Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) (3 page)

“What was in it?” he asked, trying to stay calm. He couldn’t imagine what would have her this freaked out. Livy was generally a trooper when it came to everything. She made his life easy, knowing she could handle all things that were tossed at her.

Hell!

When she called when she was in labor, she was as calm as could be.

But not now.

“Livy…”

“There’s a four leaf clover medallion in our house, and a note.”

His heart thundered.

“What does it say?” he asked, praying for a miracle. This was his worst-case scenario, and honestly….

He never saw it coming.

“It says,
‘You’re mine. I’m back’
,” she said, reading it without touching it further.

He wanted to be sick.

“Gabe, the butcher is back. He’s coming for me.”

That was all he had to hear. Gabriel Rothschild, for only the second time in his life, put family first.

He rushed out of the Whitehouse without looking back.

They had a problem.

A huge one.

CHAPTER ONE

It had been a brutal physical therapy session, but he didn't mind breaking a sweat to get what he wanted in life. It was part of the cost to reach the ultimate prize.

Pain was temporary.

Pride was forever.

There was no way in hell he was going to let any obstacles get in his way. Callen Whitefox was a man on a mission. He wasn’t giving up.

With each brutal therapy session, his right arm was getting stronger. Callen knew that the chances of him making it back out to the field, at the beginning of this journey, was slim to none, but that didn't mean he was going to give up.

He was a fighter.

He was strong.

In the end, if he failed, at least he’d know that he went down swinging with all he had. Callen was doing this for the woman he loved.

This battle was dedicated to his wife.

At first, he wanted to quit. What man wouldn’t? How much more could he take in his life. Then, the pity party stopped.

He had too much to lose by rolling over and whining. There was no way he was going to give up.

His kids didn't need that to be the example he set for them. Callen wanted all his children to know that he would take on any challenge with all he had.

He expected it from them, so why not him too?

Plus, there was no way he wanted to lose his position with the FBI. Solving cases with his partners in life, career, and love mattered too damn much.

It hurt his heart and soul even to think about walking away from it.

So, Callen was fighting.

Literally.

Ethan and Elizabeth both knew that time was running out for him to pass his recertification training, so they were pulling out all the stops when it came to working out his arm. Callen wasn’t just seeing a physical therapist. He was seeing a slew of exercise professionals.

Cardio.

Weights.

Strength training.

The list was endless.

As brutal as the workout regimen was, it didn't upset him in the least. While his big brother kept throwing challenges at him, the woman they shared sat there watching him fight for their future.

She cheered him on.

In fact, she was his biggest fan.

Today, he was in his FBI shorts and t-shirt while he did battle with some boxing brute. The man wasn’t pulling any punches, and somehow, Callen figured that was exactly what his brother wanted. The hits to his body were all to his right side, as if the man had been instructed to make Callen work for it.

Oh, Ethan was tricky.

Callen wouldn’t let it get to him. He was going to kick this man’s ass, and then make out with his girl. Then, since he was just as sadistic as his brother was, he’d call and brag about the sex.

That would teach him.

With the next punch, Callen just barely evaded it. The man pushing his body to the next level was good.

Damn good.

Only, Callen wanted it more. This was about winning and beating the odds. He was going to conquer this one yet.

With the next hit, the pain sung up his arm—not from being hit, but swinging back. With each throw of his arm, it dulled enough to get him motivated to do it again and again.

Oh, his brother was evil.

He got the point.

If Callen couldn’t slack, he’d be ready for what the FBI threw at him when he returned. He was well aware that when he showed up at Quantico, the staff was going to run him hard.

It wasn’t about his injury.

No, it was deeper than that.

Ever since they’d appeared on BNN, the papers, and the rag tabloid shows, they were something of an enigma. He was now in the spotlight too. Before, he was just the brother.

Now…
he was the other man
.

According to the news, Ethan and Elizabeth Blackhawk had a shared lover, and he was under the magnifying glass. Callen heard the whispers when they went back for a meeting the previous month. He’d been fresh out of the hospital, and people were talking.

While his partners in life and the field brushed it off, he couldn’t.

It bothered him.

Not because of him, or their jobs, but because they were staring at Elizabeth as if she was some freak in a sideshow. That part made him want to fight harder. He knew what they were thinking.

She wasn’t easy.

She wasn’t a hussy.

The woman they stared at and whispered about wasn’t a whore, sleeping with two men.

She was their wife.

That anger festered and brewed, and Callen was using it to make sure he was back in the field. There was no way he was going to allow the two people he loved to face that alone. They were in this together—until the end.

Callen wanted his badge and gun back in the worst way, and he was going to get it. If he had to bleed on the FBI training mats at Quantico, so be it.

Hell, he’d open a vein himself.

One way or another, he was getting his shiny gold shield back, and he’d be the one watching their flank.

Like before.

Like it was meant to be.

Callen had faith in himself and the people he loved.

Speaking of which, the woman who owned his heart was teaching him to shoot leftie, and it was going well. While he could be a pussy and take the test with that hand, he wouldn’t.

No, he was going to use his right hand to shoot if it was the last thing he did. Then, all those whispering and making comments would see that you couldn’t keep a Blackhawk down.

Despite understanding everyone’s fascination with their union, he still wanted to take the faces of every single person who talked trash about them and beat them in…
with his good hand
.

This was about payback.

