Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) (12 page)

It was about damn time too.

“I didn't mean…” Livy stated. “I was just so angry, and it caught me off guard.”

Blackhawk ignored her.

They didn't have time for this.

Later, they’d have to clear the air. Now wasn’t the time.

“Gabe, you should get your coat on. We need to work this body and start at the beginning.”

Ethan headed out.

The door didn't slam, but his angry footsteps across the tile were proof of whose side he was on with this one.

Gabe glanced over at his wife. “We did what we thought was right. I was going to kill him myself, and Elizabeth took one for the team so I wouldn’t go to jail. I was going to throw my career away to avenge what he did to you. Do you get how big that is, Livy?”

The tears began falling.

She did.

Gabe continued, “Doctor Leonard was right. If she didn't do this for us, you wouldn’t have this life. I wouldn’t have my job, and fate would have been changed. You have every right to be angry, but be pissed at me. She did it because she loves both of us. She made a huge sacrifice for our family, and we never said thank you. Chris is right. We bailed on her, and that’s over—starting right now.”

He walked away.

Livy sat at the table, wiping her tears. She was a mess, and this had shaken her up. She felt horrible because of what she’d just done. She’d torn her best friend apart in front of a room full of people.

Livy screwed up.

Now, she had to make it right.

Pulling her red hair back into a ponytail, she knew what she had to do. It was a long time coming.

This case needed to be solved, and she needed to man up, stop running, and have her partner’s back.

Unlike before.

Livy Rothschild had a job to do.

It was time she did it.

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

It was all going as planned.

They had found the first body, and it was time to make them pay for everything they had done. Gabriel Rothschild deserved to suffer for his sins just like the rest of them.

Before it was over, they’d all be afraid.

One by one.

It was coming.

They were all going to bleed.

It would all end with the woman who deserved to suffer the most. When Elizabeth Blackhawk was crushed beneath the boot of vengeance, only then would there be happiness.

She had it coming.

She deserved it.

The bitch was evil.

Before the week was out, nothing would be the same. No one would be left standing.

Payback was about to be swiftly delivered.

‘The Butcher’
was just the beginning. While they were running in circles, they’d find out who was mighty, and who was weak.

There would be blood.

Hers and theirs.

And it was a long time coming.

CHAPTER THREE

Outside, they were met with no media, no craziness, and no sound. It was almost surreal and like some horrible dream. Elizabeth couldn’t believe it was happening. As a light snow began falling over the yard and body, she stood there taking it all in.

This used to be a happy place. She recalled the laughter and children running wild here. It was almost six years ago that she had brought Ethan here to meet her family.

Now it was tainted.

Elizabeth only wished that she had been back sooner. The memories were far and few between. It had been way too long since she’d returned home.

While this wasn’t Salem, it was where she began her life. DC and Virginia would always hold a special place in her heart. Here, she found her beginning.

It was ironic that it might also be her end too.

Yeah, she missed the familiarity of this side of the country. Elizabeth was a southerner at heart, but her spirit found its beginning here in the East.

Quantico and the Hoover building were a part of her.

Yet, it felt odd to be back.

Yes, there had been meetings, and all kinds of official work trips back to Georgetown, but this was the first time, since she found Ethan, that she’d stepped foot into Gabe’s yard.

A lot had changed over the years.

She’d changed.

This was only the tip of the iceberg. In her professional life, she was still pushing on, wrangling killers, and fighting for justice, but her personal life was so much more chaotic.

Fort Whitefox-Blackhawk was up for sale.

They had a new home.

One more kid was on the way.

From the outside, Elizabeth guessed her life looked perfect, and for the most part, it was.

But now…there was this edge of tension. This felt like a true race of the clock. With this killing, she knew more was coming. This person, whether the true
‘Butcher’
or not, wanted her attention.

Well, he had it.

She was there, and now she was desperately fighting for her life. There was no way she was going to give up what she’d finally found.

Happiness.

Love.

Family.

No, she was going to dig in, hit the ground running, and take back her future. She’d crossed a line, made a mistake, and took a life, but she now had to prove it was just. Elizabeth hoped she would be able to do just that.

This was going to be all about her coming into her own and growing as an investigator. It was all on her shoulders, and that was fine.

