It ended with Landon Walsh being a dumbass when he tried to plow through a wall of media.
“Everyone out.”
It was all she had to say.
Chris and Tony headed toward the lounge, dragging Doctor Perette with him.
Merry dropped her specimen, and she hightailed it out of there with the detective in tow.
Then it was just Elizabeth and Callen.
When he went to speak, she didn’t give him a chance. Instead, she moved between his legs, grabbed him by the hair, and kissed him.
She left nothing to the imagination.
As Callen sat there, his wife devouring his mouth, he’d forgotten about his arm. How could he not?
When she slowly broke away, she ran her fingers over his lower lip. “Are you okay, my love?”
He grinned. “I am now. That was pretty hot. While we have the room to ourselves, want to get naked?” he teased, trying to lighten the fear in her eyes.
It must have worked.
She laughed in relief. What she saw could have ended badly had Landon Walsh been carrying a regular gun.
“Jesus, Cal!”
Elizabeth’s hands were shaking. Callen knew how terrifying that had to be. They’d all seen her covered in blood and hurt, and as a partner, and spouse, it was terrifying.
“I’m okay, angel,” he said, resting his forehead against hers. He gave her that moment to catch her breath. Honestly, he was impressed that she didn’t lose it.
“How bad is it?”
He kissed her on the tip of the nose. “Six little stitches. The sexy Fed babes dig scars. I’m hoping that later, I can get one specific girl to climb all over me. It’ll make me feel better.”
She stared up into his chocolate-y brown eyes.
“Deal.”
“Where’s your brother?”
Yeah, he was suspiciously missing.
“Why?”
“I’m going to kick his ass.”
Callen started laughing. “He’s with the suspect in a viewing room. I think he’s interrogating him.”
“Great,” she said, heading toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
She started laughing.
“Lyzee? Don’t do anything that we’re going to regret in a court of law!”
Oh, she wouldn’t.
Elizabeth had other ideas.
“I’ll be right back.”
When she headed out, Callen grabbed the T-shirt that was sitting on the table beside him. He had no doubt that something bad was going to happen. For his brother’s sake, he was going to find him and be his backup.
With their woman, you never knew what would happen. Elizabeth didn’t like when people broke her men. It tended to end badly.
Callen almost felt bad for Landon Walsh.
Almost.
His day was about to get worse.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Ethan was getting nowhere with the man, and it was getting frustrating. Normally, a suspect would cave after a few minutes of him staring at him.
Not this guy.
Landon Walsh didn’t want to play with him, and it was crystal clear the he was taking his right to be silent to heart. He’d yet to say a single thing to him.
This man was keeping his mouth shut.
He was pretty sure he was hiding something. The trickiest part was keeping the man from lawyering up. Once that happened, they couldn’t ask him anything at all.
It was a delicate dance that took finesse.
Just as he was about to push a little harder, bringing up the fact that he was going to jail for assault on a Fed, the door opened.
In strolled his wife.
“Are you done in here?” she asked.
Ethan stared at her. She had that look in her eyes. Maybe it was more like a gleam. That didn’t bode well for him, or Landon Walsh.
What also didn’t sit right with him was that she had strolled into his interrogation. That was a big no-no for any investigator. It meant one thing.
She was angry.
“Mr. Walsh was being very uncooperative. I was about to tell him how much trouble he’s in.”
“I want a lawyer,” he muttered.
Well, there went the whole process. Ethan was pissed. Now the interview was officially over.
Elizabeth stared at her husband. “I guess, I’ll make sure he gets his wish. I’ll take him into jail. He can talk all he wants to his attorney,” she stated, cracking her knuckles.
Crap!
His wife was going to…
Before Ethan could say a word, Elizabeth had yanked Landon Walsh to his feet. The man didn’t put up a fight. It was probably a good thing considering he wasn’t that large at all. Elizabeth had a good three inches on him, and in cowboy boots, she looked imposing.
“Elizabeth,” he warned. He saw the gleam in her eyes, and he knew this was going south, and fast.
“Oh, don’t worry, Cowboy. I’m going to take really good care of our friend here. He’s going to get the gold star treatment from me.”
Her husband’s face said it all.
Still.
She was pissed.
Yeah, Ethan was going to want to tear her three new ones, but she wasn’t happy that her husband could have been killed. Had Landon been wielding a gun that held bullets, this would have ended differently. If that had been the case, Callen would have been shot in the stomach.
He could have died.
No.
He would have. Stomach wounds were a bleeder in the making, and rarely did a cop recover from it.
“Uh, Elizabeth.”
“Don’t worry, Ethan. I’m going to make sure I give him a tour of this facility before we head to jail. It’s the least I can do being the hostess.”
She yanked her handcuffs off her belt, kicked out his legs, and fastened his arms. “Mr. Walsh, we need to have a talk.”
He smirked at her.
Oh, she’d wipe that look off his face.
“IN PRIVATE.”
Before he could speak, she pulled him from the room to do exactly as she planned—give him one hell of a tour.
