Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (14 page)

Callen grinned. “You should. You took it.”

Ethan pulled his wallet out and took out the picture in there. It was one he had taken and hid away for his pleasure.

“How did you…?”

“I broke into your tablet remotely, downloaded the picture, and used it.”

“Why?” Elizabeth asked. “You had to have a picture you liked.”

“I did it because it’s Ethan’s favorite one. When we’re in bed, naked, and making love, he’s going to see it. I want it to bring him joy too. It’s not just about me. For the last three months, he’s been taking one for the team so I can heal and have another child. That’s love. Well, so is this.”

He wasn’t kidding.

Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears.

What they had was amazing.

“Thank you, Callen,” Ethan said, leaning over her to hug his brother. “You’re the other half of my heart.”

He grinned. “Same here, bro.”

Ethan set him free. “Are you two done celebrating? Is there room for one more?” he asked, nodding toward the clothing all over the place.

“Yes, we absolutely are. I’m starving. The man with the food has my attention next.”

“Yee haw!”

Callen laughed. “That’s fine. Throw me over for a tossed salad. I see how you are.”

She snickered. “You’ll live, my love.”

“Actually, I’m fine. You’d be amazed how less stressful sex is when you’re not trying to knock your babe up.”

She stared at him as she chewed her salad. “Would you like for me to knock you upside the head with that size fifteen boot of yours?”

He grinned. “No, ma’am.”

Ethan laughed. “Congratulations, Callen. You’re adding a child to our tribe.”

He beamed. “I am so excited for us. Five kids, and all under five. That has to be a record. I know you wanted to give Gabe a run for his money, but even he didn't have five children a year apart.”

She shook her head. “Yeah, someone should be in the record books for being insane. Do you realize how big of a bitch college is going to be? We’ll all be selling organs. There are going to be kids in college for at least ten years straight.”

The men laughed, knowing it was already taken care of. They put money away every month for them. What was one more?

“I was alone as a child until I found Ethan,” Callen stated. “If I didn't have him as a brother, I never would have made it. Our kids have that security net. That’s a good thing. Maybe we’ll get twins.”

She punched him again. “Bite your tongue, Callen Whitefox.”

He laughed.

Ethan was proud. He didn't hear any emotion in his brother’s voice, and he was calmly eating his pizza. It looked like Callen had worked through his demons.

“I hate to be the party pooper in the room, but we need to discuss something,” Ethan stated.

They both looked at him. “What?” they said at the same time.

“I’m concerned.”

Elizabeth sighed. As she opened her mouth to protest any incoming testosterone laden insanity, he cut her off.

“I’m talking about the killer. You’re off the hook. When you’re hormonal, you’re dangerous.”

Callen laughed as he ate his salad. “Amen.”

She stared at him. “Okay, spill it.”

“You said at the scene that they aren’t exactly smart, but I think if we go into this thinking they’re not intelligent, it’s underestimating them. They’ve killed a lot of people. They’re smart, cunning, and tricky. We need to be on guard.”

Callen popped the cap off his beer and drained it. While he’d keep his mouth shut about being worried, he wasn’t going to pretend it didn't exist.

He had more to lose.

His child was wearing a bull’s-eye now too.

“They strung up those parts, and I don’t think it’s just for shits and giggles,” Ethan admitted. “They didn't do it to scare people.”

“Then why?” Elizabeth asked, needing her profiler to give them a direction. In the morning, they were going to hit the ground running.

“He’s airing the dirty laundry. Those appendages were strung up for everyone to see—particularly you.”

She stared at him.

“They are acting as a judge. Bonnie and Clyde are watchers, and we both know what that means.”

“Yeah, they’re dangerous.”

Callen and Ethan both reached for a second beer. It was going to be that kind of case.

They had a killer with a cause.

Now they needed to figure out what the hell their mission was…

And fast.

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

To say he was curious would be an understatement. He’d watched them at the scene, and the three directors were up to something.

As a reporter, it was his job to make sure the public wasn’t getting the wool pulled over their eyes. Seth Denton had made reporting his life, and he’d watched these three.

Something was off.

It started a few months ago when he’d seen them on the national news. Director Whitefox kissed his sister-in-law on the forehead.

Now, normally, he wouldn’t think twice, but there were already speculations flying about the writing community that they were more than just family.

They were supposedly lovers.

Mates.

A couple.

He was curious and needed to know.

Was Elizabeth Blackhawk cozied up to two men? If so, he’d find out.

Yes, he was probably crossing a line with this, but if they were hiding this secret, what else were they keeping from the public?

It could be huge!

So, as he watched the lights go off in the one bedroom cabin on the reservation, he had to dig deeper. Three people and one bedroom meant one thing in his book. Add that to the little shower they had at the crime scene.

Yeah, some public official was getting her kink on.

It was time to blow this one wide open.

