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

by Kelley, Morgan

  She hugged him.

  “I get it, Callen. I can bear the weight of it.”

  After all, she’d promised Timothy she’d hold the family together. Even then, the Shaman must have seen this coming.

  Damn him for dying.

  “Let’s go.”

  “He’s hurting.”

  “Then we heal him.”

  What other choice did they have?

  They were family, and in the end, that’s all that mattered in life.

  Ethan showered and opted to crash in one of the guest rooms. He’d picked this one because it reminded him of his wife. It was bright colors, cheery fabrics, and the opposite of his darkness.

  At that moment, he’d never felt more alone in his life. The last six years had been filled with so much love, and it was slipping away.

  Ethan was making a mess of all of this.

  He’d hurt Elizabeth.

  He’d put his hands on his brother.

  He’d…

  Ethan damaged the core of his universe with his anger and hate.

  It was all too much to handle.

  With the weight of it all on his shoulders, he was crumbling beneath it all. He wasn’t like Gabe.

  He’d had to fight for everything his entire life, working his way up from nothing, and he was almost there.

  There was only one thing that could break him?

  Losing Elizabeth.

  Out of anger, he told Gabe he wished she wasn’t herself for one day.

  It was a lie.

  He couldn’t live that day without her being exactly how she was. She’d saved him all those years ago. Elizabeth being Elizabeth had been what pulled him from the brink, and now he was back.

  Here was the proof.

  She was leaving him behind. As he climbed the ladder, he was losing the people he loved, and it sucked.

  As he lay there in misery, there was a knock on the door. He didn’t even answer it.

  What was the point?

  He’d lost it all.

  It was only a matter of time.

  There was a jiggling of the knob, and he knew who was there. Callen was trying to pick the lock.

  Then it clicked.

  When the door opened, there stood his wife and his brother. He wanted to weep.

  Ethan wanted to let the tears come as he begged for forgiveness.

  “Ethan? Can we talk?”

  What was there to talk about?

  He’d hurt them.

  God!

  He’d hurt the two people he loved most in life—one with his words, and one with his fists. He was the worst husband on the face of the Earth.

  “Ethan?”

  “Sure.”

  They entered the room and closed the door behind them. At the side of the bed, she sat.

  “I love you.”

  He watched her with empty eyes. The blue black didn’t shimmer, it didn’t show anything, but emptiness.

  “What you said to Gabe…”

  “I didn’t mean it. I know it doesn’t matter, and that I’ve likely lost you already, but I’ll own my mistakes. I didn’t mean it like that. I was frustrated. I was angry. I needed to vent.”

  “You did mean it, Ethan. You’re allowed to have feelings and opinions. Trust me, I know why you said it. I get it. Me being this person is hard to swallow. It just caught me off guard to hear it said out loud.”

  “Elizabeth, I’m so sorry,” he said, sitting there. His head was bowed and she saw the tears fall onto his leg.

  This was so very wrong.

  She couldn’t let him hurt. Ethan was a good person inside and out. He fought for justice, sacrificing so much so others would be safe at night.

  He was her hero.

  “You’re forgiven, Ethan. In fact, it’s over. I get it. Being married to me is a tough gig. If anything, I have it easy. Callen is so damn good-natured that you can’t piss him off easily. You’re the logical one who fixes my shit. I’m the lucky one in this relationship.”

  He didn’t speak.

  His heart hurt too much.

  “Do you really believe that I love Callen more than you, Ethan?”

  He hesitated.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, Ethan Jackson Blackhawk, what am I going to do with you? That’s total bullshit, and you should know that. Callen and I work in the field together. We are partners. I spend more time with him. It doesn’t mean I love him more. When I get to be with you, it’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

  He looked up. “I’m sorry I hit you, Callen. I know that’s a big thing in our family.”

  “Ethan, I punched you too. I’m sorry I pushed that one button to get a rise out of you. We’re brothers. We know how to piss each other off.”

  “I feel so very lost,” he whispered. “Did I make a mistake?”

  “With letting me into the relationship?” Callen asked, his heart tight in his chest. There was always that fear that one day, he’d say those words.

  Then what?

  Would they kick him out?

  Would he leave on his own?

  “No, because I took this job. I love you and Elizabeth. I wouldn’t change our relationship other than to be a better partner. I’m failing at this.”

  And there was the underlying issue.

  Ethan hated failing. If he didn’t win, he felt like less of a man.

  He’d lost to his abductor.

  He’d lost to himself.

  “I’m glad you took this job,” she said. “It gave us this beautiful home, this awesome life, and our kids deserve it. They sacrifice seeing us, and they need this kind of luxury.”

  He looked up. “I can’t do this without you, Lyzee. I don’t know how to even start.”

  That’s when the tears really started.

  It was shocking to see Ethan cry. The only time he ever broke was after his abduction. He was trying to carry it all, and here it was weighing him down.

