“Baby, it is morning.”
She glanced down at her watch. “Let me rephrase that—when the sun comes up, we’ll pay her a visit. How about we grab some breakfast at that diner and see what our team has dug up.”
“And Callen?”
She shook her head. “I have to stay focused. He’s with Wyler, and he’ll be fine. I have to believe that. If I can’t, I’ll be useless out in the field.”
Ethan understood.
He was watching their backs.
At any minute, he expected to dive on her to save Elizabeth’s life.
“Let’s get fuel. I’m on empty.”
So was he, but food wouldn’t cut it. Ethan needed to get his family home, and then he’d be okay.
Until then…
He was on edge, and it wasn’t pretty.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Ray Wolf’s House
Parked outside the location, they worked on their surveillance. While Brody watched the house, she ran their searches on all the people involved with this case. They couldn’t afford to skip anyone.
Elizabeth was going to want everything she could get her hands on for the people they interviewed.
If they could find anything, they might be able to make it home for Christmas.
“You’re quiet,” Brody said.
“I’m thinking about Christmas.”
“Me too.”
“What about?” she asked.
“Us.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“It’ll be our first Christmas together.”
“Actually,” she said, “We’ve been partners through a couple Christmases, so it’s more like our third.”
“I was trying to be romantic.”
She laughed. “I know. I was just busting your ass. I’m so damn excited to have this holiday together. It’s going to be amazing. I picked out something sexy for my Santa baby.”
Brody wigged his eyebrows. “Is it see through?”
“It may be.”
“Is it red? You know I love red.”
“It could be.”
“Will I get to rip it off you like wrapping paper?”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“Jingle my bells. I’m going to love being a couple for the holidays.”
Then he paused.
“What?” she asked.
“If we’re home for Christmas, do you want to elope?”
Johanna’s head almost spun off her shoulders, she turned it so fast. “What?”
“If we get back before Christmas, can we elope? Our parents already jacked up the wedding thing, so maybe if fate is on our side, we can get hitched on Christmas.”
She stared over at him. “You’re dead serious, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
“Brody, the FBI.”
“I don’t care. We won’t tell them right away.”
“We promised the bosses we would tell them if we did it. Now’s not a good time to screw with them. Callen is hurt, and that’s going to make Elizabeth cranky.”
“Forget I asked. It was lame.”
She heard it in his voice. He was trying to do something special, and she had wounded him. It reminded her how she broke his heart once before.
Johanna couldn’t do it again.
“If we make it home by Christmas Eve, yes.”
It was his turn to be shocked. “Really?”
If they were going to get their asses kicked, they might as well do it right.
“Yes. I want to move forward, and I don’t want our parents to ruin that. If we get married, we can tell everyone, when it gets out, that we beat them to the altar.”
He grinned. “When you scheme, it turns me on.”
Johanna snorted. “Just watch the house, Brody.”
He couldn’t.
In his head, he was already planning their future.
And it was beautiful.
Chapter Sixteen
Diner
Before Dawn
She was emotionally beat down. What she really needed was to get some food in her and take a break. As they headed into the diner, the Christmas music didn't help. They were days from the holiday, and the more she thought about it, the less it looked like they would be getting home on time.
With Callen being injured, they might have to stay there.
This whole case sucked.
Elizabeth was feeling anything but jolly.
As they took a seat, the waitress from the other day wandered over. “Hey! You’re up early. I just got on shift. Everything’s fresh. Want some joe?”
“Yes, please, Tehila.”
She hustled away.
“Baby.”
“I can’t yet, Ethan. I need caffeine first. I’m a woman on the edge.”
He completely understood. When Tehila returned, she placed the coffee in front of her. “You look like you’re having a bad day.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Yeah, I am.”
“I’m sorry. When I have bad days, I always ask Jesus to take the wheel.”
She looked up. “What a coincidence. Me too! I pass him the wheel so I can sneak out the passenger door when the vehicle is going over the cliff.”
She stared at Elizabeth, unsure what to say.
Ethan laughed. “We should order.”
They put in their order, and then added on something for Wyler and Callen. They were going to be hungry, and no one should have to eat hospital food. He’d suffered enough.
“What did you find at the crime scene?” he asked, as she sipped her coffee.
Elizabeth broke it all down.
“Now, I need to know how pissed the killers are going to be that they were interrupted.”
He laughed. “Oh, they won’t be happy. Part of this is putting on a show for the FBI. Bonnie and Clyde like the game, and the fact that Lottie Tipton came back and interrupted them will screw with their happiness.”
“Will she be in danger?”
He shook his head. “Not unless she did something to offend them. Remember, they’re taking people who have no morals. We had a woman cheating on her husband, a radio DJ with a model who was a bitch, and finally a Deputy banging the married Mayor.”
“Yeah, but what about her father and stepmother? Lottie said she introduced them. She stated they were happy.”
