“Yes, Voodoo. Is there an echo?” she asked.
Oh, he was getting red. Ethan and red were never a good combination—unless it was one of his ties.
“I hope you’re yanking my chain.”
“They’re not,” Chris offered. He hit a button, and the woman’s picture from her website popped up on the screen. She was young, pretty, and had a snake wrapping around her body.
“I can’t believe you both threw me under the Ethan bus,” she said, pointing at them.
“Beep beep,” teased Callen.
Chris said nothing.
“This makes me nervous,” Ethan admitted.
“Why?”
“You’ve pissed off a bayou witch, some priests, a Satanist, two Jews…”
“Don’t forget the Christians,” Callen added.
It was funny.
They had just had this conversation. Apparently, the men in her life knew her all too well.
“Relax, Ethan. What could possibly happen? I have Callen here to babysit, I’ll be going in with a cop in tow, and I’m alert. This isn’t my first day.”
He knew it, but still…
This was Elizabeth. She was notorious for pissing off people, animals, and anything else that crossed her path.
The odds weren’t in her favor.
Or theirs.
“I was going to head there for tomorrow morning, but I think I’ll be taking the redeye and getting there tonight.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, I’ll still be getting there tonight.”
She knew he wouldn’t feel better until he was there, and with them.
She got it.
There was no point arguing with him. Ethan would arrive and see that there was nothing to worry about, and he’d calm down. This one was in the bag.
“Okay, Cowboy. We miss you.”
“I miss you too. Chris, Tony lands shortly. He’ll be there to give you a break.”
“I’m getting my second wind. Lyzee got me coffee,” he said, holding up the paper cup.
Yeah, he wasn’t staying on duty.
Ethan glanced over at his wife, as if signaling her to handle this train wreck.
“Don’t worry, Ethan. Chris is going to crash soon. We’re done here, and Merry and the team have all left for a couple hours. He’s next.”
“I’ll have Tony notify you when he arrives.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“Yeah, you’re full of shit, Christopher.”
He hopped off the table and went red, but he said nothing. He was still in control.
“You’re going back to the B&B. Got it, Doctor Leonard?” Ethan said, throwing down the law. Where Chris would fight Elizabeth, he wouldn’t challenge him.
“I understand.”
“Thank you. Now be safe, and I’ll see you tonight. I love you both. Get some rest, Doctor.”
The feed from the video conference ended.
As Elizabeth and Callen got ready to head out, she asked for a minute alone with her friend. When Callen was gone, she approached him.
“Are we okay? Did I do something to hurt you or make you upset? I feel like you’re angry with me, and I don’t know what I did.”
He sighed.
She was right.
He was being aggressive and not at the right person. He was still angry with himself. “I’m not mad at you. I’m sorry, Lyzee. I’m tired, that’s all,” he offered.
“If you need to talk, Christopher, I’m here.”
He was aware. “Maybe I’ll call home, have Wyler hold the phone to Bethe’s ear, and call it a day.”
She gave him a hug, and he clung to her. “I love you, Christopher. I’m rooting for you.”
He was well aware.
“Be safe out there, okay?” he offered, really worried about her. Elizabeth was his anchor, and while he was irritated, he loved her. The only other person he loved more was Bethe.
She was his sister, family, and friend.
“I’ll be good.”
She didn’t want to let his hand go. Her gut was screaming, but she had a job to do. Finally, she found the strength to walk away.
When she was gone, he reached into his bag, pulled out his phone and two energy drinks.
“Bottoms up,” he muttered, chugging them down. Then he called Wyler, so he could talk to his daughter.
He needed her too.
More than she’d ever really know.
Outside, Callen was waiting for her.
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
That was total bullshit. She knew he wasn’t okay at all. He was a man on the edge, and she didn’t know how much more time she could buy him.
Chris was coming undone.
“Where to since we have some time to waste?”
She didn’t get a chance to answer. Elizabeth saw the camera and a woman holding a microphone, heading her way.
“It looks like we have company.”
Callen glanced in the direction she was focused, and he saw them coming too.
“Well, shit. The media found us.”
Yeah, they did.
This wasn’t going to work in their favor.
At all…
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Bed & Breakfast
Meredith Peyton’s Room
He made her laugh.
As they sat there, on the balcony outside her room, the man was definitely charming. He was gentle, sweet, and she genuinely felt safe with him.
Boone Savage was a gentleman the entire time he was there. Her gut was calm, and he didn’t set off any fear alarms in her head.
Merry liked him.
A lot.
And that was the problem. She’d fallen into this trap before, and she was scared shitless. Her man selection skills apparently sucked.
Then again…
He seemed to have picked her—or was trying to do just that. After all, he brought her breakfast to the hotel.
“So, tell me about you,” he asked.
