“Denied,” Gabe stated. “I lied. It’s not really your show. It’s mine, and that plan isn’t going to work.”
“Why?” she asked, confused as to why he was giving her a hard time.
“If I don’t let Livy go out with you, she’s going to drive me bat shit insane. We’re all going to the house and then autopsy. The director had a huge home. It’ll take you two days to search it on your own.”
She was fine with that, and from the look on Ethan and Callen’s face, they were grateful. Come to think of it, she was pretty sure that was Gabe’s plan.
She was being babysat.
Elizabeth let it go.
Once.
“And I didn't even have to say a word,” Livy stated. “That’s a good thing.”
There was a knock on the door. “Sir, your coffee is ready,” said Paulina, wheeling them in on a cart. “I also got you some Danish. I know how you like something sweet for your morning break.”
Livy opened her mouth, and Ethan covered it. She was just like his wife. Nothing good was going to be coming out, so why chance it?
“Thank you, Paulina,” Gabe said. When she was gone, he glanced over at Ethan. “I could kiss you.”
He removed his hand and laughed. “You owe me. She bit me.”
Elizabeth snorted. “Good for you, Livy.”
Instead of commenting, they all grabbed their coffee.
“Let’s get the search done,” Gabe offered.
As they got ready to leave, Callen approached his wife. “Angel, please be careful,” he whispered, leaving a gentle kiss beside the curl of her ear. “Keep our son safe.”
She hugged him, clinging to his body. “I’ll be okay, my love,” she promised. “You have nothing to worry about.”
Oh, she was very wrong,
Callen had everything to worry about, and he knew it.
He, too, had that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. This whole thing rattled him. The last place he wanted his woman was out playing tag with some crazy.
Unfortunately, this was her job.
Setting her free, he hugged his brother. “I’ll find you something,” he promised.
“If you need help,” Gabe offered, “just have Paulina pick an agent for you. Anything you need, you can utilize.”
“Thanks.”
Callen watched them walk away. His heart was pounding in his chest the entire time. All he could do was put his faith in his brother.
Their child’s life was in the balance.
Outside, Gabe made a trip to HR. Once there, he turned in the paperwork and acquisitioned his wife a badge. It was a horrible idea, but he didn't have a choice.
If he wanted Livy to get over this, he had to let her do this her way. Over the years, she’d given him everything she had and never once complained.
He owed her.
More importantly, he owed Elizabeth, and Gabriel Rothschild always paid his debt.
In the vehicle, no one spoke. Elizabeth was busily scanning information on her phone. She’d made notes on the jet, and she was trying to figure out what they were missing.
Something didn't feel right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
As Gabe drove, Ethan began working on a profile. His wife would be asking for one later, and he didn't want to fail her. There was still a part of him that felt horrible about his first profile for her. Also, a part of him wished that he’d taken the time to meet her.
His hostility could very well have screwed him out of ten earlier years with an amazing woman. He was so hell bent on being a tough agent that he’d passed up working with the woman who owned his heart.
He’d been a fool, and he knew it.
It was all coming back to him now. He recalled the scent of her perfume those couple of times he’d picked up a whiff of it. Now he knew what it was.
Then, he was clueless.
All he knew fifteen years ago was that it was alluring. The way she smelled like cookies called to him all those years ago, and it still did.
Ethan started to laugh.
“What’s so funny, Cowboy?” she asked.
“I can’t help but think about this case. When we were both starting out, I did that profile and before meeting you, I think I knew I loved you.”
Gabe glanced over. “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t you, son?”
He shook his head. “I dropped that initial profile on her desk, and I could smell her perfume. It made me…”
“Horny?” she teased.
“Hungry. I kept thinking how delicious it smelled. It touched on something I didn’t know existed. I know now that it was my heart.”
Elizabeth reached for his arm and ran her fingers over his suit jacket. “I’m amused that we almost met.”
Gabe laughed as he drove through the crowded DC streets. “You have no idea.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.
Ethan prayed Gabe wasn’t going there. He wanted to have this conversation in private.
Then, his hopes were dashed.
“I called Ethan into my office after I returned from my honeymoon. I wanted him to dump his partner and be yours. I nearly got you two together.”
She glanced over at him. “Really, Ethan.”
“Yes.”
He wanted to be sick.
“Why didn't you?” she asked her husband.
Ethan was immediately ashamed of his initial reaction. “I told Gabe I didn't want a liability. You ‘blew’ the case, and I didn't want to attach myself to someone who couldn’t do the job.”
Gabe glanced over. “Ethan.”
“No, I’ll own it. You brought it up, so I might as well be honest. I passed on being your partner.”
“I see.”
Ethan heard the hurt in her voice.
“I was a fool, and it cost me ten years without you, Lyzee. It’s probably one of my biggest regrets. I put the job first, and I lost out.”
