Devil Hath Come (an FBI/Romance Thriller ~book 7) (7 page)

Pulling away, she stared into his eyes. “I love you, Cowboy.”

Resting his forehead against hers, he shared the sentiment. “I love you too, Lyzee baby.”

There was a knock at the door, right before it opened.

“Hey, did I miss out on the kissing fest?” Callen asked as he carried three coffees into the room. It always made him grin when he caught Elizabeth and Ethan in a moment together. It was beautiful and poignant. These were the two loves in his life.

“Yeah, you did, Cal,” she said, leaving more kisses across Ethan’s face. “I
also plan on continuing until Chris arrives.”

Ethan grinned wickedly
as she grabbed onto his tie for leverage. “That works for me. Maul away.”

Callen placed the two cups on
Ethan’s desk and grabbed his seat on the leather couch. It always stirred him up to watch Elizabeth sitting in his brother’s lap. Maybe it was because they were a couple and it reminded him of sex, or possibly because it showed the depth of their love.

It astounded him that she could love them both equally. Never once was there jealousy towards his brother over his time with Elizabeth.

She gave him one last kiss, and then ran her thumb across his lower lip. “Very sexy, Mr. Blackhawk,” she whispered, winking at him.

“Mmmm hmmmmm,” he replied,
helping her climb out of his lap. “Man, now I want to play sick and head home early,” he stated laughing.

It caught her off guard so much that the coffee cup actually froze halfway to her lips.
“Okay,” Elizabeth answered, unsure if he was serious. “We can play hooky.”

Callen interjected
, “By ‘
WE
’ am I included in that little adventure, or were you thinking of it as just a two person party?”

Blackhawk laughed
at the hopeful look on his brother’s face. “I was talking about all three of us. Then I was thinking that we could grab lunch first and head home. Take extra-long getting changed, and then carve some pumpkins.”

Elizabeth
couldn’t believe it. “Oh my God! Callen, call a doctor. Mr. FBI wanted to skip out of work and make some jack-o-lanterns. He’s got to be sick or possessed.”

Callen
snorted at her faux panicked voice as she teased him. “Someone abducted the old Ethan, but before we complain, we should see what this one has to offer. He might be more fun.”

Blackhawk threw a paperclip at his brother. “You two are funny.
I’m plenty of fun when I’m not trying to keep you two from doing something depraved, illegal or borderline pornographic.”

At that last word,
Callen pulled out his phone. “I’m clear the rest of today, unless you get a call to send me out.”

Elizabeth began to get excited. “You mean we’re actually going to do it?
For once, we’re going to blow off our jobs and do something irresponsible?”

“I don’t see why not,” Blackhawk added. He could use a day of downtime with his family, and work was relatively slow at the minute. Once Christmas came, the chaos would ensue
and they would be working long hours.

She bounced over to the couch with her coffee to sit beside Callen. When he lifted his arm, she protectively leaned against him. “Can we have a pumpkin gut
s fight?”

Blackhawk stared at her. “Why does that sound revolting
and vile?”

It only made her laugh. “We carve them and then whip the goo inside at each other.” This was her test to see if he was really feeling alright. Ethan didn't like chaos, and that would be pure bedlam.

“Uh no. We aren’t whipping goo anywhere or partaking in that kind of slop fest.”

Callen began laughing. “Ahhhh
, there he is. Mr. Serious can only go so far into absurdity before he’s compelled to run screaming from it.”

“Do you want to be picking pumpkin guts out of Lyzee’s hair the rest of the night? Once it goes in there, it may
take root.”

“Hey!”

The men laughed.

“Good point.” Callen stuck his hand in the mass of curls and faked getting caught.

Elizabeth elbowed him. “Well, I can cut my hair if it’s getting to be a burden on both of you. I wouldn’t want you to feel like it’s hindering our relationship.”

Both men
appeared appalled at the mere suggestion that she would cut her hair. It was one of the things they loved about Elizabeth. In fact, hair was a sacred thing in their relationship.

“NO!” Blackhawk stated. “You’re not
allowed to cut it.”

She snickered
as she hit one of his hot buttons.

“I’m with him. You’re known for this hair. It’s like your personal calling card. There goes Elizabeth and all her hair.”

Staring at him, she tried not to laugh. “Actually, I’m known for having a relationship with two of the sexiest Indian men on the face of the earth- NOT my hair. It’s more like ‘
there goes that immoral, oversexed hussy,”
she replied.

Blackhawk wasn’t having it. “No
cutting your hair.”

It wasn’t ever going to happen. Elizabeth happened to love her hair long. Before she could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in, Chris,” called Blackhawk, and as usual the man was right on time.

Doctor Chris Leonard sauntered in with his tablet and folder full of papers in one hand. In the other, there was his coffee. “Hey
, happy Monday once again.”

“Chris, you ready for the
weekly abuse?” Elizabeth asked grinning. She loved this part of her day.

Taking a seat beside her on the couch, he smirked. “I live for it. Nothing makes
me happier or more overjoyed than being abused by you three.”

Normally, he would have made some funny mark, but today he dropped it and it came across hostile.

“Wow, you’re cranky today, Doc.”

He shrugged. Yeah, he was well aware. “How much longer am I going to have to fill out requisition forms to get the things we need in the lab
? I do believe your lesson was learned and duly noted.”

Blackhawk smiled at him. “How are you feeling about those rules?”

He got it. “I hate them. In fact, I plan on being a loose cannon like Elizabeth and causing nothing but pure mayhem. Will that make you happy?”

