Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) (53 page)

Together, the three rode out the bliss.

When Elizabeth could finally speak, she pulled away from the kiss.

“You two are dangerous.”

They both laughed.

Little did she know, they had no power, but Elizabeth Blackhawk absolutely did.

They were putty in her hands.

They were hers to use.

Ethan and Callen wanted nothing more than to belong to this woman for the rest of their lives—
which was why the shooter had to be stopped.

No one could hurt their woman.

They wouldn’t let it happen.

                     *     *     *

Morgue

When Tony arrived there, they were all at dinner.

Normally, he didn't mind the silence of the morgue. You just got used to being around death, so that at one point, it stopped bothering you.

Until now.

At that moment, he was feeling the lack of human companionship. Maybe it was because he knew what was waiting for him.

Now, he needed to face his mother.

Heading to the drawer that had been previously secured, he found it unlocked. The team must have figured why bother. He already knew the horrible secret it held.

Inside was his mother.

Tony had to swallow the sickness, which was building up, and be a man—
much like he had his entire childhood.

When his hand went to the handle, he noticed that a name had been taped to the door. The team was already giving her back her identity.

                       Tawny Rae Magnus

It both awed and damaged him at the same time. Here was the woman he believed to be a sinner, not a saint.

Life had a way of giving you wicked twists and turns to knock you off your feet. This had been one more in his long life of shocks and struggles. They began the day he woke to find she never came home. It was followed by his journey into the system, and then it would end with that moment.

This was the final chapter in his story.

Well, this story.

Hopefully, there would be more to come, just not as rocky.

Pulling the drawer open, he saw the pale sheet resting over her body. Beneath he knew what waited for him. This was something he’d done a million times, and it had never affected him like this. For this one time, it wouldn’t be another faceless victim staring back at him, but it would be his flesh and blood.

Okay, maybe just the bones, but that was just as hard to swallow.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the sheet back.

There laid the bones, and a reconstructed skull with his mother’s face.

Jaxon had been right.

She was beautiful.

Even kissed by death, she was still touched by brilliancy and life. Even in the cold hard clutches of something so horrible, she was still lovely.

She was his.

Now, he needed to begin the process of saying goodbye.

Gently, with shaking fingers, he lifted her skull. It was no longer attached to her body, time and the elements devouring all the membranes that once held her together.

For now, she was in pieces, just like the boy who lost her.

Inside, he had never felt so much sorrow.

He’d seen a lot, but this was so deeply profound that he never believed anything would touch him quite like this.

This was the end.

Turning her head in his hands, he was grateful that Jaxon was the one who gave his mother back her dignity. She had done a wonderful job. Considering she was working on someone who she didn't know, Jaxon nailed it.

There was the dent in her chin.

His fingers went to his own.

There was the fake hair she’d lovingly placed to give the woman dignity.

His fingers ran through his own.

Here was the person he was born from, and now she was nothing more than remains.

His heart quivered.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I wish you were still alive. I would give anything to have you here with me. I want you to know that everything I said, that I shouted to the universe, and put out there…I didn't mean it.”

He used his sleeve to wipe his eyes.

“I suspected you were dead. All those years, I survived on the one hope that you didn't leave me. That was all I had to go on. I knew that you wouldn’t toss me away.”

Tony pulled a chair up and sat there beside her remains. One hand cradled the skull, the other rested on her bones. He wanted that one moment to just touch her and feel that connection of family and love.

“I am so sorry that he hurt you. I know that you had to suffer terribly. I can look at your bones and know that you were abused. I wish I was there to defend you. I would have fought him day and night to save you. I would have given you a better life.”

He couldn’t breathe. His heart was so filled with pain over what she suffered.

“I love you, Mom. I hope that wherever you are, you’re watching me and seeing how far I've come. It’s been a fight, but that’s life. You fought hard those twelve years all alone as you tried to raise me. Now, I’ll fight until we find who buried you.”

Chris stood in the doorway. His heart ached for the man he called brother and friend. No one should have to mourn the loss of their parent this way.

No one.

He let Tony continue, watching over him like family would.

“Elizabeth is going to find him. She promised me, and that means he’s in some serious shit. She’ll hunt him down to the ends of the earth. You have nothing to worry about now, Mom. You’ll have justice.”

Tony touched her clay cheek.

“I’m getting married, Mom. I found a great woman. She found you for me and gave you back your face. I wish you could be here for the wedding.”

He broke, his voice filling with pain.

“I wish you could just be here.”

Chris took that as his moment to move into the room. Going to his friend, he placed his hand on his shoulder. “She is here, Tony. I think you know that.”

He looked up, so much misery and pain in his eyes. “Chris, I don’t know how to do this. I’m a scientist. I don’t know how to believe past this hopeless pain.”

