If it were up to him, he’d get her back to her dorm room and naked beneath him.
“Am I? Why?” she asked, pretty sure she knew what he was going to say. After all, this was the man she put her faith in for over a year. Partners had a very special bond.
He held her life in his hands.
“Are you wearing your com?” he asked, before he went further.
“It’s in my pocket,” she stated, knowing he didn't want her current partner eavesdropping.
Could she blame him?
Besides, she didn't want anyone listening to them either. They may be working, but out in the field, it had always been them, and that was good enough for her.
“What you did in my room, leaving me all stirred up… well, that’s torture.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. It was something she always wanted to do, but before now couldn’t.
It was really nice.
Johanna started laughing.
“Don’t get me wrong. I love your mouth on my body, but now I’m just horny.”
“I guess I’ll have to put you out of your misery later, now won’t I?”
The rest of him tightened in need. Those were words he could seriously look forward to as they got him through the day. “Promise?”
“Absolutely, Brody.”
“When you were gone, I felt like I was dying, and I don’t mean today. I mean all those weeks ago.”
His out of the blue statement caught her off guard.
“In fact, I wanted to die each and every day. It was like something inside of me was broken. I’m finally able to breathe again, Joey. So, please promise me that you’re staying. I don’t want to relive all this again.”
She took his hand in hers before placing it in her lap. “I’m not going anywhere, as long as you’re okay with the truth. I’m not going to be like any other girls you meet, Brody. I can’t give you everything you deserve. I still think you’re getting a bad deal, but you’re so stubborn.”
She wished she could, but the truth was the truth.
“You should know something, sweetheart. I won’t run. If it comes down to keeping you safe, and that includes your heart, I won’t leave your side. Everything that happened to you only makes me want to love you more—not less.”
She sipped her coffee.
“How bad was the cancer?” he asked, needing to know. While he wouldn’t ever leave her side, he still wanted to know what they were up against should it ever come back.
“It was scary. They caught it early enough, thankfully, but it wasn’t easy. I always feel like I’m missing a piece of myself. It’s like I’m not whole.”
He turned her chin to stare into his eyes. “Let me be that piece. I’ll fill your life and make you complete. Just believe in me.”
Her heart skipped in her chest. “Oh, Brody,” she murmured, accepting what he had to offer as they sealed it with a gentle kiss.
“I’ll protect you.”
She didn't doubt it.
“How did you get past the FBI medical exam?” he asked.
Johanna laughed. “I have no idea. The doctor came in, did his exam, but never asked me any questions about previous conditions. Maybe he assumed no one would try and pass the testing if they’d had issues in their past. All I know is I didn't say anything, and he gave me the okay.”
“So, you’re…”
She finished for him, “Hollowed out like a cantaloupe, yes.”
Brody thought about it and wished he’d been there for her when she faced something so very scary.
“If he didn’t pass me, I never would have met you.”
He didn't agree with her at all. “Our paths would have crossed, Joey. You were meant to be mine. I might have walked into you in a bar, or saw you at a baseball game.”
“Yeah, maybe on one of those kiss cams with my then boyfriend,” she teased.
“Yep, and then I would have had to kill him in the parking lot, or better yet get him sent to jail on some trumped up charges.”
She stared openmouthed. “Umm…”
He laughed. “Just go with it.”
It was probably time to be blatantly honest. “Remember earlier, when I mentioned that we didn't have to get married anytime soon?”
She sipped her coffee. “Yeah?”
“It was total bullshit. We’re going to get married and start a life. We just won’t tell the FBI.”
“Brody!” she gasped, choking on her coffee. “Are you out of your damn mind? We can’t lie to the FBI!”
He laughed. “Yeah, I am crazy—for you. We won’t lie. We’ll just keep our mouths shut.”
“You move fast. That’s scary.”
“I nearly lost you, Joey. That’s the scary part. I can’t take the chance you’ll slip through my fingers again.”
“Brody…”
He cut her off. “So yes, I’m moving fast. Is there really a problem with that?”
When he stared into her eyes, she saw so much emotion, but there was also fear. She’d put that there when she abandoned him. Now, she couldn’t do that again.
He deserved better.
“No, I don’t think I have a problem with that at all.”
The weight crushing down on his chest was suddenly a million times lighter, and he could release the breath he’d been holding.
“We should discuss work,” she stated, despite the longing to just kiss him. They had work to do. Someone had to focus.
“There’s a party tomorrow night.”
“Yeah, I heard. A few of the sorority sisters aren’t going anymore. They’re freaked out, and it’s about damn time.”
“Well, I have a plan.”
She stared at him. He had that look in his eyes, and it scared her shitless. “Brody, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to search the place. When they’re having the party, the second they head downstairs into the basement, I’m going to case their rooms.”
