It pissed him off.
How was he supposed to do this for the rest of his life?
Bethe would grow up one day, and she would leave to start her own career and life.
Then where would he be?
Sitting in the house?
Traveling the world to see things he never wanted to see?
It sucked.
Where was the purpose in it all?
As he snuck into his office, Chris locked the door. This room was the only place where he could hide without confrontation. He was ashamed that he was doing it in the first place, but his hands were tied.
As he sat in his chair, he swiped the screen of his phone, only to see that he had text waiting for him.
It was from Elizabeth.
‘I miss you. You’re making a huge mistake. Come back. I need you on our team.’
Oh, he was well aware, but what could he do? Chris had been given an ultimatum. It was his wife or his job. There was no way he was coming out the winner.
How would he sleep at night if he didn't choose Cyra over the dead? What was even sadder was that he would never have picked work over her, until she told him he had to choose.
That made him want to do something spiteful.
It made him want to be mean, and that was never a good thing, and he knew it.
This was all his fault.
He’d been too weak to stand up to Cyra, calling her bluff. Chris suspected the cost would be too high. There was no way he could risk his daughter. He’d grown up without a father, and it wasn’t fun.
It sucked.
He wouldn’t do that to his child. He’d stick, even if it ate away at his soul. Chris would do anything for his child.
Anything.
So, he needed to be strong.
‘I miss you more than words will ever express, but I can’t come back. I have to do this for my family. Please don’t hate me.’
He sent the text.
It killed a little more of his already broken heart. Typing those words made him hate himself, and he was so ashamed of that.
Chris wanted to go back more than he wanted to breathe. He missed his best friend and the career they’d built together. It was them against the world, and now it felt like he was all alone.
His phone chimed.
He was almost afraid to read it.
It was getting harder and harder to stay away. Chris was beginning to wish that Elizabeth would show up at his door and drag him away. A part of him was praying Zane Legend would screw up, and they’d need his expertise. If that happened, he’d have an excuse to go back, even if just for a little while.
Then again, Chris knew that wasn’t going to happen. He trained the man.
His days at the FBI were over.
‘I spoke to Cyra last night. She made a mistake. She wants you to come back. I could never hate you, but I have to be honest with you. If you don’t have this part of your life, you’re going to resent your family—and lose it anyway. You’re a mess, Newton. It’s time to come home.’
He knew she’d always tell him the truth.
‘She spoke to you? This isn’t the time to screw with me. If you’re busting my ass, I may cry.’
He held his breath, hoping she wasn’t yanking his chain. Then again, he’d never do that to her. He had faith in Elizabeth. In all their years, she never asked him for anything. She’d taken him for who he was.
As he waited for the text, the call came. He fumbled with the phone, caught completely off guard.
“Hello?”
“Christopher, you’re giving me gray hair,” she said, thrilled to hear his voice. She didn't think he’d answer. Now she had to do what she’d promised.
“Elizabeth. God.”
“I need you to come back. You need us as much as we need you. We aren’t a team without you, Christopher. No offense to Doctor Legend, and his skill, but you know how to run it like we stole it.”
He laughed.
It was the first time in two days, and it felt good.
“You called my wife?”
“No, she called me and apologized. She told me she forced your hand. Did she?”
He knew they had made a promise a long time ago never to lie. “Yes. She told me to choose. I had no choice. I wanted to choose you and work, but I took a vow.”
“Darlin’, you don’t owe me any explanation. I understand. I have two men I love. I would have done the same thing, and I hope someone would have the sense to talk me off the stupid when I screwed up.”
He smiled into the phone. “Is this my talk?”
“Yes, it is. Come back. She gets it now. Cyra made a mistake. You need to forgive her and get your ass back to work. I’m up to my eyeballs in dead bodies, no clue what to do, and I’m off balance. I need you, Newton. Save my ass.”
He didn't know what to say.
This all seemed like a dream.
Elizabeth heard the worry.
“Cyra and I have a date when I get back, and I’m going to make sure she feels like she’s part of our circle. I’ll have some girly dates with her, and she’ll cut you a break.”
His heart skipped.
“Really? You’d do that for me?”
She laughed. “I’m going to woo your wife. How’s that for freaking ironic? Don’t blame me when she dumps you to ask me to marry her.”
Chris snorted. “I’d pay good money to see that. Can I watch when it happens?”
Elizabeth laughed. She needed that.
“Deal.”
“Can I come back?” he asked. “Is my positon still there? I know that Ginny began processing my termination paperwork. I turned in my badge and gun.”
“Yes, she began, but Ethan handled it. You know how he likes to control freak everyone’s lives. I do have bad news though.”
“What?”
“You quit. Now you come back as low man on the totem pole in the lab. Merry is your boss.”
