“Sometimes, I want to quit.”
He laughed. “I would hope you would. If you ever wake up and don’t feel the hurt and emotions that this job brings, it’s time to pack it up. You stand for the dead, and that comes with a heavy burden. You were born to do this, Lyzee. It’s your calling.”
She stared at him, and his words offered her so much peace. In fact, they chased the darkness away and offered her the first glimpse at respite that she had seen all day.
“Callen,” she murmured, staring at his lips.
“Yes, Lyzee?” he answered, going still beneath her.
She leaned in and placed her mouth over his, in the most delicate of kisses. Just that lip to lip contact healed a little piece of her. Pulling away, she stared into his chocolate-y brown eyes, and fell in love even more with him, if that was possible.
“Make love to me?” she asked, hoping that he would chase the rest of the demons from her soul with his own warrior heart. The broken had become the brave, and she needed him now more than ever. “I need to feel.”
There was no need for words. Pushing them up off the couch, he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door and placed her delicately in the middle of the bed. She was a treasure to him, and he knew that while sometimes what grew between them was wild and out of control, it could also be soft and gentle.
Love was more than heart pounding sex.
It was moments like this too.
She came to her knees to watch him strip out of his clothes, and she admired his body. The lines and angles that she loved so much were there to offer her comfort. Just running her hands over the familiarity was cathartic.
It offered peace.
It gave love.
It healed.
Callen took her hand from his flesh and placed a kiss in her palm. It showed the affection that was there, under it all. Then, without speaking, he gently pulled her shirt from her body. Here was his woman, and the mother of his and Ethan’s children. No one would ever matter more.
Ever.
Unbuckling his belt and jeans, he let them drop as he climbed onto the bed to lay beside her. Quickly, she moved into his arms. Her body twined possessively around his, locking him to her.
Mouths met, as the two lovers shared everything inside of them. It was slow, steady, and full of adoration.
Love was healing, even as moments before it had been the dagger to her heart.
“Oh Callen,” she murmured, as his hands stroked, soothed and slid delicately across her body. When they came to rest on her belly, she stared into his eyes.
“I love you, Elizabeth, and I’ll love this child as my own.” Callen took the vow and offered it to her, just as his brother had done for his children.
The love swamped her, as his mouth went back to worshipping her. His lips left a trail across her collarbones and to the vee of her breasts. When his hands slid to her back, he gently removed the bra that held his treasure captive. As he set her free, once more, his mouth took the lead and offered so much pleasure that it that threatened to bring tears to her eyes.
Lower he moved, lips kissing and tongue swirling, as he created a path to help her forget. When he reached her navel, he whispered to her belly, and the small little life burgeoning into existence there.
“I will guard you with my life, and you will never be afraid or alone,” he promised little Charlie. “I already adore you.”
His words offered her comfort.
Each time Ethan or Callen had created life within her body, there was always that wariness that the jealousy would take over and destroy what love made. Yet, the men in her life loved with everything that they had. There was no room for anything but absolute trust and adoration.
Slipping her shorts down her hips, he found her ready for him. Gently, he began teasing and tasting her to give the woman he loved so much pleasure. Today, there would be no doubt in her mind that she held his heart forever.
“Callen,” she gasped, as he tormented her. When she shook beneath his lips, he shoved her off the edge just to help her forget. He must have known that it would fill her with the warmth that would scare away the darkness. This was the best medicine for her heart.
Moving up her body, he poised himself in position, bracing his body with his arms, as he stared down into her face. When her eyes opened, and cleared from the fall into the bliss, he slid into her slowly.
“Oh God,” she moaned, arching into him and wrapping her legs around his hips.
It took him a second to focus. Sliding into his woman was like sinking into a seductive warmth. It made it hard to think straight, let alone remain in control.
Her hands wandered into his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers so they could be fully immersed in the kiss. As he began moving in and out of her body, she met him, over and over.
Pleasure built as her body claimed his. The gentle love making was filling them both with warmth and so much more.
Pulling her mouth from his, she stared into his eyes, as Callen drove them to the top and prepared them to tumble together. “I love you, Callen James Whitefox,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
“I will never love another woman but you, my love,” he said, offering her the term of endearment that she always gave him when he needed it.
The tears slipped and began sliding down her face, even as the pleasure built.
“Fall with me, Elizabeth,” he said, sliding into her one last time, and finding that exact spot that he knew would push her into the abyss.
She shattered apart, and her body tightened down on his, taking him with her.
With shouts of each other’s names, they fell together, wrapped as one.
When their breathing slowed, and their heartbeats returned to normal, he lifted his head and stared into her eyes, knowing what needed to happen next. “It’s okay to cry. I’m here.”
At his words, the dam broke and the salty tears fell. Trusting him, she let him roll, pulling her into his arms as he cradled her against him.
“I have you, angel. It’s okay.”
In that moment, she didn't doubt it at all.