She pointed out the obvious. “We’re Feds. You need a warrant.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I know, but I’m not going to take anything. I want to just look around.”
“It’s official. You’re out of your mind.”
“I can take anything in the trash cans in their room. Technically, they’re garbage. I’ll bring a few baggies, tag them, and voila! Instant DNA.”
She shook her head. “Brody. That’s dangerously close to crossing so many lines.”
“Sweetheart, I need to do this. I want to get this case done, so we can stop playing college kids and start living our lives. I want to go home and get back to work. I need to do this for the dead women and for us.”
She sighed. “You better tell the Blackhawks first, or you won’t have a job to go home to,” she stated.
“I’ll catch them later and discuss what’s going on in my head.”
She thought about it. “I’m going to help you.”
He looked appalled. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am, partner.”
Johanna had him there.
“Plus, I think it’s safer if you do it when the party isn’t going on. You know their schedules, so you should make sure their out of the frat house, and then we can do it.”
He thought about it. Maybe she was right. There would be too many people coming and going during a party. He wouldn’t be able to hear an approaching person, and that could get him in trouble.
“That’s why I love you.”
She stared at him. “Because I’ll help you break the law, risk our careers, and possibly get ourselves caught?”
He grinned. “Yeah, exactly. You’re my dream girl.”
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
The pressure was killing him.
That feeling of anticipation was giving him knots in his stomach. The FBI was now officially all over this, and he was scared.
Had he been careless?
Could something he’d done get him caught?
It didn't matte
r.
He’d gotten involved, and now he was neck deep in this mess. He had to continue or there would be hell to pay. There was no way he could say no.
He’d vowed to do it, and he was trapped.
The killing had been hard to overcome, but now it was more and more tolerable. He couldn’t escape it, no matter how hard he tried.
He wanted to be free.
Yet, he didn't want to get caught.
That would kill him.
If they found out, he’d have to die.
He wasn’t an idiot.
It was official. He was scared.
Why did he do this?
Oh, yeah. He knew why.
He had no choice.
He had no choice.
He had….
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Sheriff’s Station
The day was dragging on.
After tearing the president of the university a new one, and scaring a bunch of frat boys, they still had more stops to make.
For now, they had to play nice and check in with the sheriff. After all, this was his town, and so far, he’d been very accommodating.
As they headed in, the deputies smiled, pointing at the man’s office door. That alone was weird for them, but who were they to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Normally, they were well hated, so they should probably just enjoy it while they could. The next case, town, and local law would probably be a miserable bitch.
Fate liked to yank their chains.
Inside his office, Sheriff Nick Rakin stood, offering them a seat. “I was wondering when I’d see you,” he stated, offering them coffee.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, declining. They had their caffeine fix, and this wasn’t a social call. She broke down everything they had for him, including the visit to the president’s office. All she left out was Gabe’s little mess.
“Yeah, this town will go under if there’s another scandal,” Nick stated. “That university fuels our economy. Without it, this would just be a berg with no industry. When they had their sex scandal, it rocked everyone. Mostly, because we were all afraid the college would go under.”
She lifted a brow. “That was the worst part? I’m pretty sure it’s far worse that a professor was selling grades in order to have sex with his students.”
He laughed. “Come on, Elizabeth. They’re over eighteen. You can’t tell me that those poor innocent girls were trapped by that man, and they were the victims, can you?”
She stared at him. “It’s against the law. That’s the issue, Nick. When you take a position of authority, you have an obligation not to use and abuse the people beneath you.”
He grinned. “Sex is sex, Elizabeth. I never thought I’d see you uptight about it. If I recall, my brother said you were pretty wild in the sack.”
Ethan was up and out of his seat, offended that the man was even going there. He’d tolerate a lot, but this was crossing a line.
She tried to stop him, but he simply brushed the hand off his arm. Apparently, he was at his max.
“Excuse me. Maybe we haven’t been introduced, but we’re her partners and husbands. It’s like you don’t even see us sitting here.”
“Chill out, Director. We go way back, and I know Elizabeth didn't take offense to that. It was a different time and place.”
Callen also stood, mimicking the same position.
Elizabeth couldn’t believe that they were this close to the edge. There’d been plenty of men who insulted her, and they’d managed to keep in control. Just look at the head frat asshole. They didn't go all caveman then.
What the hell?
“I won’t chill out. She’s ours, and we won’t sit here and listen to some stranger talk about her like that. If you bring it up again, you’ll have a bigger problem than the college shutting down.”
Callen grinned ferally.
The man raised both hands in surrender. “Suit yourself.” He glanced over at Elizabeth. “I’m sorry if I offended you or the men in your life.”
Ethan and Callen sat.
She still didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to slap all three of them for being testosterone laden idiots, but she couldn’t do it. The men in her life sacrificed a great deal to be with her, and they deserved some leeway.