Chapter Four

Wednesday Morning

Waking beside the love of his life was a pretty amazing thing. Broderick Seaton couldn’t imagine a day without Johanna Madden. Just the way she rested beside him, one leg slung over his, made his heart sing with joy.

Oh, and it stirred something deep within him.

Brody couldn’t give this up. Being with her was an addiction he couldn’t quite overcome.

As she woke, almost instinctually, Johanna moved into his embrace. Her mouth sought out his, and the good morning kiss was unforgettable.

When she pulled away, she was grinning, and he was trying to catch his breath.

He’d lucked out in getting her back, and he knew it. There was a time when he’d thought his life was over. Losing Joey was crushing.

Now they were partners and in bed together.

This was bliss.

As he pulled her back into his body, they proceeded to make out. Her hands wandered below the sheet, and Brody couldn’t think. All he wanted was to feel her wrapped around him like some silken glove.

As he pictured burying himself in the warmth of her body, his phone began ringing.

Of course it did.

That was his luck. He was about to get into his partner’s panties, and someone was interrupting.

Patting along the nightstand with his hand, he tried to locate the phone as Johanna refused to relent with her kiss. Her mouth was tying his body into knots—ones, which wouldn’t come undone.

If he could die like this, he wouldn’t mind.

What a way to go!

As soon as he found the phone, he put it to his ear. Joey allowed him to take a breath to answer.

“Agent Seaton,” he mumbled, right before she dove back into the kiss. If they weren’t on duty, he would have thrown the damn phone against the wall.

“Son?” came the reply.

Shit!

Really?

His father? Did the man realize that he had a new relationship going on, and every waking moment was his chance to get lucky? This wasn’t the first time Levi called when he was trying to get his Joey naked.

If he didn't know better, his father was trying to make his life hell.

“Dad, I’m a little busy,” he stated, only after he pulled his mouth from Johanna’s.

Then her hand found his erection beneath the covers.

Brody shook.

“This better be damn good, Dad. I’m in the middle of something really important.”

The older Seaton laughed. There was no doubt what the man was doing. He could hear his heavy breathing. There was no way his son was climbing a mountain at that time of the day.

“I need to see you. Where are you?”

Brody was trying to keep his focus, but Joey was kissing down his torso. She was heading south, and that meant he was heading to an orgasm.

“I’m working a case in South Dakota, why?”

At that moment, Joey found his dick with her mouth, and he was forced to bite his lip so he didn't moan.

Jesus!

She was bold.

“We have to talk. I’ve done something.”

Brody didn't really care. He was not fixing his father’s messes. There was no way in hell. While Joey had talked him into trying to mend the fence, it didn't mean he was going to babysit a grown man.

He had his own priorities in life, and at that very moment, she was about to go down on him.

“I have to go, Dad. Joey needs me. She has an itch that only I can scratch.”

There was laughter from beneath the blanket. She obviously found his discomfort amusing.

As soon as he hung up the phone, she came up for air. “What did your father want?”

He blinked, trying to focus. His brain was all fuzzy, and his erection was throbbing.

“To talk.”

“We could meet him. They really aren’t that far away,” she offered.

He didn't care if the man was in the very next room. At this point, he had one thing on his mind, and she was perched across his hips.

“Brody?”

“Huh?”

It made her laugh.

Brody was focused on her breasts. When her hand stroked his wet dick, almost invitingly, he had to move fast. They had to get to the office soon.

“Joey?” he said, as she chewed on her lower lip.

“Yes, Brody?”

“I love you.”

With that, he pounced, covering her body with his. While she giggled, he could only think of one thing.

He was going to marry this girl if it was the last thing he ever did.

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

Airport

Tarmac

Their plane finally touched down.

For Dakota, it seemed to take forever. He was incredibly excited, not only to be hunting the fugitives, but also for his little impromptu relationship reunion. To him, this was years in the making. A little piece of him always hoped they’d cross paths again, and now it looked like it was going to happen.

Years ago, when they parted ways, he was angry. The night he proposed, and Elizabeth stared him right in the eyes and said no, his heart broke. That hurt never went away. Over the years, it festered within him.

He’d been in love.

She hadn’t been.

It was as simple as that.

Dakota let most of that go. He had to or it would have consumed him alive. Now he was simply curious. He wanted to know if the woman he’d been madly in love with then was the same now.

Curiosity got the better of him.

He couldn’t help himself.

The woman he remembered at the beginning of their careers was a spitfire Fed. When he was introduced to her, she was the allure. Elizabeth was so focused on her job that he found it sexy.

Elizabeth LaRue was a cop to her core.

He appreciated that in a woman. He didn't fall for fluff headed women who liked to get their nails done as someone rubbed their feet.

No, he wanted an intelligent woman who went hardcore on her job. That impressed him.

Cops enticed him.

Dak couldn’t help himself.

