Consumed by Wrath: An FBI/Romance Thriller (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 8)

by Kelley, Morgan

  Blackhawk thought about it. “I think I’d like for us all to meet with her. Not that I think we’re broken, but because I want my family to hear what she asks and what I say. I think that truth really has set me free, and that you being with me, will be part of the process.”

  “What do you talk about?” Callen asked, curiosity getting the best of him. Then, he realized maybe he shouldn’t have asked. “Sorry.”

  Ethan placed his hand on his brother’s head in Elizabeth’s lap. “It’s okay, Cal. You can ask. We talk a lot about the abuse and what he did to me.”

  She laid her head on his shoulder. Elizabeth was a little sad that he had never told them everything, but a stranger knew. It hurt, but she pushed it aside for him. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

  Closed his eyes and thought back to it. “Yeah, it was.”

  She held onto him. “I’m sorry, Ethan. I’m so damn sorry,” she whispered, apologizing for not getting to him sooner, or not stopping it. “I would have traded places with you in a heartbeat.”

  “Me too,” Callen stated.

  He loved them both so much. “I wouldn’t have,” he replied. “I would die before letting either of you experience that. Patrick Parrish was a sick bastard, and I’m tired of being his victim. I believed that you’d stop loving me if you knew what happened. That you would know what he said and find truth in it.”

  She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “Ethan, I don’t know what he said, but when I look at you, I see perfection.”

  “I’m ashamed that I begged for my life, Elizabeth. He broke me and I begged like a child, to stop the pain.”

  Callen sat up and stared at his brother. The emotional scars never went away, and he knew that more than anyone. “You beat him, Ethan.”

  “No I didn't. Elizabeth beat him. You both saved me.”

  She objected. “I put the bullet in his head. You dug your way out of that grave, Ethan. You didn't give up, and you found your way home. That was all you. You were stronger than he was, and you’re proving it every day. Look at how you’re fighting to get back to where you were, before all of this happened.”

  “I’m only able to because of you both. You’re my strength. Without you two, I would have given up. That’s why I want you in therapy with me.”

  Elizabeth and Callen were touched. Until that moment, they had never been asked to stand with him during the toughest part of his week. This was just more proof that he was no longer pushing them away in fear, but allowing himself to lean on them, like they once did before.

  “Will you come with me?”

  “Absolutely,” Callen said, standing.

  Elizabeth turned and took his face in her hands. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, my darling.”

  Ethan pushed his wife up to her feet and hugged her. Soon, Callen joined them and wrapped his arms around them. This time, instead of hiding in the embrace, Ethan held them both against him, like he had done once before.

  “I love you both,” he said.

  Callen offered it back, but Elizabeth kissed him instead. It was deep and spoke of the love in her for the man against her body.

  When he reluctantly pulled away, there was peace on his face. “I’ll be right back,” he said, heading towards the office with his phone.

  When he closed the door, Elizabeth hugged Callen tightly. “I love that my family is almost whole again,” she said softly, as she listened to Ethan’s voice through the door.

  Whitefox did too. “How about we start making out on the couch?” he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

  She was just about to say yes, when her phone began ringing. As she gazed down at the number, she recognized it as one of the team. Answering quickly, Elizabeth prayed there wasn’t going to be more bodies.

  “Go ahead, Agent Stanton,” she said, listening to the woman.

  Callen stared at her expectantly, for any clue as to what was going on. When her face stayed blank, he knew it wasn’t going to be good. Elizabeth had a few tells in life that would always give away the situation. When something bad was coming, she stayed calm and neutral. The blank look on her face said it all.

  This wasn’t a good call.

  “Thank you for contacting me,” she replied. Hanging up, she stared at Callen. “We have a really big problem.”

  “Uh oh. More bodies?”

  “Well, there may be one shortly,” she said, heading for the kitchen to leave Ethan a note.

  “What’s going on, angel?”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “The sheriff is at the local bar, shitfaced drunk, and talking up a storm.”