Merry smiled at him as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “Well, I’m a nerd. I like science, and as a child I once nearly burned our home down when I tried to mix two volatile chemicals in my basement makeshift lab. I was excited, my parents weren’t happy. After that day, I knew science was going to be my life.”
He grinned. “A fire, huh? That sounds like one hell of a science experiment. Were you a handful as a kid?”
“Oh, you could say that. I’m an only child. My parents used to joke around and tell everyone they stopped after me because they already created an evil genius. I think they were pretty spot on with that assessment.”
“I’m glad to see you decided to use your power for good and help cops everywhere.”
“Me too. I wouldn’t want Elizabeth Blackhawk chasing me. She’s scary when she’s focused on a killer.”
She sipped her coffee.
“What about you, Boone? What were you like growing up?”
He didn’t have to think hard.
“I was poor. My family lives on the local Reservation. I have a cabin there.”
“Why the local police?”
“There were a long line of cops in my family, and I wanted to continue the tradition. My mother was an outsider, and ironically, the cop. My Dad teaches on the local Rez at the very basic Native school. We had a very simple life, and thus the poverty. My father didn’t pull any income because the reservation couldn’t pay his salary. Teaching is a labor of love for him.”
“Still, that sounds amazing. Your parents sound like really great people.”
“They are. He’s still teaching, and she’s retired. They do a lot of charity work for the Native people.”
She smiled at him. “What’s your favorite hobby?”
Over the last twenty minutes, the woman before him relaxed, and she was blossoming. He loved every second of being with her. She was fun.
“Reading is my favorite thin
g to do when I’m not working. I guess you can say I’m a book nerd.”
She wanted to kiss him.
It was hard not to just do it. Boone was a great person. She could tell that he had manners and had been raised the right way. His mother and father did a good job.
“You?”
“Promise you won’t tell anyone?”
He laughed. “Is it a matter of national security? Are we talking that kind of secret?”
Merry found that amusing. “No, but it’s kind of embarrassing.”
“I swear I won’t tell.”
“I like cats. In my spare time, I help out at a local shelter. Well, I did before I transferred here. I haven’t found a new one to help with in DC.”
He grinned and reached for his phone. When she tensed, he pretended he didn’t notice. “I want to show you something.”
He handed her the phone. “Look at the screensaver.”
Merry took it and looked down. It was the biggest, fattest, furriest cat she’d ever seen in her life.
“Oh my God! Is that real?”
He laughed. “That’s Bo. He’s my cat.”
Merry looked up at him. “Really?” She wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not.
“Yep. I’m not a dog person. I like cats. They don’t need a babysitter, they kill mice, which we all know breed diseases, and they keep your lap warm. In Bo’s case, he keeps your body warm because he’s a tub of lard.”
She giggled.
Yeah, she liked him.
Boone was a genuinely sweet man. He didn’t stress her out, and she didn’t feel like she had to put walls up to protect herself.
When his phone chimed, she went to hand it back to him. Only she was so nervous, she knocked his coffee cup over, and onto his lap.
Merry jumped up.
“Oh, Jesus! I’m so sorry! I’m so clumsy. I hope I didn’t burn you!” When she went to mop his lap, he touched her arm, stopping her. She froze, much like a deer in headlights.
Boone saw the fear.
It made him angry.
He also saw the bruises on her arms and chest when she leaned over.
Merry yanked her arm away and backed up. She was braced for his anger.
“It’s okay, Miss Peyton. I’m good. Don’t stress it. I spill things all the time.”
He glanced at the incoming text on his phone. “Elizabeth needs me to meet her. It looks like we’re interviewing a priestess.”
Merry didn’t speak.
Boone took a chance. Moving toward her, he noticed she was shaking. He touched her cheek with his warm palm. “Thank you for the best breakfast company I’ve ever had.”
She stared at him.
“I hope we can do it again. Maybe you’ll have dinner with me sometime?”
Her fight versus flight was kicking in, and Merry wanted to run as fast as she could away from there. She didn’t know what to think, but had this man been Derek, he would have been pissed. In fact, when she did clumsy things, he would hurt her.
“I don’t know.”
“Meredith, listen to me.”
She looked up and into his eyes.
“I’m not him. Whoever put this fear in you, I’m not like him. I won’t do that to you.”
Gently, he touched her arm. As he pushed her sleeve up, almost like he would with a child, she looked like she was going to cry.
Boone wanted to hold her, comfort her, but he believed she’d be too scared. What he also wanted was to kick someone’s ass. Whoever hurt her was an asshole.
She was a beautiful soul—a flower that should be handled with a delicate touch. Brutality should never touch her life. Merry helped victims every day, and someone should be helping her.
He was going to be that person.
Boone could feel it.
Merry watched him touch her arm. On it, there were the remnants of the fading bruises. She wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but her heart was pounding in her ears.
Then he did something that made her want to weep.
He left a gentle kiss on one of the marks on her inner wrist where Derek had grabbed her out of anger.
