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

by Kelley, Morgan

  “Yes. Callen and I decided that we couldn’t let that happen. We were only going to do it to take the heat off us, not add to it. This will make your life hell in the field.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, well, I’m not even going to point out what was wrong with that statement, Ethan Jackson Blackhawk.”

  Callen cringed.

  There was his full name.

  He was next.

  “And you, Callen James Whitefox, should know better. Since when do I hide behind the men I’m married to? Since when was that ever an option?”

  “Never,” they said together.

  “I think this should be about all of us—not only me.”

  Ethan picked up her hand and was grateful she didn’t try to pull it away. “Baby, I love you. I have to protect you. You’re my heart. Don’t be offended.”

  She stared at him. “I’m not offended. I get why you’re doing it, but I should be part of it. If they ask me, Ethan, I’m done lying. What’s the worst they could do to me?”

  “Think back to the Ray stuff, or when they thought ‘The Butcher’ got away years ago. They rode you, Elizabeth.”

  “Yeah, and I still climbed the ranks. Did you ever think that maybe that gave me my strength? With each one who said I couldn’t do it because I was simply tits and ass, I repeatedly forced them to eat crow. They made me. I’m Elizabeth because of them. I buried each and every one of their shitty comments beneath closing a case. That’s my fuel. That’s what built my street cred.”

  He sighed.

  Of course she was right.

  Ethan hated that.

  “If it comes up, drop the bomb. I have your back,” he finally said.

  When he parked the Escalade, she took his face in her hands and stared into his sexy eyes. “Cowboy, I’m damn tough. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but their words can’t hurt me—not unless I believe them. I didn’t sleep my way to the top. I’ve closed cases to get here. I didn’t marry you for the job. I married you because you’re hot in the sack and have a really energetic dick.”

  He laughed. “Thanks. I’m glad you married me for all the right reasons.”

  “It’s the truth—in those jeans, you have a spectacular ass. Don’t think I didn’t check it out.”

  He kissed her on the lips. “I love you.”

  “Uh, hello? I’m wearing jeans,” Callen stated. “I don’t see anyone kissing me and stroking my ego or anything else…”

  She laughed. “I’ll kiss you later. Remember which one of us can’t be out in the field tomorrow.”

  Callen knew his brother was going to be trapped in the office all week, so he figured he deserved the lip lock. “Kiss him some more. I’ll film it for our sex tape. Use more tongue and if you can, moan a little more.”

  Ethan started laughing at his brother and his comments. “Pervert.”

  “Don’t change, Callen,” she ordered.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. I have a better chance of becoming a white man than that happening.”

  They all got out of the vehicle, and they could feel the media creeping toward them. Instead of dealing with them, they headed toward Jasper Mullin’s house.

  On the large porch, they rang the bell.

  As he appeared in the doorway, he was sobbing. This was definitely a man in mourning.

  “Jasper Mullins?” she asked, holding out her badge.

  “Are you working on Roman’s case?” he asked. “The police just notified me last night that they found his body at the country club. We looked everywhere for him there when he disappeared. I can’t believe he was there the whole time,” the blonde man stated.

  “Yes, sir, we are, and he was there. May we come in and talk? I don’t think you want the media all over this, do you?”

  He shook his head and backed up to give them room to enter.

  “I’ve seen you on the news,” he stated.

  Yeah, she knew this was coming.

  “They say you’re really good at your job. Will you find the person who killed Roman? He was my whole world. We were going to get married.”

  She sympathized with him.

  “Where did you meet?” she asked, trying to gauge his honesty.

  “I’m an actor. I was going to settle down and we were going to start a family.”

  “Again, where did you meet?” she asked.

  “Sorry, I’m distracted. I keep thinking about how he suffered and was he afraid? Was he?”

  “No, he wasn’t,” she offered. She never told the victim’s families otherwise. No one wanted to hear that their loved one was in pain as they were dying.

  Roman was eaten by bugs as he slowly suffocated. Yeah, that was a shitty way to go.

  “We met at a theater production.”

  “The National Theater?” she asked.

  He wiped his eyes. “Yes. He saw me playing Macbeth, and he said it was love at first sight.”

  Callen was making notes. This man had played a part in a Shakespearean play.

  That was interesting.

  “How long did you date?”

  “Three years.”

  “This is going to sound personal, and I’m sorry I have to go there, but did he donate money to the theater?”

  “Yes, a boatload of it. Roman was loaded. I guess you’re looking at me and thinking gold digger.”

  “Actually, I was thinking nothing of the sort.”

  It was true.

  She was thinking killer. This whole case appeared to go past gold digging and into murder.

  “Do you still do theater with them?” Callen asked, knowing the man had been fired.

  “No, I’ve moved on.”

  Ethan watched him carefully. He was building a profile in his head.

  “Do you know anyone who would hurt Roman?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “He had an ex, but he died in a car accident. Until me, he was living the life of a monk.”

  Callen continued making notes.

  “Do you know anyone who might have it in for you?” she asked, taking a shot at it. Since he’d been involved with the theater group, it might be possible.

