Chris saw it.
“You don’t hate him. Why do you think it’s Ethan?” he whispered.
“Bonnie hates men. She hates women. She’s full of anger. If a man cheated on her, what would she do?”
“Track him down, cut his throat, and puree his dick into a smoothie,” he stated.
Yeah, that’s what she thought.
“She would know what the media is saying, and from her note, she helped feed into it. She’d want him to be the victim since she views him as an asshole.”
“And how do you view him?”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I just got him back. I can’t lose him again.”
Chris took her hand in hers. “She’s messing with you.”
Elizabeth wiped her eyes.
She knew he was right.
“What if it’s not him?” Chris asked.
“Wyler.”
Chris didn’t get it. “Why him? You absolutely love him. He’s your ‘dad’. You adopted him as your own.”
She was going with her gut.
“He’s the oldest, so she’ll think he’s the easiest to take, and she knows he’s like a father to me. She’s going to want to finish the list with a bang before she kills the last person she didn’t include.”
“Who?”
She stared him in the eyes.
“She’s going to kill me.”
That made him want to be sick.
They had to stop Bonnie.
Now.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Salem
When Tyrell and his men got to Tony’s cabin, it was pretty quiet—inside and out. Knocking on the door, there was no answer, and that worried him.
No, it freaked him out.
If Elizabeth was right, they could be walking into a nightmare. He hadn’t been fully briefed, but from what he’d seen on the national news, it was a shit storm.
“Pull your sidearms, and we’ll clear this place together.”
“Do you want me to take the back?” Deputy Harmony Baker asked, offering to take the least exciting position.
“No, Elizabeth specified that we needed to go into this together.”
She didn’t argue.
It wasn’t protocol to leave an escape route, but she’d listen to her boss. She was relatively new on the team, and she didn’t want to make waves.
“Ready?” Tyrell asked.
They all nodded.
It was go time.
Tyrell found the key sitting on the trim above the door. Tony, if anything, was predictable. He’d kept his key there the last ten years.
Using it, he opened the door.
“Let’s go,” he whispered, as all four of them headed in.
Silently, they moved into the house, sweeping it as they went to make sure that there was no blood.
It looked like someone was having a date. There was a picnic basket, a bunch of candles, and even picked daisies.
Shit!
This fit what Elizabeth had said.
Now he was more than worried. He was scared shitless for a man he called friend.
Suddenly, there was a creak at the back of the house, followed by some muffled moans.
Tyrell ordered them toward it, guns ready.
With Tyrell in the lead, he headed down the hallway and to the door. Listening, he could hear sounds, but he couldn’t make them out.
Holding up three fingers, he counted them down.
Three.
Two.
One…
Without warning anyone inside, he kicked the door in, catching Tony, and some woman by surprise.
She was naked, straddling his hips, and he was buried balls deep in his ‘date’.
She screamed and jumped off him, only to have everyone point their guns at her.
Tony gasped, covering his naked man parts as he pulled the blankets up over both of their bodies.
“What the fuck?” Tony asked. “Are you insane?” he inquired. “I’m entertaining a lady!”
Tyrell was still suspicious. He’d never seen this woman before, and that made him want to be extra careful. Granted, she didn’t really have anywhere to hide a Taser.
“Elizabeth called you.”
“Yeah, and I was in the middle of a picnic with Marlow here. I was going to call her back later. I turned my ringer off so we could spend some quality time together!”
Tony didn’t get any of this.
“What is going on, Ty?”
“Look at your messages.”
He did, and there were ten of them.
That alarmed him.
“What’s up? It’s not like my girl to call like that. Is she safe?”
The woman in the bed sat up. “Your girl?” she asked.
Tony glanced over. “What I meant to say is…”
Marlow wasn’t having it. She didn’t give him time to explain. Instead, she punched him.
“You’re a douchebag!”
“Marlow.”
“I’m going home!”
Tyrell stopped her. “Actually, you’re not leaving. The FBI is on the way, and I need your driver’s license so I can make a call.”
She sputtered.
“This is an outrage. Why do you need my driver’s license? Is it illegal to have sex?” she asked.
“It should be with me,” Tony teased, blowing one of the brown curls from his forehead.
“Zip it, Tony,” Ty said, his gun still pointed at Marlow, or whatever he name was. “License.”
She reached for her purse.
“Slow. If you pull anything out but that license, I’m shooting you.”
She was horrified. “What did I do?”
Ty watched her hand as she reached for her wallet. When she pulled it out, he relaxed—marginally.
“Toss it onto the bed and don’t move.”
“Harmony?” Ty directed, “Get it.”
His deputy grabbed the license.
“What’s going on?” Tony Morel asked.
