Past Will Haunt

by Morgan Kelley

  “What?”

  “Are you done flirting with the guy at the next table?” he asked. Gabe couldn’t believe that it had come out of his mouth. What was wrong with him?

  He must be losing his damn mind.

  “Excuse me?” she asked, watching him.

  “I’m sitting here with you, and you’re all smiles and sweetness for some dick in a suit.”

  Oh, there was only one dick in a suit in the place, and she was sitting across from him, but Livy kept that to herself.

  “I was simply having a conversation with him. He offered me a compliment, and when a man tells you that you look nice, you don’t get nasty with them.”

  Gabe was fuming.

  In that moment, something occurred to her. He wasn’t all business.

  Gabe was actually jealous.

  Elizabeth had been right. There had to be something there. If there wasn’t, he wouldn’t care that the man beside them had smiled and been polite.

  Suddenly, her stomach flipped.

  Maybe this wasn’t hopeless after all.

  “You’re sitting here with me, but all smiles for him. I don’t get it.”

  Livy sipped her wine. “Well, you’ve been scowling at me since I walked in the door. You told me a couple times that this was all about business, didn't you?”

  Gabe had to fight to stay in control. This was why he couldn’t be around her. He wanted her in the worst way and having to watch another man get close to her was painful.

  That’s why he’d put her right outside his office. It wasn’t about them being out of control. It was about him being able to keep an eye on her. Gabe didn't want other males sniffing around Livy.

  He wanted to mark his territory.

  “Still, Olivia, I’m sitting right here.”

  She wanted to growl at him for throwing out her name, but she managed to stay calm. “You’re the one being cranky, Gabriel. I’d smile at you too, if you’d cut a girl a break.”

  He sputtered.

  Livy could feel the wine going to her head. She wanted to kiss the stress lines from around his sexy lips. Then again, maybe she should kiss the man at the next table. It might actually get Gabe’s attention.

  “Livy.”

  She cut him off.

  “Anyway,” Livy began, “we already think it’s a professional. We’re likely going to head to the bar tomorrow to scope it out. We might get lucky and see someone there who was outside Stephanie’s home.”

  His head nearly exploded.

  “Alone?”

  She shrugged. “Uh, Lyzee and I are a good team, Gabe. We’re accustomed to working alone. I’m sure we can handle some horny, drunken Irishmen.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  Oh, he was definitely feeling something. Livy had never seen Gabe this rattled. He was running through the gambit of emotions, and now he was getting pissed.

  As he ran his hands through his hair, he struggled to catch his breath.

  “I see.”

  Livy wanted to laugh. He was off his game. Normally, you couldn’t read the man, but now he was an open book. Gabriel freaking Rothschild was worked up.

  This was funny as hell.

  Livy stopped being upset. If he didn't have some sort of feelings for her, he’d never be stirred up. The man was chill, and now he was on a slow boil.

  So, she did what Elizabeth always did to him. She didn't back off. She pushed on.

  “Listen up, Dragon Slayer, we’ve got it under control. You’re not the only knight in shining armor. We fair maidens can get down and dirty with the best of them.”

  He stared at her. “I really hate that nickname. When I find out who started it, I’m going to hurt them.”

  “Well, then spank me silly. I started it.”

  He opened and then closed his mouth.

  When he began tugging at his silk tie, to alleviate the heat creeping up his neck, Livy knew he was going to blow.

  But she wasn’t done.

  “We’ll go to the pub, ask around, and see what we can pick up.”

  Oh, he knew what they’d pick up.

  Livy would be the killer’s perfect victim. By now, he knew that the FBI was on to him here, and that would mean playing a game. He’d done this for ten years, and he knew how to think like some depraved murderer.

  “I don’t think you should go there. It’s not safe for you.”

  There.

  He said it.

  Now he waited for the fight.

  “Why?” she asked. “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.

  Gabe knew he was screwed. This whole thing was going to give him one hell of an ulcer. Before it was done, he’d need some serious medication.

  There was no doubt in his mind.

  “Have you looked in a mirror lately?” he blurted. “Have you checked yourself out?”

  Her hand touched her face. “Why? Am I a mess?” Her heart began thumping. Maybe pushing Gabe was a damn bad idea. He looked like a steaming kettle, and it was about to blow.

  “Never mind,” he muttered, ordering a whiskey. He needed a drink. Actually, he needed the entire bottle.

  Uh oh. Elizabeth had warned her about him and whiskey. She’d only seen him drink one other time at a business dinner, and it was when Elizabeth was pushing him to his breaking point.

  Crap!

  Gabe was about to go nuclear.

  “Are you okay, Gabriel?” she asked, as the rims of his ears went bright red.

  “Yes. No. Yes. Let’s just have dinner, okay?”

  With that, he motioned to the waiter.

  Well, this night was going nothing like she planned. In her fantasy, they skipped dinner and went right to dessert.

  Her.

  So, now Livy did the only thing she could do. She sat there and waited for Gabriel Rothschild to lose his mind.

  There was no doubt it was coming, and soon.

