Dying to Love (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 18)

by Morgan Kelley

  And then he’d get to the bottom of his wife’s lies and stop them.

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  Harvey Wellstone’s

  Home

  When they got there, the man was getting his paper. He must not have seen them pull up because he walked back up the drive, around the corner, and to wherever it led without even acknowledging them.

  “If memory serves me right, he was a scumbag hooker lover,” she stated.

  He laughed.

  “Yeah, I love him. You can tell. What I do know right now, just by seeing him is that time has not been his friend. Last time I interviewed him, he was Mr. Rich, and he had a butler.”

  Callen began running him as they sat in the car. “From the looks of his financials, when the economy tanked, he lost a lot of bucks.”

  “Awwww. Too bad.”

  “You really don’t like him,” Callen stated.

  “Nope. This brought it all back. I was distracted, but now I recall why I hated him.”

  “Why?”

  “He treats women like he can buy them. We aren’t property.”

  “You’re mine.”

  She punched him in the side.

  “I mean, I’m yours.”

  It made her laugh.

  “He has to be miserable. It’s sad when you have to walk your ass out to the curb to get your own paper.”

  Callen snorted. Security brought them their paper, or the dogs fetched it when they would actually listen.

  Together, they got out of their ride.

  “I don’t mean to do this here,” Callen stated, “but Ethan is about to blow. You know you need to tell him.”

  She was aware. “I lied to him again.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  Yeah, she was aware.

  “He didn’t say he loved me.”

  Callen had seen it with his own eyes, and that’s why he was worried. They had a rule.

  If you were going out, you told your spouse you loved them. It could be your final moments.

  Ethan opted to break it.

  That, there, was proof that he was ready to blow. One more thing, and he was going nuclear. Elizabeth needed to rectify this, and soon.

  “I can’t think about Ethan right now,” she stated, as if reading his mind. “I need to focus on this.”

  He got it.

  “Let’s go talk to this asshole. I’d tell you to stick close, but he looked like death warmed over. I’m sure you could take him, Tex,” he said, teasing her.

  Callen was trying to lighten her mood.

  She was aware.

  As they were walking up the sidewalk to the grand house, Callen’s phone rang. He answered it, but the call was breaking up. “Ethan, I can’t hear you.”

  “Know….who…we…have…”

  The call disconnected.

  Shit!

  “Was that Ethan?”

  “Yeah, there’s some interference here. I lost him.”

  “It might be important. Try over by the car,” she offered. “I’ll head to his door and see if he remembers me,” she stated.

  “Don’t go inside.”

  She laughed. “I’m not an idiot, and if he’s holding a water bottle…”

  “Sarcasm is duly noted, Elizabeth.”

  She went to walk away.

  “Hey!”

  She turned.

  Callen stared at her in the sunlight. She was battered, bruised, and a mess. Still, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you.”

  It made her smile.

  “I love you too, Callen James.”

  With that, he walked away, and she headed toward the door. As Elizabeth rounded the one set of shrubs, her warning bells in her head began going off.

  This was off.

  This was wrong.

  Her first instinct was to go for her gun. As she reached for it, she already knew it was too late.

  Before she could even get to her sidearm, she felt it.

  Someone was behind her in the vines. As she turned, ready to protect herself, she took the Taser barbs right to her neck.

  The electricity flowed through her, and it fried her already drained system.

  It took her to her knees.

  As she fell backward, he kept pumping her full of volts, refusing to let up. Then he stood over her. “Welcome home, honey. We’re about to celebrate our honeymoon.”

  And then, before she could even take a breath, he knocked her out.

  Callen made the call.

  When Ethan came on the line, he told him the good news. It was the first time that day where Ethan didn’t sound pissed.

  “We have him! The guy screwed up. He used a phone tied to a business he owns.”

  “Who is it?” Callen asked.

  “It’s Harvey Wellstone, your first interview, so don’t go in! Call for backup.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, his phone traces to his company. The tech department found him.”

  “We’re here now.”

  “Where’s Elizabeth?”

  Callen looked around. “Oh, shit! She’s alone and on her way to his door!”

  “Jesus! Callen! You weren’t supposed to leave her alone!”

  Yeah, he was aware.

  Callen raced toward the door. When he got there, he looked inside. He could see her lying on the floor, bleeding.

  “Elizabeth! Angel! Answer me!”

  Ethan could hear his brother. “What’s going on! Callen! Talk to me!”

  Callen went to pull his gun, and that’s when he felt it. Something poked him in the neck. As he turned, the whole world swam.

  He couldn’t speak.

  He began falling backward to the ground. As he stared up, the man stood above him.

  “If you don’t mind. I’m going to go spend time with my wife.”

  All Callen could think of, as the darkness came, was his wife and brother.

  It was now up to him.

  He’d really screwed up.

  Ethan heard the commotion.