  “Oh, Ethan.”

  She crawled across the bed to flank his body. He curled into her, and she tried to soothe him the best she could. When she glanced over, Callen was stripping out of his gun, badge, and wet clothing. When he was down to his boxers, he crawled into the bed, spooning the back of his brother.

  Everything tonight could wait.

  Their partner needed reassurance.

  Ethan needed to know he was cherished.

  “I love you both so much. I feel like I’ve let you down. I didn’t stop you from being hurt today, and Callen is plastered all over the news. I can’t protect my spouses like I should.”

  “Ethan, you can’t sweat the things you can’t control,” Callen stated, holding his brother against his body. Elizabeth was doing the same thing from the other side.

  “Maybe I’m too weak to be in this position. I’m crying and having a breakdown.”

  She lifted his chin and stared into his eyes. “Ethan, we’re all too weak for this job. It eats you alive. It consumes you whole. It can destroy the strongest of women and men.”

  He closed his eyes and let them comfort him. “I don’t want to lose either of you. I’d rather die. I’d rather give up my life than either of you.”

  Callen pulled the comforter over them as his brother hit rock bottom. It was a long time coming. He was overworked, over stressed, and still trying to heal.

  It was the anniversary of his abduction in a few days, and none of them could forget it. That certainly had something to do with it.

  “I’m afraid. Don’t let me go,” he whispered.

  They moved closer and let him get it out. When he was done, they both soothed him by running their hands up and down his body.

  Slowly, he fell asleep.

  “Go ahead,” Callen whispered. “I’ll take the first shift.”

  Her eyes filled with tears too.

  This was what they’d done when they had gotten him back from the brink of death.

  She was worried.

  Had coming back East forced Ethan to have to heal all
over again?

  Could he do it?

  Would they get that lucky?

  Sadly, luck was never on their side.

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

  Across DC

  It was easy to do the deed.

  The whole thing was one simple process. It meant picking worthy players, and then slipping into the house. Once there, their deaths would be imminent.

  Oh, it wouldn’t be fast.

  No…

  It would take plenty of time. By morning, they would be dead, and the next part of this masterpiece would be set into motion.

  It was believed that the FBI was too stupid to figure this out, but when they finally did, they would be impressed. How could they not be?

  This took a genius. This entire thing had been plotted out, weaved out of nothing, and laid into motion with a skilled hand of a true storyteller.

  This took a mastermind.

  This took talent beyond anything seen before.

  In the end, they would stand back and give a standing ovation for a job well done.

  It was deserved.

  Killing was damn hard work.

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

  Sunday

  Early Morning

  When he woke, it was to someone leaving kisses all over his body. Her mouth was everywhere, and he couldn’t help but moan in pleasure.

  He’d missed this.

  He’d missed his wife touching him like this when they first woke in bed together.

  Elizabeth was waking him up, taking her time, and showing him how much he was loved.

  Ethan needed this.

  He could feel the scars on his heart healing from her touch, and he was grateful for each and every warm kiss.

  When his eyes popped open, she was already beneath the covers of the bed, and his erection was raging hard.

  As his breath caught in his chest, he glanced over at his brother. He was watching him.

  “Callen,” he whispered, as his brother leaned in to give him a gentle kiss on the lips.

  It startled Ethan, and turned him on at the same time.

  It probably had something to do with the woman blowing him.

  His body arched in pleasure as she worked him in and out of her mouth. The way her teeth and tongued tormented him, Ethan didn’t know how long he’d last.

  It had been so long since they’d had morning sex.

  Normally, Callen would rush to work and Ethan would already be in the shower.

  Now he remembered why this mattered.

  It reconnected them when the world threatened to tear them apart.

  When his body shook, Elizabeth slid up his torso to his mouth. Once there, she found his lips with hers and kissed him until he wanted to weep with the beauty of it all.

  She rolled, and he was half on her body, half on the mattress. Without saying a word, Callen moved over his brother’s body to find his way to Elizabeth. As she kissed him, and stroked his erection with her warm palm, Callen dove in, driving her wild with his mouth.

  The heat in the room built.

  It was that warm, lazy lovemaking they all loved.

  This was their favorite way to come together. No one spoke. They simply experienced.

  Elizabeth moaned into Ethan’s kiss as Callen teased her clit. He was driving her to the top of the orgasm.

  When she was about to fall, she broke the kiss. “I love you both,” she whispered, as she tumbled.

  Ethan enjoyed the way her breathy little gasp rushed out, and her lips parted in pleasure.

  It turned him on even more.

  This was his heart, split in two. One-half was hers, one-half belonged to Callen.

  “Slow,” he said, running his fingers down her petal soft skin. “Today, I need slow.”

  They understood.

  Today, they all did.

  Callen was the first to sit up. He wanted to try something he’d seen online. “Ethan, come here,” he said, holding out his hand.