“Maybe we should discuss the case, and save this for later,” Nick said, leaning back in his chair.
Oh, there was going to be a discussion. That was for damn sure.
“Yes, that’s a good idea,” she said, staring back and forth at Ethan and Callen.
“I happened to have found something,” Nick stated. “I think you’ll be interested. My guys were out asking questions…you know—to help the FBI out—and they turned up something interesting.”
She was all ears.
“It seems that three of the girls, who went missing and turned up dead, had meetings with their advisors.”
That intrigued her. “How did they come up with that?” she asked.
“We contacted the president’s office, and his administrative assistant sent over their information,” he offered, sliding it across the desk to them.
Elizabeth scanned each of the papers, and there, like Nick had said, were the details. They’d all had the same advisor. It was another potential link.
“Who was it?” Ethan asked.
She handed him the paper, but shared the information with Callen. “It was Professor Wayne Levitz.”
Ethan read over her shoulder. “So, they had advisor meetings that day, and later that night they went missing? That’s a red flag,” he stated.
Elizabeth grinned. “Great job, Nick!”
He brushed it off. “If the president’s office wasn’t so helpful, we wouldn’t have gotten it. It’s nice when everyone can get along and play nice.”
No one missed who that was directed at in the room, and it wasn’t Elizabeth. Who knew that for once, she wouldn’t be the one who stirred the local law pot?
“Want me to do the interview?” Nick asked. “If you’re busy, I can swing it.”
She shook her head. “No, I think we’ll take care of it. I already have him on my list of interviews, but it’s the weekend. I may have to call him in.”
He was okay with that.
“Is there any way you can put your men on something else?” she asked, knowing that they’d earned a chance to help them. They were doing their jobs and not causing a shit mess. That alone was worth letting them help out.
“Sure thing, Elizabeth, what do you need?”
“We know that Page Pinel wasn’t out partying, but she had food and a drink in her stomach contents. We think she was meeting someone. We want to make sure nothing slips by. Can you put some of your men on tracking her down? It would free up my agents from the research and keep them focused on the job at hand.”
Nick scribbled down some notes. “I can do that. I have some great deputies. A few even went to the university. They know their way around like the back of their hand.”
She was grateful.
“I’ll get back to you as soon as we dig something up.”
Elizabeth stood and shook his hand. It was a sign that the men beside her needed to follow suit. They didn't always get a cooperative set of cops. They needed to behave.
Ethan and Callen did the same before following her out. When they were standing in front of the building, she went to open her mouth to tear them a new one.
Only, Ethan got the first word in.
“Stop. That was completely unacceptable. He crossed a line. There is no reason anyone should be discussing how ‘wild you are in the sack’.”
Callen agreed.
“If we were on a plane and the flight attendant who I had sex with, started talking about my performance, what would you have done?”
“Depressurized the plane and tossed her ass out into the fluffy white clouds.”
Blackhawk was a little shocked. He thought for sure she was going to say somethi
ng different or put up one hell of a fight.
“That was across the line.”
“I happen to agree.”
Now they really stared at her.
“Are you pregnant?” Callen asked.
Elizabeth looked horrified. “Why would you ask that? Don’t put that out into the universe!”
“This is the calmest you’ve been since you were carrying Charlie. I just thought maybe we’d gotten you knocked up again, and this baby was doing the same thing.”
“Shut up,” she said laughing. “I’m not pregnant, and if I get pregnant, someone is going to get their ass kicked,” she stated. “Despite your machismo in there, I’m letting it slide.”
They both stared at her.
“Why?”
“You both sacrifice a lot to be married to me. Sometimes, I’m difficult, and you swallow it for the team all the time. I can be moody, and I was so myopically focused on getting back into shape, and neither of you complained. Here’s your one pass at being cavemen. Don’t get used to it.”
They laughed. “Okay.”
“Now, let’s focus on work. Ethan, can you call Chris? I want to know if they got the corpses shaved yet. I’m curious to see if all the victims have that same injection site.”
He made the call as Elizabeth sent out texts to her agents, checking in.
“Callen, can you contact Doctor Hallowell? I want an interview with Professor Levitz, and soon. He might be able to sway the man to head in to work this the weekend. I know he doesn’t have a class today, so he’s probably unavailable.”
He could do that.
“I have this feeling it can’t wait until Monday morning.”
Callen got busy.
When they got their tasks done, they recapped.
“Chris said that they found similar markings on the two floaters. They were a little more degraded, but their hair kept it protected in the tarps.”
Elizabeth mulled it over. “So, our frat boy used the term ‘shooting up’ when that’s what was happening. Could he be grasping at straws, or is there something there?”
Pledging to Die (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 11) Page 28