Papers were scattered all over the place.
“What are you going to do?” Ethan asked.
“I’m angry, but what can I do? It’s not as if she asked for this to happen. The office had security to keep it safe. I need to think about this and go from there. I don’t want to punish her, but I have to think of our family. That book getting out isn’t a good thing. I have a wife and kids to provide for, and that is my priority.”
Ethan agreed.
“I hate to say this,” Ethan began, keeping his voice low, “but this might work in your favor.”
Callen stared at him. “How?”
“Think about all those celebrity sex tapes. When they came out, the person who was in them rocketed to fame. If the media gets wind of your book being stolen, Jackson James is going to blow up. You likely just got bigger.”
He stared laughing.
“What?”
“I told Elizabeth that I’m going to stop writing. That would be the irony of all this. I’m the only author in the world who doesn’t want to get bigger.”
Ethan punched him.
“Shit! Really? You didn’t beat on me enough last night? You really need round two?”
“If you do, I’ll hurt you. You’re a really good writer, and your stories suck the reader in. With your last book, I couldn’t put it down, and I was there for the case. I lived it. You have a gift, Callen, and you can’t waste that.”
Callen ran his hands through his hair.
“I am so worried I can’t come up with a new story to match the last two. A writer is only as good as their last book.”
“You have this. I say we don’t freak out yet.”
“What about this literary agent? Should I dump her?”
Ethan looked around. “She’s a victim too. This is her job, and someone came into it and ruined it.”
He agreed.
“If it were me, I’d stick. Has she always been good at representing you?”
“Yeah, she got me my first break, and then negotiated a big payday. That money is going to put our kids through college.”
Ethan waited.
“She’s not to blame, but I may keep my options open. I won’t sue her, but I may try to get out of the next contract.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did, but maybe you can calm her down a little. She’s a mess.”
Callen crossed the room. When he was standing in front of Leslie, he did feel bad for her. Jewel was hugging her and the woman was crying.
“Leslie?”
“I understand, Mr. Whitefox. You’re pissed. I’ll get you all your paperwork this week. I don’t blame you for ditching me.”
“Actually, I haven’t made up my mind. I know that this wasn’t your fault. You did your job. Some asshole did this, and until I decide, we’re going to go forward.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’ve kept my secret, you promoted my work, and you’ve always been upfront with me. I like loyalty. As long as my identity stays quiet, I’m okay.”
She sniffled. “Really?”
“Yes.”
She couldn’t believe this. “I really will fix this, Mr. Whitefox. I promise. I’ll promote the hell out of your book. The publisher is bumping the release, and we’ll make sure you hit the top three with this one.”
“It’s really okay,” he began.
“We’ll work non-stop this week,” Jewel said. “I’ll personally call the radio stations, give them your information on this amazing book, and then go even further.”
Logan agreed. “I’ll get the newspapers the book blasts, and we’ll even set up some interviews with the media. They’ll submit the questions, and we’ll get them answered for you.”
“Uh, okay.”
“We’ll fix this,” Leslie promised.
Callen was good with that.
“Well, then you don’t need my help. I’ll go do what I do,” Callen said, heading toward his brother. When he walked out, Leslie looked at her team.
“Let’s get this office cleaned up.”
Logan agreed. “We have a lot of work to do!”
“Mr. Whitefox deserves it. He’s awesome,” stated Jewel.
And she was right.
They’d make him a star because he was a really good guy.
Out in the car, Ethan was already on the phone. He had it on speaker so his brother could hear the conversation. When Gabriel Rothschild answered, Ethan didn’t give him a chance to say a word.
“I need some things, Gabe.”
“Okay, what?” he asked. “This must be important since you’re calling me on a Sunday.”
“That’s part of it. I won’t be working the weekends anymore. I’m going to start cutting back.”
There was silence.
“I hope that’s not a problem, but as of late, it’s ruining my marriage. I’m going to end up divorced, alone, and miserable if I don’t start putting my family first. I need to be a husband, too, not just Deputy Director Blackhawk.”
“Okay.”
That caught him off guard. “What?”
“I said okay. You’re the one who put this pressure on yourself, Ethan—not me. I never asked you to work seven days a week. You’re fully trained, you know how to do the job, so do it. If you can get your work done by end of business on Friday, then that’s great.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No, I’m not. I was once just like you. I was this crazed work junkie that wanted to climb the ladder. I knew I was meant to hold this office, and I planned to do whatever it took to get there. I worked nonstop, I ignored my life, and I nearly ended up alone.”
That was Ethan to the core.
He was out of control.
“I had to stop the insanity, and you are finally figuring it out for yourself. Stop bringing work home.”
“I want to come in later. I need to ride in with my spouses too. I want to see more of them, not less.”
“Okay. Then tell Ginny not to schedule early meetings. She’s your secretary. You get to tell her how you want to run it. She doesn’t answer to me. She answers to you.”