  Then he heard the man speak, and his words froze his heart in his chest. Not only had the man who had been killing hookers taken his wife, but now his brother too.

  His spouses were both down.

  Ethan was in a panic. Reaching for his phone, he did the only thing he could.

  He called Broderick.

  “I need Harvey Wellstone’s address,” he said. “I need it fast. He has Elizabeth. I need you to get Johanna and get there.”

  “Can do, boss!”

  There was typing.

  “One seventy three Harmony Hills,” Broderick rattled off. “We’re on our way, boss!”

  Ethan raced out of his office, grabbing his two security guys as he passed them. Hopefully, his wife’s security detail was paying attention.

  If not…

  “My wife is in danger. Where’s her protective duty!” he shouted, as he raced down four flights of stairs to the basement where he’d parked his ride.

  “We’re on it, boss!” Liam said, pulling out his phone.

  Ethan couldn’t believe this.

  It was the final straw.

  He’d lost his wife.

  And for what?

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  Harvey Wellstone’s

  Home

  She was groggy.

  Her head hurt.

  It felt like a ton of bricks had fallen and landed on her. Elizabeth didn’t want to open her eyes, but she knew she didn’t have a choice.

  She was screwed.

  “Wake up, my love,” Harvey stated.

  “What the hell are you doing, Harvey?” she asked, opening her icy blue eyes. She was on her back, he was standing above her, and she knew this was bad.

  He looked loco.

  Where the hell was her backup?

  “If you’re wondering about your soon to be ex-husband, he’s fine. I just drugg
ed him. He’s outside.”

  “He’s going to kick that door in and beat you to death,” she muttered, reaching for her gun.

  It was gone.

  Great.

  “I’m not worried. See, my house has an excellent alarm and security system. Once these doors lock, they don’t open. They can’t kick them in, and the glass can’t be broken.”

  Terrific.

  She was trapped with Crazy.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “You were meant to be mine. No woman has ever said no to me, and you turned me down.”

  “That was fourteen years ago, Harvey. You aren’t my type. You clearly need help.”

  He howled in a rage and grabbed his head. “SHUT UP!”

  She closed her mouth.

  “SHUT UP!”

  Yeah, he was hearing something because she wasn’t speaking. Harvey was having a conversation with someone who wasn’t there.

  “Do you have syphilis?” she asked.

  Elizabeth knew the long term effects were the disease made you crazy. It destroyed the nervous system, and ate away at the body.

  Harvey had blisters on his face, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he had it all over his man junk too.

  There was no way he was touching her.

  Yeah, no.

  Harvey started pacing. “You’re going to marry me.”

  She laughed. “I’m happily married already. Sorry. I decline, and I’m going home.”

  Harvey stepped in front of her.

  “No, you’re not.”

  She sighed.

  And then she kicked up, booting him in the gut. Harvey went flying backward into the wall. Elizabeth pushed off the floor and got ready.

  She was about to battle for her life.

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  When he got there, the cops were there, Elizabeth’s team was on standby, and they were waiting for him.

  He didn’t get it.

  Where was she?

  He raced toward the EMTs to find his brother barely awake.

  “He was drugged, sir. He’s finally waking up.”

  “Callen! Where is she?”

  He turned his head toward the house.

  “We need to transport him,” the medic stated.

  Callen’s eyes went big.

  “Wait. He goes in when she comes out!”

  Ethan began racing toward the house. At the door, Ivan was trying to kick it in.

  “It’s steel.”

  They could hear crashes, fighting, and all kinds of wailing going on inside. All they could see through the door was a large staircase and tile floor.

  There was blood on the tiles and drag marks.

  It made Ethan sick.

  He knew whose blood it was.

  There was another crash as he tried to bust the glass with the butt of his Glock.

  Nothing.

  Jesus!

  His heart was pounding in his chest. He had to get inside and to his wife.

  He needed to save her!

  “Get inside that house!”

  They were trying the best they could. There were five security guys trying to take the door off the hinges and kick in windows.

  Ethan was frantic.

  He could hear his brother coming toward him. When he glanced over his shoulder, Chris Leonard was helping Callen get to the door.

  “She’s locked inside.”

  “He has some security that seals the place up. It’s going to take us time,” Ivan said, pulling out his phone. “We have people who can get us in.”

  “How soon?” Ethan asked, as a chair came flying out the window upstairs.

  They all ducked.

  “Twenty minutes.”

  They didn’t have that.

  Then suddenly, it went silent.

  Callen wailed for his wife.

  “Elizabeth!”

  There was motion inside. They all stopped moving. At the top of the stairs was Elizabeth. She was battered, bruised, and covered in blood.

  “Jesus,” muttered Ivan.

  As she stumbled to the top of the stairs, she saw them.

  “What’s she doing?” Ivan asked as she was holding up her fingers in a series of numbers.

  Ethan began saying them out loud.

  “Zero.”

