“I get it. I tore into him when, for the first time in ever, he was asking for my help.”
“When has he EVER asked for a favor?” Callen asked, reminding her how odd it was for it to happen.
Elizabeth couldn’t remember when. She couldn’t even remember him ever asking.
“Ivan, do you know where he is?” she asked.
“Yes, I received an update from Johnny as to where he was dropped off twenty minutes ago.”
Well, there it was.
“I guess we are going to a hotel. I’m going to eat crow,” she stated. “A big plate of it.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Callen asked.
“Yes?”
“Maybe bring him dinner? Maybe take care of him for a change? I can guarantee he’s sitting in a room, working, and not eating. He’s likely upset. You know how he gets when he’s away from us.”
She did.
When Ethan was hurt, he’d revert internally and work himself into the ground to punish himself. It was his purgatory, and he’d be there.
Solitude would be his penance.
“Ivan, stop at the first Chinese place. I’m going to make this right,” she stated.
A wife’s work was never done, especially when she screwed-up and made her husband bleed, out of her own crankiness.
It was time to own it.
Ivan pulled into the parking lot of the Chinese place.
“Want me to go in?” he asked.
Callen stared at her.
“No, I’m going to do this one on my own. I can order food without help. I owe it to Ethan.”
Callen smiled.
Apparently, this was on her too.
Well, why not make it a free-for-all?
“If you want to watch me beg for mercy, Callen James, have at it. This is a long time coming,” she stated to her husband.
“I’m in,” Callen stated, handing her his wallet. He knew she gave the hooker the last of her cash. “Buy him dinner. You can pay me back later.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek before she jumped out to take care of business.
They watched to make sure she made it inside the restaurant.
“Wow! You are my new idol,” Ivan stated. “You managed to get her to…feel bad. That takes crazy, mad skill.”
He laughed.
“Elizabeth has two faults. She loves so deeply that it trips her up, and she fights so hard for justice that she sometimes misses the obvious with people’s feelings. She doesn’t mean it. She’s just so hyper-focused on the victim she misses the big picture at times. When she crosses the line, I like to let her figure it out and fix it. It keeps the marriage balanced.”
“You are a God.”
“Plus, the make-up sex is going to be scorching hot. I wouldn’t miss that for anything. She’s going to be all over him, and me.”
Ivan’s mouth dropped open.
“Gross.”
Callen smiled.
“There’s going to be dick for miles and a willing wife to make us both happy.”
He gagged.
“Jesus. I liked you for about ten seconds. Thanks for that. I pictured it. I need bleach.”
He laughed.
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
That would NEVER happen. He was definitely a one-woman guy.
Forever.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Four Seasons
Hotel
Washington D.C.
He was as miserable as sin and wasn’t fit to be around anyone at that point. Ethan Blackhawk was damn good as a director and boss, but take him out of his element, and he faltered.
This was that situation.
He missed his spouses.
On top of that, at that very moment, he could only hope and pray that his wife wasn’t at Marcus Hunter’s home raising hell.
He’d texted Callen, and the man didn’t give him any information on their wife’s plans for the rest of the night, but the evening was young.
She could be taking down the city for all he knew. What he did know was if she crossed his path, he’d either weep or yell.
With her, there were only two emotions.
You were frustrated or madly in love.
At that moment, he was the former. For the first time, in a long time, he was genuinely irritated with her. It didn’t happen often, but once in a while, he wanted to shake some sense into her.
Only, he couldn’t.
He wouldn't be that man. He wouldn’t put his hands on his wife in anger, and he wouldn’t destroy their world. So, he’d hide out until his misery was finished controlling him.
Then, and only then, would he head home.
Yeah, kiss that plan goodbye. This was going to be a really long night.
As he sat at the table in his suite, papers all around him, and a bottle of beer from the mini fridge at his side, he was taking care of all of the other things he’d put off today to handle this debacle.
He’d pay the piper.
And it sucked.
With Ginny going on vacation soon for her wedding, that meant he’d be screwed with paperwork.
Already, she wasn’t gone, and he couldn’t wait until she came back.
Yeah, this was more hell to pay. Ethan hated paperwork with a vengeance, but what choice did he have?
It took about thirty minutes, but finally, it was done. Honestly, he couldn’t even figure out what he’d signed. Most of it was blank because, with each flipped page, he was thinking about his wife.
When the papers were signed, he left them all over the table and went to the window and stared out at the skyline. He could see the Mall.
It was lovely all lit up.
And he was miserable.
What had he been thinking?
Yes, he came there to avoid a fight, but all he’d gotten was himself shoved out into the cold. He missed his angry wife. Even pissed off, she was lovely.
He missed his brother.
God!
He missed Chris.