Chris gasped in horror.
She laughed.
“Elizabeth! Don’t be a bitch!”
She was glad he was coming back. “I tell you what. Take today to spend it with your wife and child. Zane is here working, and we’re good. Tomorrow, I want you to head into FBI West. We’re short an ME with you taking a vacation. You can’t both be out here working, so you’ll have to link up via video conference. He’ll catch you back up.”
“I can’t believe Ethan didn't file my paperwork.”
She laughed. “Doc, you are on vacation time. I was going to give you a few days and kick your ass back to work.”
It wasn’t true, and they both knew it.
“I love you, Lyzee.”
“Yeah, how could you not? I’m so damn lovable. Now, go and take a day to spoil your girls.”
He was about to hang up.
“Wait!”
“What?” she asked.
“I was sitting in my car and something occurred to me,” he stated.
“That you’re crazy? Who does things like that, Christopher?”
“I was thinking about that case. It brought me back fifteen years ago.”
She was listening. “Go on.”
“This killer is trying to mimic ‘The Butcher’, right?”
She didn't tell him that they had another body, or that they figured out this was personally pointed at them. “Go on.”
“I took all the files, evidence, etc. There’s only two ways anyone could have learned about that medallion.”
“Okay, what?”
“It was either me or the city ME who did the autopsy on Seamus O’Brien. When the cops got to the scene, the medallion was covered in blood. There was no way that the police saw it, so it wouldn’t have been something they would have known about.”
“Okay, go on.”
“The ME or a tech would have had to have told the killer about it, or the ME didn't destroy everything like he said he did. I personally deleted the bullet information on his computer, but if I made copies of everything else...
”
She thought about it.
“You should sit in your old car more often.”
He laughed. “I sit in it when I’m thinking about you. Like the boxers, they have meaning. That day in the front seat of my car, you saved me. When you made me promise to stick with it, swearing that you’d have my back, my life changed. That’s why I keep that vehicle.”
When Cyra told her where she’d found him, Elizabeth was well aware. “You should take it out more often, Christopher. When you don’t run sports cars like they’re high performance machines, they rust from the inside out.”
He grinned. “Want to go for a ride for old time’s sake?”
“Can I drive?” she asked.
“Hell yeah, you can.”
“It’s a date. We can scare Ethan and Callen. I love making them weep. It’s my hobby.”
He laughed. “Thank you, Lyzee.”
“Sports cars are like smart men, Doc. They need a challenge. They need to have a purpose, but on the flip side, wives are like that too. You can’t neglect them or they end up costing you a hell of a lot more money in the end. You need to wax and buff your car on a regular basis, and take it to the movies to show it off. Both of you are like that sports car. Now…go let your wife take you for one hell of a ride, and you take her out for some fun.”
“Thank you for being my sister. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
Her heart skipped. “The feeling is mutual, Christopher. It always was. I told you… these are the ripples in the pond from fifteen years ago. Aren’t you glad you trusted me?”
He absolutely was. “Yeah, I am.”
“Well, thank you for sitting in that sports car and giving me a direction. Kiss my godchild. Tell her Auntie Lyzee loves her. In fact, if you need alone time for a date, take her over to Wyler’s daycare. He’ll watch her.”
He grinned. “I’ll see you at FBI West. You’re the best boss ever.”
“You’re the best brother ever.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Doc.”
He hung up.
Chris felt like a new man. It was time to go back to his old life. Heading out of his office, he returned to their room. In bed, Cyra was reading a book.
She looked like hell.
“Hey,” she said, when he entered.
“Hey.”
“Chris.”
He jumped on the bed and pulled her into his arms. His mouth found hers, and he didn't stop kissing her until he couldn’t breathe.
When he set her free, she was staring at him as if he was crazy. “You called Elizabeth.”
She nodded, tears filling her eyes.
“Why?”
“I made a horrible mistake. Please forgive me. I get it now. You need that part of your life in order to have this part of your life. I can’t take away half and expect you to be whole. It’s about balance.”
Chris grinned, his blue eyes filled with nothing but love. “We all make mistakes. I’m sorry I made you feel neglected. I get it. I’m going to work on that.”
“You are?” she asked.
“Yes. After I make love to my wife, I’m taking my girls out for breakfast. Then Bethe is going on a play date, and you and I are going to the movies. Alone. Just us.”
She stared at him.
“Who are you? Where is Christopher Leonard?”
He laughed.
“I had a good friend point out what I was missing. You’re not the only one who made a mistake. I take you for granted, and that hurts.”
“What did Elizabeth tell you exactly? I think I need to buy her flowers.”
Chris kissed her on the tip of her nose. “She told me that I have an awesome wife, and I should take today to be with her and show her how great she is.”
“Really?”
