“Are you and the baby okay?” he asked, placing his hand on her stomach. “Do you need a hospital? Are you sick?”
She shook her head.
Elizabeth was far from okay, and she’d never forget what she’d seen in those photographs. In their job, they saw a lot of horrible things, but this hit home.
“Someone tell me what’s going on.”
Ethan knew he’d want to know.
The choice was made.
In the end, he’d own his decision to be honest with their partner.
“Callen, Elizabeth found something. We don’t know what to do with it.”
“What did you find?”
Ethan didn't hand them to him. He wanted save his baby brother the pain. He prayed that Callen would take his word and let it go. “Dean had pictures. They’re of you.”
Callen stared at him.
“What? He was stalking me?”
Ethan shook his head. “No, Callen, they are from when you were a child—while he was abusing you. It looks like your mother took them.”
The silence sat between them.
Callen was forced to go back there in his memories. It didn't take long. He recalled them as if they were yesterday.
He remembered the camera.
The sadistic laughter.
The taunting.
He recalled it all.
Callen held out his hand. “I want to see them. I need to see them.”
Elizabeth wanted to weep.
She wanted to stop him. In that moment, she wanted to wrap around him and protect the man she loved. Nothing good would come of this. She feared what it would do to the man she loved.
He waited, holding out his hand. “Give them to me, Ethan. Now!”
His brother did it.
Callen pulled them out of the plastic and flipped through them. Ethan and Elizabeth watched him. Only, there wasn’t any inkling of emotion on his face.
It was blank.
His eyes showed nothing.
Glancing up, he stared at them. “I’m sorry you found these, and that they hurt you.” With that, he started toward the Denali.
Elizabeth thought he was going to run. She really believed he was leaving. As she went to chase after him, Ethan placed his hand on her arm to stop her.
This had to be his choice. They couldn’t take that from him—not after discovering those pictures.
Together, their lives hung in the balance.
Ethan had been right to let Callen choose. Instead of making a break for it, he went to the back of the vehicle and pulled out a kit. He grabbed the bottle of alcohol solution Merry used on the crime scenes and headed back toward his family.
Digging a small hole in the snow, he placed the pictures of his rape there. Then he doused them with the liquid. The pictures of the scared little boy morphed and twisted as the alcohol ate away at them.
It wasn’t enough.
He needed to watch them go up in smoke.
Callen needed to make them disappear forever. They hurt his family, and he needed them to be gone.
Pulling out his lighter, the one that his brother had given him so many years ago in their youth, it seemed only right. He was doing this for his family.
Flicking it on, he lit the edge of one of the photographs. It erupted in flames with a loud ‘WHOOSH’.
It burned, giving off a horrible smell.
As they stood there, he said nothing. He didn't want to go there ever again. He’d given Dean Quinlan, and his mother, enough of his life. He was done. He wasn’t going to let them destroy his future. Seeing the photos hurt.
It reminded him of the moment.
Only, he refused to go back there. He was free.
This was his choice, and he wasn’t giving that up. He wasn’t that scared little boy anymore. He was more.
He’d survived.
Doctor Gaines told him that his past could only haunt him if he let it.
Well, fuck it.
He wasn’t letting that happen. He had a good thing going for him, and that was all that mattered.
“Callen.”
He glanced up at them. “Thank you for not hiding this. Thank you for believing I could handle it. I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been. That boy isn’t me anymore. He’s my past. I’m a father. I’m a husband, and I’m more than that scared child. I’ve taken it and used it to make me. Like granddad once said, it all led us here. If it didn't happen, maybe I never would have been taken in. Then I wouldn’t have had you, Ethan. If that never happened, then I wouldn’t have hurt you, and you wouldn’t have left.”
Ethan let Callen get it off his chest.
So did Elizabeth.
Callen needed this.
“If none of that happened, Elizabeth never would have fixed us, and I never would have this. I’ve come to terms with it. All of that led to a gift, and I’m not going to let it taint it. Dean Quinlan, and my vile mother, tried to break me, and they couldn’t. Charlene tried to waste a gift she was given, and she didn't deserve me. I’m not going back. I want to be happy, and that means living in the now. It means having this life—not that one. I’ve made my choice. I choose you two. I choose our love.”
They didn't know what to say.
Who was this man?
“Now, I’m going to head into town and get us our hotel room. I’m sure that you two want to dig around and find out what he was up to before he died. We can’t be everywhere, so it’s divide and conquer. I’ll call Gabe and Livy to let them know what happened.”
He held out his hand again, and again, Ethan handed him what he wanted. Callen took the keys and headed toward the vehicle.
Neither stopped him.
They were just too shocked.
This was NOT what they thought was going to happen. If anything, Callen had changed, and it was for the better.
“Go with him. I’ll take care of this,” he said, pointing at the run down cabin.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Go. He might not need us, but you need him.”