“I want to move Elizabeth and Callen to an office closer to me. I work best when I can see my wife and husband.”
Callen’s heart skipped.
He loved when Ethan called him that. It made him feel like he belonged.
“There’s a conference room no one uses at the end of the floor. It’ll have to do. I can’t kick people out of offices for Elizabeth. They can work in there. Just tell your secretary to requisition the stuff she needs.”
This was all too easy.
He couldn’t believe it.
“I also want to have a press conference tomorrow and come out. My family wants to announce to the media, and the world, that we are all a committed couple.”
There was quiet.
“Gabe?”
“Here’s my thought on that. It’s your life, and if you want the scrutiny, then go for it. You’re not breaking any laws. You’re married to Elizabeth, and you’re sleeping with Callen, but there is only one legal marriage. It’s more like watching a train wreck than anything. People are curious. If you can hold up under the media storm, do what you want.”
“I have a question,” Callen asked, breaking his silence.
“I wasn’t aware you were there,” Gabe stated.
“Sorry, but I am.”
“What’s your question, Callen?”
“Will it damage their careers? I don’t want them to do it if it’s going to ruin their chances at the FBI. Ethan was born to do this job, and one day, yours. I don’t want to risk his future for anything.”
“Ethan is second in charge. I’m the ONLY one who can fire him, and I’m aware of your threesome. As for Elizabeth, she answers to me, so the same applies. I won’t lie. It’s going to be far worse for her. She’s the one being shared. People, the assholes who recall the Ray situation, are going to dig that up again.”
Ethan hated that.
Callen w
as sick over it. “I don’t want her to carry this.”
“You don’t have a choice, Callen. She’s going to bear the brunt of it. She’s going to be the one called the names, have the fingers pointed at, and have to wear that scarlet letter. It’s not a gender equal world out there.”
Both men got angry.
“If you come out, you deal with that. The choice is yours, and I support you as family, but as your boss, I have to warn you that she’s going to have to withstand the storm.”
Ethan didn’t know what to do.
Callen either.
“Anything else?”
“No,” Ethan said.
“Well, then I’ll see you in the office tomorrow, and with Livy. She’s ready to come back and give the paperwork hell.”
The phone disconnected.
“We can’t do this to Elizabeth,” Callen stated.
Ethan agreed. “We may have to suck this one up,” he offered. “She’s already the target on so many things.”
“What do we do?”
Ethan thought about it. “We say nothing, and when she forgets, we forget. I’m sorry, Callen. I wanted you to feel like you belong.”
He patted his brother’s shoulder. “Ethan, for our wife, I’d swallow it. I can’t let her get hurt like this. The asshole Feds will really make her life hell.”
Yeah, they were trapped.
This whole thing sucked.
“So, we say nothing to her?” Callen asked, holding out his hand.
Ethan shook it. “We keep our mouths shut.”
They made up their minds.
This one was about protecting their woman’s heart over theirs. She deserved it.
The Blackhawk men were not an easy bunch.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
FBI Morgue
Chris looked like hell.
Well, more like the walking dead. He was pale, had his cane out, and appeared to have gone a few rounds with the sandman.
“Holy shit, Christopher! You need some down time. The bodies in the cooler look better than you.”
He was well aware.
“The autopsy was a shit mess,” he admitted, hopping up beside her on the metal table.
Immediately, she handed him a coffee and pulled the candy bar from her pocket.
“I’ve never loved you more than I do right now. You can be my caffeine and sugar junkie any day.”
She snorted. “Yeah, you’re easy, Doctor Death. Show you some goodies, and you’ll say anything.”
He unwrapped the candy bar and broke it in half, giving her back some of it. This was their thing. They always shared a meal, and this was a familiar part of their careers.
Elizabeth tapped her cup against his and they sat in silence.
“How’s Bethe?” he asked.
“She was sleeping with Charlie when I checked on them. Apparently, they made an escape and were under her crib.”
Chris grinned. “That’s really sweet.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I have a picture. Would you like to see it?” she asked, pulling out her phone.
“I’d kill to see it.”
She sent it to his phone. Chris’s eyes filled with tears the minute he opened it.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded. “When I look at her, I get emotional. Bethe reminds me of Cyra.”
She dropped her arm around his shoulders. “Yeah, she’s got that mop of blonde hair, but she also reminds me of you. She’s got your eyes, Christopher.”
He let her speak.
“She’s also damn smart. She’s already using big words and rocking out the vocabulary. She’s your kid. If she doesn’t become a doctor, I’ll be shocked.”
He rested his head on her shoulder.
“Yeah, she’s my girl.”
“She absolutely is. When I look at her, I don’t so much see Cyra as I see you. When she’s laughing, that’s your laugh, and when she’s trying to steal cookies…”
He snorted. “It’s a genetics thing.”
Chris got quiet.
“What are you thinking?”
“A couple of things.”
“Want to share?” she asked, when he passed her his coffee. Hers was kicked.
