Pledging to Die (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 11) (42 page)

Ethan was at his max for the man’s smugness. “You say that like you’re proud, Doctor. That says a lot about you as a person. I’ll have to add that to my profile. Thank you for the insight.”

He stared at him. “Wait! What do you mean?”

Blackhawk stood. “Thank you for your time today. We know how it was a big inconvenience.”

With that, they headed out.

In the hallway, Elizabeth grabbed him by the hair and roughly pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss was insane, and it left Callen staring.

When she set him free, his entire body sung in need. There was nothing like having his wife manhandle him in public. Call him crazy, but he needed to keep doing whatever it was he’d done.

“Baby, what was that for?” he asked, running his tongue over his lower lip.

She stayed against his body.

“That was the sexiest display of power I’ve seen in a long time, Cowboy. Later, I’m going to let you interrogate me.”

He laughed.

“Uh, what about me?” Callen stated.

“He can interrogate you too.”

“Hey! That’s not what I meant!”

She was well aware.

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

Saturday Afternoon

Morgue

When they walked in, Chris Leonard was elbow deep in his autopsy, the other ME was by his side, and when he finally noticed they were there, he didn't look amused in the least.

“It’s not Sunday,” he blurted.

“Thanks, Chris. Here I thought I lost a day in the process,” she replied. “Chill out. I’m here to see our agents, not bug you about the body. I’ll keep my end of the deal.”

He wasn’t sure what to say. “Seriously? You’re really not going to hassle me?”

“Hell no. Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re Elizabeth Blackhawk, and for you not to do it is scary.”

“Well, if you’re going to be scared, let me solve that. What do you have?”

The staff started laughing, knowing Doctor Leonard walked right into that one.

“She’s very dead—now get out!”

The three Feds laughed, heading into the other room. They knew better than to push the man. He was running on fumes just like they were, and no one wanted to see an ME meltdown. Doctor Legend was tied up back at FBI West, and Chris was all they had for the field work.

Inside, they found the two agents working.

“What do you have on Roddy Penson and Archy Saba?” she asked, hoping they’d had enough time to do their research.

Agent Flowers pulled out her file. When her research partner gave her a warning look, she opted not to say anything about the previous conversation Jason had with his partner.

“Roderick Penson is an only child. He was raised by his parents not far from here,” she began.

“Okay, and?”

“His father died when he was sixteen, and it looks like before his death, he was an alcoholic.”

Ethan thought about it. “Any police calls to the house when daddy was on a bender?”

Heidi nodded. “There were twenty seven in all over six years. They started when Roddy was about eight, and ended just before he turned fifteen.”

Callen was curious. “We said that this killer hated women, but could he hate men too?”

Ethan broke it down for his brother. “I’m going to bet that his mother was abused, and that our campus cop watched her live her life as a punching bag for her husband.”

“Bingo. She’s in jail. The reason Roddy’s dad is no longer abusing women, and kids, is that he took a shotgun blast to the torso.”

Elizabeth found that fascinating. “Can you get me the autopsy report?” she asked.

Heidi typed furiously until she found what they wanted. “The local hospital has a database for law enforcement,” she said, passing over the tablet.

“He was shot in the heart and midsection,” she said. “It resulted in massive organ trauma.”

“Could he be taking dead women’s organs because his mother killed his father that way?” Callen asked. “That may be a new low when it comes to sickness.”

Ethan thought about it. “It might, but I’m not sure. He’s taken eyes, right?”

“Please, don’t remind me,” she said shuddering.

“He’s also hacked up plenty of women,” he added. “That could be a shout out to his weak mother—the woman who gave him life.”

There was one thing for sure.

“He’s sick.”

They all agreed with that.

Ethan weighed it all in his mind. “We’ll put him on the list. When we do the interview, we’ll make sure to bring it all up.”

“How about our pain in the ass reporter?” she asked.

Jason took this one. “He comes from a good family. His father is a butcher, and his mother died when he was young. From everything I’ve seen, he’s not wild and out of control, he has good grades, and even won a few writing awards. It looks like he has a deep love of being a media vulture.”

“Great,” she stated.

“I’ll keep looking and cross reference them with the victims. Maybe I can find something that will tie them all together for you,” he offered.

“Thank you,” she said, not missing that he was playing nice. It was like someone abducted her agent and left her a clone—one with a far better attitude.

“You’re welcome, Directors,” he said, going back to work. “If you need anything else, we’ll be here working late. Just give me a call. I’ll be more than happy to run anyone else you need through the system.”

“What?” she asked, wondering if she heard him wrong. Did he just offer to do something for the team?

For her?

“I’ll be available to do whatever is needed. I plan on working late,” he stated again.

Elizabeth was surprised and opted to take it for what it was worth. If Agent Blaise was on the happy pills, who was she to complain?

Once back in the morgue, Callen went there. “What the hell was that?”

“Got me,” Ethan said. “Be glad.”

“I always get worried when the attitude fairy comes for an unsolicited adjustment. It’s never good.”

They stared at her.

