Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four)

by Kelley, Morgan

  Whitefox leaned back and closed his eyes. His heart was just now starting to slow down. “I don’t know how you live with this terror every day Ethan. It was scary before, but now I’m pretty much scared shitless.”

  “Welcome to my world. My consolation is that I don’t have to live the terror alone now.”

  Elizabeth just shook her head. “Guys, I’m okay. I’ll go change, you can stay here.”

  “Uh no.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. One husband was bad enough, but she hit the genetic jackpot on overbearing, over protective men. If she thought one of them was going to make her crazy, then two were sure to drive her to madness. Then she weighed the benefits, deciding it was worth it.

  She jumped out of the vehicle and practically stormed into the building.

  The woman behind the counter stared. “Were you in an accident?” she asked incredulously, taking in the blood on the woman’s arm.

  “No, there was nothing accidental about it,” she muttered, taking the stairs two at a time, with both men right behind her. Once in the room she waited until they closed the door.

  “Strip,” ordered her husband, pointing to her body.

  “Why Cowboy as exciting as that sounds…” She noticed he wasn’t laughing and contemplated the look on his and his brother’s face. “Okay, relax.”

  Elizabeth began unbuttoning her shirt and toed off her boots. Once topless, she dropped the shirt on the bed and then stood there. “Okay?”

  “Drop the jeans too. I want to see your hip. The mirror hit your side and I know you’re hoping I didn’t notice.”

  Elizabeth should have known that the man was old eagle eyes when it came to her. “I’m really okay.” She started unbuckling her belt and undid her jeans.

  “Off.”

  “Oh come on!” She dropped them and stepped out of them.

  Whitefox moved to stand behind her and dropped to one knee to inspect her side and hip. “She’s going to have a big bruise from her ribcage down to her hip.” The car had indeed been close- too close.

  Blackhawk pulled a first aid kit from his suitcase and entered the room. “I now carry one for obvious reasons. I learned this lesson months ago.”

  Whitefox inspected her arm and shoulder. His whole body hardened in fury that she’d been harmed once again. Gently he ran his fingers over it, and she flinched ever so slightly.

  “Roll your shoulder,” Ethan ordered, moving to stand behind her. When she obeyed it didn’t roll smoothly. “You need a doctor to look at that. I’ll get Desdemona.”

  “Hell no! If you do I won’t speak to you for years. I don’t want her touching me, got it? I’ll go to the fucking ER first.” Now the anger was at the surface. Yeah, she had to save her life, but she was furious that the woman accused her of sleeping with her fiancé, stolen her journal, and God only knew what else. Enough was enough. “If you think I’m kidding Ethan try me.”

  “Hey, shhhh it’s okay,” soothed Whitefox, pulling her into his arms and just holding her. It wasn’t like Elizabeth to get emotional, and she was definitely stirred up.

  “I’m sorry baby,” said her husband, stroking her back and closing her between them. “It’s okay. I won’t get her.”

  The emotion swamped her.

  It was more than she could handle.

  Part of her was still mourning Timothy, then the loss of a friend to stupid circumstances, a new relationship with Callen, and now she’d almost been run over saving a woman who hated her fucking guts. Elizabeth just let the tears come. The adrenaline crashed, and she just succumbed to it.

  Both men held on through the storm and just let her feel safe between them. They soothed her and offered her comfort, as both were unsure how to patch up her heart. Cuts and scrapes they could do, but emotional wounds were out of their reach.

  Elizabeth just stayed between them, taking in the scent of both men. Completely different cologne, but when it came together it just offered her complete peace.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Blackhawk inquired, feeling overly concerned. He never saw her break like this while on duty. His wife wasn’t one to weep at work.

  “Yeah, sorry. It’s been a bad week.”

  “I’m going to get you some ice. Callen, will you clean her shoulder and arm off?” Blackhawk needed to make sure Julian made it back in one piece with Doctor Adare.