“We’re going to have to dig a little deeper.”
She knew he was right. “So after the Mayor’s secretary, we’ll have to head into town and find the hair dressers.”
“Do they work on Sundays?”
She didn't know for sure, but if she had to guess, “It’s Christmas, so probably. With all those fancy holiday parties coming up, I’m sure.”
“It’s going to be a long day.”
She was well aware.
As she was just finishing her first cup of coffee, the waitress headed their way with their food. As she put it down, she was smiling.
“Food will cheer you up. There’s nothing better.”
“Hey, doll!” came a shout from the kitchen. When a man came around the corner, he was carrying a plate of bacon. “You forgot this.”
“Oh, thanks, Simon.”
He placed it on the table, smiled at the Feds, and then headed back into the kitchen.
“Eat up!”
They did.
When they finished their breakfast, Ethan grabbed the two take out containers and dropped money on the counter.
It was time to roll.
As they headed out, Simon and Tehila both waved. “Merry Christmas!”
With that, they were back in their car. With a quick stop to the hospital, then they’d be on their way.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Percy Warffe’s
Home
Delaney Moore was getting impatient.
They’d been sitting outside the potential victim’s home for almost four hours, and nothing was happening.
He was nowhe
re to be seen.
“This is a waste of our time. We should be helping the Feds out.”
“We are. They asked us to do surveillance, and we are,” he replied. “This is something we’re accustomed to doing, Delaney, so what’s the issue?”
“You’re not acting like yourself.”
He glanced over. “What are you talking about? I’m acting like I always do. You bounce around when we’re on a stakeout, and I tell you calm down.”
“You’re not the same around her.”
“Who?” He was already aware.
“You know who. What’s the deal?”
“There isn't one. Her husband was shot, and I feel bad.” That wasn’t true. He felt responsible.
“Uh huh.”
“I was distracting him. I was pissing him off. Maybe had I kept my mouth shut, he wouldn’t have gotten shot. We might have heard or saw something.”
“You have to let this go.”
He was aware. “She still ties me up in knots. She was the only woman I ever loved.”
“Ahhh, now we get to the heart of the matter.”
“Yeah, but she moved on. I didn't. I made a choice not to chase her, even when she said no, and I wonder if I had, would my life be different?”
“Maybe.”
He didn't like that he was still tied up in knots.
“Did you really want kids and a wife, Dak?”
“I didn't think so until I saw the picture of their brood. The second I saw it, all I could think was ‘Fuck you, dude. You stole my woman. That’s my life.’.”
She listened while he spilled his guts. It wasn’t that long ago that he’d done the same for her when she divorced her husband.
“Then we go outside, and BOOM! There’s this shot and I hit the deck. I get up and Callen’s down. I was just wishing him ill, and he gets shot. I feel like a dick.”
“Well, generally, you are one. You just weren’t one in this case. You weren’t meant to get married to her. Had you chased her, you wouldn’t have gotten her. If anything, I’ve learned something by watching her. NO ONE tells her what to do. She’s the boss, so she would have fought you every step of the way.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“You have nothing to feel bad about. You should trust your gut, Dakota. I do.”
Maybe she was right.
She had a very valid point. He was still pining away over a woman he couldn’t have. It was time to let her, and the memories, go.
“Do you have any more coffee?” she asked.
“No. You’ll have to pee.”
She smirked at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re no fun?”
He laughed.
Yeah, it happened all the time.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
They were glad to be back together. This was their safe place to go when they had to run. They’d had it as back up just in case they needed to hide. It was in plain sight, and they could be safe there.
In every town, there was always one hidey hole to sneak back to when the heat was on. Sometimes, it was under his name, and sometimes hers.
They liked to have a safe place to plot out the next set of killings.
“That was fun,” he stated, grinning wickedly.
“I agree.”
“We should get that adrenaline rush a little more often,” Clyde admitted.
She laughed. “We’ve killed thirty two people in three years. I think that’s as big a rush as you can get.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“We should scope out the next two later today. I’ll bet those idiot Feds are watching their places.”
“Probably.”
“Are we going to mix it up, or go for the next one on the list?” she asked.
“I say mix it up. They have to be reeling from this one. I’ll bet that they’re confused as hell.”
She agreed. “They’ll think we’re shaken. Now we have to move fast. They won’t see it coming.”
“Well, that one is getting ready to leave for vacation. We can ambush them on the road.”
“When you can, check the laptop. Get the exact details, and we’ll go from there.”
“Okay, Clyde.”
He gave her a kiss.
“Soon we’ll move on, Bonnie.”
She simply smiled. One of them would be moving on, to continue the killing.
One of them would not.
Only, he didn't know it.
YET.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Hospital
As they crept in, trying not to make too much noise, Callen was sitting there reading the paper. He was squinting, trying to read the small print.