  Callen paused. That was one of the worst things that could happen, especially since they wanted to keep the details to themselves. “Like how he hates the FBI, talk?” he hoped.

  “No. Like how we have a God damn cannibal in town.”

  “Oh shit,” he muttered, grabbing the keys.

  Elizabeth scribbled the note and took the keys from Callen. “I’ll drive. We have to get there fast, and I know all the shortcuts.”

  Whitefox didn't argue.

  He knew better.

  Elizabeth Blackhawk was on the warpath, and Tony Morell was a dead man…

  ~ Chapter Twelve ~

  Outside the bar, Callen and Elizabeth both hopped out of the Navigator. This was the last thing that she wanted to be doing at that moment, and she seriously doubted Tony Morell’s sanity.

  It was one thing to hate the FBI. That she got and understood, but if he was sitting in a bar and talking about the specifics of a case, then he was heading down the wrong road. How did he know that the killer wasn’t on the barstool right beside him?

  He couldn’t, and that risked showing the person who they were hunting, all their cards.

  “Let me handle this,” Callen stated, opening the door to the seedy bar. He wasn’t really enthused that their pregnant woman was heading into a nicotine filled pub to get an unhealthy dose of second hand smoke.

  Yeah, he was actually bordering on murderous rage, and he could only imagine the tirade that Ethan would be on, right at this moment.

  Heading in, Elizabeth stood alongside Callen, as they searched the dark confines of the establishment. Once they found him, with a circle of men around him, they knew this was going to be tricky.

  Suddenly, not bringing Ethan was a very bad idea.

  Elizabeth touched his arm. “They’ll find me less threatening,” she whispered into his ear. “You just watch my back and shoot anyone that comes at me. If it’s Tony, I’ll kiss you myself.”

  He didn't like it, but he didn't have a choice.

  She was right. If he approached the circle of men, someone might try and stop him, and Callen had been in enough bar room brawls to know that it was stupid, dangerous and flirting with death. He was a father and had responsibilities, so he opted to trust his woman.

  What choice did he have?

  As she moved up to the ring of men, she could hear Tony spilling every detail that he was privy too, and all the men around him were fascinate with his storytelling.

  Or what they perceived to be made up tales.

  Okay, this might work to their benefit after all. If all the men listening believed it to be drunken ramblings, they may not be in that big of a mess. After all, a cannibal seemed like a fairly wild story to believe.

  Mentally, she crossed her fingers.

  “Excuse me,” she said, wiggling between two beefy men. “I need to talk to the sheriff. There’s been an accident, and he’s needed ASAP!”

  The men seemed to buy it and moved out of her way. When Tony saw her, he grimaced. “Well, well, if it isn’t Elizabeth ‘FBI’ Blackhawk. Have you come to slum with the locals? I remember when you and I used to sneak into this bar when we were teenagers. My, my, how times have changed, your Highness.”

  “Tony, there’s been an accident. We need your help.” Yeah, he was going to be the victim when she accidentally bitch slapped some sense into him, but why mention that?
<
br />   He thought about it, and finally stumbled to his feet. As she walked away, he patted her on the ass, and she shook her head at Callen. The rage was clear on his face, and she knew that he wanted to pummel the man into little meaty bits. Part of her wanted to let him do it, since she was at her max with Tony’s bullshit, but they couldn’t start a brawl in there.

  Plus, she didn't want one of the brothers in jail for murder. She’d rather go into lockup herself.

  “Hey, you sure you don’t want to toss over those men and come home with me? We can finally consummate what we’ve both been dreaming about,” he slurred, breathing whiskey into her face.

  God, he was a mess to even ask her that in front of one of the men in question. Thank God that it was Callen with her and not Ethan. With his anger issues, they would have even more trouble.

  “Sure, Tony. I’ll come home with you,” she promised, as she tried to do anything to get him away from the people in there. Once they hit the door, she turned and stared at him. “Give me the keys to your truck.”

  “If you want them, they’re in my front pocket, and you’ll have to fish them out.”

