For him.
For her.
For their child.
And she knew that only Boone could help her through it. Only she didn’t know how to ask.
For once, she didn’t have a clue.
So much for being really intelligent.
This time, it wasn’t helping her at all.
* * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *
Metro Police Department
Morgue
She was accustomed to doing the dance.
When it came down to working with the local authorities, they both had plenty of experience. Chris was just as much as a pro as she was, and it was likely going to take both of them to pull this off.
His charm and her skill at hurting people…
She was amused by the visual in her head.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as Elizabeth found a parking spot. “You’re smiling and that’s always alarming as we start a case. It reminds me of how crazy you are.”
She snorted. “Gee, thanks for that.”
“Seriously,” he said, touching her hand with his own. “What are you thinking about? A penny for your thoughts?” he asked, handing her a quarter.
Elizabeth stared at it and smiled. She recalled him doing that more than a few times when they were just starting out. When she’d bring up that it wasn’t a penny, he’d always say the same thing.
“That’s a quarter, Christopher.”
“Your thoughts are worth more than a simple penny. They’re priceless to me.”
Yeah, there it was. That one sentence alone got her through so many years of loneliness.
Him too.
When the chips were down, they had always had each other’s backs. What they had between them was special.
“I was thinking about you,” she said, taking the quarter from his warm hand. She had a memory box at home, and in it were the quarters he’d given her. She’d kept them, but she never really knew why.
Now she did.
Love.
It mattered.
“Well, care to share?” he asked.
“You took off your ring.”
Chris didn’t even look down at his left hand. Instead, he flexed his fingers, remembering what the weight of his gold band felt like for those couple of years.
Some days he missed it.
Some days he didn’t.
It basically came down to his mood, the status of his therapy, and what he recalled about Cyra before the fire.
“I had to take it off.”
Chris knew she wasn’t the only one that noticed. He’d seen Tony watching him, and he knew his friends were worried about him.
“For you or for some other reason?” she asked.
Chris hated that the woman beside him was so damn astute. Most people didn’t have the balls to bring it up. Of course Elizabeth wasn’t going to hold back.
He would have done the same.
It was their bond.
“I was ready to take it off. I spoke to Doctor Gaines, and she said there would be a defining moment where I had to let all of this go, and I’m at that point.”
She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “I understand, Christopher.”
“Do you?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Cyra is dead. I can’t even call her my wife anymore. I found that it makes me angry.”
“Want to talk about it?”
He shrugged.
“Christopher, I’m here for you. For the last few days, you’ve been off your game. In the lab, you’re all smiles. Now you’re angry.”
“I found something.”
“What?”
He reached into his messenger bag that held the official papers and pulled it out. “Here.”
Elizabeth pulled off her sunglasses and stared at it. It was a letter from a bank.
“Cyra opened a private account and was funneling money into it. It was in her name and at a bank I don’t use.”
OUCH.
Well, that explained his mood.
“She was preparing to eventually divorce me. If I didn’t leave the FBI, she was going to leave me and take Bethe. She was going to steal my child. Where I thought it was simply a threat for the longest time, she wasn’t messing around. She really hated my job that much. Cyra was stealing from me.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry, Christopher.”
“I lied to you,” he stated.
That had her attention. “Uh, care to clarify on that statement?”
“I told you that I wanted to move out. I don’t think I can do it, Lyzee. I’m scared shitless. I was doing better, but now that the bank forwarded me this, it took me out at the knees. I was just over being angry, and now I’m forced to re-heal.”
“So don’t move out.”
“Your husbands…”
She stopped him right there. “I’m going to do something I hate to do. I’m going to lie to one of them for you.” She could count on one finger all the times she had lied to Ethan. There had been only one single solitary time. Again, it pertained to the man beside her.
“What?”
She hit the navigational system and dialed Ethan’s personal cell phone.
“Hey, baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay? You just left and you’re calling me. That can’t be good.”
“I need a private conversation with you, and I need it now,” she stated.
There was some mumbling in the background, a shuffling of papers, and finally, Elizabeth could hear a door closing in the background.
“I’m alone. What’s going on?”
“Chris told me he doesn’t really want to leave our house and that he’s not ready. When he went in to claim the body, I wanted to call and see what you had to say before I told him he could stay.”
Ethan didn’t hesitate.
They’d discussed this before, and they were all in agreement.
“I don’t mind if he stays. I told him that in New Orleans. He has a home with us for as long as he wants.”
“He’s struggling.”
“Baby, tell him to stay. I don’t want him out there afraid and a mess because he’s worried I hate him. I’m not comfortable with any man near you. It’s not personal. It’s not getting harder for me. It’s getting easier. I love you, and I love Chris. He has a home for as long as he needs it.”
“Thank you, Ethan.”
“Don’t thank me. He saved your life. Rolland LeBleu nearly stole my wife away. This is the least I can do. Tell Chris to stay. He’s one of us. We gave him our name. He’s officially a Blackhawk. The tribe sticks.”
