure out the proper method of apologizing for blowing off their date. He’d sent a text, but she never replied.

  That wasn’t a good sign.

  He turned and moved back towards his room as his heart filled with dejection. Then, he stopped. No, he was going to at least tell her he was sorry and explain what had happened. The last time he allowed space between them, he’s missed almost a year of having her in his life.

  There was a lesson to be learned from that one.

  Walking to the door, he lightly tapped. If she was already asleep, he didn't want to wake her up.

  When the door opened, she stood there in her pajamas and he swallowed. Never had anyone looked so sexy in pink plaid flannel and a tank top. “Cyra, I’m so damn sorry. I couldn’t leave the lab. It’s part of my job to assure that it runs smoothly. I know that I screwed up, and you’re probably incredibly pissed off at me, and I don’t blame you. I’ll let you go back to bed and see you in the morning.”

  She waited for him to finish. “Are you done, Christopher?”

  He swallowed and braced for the anger. “Yes.”

  “I ordered us a pizza, and I hope that you’re okay with it being cold. I went with pepperoni.”

  He didn't know what to say.

  Could he really be this fortunate?

  Cyra held out her hand and granted him access to her room. “We’re both going to have nights that we have to work late. I’m not mad at you Chris. It’s the element of the beast. You sent a text telling me you were stuck there and you still showed up as soon as you could. You didn't do anything that needs an apology.”

  He’d either just got very lucky or this was a dream. Dropping his messenger bag, he kicked off his shoes.

  “We can eat pizza in our jammies,” she stated before grinning wickedly at him. While he was at work, she had plenty of time to think about him. As she waited in her room alone, Cyra had plotted out a few scenarios that would push their relationship further, and she believed she’d come up with the perfect one.

  He opened his mouth and then closed it. Chris liked to sleep naked, but he wasn’t going to say that. It was better to tell a little white lie on this one. “Cyra, I sleep in my boxers.”

  She started laughing and enjoyed the flush that crept up his neck. “Well, if you want dinner, then I suggest you strip down to them. Are you chicken?” she dared, chewing on her lower lip as she fought not to giggle.

  There was no way in hell that he was going to over think this one. There was a beautiful woman, a pizza, and a bed. He was a smart man. It all added up to the same thing.

  Sex.

  Cyra was handing him the keys to the kingdom, and he wasn’t screwing this one up again.

  Stripping, he tossed his clothes over a chair as she jumped onto the bed to get comfortable. Before he finished, she’d had the
pizza open and was waiting for him.

  “All we need is beer.”

  “Check the mini fridge.”

  He’d died and gone to man heaven. This had to be a dream. Right now, he was certainly asleep at the morgue and not really living this incredible moment.

  He popped two open and handed her one. Joining Cyra, he took the pizza. “I’m glad you waited up for me.”

  Cyra wouldn’t have missed this moment for her life. It was her plan to get him into bed, and even if this was far as it went, it was one step closer. At least they were progressing in the right direction.

  It was hard to not stare at his body. Chris wasn’t ripped like some exercise fiend, but he was in really good shape. Cyra wanted to run her lips across the muscles on his hips.

  “So, tell me about your family, Cyra,” Chris said as he ate his pizza. “Do you have a big one?”

  She sipped her beer and tried to cool down from the lust induced fantasies bouncing around in her brain. “I have a brother and sister. When I was little my mom died of cancer, but my dad is still alive and remarried. So, yeah, we have a big group of Austins.”

  He was glad that she had a close circle. He’d always wanted siblings as a kid.

  “How about you?” she inquired.

  Chris didn't have much to say on this topic. “It’s just my mom. My parents ran away and got married really young. They had me before they were both twenty. As you can imagine, their families weren’t really pleased. When I was about four, my dad was out on a motorcycle and lost control. He died instantly. He was foolish and believed that a helmet cramped his style. After he died, my mom never remarried. She had a boyfriend here or there, but nothing long term.”

  Cyra knew how it felt to lose someone you loved. “I’m sorry, Chris.”

  “I was so young. I don’t really remember him all that much. I have photos, but that’s about it. Time heals, but it also fades the memories too.”

  She touched his cheek in reassurance.

  “Then my mom needed to escape and she took me as far from the family as possible. I was born on the west coast, but grew up out east, so moving out here to work at FBI West was like coming home.”