Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) (38 page)

It was fun to watch.

The whole thing was amusing. The way Ethan Blackhawk looked rattled, his precious wife covering for him.

It was sickening, and it was due.

It had been a while since they’d had someone haunting their every step. While they believed they were perfect, above the law, and could do no wrong, the truth had to be told.

The world needed to see them for what they were.

They broke the law.

They bent it on whim.

It wasn’t fair, and all of them had to pay. Gabriel Rothschild protected them.

Ethan Blackhawk lied for them.

Elizabeth LaRue Blackhawk was a bitch who deserved to bleed.

They thought they were above justice, but no one really was. Their secrets weren’t hidden all that well.

Before it was over, they’d pay.

Now, it was time to switch it up. This location was getting boring.

It was time to move.

Next stop, they were going to have some real fun and mess with their heads.

No one was immune from payback.

No one.

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

The scene was a bitch to maintain. Ethan stood there, ignoring the media as they shouted question after question at him. He just wanted to get this over with so he could get out of the spotlight.

No, that wouldn’t be enough. What he wanted was to go home and see his kids.

As he stood there, the wheels began turning.

His kids.

Ethan wanted to be sick.

Pulling out his phone, he called the office. When their secretary answered, he laid the groundwork for protecting his family. If Kay was tagged for being his surrogate mother, that meant his real blood was in danger.

He couldn’t sit idly by.

“Ginny, I need you to do something for me.”

“Sure thing, Mr. B. What do you need?”

“Are Agents Madden and Seaton available or are they out in the field?”

She scanned her roster of agents back from fieldwork. She saw their name at the bottom of the list. “They came in last night. They’re off duty today and due in tomorrow for reassignment.”

“Put them on the clock. I need them to do something for me. I’ll make the call.”

“Okay, boss. Are you okay? You don’t sound well.”

He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “It’s a tough case. How is everything going there?”

“I filled out that paperwork for Doctor Leonard. I can’t believe he’s leaving.”

“Yeah, about that…hold it in a file. He has vacation time, so let’s use that up first. I’m going to try to work on that when I get back. I think his decision was made in haste.”

He wanted to save his wife’s heart—like she did for him. It was only fair.

“Oh, okay, Mr. B. I can do that.”

“Thank you, Ginny.” He hung up and began dialing Broderick Seaton’s number. All he could hope was that the two agents wouldn’t mind playing babysitter for him.

When Brody answered on the second ring, he sounded like he had been sleeping. Ethan glanced at his watch. It was a little earlier there.

“Agent Seaton?”

“Sir!” he said, coming awake.

“I need a favor.”

Brody elbowed Johanna awake. “Yes, sir?”

“We’re working a case here in DC, and I need help with something that’s popped up.”

Brody began pulling on his jeans as he balanced his phone on his shoulder. “What can we do, sir? We can be on the next transport out.”

“Actually, I’m going to be blunt. The killer we’re chasing has targeted us. We’re losing people we know. I need you and Johanna to head to my house—the new one. I’ll send you the address. My father, our housekeeper, and our kids are there. I want you to bed down with them, and shoot anyone who comes near them.”

Brody got it. “Yes, sir.”

“If you keep them safe, I’m going to ignore that you two got married at Christmas and have yet to tell your bosses and HR.”

There was a swallowing sound.

Blackhawk almost wanted to laugh.

Almost.

“Sir, I can…”

“Zip it, son. If you do this, I’ll forget that I know you’re married, breaking FBI rules, and being sneaky.”

“Yes, sir!”

He paused. “Oh, and son?”

“Yes?”

“Congratulations. We’re happy for you. You picked a good wife. Now, keep my kids and father safe.”

“Yes, sir!”

When Blackhawk hung up, he immediately called his father. The man was up, and there was pandemonium going on in the house.

“Dad?”

“Son! Are you okay?” he asked, worried about all of them. He’d only gotten sporadic texts the last two days, and he was freaked out.

“We have a huge problem. Someone is targeting us. I need you to keep the kids safe. I have two agents coming there. Ask for their badges at the door before you let them in.” He gave him their names. “
Only
then let them in. They’re to stay with you the entire time we’re away.”

“Is Elizabeth safe? Callen?”

“Yeah, Dad, I’m here with them, as are Gabe and Livy. When Agents Seaton and Madden get there, I want them to be the only people who answer the door. Don’t go anywhere without one of them, and under no circumstance are you to believe I’ve sent someone to pick you up. If you don’t hear from me, or one of them, don’t buy it. In fact, shoot them.”

“Okay, son. Please be safe. I want to meet my next grandson.”

“Dad, I want you to be alive to do that. I’m dead serious. This killer is like one we’ve never seen. I can’t profile him, and we don’t have a clue. It’s personal, and that means our family is in danger.”

He understood. “I love you, son. Kiss Elizabeth and Callen for me, and tell them we’re safe.”

“I will, Dad.”

Ethan hung up.

“You okay?” Gabe asked, dropping an arm over his shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m going to be. Is it bad in there?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Ethan took a deep breath. “I want this killer’s head on a silver platter.”

He got that.