She watched the man beside her. ‘See?’ she mouthed. Elizabeth needed Chris to see that they weren’t lying to him. When Ethan told him to stay, he meant it.
“I love you, Cowboy. I’m going to call Callen.”
Ethan laughed. “He’s going to say the same thing. You know that.”
She did, but Chris didn’t.
He needed the proof.
If Cyra were still alive, she’d head there to kick the woman’s ass. Chris was hypersensitive about his money, and he was accustomed to being used.
“Be safe, baby. If you need me, you call.”
She disconnected the call.
“Elizabeth.”
“Do you really need me to call Callen?” she asked. “Do you need to hear him say the same thing?” she asked. “Why can’t you just accept that we’ve adopted you as ours?”
“I do need to hear it. I’m sorry, but after being blindsided by the woman I married, I feel like I’m lost.”
She hit the navigational system, and it dialed Callen’s private cell.
“Who did you kill?” he asked when he answered the phone.
“Uh, everyone, and I’m covered in blood. Want to dance naked around the carcasses with me?”
He snorted. “No, you’re a sick ticket, Lyzee. What do you need, angel? The team doesn’t have the morgue ready yet, and I know you coul
dn’t have conned that ME out of the bodies that fast. Seriously. Are they dead?”
She snorted. “No, but I need to talk to you about something.”
“Shoot.”
“Chris is handling the bodies, and he’s upset.”
“About moving out?” Callen asked.
Elizabeth wasn’t surprised that Callen had an inkling of what was going on. The man was very astute. While Ethan could read a person, Callen definitely picked up some of Timothy Blackhawk’s crazy mad intuition skills.
Here was the proof.
“Yes.”
“So why is he leaving?”
“He’s afraid you two heathens of mine don’t want him there.”
Callen mumbled something and then came back on the phone. “Sorry, your team was getting out of control. About Chris and him leaving…I know I speak for Ethan and myself on this one. Chris isn’t being asked to leave. Actually, I like having him around. When he is, you’re better behaved.”
She laughed. “Well, after that comment, I’ll be sure to up my game, handsome.”
“I can’t wait. As for him leaving, I really wish he wouldn’t. I know people are talking about you and him, but he’s part of us now. He fought to save you, Elizabeth, and we’ll fight to save him.”
Chris’s eyes filled with emotion.
“If you want, I’ll talk to him,” Callen offered. “I know he’s closer to you, but sometimes, it takes a person who’s been betrayed and had their heart handed to them to get it. Desdemona kicked the shit out of my heart, and I know Cyra damaged his.”
She held Chris’s hand. “I think he knows that he can come to you, Callen. Thank you for being so sweet.”
“Does that mean I get some extra pussy later?”
She had to cover Chris’s mouth. She knew him, and he was grinning.
“Yes, yes you do, my sexy Native.”
“Works for me. I have to keep an eye on the team. Tony is trying to provoke Merry with kissy sounds. I think she’s going to disembowel him on the morgue floor. Jesus! This is like babysitting!”
She laughed.
“Oh, I know. Welcome to my world. I love you, Callen James.”
“No bloodshed, Elizabeth. Be safe coming back to the office. I’ll see you later.”
He hung up.
“See?” she offered. “What more do I have to do to prove that you have a home with us? You and Bethe are ours, Christopher. If you have to live with us for the next fifty years, so be it. You’re welcome in OUR home.”
His eyes filled with tears. “I don’t feel like I deserve that second chance. I cost Cyra her life, and she wasn’t happy, Lyzee. I was making her miserable.”
She touched his cheek. “Lily did that, Chris. Stay with us. I love having my brother in our home. It’s amazing to have dinner as a huge family. Charlie would be lost without Bethe. Please stay for me. I’m not ready to let you go either.”
He knew she was being honest.
They’d looked at about twenty homes, and each one wasn’t the right one. They’d both found things wrong with them.
Maybe this was why.
“I don’t want to move out.”
“Then stay for as long as you want, Christopher. You have a home. It’s with us. You heard both of them. Neither knew you were listening, and they were being candid about it. They love you too.”
He was aware.
A little of the stress was lifted off his shoulders.
He wasn’t shocked. Any time he got to spend with Elizabeth had that effect on him. She was his sister, and she gave him peace.
He rested his forehead against hers until he felt he could face what was waiting for them inside the city morgue. “I love you, Elizabeth. I always will.”
She was aware.
She felt the same.
“I have your back, Newton. I swear on everything that’s holy in the world that I won’t let you fall. We’ve got this one, I promise.”
A few minutes passed, and he had calmed down. “Want to go kick around an ME?” she asked. “It’s my all-time favorite thing to do.”
He started laughing. “Uh, I’m your ME, and I’m generally the one you’re booting around the room.”
“Yeah, I know, Newton. Why stop now?”
“I’m ready.”
