Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four) (44 page)

“What?” T
hey both proclaimed at the same time.

“Trust me. I think I can explain every one of the minimal fractures with one explanation.”

Elizabeth shrugged; anything to solve a crime and get the victim justice. She moved against Callen, and he grinned down at her. Obviously this was going to be fun for him, but then again she didn’t mind being wrapped around either man. The previous night flooded back, and she felt herself getting warm.

Callen
pulled off his gun, handing it to his brother and opened his arms for her.

Elizabeth immediately
jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist, locking them behind him to secure her to his body.

He tried to not think about how the woman he was in love with
was pressed up against him in just the right spot. All the hormones in his body were firing. Damn! Callen wanted her again. After a whole night, he still hadn’t had enough.

Elizabeth could feel him go taut
and winked at both men.

Blackhawk covered a laugh
, feeling sympathy for his brother and yet entertainment at his discomfort. “Lyzee, lean back against the wall,” and she followed his instructions and waited. “Callen, press against her, but shift a little to your right,” he directed. “And now don’t move.”

Both doctors rushed over and examined the position
of their living samples.

“That could work,” said Doctor Leonard. “If he were thrusting against her vigorously, his shoulder would hit directly
under her chin, slamming her head into the wall. It could also damage the hyoid. I doubt that’s what broke it, but it’s possible.”

“So she died having sex?”
inquired Elizabeth. It wasn’t easy to focus while one of the men she was in love with was pressed against her body. His hands were holding her hips much like the previous night.

Chris shook his head. “
I would like to state for the record that sustaining that kind of injury, during sex or not, would hurt like a bitch, I’m betting that he inflicted the fractures and killed her immediately afterwards. It’s inconceivable that she’d be able to have these injuries and walk away; possibly forced intercourse.”

Whitefox
wasn’t saying a word; he was too busy taking in the scent of the woman he was currently pressed against intimately. His face was buried in her hair, and Callen was seriously tempted to leave a few kisses on her throat, but then they were at work. Against better judgment, he whispered into her ear, just low enough for her to hear him and no one else. “You smell amazing, beautiful. I wish we were alone.” Then he ran his teeth down her earlobe until he felt the slight quiver.

Ethan noticed
the flush to his wife’s skin, and his own started to feel a little warm. The three of them were all revisiting the previous night in their minds. Ethan gave Elizabeth credit, whatever Callen just said or did, she covered almost flawlessly. Barely noticeable was the shudder. Watching it was making his body hard and tight.

“
So basically you’re telling me our victim had a wild moment of hot sex, or rape and then was killed right after the event?” Elizabeth asked, sliding her one free hand into Callen’s hair. She felt the tremor in return, and knew by the look on her husband’s face that he was feeling it too. Crap, she needed to get down and fast.

“Absolutely
correct, Lyzee. At least we were able to rationalize the fractures. Thank you for the idea. You three have been incredibly helpful,” said Doctor Magnus, returning to his bones.

“Great work, Directors,” said Doctor Leonard,
his focus on nothing but the second victim in the clear box. “We explained all the fractures; I’m officially calling it a homicide on the death certificate with COD being strangulation.”

Callen
stood, still holding Elizabeth in his arms. Just staring up into her eyes was affecting him. Quickly she unwrapped her legs and slid down his body. The look on his face must have said it all, because Elizabeth took his hand in hers and squeezed.

Blackhawk blocked his wife and brother with his body
, drawing the focus of the doctors to give them a moment to compose themselves. “Tell me about the man that would have had to been with her in her last moments.”

“I’d say the
man that did this had to be relatively large. He possibly wasn’t as large as Director Whitefox and yourself Director, but close. I’d say at least six feet tall and decent upper body strength to inflict this kind of punishment.”

“Well at least we have something
more than we did this morning,” said Elizabeth. “Doctors, call us when you get something more, like ID on the other victim. I’m going to bet my next paycheck that she’s Cordelia Adare.”

“That makes it look like someone has something against the family,” s
tated Doctor Leonard. “Once we ID her, I wish you’d let Desdemona come stay here with us during the day. We can keep an eye on her,” he offered, hoping the boss would be less tough on the woman.

“Okay.”

“Wow, that was easy, and here I assumed I was going to have to bargain with you and possibly bribe you.”

“Gentlemen, it’s illegal to bribe a federal officer,” laughed Elizabeth.

Blackhawk added one last thing
. “Desdemona isn't permitted on site until we get that ID, and then she isn't allowed to do any of the work tying the killer to the case. We don’t need it tainted. If you let her run tests, you double check them and sign your name at the bottom. I’m not having the integrity of the lab questioned at trial by some asshole defense attorney.”

“Got it, Director.”

Elizabeth started out of the lab. “Catch you later guys,” she yelled, over her shoulder. What she needed was air and fast, before she forgot her no kissy-face at work rule.

Whitefox took his gun back and clipped it onto his belt, following her out.
He wished it was colder outside, maybe that would take the edge off his body.

Once outside all three stood in the sunlight.

Ethan grinned at both of them. “You two going to be alright?”

“I could use a really cold shower right about now,” muttered Callen, taking a deep breath and praying that control would win over libido.

“Here I am with two Indians and not a rain dance between them,” she quipped, laughing at the look on their faces. “What? You thought I was going to not throw them out while we’re on assignment?”