She had to do it.

Elizabeth knew she had to start working this as if her life depended on it—because it did.

Focusing on the scene, she got down to business.

It was time.

Her team and employees, the people she trusted most, were busily at work, trying to find a killer.

Merry was furiously snapping pictures of the deceased man as Chris knelt in the messy grass to begin his breakdown of their victim. The pristine snow was turning to slush under him, and in that moment, her heart skipped.

It was coming full circle.

Elizabeth could vividly recall another time and another set of victims. They’d done this all before, but now…it was personal. It was hard not to dwell on that.

Someone wanted her to be there.

Someone had put this into motion.

That person was her focus.

“Someone worked him over,” stated Merry, getting more snapshots of his destroyed body. “This is pretty disgusting, and that’s saying a lot,” she admitted.

Chris understood her disgust. He felt it too. “You should have been here fifteen years ago for the originals. Trust me…they were far worse.”

Elizabeth listened to them talking. Were they really worse? Or was it all a matter of perspective? Had time jaded and changed them? Was she now desensitized to this kind of thing?

“Here comes the boss lady,” Merry said, giving Chris a heads up.

When he glanced over his shoulder, their eyes met.

So much was conveyed in that simple look.

“I’m going to do the visual and not hold back,” he said, knowing Elizabeth was working against the clock on this one. “It is most definitely Director William Donnelly, and the person who put him here made him suffer.”

“Thank you, Christopher,” Elizabeth said.

“The person who did this left his face intact,” Merry stated. “I wonder if it was on purpose.”

They knew that ‘The Butcher’ did the same with his original victims. Donnelly looked like he was at peace.

It was disturbing.

“Does this match the case from years ago?” Merry asked as she snapped more pictures.

In her mind, she pulled up the first victims. They were pretty damn close. All the flesh was removed from the bones, and he was spread out.

Only, something wasn’t the same.

It was there, she only had to pick it out.

“Chris,” she began, dropping to her knees beside him for the same vantage point.

“Yeah?”

“We need to have a serious talk. One, you shouldn’t play fast and loose with your job. Telling off Gabe’s wife is dangerous for so many reasons. He could send you to Mongolia. Second, I love you for what you did. Thank you.”

He smiled at his best friend. “Here I thought you were going to bug the shit out of me for details.”

She snorted. “Who? Me? That doesn’t sound like me at all.”

He waited for it.

Then she began.

“TOD?” she asked, without skipping a beat.

He played along. Chris knew what was at risk.

They all were.

They’d all willingly crossed a line and created this mess. Now they had to find a resolution.

“He died about five this morning. I can also tell you, since time is of the essence, that he didn't die here. This body was staged in this location.”

Ethan and Callen stood over the body.

“What do you mean, Doctor?” Ethan asked as Callen typed notes into his phone.

“There’s no blood left in his body. If you look here,” he said, pointing toward the man’s thigh, “his femoral artery is cut. He bled out.”

“And that’s new?” Callen asked, venturing a guess.

“Yeah,
‘The Butcher’
never did that before,” Chris admitted.

That was a good and bad thing, and they all knew it. The bad part was that they now had a wild card they couldn’t predict, but the good aspect was that this wasn’t likely the same man.

Serial killers didn't switch it up all that much. When they perfected a methodology, they stuck with it.

Someone as prolific as
‘The Butcher’
wasn’t going to stray from what he did well. That meant that they might be off the hook on this one.

Fingers were definitely crossed.

“What else can you tell us, Doc?” Ethan asked. Already, he was building a profile in his mind for his wife. He was going to make sure she started this case with everything he could give her.

“The killer was sloppy. He also didn't know one thing,” he offered.

“What?” they all said together.

“He jacked up the placement of the medallion. I found this one lying on his ribcage. Since I autopsied the last three victims, I personally know where he placed it.”

Elizabeth stared down at the clover on the medallion. She knew that
‘The Butcher’
liked to mark his rape with the coin.

Chris glanced over at Elizabeth. “Someone didn't have all the pertinent details, Lyzee. That and the fact he chose a man for his victim speaks volumes.”

Yeah, it was odd.