  Oh, when he sobered up, he was a dead man. If not for telling the town drunks the details, then for making her do this. Elizabeth mouthed ‘sorry’ to Callen, and reached into his pants. Fortunately for her, whisky and sex drive didn't mix. When she had them fished out, she gave him the look.

  “Was it good for you, Lyzee?”

  She ignored him. This wasn’t her first round with a drunken Tony. She’d saddled this pony a few times in their lives. “Okay, you’re going home to detox, and we’ll discuss this in the morning. Let’s go.”

  “Wait! Where’s the accident, kitten?” he asked, running his hand over her ass as she led him towards his truck parked nearby.

  “There isn’t one, you’re going home.”

  Callen was trying to breathe and not let the drunken man push him over the edge. He’d touched her, made her dig out his keys, and was calling her kitten. If Ethan were here, they would be taking turns schooling the man. Then, he contemplated it. Yeah, on second thought, it was better Ethan wasn’t there.

  As if he heard his name being thought, the phone rang.

  Damn it!

  “It’s Ethan. What do I do?” Callen knew that he didn't have many choices. This was a relationship minefield. If he let it go to voicemail, his brother would lose it. If he answered, his brother would lose it.

  Basically, the man was going to need some Xanax, either way.

  This was the worst kind of situation, and he knew they were three days past screwed.

  She didn't glance back. Taking her eyes off a confrontational person was dangerous. She wanted to keep Tony in her vision and both of them safe. A mad drunk was a dangerous drunk, and Tony was definitely those two things. “Tell him what is going on, and don’t freak him out.”

  Callen answered, and Tony took that moment to start talking shit and lecherously offering himself up to Elizabeth. It was like the Gods suddenly hated them.

  “What?” Ethan shouted into the phone. “What the hell is going on?”

  Whitefox worked on calming one man, while Elizabeth worked on the other.

  “Tony, we need to get you home.”

  “No freaking way! I’m not going home. You’re not my God damn mother. You’re just the only pair of jeans I couldn’t get into in my life!”

  Oh boy. This was looking bad.

  “I should have just slept with you. I was trying to be nice, but you were nothing more than a prude!” he accused.

  She let him get it off his chest. It was better for it to happen out here in the open, instead of freaking out in the car and killing them both.

  “You’re nothing special,” he slurred. “Just another stupid lay. You’re just good in bed, and that’s the only reason you have two men following you around like shadows. They just want a piece of your ass.”

  Callen was trying to calm Ethan, who apparently had hawk-like hearing. Just from the rage in his brother’s voice, he could tell that Tony was dead in the morning. Just when he believed that it couldn’t get worse, it did. “Ethan, we have people coming out of the bar. I have to keep my hands free to keep Lyzee safe,” he said, despite Ethan’s shouts of not to hang up.

  “Let’s go, Tony,” she said more sternly, as more men came out of the building. It was escalating, and at that moment, Elizabeth was beginning to get worried. They needed to keep this at an even keel, and not let it explode into a mêlée. In the back of her mind, she was weighing the options and contemplating how many people they could defend themselves against if need be.

  Shit! The odds weren’t looking good.

  “Cal, you watch the spectators. I have Tony,” she said, walking towards him to help him to the Navigator. When he went to pull away from her, he swung his arm, hitting her in the face. It drew a hiss from her, and a growl from Callen.

  The men behind them started chanting ‘fight’, as they tried to egg them on and into something more entertaining to watch. Unfortunately, Tony was drunk enough to buy into it. When Elizabeth stepped back, he lunged for her as he tried to make contact with his fist.

  This was more mounting proof that the man was out of his mind with the booze. Never in her life had she ever expected the man to try and hurt her. They had been friends growing up. This crossed so many lines, more so than the ones where he was attempting to put his hands on a woman.

  Friendship was being tested.

  Rules were being broken.

  Side stepping him, she warned him, “Tony, don’t do this. You’ll tank your career if you pursue this jackassery.” Yeah, and get himself killed by Ethan and Callen. Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off the man for a second. She was waiting for his next move, and anticipating the strike.