He focused on his friend and employee. “Lyzee has a serial killer, and they arrived here today. She’s on her way to find her. I need to make sure this lady is safe.”
Harmony handed him the driver’s license.
“Jesus! You think it’s Marlow?”
He didn’t know what to think. This was Elizabeth’s rodeo. She had to make that call.
Pulling out his phone, he video called her.
Elizabeth’s face came onto the screen and she wasn’t smiling.
“Tyrell! Did you find him?”
Tony hopped out of the bed and wrapped the sheet around his body. He moved around Ty to stare over his shoulder.
“I’m here, Lyzee. What’s going on?”
Her face relaxed.
Both men could see it.
“I called you a million times. What the hell, Tony! Don’t you answer your phone?”
“I was…busy.”
“With a girl?” she asked, thinking about how Tammy Beard had slid right into Sister Margaret’s life—seamlessly.
“Yes.”
“Ty, is she there?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Tyrell, we need to see her face. Keep your guns on her and point me at her.”
The deputies did what she asked.
Tyrell turned his cell around, directing it at the woman Tony had been having sex with earlier.
Elizabeth didn’t recognize her as Bonnie, but Lizzie? Could this be her?
“Ethan and Callen. Does she look like Tammy Beard?” she asked.
“My name is Marlow Myers, and I’m just about out of patience with all of this. Who the hell do you think you are?”
“Shut it,” Elizabeth stated. “This is an official FBI investigation, so questioning trumps fornication.”
She sputtered.
“Hush, Marlow,” Tony stated. “She’s good at her job. She wouldn’t be interrupting us unless it mattered.”
Elizabeth handed the phone to Ethan and Call
en.
“Well?”
Ethan shook his head.
Callen too.
Elizabeth already confirmed the woman masquerading as Tammy.
“Let her go.”
The deputies lowered their guns.
The woman grabbed her things. “DON’T call me ever again!” she said, heading out. “You’re a freak!”
Tony sighed.
Elizabeth felt bad. Here he was, trying to move on, and clearly, she’d stomped all over his personal life—erroneously.
“Tony, I’m sorry.”
He got it. She was just trying to keep him safe. How could he fault her for that?
“Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not, but this had better be good,” he stated. “I was so close,” he teased.
She didn’t want to picture it.
Bless Ty for handling that.
“Bring him to the station, Sheriff. As for being good, Tony, we may have just saved your damn life.”
If Bonnie was watching.
That would piss her off.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Chris Santana’s
Home
He loved the weekends more than anything.
His sweetheart, who had been traveling on business, was back in town, and they had plans to spend it together.
For the last few weeks, she’d been there full-time, and he was ready to make a commitment to her. Once she left, he’d made up his mind.
He needed her in his life.
He’d found true love.
Keres, his sweet girl, was on her way over, and when she got there, he was going to give her the roses, the ring in the box that he’d tucked in them, and then his heart.
It was time.
Keres had swept into his life, and he wanted her to be his wife. She was innocent, perfect, and saving herself for love.
For him…
From her sexy blonde locks to her dreamy blue eyes, he was head over heels in love.
She was the one.
He’d bet on it.
Everything had changed the last few months since they’d begun dating.
Hell!
He’d even gotten back in shape to impress her. The day he saw her, sitting in the park, he knew she was meant to be part of his life, and he wanted a longer one where he was healthy.
So, he started working out.
He began running.
He tried to do anything to get her attention, and it had worked. Eventually, he managed to catch her eye.
His life changed.
It blossomed again.
When Sara Bishop, a deputy he worked with years ago, had died, a part of him went with her. Honestly, he believed she’d been the one, but he’d been too chicken to say something.
Now he was glad he’d let that go.
He had Keres.
She meant the world.
As he heard her on his porch, he headed toward the door. When he opened it, she was standing there, smiling at him.
“Hey, baby!” he said, holding the door open for her.
She strolled in just as lovely as ever.
“My pet, how are you?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
“Better now that you’re here. I can’t wait to get our date started. I’m all yours.”
She giggled. “I can’t wait! What do you have planned for us, sexy?” Keres asked.
“Want to take a walk?” he inquired. “There are some pretty flowers by the river, and I thought we could have some lunch, and pick some for your lovely hair.”
She smiled. “Sure.”
His cell rang.
Chris picked it up in case it was work related. “Oh, it’s my friend Elizabeth,” he said, going to answer it. “I have to take it,” he said, turning his back for just a second. “I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s on her way to Salem.”
Oh, neither could she.
She wanted to see her in the worst way.
Before Chris Santana could answer his phone, the woman behind him hit him so hard in the head that it knocked him to his knees.
Then to the floor.
Keres, or Bonnie, stood above him laughing.
