Act of Blood (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 16)

by Kelley, Morgan

  “I have, Callen. Thank you. DC is an interesting place to call home. I think I'm going to love it.”

  Elizabeth knew he was lying. She could see the look in his eyes, and she knew that not all Natives did well off the Rez. She suspected Boone was going to be one of them.

  It was trouble in the making.

  Ethan took a seat after his brother had found his place flanking him.

  “Now, I know what you’ve told me on the phone, Boone, but how about you break it down for Elizabeth. If it sounds like something she’d be interested in, she’ll take the case.”

  “And if not?” Sima asked.

  “I’ll pass it off to some agents in my division. When I was given this job, it was to take the truly hard cases that baffled the local authorities, like the one in New Orleans where Boone and I met. That was a case within a case. It was tough. I like a challenge. It has to pique my interest and offer up some kind of danger. I’m an adrenaline junkie. What can I say?”

  Yeah, there wasn’t much to say but that Ethan liked his wife safe. Sadly, the two weren’t compatible.

  He only wished.

  Still, Ethan kept his mouth shut. He and his wife butted heads on the last case, and he wasn’t letting that happen again. He enjoyed his marriage entirely too much to screw it up.

  His lips were zipped.

  Boone pulled out a folder and opened it up. “We have two dead victims. The second was dropped on our desks this morning after I arrived at work.”

  She listened. “Shoot.”

  “Victim one is Richard Goodwin. He was found with his face bashed in, a really heavy chain and exercise weight around his neck at the bottom of his pool.”

  “I’ve heard of him before. He owns a shitload of businesses,” Callen stated. “He buys them up, strips them down, and then unloads them to other buyers.”

  “Sounds like a gem,” Elizabeth offered. “So you found him dead in the pool. Who’s next?”

  “The victim this morning was Fern Yoder. She was a recluse who spent most of her time in her garden.”

  Elizabeth pointed at Callen and he did the research on her. They’d worked together long enough that he knew what she wanted, and needed.

  Immediately, the woman’s face popped onto the monitor on Ethan’s wall as Callen began running her through every system they had to see what would pop.

  She read the details as they scrolled onto the large monitor.

  “Okay, so you found her. What killed her—other than a lunatic?”

  “COD, if you’ll believe this, was that someone crammed something burning hot down her throat. It blocked off her air and burned through the flesh. She cooked from the inside of her throat out.”

  “Well, that had to suck,” stated Elizabeth.

  Ethan had been right.

  This one sounded right up her alley. This killer appeared to be a twisted freak.

  Ahhhh, her specialty.

  “I imagine it did. I know I’d prefer a million other ways to die,” Boone admitted.

  Yeah, her too.

  At the top of the list was dying during some heated and torrid sex.

  “Ethan said there was a third.”

  Here was where it became a stretch, and Boone knew it. He technically had two cases because the third victim was nowhere to be found.

  She didn’t have to help them once she found that out, and he knew it. The FBI didn’t intercede unless there were three victims, and he could prove there was a serial killer link.

  Still…

  He wanted to work with her. Not only was she the best, but so was her team. Besides, Elizabeth’s team meant Merry would be there, and he was all about spending time with the woman he loved.

  God!

  He wanted to keep her close.

  “Roman Conley went missing five days ago. They still can’t find him.”

  Ethan spoke up, “And you believe he’s part of this how?” he asked. “If you can’t find him what makes you believe that he’s involved in this?”

  Sima crossed her fingers.

  Here was where her partner began the tap dance.

  “We have the same piece of evidence at all three scenes. I believe it’s a calling card, of sorts. I’m not the expert on serial killers, but it screamed ‘off’ to me. I hoped you’d take a look and let me know.”

  She waited.

  Boone flipped his phone around and slid it toward Elizabeth. She immediately sent the picture to Callen’s tablet and then to the wall.

  “It’s a handkerchief.”

  “Yes, and look at the flower on it.”

  They all examined it.

  “It looks like a lily,” stated Ethan.

  “It is. We found that same handkerchief on all three scenes, and the lily is a flower that symbolizes death. I really think the killer is trying to tell us something.”

  She studied it.

  “I really need your help on this one,” Boone stated. “I had nowhere else to turn, and you’re the best at things like this. I know it’s a stretch, Elizabeth, but something is off with all of this.”

  While she liked the man, she wasn’t going to let the flattery direct her options. She knew she was the best. It was why she got the shitty office, crappy pay, and the title.

  If he wanted their help, there were hoops. This one was obviously up to her, or Ethan would have already stuck his opinion into the mix.

  That said a lot.

  “What does your gut say?” she asked. From the last case, she knew the man was a good cop. It wasn’t his fault that the man’s partner had them all fooled.

  Hell!

  She fell for it too.

  “It says they’re all connected.”

  “Even though one is missing, one was drowned, and one was fed hot stuff?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “You realize a serial killer doesn’t often deviate from his preferred method of choice,” Ethan offered. “This sounds as if three different people are killing random people. All you have is that handkerchief.”

  Sima was watching it all begin to unravel. She was pissed. They’d wasted hours that could have been spent investigating.

