Both men glared at him.
Elizabeth knew they’d saved his job. The good thing about Dakota was that he was a good natured person. When he screwed up, he owned it. There wasn’t a mean bone in his body.
“Don’t you have something to say, Ethan?” she asked, hoping she didn't sound like his freaking mother, but that’s how she felt.
Boys may be boys, but she didn't have time for their jackassery.
Blackhawk held out his hand. It wasn’t easy, but he sucked it up. The man met him halfway, and he owed him that.
“It’s okay, Marshal. I apologize for losing my temper when you kissed my pregnant wife.”
They shook.
All the while, Callen didn't look happy, but before anyone could say anything more, Ethan spoke.
“I’m cutting out for the day. We have a policy that is pretty strict. If you screw up and punch out people on the job, you’re out of the field for twenty four hours. I’m going to remove myself for the day, so my co-director doesn’t have to do it.”
They stared at him.
“Ethan.”
“I can’t, Lyzbeth. I broke the rules, and we all know what matters most in this situation.”
When he purposely dropped the nickname Dakota had used, she knew he was barely in control.
He was going to blow.
This was proof.
“Be safe, Ethan,” she offered.
He didn't even acknowledge her. He was too angry to even look her way. Instead, he slipped into his long, black wool coat, and headed out.
Elizabeth didn't hesitate. She walked over to the office door and peeked her head inside. “Seaton and Madden, I need a favor.”
They stood from the worn couch and headed her way.
“Yes, ma’am?” Brody asked.
“Remember that favor I once did for you?”
How could he forget? She was the only reason he had gotten Johanna back in his life. She’d broken the rules, letting him read her personnel file.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I need your help, Broderick.”
When she used his name, he knew it was going to be off the record.
“Anything, Elizabeth.”
“I need you to tail Director Blackhawk and keep me apprised of his every move. He’s off duty for the day, and I don’t know where he’s heading. I can’t do my job if I’m worried about him.”
Johanna patted her on the arm. “We’ll make sure he’s okay, Elizabeth.”
She relaxed. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
They grabbed their gear and rushed out.
“Doctors? Feel free to join us.”
They headed back in, and Elizabeth took a seat on a metal table.
“I swear, Lyzbeth, I didn't mean to piss anyone off. I figured we had history, and if we fell into the sack, it was no big deal. We’re adults.”
This time, Callen did growl.
“What’s his problem?”
Elizabeth hated discussing their private life, but it was already out in the open. “Callen is my other husband. I’m Polyandrous.”
He started laughing. “You have two men in your life and wouldn’t marry me? Wow! That’s an ego shot. I’m a little skeeved out to know that you’re doing two men at once.”
It was Tony who came to Callen’s rescue. “Actually, Marshal Rakin, it’s not that odd among Natives. Over a century ago, when their numbers were dwindling, the braves took the same woman in hopes to keep their bloodlines going. Brothers often married the same woman. If one died in battle, the kids were taken care of. Anthropologically, it’s survival of the fittest at its finest.”
“We aren’t in the eighteen hundreds anymore. There are rules, and you follow them.”
She started laughing. “That’s priceless. You just came in here and kissed me without my permission. If I remember correctly, every day on the job, you broke countless rules and called it work. I call bullshit, Dak. You shouldn’t be preachin’ rules to anyone.”
He grinned.
“My woman is carrying my baby,” Callen said. “You’re lucky my brother got to you first. Had I, you wouldn’t be talking.”
The man raised his hands. “Okay! I get it! You’re sharing her. Fine by me. We cut our ties years ago.”
“I’m so glad I have your permission,” stated Callen, cracking his knuckles. “Here, I was actually worried.”
Delaney Moore moved closer to her partner. “Are you going to let us help or not? Right now, Bonnie and Clyde probably have someone, and you’re screwing around. This is time better spent.”
She was well aware, and had Dakota not come in there like some cowboy Casanova, they’d all be out in the field.
She pointed at the woman. “Let me introduce myself. I’m in charge here, and you can shut it. If I wanted to listen to someone drone on and on, I’d listen to my own voicemail message, so zip it.”
She went to speak, but Dakota stopped her. He recalled Elizabeth’s temper. If they pushed, it was only going to leave them on the outside looking in. Despite what happened, they’d both committed a big foul.
The ball was in the FBI’s court.
Elizabeth was surprised he stopped her. Yeah, Dakota Rakin must have wanted on this team and badly.
“What do you know about the killers?” she asked, beginning to pump him for information.
“Are we officially part of this?”
“Are you ever going to put your mouth or hands on my body again?” she asked. “I won’t be able to stop them from hurting you, and your partner is right. We don’t have a hell of a lot of time.”
“You used to be easy. I miss those days.”
Callen started toward him, his teeth clenched. The man was dangerously close to getting hurt. He only had so much patience, and it was wearing thin.
“Hey! Call off the Native. I’m only yanking your chain. I won’t touch you again. Okay? You have my word, and you know me—it’s as good as gold.”