Not only for Bonnie and Clyde, but for all the people who kept talking about his woman like it didn't wound her heart and spirit. Callen wanted them to bleed for that alone.

He’d seen her eyes.

With each shitty comment, it did hurt her. While Elizabeth was badass on the outside, she still had feelings, and everyone seemed to forget that.

Well, Callen was coming back, and he was going to show them all what they were messing with by making offhanded remarks.

They were screwing with the wrong family.

He owed the people he loved.

Callen knew they were taking one for the team.

While Elizabeth had taken the last month off, spending every waking hour with him, Ethan was running the office on his own.

He’d done it.

It wasn’t easy by any means. Ethan was pulling long, hard hours for his family, and he owed them both.

Callen appreciated how much they loved him, and it was equally reciprocated.

They were his heart and soul, and no one could ever replace them. His family mattered more than anything.

After dodging the next swing, and returning one to his trainer’s body, Callen was able to see the woman he loved over the man’s shoulder.

She stole his breath.

Today, Elizabeth was wearing a t-shirt that she’d had made that said,
‘I’m with the big sexy Native’
.

His woman had a wicked sense of humor. She liked to point out the obvious. There was no way anyone could think that they weren’t together. They were connected at the hip more than not, and she was wearing his ring.

They were a matched set.

Still…every time he glanced over at her, the shirt made him laugh. His girl, the mother of his children, was seven months pregnant, giving him another child to add to their tribe. Number five was on the way.

He couldn’t wait to hold his baby.

Yes, Callen already had a son and daughter, but he was even more excited about this little Native. It was going to be their last.

When they opted to have another child, Callen had convinced his woman that it was to get a girl. He wanted a daughter just like her. That was his one secret wish.

Only…fate didn't plan to grant him that boon. Instead, Charlie and Cat were destined to be the only girls in their tribe.

They’d had the ultrasound after finding out they were expecting, and they were surprised.

It wasn’t a girl.

Callen and Elizabeth were having a boy.

At first, he was disappointed. Yes, he wanted a girl who looked like her, acted like his Lyzee, and raised hell, but he came to the realization that it wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, they were opening their hearts to the little boy who was growing in her belly.

His son would be just as loved. In fact, Callen couldn’t wait. After nearly dying, he wasn’t going to question the universe. He had to believe that the son coming into the world was meant to be there for a damn good reason.

So, he was good with it.

His little man was going to be the last piece to their puzzle. From here on out, they had completed their picture.

When he stared at her baby bump, it still stole his breath. His last child was little.

Elizabeth, unless she turned to the side, still didn't look pregnant. Maybe it was because she was working out just as hard as he was, but this baby was fighting nature. He was tucked into his momma as if he never wanted to leave.

Maybe he liked the adventure and the ride. After all, Elizabeth had one hell of an exciting life.

Sometimes, that scared Callen, but other times he was grateful. Elizabeth was a good mom and even better wife. They were blessed to have her.

Hell!

They were blessed to all be alive. No one took the day for granted. In fact, since Bonnie had escaped, they were all looking over their shoulders waiting for the surprise attack.

That woman was one sick bitch, and no one doubted for a single second that she wouldn’t come back for Elizabeth like she had promised.

After all, their luck sucked. There was no way they’d get lucky on this one.

So, while Callen was working out to get back into fighting shape, his pregnant woman was too. She knew keeping her body in top shape was vital. If Bonnie came at her, she needed to survive.

The family that fought together stayed together.

It was their motto.

Today, Elizabeth let him work his arm in boxing, and later he was pretty sure there would be a reward for all his efforts. Callen knew that he wouldn’t be the only one breaking a sweat.

That was motivation enough.

A sexy wife was always worth the hard work out. Besides, he was making progress. That’s what really mattered.

Callen didn't have full range of motion back, and he was just beginning to get feeling in his fingers, but it was better than nothing. At least now, he could raise his arm and get his fingers to do the important things.

Like unhooking a bra.

Feeding their kids.

Buttoning his own pants.

It was the little things that he had missed, and he was just grateful that he could feel his thumb. For a while, he was cheating and using his left hand.

Well, until he had been caught.

There had been hell to pay.

When he had been busted, Elizabeth immediately pulled out her handcuffs, and his mind went there.

Yeah, it had been a big letdown.

It had nothing to do with sex. Instead, she cuffed his left wrist and then proceeded to lock the other bracelet around his belt loop. If he wanted to eat, he needed to use his right hand.

If he had to pee…

Yeah, it was the same deal.

It figured that she’d find a way to make him work for it.

It was hard, but worth it. Like right now, Callen knew she was going to take him home and make his blood boil. He could see it on her face. There was that sexy smirk that meant hot sex was on the horizon.

After the brute finished kicking his ass, there would be a huge reward.

She was it.

As the last round commenced, his girl sat on the bench and cheered. It lightened his heart. This was an amazing thing for him.

Family was his treasure.

As his opponent raised his hand, going right for his nose, Callen had two choices. Take the hit, or block it. Since he really liked his nose, and the rest of his face for that matter, he forced his right arm up to defend himself.

It hurt like a bitch.

It took energy and effort, but he pulled it up to block.

Callen knew it wasn’t over. It was going to be one hell of a final few minutes.

The warning bell rang, and as if timed, the man across from him began pummeling his body with no mercy.

There were shots to his torso.

His arm.

His ribs.

The sadistic bastard even went for his face.