Gabe held out his hand.
She did it.
“I’m going to be joining you on this case, Elizabeth. I happen to have some free time, and the Director doesn’t want this one to run amuck. I’m on your team.”
She stared at him. “Really?”
“Really.”
“I need those two cops confined and apart.”
He buzzed security and gave them their orders. “Anything else?”
“Where were you last night, Captain?” she asked.
He looked horrified. “You can’t really think I had something to do with this.”
They gave no reply.
“I was in bed with my wife the whole night.”
“I may have to ask her.”
He glared. “You made your point. The case is yours. You don’t have to be a bitch about it.”
Oh, yes, she really had to be since these people were trying to feed her to the media wolves.
“Have a good day,” she said.
With that, he headed out.
“Are you serious about being my partner, Gabe?” she asked, not sure how she felt about that.
“As Deputy Director, I can still go out in the field if need be. I think this will be one of those moments. The media, and now the Metro Vice, will be gunning for you.”
She was aware.
“Thank you, Gabe.”
“Don’t thank me, Elizabeth. I owe you this. You’ve had my back when I needed you, and I’m going to do the same. You’re my family.”
She didn’t speak.
Elizabeth wanted to believe that, but over the last nine months, she felt like she was all alone.
“Who do you want to hit first?” he asked.
She grinned. “Neither of them. I want them to sweat. We can hold them for a few hours. I need to hit up two bigger leads.”
“You don’t think they’re guilty, do you?” Gabe asked.
“Nope. I’ve slept with them. I know what kind of men they are,” she offered.
Gabe stared at her. “You realize this whole thing is a mess that can suck you under, right?”
“I’m not a nun, Gabe. I have sex. I wish it was with people I loved, but sometimes, being alone sucks. We all need to feel some sort of connection at times.”
He got it. Before he’d met Livy, he’d had a few one night stands just to feel alive. Their jobs sucked the life out of you. He wasn’t going to judge her.
“So you have bigger leads?”
Elizabeth was glad he was letting it go.
“Yeah, bigger. One of the hookers was blackmailing two men. She had a naughty list.”
“Are we going to be checking it twice?” he asked, finding that amusing.
She laughed. “Yeah, we will be.”
“Well, I’m ready.”
Elizabeth pointed at his suit. “Lose the overpriced duds. The media will go nuts if they see you wandering the streets. You’ll draw more attention than either of us needs.”
She had a point.
“I can do that.”
“While you’re getting out of your monkey suit, and telling your wife you’re going out in the field, I’m heading down to autopsy. I have a date tonight.”
“With?”
She ignored him.
If she told him, he’d bust her ass, and Elizabeth didn’t want to deal with that.
Besides…
She was really looking forward to it.
This date might answer a whole lot of questions that she’d had of late.
Or it may just give her many more.
* * * E l i z a b e t h L a R u e * * *
Morgue
When she arrived, Chris was standing over the dead woman. He’d yet to cut into her, so she had timed this just right. She always felt guilty about bothering him mid-dig into a body. It just seemed…wrong.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked, getting his attention.
Tony started making kissy sounds.
“I will come over there, grab your dick, tie it around your head, and then laugh as you walk funny,” she stated. “The last person who rode his ass ended up licking her wounds from the ass chewing I gave her.”
Tony closed his mouth.
“Better.”
Chris was laughing. The poor doctor didn’t know if she was serious or yanking his chain. That was probably for the best.
“Yeah, you can, honey,” he said, leading her to the doctor’s office. “What do you need?”
“If you want to call off tonight, I totally understand,” Elizabeth stated. “We’ve both had a long day already.”
“Oh.”
She saw the disappointment.
“I understand.”
“Huh? Understand what, Christopher? I simply meant if you’re too tired, it’s okay.”
“You’re backing out of our date. I’ve been here before. If you want out, just say it.”
She hated that he was upset. “No, I’m not backing out.”
“I get it, Lyzee. You’re gorgeous, fun, and sexy, and I’m an ME. I’d back out of a date with me too.”
She moved closer. “Christopher, when have I ever said something and meant something totally different?” she asked.
“Never.”
“I really just meant if you’re beat after autopsies, the case files, and work, we can do it another time.”
This date mattered to him.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, then I’ll see you at seven. I have a shitload of interviews today, but I’ll get them done. I can’t wait to have dinner with my favorite guy.”
“Charlie?”
She touched his cheek. “No. You.”
His heart skipped.
“Elizabeth.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her body. It felt nice to hold her.
“I could stay like this all day.”
She could too.
That was the problem.
If she moved ahead with this, what if this part of their relationship went away? What if she lost her BFF because she let a physical relationship get in the way?
It scared her.
Still…this was Chris.
He wouldn’t hurt her.
“Bring that bottle of wine. It’ll go good with lasagna. I’ll pick up dessert, if I can remember to do it. My father can’t bake if his life depended on it. He has shitty eating habits, and he’ll be eating peanut butter out of a jar and calling it gourmet.”