Elizabeth ran after her other husband. When she hopped into the vehicle, she was sure he was going to tell her to leave. Instead, again, he surprised her.
“Gum?” he offered, popping a stick into his mouth. He watched her with very calm eyes to see if she was going to lose it. Right now, he needed company, but he couldn’t let this get to him.
She took a piece. “Callen.”
“Let’s go, Lyzee. You should be off your feet a little today. You’re looking a little pale.”
She opened her mouth, and then closed it. Elizabeth didn't know what to say to him.
She was confused as hell.
Callen was holding up.
“Ready?” he asked, starting up the Denali.
“Yes.”
With that, he took off. Callen never looked back. He wouldn’t give the man who tormented him all those years the satisfaction.
It wasn’t happening.
This was the new phase of his life, and he wasn’t giving it up for two child-abusing bastards.
He was moving forward.
One way or another.
Ethan watched them drive away. He knew his brother. He was strong, but this still had to bother him. There was no way he was immune to his past.
No one was, and this was proof.
The killer was pointing that out to them, trying to teach them some sick and twisted lesson. Elizabeth had broken the law, and this started it, but Callen’s abuse and how Ethan had kicked the shit out of the dead man was someone’s way of pointing out that they were watched. It was some sick and twisted justice. This killer was built by hate. He could feel it.
It pissed him off.
When he found the killer, he didn't need to worry about Elizabeth putting a bullet in her brain.
Ethan was going to do it. For this one shot at them, he’d do it. The line was crossed and he was going to teach this asshole a lesson.
Willingly.
* * * B l a c k h
a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Damascus
Thursday
Late Afternoon
The matinee had been fun. They’d shared popcorn, had some soda, and snuck in a few kisses. It was like when they first started dating.
Chris felt like he was young again, and that did his heart good. Tomorrow, he was heading to FBI West so he could go back to work. As much as he loved being free every day, it was time to return to his mistress.
Work.
He couldn’t help it. The career had made him all those years ago. His wife was reaping the benefits of a happy man because he had that other half.
Chris had fulfillment. When it was taken away, that broke him. Now he’d do his job, love his family, and continue ahead. Elizabeth had given him a second chance, and this time, he wasn’t going to waste it.
There was renewed vigor in his step.
“Thank you for a great date,” he said, smiling across the table at his wife. “I hope we can do this more often.”
“I hope so too. I like date day.”
He grinned over his glasses. “I do too.”
He watched her face, and she seemed off. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” he asked.
“A lot.”
“Want to share it?”
She leaned across the small bistro table and kissed him. “I want to tell you how sorry I am about what I did.”
As they sat there sipping cappuccino on a cold day, Chris knew his wife needed to get this off her chest. He’d let it go, but she needed to vent.
“Why did you do it?” he asked. “I mean, I know why you did it, but really, Cyra, there was no reason. I love you. I love Bethe. You both are my life. I think I’ve proved that. Like every other person on the planet, I have a job. If we weren’t rich, I’d have to work. Would you have threatened me then?”
She thought about it. “No.”
“That’s what upsets me. I worry that you really would have left and taken our daughter. I just lucked out and have money and a decent boss who didn't tell me I couldn’t come back.”
She shrugged. “I feel like I’ve let myself down. Maybe it’s because I was once a cop, and I know how hard that is, but I feel like I gave up.”
He knew where this was heading.
“So go back.”
She looked at him. “I can’t. We have a child.”
“You could go back if you wanted. I’d support your decision. I would never tell you to give up your dream. You chose to leave the FBI, honey. That wasn’t me forcing you. Look at Elizabeth. She runs the place and has all those kids. You could do it. We have the financial resources to pull it off. You have an advantage that many women don’t have. You can afford to decide if you want to work.”
She thought about it.
“We could get a nanny if need be. If we’re both traveling, we could have someone with Bethe. If not a stranger, then maybe she could hang at Fort Whitefox-Blackhawk.”
She didn't like that idea. Leaving her child would be hard. Did she really want to take that route?
“You’re right.”
“I know I am, but I also know that there has to be more behind what you did. You’re a very rational person, Cyra. Spill it.”
She put down her cup. “I also did it because I was jealous. I guess a part of me wondered if you’d pick me, or if you’d turn your back on me for her.”
He knew who ‘her’ was.
“This whole thing was about Elizabeth and our relationship?”
It was time to come clean.
“Yes. I’m jealous of what she has with you. She’s your best friend. I’m not.”
“Are you serious?” he asked, not quite sure he understood. He’d never been inappropriate with his boss. In fact, all the times when they were younger, she shut him right down. Her control had set the boundaries.
Now they were a family.
“Yes, and she’s intimidating.”