  “I can do that.” He dropped kisses onto the top of her head and led her towards the bathroom. “Let me patch you up, angel,” he said, turning on the water and pulling down a washcloth. He wiped the blood off her shoulder and elbow, and then he soaped up the wound to kill the bacteria. “I’m sorry.”

  “It doesn’t hurt,” she said, honestly.

  “That’s not what I meant.” Callen was talking about the mess he’d made and dragged them into. “If anything happens to you or Ethan, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  Elizabeth turned and looked into his eyes. “Cal, I’ll be fine.” It was blatant what he needed. His heart needed soothing too, and she’d do anything she could to heal him. “I love you,” she whispered, and then kissed him. Slow, easy, completely and offering him what she had in her heart. When a moan escaped his lips from deep within his chest, she pulled away.

  “Better?” she asked, touching his cheek.

  “How does he do this all day, working with you and keeping his mind off the obvious?” Right now, Callen wasn’t thinking about cleaning her shoulder, he was thinking of taking her to bed and making love to her for hours.

  “Notice he took off and left you here with me dressed like this,” she laughed.

  “Don’t think I didn’t notice the very sexy girly underthings. I did. I’m just trying really hard to not think about them right now. I’ll be suffering all day knowing you're wearing them.” And he would. There was something about pink lace on a bad ass woman.

  Elizabeth patted his cheek and turned around so he could finish her shoulder.

  “Do you always wear sexy things under your clothes?” he inquired, trying to sound nonchalant as he continued working.

  “Know how I like really frilly girly aprons, and paint my toes all kinds of girl colors like pink and purple?”

  “Yes,” and they drove him crazy. He loved finding the colors changed, sometimes daily. He’d watch her toes while her feet were in his lap while they sat on the couch at home watching TV.

  “I like sexy girly lingerie too. I have a drawer full of it.”

  Callen could feel the reaction from the part of his brain that thought ‘yippee’ to his furthest extremities. Everything clenched and tightened, making him aware of her being this close. “I look forward to exploring your collection.”

  Elizabeth laughed, as she watched the look on his face. “You're allowed to add to the collection. I do and will wear anything you bring home. That’s why Ethan loves to shop, but don’t tell him I told you.” She winked at him. “Girly things magically appear in my dresser.”

  Dear God, he was going to suffer today. “Anything?”

  “If it’s lacy and pretty I’ll wear it, or even borders on risqué. I like to keep you boys on your toes. Sex should be fun and crazy. I like to push Ethan as far as I can in bed, and I’ll probably do the same to you. Just a warning,” she grinned, wickedly.

  Callen prayed for control. “All done. I’ll go get you a new shirt and your jeans. If I don’t get out of here and away from you, I’m going to jump you, so I’ll move to the other room.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “You’re just like your brother.”

  He grinned wickedly over his shoulder. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  Elizabeth shook her head.

  Yeah, it definitely wasn’t.

  When Blackhawk returned from getting ice, he found his brother digging through his wife’s suitcase. The look on his face said it all. Callen was frustrated, and not over the assignment.

  “Walk a mile in my shoes,” he stated, laughing. “Now you see what I live with every day of my
life. It ranged from her risking her neck, to just finding yourself staring at her lost in complete thought with a dopey grin on your face.”

  “How do you do it?”

  He grinned. “I have the blessing of having a wife who has a very high sex drive and a lock on most doors in the house.”

  Whitefox pulled out a shirt and a new pair of jeans. “The worst part is before I never saw her naked, and now I have that replaying over and over in my head. Add to it I now know that she wears lacy girly things under her clothes.”

  Blackhawk patted him on the shoulder. “I feel for you.” He took the clothes from his brother and walked them to the bathroom door and opened it to hand him to his wife.

  “When you’re at work think about work as much as possible and at home don’t. That’s the best advice I can give you on the topic. That’s why there’s the no kissy-face rule. If I started kissing my wife at work all the time,” he started and she stepped out of the bathroom, finishing for him.