She wasn’t angry. “I get it. I was in a bad place anyway. I wouldn’t have been able to give you my heart. I was too busy trying to prove something.”
Gabe glanced up in the mirror. “Did you ever manage to prove it?”
She laughed. “Not at all, Gabe. For a while, I thought I did, but I realize now I was reckless and stupid.”
Ethan pulled out his phone and began typing.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m putting this on my calendar. You just admitted to being reckless. This may never happen again. I know in thirty years, I’m going to want to look back and remember this day.”
Livy was closer, so she hit him in the arm.
“Shit! You too? Come on!”
The women laughed.
“I played fast and loose with my life, and I created a mess,” Elizabeth admitted. “If I could go back and change it, I would.”
“I wouldn’t,” Gabe admitted. “You broke the law, but you did it for a reason. Life is seldom black and white. There are a plethora of gray areas, and in them, you have leeway.”
“I guess.”
“The important thing is that you are fixing it. We all screw up. Look at the mess I created with Oracle. I dug a deep hole, and I hurt the people I love. Now that she’s dead, I feel horrible. I let someone innocent be destroyed. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Ethan glanced back at his wife.
They shared a look.
It was the only tell Gabriel needed. He knew both of them fairly well.
“What?” Gabe asked. “I saw that. What did you just convey to her without words?”
Elizabeth laughed at his paranoia. Sadly, it wasn’t misguided at all. He should be freaked out. “If I tell you, then we have to kill you.”
Gabe didn't relent. “This is a new phase in our relationship for us. We’re a family, and we’re not going to have lies. Isn’t that what you wanted? I know you think I haven’t been there for you, but I am. I want a chance to prove it, but you have to let me in. I’
m not just your boss.”
She was aware. Instead of saying anything, Elizabeth glanced over at her husband. Again, they shared a look.
Ethan shrugged.
This was up to Elizabeth. Her neck was on the chopping block. If she spilled it, she was ultimately the one going to pay for it.
“Well, how mad would you be if I told you we lied?”
“About what?”
“Oracle.”
“What about her?”
“She’s very much alive.”
His mouth actually dropped open. “WHAT?”
She laughed. “Yeah, I forgot to put that in my report. My bad. I hope you can forgive me.”
He stared at Ethan. “Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“Elizabeth Renee LaRue Blackhawk,” he muttered.
“You forgot Whitefox. I get all tingly when you throw down my name like that.”
Livy laughed. She could see her husband going red, but she loved it. This reminded her of what they used to have. This was their unit.
Their team.
“POTUS wanted to tar and feather me for losing her! He thinks she’s dead!”
“He needed to think that. Now Avalon is free. That was the end of it. From here on out, you’re in the same boat as me. I had to choose between people I love or my country. It sucked three ways to Sunday.”
He made some frustrated sound as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Jesus.”
“Well, whose side are you on?” Ethan asked. “We are trusting you with something huge. Are you going to rat us out to the President of the United States?”
Gabe sighed as he pulled into the dead man’s driveway. “I’m not ratting you out. I’m on your side, and I’ve always been there. Although, I’m glad you didn't tell me. Lying to POTUS would have been hard. He’s excellent at sniffing out BS. Who else knows?”
“We’ve kept it close to the vest,” she said. “Really, the only people who know are Callen, Nathaniel Carter, Maura Gaines-Mars, Lucas Mars, and Jagger Armstrong.”
He closed his eyes.
“You never told me this. Got it?”
She grinned. “Told you what?”
“Exactly!”
Getting out of the vehicle, Elizabeth looked around. The place was huge. It looked more like an estate than a house. Then again, this was the retired Director of the FBI.
“We should get this started,” Livy said.
Only, Elizabeth was distracted.
Ethan moved to her side, protectively placing his body in front of hers. He’d seen that look before.
It scared the hell out of him.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered.
“We’re being watched.”
Ethan didn't like that at all. “Where?”
She looked around the open space, trying to pinpoint why she had that feeling.
Then, not far in the distance, a flock of birds took to flight over the director’s home. It was ominous and proved that she was right.
“That answers your question.”
It did.
It also terrified him.
“Let’s go.”
Blackhawk hustled her toward the house. If this case didn't end up killing him, it would be on hell of a miracle.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Hoover Building
DC
Truth be told, Callen didn't mind being Elizabeth’s paperwork monkey. After all, someone had to do it. He didn't enjoy the idea of her walking into something blind, so he would do whatever it took to make sure she had all the information needed to keep her safe.
They each had a role in her life, and he knew that at that moment, this was his. At the end of the day, Callen simply wanted one thing.
His family home safe and intact.
As he searched the deceased director’s phone records, he noticed one thing.
Their first victim had received a phone call early in the day. In fact, if Chris was calling TOD five in the morning, then they were on to something.