She was well aware, but Elizabeth stayed between the two men anyway. The last thing she needed was for Callen to lose it too. They saved this one with Ethan, but she might not get that lucky with a second assault.
Callen moved back to his spot, but he never looked away. The man across the room waved at him, trying to provoke him, and that made him want to break him. When this was over, the dick was going to be hurting.
“Knock it off. If you don’t, I’ll let him wipe the floor with you, Dakota, and you won’t like it.”
“The bigger they are, the harder they…”
“Punch,” said Callen, glaring at the man. If he thought he was safe, he was wrong. “Trust me. It’s going to hurt.”
Elizabeth prayed for calm.
This was a mess, and all she wanted to do was not have any more bloodshed. This was why she never told the men in her life about her past dating conquests. It was always a bad idea.
“Knock it off, Dak,” stated Delaney. “We came here to find the killers, not piss off the Feds.”
He closed his mouth.
“Tell us about Bonnie and Clyde.”
“Well, they’re bat shit insane.”
They all looked at Elizabeth when he used the term.
“What? You think I’m the only person in the world who uses that phrase?” she asked. “Newsflash…he got it from me, okay?”
He laughed. “I did. Know what else I got from you?” he asked.
Callen tensed. If the innuendos kept up, he wasn’t going to make it. He could completely understand why Ethan snapped. Callen was easy going, but this man was pushing him to his limits.
“Dakota, tread lightly,” she warned.
“What? I was talking about food. I got my love of deep fried pickle chips from you.”
She started laughing. “You were such a virgin. Someone had to school you. Anything fried is a gift from heaven.”
Callen stared at them. She’d never shared that tidbit with him, or Ethan, to his knowledge. It pissed him off.
“Anyw
ay, the case?” she said, hopping onto the table. When she glanced over at Callen, he was seething. Subtly, she patted the spot next to her. Normally, they perched together, and she liked it. Plus, if he joined her, he might stay calm.
Well, she’d be able to jump him if he went for the Marshal.
Callen didn't hesitate. He crossed and sat there, still watching the man.
“Delaney and I have been chasing Bonnie and Clyde across the country. It started in New York where they killed six couples. It was brutal, they left a few clues, and then they disappeared. We were alerted by the FBI office out there that there were fugitives.”
“So, you know their real names?” Elizabeth asked, as Callen made notes. “That will make it a million times easier.”
They looked at each other before Dakota spoke, “No, we don’t have a damn clue who the hell they are. It’s a mystery.”
“Then why are you chasing them? Marshals don’t get involved in a cross-country chase unless they have a name to go with the crime. The Justice Department calls you in as the hired bounty hunters.”
Neither said a word. They were aware that they shouldn’t be working it, but it was personal to them. This was about settling a score.
Their silence spoke volumes to Elizabeth and Callen. They weren’t going to play that game.
“If you want in, you’ll want to be honest. I can dig it up myself, but that will piss me off. An angry Elizabeth is a mean one.”
No one disagreed there.
Delaney spoke, “They killed one of our own. The last couple was a Marshal and his mistress.”
That had her attention.
“His mistress?”
Dak stood and began handing out copies of the files he’d made. He knew if they were given access, he’d need to supply all his notes. It was a culmination of a year’s worth of work.
“Yeah, you see, Bonnie and Clyde like to stalk people who they feel deserve it. They focus on cheaters, law breakers, and anyone else they think are dealing in secret dirty deeds. Think of them as some sick and twisted take on Robin Hood. They kill the morally corrupt, and then keep the money they poach from the dead victims. That’s how they keep moving on. They like the wealthy for a reason.”
Great.
That sounded like fun.
“We tracked credit cards to the West coast and picked them up there a year ago. They don’t strike fast. It’s slow, methodical, and with deadly intent. Once they find their targets, they patiently take them out, and then move on. It’s all around Christmas. They like to end on the twenty-fifth, and then go under. We never hear from them again until the following holiday season.”
“It’s frustrating,” Delaney said.
Elizabeth weighed it all.
“So, if they’re here, it’s going to be a blood bath. There won’t be a warning, and they’ll have studied their prey.”
That was curious because she’d got her warning from them. Apparently, she and one husband were morally corrupt.
Yeah, this was just freaking peachy.
“Callen, show them the note.”
He turned his tablet around and showed the two Marshals their little holiday greeting.
“Holy shit! Their MO is changing. To our knowledge, they never left a message. You’re tagged to die.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. I’ve also noticed that they picked us, and not Ethan. The question is why?”
They all thought about it.
Delaney thought about it. “Which one are you legally married to?” she asked.
“Ethan is my husband on paper. Callen and I had a ceremony, but we can’t register it.”
“That’s why,” Dakota stated. “He’s going to be seen as your side action. You’re cheating on your husband. Ethan was excluded because they may see him as the victim.”
It made sense.
Unfortunately.
“Bonnie and Clyde like the beautiful people. It’s like they have a big ol’ hard on when it comes to killing anyone who’s attractive. You’d be the lure,” he said, pointing to Elizabeth. “They probably saw you on the news, and you piqued their interest. As three directors, you probably make some decent money.”