Tears began to fall.
She knew he saw them.
“Think about dinner,” he offered, wiping a tear off her cheek. “I’m going to go meet your boss. You should get some sleep, cher.”
Then, he walked away.
Wet jeans and all.
Merry didn’t know what to think. Sitting back down at the table on the balcony, she stared over the edge. When he got outside, he stopped, held his one hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun, and waved at her.
Her heart skipped again.
She didn’t know what to do or think.
Detective Boone Savage had blindsided her, and Merry wasn’t sure if it was a good thing…
Or really, really bad.
Chapter Six
The French Quarter
DuChamp Residence
One of the best things about working in New Orleans on this case was the ability to walk everywhere. As Agents Madden and Seaton moved down the crowded street, they were grateful that they didn’t have to navigate the chaos in a vehicle.
It would have taken twice as long.
This made their lives so much easier.
“So, I was thinking,” Brody said, still holding his wife’s hand as they tried to blend into the crowd.
“About what?” she asked, checking the directions on her phone. They were near the cop’s place.
“We should buy a place.”
Johanna glanced over, but before she could say anything, Brody continued, cutting her off.
“It would be ours. I want a home and a life with you, Joey. I want a place that we can settle in and begin our life as husband and wife.”
“Okay.”
He was surprised. “That’s it?”
Johanna laughed. “Yeah, that’s it. I think we should get one of those historic brownstones. I love how big they are, and with your dog and my cat, it would be perfect.”
He was staring at her.
“What?” she asked.
“I love you.”
That made her grin. “Well, husband, I happen to love you too.”
That made him happy. Not too long ago, he would have had to put up a fight or chase her down. Now Johanna was happily settling into their life together.
As they walked up to a shotgun home, they could hear shouting coming from inside.
They both pulled their sidearms and crept up the stairs. As they were almost to the door, a man came out, and he was red, irritated, and exasperated. The second he saw them with guns, he looked worried.
“Clifford DuChamp?” Brody asked, pointing his gun at the man. He had a sidearm under his jacket. It was clearly visible.
“Yeah, you’re holding a cop at gunpoint,” he stated.
Johanna flipped out her badge, still training her gun on him. “We’re FBI.”
The man relaxed.
“Oh! This is a misunderstanding. Why don’t you holster those sidearms?” he asked.
They did just that, but they were still watching his hands.
“What do you need?”
The cop sat on the top step and pulled a cigarette from the pack sitting on the banister. “Want one?” he asked.
“No, not really,” Brody said, placing himself between the man and his wife. It was automatic, and he couldn’t help himself.
Johanna stayed back, focusing on their interview. She knew what Brody was doing, but she’d have his back and kick his ass later.
“I have to say I don’t get many Feds on my front porch,” he offered.
“We’re investigating some deaths in the city.”
“Yeah, the bodies that went missing, right?” he asked, trying to ignore the shouts coming from inside the house. When both agents were staring at the door, as if someone was coming out at them, he tried to reassure them.
“It’s only my mom. She’s old, cranky, and likes her booze.
When she wakes up, she’s a bitch to be around. She’s pretty much bedridden. You don’t have to worry about her coming out.”
“Do you live here?” Brody asked.
“Yeah, I take care of her. She’s not able to manage without someone here most of the day. At night, when she’s asleep, she’s fine.”
Johanna pulled out her phone and began making notes. Later, she’d run a search on the mother, just to cover their bases. There was no way they were skipping anything. No one wanted to let Elizabeth down. She’d picked them to join her team in DC, and that meant she had high expectations.
“You were working the nights that three of the bodies went missing, and you called off the night of the forth, correct?” Brody asked.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“How did someone break in without you seeing them? Isn’t your job to play morgue security?”
“Yeah, it’s my job, but I was taking a break.”
They both knew it would take longer than ten minutes to break in, find a body, move it, and leave. Plus, the timestamp gave them a direct timeline. It took the person thirty-five minutes to do the deed.
“How long are your breaks?”
“I don’t time them.”
“Where were you taking them?”
“Listen, I’m getting the feeling that you’re accusing me of something. I know that can’t be right since we’re fellow law enforcement. No one accuses their brother of something this heinous.”
Elizabeth told them to tread lightly, so they would. If not for that warning, they would have torn into him. The local cops and FBI were nothing alike.
Here was the proof.
“We’re not accusing you of anything. If we were, you’d be in an interrogation room and have our boss breathing down your neck. We’re tasked with figuring out how the person got in, stole the bodies, and got out while you were on duty.”
“He broke in through the back door. That’s the only way he could have done it.”
They were aware.
They had the recordings.
The only thing this clown wasn’t getting was that the person who did this had to have help. That was the ultimate question, and the man’s evasiveness was making him look guilty of something.
Blood Shall Run (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 15) Page 16