  When his brother moved toward him, they both sat, facing each other. Their bodies were close as they touched. They were practically chest to chest, facing each other.

  “Elizabeth, come here,” he said, as both men held out their hands for her.

  She went without even thinking twice. She knew what Callen was trying, and it sent a flood of heat through her body. How could it not?

  They men she loved were going to share her body at the same time. It sent goose bumps down her flesh.

  Both men were watching her with such need and want. While that morning they were far from wild, they were filled with something so much more powerful.

  Love.

  And it was a beautiful thing.

  As she straddled their joined bodies, they each held their erections with one free hand. With the other, they each took a hip. Slowly, they pulled her down until they were both buried in her body.

  The fit was tight, and both men moaned the entire time she slid down their erections.

  As she faced Ethan, she knew Callen was trying to take one for the team for his brother. He knew Ethan needed this moment of intimacy more than he did.

  “Please ride us,” Ethan whispered.

  As she began moving, both men’s hands met on her hips, and their fingers twined. That alone spoke volumes of their relationship.

  They were a happy couple.

  They were one.

  And she was going to prove it.

  As she rode their bodies, both men dropped their heads back. It was incredibly erotic.

  Ethan opened his eyes to see Elizabeth’s breasts bouncing in front of him. When she placed one hand on the back of his neck, and offered them up to his mouth, he nearly came.

  Jesus!

  He was a fool.

  How could he think she didn’t love him? How could he believe that she loved Callen more when it was clear they were a couple?

  Ethan, as he teased one of her nipples with his teeth glanced up, and it was there in her eyes. She still stared at him with love all those years later.

  “Baby,” he whispered.

  She leaned in and gave him a kiss.

  Across her back, where she’s taken the hit to her Kevlar, she could feel Callen’s mouth leaving a trail of warm kisses to heal the aching bruise that had formed.

  Now she got it.

  He took her from behind to spare Ethan from seeing the bruise that she knew had to be ugly.

  He was a damn good man, brother, and partner.

  Here was her proof.

  When he grabbed a handful of her ass, she had to smile. Callen was still Callen beneath it all.

  “Elizabeth,” Ethan whispered, moaning her name in pleasure. “I can’t hold on much longer.”

  Whether it was the tight feel of both men sharing that little space, or the way her breasts bounced in his face, Ethan only knew he was on the edge.

  He was going to…

  “Wait for me,” Callen ordered, taking control. “We’re cumming together as one,” he stated, pulling her down harder and harder to catch up with the ones he loved.

  Ethan released her hips to run his fingers over her tight clit as he tried to focus on anything but the impending eruption, churning deep within his body. When Elizabeth shook, he knew he was screwed.

  “I’m cumming,” he moaned, as all the tension and stress exploded out of him and poured hotly into his wife.

  Elizabeth came next, her body reacting to the hot rush pouring into her. She began milking Callen, and he couldn’t hold on any longer.

  “Shit!” he shouted, as his whole body bucked as it was buried in his wife’s ass.

  Time stopped.

  Their hearts quickened.

  Breath exploded from them.

  They all tumbled to the bed, Ethan on the bottom of the pile of limbs and hair. Elizabeth was across his chest, and Callen was resting on his shoulder, running his fingers across the tattoo of his name on Elizabeth’s body.

  �
�I love you both,” Elizabeth said again. “There is no me without you.”

  Ethan got it.

  He’d thought his brother wanted to have all of her, but he saw the truth. He couldn’t have all of her. He was simply working on securing the half that rightfully belonged to him.

  Now Ethan had to do that too. His brother had taught him a very valuable lesson—love with all you have.

  “Thank you both for having faith in me. I’m the luckiest woman in the world,” she whispered, as she snuggled into the heat of their bodies.

  This was Heaven.

  The mix of their scents called to her. There was the masculine musk of Ethan’s cologne, and the cool woodsy scent of Callen’s.

  It was home.

  It was perfection, but most importantly?

  In their arms, she was safe.

  In her life, that was one of the biggest perks. The men who loved her would keep her protected.

  She cuddled into their bodies, and they moved closer into hers. “Let’s close our eyes and sleep a little. Work will wait. The FBI isn’t going anywhere.”

  He was the boss, so ultimately, he could make that call, and they were fine with it.

  “It’ll wait. I want to sleep just like this with the two people I love most in life.”

  So they closed their eyes and enjoyed the afterglow of their lovemaking.

  And it was perfect.

  Like their love.

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

  Sunday

  Seven A.M

  When he woke again, Elizabeth and Callen were still beside him. They didn’t leave him, and that helped him heal even more. Truth be told, Ethan hated waking up and walking away from them.

  Something had to change.

  In order for their marriage and relationship to withstand the strain of three very different careers, he had to find a way to give them this.

  He loved rules, and he was already constructing them in his mind.

  “You’re thinking,” Elizabeth stated. “You have that look on your face.”