  Boone’s longshot was falling apart.

  “I know, but this feels off to me. It feels like this killer is trying to get our attention. It’s overkill. He could have hit Richard Goodwin in the head, and he would have drowned, but no. He wrapped chains around him and sunk him.”

  He had a point.

  It was dramatic.

  “Fern Yoder was an older woman. She couldn’t put up that much of a fight, but still, the killer tied her spread eagle, didn’t sexually assault her, but instead force fed her something to burn through her throat.”

  Again, he had a point.

  Callen was staring at his wife.

  “What?”

  “Why does that sound familiar?” he asked. “Why does feeding someone hot coals sound familiar to me?”

  “That’s probably because you’re a sicko and shouldn’t be up reading the internet at night doing research.”

  He laughed.

  She had a point. If he wasn’t on a Federal watch list from his internet searches alone, someone in the government had dropped the ball.

  “Maybe I should focus my attention elsewhere at night,” he teased. “Any ideas where?”

  She laughed.

  One could only hope he was thinking the same thing she was.

  Ethan cleared his throat.

  They knocked it off.

  Boone continued, “Then we have a missing victim, stolen right off the country club parking lot and he vanished without a trace.”

  “What was he doing there?” Ethan asked.

  “Golf.”

  “That’s where I play with the president. It’s a pretty secure location when POTUS is there,” Ethan offered. “Secret service likes it because of the covering of forest around it.”

  “I don’t know if you playing golf is sexy or horrifying,” Elizabeth stated.
<
br />   “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, trying not to read into her comment. It wasn’t like his wife to think he couldn’t do something.

  She saw the look on his face and clarified.

  “Do you wear those colorful plaid pants and pastel-y colored attire? Are you squirreling away pink polo shirts?”

  He immediately relaxed and started laughing. “NO. I’m not a pastel kind of guy, baby. I wear black.”

  Yeah, that sounded more like the Ethan she loved.

  “Of course you do.”

  He winked at his wife.

  Elizabeth focused on the two cops or she was going to overheat. Ethan was sexy and made her mind go all mushy at the worst times.

  “Did you run a search to see if there were any other nationwide cases where a white handkerchief was found?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am,” stated Sima. “We pretty much rushed right over here when Deputy Director Blackhawk said you’d see us. We did talk to our captain first, and he didn’t mention hearing about one in the area.”

  The only thing Elizabeth hated more than being called ‘Mrs. Whitefox-Blackhawk’ while on the job was ‘ma’am’.

  She actually cringed.

  “Well, then I suggest you head out to the waiting area and give it a shot. Let us know what you find,” Elizabeth stated.

  Boone looked worried. “Are you going to help?” he asked, keeping his fingers crossed.

  “Do the search and then we’ll talk.”

  Elizabeth wasn’t babysitting two grown cops. She was no longer up for that task. If they wanted her help, they needed to pull their weight.

  It was only fair.

  When they were gone, Ethan stared at her. “What was that all about? This case screams jacked up killer. I was certain you’d want it.”

  “Run her, Callen. I want you to go so deep I know what the inside of her colon looks like. I need an in-depth look at Sima Nelson.”

  He began.

  Elizabeth faced her husband. Now it was time to explain to him why she was hesitant. It came down to preservation.

  Yeah, hers.

  “We got screwed over by a cop a few weeks ago and I nearly died. I’m not falling down that hole again. Stupid isn’t something I want on my resume. I want to make it home at night to my family, and I have to be careful who we trust.”

  He got it.

  In fact, he was proud of his wife. She was finally thinking about her safety. That he could respect.

  Hell!

  That he appreciated a great deal.

  “So, if she’s clean?”

  “I’ll take it, but you have to get Gabe’s approval first. I’m not playing a game.”

  “Why?” Ethan asked.

  “Because he’s my boss, Cowboy. You aren’t. Livy needs to be here too. She’s coming back Monday, and I want her cleared too. While I love you, and I know how damn good you are at your job, Ethan, we need to keep this separate.”

  He stared at her. “I don’t want it separate.”

  “You can’t handle it any other way.”

  The mood in the room shifted, and they could all feel it happening.

  Ethan stood from his desk. “Callen, can I talk to my wife alone for a second?” he asked.

  “You mean our wife, don’t you?”

  He gave him a look. Callen knew this wasn’t the time to be funny or jack around.

  “Yeah, you can. You can have her when she’s pissed off. I don’t mind,” he stated. “I’ll talk to ‘MY WIFE’ later when she’s in a better mood.”

  He grabbed his tablet and went out to see Ginny. She could help with running the detective. When the door closed, Elizabeth stood her ground.

  It wasn’t personal.

  They simply had to have boundaries, and this was one of them. Ethan needed rules, and she needed space when it came to work.

  “I love you, but you’re not putting your fingers in this investigation unless I need a profile.”

  He was getting angry.

  She could see it.

  This was a test. She needed to see if he’d back off and let her do her job. Away from the office, she could. He wouldn’t be there to babysit. In DC, it meant he was right here and had access. Elizabeth knew how hard this was for him, and she felt horrible that he believed he was odd man out.