Chris took the skull from his hands and placed it on the table. Closing the drawer, he faced his friend. “How you’ll survive this, is by knowing you’re not alone. We have you, Tony. Like you told your mom, Elizabeth will find the killer. We’ll end his reign of terror once and for all.”

He stood.

Chris didn't hesitate. He pulled him into his arms. Here was his friend and brother. Here was someone he loved and would do anything for. “We have your back.”

He held on, so lost in the pain. “Thank you.”

Chris let him weep. Getting it out would be the best thing for him. Unloading that terrible pain from his chest would be the thing that would set him free.

He’d carry it for him.

Jaxon stood in the doorway, tears filling her eyes. As hard as she might try, she couldn’t hold them back. Here was the man she loved, and he was crushed under the weight.

She wanted to run to him, wrap him in her arms, and promise him anything he needed.

Jaxon would take the pain for him.

When Chris looked over, he saw her there. Subtly, he motioned toward her. Tony would need her too.

It was going to be a difficult case and weeks to follow.

Jaxon didn't hesitate. She moved toward the men, wrapping her arms around their bodies. Now she would help him heal.

Her husband-to-be needed this.

Tony glanced down to see her tear streaked face. It offered him peace to know she understood. Jaxon knew this kind of pain. She wouldn’t run from him in a moment of weakness, she would stay. It was one less thing he would have to worry about. At that moment in time, he had a little stress off his shoulders.

“I love you, Tony. I’ll help get you through this. We’ll find who did this. They will pay.”

He leaned against the people he loved.

Tony knew he was lucky. The ones who stood behind him on this would also stand up for him.

This battle would end at one point, and he trusted the people around him to make sure they won.

He had faith.

“I love you both.”

They let him mourn and neither stopped him.

When it came down to it, Tony Magnus wasn’t weak. He was a warrior coming to the end of his epic fight.

Next came peace.

He’d earned it.

                                   *    *    *

Monday Morning

When he crawled out of bed, he didn't realize it was going to be this shitty of a day. Unfortunately for him, everything appeared to be heading south.

Before Sheriff Douglas Carlton could even have his first cup of coffee and cigarette, his phone was ringing. Anytime that happened before seven in the morning, it didn't bode well.

Sadly, he’d been right.

They had another missing woman.

Shit!

His town was falling apart.

Heading to the place of business for the next potential victim, he was forced to think about the case.

He’d done his research and there were no pedophiles who had children also on the registry.

It was a dead end.

All he could hope for now was that the FBI bitch wasn’t yanking his chain. If this was a way to keep him running in circles, he was going to be pretty pissed off.

No one liked being jacked around, and he had more than one reason to hate the FBI.

They killed his dad.

He’d been a great man, trying to do the best he could in that backwoods hellhole.

Douglas never knew his mother. She was gone long before he could walk. What he did know about her was that she never contacted him after his dad died.

Which sucked.

Not that he would have welcomed her with open arms. Who would? She left and that was her cross to bear. For now, he was entitled to his anger.

Hopping out of his truck, he headed toward the business.
‘Momma’s Pizza’
was the best place to get a pie in town. He knew, because as a bachelor, he ate a great deal of pizza.

Inside, he met up with his deputy. “Davvy, what the hell is going on?”

The man briefed him. “We got a call about the vehicle in the parking lot,” he stated. “One of the employees was coming in to make the dough and saw it.”

“Maybe she caught a ride home.”

“They insist she wouldn’t. They were adamant about that little fact. So much so, that we headed over to her place. No one’s there and there’s a cat inside who is crying up a storm. Someone didn't get fed.”

He considered it. “Okay, so you allowed them to file a missing person report?”

He nodded. “They insisted. I assumed that’s what you’d want, since we have women going missing in town.”

“Good work, son. Way to handle it while I wasn’t here.”

Davvy smiled. “Thanks, boss.”

“Who do we have missing?”

The deputy was ready for this. He had some information in his notebook. “Bonnie Anston is her name. She’s young. I pulled her driver’s license photo.”

He handed it to the man.

“Yeah, I know her. She’s always working at night. I get dinner here all the time.”

“Well, the owner is worried. He thinks something bad happened to her.”

“Does he now?”

Davvy nodded. “He’s been watching the news coverage. Everyone in town is freaked out. If someone goes missing for a few minutes, they’re calling it in.”

He studied her picture. Now, Douglas Carlton had another issue. Did he try to fuck the FBI over, or play nice? “I’ll talk to them.”

“Can I watch, sir? I’ve never seen an interrogation before.”

He nearly wanted to laugh. This boy was overeager, as green as grass, and trying way too hard. What was next? Was he going to ask to spit shine his boots?

“Sure, son. Come on.”

They headed over to the owner and employees who were congregating there.

“You call this in?” he asked.