As he went to the table to begin cleaning up the papers, there was a knock on his door. He fully expected it to be his security, telling him to stay in for the rest of the night and that they’d pick him up in the morning.
Only, that wasn’t his visitor.
When he opened the door, to his surprise, he found her standing there.
“Elizabeth,” he said, shocked that she’d shown up there. It reminded him of a time when she was hurt and snuck out of the hospital so he wouldn’t be alone.
Could he hope?
Could he wish that was the case again?
“Before you say anything, I need to tell you something,” she admitted.
“What?” he asked, still standing there with his hand on the door.
“Ethan, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I can be a really shitty wife and saying the things I said to you proved it. I didn’t go and interview Marcus. I’ll do it at the office and in front of you. You never ask me for anything. In fact, you’ve never asked me for anything in all of the years of our marriage. I was in investigator mode, and I didn’t hear you—until now. I know why you asked.”
He didn’t move.
He couldn’t believe she was there.
APOLOGIZING.
What was this?
Witchcraft?
“You do?”
“You are balancing the world on your shoulders. You’re stuck between the FBI and the US Marshals. We work together a lot, and I know Gabe has tasked you with handling it. You know that if I burn that bridge down, it’s going to be hell for you and so many other agents. This isn’t just about me and being pissed, but interoffice cooperation for our survival. So, I wanted you to know I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me.”
“Elizabeth.”
“I’m going home, but I brought you something to eat. I know you won’t get yourself anything because you have to be upset, so I wanted to worry about you for a change. I wanted you to know
that I do appreciate everything you do. As for the profile, and my comment, I’m sorry for that too. It was a damn low blow, and I’m a raving bitch.”
This was like a parallel dimension for him.
She looked like his wife.
She sounded like his wife.
But she was here apologizing, and she understood everything that had upset him without him having to go into it.
What was this?
“I should be so lucky that you’d offer to help me with a profile. I know you have a long list of people who would give up their non-vital organs to have you put your thoughts on paper, and I get them by just asking. Thank you for always doing them for me. I don’t say thank you enough, and I’m sorry for that too.”
He didn’t know what to say.
His heart wasn’t as heavy.
Suddenly, he felt that joy coming back.
“I want you to promise me that you’ll eat something, turn your phone off for a few hours, and get some sleep. If you want to stay here, I understand. I crossed a line, and I deserve to think about what I did without you sleeping beside me.”
She handed him a bag with takeout.
It was from his favorite place.
“It’s your favorite food, and I know it’s not enough to make what I did better, but you deserve to have someone take care of you for once.”
His heart skipped.
She was trying so hard, and he knew how huge that was for her. Elizabeth was the most amazing woman in the world, but she was, at times, prickly as hell.
And he loved her so much.
“I love you, Ethan Blackhawk. I love how much you take care of me, and I wanted you to know I do think about you, and you deserve it.”
She went to turn around.
“Wait.”
She stopped.
He’d let her walk away once before, and it had been a nightmare. He let that gap sit between them, and Ethan promised if it ever happened again, in anger, that he’d stop it. Losing Elizabeth had been the worst thing in his life.
Now he had a choice.
Even if they were fighting, he couldn’t let her go. He wouldn’t let her.
“You were right, Elizabeth. If I let you shit all over Marcus in anger, it will affect countless team ops. I could have just told you that. I should have.”
“No, this is on me,” she said. “You asked for a favor, and I shot you down. You would never shoot me down. Ever. You never have. You’re a better spouse than I am. You proved it.”
“It’s not about who is better, Elizabeth. It’s about who says sorry when they hurt the other person. Your apology is accepted, and I’m not angry with you.”
“I really am sorry. Can you give me the name of a decent profiler?” she asked.
“No.”
“Okay.”
“Yours has been updated. It’s on the table.”
Tears filled her eyes.
Here was her proof that she really didn’t deserve him. Even when he was angry with her, Ethan had her back.
“I’m afraid it’s not much different than earlier, but it’s the best I can do.”
And that would forever be enough for her.
“I forgive you, baby.”
He opened his arms, and she went into them without an ounce of hesitation. Ethan held her, and the takeout.
“I love you.”
She looked up at him.
“Can I ask a favor?” she asked.
“Always.”
“When I’m being a bitch, just say ‘Elizabeth, you’re being a bitch.’ I’ll turn it off. I swear I will. I don’t mean to be one, but when I’m working…”
Ethan understood. In a way, he was like that too. He focused on work a little too much.
But not now.
He was just happy to have his wife against him.
“Deal. This feels like more than one container of takeout—unless you believe I’ve begun eating for multiple people.”
She laughed.
“Did you just say I screwed this up by overfeeding you? When I’m upset, I like to binge.”
He was aware.
Blackhawk had an idea.
“Would you care to join me?” he asked. “I have this room all to myself and maybe we can have some food and make-up…”
He didn’t get to continue.