Chris laughed. “Me too. I like your father already.”
She patted his cheek. “I have to go kick some assholes all over DC. I’ll see you later if I can for autopsy results.”
“I can give them to you tonight at dinner.”
“No,” she said. “We have a date. I don’t talk work when I’m having an evening off.”
“Uh, you mean like when we went to Boston for that one case?” he asked. “Is this that kind of date?”
Here’s where it got dangerous.
“Do you think we’re strong enough to withstand anything?” she asked.
He stared at her. “Like what kind of anything?”
“Will we be friends forever, no matter what happens, Christopher?”
He didn’t even have to hesitate.
“Absolutely.”
“Then this is a real date.”
His mouth dropped open. “I think I’m dead or asleep. This isn’t really happening.”
Elizabeth leaned in and kissed him. It was sweet, gentle, and something that would happen when two people were getting to know each other.
When she pulled away, he was staring at her.
“Wow.”
“I really am looking forward to our evening together, Christopher.”
It was true.
She was curious about all the things she was feeling. Elizabeth had never been in love before. Was this it? Was this just part of their friendship?
Yeah, she wished Livy didn’t hate her guts right about now
. She could use a friend—one who wasn’t the one she was just kissing. Something told her he wouldn’t be impartial.
Still, the more time they spent together, the more she was willing to risk whatever might happen.
She loved Christopher Leonard, and the sexual tension was there. After last night, and what he’d done to have her back, she owed him. Then again, maybe she owed someone else.
Herself.
Maybe she deserved a good guy, even if he broke all her dating rules.
No friends.
No Feds.
No cops.
Yeah, this had the potential to blow up, and she knew it, but she was willing to take a chance.
“See you later, Christopher. Wear the cologne. I really, really, like it.”
Chris stared at her as she walked away. He wasn’t sure what any of this meant.
He wasn’t sure what she was saying. Did Elizabeth really just tell him this was a real, genuine date?
Was she excited to see him? None of this was registering with him. In fact, Chris was sure he was interpreting this all wrong.
He had to be.
Elizabeth LaRue wanted a date.
With him.
All he knew was he was screwed, and it had nothing to do with meeting his best friend’s father.
He’d made a date with a woman he’d picked online.
For tomorrow.
After his date with Elizabeth.
He’d done it to forget about her, and now she was giving him signals that she wanted more.
Yeah, this was going to be bad.
How did he know?
His karma sucked big time.
Chapter Six
Friday Mid-Morning
T he clock was ticking.
Elizabeth wasn’t going to be late to dinner with Chris or Charlie, and she wasn’t going to make excuses to Gabe to get out of work.
This was going to be one hell of a balancing act and she knew it.
“What are you thinking about?” Gabe asked.
She glanced up in the rearview mirror as she headed toward the first interview. “I was thinking about losing our tail.”
He laughed. “Don’t you dare do it. You know that protective services gets pissy if you play fast and loose with their babysitters. I’m the Deputy Director. It goes with the job. Ignore them, and you’ll forget they’re even there.”
“What’s it like?”
He looked over. “What?”
“Being this high up the Fed food chain? Is it fun, or do you wish you could go back and be a minion like me?” she asked.
“I miss being an agent. There are days where I think I’ve made a huge mistake. I put my life on the back burner to be a Fed, and now I’m trying to be a husband, father, and The Deputy Director.”
“Are you excited about the baby?”
“I am. I can’t wait to hold her.” Gabe felt horrible about not telling her the truth. Before Livy, he and Elizabeth had been close. He missed that, and he also longed for the times when he could tell her his secrets.
He was scared.
He was terrified.
He was worried he’d fail.
Would this baby bond with him? Would he look at her and see anything but the man who raped his wife?
He wasn’t sure, but he knew he couldn’t tell the woman beside him. Despite how much he loved Elizabeth, he had to keep his word to Livy. She didn’t want anyone to know, and this was her call. He hoped one day she’d heal and be able to talk about it, but he wasn’t betting on it.
“You’ll be a great dad. You already know how to be tough and bossy. Those are the top two things you need.”
“Really?” he asked.
“Kids need rules. My dad was a tyrant after my mom died. He rode roughshod over me all the time. I had deputies following me home, there were rules out the wazoo, and I didn’t get away with shit.”
“Then how did you become this hellion today?” he asked. “I don’t want to go down that route.”
She laughed. “I learned to push the limits, out think the tails Charlie sicced on me, and I just knew when I was being watched. Maybe it’s a gift. Keeping one step ahead of Charlie wasn’t easy, but it was definitely doable. He had a job, and I didn’t. It made me who I am today.”
“Karma is a bitch, Elizabeth. You’re screwed one day when you have kids.”
She laughed. “I won’t have them. No one is going to marry me, Gabe. I’m stubborn, I don’t bend easily, and I’m a Fed. I don’t have a long shelf life.”