“Actually, pet. I’ll take that call for you. It’s time to have some fun with your friend—and buy us some time. Your buddy Elizabeth and I already have a date.”
With death.
Elizabeth waited as it went to voicemail.
She left a message for him to call her back, and she immediately began pacing the jet.
He’d been around all day, and she told him she’d be calling. Her gut started tangling in knots.
They’d lucked out with Tony, but what if Chris was the actual target?
She didn’t hate him, but they’d had difficulties in their past. They’d been at each other’s throats as sheriff and deputy.
“Calm down,” Ethan said, holding his hand out to her. “Maybe he’s on a call, baby. He is the mayor of a town, and we did tell him the FBI was coming. He likes to run the place like he owns it.”
She tried to relax.
They were about to land, and she wanted to make sure all their chicks were in the nest.
Callen was in contact with Wyler.
Ethan was talking to Tyrell every few minutes, and so far, everything was okay.
When her phone chimed, she read the screen.
And sighed in relief.
It was Chris Santana.
‘Busy getting ready for your arrival. Sorry I couldn’t answer. I am tied up. Salem is ready for you. I’ll contact you later when I’m done with my project.’
Well, that was so much better. Now she didn’t have to stress about him, too, and she could focus.
“See?” Ethan offered. “He’s working on something. He’s not in danger. The momma duck has all her baby ducklings in a row.”
Yeah, she did see.
“You were right. I’m a hot mess. Bonnie has me rattled.”
He got it.
Not all of this was on Bonnie. He’d broken her, too, and she was still fighting back from that. Ethan was going to do anything he could to make her life easier from here on out.
“We’re literally right on Bonnie and Lizzie’s tails. They hit Salem less than six hours ago. We have the advantage. With Dakota still on the ground in DC, if she has anyone helping her, she won’t know you’re heading after her.”
He had a point.
She hadn’t thought of it like that.
All Elizabeth could focus on was staying one step ahead of Bonnie. It was important.
“How about you sit down, relax, and let us get you to the station to start working on this?”
She agreed.
“Thank you both for helping me stay focused.”
Both men kissed her on the cheek as she sat down. Honestly, it was their pleasure.
“We’re on the right path,” Ethan said, as they all studied the picture the sketch artist came up with.
“Why does she look familiar?” Elizabeth asked.
The men glanced over at her.
“Seriously?” Callen asked.
Elizabeth couldn’t shake it.
She’d seen her somewhere before, but where?
Did they cross paths while they were studying her?
She couldn’t put her finger on it.
Ethan kissed the frown lines in the middle of her forehead to ease the stress.
“We’re going to get her, baby,” Ethan promised.
Elizabeth hoped.
If not…
Bad things were coming.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Fort Whitefox-Blackhawk
Salem
Wyler loved watching his wife being happy. As she sat with her new friend, having tea in the kitchen, there was that sense of peace. Even with all hell breaking loose, he still had the love of a good woman.
That definitely changed everything.
It meant the world to him. For the long
est time, he’d been alone, and now he realized that time had been wasted.
While he missed Catherine, his one true love, to the depth of his soul, he had to admit that over the last few months, he’d definitely fallen for Maeve.
The whole process had been easier than he thought, and it had nothing to do with her carrying his child.
It had everything to do with how she seamlessly became a Blackhawk.
Now he was able to watch her with her friend, and it gave him peace. As he sat in the corner, working a piece of wood to make the last piece for his child’s mobile, he was glad they’d talked security into letting the woman come for tea.
What could happen?
“I love your home, Maeve,” the woman said to the brunette. “It’s so warm and friendly. I hate when people’s personal space isn’t indicative of them.”
She wandered away from the island and over to the mantle where all the family pictures were held.
“Oh, thank you, Vera, but I can’t take the credit. This is actually my daughter-in-law’s home. She grew up here, so she gets the credit.”
“You don’t say,” the woman said, sipping her tea as she stared at the pictures. “What’s her name again?”
“Elizabeth.”
“Oh, I think I’ve heard of her,” she said, picking up the picture of her and Ethan Blackhawk. “She’s a cop, right?”
“Yes, she’s after some really bad people right now. That’s why we’re stuck inside.”
Vera headed back toward her at the island that split the kitchen and living area.
“You don’t say. Can you gossip about it?” she asked, her voice low.
Maeve laughed. This woman amused her.
“I don’t know much. All I do know is that they’re vile, disgusting, and she’s going to win. Elizabeth always wins.”
Vera took a seat. “Really? What’s she like?”
“A good mother. She’s tenacious, and she loves with all her heart.”
Maeve handed her friend a plate of cookies.
“I hope I get to meet her one day,” she offered.
“Oh, maybe you and Gia can make it to dinner.”
Revenge has Come (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 19) Page 47