“Where are you taking me?” he asked.
Elizabeth was bringing him into the morgue that was attached to the room Ethan had been using. Once she got him in there, she shoved him into one of the metal tables where autopsies were performed.
It slid against the wall with a crash, and he went with it.
“Let’s have a little chat.”
“I’m not talking to you.”
She started laughing. “Okay, well, then I’m going to make you talk. This is a morgue. Do you know what happens in a morgue, Landon?”
He swallowed.
She didn’t miss the fear in his eyes. The man looked about ready to piss himself.
Good.
“Well, let me tell you all about it. People come here when they’ve expired. What that means is when some asshole does something stupid, like tasering a Fed, that person gets sent here to be autopsied.”
Elizabeth walked to the wall of coolers. She hoped there was an empty one.
“Why did you run?”
He closed his mouth.
“Nothing? Okay, let’s play the game.” She knew her husband was watching her. She could feel Ethan’s eyes on her through the window. It was likely he was gauging how much paperwork was coming.
Oh, it was going to be big.
She wasn’t going to stop until he spilled it, or shit himself. At this point, she’d take either.
It looked like the Federal government was going to be paying for this man’s therapy in prison.
“Run him, Ethan. I want to know everything,” she said, not even looking at the glass. There was a tap.
Her husband gave her the signal. Oh, he was going to do it, but he wasn’t going to be happy if she put marks on their suspect.
“I’m going to find out what you’re involved in, and why you opted to use a Taser on a Fed,
and then run. I’m also going to make sure you cry. That part is my consolation prize for having to see my husband covered in his blood. Now I’m going to be covered in yours.”
The man looked worried when she pulled open the drawer. Then he looked even more freaked out when she grinned like a crazy person.
“Wait!”
“Oops. This one is occupied,” she said, much to Landon’s horror. “I guess I can’t put you in there. I’ll have to pick a new one. We wouldn’t want you sharing a bunk with this chopped up murder victim.”
Granted, there was no one in there, but he couldn’t see that from where he was standing.
The man made a whimpering noise.
She was on the right track.
“Now, Landon, why did you run?”
Nothing.
She pulled open another one and it was empty too. Still, she kept the act going. “Eww—a dismemberment. It looks like he’s been in a car accident. That’s gross,” she muttered, slamming it. “I guess I can’t put you in there either.”
Landon Walsh looked freaked out. “What are you doing? You can’t keep me in here! I have rights.”
She laughed in his face.
“What am I doing, you ask? I’m lookin’ for a place to shove you until I decide if I want to take your ass to jail or kill you for breaking my damn husband!”
She yanked another drawer open.
“Great! This one is empty.”
He looked worried.
“Now, why the hell did you run?”
She walked toward him, yanking him off the table. When she began dragging the fighting man toward the morgue cooler, he started spilling it all.
Apparently, he thought she was going to do what she promised.
“I had some trouble with a guy in town. I owed him some money, and he wanted my help.”
“Your help with what?”
“Moving some goods.”
She shoved him against the sliding cooler tray. “In you go.”
“Okay! Black market shit! He’s a fence, and I was a runner for him.”
“What the hell were you doing last night parked outside this morgue? You see, we have a killer and seven victims missing their livers. You tell me you sell shit on the black market, you know what I think?”
He swallowed.
“I think you’re running a ring of organ theft. I also think that breaking you will find me the person behind it because you’re a weasel-y little shit who couldn’t pull this off if he had an instruction manual and someone else’s brain.”
She dragged him closer to the drawer.
“NO! I swear! It was car parts. I unload stolen car shit! Nothing more,” he stated.
She pushed him against the open drawer, lifted his legs, and got him onto the sterile tray.
He began crying like a baby.
It wasn’t pretty.
“I swear! I’m not a killer. I just help the guy find cars to boost. I wouldn’t hurt a fly. I can’t even watch horror movies. They scare me.”
“Well, then this is going to be your worse freaking nightmare. I hope I don’t forget I put you in here. That would be a damn shame.”
He wept even more. “I’m innocent of murder! I swear. I’m only a thief!”
“Prove it!”
“In my house, I keep a detailed log. There’s a book. When the Indians knocked, I nearly shit myself. I really thought they were onto us, and I had to get away. I didn’t hurt him too much. It was just to escape.”
At the use of her least favorite word, she started sliding the drawer closed. “Tsk tsk. Someone forgot his American history. It’s Native Americans, not Indians.”
He began panicking.
“Wait! I’m afraid of small spaces. I’ll have a panic attack and pass out!”
Elizabeth laughed. “Well, you’re going to a damn small cell where you and your new BFF Bubba will be getting intimate with your very small spaces. Bring lube and Xanax!”
At that point, he was a snotty mess. “I didn’t do it! I swear I didn’t kill anyone!”
“Why were you outside the morgue?” she asked, one more time. The drawer was almost all the way into the cooler at this point, and Landon was so white he was nearly transparent. Someone was going to have one hell of an anxiety attack. If he pissed his pants, she wouldn’t be shocked.