Elizabeth knew that after the mourning came the anger, and with that would come the strength to get past this to find justice for the one she had lost.
The killer made a mistake.
He picked Salem and Doctor Trudeaux, and now, it was personal.
At that moment she may be wounded, but soon, like the phoenix that symbolized their family, she would rise from the ashes and send that bastard straight to hell.
* * *
The hardest part about running a crime scene was making sure that your team found everything. You would only get one shot at it, and this was their opportunity.
Sheriff Donnell’s dive team pulled up bone after bone, and he helped carry them to the doctors. Together, Tony Magnus and Christopher Leonard put the bodies back together again.
Well, as best as they could.
When there were no more pieces, he sent them to the morgue to begin the long and arduous task of making the dead talk. Soon, they would need their story.
That meant autopsying what was left of them and giving the investigator part of the team a lead and direction. Having worked with them before, there were no worries as to when they would find something.
His team was the best.
He had no doubts.
As the tech team packed up, he noticed their head tech heading his way. Stopping, he waited for her to approach him. From the look on her face, he somehow doubted that it was going to be good news, although the woman just nearly drowned, and that could rattle just about anyone.
“Can I talk to you, Director Blackhawk?” she asked, as she stared up at him.
“Yes, what seems to be the problem, Veronica?”
“I need to discuss my job with you.”
Oh, yeah, this didn't bode well.
“I can’t do it,” she said, simply. “I know that I had pretty big shoes to
fill when Christina left, but I honestly think that you and Director Blackhawk are expecting me to be as good as she was, and I can’t be her.”
He stared at Veronica.
“I feel like I’m losing an uphill battle. I try my best, and the work environment is stressful and puts me on edge.”
Still, he let the woman finish before he added his sage, director wisdom.
“I don’t think that I will ever be able to live up to the bar that Christina set for anyone who followed her. I know she was your favorite tech, and I don’t think that I’m ever going to be able to give you the results that are acceptable.”
Now, he was ready to discuss it.
“First of all, she wasn’t my favorite tech. You can ask anyone who works for me. I don’t play that game. To assume that I do, or that I treat anyone differently based on some skewed ranking of self-perceived favoritism, is insulting me as your boss. Not to mention to your intelligence, as the head tech.”
She opened her mouth, and he held up his hand to silence her. “No, you had your chance to tell me how you feel, and now it’s my turn to reply.”
Veronica shut her mouth.
“At no point have we ever expected you do anything but your best work. No, you’re not Christina, because there is only one. Yet, we hired you for reasons that we thought were also important. You never missed work. You were able to get along with everyone on staff, and you appeared to care about the quality of work you produced. Those three things gave you the edge over the other applicants. If anything, you were allowed favoritism when you were given the position, since Christina recommended you. I can see that was a mistake on my behalf.”
Now, the woman looked surprised.
“To address the bar that Christina has set. Yes, it is high, but the reason it appears to be at that level is because she truly loved her work and dedicated her life to it. This wasn’t a job for her, but a passion. Where I think the problem lies, is not with the bar, but with the amount of love you feel for what you do. I personally am insulted that you are pushing this off on us being ‘too hard’ on you or expecting too much. If you can’t do the job, or simply feel that it isn’t what you thought it was going to be like, own it. Making excuses also insults my intelligence and tests my patience.”
“I didn't mean…”
“I am going to assume that you’re having a rough moment because of the earlier situation when you fell into the water. I will take that into account and not allow myself to get angry that you’re trying to blame us for your desire to quit in the middle of a field assignment. That alone shows a great lack of professionalism. Now, that being said, what is it that you really want to do, Veronica? Do you wish to be demoted? Are you looking to go back to your old position?”
She stared at him incredulously. This wasn’t the response that she assumed she would get. Generally, Ethan Blackhawk was quite calm and the techs sang of his praises. “I…I…I don’t know.”
“Well, let me make this easy for you. Your old position is filled. You no longer want to be head tech, by your own admission, so I will get you a flight back. You can turn in your badge, and I hope that you find something that isn’t such an uphill battle and so stressful. May I suggest to you that it’s not working with a unit that deals with death and serial killers? That’s the epitome of stressful.”
He waved at another tech and the man came over, immediately.
“Yes, Director?” he asked.
“Can you transport Veronica to the hotel for her things, and then to the airport? She won’t be staying with us on the team anymore. She has quit.”
The tech nodded. “Sure thing, Director,” he said, heading towards the vehicles.
“Did you just fire me?” she said, incredulously.
“No, you told me that you couldn’t do the job, that you couldn’t give me the results that we needed, and that this environment puts you on edge. That was your resignation. Don’t look so surprised, Ms. Lords. When push comes to shove, I don’t make my team do things that they can’t do.”
“I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it. If you really think that I would stroke your ego, hand you a tissue, and soothe your worries, you’ve grotesquely misjudged me. I’m your boss, not your nanny. Either you’re in this to find killers and make a difference, or you’re the stone that holds us back. I have time for only one of those options and it isn’t the last one.”