“Thank you for having Charlie,” he said, as she sipped from his Styrofoam cup. “They love each other,” he added, staring at the picture of the two girls huddled beneath the crib with their blankets and stuffed bears.
“Everyone needs a best friend,” she stated. “Charlie and Bethe are going to have one hell of a journey together.”
That gave him peace.
“I love you.”
She touched his cheek and made him stare into her eyes. “I love you too, Christopher. What’s really bugging you?” she asked.
“Are you sure you don’t mind us staying.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Uh, no. You’re our family. You can live with us forever, and I’ll never be upset.”
Chris told her about the conversation with Ethan. He didn’t leave anything out.
“Mr. Sexy Suit was always too slick for his own good,” she said smiling. “He’s hard to pull one over on, and really, I should know better.”
“Tomorrow, I have therapy.”
Elizabeth popped the last of the candy bar into her mouth. “Do you want me to come?” she asked. Elizabeth had done it with Callen and Ethan. What was one more round with the shrink?
A few more visits, and maybe her own crazy would be cured. Apparently, she was a glutton for punishment, working for the FBI.
“No, but I need one thing from you.”
“What?”
“I need you to bury the hatchet with Doctor Gaines and forgive her for betraying you.”
She started laughing. “I’d love to bury the hatchet in her back like the knife she shanked me with in New Orleans.”
Chris knew Elizabeth felt betrayed by what had happened on that case. She and Callista had been close, until the woman went and sided with Ethan.
She’d been right to.
Still…
Girlfriend code mattered. Elizabeth was loyal to a fault. Here was the proof.
“I know you’re pissed, but she misses you.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Then she shouldn’t have sided with Ethan. She crossed a line and didn’t give me a heads up. That’s wrong on so many levels. Would you let someone ambush me like that?”
“Never.”
“See? Why?”
“Because I love you, and I know you have a code you live by in life.”
“Exactly.”
He took her hand in his. “Honey, it was the right thing to do. I needed her to sit me down and force me to open up. I’m not fixed, but I’m working on it. She did the right thing, and now I need you to do it too.”
“Christopher.”
He forced her to look at him. “I need this to heal, Lyzee. I need my sister to make this sacrifice to forgive her.”
She stared into his baby blue eyes.
“Please, honey? We’ve got a lot of secrets from our past, we’ve been through so much, and I’ve never asked you to do anything for me. I need you to forgive her. Do it for me.”
She weighted her options.
She genuinely loved him. He was right. They had been through so much shit in their years of working together before Ethan and Callen.
He’d been the love of her life before she’d found her soul mates. For Chris, she’d do anything he asked, and he never asked for anything before.
“Okay.”
“I love you, Elizabeth. You’re the one person in my life who has always been there when I was flailing around. Thank you for being there.”
“I love you too, Newton, and I’ll do this for you.”
“She misses you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a freaking party in a skin suit. Who wouldn’t miss all this redneck fun?”
He leaned over and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. “I’d miss it. You�
��re the best.”
“What boxers are you wearing today?”
He laughed and hopped down off the table.
“I’m going commando under these sexy aqua scrubs. There are days I like to live on the edge. Want to see?”
She snorted.
If she had a dollar for every time he’d ever said that to her, she’d be rich.
“Been there, done that, Newton. Now how about you blow my mind and get the team in here to do their job? I want the details of the autopsy since you’re slightly recharged. Then I want you to go home and crash. Who knows when this fruit loop will strike again?”
Chris called in the team. He gave them a few minutes to get into the room and settled before he began.
“For the record, Elizabeth, I did some research.”
“On what, Christopher?”
“What Callen had said at the crime scene. He was right. These were all methods of killing used in Shakespearean plays.”
Awesome.
They had a smart killer who liked to read books.
“Thank you for covering all the bases, Chris. Now, if you really want to impress me,” she said, pausing to scan her techs. “Team…dazzle me.”
Chris was up first.
He pulled up the pictures on the giant plasma screen. “Our victim’s identity was confirmed. We have Roman Conley, age forty three.”
Tony pulled the cloth off the plexi-glass box to reveal his body. Once more, he was covered in bugs, but this time flesh eating beetles.
Yuck.
It was never a pretty sight.
“We have blunt force trauma to his skull,” Tony stated. “That was likely what incapacitated him. It didn’t kill him, but it slowed him down enough to give the killer a shot at him.”
She made notes on her tablet.
Elizabeth missed having her research and note monkey by her side.
“Great. What else?”
“He suffocated,” Chris offered. “I found pieces of mulch further down his throat. So, my initial impression at the scene was, indeed, correct. He was alive when he was buried up to his neck.”
“How the hell did someone dig that hole deep enough?” she asked.
“He wasn’t standing in the hole,” Chris offered. He was sitting. They’d positioned him Indian style to take up the least amount of space as possible. Again, being incapacitated probably helped a great deal on this one.”
Act of Blood (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 16) Page 25