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  Georgetown

  Brownstone

  He was sitting there thinking about a case that he wasn’t part of, but he couldn’t help it. He was intrigued.

  The files from his actual cases were across his lap, and at his side was a beer. Ethan didn't drink often, but tonight he needed one. He was working and reworking the details he’d seen in the case file for the ‘Irish Butcher’ case.

  Something was bothering him about it.

  Turning on the news, he watched the coverage. Ethan watched the crowd, scanning it. Something was tugging at his gut. It wasn’t sitting right.

  This didn't feel like a simple serial killer case.

  As he thought back to what he told Gabe, he knew there was more. This was so deep, it would take more digging. So, grabbing a pad of paper, he began scribbling down notes.

  The team player in him wanted to get involved, even if this wasn’t his case. He’d offer up his help, and hopefully, the lead agent wouldn’t get her undies in a bunch.

  He might be relatively new at the job, only working it a few years, but he had a job to do.

  So, he got it out.

  You have a watcher. He’s going to be studying his prey the entire time before he makes a move. They are highly intelligent individuals, and very dangerous. If cornered, they will strike out. They will kill out of necessity, and all focus should be on the team. If they want to play a game, they will, using all the pawns in play. If the male has an ego, or issues with his past, he will be more than likely to strike out at the investigators.

  Once he is locked onto a potential target, he will follow through. He will make sure to get to the goal he has set. This is very much like a game for him. He will be offended if someone interrupts, but he will also be offended if someone doesn’t come after him.

  To him, this is about his craft. He’s going to be artistic and love what he does. Murder to him is something beautiful. The rape isn’t going to be about getting off. It’s going to be about hurting his victims. He’s likely been hurt in his past. This is
his way to get control.

  He’s led by ego, and that makes him dangerous. If you run into him, you need to be prepared to fight for your life. The Butcher will take what he deems his, and destroy it. He will not screw around. He has a goal. He has an endgame.

  --E.B.

  Ethan reread what he wrote. After signing his initials to it, he was compelled to head back to work. If Gabe was still there, he would need this.

  They were playing a game with someone very sick.

  While it wasn’t his case, Ethan still needed to warn the two agents handling this, especially if they were female.

  The Butcher would strike out.

  And it wasn’t going to end well.

  At all…

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  Across Town

  As Gabe was eating his dinner, he wasn’t speaking all that much. Across the table, Livy was pretty much doing the exact same thing.

  The work talk had run out. It was going south, and fast. He was uncomfortable, and Livy was getting angrier by the second.

  He’d made his point. Gabe didn't want anything to do with her, and Livy had to accept that. He wasn’t going to ever open up to her, and no amount of pushing him was going to work.

  Finally, she’d had enough.

  “You really don’t like me at all, do you? This evening is torture for you.”

  He nearly dropped his fork. “What?”

  “You haven’t looked at me in ten minutes, and you’re pretending I’m not here. We’ve just finished dinner, and you can’t even bother to look at me. I’ve made a horrible mistake by doing this. I’m sorry I put you in this position, boss. I shouldn’t have. It wasn’t fair to you.”

  He stopped chewing.

  “I get it. This backed you into a corner and took your control away. It was wrong of me to even try to get through to you. I should have known better. You won’t ever see me as anything more than an agent.”

  “Livy.” How did he explain that he did see her? There was a fine line, and he was dangerously treading on it. One misstep and he was screwed.

  And not in the fun way he’d like.

  “It’s okay, Gabriel. I get it. I’m not your type. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure I kick Elizabeth’s ass tomorrow for talking me into this.”

  Well, that explained who was behind this. Livy wasn’t the only one who was going to kick her ass. He was going to make sure Elizabeth couldn’t sit for about a month when his boot was wedged in her colon.

  “You avoid me at work, you can’t even look at me through dinner, and you certainly don’t want me near you like today when we ran into each other, so I get it. After this disastrous dinner, I’m going to give you the courtesy of not coming in contact with you again.”

  “Wait. What?” That was the last thing that Gabe wanted to happen. Livy was the highlight in his day. When he’d head into work early, just to have coffee with her and Elizabeth, it wasn’t all about seeing the raven-haired woman.

  It was about Livy.

  He didn't want her to be hurt, and that was exactly what had happened. Gabe was horrible with the opposite sex.

  Here was his proof.

  “When this case is over, I’m going to ask for a transfer to another division.”

  His stomach dropped.

  The glass of whiskey stopped halfway to his mouth as he gauged if she was yanking his chain. He couldn’t detect a lie, and he actually believed she meant it.

  “I’ve become this borderline stalker, following you around, and this helped me see the real picture. It finally sunk in. You’re not interested in me and me throwing myself at you is unprofessional and uncomfortable for you. I respect you, and myself, too much to do that to either of us.”

  Gabe was a man of few words. He loved his privacy and he valued his small circle even more. There was no way he wanted to hurt Livy.

  “I’ll have the papers on your desk as soon as this is over. I’ll cut my losses.”