Chris lowered his voice. “When Seamus O’Brien died, the medallion was found beside him in the blood. That was all over the news. To this day, only those of us who worked this case know where he originally placed them.”

“What about the ME who did the autopsies in Boston?” Ethan asked.

Chris stood. “He died a few years ago. I believe it was a car accident. When I first worked this case, Gabriel Rothschild clearly stated that the ME was the
ONLY
one who knew about this. Then I knew, and no one else. I never put it in the reports. I simply wrote
‘placed on/near the remains’
,” he stated.

Elizabeth let out the breath she seemed to have been holding forever.

This was good news.

She grinned. “Well, then, we start working this like we have a copycat. Still, we rerun anything we can on Seamus. We have some DNA in the files.”

Ethan sent Merry away from them to take perimeter pictures. When she was out of earshot, he nodded to Elizabeth. He knew his wife.

He knew what she needed next.

“Chris, I need you to have Merry check the DNA you found on the bullet against the semen in all the rapes. I want to make sure he was the original rapist.”

They all knew she needed that reassurance.

This was about proving that she took the correct man’s life and not some innocent person’s.

“I’ll run it personally. While Merry is processing the information, I’ll do it. You’ll have the information right after autopsy. It won’t take long.”

“Thank you, Chris.”

Callen watched as Elizabeth stood and began pacing. “What are you thinking about?”

“That someone went through a lot of work to get me to come here. This feels like some sick game to me. This was my first major case, and it was the only black mark on my record.”

As far as the world or her fellow Feds knew,
‘The Butcher’
had gotten away.

Gabe crossed the yard to stand over his ex-boss. “In all likelihood, you probably pissed someone off. That is your normal calling card.”

Both Callen and Ethan began laughing.

That was an understatement if they’d ever heard one.

“Yeah, that’s a damn long list, Gabriel, and you know it. I’ve made just about everyone angry with me over the last fifteen years. Hell! I’ve insulted cops, clergy, killers, and even a few old ladies along the way.”

He was well aware, and yet, Gabe was no fool. This wasn’t only about her. This was going to be about all of them. He could feel it in his gut.

As he was about to say something, he heard the crunch of boots on the snow behind him.

They had company.

When they all turned, no one spoke.

It was Livy.

Gabe hoped this wouldn’t be the start of the next round between the two women he loved. They were all on edge as it was, and they didn't need anyone losing it.

Everyone glanced over at Livy. She was wearing a long leather coat that flapped in the breeze. Under it, no one could miss that she was wearing a sidearm and FBI holster.

Everyone glanced over at the Director, waiting for him to make some comment.

Gabe opened his mouth to protest, but his wife cut him off. “I’m back on duty and returning from retirement.”

His mouth dropped open in shock and horror.

“What?” he finally said.

Elizabeth stared at her. “Livy.”

She faced her ex-partner. “No, Elizabeth. We’re going to finish this here and now. I bailed on you last time and that wasn’t right. Everything that Doctor Leonard said was correct. I didn't finish the job, and for that I’m sorry.”

Elizabeth didn't know what to think.

“I guess what I’m saying is that I want in. Gabe, give me temporary agent status. I want my badge back.”

He laughed as if he’d just been told the world’s funniest joke. “Hell no! There is no way I’m doing that. People may say I’m crazy, but I’m not that far gone.”

She faced him, and the look on her face was sheer determination. “Yes, you will be doing exactly that.”

He crossed his arms over his chest as the wind and snow whipped around them.

Everyone stared back and forth, knowing a battle was brewing.

“Why will I be doing that?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you why. It’s because over the last fifteen years of marriage, I’ve not asked for one thing. You told me to retire, I did. You laid down the law, and I listened. Now this mess is in our back yard—
literally
—and I ran from it once. I’m not dumping this on Elizabeth again. She carried it alone, and for that we were very wrong.”

He stared at his wife. “You haven’t fired a gun in fifteen years, Livy. You don’t know how dangerous being in the field is, especially when you’ve been out of the loop.”

“Actually, I do know how dangerous it is, and I also know how to fire a gun. When you think I’ve just been sitting here looking pretty, I’ve actually been to the firing range on a regular basis. We have guns in the house, and I may have to use one to protect my family.”