Good.
Mission accomplished.
“Why were you parked outside this morgue?” she asked one final time.
“I was scoping out wheels. I drive around as I’m doing my cab job, and I make note of any vehicles that might make us some cash.”
“Did you see anyone coming or going out of the morgue? He was dressed in all black and carrying a large specimen container.”
“No! I swear. I didn’t. I promise! Don’t leave me in here. I didn’t do anything! I’m sorry I broke your husband,” he said whimpering. “Just don’t leave me in here!”
She wanted to close him inside in the worst way. Only she knew there was a fine line between intimidation and a lawsuit. Already, she was skirting it.
Elizabeth pulled out the tray. “My husband, the one you didn’t break, is running you. If I even suspect you lied, you’re going to stay in this cooler. Not that you’ll know because I’m going to rip your liver out through your face and feed it to your ass. Am I clear?”
He nodded.
“Sit on that table over there, and if you move, you’re going in the box.” The man scrambled toward the table and struggled to get on top of it.
It was comical.
Hell!
She wanted to laugh her ass off.
“Stay!”
He did just that.
Heading toward the door, which led to the waiting room, she was pretty pleased with herself. When she walked in, there were two Blackhawk boys waiting for her.
“That was super-hot,” Callen stated, laughing his ass off. “I almost feel sorry for him. A super sexy woman schooled him, and not in the fun, sweaty way.”
Ethan was shaking his head. “You’ve just made him impotent for the rest of his life. He’ll never get another erection with a woman again. You just ruined his sex life.”
She shrugged. “Hey, you wanted details. I gave you details. Did he check out?”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah, he did.”
“Well, get the detective to have a cop take him in, charge him with assault on my sexy Native lust monkey, and we can call that a dead end.”
Ethan offered her a fist bump. “Tex, thank you for not causing too much paperwork. I was praying you didn’t close him in that cooler.”
She snorted. “I aim to scare, not make him rich with a lawsuit. He was easy. It was almost not worth breaking a sweat.”
Ethan headed out, but before he did, he lifted her chin. “I love you. Every day, I love you more.”
Her heart skipped. “Same here, Cowboy. Same here.”
Ethan gently kissed her, and when her arms went around his waist, all the anger was gone. She felt so damn good against him.
This was worth all the stress of thinking she was going to get the man sprung on police brutality.
When he set her mouth free, they were both breathless.
“Later, baby,” he said, really missing that physical contact that he craved.
“You better believe it.”
With that, he set her free and headed into the room to retrieve Landon Walsh. He was going off to processing, and to give the local cops the name of his fence. They’d gotten a criminal off the street for the NOPD.
This was no longer their problem.
Thankfully.
When he was gone, Callen opened his arms. “You know I have to maul you now, right?” he asked.
She snorted. “A girl can always hope.”
Callen yanked her toward him, and she landed against his torso. His mouth sought hers, and when lips touched lips, there was that heat.
It rushed through both of them as they kissed.
Callen wrapped his arms around
her body, and she did the same with his neck. As mouth mated with mouth, he lifted her off the floor until it was simply her toes touching.
He devoured.
She returned the favor.
This was worth six stitches any day to him.
Hell!
He’d take a hundred for a moment like this. Making out with his babe was always a great motivator.
Someone moaned.
It was time to break away, before it went further than it was supposed to. While Callen wouldn’t mind taking her right there and then, he knew it was a horrible idea.
Besides, a little abstinence would make the evening that much hotter.
It wasn’t easy, but he released her mouth.
Breathlessly, he whispered what was in his heart. “When I was falling, I was thinking about you. You’re my main thought all the time. You’re my all, Lyzee.”
Her heart skipped.
Here was her poet, and he was safe. That’s all that mattered. It put life into prospective.
When he lowered her to her feet, she still held on. Lovingly, she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. He smelled like cologne and the normal scent of his skin.
“You need to be more careful.”
He lifted her chin. “Angel, I was okay.”
Callen knew what it was like to have that bone-crushing fear. He’d watched the news report where she’d almost been hurt. It was tough working with your spouse for this reason.
“Want to head back to the B&B to get nekid with me?” he teased, grabbing a handful of her ass. When she rubbed against the front of him, brushing his erection, Callen regretted his choice of not taking the kiss further.
He must have hit his damn head.
She snorted at his lecherous comment. It was totally a Callen thing, and she loved that about him.
“I can’t. As much as that turns me right on, we have a situation.”
Callen didn’t like the way that sounded.
He really didn’t like when she stroked him through his jeans in an attempt to distract him from what she’d just said to him. That was always a bad thing.
Elizabeth rarely used sex as a way to distract. That wasn’t her style.
“Angel, what happened?”
She grinned at him.
“Oh, Jesus. It’s going to make my brother lose his damn mind, isn’t it?”
Blood Shall Run (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 15) Page 37