“Hey,” he said, glancing up.
Elizabeth moved toward him to give him a kiss. When he actually kissed her back, there was no doubt that he was feeling a little bit better.
“Where’s Dad?” Ethan asked.
“Shhhhh. I’m kissing my woman. Don’t be a buzzkill. I was shot.”
She laughed. “You’re drugged up.”
“Yes, yes, I am. Want to do it? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
“Well, my sexy patient, as much as that turns me right on, I have to decline. This is a quick stop. I brought you some food.”
“Please tell me it’s greasy. They gave me toast and green Jell-O. I tried to tell them I was fine, but the nurse was mean to me.”
She ran her fingers over his cheek. “I’ll stand here until you get to eat,” Elizabeth offered, as Ethan handed him a container.
When he put it down, Callen reached for it with his left hand.
Neither missed it.
“Still nothing?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’ve over being depressed about it. Life handed me this, and I’m going to work with it. I don’t have a choice.”
They were surprised.
“I’m still alive, and the good drugs keep my brain fuzzy. Now I know why Charlene liked getting high. It’s rather entertaining.”
She snorted. “Don’t get used to it. Once you’re out of here, you’ll have to find something else to get high on.”
He wiggled his eyebrows lecherously.
“Well, Callen’s feeling better,” Ethan stated. “He’s talking sex, so next step is bringing him home.”
He couldn’t wait.
Then it hit him.
“Oh, speaking of my mother, we have a tiny little problem.”
“What?” Ethan asked.
“Dad asked me if someone sexually abused me.”
Immediately, they both glanced at him. They looked just as confused.
They didn't tell Wyler jack shit. He didn't lie when he said he overheard the phone call. Callen immediately relaxed
“I know it wasn’t you guys, so chill. I made a personal call to Doctor Gaines, inside our home, and he overheard.”
“Uh oh.”
“He seems okay,” Callen stated. “I woke up and he was watching an old western. The Indians were losing.”
“Figures,” Elizabeth joked, trying to ease the tension. When she stroked the worry lines between his eyebrows, he relaxed.
“We’ll work it out. I’ll talk to him later,” Ethan offered. “Wyler’s generally calm. He’ll meditate and go from there.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to ruin my buzz.” He winked at Elizabeth. “Can I eat now?”
Callen waited until Elizabeth pushed the tray closer. Slowly, he leaned forward, testing his pain tolerance. When his side lit on fire, he stopped. “Yeah, that’s not going to work.”
She had an idea. “We have some time. I’ll help you.” Pulling the tray table out of the way, she carefully climbed into the middle of the bed between his spread legs. When she sat, Indian style, he grinned.
“Are you sure you don’t want to…?”
She laughed. “You’re looped on the good drugs. When we fornicate, I like for you remember.”
“Boo.�
�
She snorted. “Maybe later if you’re off your meds we can revisit this conversation, my love.”
“Yee haw!”
Ethan handed her the container.
Slowly, she scooped eggs and cheese into Callen’s mouth. When he made happy sounds, she wanted to kiss him.
“You’re the best nurse ever. I love you, Nurse Lyzee. Can you come home with me?”
She winked at him. “I can make that perverted little fantasy of yours happen if you go to physical therapy each week.”
“I’m sure she’ll buy an outfit,” Ethan added, glad to see his brother was mending both physically and emotionally.
“Deal. Sign me up.”
She was just feeding him a strip of bacon when they had company.
“What’s going on in here? This man is on a restricted diet! He can’t be eating all that bacon!”
“She’s the mean one. I call her the green Jell-O pusher. Don’t let her take my food or meds away, angel. Please.”
That was all she had to hear.
“He’s hungry, and I’m feeding my husband. If you’d like to argue with me, I’ll be done in a few minutes. Then we can step outside.”
“You can’t…”
“I can, and I am. He’s eating, and he’s doing just fine.”
The woman moved toward the bed to grab the container.
“If you touch this Styrofoam, or me, I’m going to get off this bed and kick your ass. I hate bitchy nurses, and I really hate ones who wear kittens and smiley faces on their clothes. It makes me want to rip off your lips and stick them back on in the middle of your forehead.”
“We’re under strict orders by the FBI.”
She handed Ethan the container before hopping down. “Feed him. I’m going to handle this ‘situation’.”
Callen grinned dopily as Ethan put jam on some wheat toast.
Elizabeth pulled her badge and held it up. “See that name. It’s right next to the big blue letters. That’s me. I work for the FBI. He’s my husband, and I’m going to feed him an omelet. If you have a damn problem, feel free to call my boss or get yours in here. The first one that bugs me, or calls security, will find a shitload of cocaine planted at their house and a drug sniffing dog on their lawn. He won’t be there to do his business, but he will do mine. Are we clear?”
Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) Page 41