“You need a nap.”

“Yeah, no freaking kidding.”

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

Saturday Night

Beta Phi Ti

Brody paced his room like a caged tiger. Everything he’d ever learned in the FBI academy was rushing back as his gut screamed in warning.

He not only felt off, but the energy around him was wrong. Something bad was brewing, and he didn't doubt that he was in some serious shit.

Only, he didn't know where it was coming from.

As he stopped in front of the mirror to look at his reflection, he was pretty sure he was working himself into a tizzy for no reason.

Johanna was safe at the dorm, and in an hour, he’d have to figure out how to seduce a college girl—not into his bed—but into getting the hell out of his room without saying anything to his ‘watchers’.

Johanna told him how to do it, and if his mother was still alive, she’d slap the shit out of him for even considering it. Granted, telling a drunken girl that she was fat when she got naked would likely get him slapped anyway. 

Yeah, he was screwed.

It was a lose-lose situation.

What he really wanted to do was call Joey, making sure she was all right. If he could just hear her voice, then the worries would melt away.

As he stared in the mirror, something over his shoulder caught his attention. There was a face peering in his window.

It freaked him out.

That was until he turned to find his girl trying to get in.

Quickly, he opened it, pulling her into the safety of his room. “Are you insane?” he hissed, knowing that if she got caught there, not only were they screwed, the Blackhawks would go ape shit all over them. Ethan had warned them, and she wasn’t listening.

“I had to come see you,” she said, rushing toward the door to lock it. “I’m going to look around and toss the rooms,” she said, pulling the com from her pocket. Once it was in her ear, it would link her to Jason, but before she even tried to access them, she needed to see him.

“Joey,” he said, knowing that was risky. When she went back into his arms, her mouth seeking his, Brody had to admit that he’d gotten just what he wanted. Here she was, and his fear was abating.

Maybe she would be safer in the house. After she was done, Joey could hide out until he could help her escape.

When her lips found his, he allowed himself to fall into the kiss. It was hot, wet, and making his brain melt.

“Sweetheart,” he muttered, even as her mouth didn't stop pillaging his.

“I need you, Brody. Make love to me.”

How could he say no to that?

He’d been thinking about her and here she was. It was an omen, and he was going to take that time to be with her.

There was less than an hour until he had to do something he wasn’t looking forward to, so why not have some pleasure first.

He began wildly pulling at her all black attire, trying desperately to set her free. When her sweater was tugged up, he found some sexy bra beneath. It was lacy and racy, and it made Brody want to drop to his knees to worship her.

“The cat burglar of my dreams,” he muttered, his lips caressing her collarbones as he longed to dip between her breasts and lower.

She moaned softly, trying not to come completely undone. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or the simple need for him, but Joey was wild with lust.

“Hurry,” she urged, tugging at his clothing.

When he slid his hand down the front of her black pants, she had to lean against him.

“Oh, Christ, Joey,” he whispered, knowing that he wanted nothing more than to devour her. The wetness slicked his fingers, and he was officially in heaven.

She kicked off her boots and pulled him down to the bed. His larger body covered hers, pinning her beneath him to the mattress.

“You have to be quiet,” he urged, moving down her body to the vee between her legs. Tugging her panties aside, he allowed himself the decadence of feasting on the woman he loved.

She shook as his tongue lapped, teased, and brought her right to the edge. As she broke apart, he quickly climbed back up her body to seal his mouth to hers.

He swallowed her release.

When she floated to the surface, her eyes opening, Johanna stared deep into his. “Take me,” she begged. “I need you.”

The feeling was mutual.

If anything, he had to have her.

Standing, Brody stripped out of his clothes, freeing his erection. Before he could cover her again, Johanna sat up to take him in her mouth.

It was like a repeat performance, and he loved every second of it.

It was warm.

Hot.

Slickery.

When his hand found its way into the back of her hair, Johanna let him use it to direct the depth of her mouth. As he controlled the oral assault, they both fell into the pleasure of it all. She loved offering him all she had, and Brody was more than happy to accept her precious gift.

When he got close to the edge, he needed desperately for her to stop, but Johanna showed no signs of letting up. “Please,” he whispered, the desperation in his voice. While he wanted to keep going, he knew he was so close to losing it.

As she added her hand, he shook.

“Sweetheart,” he hissed, his body betraying him. Her mouth was just too much for him to deny.

She bound him in knots just to unravel him to the depths of his soul.

As he exploded, Johanna stared up at him. The mask of pleasure on his face called to her. The second he was free from her mouth, Joey pulled him down to her body.

“Now make love to me. Slow, gentle, and like you always do,” she whispered in his ear.

He still wanted her.

Brody always would.

Finding her wet and warm, he slid home. Their joining sent shivers down his spine, right to his toes. “Oh, Joey,” he whispered, beginning the slow glide in and out of the delicious heat.

When he braced himself over her, they stared into each other’s eyes. As his body took hers, their hearts wove together even more.

There was no doubt that he was madly in love with her, and she with him.

They were soul mates.