He stared at her in horror.
“Stop saying that.”
“It’s the truth. The odds are I’ll go down on a case. I can’t be a mom and play that game.”
That hurt his heart. The idea that he’d have to stand over her casket, deliver a eulogy, and say goodbye…it made him incredibly sad inside. She was a good person. Elizabeth LaRue had a lot to offer someone if she’d stop closing herself off to the world.
“You never know, Lyzee. He might be out there for you. One day you’ll wake up, and you’ll see him. I have a gift too. I see the good in people, and there’s a shitload of it in you. You’re going to have a long life filled with love.”
She wished.
Elizabeth believed she wasn’t lovable. Guys didn’t make passes at girls who kicked asses.
It was her motto.
And it sucked.
Other than Charlie, the only person who cared about her was her best friend.
“Who’s the date with?” he asked.
Elizabeth nearly laughed. Gabe did have a gift. She swore it was reading minds. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go there.
“Come on. Who am I going to tell? Your boss?” he asked, laughing over that.
She figured why not.
“It’s with Chris Leonard. He’s having dinner at my place with my dad and me. I don’t know if you’d really call it a date.”
He grinned. “Oh, if he’s meeting your daddy, it’s a date.”
She thought about that. It gave her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“When’s the wedding?” Gabe teased. “I’d like to say I’m surprised, but you two are pretty close.”
Elizabeth wanted it to be like it once was where she could talk to Gabe about everything.
“Are you Gabe my friend, or are you Gabriel Rothschild my boss?” she asked.
“I’m always your friend, Elizabeth. I know the last nine months have been bad. I’m trying to maneuver my way through this, and I’m lost right now. I haven’t forgotten you. I want to get back to that. I miss you.”
She refused to cry.
“I want to get back to the way we were. I miss you, too, Gabe. I really do.”
“So spill it then.”
What did she have to lose?
“We’re really only friends.”
“Right.”
“We are. I mean, we’re close, and we do everything together, including work, but that’s it.”
“Why?” Gabe asked. “You two look good together,” he offered, trying to bridge the gap.
“I haven’t had sex with him.”
He whistled. Gabe knew it had to be a special thing between them. “You aren’t shy when it comes to bouncing on the opposite sex when you’re in the mood. What gives?”
She wasn’t so sure.
Elizabeth believed sex should be fun, it should help you relax, and it was part of life. With Chris, she was gun shy, and she couldn’t figure out why she was so hesitant to pull the trigger.
“Come on, Lyzee. You’re pretty laid back. This man has you all tied up in knots. Spill it. Maybe talking about it will help work it out in your head.”
She took a chance.
“I’m afraid to have sex with him.”
“Why?”
“He matters, and I really think that we’re not going to find what we’re both looking for when we do cross that line.”
He pulled off his sunglasses and stared at her. “Wow.”
&nb
sp; “Wow what?”
“When did you become such an uptight prude?”
She sputtered. “I’m not!”
“It’s just sex, Elizabeth.”
“He’s my best friend. I don’t want to risk that, even if I’d like to hop into bed with him. There have to be boundaries, right?”
Gabe felt horrible. He hoped he didn’t add to the wall she was building in front of her heart.
“I won’t be enough for him. I already know that,” she added.
“How do you know that? Do you have a crystal ball? Maybe you’re both what the other needs right now in the moment. There are no rules that say you must marry him. You can have a relationship and still be separate.”
She wasn’t sure of that.
“What if the sex…?”
“Sucks? I’m sure it will. He’s an ME and a nerd.”
She punched him.
“Shit! Come on now. I’m pointing out the obvious. He is a nerd, and he’s an ME. I call foul on that arm shot, Lyzee.”
“I can be me with him, and he still likes me. Besides, smart men are sexy. When you can talk to a person, and they don’t sound like an idiot, it’s foreplay for the brain.”
“That’s why you like me,” he teased.
“I’d rather French kiss an electric eel.”
He snorted. “Yeah, well, I’d rather stick my hand in a bear trap than your…”
“Stop. If you say it, I’ll pee myself laughing.”
Gabe went serious. “Honey, you’re very likable.”
She snorted. “Yeah, like the plague in Europe.”
“Stop it. Stop putting yourself down. You’re funny, kind, compassionate, and you have a really deep well of caring. You and Chris have something there. We all can see it. He dotes on you, and you protect him. I’ve had three complaints this week about how you two were getting too lovey dovey.”
“I don’t do ‘lovey dovey’.”
“The reports say otherwise,” he said.
“Whatever they complained about, put it on me—not him. It’s my fault.”
“And if I talked to him, he’d say the same thing. Don’t worry about the complaints. I tossed them. I know you’re struggling right now.”
“I’m the most hated Fed in the building.”
Stalked by the Past: An FBI Flashback Novel. (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 17) Page 19