  “No. I do mostly voice-overs and lately some advertisements. Like I said, we were about to adopt, and I was going to try and stay close to home. When you’re an actor, you have to move around the country.”

  Yeah, she wasn’t fond of them. Her last run in with an actress was Bonnie, and she was still out there, gearing up for a rematch.

  “But you wouldn’t have to work if you married Roman, right?” she asked.

  Now she was thinking gold digger.

  “I guess not.”

  They didn’t say a word.

  “Listen, you’re married to the Deputy Director of the FBI. Do you have to work? In fact, you’re with two men. You could stay home with your family, right?”

  “I could.”

  “Why don’t you?”

  “I like my job, but to clarify, I’m not rich, and neither are they.”

  Okay, that was totally a lie.

  Callen was worth a lot more than she and Ethan put together, and that was saying a lot since Ethan had a prestigious position.

  This was proof that being a public servant sucked.

  Jasper’s face said it all.

  He was pissed.

  “Listen, I have to ask these questions. If you want me to find Roman’s killer, I need people being open.”

  He took a deep breath.

  “Okay.”

  “Do you know Selma Roth?”

  He tensed at her name.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m interviewing her tomorrow.”

  “She’s a bitch. Have fun.”

  They all lifted an eyebrow at that one.

  It set the tone for that interview. Something was going on between two potential suspects.

  Interesting.

  They knew Jasper had been shit-canned, but this went deeper than a lecherous man getting caught hitting on anyone with a dick.
>
  She really didn’t need to say much more. “We’re going to go search his house. We aren’t going to find anything that disputes what you’ve said, are we? Maybe you’ve also heard in the media how I get mean and bitchy when I’m pissed off.”

  “No, I’ve been honest with you.”

  And it appeared he had. He didn’t lie yet.

  “Can I come? The police won’t let me in, even though I spent all my time there. I haven’t been back here in a while. I hate it here, and I really dislike it without Roman.”

  “We’ll have to do this one alone. Sorry. My team is still pulling trace.”

  He stood. “I understand. Just find the person who did this, okay?”

  She promised she would.

  That was the one thing she was sure of in all of this.

  Outside, she glanced over at Ethan. “Well?”

  “He was lying about something, and I mean more than what we learned about him,” Ethan stated. “He may have been a horny man groper, but there’s more. He dislikes Selma Roth a lot more than someone who just got busted for sexually harassing his coworkers. There’s something there.”

  “Yeah, I thought as much. He was off. I need to see what he’s hiding. Now I’m curious, and you know how that makes me.”

  “Like a rabid dog ready to take off someone’s leg?”

  She smiled. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

  One thing was for sure.

  This was going to be interesting.

  Chapter Ten

  Sunday Afternoon

  Roman’s house was like a cross between the ancient Greek baths with all the marble statues, and some gilded whorehouse. Someone definitely had an eclectic taste in décor.

  By eclectic, she meant as tacky as hell.

  Elizabeth couldn’t help but wonder how anyone felt comfortable in the place. There were no big soft couches, instead using settees and lots of gold furniture.

  It looked like Liberace threw his wardrobe all over the place and called it furniture. It was actually giving her a headache from all the sparkle.

  “Wow,” Callen said, walking around the room. “I don’t know if I want to applaud his creativity or question his sanity. Maybe it’s a little of both.”

  “Go with B,” Ethan offered. “I hate to generalize gay men as being flamboyant and out of control when it comes to glitter and feathers, but this is proof it’s true.”

  Yeah, Elizabeth agreed.

  “There are a lot of phallic references in here,” Ethan stated, as he looked around.

  “Is that important?” Callen asked.

  “If you like dick it is,” Elizabeth stated, trying to keep a straight face. One of the chairs actually had penises for the legs, and the look on Callen’s face was priceless.

  She wasn’t sure who liked penises more. Fern or Roman? It looked like they shopped at the same place—‘Phallic’s-R-Us’.

  Elizabeth was amused by her husbands’ behavior.

  There was nothing like putting heterosexual men around dicks to watch them squirm. While they both saw plenty on their other spouse, they didn’t dwell on it. It was more about boning their babe.

  In that room, Callen, normally the easier going of the two, was the most uncomfortable.

  Until he tossed a glass penis to his brother.

  “Jesus, Cal!”

  She snorted. “This place is like Fern’s home. Were they friends?”

  Callen sent a text to the team to do some research to see if they were acquainted.

  He knew how Elizabeth thought. If she said it out loud, she wanted it checked out.

  “We had better search,” she stated, pulling on her gloves. “Boys, keep your hands off the dicks.”

  “Elizabeth!” Ethan said, staring at her. “Really?”

  “When am I going to get to say that ever again while on a case?” she asked. “I had to get it out of my system.”

  His wife had a point.

  They moved quickly through the room.

  “Here are some pictures of the happy couple,” stated Ethan, holding one up for them to see.

  They indeed looked happy.

  All around the room there was art, there was weird shit, and there was not a speck of dust to be found.

  The place looked clean.

  Literally.