  “We’d be having sex in the office too.” Elizabeth started laughing, because they just broke that rule, but it was entirely her fault and she knew it.

  “Elizabeth!”

  “Okay, speaking of work,” she said, slipping on her boots. “If I didn’t take Trinity Adare’s journal, who did?” Elizabeth snapped her belt buckle and clipped on her gun and badge. “I doubt that it disappeared accidentally. We have her mother on the slab, and then the journal goes poof. So, I have to think that something in that book has something to do with all this.”

  “So we head to the sheriff’s office, then we swing by the lab, and then back here to scour the journal?” suggest Blackhawk.

  “Pizza and beer for dinner?”

  “Hell yeah to that.” Then Elizabeth paused. “Before that I have to tell Desdemona about her mother.”

  “Want me to do it?” asked Whitefox.

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Do you want to?” If he wanted to do the deed, she’d let him. After all, maybe this was closure for him too. Anything to help him get over what was once between them.

  “I really don’t want to, but I need to face her at some point.”

  Both Blackhawks nodded.

  Elizabeth grabbed the keys from the table in their room and strolled between both men, slapping them both on the ass and then turning to wink at them both.

  “Saddle up boys, we have us a jackwagon sheriff to rustle up,” and then she walked out the door laughing.

  It was time to get back to work.

  ~ Chapter Eleven ~

  They crossed the parking lot, bounding up the steps into the sheriff’s office. No one expected them to get fanfare and accolades as they approached. In fact, if past experiences said anything about what was bound to happen, they’d be pretty much faced with complete opposition and anger.

  Blackhawk was used to it. Generally, his wife poked the hornet’s nest, and he soothed the stings after. It’s what he did. Out of the three of them, he was the diplomat, his brother the mediator listening to his instinct, and his wife the hell raiser and door stormer.

  He wouldn’t have it any other way, because it was the perfect blend between them.

  Once inside, the tension was nothing but at a full simmer. The sheriff stood his ground and his few deputies stood behind him, as if trying to put on a united front.

  Elizabeth grinned. Hell yeah, bring on the show.

  “Sheriff Denton, how the heck are you on this fine day?” she inquired, leaning against the counter and smiling at the man with her best debutant grin.

  “Hello, Agents. I hear you had a mishap in town a little while ago,” he grinned, satisfactorily. Maybe the woman would learn that her place wasn’t standing toe to toe with a man. “I bet you get a lot of people trying to run you over, Director.”

  Elizabeth smiled and tipped her head to the side. “Yeah, I do and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Must mean I’m really good at scaring the criminals. Bet no one’s trying to run you down, Sheriff,” she drawled right back. “Hmmmm. Curious.”

  Sheriff Denton turned red.

  The deputy behind the sheriff leaned over to whisper to his buddy. “She’s a dick tease,” he said, grinning.

  Ethan and his brother both stepped forward at the words, ready to rip both men to pieces.

  “That’s funny Deputy,” she drawled. “I do declare that it only took you three seconds to come running, so that makes you the what? The dick that got teased? I do believe a girl likes a man to hold out longer than three seconds.” Elizabeth went right for his masculinity and didn’t break the smile. “Well, it’s my requirement.”

  Whitefox snickered and covered it with a cough. God, he loved her.

  Jonathan Delray turned bright red and clenched his fists at the words, and to what she was alluding.

  “Truth is a bitch, boys and so am I. Welcome to the world of the FBI. If you can’t handle a little federal agent, then I suggest you get a new career. I hear mailmen only have to watch out for rabid dogs. So much safer than dealing with me and my partners.”

  Both men behind her smiled ferally.

  The sheriff stepped forward before it got out of hand. “What do you want, Director Blackhawk?”

  Elizabeth grinned, getting down to business. “We have ID’d the first victim, and we’re about there on number two, and we need to see all your missing person reports that were filed for the last twenty five years.”