  “I can’t let you in. We work together, Olivia.”

  She listened to him. Well, at least he was giving her a reason. Livy didn't have to like it, but it was how he felt. She had to respect that.

  “I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. My life isn’t various shades of gray. It’s always been black or white. I can’t change who I am. I don’t know if it’s possible.”

  He watched her.

  Then, she did something he didn't expect. She placed her hand over his on the white tablecloth. Gabe watched the candlelight flicker over her pale skin.

  “I know, and that’s why I’m sorry that I’ve been bothering you, Gabriel. I won’t anymore. Since you’re all about the job, I’ll respect that. I won’t do anything to put you in a position where you have to make a decision. I get it. You won’t ever let me in, but when this is over, I have to do what’s right for me. I want you to transfer me.”

  “Livy.”

  “I mean it.”

  He lowered his voice. “We work together, and that’s the only thing keeping me from accepting your advances. I’m trying to do the right thing here, and it’s not easy, okay?”

  He admitted it.

  There.

  It was out there for her to know the truth.

  She stared at him. “That’s it? The only reason you’re avoiding me is because of professionalism?”

  “That’s huge,” he replied. “I’m your boss and that matters to me. Do you know how it will look if it gets out that I’m having a sexual relationship with someone who works beneath me?”

  She laughed. Oh, she was angry, frustrated, and ready to cry all at once.

  This night was eye-opening for her.

  “What’s so damn funny?” Gabe didn't find this amusing at all. His body ached, he wanted her in the worst way, but all that kept him at bay was his career.

  He only had his career.

  When it came down to it, people left, but your career was what defined you. When he died, no one would care who he slept with, or what tie he wore. They’d know him by the mark he’d left at the FBI.

  “Here’s a little newsflash, boss. You have a shitload of employees fornicating with each other. There are quite a few partners who are so much more in the privacy of their own homes. A couple CAN work together and not have it go to shit.”

  He stared at her, trying to measure his words carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but he had to be brutally honest with her.

  “I’m sorry but I don’t believe they can. Sex and love tangles people up, and before you know it, you’re losing your mind, sense of balance, and heart.”

  “That’s not a bad thing, Gabriel. Love is a really important part of our lives. Without it, you walk through life alone. Why would you want to be alone?”

  He didn't want to be alone, but Gabe was a realist. He knew that being in the FBI was hard. You couldn’t have a life outside of it. He’d seen people try, and they failed.

  Look at his father and uncle.

  They died alone too.

  That was his destiny, and Gabe knew it.

  “When you work with someone, you shouldn’t get attached. If you do, you’re going to do something stupid and get yourself hurt. I’ve seen it happen a lot.”

  “Then you don’t have enough faith in your people. If a team is good, then a relationship strengthens it. You have a personal investment in getting your partner home at night. You need to do your job, even when it gets too hard.”

  He listened to her.

  “Sex is important.”

  “So, this is about a quickie, Livy. You want to roll around with me in bed and that’s it.”

  No, that was the opposite of what she wanted. Livy wanted all of him—even the shadowy corners that made her crazy—like now.

  “You’re missing the point, Gabriel. You’re about three miles off the mark. If you really think that’s what I’m saying to you, then forget it.”

  “I can’t forget it. You
dropped this in my lap, so now we have to deal with it. I was perfectly fine pretending you didn't like me. Now I’m asking you two questions, Livy. The first is that wouldn’t a relationship complicate things? What if it didn't work out?”

  “What if it did work? You’re a pessimist, Gabriel. To do our jobs, you can’t be like that. You have to have hope. If not, you’ll burn out, and fast.”

  “What do you want from me, Livy? What is it? I’ve been wracking my brain for days trying to understand you, and I haven’t a damn clue. You’re infuriating.”

  “I just want to kiss you.”

  She didn't give him the opportunity to say a word. Instead, she did it. Livy Spencer took the bull by the horns and did what she thought was best. This was her last chance to get him to understand.

  Gabe was a tough, stubborn, and difficult man, and she knew that going in.

  Life was short, and she didn't want to walk away without knowing what was there between them. She always went with her gut, and she had a feeling…

  It all came down to this.

  Gabe didn't know what to do.

  One minute she was talking, and then the next, Livy’s mouth was pressed to his.

  Now, he wasn’t complaining. No sane man who was heterosexual was going to throw a fit when a beautiful woman was kissing him.

  Why would he?

  After all, he’d been curious. Most of his late night fantasies started just like this. The only problem was, she never tasted this good. There was a mix of Livy and wine gliding across his tongue and mouth.

  As she attacked, he didn't even try to stop her. Instead, Gabe took the gift she was giving him and held on for the ride.

  And what a ride it was.

  Curiosity drifted away and need rose up in him. As Livy’s mouth moved against his, something opened in him. Fear abated and life began blossoming.

  In all honesty, he’d kissed a few women in his time, but he’d never been KISSED.

  Not like this.

  Her one hand was in his hair, the other was knotted in his tie. Gabe was sure people were staring, but he didn't care.