“Yee haw,” she drawled, only to have Callen drop his hand over her mouth.

“Shhhhh he’s focused on someone other than us right now. Let him have at it!” Callen hissed in her ear. They loved causing trouble. Whenever he was in from an assignment, they’d pull pranks and cause chaos- much to Ethan’s dismay.

“You’re off the hook,” Blackhawk said
as he pointed at the people he loved. “You two are not.”

Chris leaned back and closed his eyes. “Thank God!”

“Okay, since we can skip that part of the meeting what else do you have for us, Chris?” Ethan inquired, crossing things off on paper.

“I do have one issue that needs to be addressed. It’s why I opted to leave Christina in the lab today and not bring her with me.”

They all looked over at him. That didn't bode well.

“Go ahead,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair.
Christina was their head lab tech and one of his brightest stars at FBI West.

Where to even begin with this? “I’ve noticed some serious issues that have been popping up with her. I’m not one to ever complain when someone has an off day, we all have them, but lately,” he paused.

“It’s okay, Chris. This is part of your job,” reassured Elizabeth. She didn't doubt that he hated ratting out a friend and co-worker. If there was a problem, they all needed to know.

“Lately, she’s distracted. We’ve had to double check her findings
to make sure she’s not wrong. If it was just an office situation, it wouldn’t be a big deal. We could carry her weight, but our reports are instrumental in court. We don’t have the luxury of doing them wrong. If we do, criminals go free.”

None of this made Blackhawk happy. “How long has this been going on?”

Chris shrugged. “I’ve noticed it about two weeks ago, when she was working that arson case that went to trial. She found a chemical that wasn’t on the other victims. I asked another tech to re-run it, and it came back with entirely different results.”

“Wow,” Callen whistled. “It’s not like Christina to be off her game ever, but then with the science?
That has never happened before.”

“
Not that we’ve been made aware of,” Blackhawk added. “What’s going on in her life to make her scattered?”

Chris didn't like talking about her behind her back, but this was his job. As
head of the forensics department, the lab was essentially his responsibility. If he let them slack, it was his ass on the line with the bosses.

“I think it’s
all because of Kane Redwolf.”

Elizabeth got it. Christina had encountered the man back in Red River working the ‘
Skinwalker
’case. Since then, she’d been trying to carry on with her life in the FBI and the three hour long distance relationship.

It had to be hard.
She tried to picture her own life fitting those parameters, and it made her sick to her stomach.

“Shit!” Blackhawk didn't like this at all. The last thing he wanted to do was handle some relationship issues. “Elizabeth? Can you take one for the team and handle the girl stuff?”

Callen laughed. His brother was about to get his ass handed to him for that one.

“What? Why do I have to do the girl thing?
She’s your head tech and idolizes you.”

“You have estrogen and ovaries
, just like her,” offered Chris from beside her.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “You’re lucky I can’t
put my hands on you, or I would have knocked you off the couch.”

Blackhawk was so glad he didn't have to answer that one. The ME saved him by wearing the bull’s-eye.

“Baby, she’s a woman. You’re a woman. You know how uncomfortable I get talking relationships with the staff,” he pleaded. “If you loved me, then you would handle this.”

“Oh boy,” Callen stated
snickering. Now, his brother just pulled the love card out for this one. He was new at the relationship thing, but he even knew that was a dangerous thing to try.

Elizabeth should probably get outraged, but she knew her husband was under a great deal of pressure. “What do I get out of it?”

He stared at her a little more than surprised. Never had she ever said that to him. “What do you want?”

She grinned wickedly. “
I want a no holds barred pumpkin guts fight and you have to wear a suit.”

“WHAT?”
He was appalled.

No
w, Callen was ready to cry. He was so caught up in laughter over what was happening. “Oh, she got you there.”

“I’ll talk to Christina,
but only if you agree to my demands. If you say no, I’ll buzz her and you can talk about her sex life in front of all of us.”

Oh hell!

“Fine. You win. I’ll let you pelt me with seeds and goo if you handle the chick drama.” Blackhawk was pretty sure his wife was sadistic and evil, and he was impressed how she played this one out. Sometimes, he forgot what she was capable of when push came to shove.

“Great. I’ll talk to her right after our meeting is over,” she grinned. “Oh, and I
want that suit for the festivities.”

He stared down at his finery. “Baby, this is my new one. I just got it. I love this tie too!” Blackhawk ran his hand down the fitted suit and was horrified. He loved his clothing and believed
that they made the man.

“I think
that it will look awesome covered in guts. If it makes you feel better, Callen and I will dress up too.”

Blackhawk stared open mouthed. “THAT is dressed up for Callen!” he declared, pointing at his beat up boots, worn jeans and polo.

Whitefox dropped a kiss on her forehead. “She saw you coming a mile away. When will you learn?”

“Deal,” he muttered. “But I’m
buying three more to replace it, so don’t even think about bitching about it.”

Chris Leonard laughed at his
bosses. He loved how they seamlessly moved together and were a family. There was teasing, love and camaraderie.

“Next on the agenda,” Blackhawk stated, picking up his pen. “We need to talk about
the holiday schedule.” As he went to proceed, his intercom buzzed.

“Yes, Ginny?”

“Mrs. B, you have a call on line one from Director Rothschild. He said it was important and to interrupt the meeting. I’m sorry.”

Blackhawk loved his secretary. She was damn good at doing her job and still knew when to break the rules.

“Put him through. Elizabeth will take it in here,” he offered.

Moving
from Callen’s side, she headed over to the desk as her husband put it on speaker.