He laughed. “No, she’s really not. Elizabeth is the easiest person to love. She’s tough on the outside, but it’s all show. She’s gentle.”
She stared at him. “Are we talking about the same person? You know, the southern woman with the attitude and big hair?”
He laughed. “Yes, that would be the one in the same.”
“I think you’re insane. She’s far from gentle.”
Chris knew he needed a new approach. “When I first started at the FBI, the techs rode me. I was ready to quit. I went home every day, and I wanted it to be my last. When I met Elizabeth, she protected me. When people picked on me, she gave it back. When they tried to take me out, she had my back.”
Cyra listened to what he was saying.
“Trust me when I say that you’re only seeing one side of her. If you try harder, you’ll see that she’s not only that person. She’s more. I won’t go into details, Cyra, because it’s not my story to tell, but she’s been burned too. If you really tried to be her friend, she’d never hurt you. Elizabeth knows when someone is being genuine, and when someone is bullshitting her.”
She thought about it.
“Have you honestly really tried to be her friend? I know we go over there, but have you really made the attempt to be part of my family?”
Cyra pondered what he was saying. “Can I be brutally honest?”
He nodded.
“I don’t trust her near you.”
There.
It was said.
He laughed. “So you think I’m going to have some torrid affair behind your back with Elizabeth?”
“It may have crossed my mind.” She thought back to their first date, and how Chris watched Elizabeth with awe. It still bothered her. That Christmas party had set the tone, and she was worried.
“Well, I have news for you. I came first in her life. We met long before Ethan and Callen, and she managed to contain her unbridled lust for me. If it was going to happen, it would have already gone down. It never did.”
Cyra gave him the look. “Really, Christopher? That’s not helping me.”
He laughed. “Give her a chance. She’d offer up her life for you if it came down to it. Elizabeth loves with all her heart. You’re actually lucky.”
“How?”
“She loves me, so you don’t have to try and get in. She’ll love you just because I do. She’s my sister, Cyra, and that’s it. I’m not going to give her, or you, up. Yes, you’re my wife, but you’ll have to make it work. There are boundaries, and I don’t hurt the people I love—that’s both of you, plus Callen and Ethan. You need to trust me.”
“Are you giving me an ultimatum, Christopher?”
He thought about it. “In a way, I think I am. Don’t make me choose, Cyra. I’d never do that to you out of respect. Your brother hates my guts, and he makes my life hell, but I’d never ask you to walk away from him. You’re doing just that. It’s not fair.”
She got it.
“As for work, you should have your passion in life. If it’s not only being a mother, I support you.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll think about going back to being a cop.”
“You do that.”
They sipped their coffee.
“Do you feel better?” he asked.
Cyra got it off her chest. She wasn’t angry anymore. Now she got it. “Yeah, I think I do.”
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
In the morning, the next part of the plan would be put into play. As of yet, the Blackhawks didn't have a clue.
That’s what made this perfect.
The scene would be set.
Elizabeth was the center, but it was also about anyone who thought they could bully people.
Justice needed to be done.
In the end, someone had to pay for the crimes. Christopher Leonard helped bury the truth.
Doctor Pressman told the tale as he was being tortured. He sang like a little birdy.
Chris Leonard knew from the beginning. So, for that, he would
have to pay a hefty price.
Someone had to die.
Blood needed to be shed.
Maybe then, Gabriel Rothschild would see that having Elizabeth Blackhawk and her husband in the FBI was a bad idea.
For him.
For them.
For anyone.
They were a menace.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Hotel
Callen handled everything as he and Elizabeth checked in. He signed all the paperwork, he carried up all their bags, and he even grabbed his wife some cookies.
It was sugar, but it was better than nothing. He was trying to plot out the rest of the day in his head. It was already the afternoon, and they had so much to do.
As he placed their bags in the rented living space, Elizabeth simply watched him. Her heart ached, and she didn't know what to do. When Callen broke, she knew how to patch him up.
Now?
She didn't have a clue.
On the outside, he looked perfectly fine. In fact, he looked distracted.
Elizabeth wasn’t quite sure how to reach him. Sitting on the couch, she kicked off her boots and then ran her hand over her belly.
“Shhhh, Timothy Wyler, it’s okay. Mommy loves you. I know you’re all stirred up.”
Callen watched her from the doorway.
She was suffering.
He could see it. His eye caught the wedding rings on her left finger, and his heart ached. He was pushing her out, and it was wrong. They’d trusted him at the scene, and he needed to trust her too.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of his voice. “Sure, darlin’, what’s on your mind?”
“You.”
He crossed the room and sat beside her. When he took her hand in his, leaving gentle kisses across it, she broke.
The tears came.
They were hot and bitter.
Callen expected it. He knew Elizabeth loved him so much, and this had to shake her. It rattled him that she was weeping. Callen hated seeing her like this.
Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) Page 41