She smiled. “You’re up. I’ll let you handle this, Doc. I’ve got your back.”
He knew what she was saying, and it wasn’t only about the body pick up. It was about everything in life.
“It would be my pleasure to torture the civilians for you, Elizabeth.”
And it would.
“My freaking hero.”
Some of the weight was off his shoulders. Christopher Leonard didn’t think he could move into a big house without his family.
That boat had sailed.
Like Ethan had said.
He was a Blackhawk now.
And that would save his ass.
Chapter Three
City Morgue
Once inside the building, all eyes were on them.
It wasn’t shocking.
When they strolled in, both of them were dressed like Feds, they were wearing badges on their hips, shiny gold facing out, and she was wearing a gun.
It was like the showdown at the O.K. Corral.
The shit had gotten real, and Elizabeth was over playing games. In order to begin the case, they had to get their hands on the two victims.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
They were the FBI, and among cops, they were considered the enemy. Often, the FBI would roll in, take over, and make everyone’s life hell.
She didn’t expect it to be any different.
In fact, if it was, she’d be shocked, and it took a lot to surprise her.
In the morgue, they found the ME in charge of the two cases. She was just about to cut into a victim, and Chris wasn’t having it.
From the pictures, they recognized Fern Yoder.
“Stop!” Chris ordered.
The woman with the scalpel glanced up. “What the hell are you doing in here?” she asked, pulling off her facemask that was protecting her from any potential biohazards. “Who let you in here?”
They both pulled their badges, and Elizabeth, true to her word, let him handle it.
“I’m Doctor Christopher Leonard, and I’m commandeering your victims.”
She laughed. “Like freaking hell you are.”
Elizabeth was amused.
This was going to be fun. Chris Leonard had met his match—finally.
Chris crossed the room toward the ME. She was tall, beautiful, and reminded him of someone…
Then he looked over at Elizabeth.
Yeah, she was a doctor version of his sister.
“Yeah, well, the FBI is taking over the case with Fern Yoder and Richard Goodwin. We have a van arriving to pick them up. Here are your papers.”
She yanked off her gloves. “That’s bullshit. I just spoke to the two detectives at the crime scene three hours ago. They didn’t mention anything about the FBI taking over.”
Chris didn’t argue. He simply shoved the official transfer papers toward her as he inspected the victim’s body.
She read them and it was followed by a very colorful string of profanity.
“Jesus. I hate the FBI.”
Elizabeth laughed, and then covered it with a cough. This was like watching herself but on the other side. Fate was funny as hell, and here was the proof.
“Do you think this is amusing?” Doctor Vanessa Brass asked, glaring at Elizabeth.
“Yes, yes, I do.”
“Well, I don’t. I have a responsibility to the dead. They need to be treated with respect. I can’t just pass them around like they don’t matter.”
That was even more amusing.
That was Chris Leonard’s line.
This woman appeared to be half her and half Christopher. This was going to be entertaining.
Chris wasn’t letting up.
“Sor
ry, Doctor. We are taking our victims, and we’ll be autopsying them at the office.”
She sputtered. “This has to be some sick joke!”
“We have official jurisdiction over this case,” Elizabeth stated. “Your detectives came to me.”
“Oh, I know who you are,” she stated. “You’re always on the news, Director Blackhawk.”
It was said with malice.
Honestly, Elizabeth was so accustomed to it that it didn’t faze her one bit. She was used to people being hostile. Those who believed what they heard on the news could kiss her ass.
She was over it.
“What the hell does that mean?” Chris asked, defending his best friend. “I’ll have you know that Director Blackhawk is one of the top investigators in the country. Now pack up MY victims, and stop stalling. WE have work to do.”
She scribbled her signature on the official paperwork and shoved it back at him.
“FINE.”
The woman whistled and two lab assistants showed up. “Get them Richard Goodwin and bag up Fern Yoder. They’re the FBI’s issue now. Doctor ‘Know It All’ is taking them off our hands.”
“Doctor ‘Know It All’ Leonard,” he corrected.
“Yeah, whatever.”
It took everything for Elizabeth not to break out into laughter. Her ME was flustered, the city doctor was worked up, and all she could think was they made a cute couple.
This was a really inappropriate time to play Cupid.
ESPECIALLY with Chris.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, you’re welcome.”
The woman stormed away, and that’s when Elizabeth began laughing.
Chris returned to her side as the victims were loaded up. “What’s funny? She was a pain in the ass!”
“Did she remind you of anyone?” Elizabeth asked.
She did, but Chris wasn’t going there.
“No.”
“It’s like if you and I had a love child. She was us in one person. My piss poor attitude and your irrational attachment to the dead bodies.”
He stared at her and then began laughing. “You’re insane,” he offered, before giving Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek.
“Maybe I am, but that was hot to watch. I think I need a cold shower,” she teased. She was glad he was joking around.
Act of Blood (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 16) Page 8