Now, he was pleased to find out that she was hunting the same people he was. Justice always came first, and now that time had passed, he forgave her for breaking his heart.

She was right.

He wasn’t ready to get married either. Instead, he’d gotten caught up in the moment. Now he was far more suited to settle down.

When he saw her, he was going to greet her like he always did.

He couldn’t wait.

“Yo,” stated his partner, Delaney Moore. “Are you in there?” she asked, as the plane came to a stop. “We’re here.”

He glanced out at the snow covered window. “Yeah, I’m ready to go. We’ll head to the sheriff’s department and ask where to find the Feds. I want to go in quiet.”

She understood. The last thing they needed was for the suspects to see them casing the town. If they did, Bonnie and Clyde might bolt.

That would definitely piss off the FBI and ruin their chances of assisting in this collar.

“We’ll plead our case, and if we’re lucky, the FBI will let us play with them.”

“And if they won’t?” she asked curiously.

He started laughing.

Dakota Rakin wasn’t one to back down. If his partner didn't know him by now, then she was clueless.

“We’ll call in the big guns. Our boss will call theirs. I’m sure she can pull some weight with Gabriel Rothschild. They’re on good terms.”

“No one’s on good terms with that man. He eats Feds alive. I once saw him fire someone in front of a room full of people because they screwed up.”

Yeah, he was tough, but it wasn’t their battle. Their boss was going to have to fight that beast. In this case, shit was being shoved uphill.

Delaney grabbed the box beside her. Inside, there was plenty of information that they had gathered. A lot of it was their notes that had not been added online. No investigator shared everything. There was always the chance the case would fall back into their laps.

And Bonnie and Clyde?

Yeah, they wanted them behind bars in the worst way. They weren’t above using any means necessary, and withholding information was their ace in the hole—in case they had to play dirty.

When it came down to it, they had to bring them in. It was a matter of pride and responsibility.

They had to make them pay for all the deaths they’d enjoyed.

Bonnie and Clyde were sick.

Someone had to stop them.

Exiting the jet, he smirked at the sleek FBI one sitting not far away on the tarmac. It was the director’s personal plane. They could tell the difference. Theirs was basic, but the FBI…their bosses rode in style.

It must be nice.

“Are you sure you want to go at them this way?” Delaney asked, getting that feeling in her gut.

“We have no choice. We’re playing hardball.”

“You just want to win.”

Hell yeah, he did. That was the way he played in life and love. He’d lost to Elizabeth LaRue before, but this was a new day, and a new battle plan.

Dakota was going to get the criminals and if he was lucky, he was going to pick up where he left off with Elizabeth LaRue.

This was far from over.

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

Morgue

That morning, they rolled out of bed and headed into the office. In their line of work, that didn't necessarily mean behind a desk. With their jobs, that meant the place where the dead hung out.

They spent more time in the basement of buildings, standing over victims, than in a breakroom sipping coffee.

Honestly, the morgue wasn’t too bad.

If you didn't let it get to you.

Being a Fed, you couldn’t let death bother you. At the beginning of each of their careers, it did, but with time, you became desensitized to it.

You had to, or it would eat you alive each and every day. Being a good Fed meant finding a way to keep sane, and coping mechanisms were the only way to do just that.

Today, Elizabeth knew they were going to have to employ every one of them. They’d skipped breakfast, since no one wanted to eat, and then view dismembered body parts.

They were crazy, but even they had limits.

This was one of them.

As they stood there, the team was getting ready to do what they did best. Tony had stopped for coffee, and he passed them around, making sure they all had a little normalcy in the chaotic morning.

It was nice.

Back at FBI West, this was a morning ritual for them. At the office, they’d have their morning meetings and take a few minutes to brace for what the day was going to bring.

Specifically the morgue staff.

“Are we ready?” Ethan asked, hoping the team had something. The three of them were ready to hit the ground running on this case.

It was time to dig in.

Chris pulled on his latex gloves, and then took one last long sip of his coffee. He’d worked most of the night, only crashing for about three hours. When he was done here, he was going to take another power nap somewhere.

There was very little rest for the wicked.

“Yes, I’m good,” he offered, handing Merry his Styrofoam coffee cup.

“Okay, Doc, what do you have?” Elizabeth asked, hopping up on a spare table like she always did.

“I’d like to preface this conversation by saying one thing. It should set the tempo for this entire briefing.”

They waited for it.

“It can’t be said enough. These killers are sick. In all of my career, I’ve seen a lot of depravity. These two take the award.” He then proceeded to drop copious amounts of colorful descriptive words.

That said it all. Chris Leonard, while spirited, he didn't often drop the F bomb in mixed company. He prided himself on being a gentleman.

“That bad, huh?”

He laughed. “We don’t only have dismemberment, but we have torture. Bonnie and Clyde were not merciful to the people they abducted and murdered.”