Callen stuck his head around the corner of the doorframe and smiled.
“Can I come too?”
Ethan found that funny and laughed. Of course his brother would be there.
“Always.”
Callen entered, closed, and locked the door.
“Somehow, I think you had something to do with this,” he said, putting the food on the table in the suite.
“Who me?” he asked, making a bottle of wine appear from behind his back with a flourish. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Ethan laughed.
“Right,” he stated.
“We’ve simply come to wine and dine our husband,” he said with a cheesy, French accent.
“Oh, have you now?” he asked, as Elizabeth led him to the big couch.
“Uh, the table is over there with the food,” he said, watching her. The look on her face said it all.
He was about to get make-up sex.
Hallelujah.
Oh, this night was getting better and better. Ethan couldn’t think of a better way to spend an evening. So, he decided to play along.
“Is it?” she asked.
“I should work,” he said, pointing at the papers. “I should eat and work,” he said.
His wife grinned ferally at him.
God!
Already, he was hard.
“Is that so?” she asked. “Unfortunately, that isn’t exactly how this is going down. See, when I came here, I didn’t realize how sexy you’d look with your tie off, your hair down, and barefoot. That was your big mistake,” she stated.
Callen laughed.
He was giddy. This was going to be a free-for-all. He could tell. Elizabeth was getting rough.
She shoved Ethan onto the couch, and he let her.
“When I apologize, Ethan, I like to do it up right.”
Oh, he could see that.
“Let me grovel.”
He laughed until she was on him. In that span of seconds, her body was on top of his, and he was pinned beneath her.
Ethan moaned when she bit him on the neck.
Yeah, this was going to be one hell of a night.
Before he could say anything else, he realized something. Callen had joined their wife. They had him pinned to the couch, and they were both teasing an ear and neck with tongue.
Ethan got hard.
Fast.
His whole body vibrated.
“Jesus, don’t let this be a dream,” he muttered, as Elizabeth found his mouth and kissed him senseless.
As soon as she set him free, Callen did the same thing, as they took turns sharing their love.
Or was that lust?
All Ethan knew was the heat in the room went up with the mating of mouths. Even she was feeling it.
Elizabeth fanned herself.
“That’s hot when you’re sober too,” she stated, working on the buttons of his shirt.
The man-on-man action wasn’t a thing that happened often in their bed. One time, at the start of their honeymoon, and it had nearly burned the place down.
Callen broke the kiss and stared at his brother. Honestly, he had been curious.
“If this makes you uncomfortable, then let me know,” he said, touching his brother’s face with his palm. Ethan placed his fingers over his hand.
“Loving you is never uncomfortable. I was born to love you both. You can kiss me anytime, Cal. I’ll never say no.”
Callen’s heart thumped.
He felt the same thing. Their relationship had evolved. When they were together, he was half his heart—like their wife.
“Good to know.”
So, he did it again.
Ethan’s body reacted to them both touching him. Callen’s mouth moved over his, making him forget, and Elizabeth’s hands were all over his now bared chest.
He moaned.
Blackhawk never wanted this to stop.
Ever.
In that heat, he found peace. With them, he was wrapped in love, joy, and all of the things people struggled to find in their worlds.
And he found it.
“Christ! Baby!”
Elizabeth couldn’t handle his moans of pleasure. She got wet.
What woman didn’t want to watch two sexy men—sexy Native men—kissing?
Yeah, this was hot.
When Callen set his mouth free, Elizabeth dove in again, tasting both of them on Ethan’s lips. It was the hottest thing she’d ever seen or would ever see.
As she kissed him, Callen moved toward his neck and began leaving kisses across his brother’s throat.
They all shook.
There was no doubt that little contact had made them all wild and crazy.
Callen found his ear and teased it with his teeth. There was the scent of his cologne and it sent chills down his own spine.
His.
This man was his.
Ethan whimpered as they both tormented him. Elizabeth held his one hand, trapping it, and Callen did the same. His body was at their mercy, and he wasn’t going to stop them.
He couldn’t.
Ethan felt too damn good.
As she kissed him, he could feel both of them moving. They were struggling to get naked, but he couldn’t even open his eyes. Ethan was terrified the pleasure would end.
It would kill him.
Slowly, she set his mouth free but stayed perched on his lap. When he did open his eyes, she was watching him.
Callen too.
“Let us show you what you mean to us.”
He swallowed and nodded.
“God, yes!”
They both stood and began removing what was left of their clothes.
Ethan was unable to move. He couldn’t help but ogle her as his wife took off her clothes, down to her girly gear, and his brother went buck-naked.
Then, she tossed her bra and panties.
Callen smiled wickedly.
It was time to spend some quality time with the man they loved.
All the King's Henchmen Page 38