Ethan kissed his wife on the lips. “Sorry, but I didn’t get to participate in the fun in there.”

“Fun?” Whitefox didn’t find anything that happened in there fun. Torture was a better word or frustration.

She snorted. “Focus here for me gentleman.
Okay, so we have a woman that wasn’t married at the time of her death, and she was having a pretty good time before she died.” Elizabeth dropped her glasses onto her nose.

“So we need to find out who she was sleeping with,” said Whitefox.

“Looks like it’s the usual suspects once again,” said Blackhawk hitting the unlock button on the vehicle.

“Sex makes the world go round,
boys.” added Elizabeth. “Let’s get some lunch. Then we start digging into Trinity Adare’s past to see what secrets the woman kept locked away.”

“Going to be fun
trying to find those little elusive secrets,” muttered Whitefox, hopping into the Escalade. “There’s nothing like a twenty five year old cold case, and no jumping off point, to make you beyond frustrated.”

“Isn't that the truth?
” answered Elizabeth. Now came the hard work. Something got a woman murdered, and probably her daughter too. It was going to be a bitch finding out exactly what they both had in common.

And they didn’t have a lot of time to waste, or Desdemona Adare was next on the
slab.

                                *   *   *

Desdemona ripped the room apart. She knew damn well she placed that journal on the desk, and someone had to have taken it. Already she questioned her grandmother, and Morgana denied seeing it. The only people that had been in her room were the Blackhawks and her ex-fiancé. They had been in there after questioning her grand'mere.

“Damn it!”

“Are you okay?” Julian stood in the doorway, watching the obviously crazed woman tear through the place in some out of control frenzy. “Are you sure you had it here?” he asked. “Maybe you took it with you the bed and breakfast.”

“I know I
left it here. I placed it right there on the desk with the intent to read it later.”

Desdemona couldn’t understand it, unless Elizabeth was screwing with her. That could be possible. She did enjoy torturing her
, knowing she was hung over and miserable.

“I need to find
Elizabeth; can you call her for me? She won’t answer my calls, and we aren’t on speaking terms.” Not cordial ones anyway. Desdemona hoped Julian would help her out.

“Sure,” he pulled out his phone, and sent a text to Callen
asking for his location. He was pretty sure where Whitefox was, the woman would be too. If he was working with Elizabeth and sleeping with her, he’d be stuck to her like glue. That was just a definite truth in the matter.

When
his phone beeped, he read it. “They’re getting lunch at the coffee shop. You know where that is?” he asked, looking up.

“Yeah,
let’s go. I need to confront the bitch and see if she’s screwing with me to make me go insane.”

“What?” he said, incredulously. “I doubt that she
’s…” He didn’t get to finish. The woman was already getting into her car and looked like she was ready to chew through glass. It looked like he was tagging along and going to be privy to what was probably a nightmare to watch unfold.

This didn’t look like it was going to end well.

Well shit!

                                *   *   *

In her opinion,
Elizabeth was perched on the wall between the two sexiest men in the world, and both were being their normal silly selves. You could tell they were brothers by listening to them and watching them. The similarities were there if you looked for them, as were the differences. Callen’s eyes were a chocolate brown, and matched his much longer hair, but the smile was the same as his brothers, and the laugh lifted her heart.

“You're thinking,” said Blackhawk.

“Yeah, I am,” she answered, taking a sip of her iced coffee, preparing to lie. She wasn’t going to tell them she was thinking about them, hell no! “We need to hit up the sheriff today. I’m having a hard time thinking that this killer took out Trinity Adare and then stopped for twenty five years, only to take out her daughter.”

“More victims?” asked her husband.

“Sheriff Jackwagon might be willing to help us out and give us a list of possible missing women.”

Callen leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Good thin
g you have such a great relationship with him. This is going to make it so much easier.”

Blackhawk laughed
, taking her hand in his, kissing the knuckles. “I do love a challenge.”

“Uh kissy-face
, boys, is not permitted while on duty. You both know that, and besides we’re a spectacle as it is without making out in public.”

“I hardly think that was making out,” retorted
Callen. “But we can if you need to see a side-by-side comparison.”

Elizabeth
was about to punch him when she saw the car, and knew the shit was going to hit the fan. “Well good, here comes the afternoon’s festivities, and look, it’s at high noon.”

Both men
glanced straight ahead to see Doctor Adare storming towards them like a bat out of hell. All her focus was directly on the woman between them.

“I’ll handle her,” offered Whitefox
.

Desdemona stopped in front of the three. “Isn't this quaint.”

Callen hopped off the wall and stood protectively in front of Elizabeth. Granted she didn’t need the protection, he still felt the need to do it. “What do you need, Desdemona?”

“I need you to get out of my way so I can talk to HER!”
She pointed menacingly at the woman who was once was her friend.

Whitefox went to interject, but he felt Elizabeth’s hand
stroke his shoulder, and he moved back against the wall.

Elizabeth
offered him reassurance, running her fingers through his ponytail and down his back.

“Well good afternoon, Doctor Adare
. How’s that hangover of yours feeling? Better I hope,” she drawled, watching the woman closely.

“Oh, you’re funny. You just think it’s a good time to fuck with me right?” she stormed. It wasn’t like her to stand up for herself, but today she’d had enough. Desdemona saw the kiss on the cheek, and
Elizabeth’s hand playing with his hair. But now she was purposely messing with her and enough was enough.