She started to walk away.
“I’ll need your gun and badge.” Blackhawk said, emotionlessly.
When she handed him both, he nodded, and then whistled. The techs who were left on the scene all stopped moving. Only, instead of fear there was confusion. Normally, it was Elizabeth who did that.
“You have ten minutes to wrap it up.”
They moved quicker.
Pulling out his phone, Ethan called FBI West, and spoke to Jameson. He wanted a ticket waiting for Veronica at the airport on a regular flight, and he wanted her access revoked ASAP.
When the man guaranteed that it would be done immediately, he hung up the phone.
Okay, now that his one issue was solved, Blackhawk could move onto the next one at hand. Scanning the area, he began to let his mind take in all the things he was seeing. The killer picked this location for a reason. He added it to his building list of information percolating in his brain.
He had a little trip to take before heading home. There was something that he needed to pick up. After he got it, he would check on Elizabeth. No doubt, she was in good hands, but still he was worried.
Tonight, he would take his first shot at a profile since he had been taken. Despite the cool calm look on the outside, Ethan Blackhawk knew the truth.
He was scared out of his damn mind.
* * *
He stared around the field filled with games and different kinds of foods. The Spring Fling was kicking off, and he was thrilled to be part of it.
Never in his life did he believe that he was going to get to showcase his skills. The chili cook off was coming, and once everyone in town tasted his amazing cooking, they too would see how fantastic the recipes he used truly were. Granted, they wouldn’t know it was his genius in her pot, but next year, that would all change.
His heart skipped in his chest, as the female deputy walked past him.
Whew! He managed to remain calm. It wasn’t easy. Whenever he thought about being caught, all he could think of was spending his days locked in jail eating prison food.
Yuck!
It’s not that he wasn’t used to eating tasteless, bland food, as he dined out around Salem, but still.
Why risk it?
Blending in, he slipped into the crowd and went off to enjoy the festivities. This only came once a year, and he wanted to relish every second.
When he got home, the chili would be done cooking and it would be time to switch it out.
Maybe he could taste a little before he let it cool. Some onions and cheese, and …
His belly rumbled.
Yeah, it would need some quality control, and he simply couldn’t wait.
He needed it that bad.
Like he always did…
~ Chapter Seventeen ~
Sunday Night
When he pulled up to the house, there was a sense of peace that overwhelmed him. Just seeing the cheery lights in the windows helped calm his nerves. Part of him was worried about Elizabeth, and how she was doing, and the rest of the fear was related to jumping back into the profiling pool, head first.
Getting out, he headed to the trunk and pulled out the present for his wife.
Yeah, Valentine’s Day was over, but that didn't mean he didn't know the way right to her heart. Where some women liked flowers and other trinkets when they hurt, his woman was anything but typical.
This was bound to cheer her up.
Leaving his present in the hall, he headed in to where he suspected that he would find them. Indeed, his brother and wife were on the couch. Callen was sitting i
n the corner working on his tablet, and Elizabeth was lying there with her head delicately cradled in his lap.
When he dropped his messenger bag, she glanced over at him. He didn't even have to speak. She was up and across the room heading right at him. Opening his arms, she buried her face beside his throat.
Immediately, the sniffles began.
“Lyzee, my love,” he crooned into her ear, as he hugged her to his body. “I missed you so much. Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded. “Now I am. Callen was amazing,” she murmured.
When he snickered, she stared at him. “I didn't mean during sex. I meant in cheering me up, you pervert.”
He winked at her. Either way, it served its purpose and made her smile. Callen would sell his soul just to see that wide grin and sparkle back in her eyes.
She was aware that he was trying to cheer her up with laughter. It was just his way.
“I may or may not have something that will also make you smile,” Ethan added, caressing her cheek. He could tell by her eyes that she had been crying. When he leaned down to kiss her, the scent of his brother’s cologne lingered on her body. It reminded him of home and their unbreakable union.
Pulling free from her grasp, he headed back to the foyer where he left it. “Close your eyes,” he ordered.
When he carried it in, Callen began laughing.
“Can I look?” she asked.
Blackhawk set it up. “Yes, you can now.”
When she did, her eyes lit right up. “Cowboy, did you buy me a whiteboard for the vacation house?”
He started laughing. “It’s the gift that keeps on giving, so of course I did. I know the way to your heart. It either has to sparkle, bark, or have horrible smelling markers.”
She hugged him.
Indeed, this removed some of the demons from her eyes. It was the least he could do for his wife and family. He was determined to get back in control of his life and begin leading once more.
“Does this mean that you’re going to give me a profile?” she asked, hopefully. Elizabeth hadn’t put the pressure on, because she was still a little worried that it would make him backslide into the depression that he was just now pulling away from.
Consumed by Wrath: An FBI/Romance Thriller (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 8) Page 43