  He laughed. “Oh well let me get right on that for you. Come on back in a month and pick it up.”

  Elizabeth got the hint. “Well, that’s fine Sheriff. You’re up for reelection when? This year? Next? You see, before I started ball busting for the FBI, I ran a sheriff’s department in a small town myself. I know how valuable public opinion can be, so I’ll be sure to make mention of it at my press conference later.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded. “What press conference?”

  “Oh darn it, did I forget to mention it?” she said, smiling at him with her big ‘fuck you’ smile. “My partners and I are going to be telling the public about the victims today. I guess when asked if I’m getting any cooperation from the local law, I have to tell the truth. You know us Feds. We love to just tell the damn truth, no matter whose job it costs.”

  Both men behind her grinned, because she was lying her ass off. Elizabeth hated press conferences and would rather wade through the swamp again, than deal with the press.

  The sheriff glanced over at his deputy. “Get her the damn list.” Now she had his attention again. “Have a seat. It’ll take a few minutes,” and with that he went to his office and slammed the door.

  The three of them sat in the chairs, Elizabeth between them. She didn’t say much, but kept smiling at the deputy when he gave her a dirty look every few minutes.

  “He hates you,” muttered Whitefox. “He must not appreciate that the bikini was a thing of beauty.”

  Elizabeth snickered. “I’ll try harder next time.”

  Blackhawk didn’t think so. “Over my dead body will there be any more bikini in public opportunities. The next time I see you in that bikini, it better be in the privacy of our back yard.”

  Elizabeth waved at the man and it pissed him off more.

  “Now you're just trying to push his buttons. What’s up?” inquired Whitefox.

  Ethan grinned behind his hand. “Don’t draw blood,” he whispered. “She wants him to do something stupid, so she has leverage over the sheriff that one of his deputies screwed up.”

  “You know, you're pretty devious.”

  Elizabeth winked at him. “Just sit back and enjoy the show boys.”

  The deputy rounded the counter, holding out the report. Elizabeth smiled, sauntering towards him, taking it from his hand. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Deputy. Don’t worry, your secrets safe with me.”

  He looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “How you ran across that drive way after a woman in a bikini, allowing seven
people to sneak right past you with two corpses. That was very first day on the job, if I do say so myself.” She blew him a kiss and turned, and knew it was coming.

  Deputy Jonathan Delray got pissed and made a huge mistake; he reached out and grabbed her by the bad arm.

  Elizabeth reached for his wrist, twisted, spun him, and foot swept him off his feet.

  He hit the ground with a thud and a look of surprise on his face at how fast she moved.

  “Three,” she said, holding up three fingers, and then punched him in the neck on the pressure point and knocked him out again, for the third and hopefully final time.

  The other deputy came running and actually put his hand on his gun, and that caused both brothers to stand and do the same.

  “Don’t do it. Drawing a weapon on a federal officer is a very stupid and dangerous thing,” ordered Blackhawk.

  Elizabeth stood up when the sheriff ran out of his office at the commotion.

  “What the hell?” He stared over the counter at his downed deputy.

  “He put his hands on me, Sheriff. I do declare that’s assault, and I could have him arrested. I’ll let him wake up, and you can tell him the ramifications of what he just did. The backlash on him and your department could be immeasurable. I’ll be back Sheriff, and next time maybe this can go a little more smoothly with less attitude.”

  Sheriff Louis Denton went even redder. “Get him off the floor!” he yelled at his other deputy.

  “Have a good day,” nodded Blackhawk, as they walked out of the office. Once outside he started laughing. “Mrs. Blackhawk that was the sexiest display of manhandling I’ve seen yet from you. I love how you just completely emasculated that man. When he wakes up and remembers that you did that to him three times, he’s going to be impotent for a month.”

  “Little thing I like to pull out of my bag of tricks when I need to switch it up a little bit. Sometimes a girl gets sick of breaking noses and needs a break.”