“We do.”
“You probably live in a nice house too.”
“We do.”
“You have a happy family, right?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Well, that’s why they picked you. They’ll see you as some cheating whore who deserves it.”
Elizabeth lifted a brow when Dakota used those words to describe her. She didn't think it was coincidental.
“They can think what they want.”
Callen spoke up, “She’s not cheating, and she’s definitely not a whore. She’s the mother of our children.”
“Yeah, well, they’ll want to kill her, and you, because you’re dipping your stick in her.”
Callen dropped his arm over her shoulders. There was no way in hell they were hurting her. He’d keep her safe.
“There’s something you should know,” Elizabeth offered.
“Oh, do tell,” Dakota teased. “I love gossip.”
Callen tried his best to ignore the man. What he wanted to do was grab him by that thick mop of brown hair and bash his head on the table until his blue eyes rolled out of his head.
Yeah, that would make him very happy.
“They already tried to blow us up.” She told them about the bomb in the torso. “They did a shitty job of it. As you can see, we’re fine.”
“That’s not good. They don’t tend to stop at anything when it comes to killing. If they missed, they’ll come at you harder the next time. They won’t screw up twice.”
Chris spoke up, “Do you have the autopsies of the other twenty four victims?”
Delaney handed them over.
Quickly, Chris looked through the first couple. It only took a few minutes, before he looked up.
“To me, it looks to be the same. The heads were left for the families, they raped the women, and there are no penises anywhere to be found from the men. I’ll go through the rest of the files in the next day or so. Maybe I’ll find something.”
“We’ve had an ME take a look,” Dakota stated. “No one was able to pick up anything.”
Chris looked offended.
In fact, so did Tony Magnus.
Elizabeth laughed. “They’ll find something. I don’t trust anyone but my team. If Chris thinks he can pull a miracle from this, then he and Tony will.”
“Yeah, I noticed you’re still working with them,” he said, pointing at the two doctors, but specifically Chris.
“Best friends stick,” Doctor Leonard said.
Yeah, there was bad blood there. They could all see it.
Dakota let it go. After all, they were being let in. That was a big enough win for the day.
“What do you have so far?”
“We have four dead, two heads, and not a single ID to be found. We’re running on nothing, and my agents are digging through the missing person reports as we speak.”
Callen touched her arm. “Maybe the sheriff could ID them. He’s probably met just about everyone here. We should invite him in for a little head reveal. Bodies look different when they’re cleaned up. Hell! Heads might too.”
“Great idea, Callen,” she stated.
“You two need to watch your backs. If they’re gunning for you, they won’t stop at anything until they get you. You’re marked.”
She wasn’t worried.
They weren’t getting either of them.
“Oh, Dak, if you only knew how many people have tried to kill me in the last five years alone, you wouldn’t be sporting that concerned look.”
Chris and Tony laughed.
“Our cat has forty lives,” Chris added. “Plus, each attempt makes her meaner than a rattlesnake. They don’t know what they got themselves into by threatening her men or babies.”
“Truth,” she said, grinning at her doctors. No, she wasn’t going down, and
Callen wasn’t either. Bonnie and Clyde may be tricky, but she’d been down this road before. If anything, Elizabeth was ready.
When they screwed up, she’d be there waiting with a bullet in the chamber and a grin on her face.
Payback was a bitch.
“Callen, can you call the sheriff and invite him over for tea and crumpets? We’re going to find out who they are, so we can get a move on it.”
He picked up his phone. “On it, Lyzee.”
“Awww, cute. He has a nickname for you like mine.”
Callen glared at him. What he wanted to do was revoke the man’s right to use his version of the nickname. Better yet, he could yank the man’s tongue out of his mouth, wrap it around his hollow skull, and boot his head across the room.
Yeah, that would be awesome.
He actually grinned.
She saw the look on his face.
“Callen James, don’t even go there.”
He made the call.
She might tell him not to do it, but no one could stop him from fantasizing about it.
No one.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Johanna and Brody were tracking their one boss, and it was a pretty easy assignment. It wasn’t hard to follow a Denali through the streets, and then a Native man in a snow covered parking lot.
This was likely the easiest job they’d ever get in their lives, and they knew it.
“There he is,” Brody said, making notes for Elizabeth. So far, Ethan Blackhawk had made a pit stop at a liquor store. When he came out, he was carrying a bottle of Jack.
Yeah, someone was going to be tying one on.
The boss lady wasn’t going to be happy about this, at all. When she heard, the shit was going to hit the fan.
“He’s got to be heading back to the reservation,” she offered. “I’m betting he’s going to be drinking because of that Marshal.”
Brody knew how he felt. “When you left, and I thought you’d moved on, I had many dates with Jack too. Oh, and Jim. They tucked me in at night.”
Johanna glanced over from behind the wheel.
“I’m sorry, Brody.” She’d never be able to apologize enough. Yes, she left him, pushed him out of her life, and walked away, but she suffered too. “I hate that I hurt you. If I could take it back, I would.”
Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) Page 15