This call had come in around two hours earlier. Most people didn't receive calls at that time of the night, especially if they weren’t active but instead retired.
That one detail kept nagging him to no end.
Callen’s gut was stirred up, and he needed to think about it more. As he leaned back in the chair, he flexed his fingers. Most of them were tingling, but two were still numb. It was now more a nuisance than anything else.
It was out of his control.
If fate wanted him to be a Fed, he’d get his mobility back. If it wasn’t meant to be, then there was nothing he could do about it. All Callen could hope was that time would prove to be his ally. If he worked hard, giving his body a break, he might be fine.
Or so he hoped.
Staring at that number, he continued to weigh everything in his mind. Maybe it was just a call. Maybe the man had a booty call. How the hell was he supposed to know?
It wasn’t as if the number showed up before.
Hell!
It could be a wrong number.
Still, something felt off.
Instead of moving on, Callen was going to go with his gut. He took the time to run the cell number.
Odd.
It was an unregistered phone.
That piqued his interest even more. Callen was beginning to believe it wasn’t a wrong number at all. They didn't believe in coincidences, and this one was too big to ignore.
Who gets a call from a burner cell at three in the morning, and then turns up dead?
Yeah, that was three days past odd.
So, Callen dug deeper. He knew something had to be there. There was no way he could write this off. The more he dug, the less he found.
In law enforcement, that was always suspicious. When he finally hit the wall, Callen had an idea.
He had a way to get more.
Picking up Gabe’s phone, he called down to the tech department. When they answered, he knew exactly what he needed.
“Director Rothschild, how can I help you?” came the voice.
“Actually, it’s Director Whitefox from FBI West. I’m using Gabe’s phone.”
“Sorry, sir! We have caller ID. I just assumed. What can I do for you?”
“I need a trace put on a phone. When it goes on, I need to be notified. Once it’s on, I need to know who is receiving the call.”
There was typing.
“Yes, sir. What’s the number?”
Callen rattled it off.
“I’ve set it up in the system, sir. If that phone goes active, we’ll notify you.”
“Call my cell,” he stated, giving him that number too. “I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. I want to be notified. This is regarding an active investigation, and it takes top priority. If you need authorization, you can call Director Rothschild.”
“No need, Director. We’re good.”
Callen hung up.
While that was a decent direction to get them started, Callen knew that there was more digging to do, so he began running financials, research, and anything else that he believed Elizabeth would need.
Before the day was over, he was hoping to dig into Donnelly’s life. Hopefully, if he was lucky, he’d find the killer.
If this man was willing to leave his house in the middle of the night, there had to be a friendly voice on the other end. That would be the only way he’d risk leaving the safety of his home. The director wasn’t a fool.
There had to be a reason.
Callen truly believed it had everything to do with the person on the other end.
He was betting on it.
Until then, there was work to do.
Now Callen had to hope that at the end of this trail, they’d find the big answers.
If not, it could cost Elizabeth, Gabe, and Christopher Leonard their careers.
Or worse.
Their lives.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W
h i t e f o x * * *
William Donnelly’s
Home
Inside, they found nothing out of place.
In fact, the house was incredibly clean, and that said a lot about the man. It wasn’t easy to run the world’s largest FBI hub. In order to do the job, there were always sacrifices to be made.
Gabe gave up a lot.
Ethan and Elizabeth did it too.
Yet, at the end of the day, they went home to their families and the warmth of a loving embrace. Director Donnelly’s house was the opposite.
It was crystal clear, just by looking around the sprawling home, that the man, at one time, lived for his career.
While the other directors had personal lives, it appeared that Donnelly didn’t.
There were no family photographs.
No personal mementos.
Nothing.
The house was nice, but it screamed bachelor. It reminded Elizabeth of Ethan’s brownstone when they first met. There was shiny chrome, black leather furniture, and no color to be found anywhere in the place.
Yeah, it was clear.
Had she not rolled into his life, this would have been his fate.
From the look on her husband’s face, he knew it too. There was no doubt that he was thankful he’d escaped this fate. Now that he had a life, he could see how lonely this existence would have been.
She squeezed his hand.
“This place is so damn clean that you could eat off the floor,” Gabe said, looking around.
They didn't disagree.
The man had a wicked case of OCD, and here was the proof.
Elizabeth wanted to check out one particular place in the house. If this was ‘The Butcher’, she knew where he would have bled out.
It would have been in the kitchen.
Heading there, she could feel Livy at her back. It appeared that she was thinking the same thing. As they stood in the man’s large, granite filled kitchen, they looked around.
“This can’t be the same killer,” she said.
Elizabeth agreed.
“Chris said that he’d been bled out. There’s not a spot of blood here.”
“Maybe the killer cleaned it up?” Livy asked.
Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) Page 11