  “One.”

  “Two.”

  “Eight.”

  He got it. “That’s her birthday. It’s the code to get into the house!” Ethan blurted.

  Ivan hit the numbers on the keypad.

  Just as the doors unlocked, they saw him behind her.

  “Elizabeth!” Blackhawk yelled, as he entered the foyer.

  She spun to look at Ethan and didn’t see Harvey Wellstone behind her.

  Ethan pulled his gun.

  But it was too late.

  He shoved her so hard, she began to fall. Elizabeth hit each and every stair all the way to the bottom.

  Ethan pulled the trigger, and the bullet hit its target. Harvey Wellstone fell too.

  He landed not far from Elizabeth on the floor.

  They all raced toward her.

  Chris hit his knees and slid through the blood to get to her. Callen beside him. Elizabeth wasn’t moving, her left arm was at the wrong angle, and there was blood beneath her.

  “Oh, God!” Callen whispered, trying to focus and not vomit.

  Ethan dropped beside his brother, as his security guys handled the mess.

  “Baby,” he whispered.

  Chris touched her neck, fearing the worst. There were already tears in his eyes.

  This was bad.

  Very, very bad.

  Elizabeth Blackhawk was down…

  Epilogue

  Six Hours

  Later

  It was the longest day of either of their lives. After Elizabeth had been brought to the hospital, the mess had to be cleaned up.

  She was having surgery on her arm to repair the shattered bone. She was going bionic, with a steel rod and some pins. In about two months, she’d be back at it, and better than ever.

  So they hoped.

  The whole trip to the hospital was terrifying.

  She didn’t wake up the entire time. Callen and Ethan rode with her, each keeping a hand on their wife’s arm. It was hard to see her like this, but at least the case was over, and she was alive.

  It looked like she was going to be getting that vacation after all.

  She was on the wounded list, and she wasn’t going to be fighting crime for at least two months.

  As they sat in the hospital lounge, waiting for her, they were both a mess. Callen had one hell of a drug hangover, and Ethan was making sure the calls were handled, the President wasn’t shitting a brick, and the FBI wasn’t imploding.

  It was clear that he was under stress.

  He’d blown off all his meetings, he’d left the castle unguarded, and he’d told the media to kiss off.

  Yeah, heads were going to roll.

  Callen didn’t doubt it was going to be his. As of yet, Ethan hadn’t said more than five words to him.

  It was clear who he blamed.

  “Are you angry at me?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  Okay, so at least he was talking.

  “Because I let her get hurt?”

  “Yes.”

  “I didn’t know, Ethan. I stepped away for two minutes to take your call.”

  He didn’t want to hear it.

  Ethan was over this.

  He was over the edge, over his stress, and over the whole damn topic. Blackhawk was about to break.

  “I’m going to go get her bag from my car. Ivan dropped it off.”

  “Ethan.”

  “Don’t, Callen.”

  He closed his mouth.

  Great.

  The shit was already starting.

  When Ethan was gone, and Chris walked into the room, the mood was no better.

  “Is she okay?” Callen asked.

&
nbsp; “She’s alive.”

  “If she thought I was overprotective before, she hasn’t seen anything yet. I’m going to get us clothes that are attached.”

  Chris laughed.

  Finally, after the last few hours, he could. It had been one hell of a day.

  “They’re taking her to her room. She’s all fixed. Well, she’s battered to hell and back, but she’s awake.”

  “Is she giving them hell?”

  Chris looked over. “No.”

  That wasn’t a good sign.

  “Want to see her?” Chris asked.

  Did he?

  Hell, yes!

  He needed to see his woman. Callen needed to touch her face, see the freckles and icy blue eyes, and know she was safe. He needed to kiss her, and hold her hand.

  Callen needed her so he could start living again.

  “Take me to my wife.”

  Chris did.

  Gladly.

  Outside, Ethan headed toward his ride. The security team had brought it there for him. He was pretty sure the team was lurking, but they were giving him some space.

  It was probably a good thing.

  He was in a shitty mood.

  The world was crashing in on him. The weight of his job was making it hard to breathe, his brother nearly letting Elizabeth die was making him furious, and then her risking her life…again…it was putting him over the edge. Something had to give, and he prayed it wasn’t him.

  He needed a break.

  How hard was that to get?

  As he approached his Mustang, he saw something on the windshield flapping in the breeze.

  Going to the paper, he at first thought it was a flyer or advertisement.

  Only it was addressed to him.

  ‘Director Blackhawk,

  You should know what your wife has been hiding. She had a sexual relationship with her ME. That’s her secret. Ask her about the ten years they were a couple.

  I thought you should know.’

  His heart stopped.

  What?

  “Ten years?” he muttered, looking around.

  This couldn’t be happening. His wife had lied to him. What the hell was this? He couldn’t breathe. The thought that Chris and Elizabeth had been keeping this from him…