He grinned. Chris knew what his best friend had offered his wife, and he owed her. “Yes, she did. So, how about that first part of today’s plans. I don’t hear Bethe, and that means we’re alone.”
She dropped the book. “Commence the first part of your plan, Christopher. I’m ready.”
He laughed, right before he pounced.
His heart felt light, and he was blessed to have the best of both worlds.
So, he was going to celebrate it.
For the rest of his life.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Hoover Building
DC
The second she hung up the phone, both men were grinning at her. She knew what they were thinking.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m a big softie. I can’t believe I’m giving up coming back here. I was almost back home. I was so close I could taste the polluted, carbon filled air.”
Ethan touched her cheek. “Fate has a way of changing it up. Maybe we should finish this case, and then tell Gabe.”
“He’s going to shit two tons of bricks,” she said, sitting in the conference room as they waited for him to get out of a meeting. “I hate to ruin his good mood. He was whistling and all smiles this morning.”
Callen didn't get it. “He’s that excited about us joining his staff?”
Ethan explained. “No, someone got lucky.”
“He’s married. He gets lucky all the time,” Callen offered.
Elizabeth didn't say anything. She heard footsteps. She pointed at the door, right before it opened. Both Livy and Gabe looked like they had a week away at a spa.
She knew what she needed to do.
“Wow, someone looks refreshed this morning,” Elizabeth said, winking at her boss. “All that sleep must have rejuvenated you two.”
Livy laughed.
Gabe turned red. “Don’t do it, Elizabeth. I can make your life miserable.”
She snorted. “Yeah, it’s been such a pleasure cruse since I started working for you. I’ve been shot, nearly blown up…”
“Don’t forget abducted,” Callen added.
“Stalked,” Ethan offered.
“You three are funny. How about instead of busting my balls, you solve a case?”
Elizabeth grinned, but inside she wasn’t smiling. She knew he was going to be disappointed.
Hell!
She was disappointed.
Instead of trying to rile him up further, she leaned back in her chair. “We have a lead to follow up this morning. I just spoke to Christopher Leonard, and he gave me a direction.”
She told them about it.
“Okay,” Livy said. “Do you want me to go with you, or do you want me to get the report from Doctor Legend.”
“You better stay in house. Ethan is going to be my partner in crime as we race through the city streets.”
Callen lifted a brow. “Me too, right?”
“Yes,” she offered, grinning. “We’re taking this threesome on the road.”
Gabe opened his mouth.
“I know what your wife wore to bed last night. Think about what you’re about to say,” Elizabeth warned.
Livy laughed at the horrified look on her husband’s face.
“Get moving!” he growled, pointing at the door.
The three Feds got out of there, and fast. Provoking Gabe was one thing. Sticking around to feel his wrath…
It was a bad idea.
His good moods only went so far.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
It was time.
Getting to the location had been a bitch, but after driving all night, the next victim was in sight. This was all part of the plan. Before it was over, the Blackhawks would suffer.
What was the best way to do it?
It was to show them that none of their secrets were safe. They weren’t better than everyone else. They simply hid the skeletons in their closets.
Oh, Elizabeth had broken the law—there was no doubt. If it was provable, it would be plastered all over the news. She’d hang for her crimes, if she didn't have so many people covering for her.
Gabriel Rothschild.
Ethan Blackhawk.
Christopher Leonard.
They would pay. Before this was over, they’d weep tears of blood and sorrow. In the end, they’d blame her instead of love her.
That was also part of the plan.
Yes, this was going to be fun.
Let them stress what was coming.
Let them chase their tails.
Let them see that they weren’t above the law.
In the end, they’d pay.
Dearly.
They’d hurt so many people in the aftermath of their lives, and they shouldn’t be exempt from accountability.
Now, with this next kill, they’d see how dangerous secrets could be.
Before this was over, there’d be destruction.
Theirs.
Payback was a bitch.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Retired ME’s
Home
It wasn’t hard to find him.
The good doctor had a home just outside of Boston. He was now in his late sixties and no longer working for the city. As they pulled up to his house, the place looked cheery.
It wasn’t what they had expected. Maybe they were just accustomed to Chris and his haunted mausoleum.
“How are we going to play this?” Ethan asked, slipping on his leather gloves to protect his hands from the bitter cold.
“We ask him if he shared any details, and if he did… I kick his ass,” Elizabeth stated.
Ethan laughed. “No, that’s not happening. Callen missed PT yesterday. He’s going to do it. He needs to work that arm.”
“Yippee!” he shouted from the back seat.
“How is your hand?” she asked.
“It’s doing good enough to slap you on that sexy ass,” he quipped.
She gave him the look. “Is it good enough to service your own needs until you’re seventy?”
Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) Page 37