  Elizabeth looked around. “He went missing almost a week ago, but there isn’t any dust. How is that humanly possible? At home, I’ve watched Maeve dust the same things over and over again every three days. Shouldn’t this be messy?”

  They looked around.

  Ethan even picked up a photo frame and it was clean beneath and around it.

  “Someone’s been here.”

  They had to be.

  “Was it our killer? A maid? Hell! Was it Jasper?”

  Ethan wasn’t sure, but since Roman technically wasn’t a victim until recently, his place likely wasn’t a crime scene.

  This whole thing sucked.

  If someone had been here, that meant any evidence would likely be long gone, but who?

  That was going to be the big question.

  “I don’t think the team is going to find anything here,” Ethan offered. “Our killer timed this one right. This place has been cleaned since he went missing.”

  Yeah, great.

  “We should head upstairs,” Callen offered.

  She agreed.

  They needed to see if it was just as spotless up there. Maybe this was her imagination. Maybe having six kids running around made dust.

  At this point, anything was possible.

  As they ascended the giant staircase, she noticed even the big chandelier was spotless.

  “Who has to dust all those crystal drops?” she asked, talking out loud to no one in particular.

  “Thankfully, not me,” Callen stated. “I’d be bored about one minute in, and then I’d say screw it.”

  Yeah, her too.

  At the top of the stairs, they found double doors. When they opened them, it was clear that this was the master bedroom. It was way over the top.

  “Wow, this is worse than the downstairs.”

  She agreed with Callen.

  Their bedroom at home was HUGE with a giant bed with cool blue and greens to offer serenity.

  This room was red with lots of shiny shit in it.

  Elizabeth wouldn’t be able to sleep in there. It would keep her up for hours at a time.

  Callen started digging through the nightstand drawers on one side. He pulled out some tissues and a few magazines.

  Elizabeth found more of the same, but with some allergy medicine too.

  “That’s it?” Ethan asked. “All these dicks downstairs and in here you found some Men’s Health magazines and over the counter meds?”

  “Apparently. Maybe the downstairs was to shock and awe the guests.”

  “Well, I was shocked,” Callen admitted. “And I’m in awe.”

  “Let’s check the closets and bath,” she offered.

  Ethan headed to the master bath, Callen grabbed one door, which led to a closet, and Elizabeth got the last one.

  “Lots of men’s clothing,” Callen shouted.

  “Normal bathroom,” Ethan stated. “No meds in the cabinets either.”

  Elizabeth said nothing.

  “Baby?” Ethan called.

  Still nothing.

  Both men grabbed their guns and raced toward the door she’d entered. When they rushed in, they found her standing in the middle of a room.

  A sex room.

  She was wide-eyed and clearly amused.

  “Oh my God,” muttered Callen. “What the hell is this?” he asked.

  “Someone liked kink,” Elizabeth offered. “No, let me rephrase that. Someone liked a whole lot of kinkery in their relationship. I finally found someone more perverted than you, Callen.”

  “Hey! I try hard. You can’t always be the best,” he teased.

  Ethan whistled.

  The three of them had seen a lot in t
heir jobs, and maybe that had hardened them from being shocked at too many things, but this?

  Yeah, this was shocking.

  “I’m speechless,” she said.

  That said it all. If she didn’t even have anything snarky to say, she was totally taken off guard.

  Ethan began walking around, grateful he was wearing gloves.

  If they had a black light…

  Yeah, he didn’t want to think about it.

  The whole thing freaked him out.

  Elizabeth suddenly started laughing from her corner of the sex room.

  Out of nowhere, the place was filled with the melodious sound of her giggles. In fact, she was wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

  “You’re amused?” Callen asked. “I’m pretty sure that’s NOT the purpose of this room.”

  “I am. No matter how kinky I think we are, we’re not even close.” There were chains, wooden X’s, and all kids of tables, benches, and machines.

  “What the hell is this?” Callen asked, pointing at some box with gears and a penis on it.

  “That would be a fucking machine,” Ethan said, earning a look from both of them. “What? I’ve profiled sex offenders. I’ve seen it all. Nothing in here is going to shock me.”

  Callen stared at it.

  Curiosity was killing him.

  “What the hell do you…?”

  Then he got it.

  “Jesus! That’s so damn wrong. Maybe if it was a girl on that table, but not a guy!”

  “Says a man in a threesome with his brother and his brother’s wife,” Elizabeth teased. “Different strokes for different folks.”

  “Hey! You don’t need a machine,” he offered. “If you do it right, your woman is plenty happy with the man version.”

  She snorted.

  Then she kicked the button with the toe of her boot. The penis on a stick began moving toward the wooden horse.

  “Oh Christ,” Callen said, shaking his head. “I didn’t need to see that.”

  She couldn’t help herself. When he turned it off, she was ready to bust some ass. Tomorrow, Ethan would be back in a suit, and they would be only a twosome. If she wanted to have fun, it had to be now.

  “Okay, I have an issue,” Ethan stated.

  “You only have one with this room?” Callen asked. “I have a long list.”

  “I think it all looks fun,” Elizabeth offered.