  He didn't seem to hear her words, or care about his career at that point. Whiskey had that effect on quite a few people who she ran into in her line of work. It made the demons claw to the surface and destroyed everything in their path.

  In her heart, she hoped that she could save him, but Tony may be too far gone.

  “You’re ruining my career,” he said, swinging at her again. When she ducked and stayed under his arm, he nearly fell from the momentum.

  “Tony, you haven’t done anything to get you thrown into jail yet,” she warned one more time. This was his final chance. The swings were getting more violent and the last thing that she planned on letting happen was her pregnancy being risked.

  Options were slowly ebbing away.

  “I’m going to kick your bitch ass, and then go after your lousy Indian lover next!”

  Okay, now he was seriously pushing his damn luck. It was one thing for Tony to take shots at her, but if he thought she was going to allow him to trash the men she loved, then he had another thing coming.

  It was time to neutralize this.

  When he swung again, he had made her mad enough that she took him to the ground with her foot. “Tony, stay down!”

  When the men began chanting louder and exchanging money in the form of bets, Callen popped the strap on his holster as a warning to them. It seemed to work on a few of the more sober ones. They had the common sense to shut their mouths and back up from the fray.

  Getting up once more, he came at her swinging fast and furiously. Well, enough was enough. She was tired, sore, and cranky. Standing her ground, she blocked his punch, grabbed his wrist, twisted, elbowed him in the gut, and then released his wrist to sucker punch him in the face.

  Her hand and shoulder sung in pain, but it was effective.

  Tony hit the ground in a crumpled heap.

  Fortunately for him, he had the common sense to remain down and not come at her any more.

  The men moved forward, as if to assist the fallen man, and Callen showed them his badge and gun. “Back up!” he ordered, pointing at the door. “If you don’t want to go to jail with him, head back in, gentlemen.”

  At the mere mention of a night in th
e tank, no one stuck around. The men who had been his cheering squad took off like bats out of hell.

  Elizabeth pulled out her phone and called it in to nine-one-one. Since Tyrell was on duty, he would discretely handle the situation. “Now, we just need to sit here and babysit until Ty can get here and take Mr. Whiskey away.”

  Callen continually scanned the area for any more perceived dangers. Unfortunately, he didn't notice that his phone had stopped ringing from his crazed brother.

  Rolling him to his stomach, they cuffed the sheriff, just in case he felt the need to go a second round with her. Just at that moment, a deputy vehicle pulled up, and out hopped his ride.

  “Holy shit! What happened to him?”

  Elizabeth told him the entire thing from start to finish. The little drunken tale had Tyrell’s attention the entire time. When she finished, he didn't look too surprised.

  “What do you want me to do with him, Lyzee?” he asked. “If he took a swing at a Fed, you can press charges.”

  “Put him in the tank to sober up, but don’t let him get released for any reason until morning. He tried to assault a Federal officer, plus he was telling every Tom, Dick, and Harry what we have on the case. Tony needs a, ‘come to Jesus talk’ when he sobers up, and it looks like I’m going to be playing the role of preacher woman tomorrow.”

  Tyrell pulled him to his knees. Just then, they saw a black Navigator, flying down the road.

  “Quick, get him in the car. Ethan may try to kill him,” Callen said, shoving the last of Tony into the back of the cruiser for his own safety. From the look on his brother’s face, he was well aware that they had another out of control man to handle. Callen had just gotten the door closed, as Ethan Blackhawk came storming across the parking lot, looking for blood.

  “What the hell? I’m going to kill him!”

  Elizabeth spit on the ground.

  When Ethan saw the red tinged saliva on her lip, he was even further over the edge. “Did he put his hands on you?” he raged. “Did he fucking touch my woman?”

  She shook her head. “Please! He bumped me as he was tripping over his own damn feet. I was trying to keep him from falling and got in the way.” In this case, she opted to lie. Generally, she wasn’t an advocate of lying to a loved one, but if she told Ethan the truth, Tony was dead.