  The facts were the facts.

  He was the deputy director, and she was a drone. They had their roles, and she had to stick to them.

  “I don’t like you bossing me around,” he stated.

  She laughed. “Welcome to my world, Deputy Director Blackhawk. We can’t always have what we want in life,” she stated. “Right now, I’d rather be naked and having sex, but that’s not in the cards at this moment, is it?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood, but neither of them bought it.

  This was full of tension for a reason.

  If there was one thing that could damage them, this was it.

  He moved toward her. When she still didn’t budge, he reached out for her cheek. With gentle fingers, Ethan brushed aside a curl.

  “I love you too. I’ll get Gabe to clear it. Oh wait…I already did.”

  He handed her his cell phone with the email already pulled up on the screen.

  She relaxed.

  “I know the rules, Elizabeth. I’m trying to adhere to them. I don’t want a repeat of the Voodoo case either. I put a wedge between us, and I hate feeling as if we aren’t in sync. I heard you, baby. I really did.”

  Apparently, he was trying, so she’d meet him halfway. How could she not?

  She loved him so damn much.

  “Come here, Deputy Director. I think I want to kiss you in your fancy-schmancy office.”

  “Only think?” he asked, moving even closer to his wife. It felt good not to be at odds with the woman he loved. It gave him a sense of peace. She trusted him to do his job, and he had to reciprocate that.

  She went into his arms.

  “I promise this time I won’t hijack your case,” Ethan offered, “if you promise me that you’ll let me help, even if it’s to bounce ideas off me. I want to feel like you still need me. I really do miss being your partner.”

  She laughed. “Ethan Jackson Blackhawk, I’ll be a corpse and still need you. You’re my all. You and Callen are my partners, even if you don’t need me anymore.”

  He rested his forehead against hers. “I still need you. Every day, I wake up and think about all the ways I need the woman I love.”

  She gently kissed him.

  He held on and enjoyed their interlude. It wasn’t hot and heavy, but it was them. There was that sweetness that screamed of their love.

  Here was his heart.

  She would always be his center.

  Slowly, she pulled away, and it still made his knees weak. The way she felt against him always completed him.

  “You have a deal, Ethan. You can be on my team any day. I always need a kick ass profiler to make me a success.”

  He grinned. “Thank you.”

  “Can you buzz Callen? We need to see what he found out about this cop.”

  “You don’t like her.”

  “No, I don’t. I just don’t know why. Maybe I’m just being paranoid after the last asshole cop who tried to slice my throat and steal my liver. That does leave a bad taste in any girl’s mouth.”

  “She called you ma’am.”

  Elizabeth growled. “I’m not that damn old, and I know I could kick her ass in the gym.”

  “She called you Mrs. Whitefox-Blackhawk too.”

  “That I find sexy, but not coming from her. In here, I’m a cop. Out there, I’m your sex bunny.”

  He started laughing as he buzzed Ginny. “Please send in Callen.”

  He was still laughing when his brother returned.

  “Well, I don’t see any bloodshed. It must have been a quick battle. Why is he laughing? Has he finally lost his mind?”

  Ethan couldn’t help himself. “Well, lust monkey, she’s given herself a
nickname.”

  Elizabeth gave him a look. It screamed do it and die. Apparently, she should have told him to keep it to himself.

  He ignored her.

  “I’d like you to officially meet sex bunny.”

  Callen snorted. “That’s fairly accurate. She’s like a rabbit always trying to get…”

  She punched him.

  Hard.

  “Jesus. She’s not cuddly like a bunny at all. She’s more like a rattlesnake with a really mean bite.”

  That she found amusing.

  “Did you find anything on the detective?” she asked, trying to get her other husband to focus.

  “She’s clean. Sima has one sibling, and he’s a cop too. She’s from a family that has no arrests across the board, and her financials are pretty clear. She has the normal debt that you expect with an underpaid civil servant.”

  That’s all she needed to hear.

  “Awesome. I’m in. We have ourselves a case.”

  Honestly, she was glad. She loved the idea of taking on a tough case all the while staying home. Livy was returning, Gabe couldn’t make her go away, and Halloween was right around the corner. To her, it was a pretty good life trifecta.

  Besides, she didn’t want to leave Ethan. This was a rough time of year for him. He’d been abducted a couple Halloweens ago, tortured, and nearly killed. It brought back many of the demons that chased him.

  She needed to stick close for him as much as possible.

  “I suspected you would,” Ethan offered, taking the moment to nuzzle his wife’s neck. This was their thing. They always opened a case with this contact.

  It grounded them.

  Callen took her other free hand as she pulled him against the two of them.

  “Now this I like,” Whitefox said, leaving a couple kisses on the other side of Elizabeth’s neck.

  She wasn’t going to complain.

  This was her reality, and she loved it. There was nothing like mid-day cuddling by her Natives. Outside this office, they had to behave with some decorum.

  Inside, they could be themselves. Callen was loving and gentle. Ethan was kind and sweet. Elizabeth…she’d protect the Blackhawk men until her death.

  “You’re the boss on this one, Elizabeth. What do you want to do?” Ethan asked.

  That was easy.