So did he.

“Does this have anything to do with
‘The Butcher’
?” Gabe asked. “You’re the profiler. What’s your gut telling you?”

He glanced over at his friend. “I have no damn idea. That’s what has me so screwed up. It’s as if this killer is in my head and knows what buttons to push. He’s two steps ahead of me like he knows how I think.”

“Well, then we need to figure out how to push back until we can get ahead of this.”

Ethan didn't know if that was possible.

This time, they may be shit out of luck.

Elizabeth had blood on her boots and the hem of her jeans. It made her sick, but she pushed through it. The only thing that kept her going was the baby kicking in her stomach.

When she focused on him, the pain abated. She had to figure this all out, so she could move on with her life. She wanted to see her children in the worst way.

“So, what do we have, Doctor?” she asked Zane Legend as he leaned over the dead woman’s body.

God!

She wished Chris was still working. While she knew Zane was good, she didn't have the connection with him. She could really use a hug from her best friend.

Chris always knew what to say.

“We have blunt force trauma to the skull. I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but because of her advanced age, it likely killed her instantaneously.”

There was a small miracle.

“I looked at the other case files before coming to this scene, and I will also add that this woman wasn’t cut apart like the others. She was hacked apart in anger.”

Elizabeth stared down at Kay’s elderly body. It had been a bad way to go, even if she had died fast.

She deserved better.

Now Elizabeth felt guilty that she didn't take the time to visit the woman more often. She’d come back to DC often enough. She’d just been so busy…

“Director?” Zane said, getting her attention.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. What else?”

“Merry pulled trace. We found some fibers and hairs.”

Elizabeth wasn’t surprised. If Kay had been carried across the street and placed here, there would be a transfer of fibers. Plus, that would explain the blood. There were droplets there, and a pool here. She was struck in her home, but the slashing happened once inside Elizabeth’s old home.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“I found this crammed into her heart. When the killer hacked her apart, this was likely shoved in there for us.”

He held the medallion in his gloved hand.

Yeah, she wasn’t shocked in the least. Only, now, she didn't buy that this had anything to do with
‘The Butcher’
anymore. It was too…set up.

“Bag her, and I’ll revisit most of this in autopsy.” Elizabeth looked around the room. “Merry!” she called.

“Yes, boss?” she asked, peeking around the corner.

“I want this place pulled apart. If you have to, take out the damn walls. I want nothing missed. The only thing that stands between me and the next victim is you finding evidence.”

She got it.

“I’ll pull everything, boss. You can count on me.”

She headed out.

Her team was doing their thing, and now she had to do hers. There had to be something they were missing. While her gut told her she was on the wrong track, she couldn’t stop the investigation and change it up.

She had interviews to conduct.

“What’s next?” Livy asked, keeping her eye on the surrounding areas.

“Callen,” she called, motioning him toward her. When he arrived, he too looked worked up.

“How’s Ethan?”

“He’s holding up. What do you need?”

“Who else did you come across while you were digging?”

Callen pulled out his phone and scrolled to his notes. “I went back over the case you worked when you were first an agent. You’ve talked to the family of the killer, but I found two more people who had a personal tie to this case.”

“Who?” she asked.

“There are two more family members who lost loved ones. I found Hunter Kelly and William O’Malley still in the area.”

Livy thought back to it. “Who is Hunter?” she asked.

“Missy Kelly’s brother,” Callen offered, pulling up the man’s information on his phone.

Elizabeth searched through her memories to recall the two victims. “She was the second one we pulled, right?”

Callen nodded.

“I think I remember her now. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t she the girl who liked to hang out at
‘The Bog’
and pick up men?”

“Yes, that’s her,” Callen confirmed. “It turns out that her brother lives only about nine blocks from the crime scene where his sister was found. He’s the only relative she has.”

“Okay, refresh me on William O’Malley.”

“He would be the first victim’s father. He lives in DC. Everyone else, who is tied to that case, is out of the area. I even ran flights in and out of the airports to make sure we didn't have any nasty surprises, but nothing popped.”

“Okay, we’re heading out to the interviews while Zane is working on the autopsy. I need you and Gabe to head back to the office to hold down that fort. Before you say anything, I’m going to take Ethan with me to keep him as far from that autopsy as possible.”

Callen got it.

“Want me to play it up like you shouldn’t be out in the field alone?”

“Hey!” Livy objected. “I’m standing right here.”

“I think we’ll be fine, Callen. He’s on the edge. I can see it on his face. The last place he needs to be is wherever Kay’s remains are.”

Callen gave her a kiss, despite the cameras watching them. He didn't give a shit. They were all over the news anyway. “Thank you for taking care of my big brother. I don’t want him there either.”

Livy grinned. “I didn't get a kiss. Where the hell is mine? It’s like only giving candy to half the class.”

Callen snorted, and then gave her one on the cheek. “I’m an equal opportunity kisser when it comes to pretty girls.”

“You’re going to be riding a couch and jacking off until your son gets married if your lips touch any woman’s face but mine…okay and maybe Livy’s.”

He grinned. “I’m shaking in my boots, angel.”