The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 1)) (22 page)

Blackhawk
didn’t know what to say. Before the dreams began he was involved. It was just hard to explain to another woman that he was dreaming about some black haired, bewitching fantasy. So he did the easy thing. He just gave up, knowing he had to find her. Now that he had, Ethan had no idea what was next. “I could say the same about you,” he replied, changing the subject.

She tensed
at the mild hostility in his voice, and she backed off. “You could, but I put myself out there, trust me. It just never ended well.”

Blackhawk wished she’d trust him enough to tell him what happened to make her run from the FBI, but he wasn’t going to push. They both had
secrets; the only difference was Ethan was getting tired of running and being alone. Eventually, she’d stop running and he was going to be there waiting.

“Let’s just say, every time I fall in love, I get my heart broken, and leave it at that,” she closed her eyes, focusing on his cologne and scent.

Blackhawk
dropped a kiss to the top of her head and wondered if she could ever fall in love with him. There was a little part of him that doubted if he was even relationship material after years of being just FBI. Women loved the allure of the bad boy persona, but they didn’t want that for the rest of their lives. They didn’t want a man who spent his time thinking about dead bodies and crazed killers. They wanted stable, predictable and someone without all the emotional baggage.

The truth was that
lost on all three counts. 

“Crap,” she looked at the clock over the kitchen sink. It was almost ten
in the morning. “We need to head in, we have a killer on the loose, and I still have to figure out which of my staff leaked the information.”

He let her go as she stood, and he wondered if he would break her heart too, or if she would break his. Time would tell, but he wasn’t expecting another miracle in his life
.

H
e found her, and he intended to hold on tight. Despite how hard he had to fight to keep her.

Finding her was one thing, keeping her was entirely
different.

The ride into the station was a quiet one, Elizabeth didn’t have
much to say to her passenger. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but she found herself mulling over what to tell him about her past, and the situation with Ray. She wasn’t sure if it would make what they had more complicated, or less. She was still weighing her options, as they pulled into the station lot and parked into her spot. They were about to exit the Jeep when he touched her arm, gently.

“Before you go in
, I just want to tell you thank you again,” he said, quietly.

“For what?”
Elizabeth was genuinely surprised at his words. “The sex? Then I should be thanking you too because wow, Mr. Blackhawk!”

He laughed
and the clouds cleared from his eyes. “No, for how you defended me in front of your step-mother and half-brother. You didn’t have to,” he said, his voice calm and level, “It means a lot to me.”

Elizabeth touched his cheek. “Ethan, I defend those I care about, so don’t thank me.” Her thumb touched his cut lip gently. “In fact, I’d kiss you before we go in, but I’m willing to bet Henry Forbes is still lurking, and he’d have some shitty headline to cheapen the kiss.” Then she thought about it.

It touched him she valued it that much, but still he just wished she’d go for it. It would give him something else to make him believe she really could want him.

The real him.

Elizabeth could feel the tension welling up in his body, and she knew he was hurting inside, “Well, hell. I can take an ego shot in the paper,” she said, leaning in and kissing him. She kissed him long and deep. If she was going to get creamed by the paper, let it be for a good reason. Making out with Ethan Blackhawk was certainly worth it.

“Wow,” he said,
finally pulling away.

Elizabeth grinned wickedly. “Yeah, completely worth it, but don’t be shocked when we are the headlines tomorrow.”

“Will it bother you?” he asked, softly.

“Hell no!
Let them plaster it on the front page. I just don’t want you to be bothered by it, Mr. FBI.”

Blackhawk was even more touched she did it anyway, and didn’t care who in her town knew she was willing to kiss him like that.

That was a relationship kiss, not a casual dating kiss.

“Now, I’m officially on duty, so anymore kissy-face will have to wait
until tonight,” she said, winking at him.

Blackhawk finally was able to think after the kiss. “I can’t wait until later then.” He got serious
fast. “Just stay safe today, and I’m going to stick by your side as much as possible.”

She winked
, salaciously, “You won’t hear me complain, Cowboy.” They exited the vehicle and walked towards the door. In the near distance, she could hear the clicking of a shutter and knew that she had been right. The weasel was on the prowl and he probably got quite the shot. Kiss aside, Elizabeth was glad she had picked a shirt that would cover her bandaged arm; she didn’t need him making a spectacle of a small wound. There was no way she was going to give the killer that kind of ego boost.

Inside,
Martha was sitting at the desk on her day off, and Elizabeth paused, lifting her brow in question.

“What? You think because I’m the oldest one here, I can’t manage a little overtime?”

Elizabeth snorted, “Martha, you called yourself old, just remember that it wasn’t me. I know better. You would have handed me my ass.”

She gave a motherly nod and couldn’t help but notice the FBI agent standing just a little closer than normal
. A big smile crossed her face. “Mr. Blackhawk, your partner is in the conference room and Sheriff LaRue,” she looked at her boss and continued, “The deputies are at their desks.”

“Chaos?”

“Oh, it’s been the usual. We have people calling, thinking they saw a prowling killer. Some have started calling in tips on who they think it is. Other than that, Forbes called twice. He wants an interview with you and Mr. Blackhawk, but especially you.”

“Three days past when hell ices over,” she muttered, flipping through the messages.

Martha laughed, “It’s going to be ninety five today, slim chance anything is freezing out there.”

“Exactly.” Elizabeth looked over at Blackhawk, “I have a call I need to return
. Can I meet you in the conference room?”

He nodded, curiosity being stoked at wh
o she could be calling. For now he would give her enough space, but eventually he would close that down. He couldn’t help that he was feeling territorial.

Suddenly his focus was broken as he watched her walk away. The
well-fitted jeans, scuffed cowboy boots, and gun on her hip drew him in and heated him up. Proprietary wasn’t the only thing he suddenly felt, thanks to her and that kiss.

Elizabeth sat at her desk and picked up her phone. She knew the number well
. Every week she dialed it to talk to her Godchildren. On the third ring, he answered.

“Sheriff LaRue, how are my agents treating you?”

“Hey, Gabe! They’re great people.”

His warm laugh filled the phone, “I hear that you had a problem with Lily,” he said, waiting for her side of the story, knowing she wouldn’t ever call to bitch and moan.

“Lily had the problem the minute she saw me. The Ray shit all came back, full force.”

“How about Agent Blackhawk?” he inquired, expectantly.

“He’s exactly like you described him,” she replied, cautiously. Hoping her voice gave away nothing, especially the part where she slept with him. “I happen to be very fond of him, and he’s an amazing agent.”

The silence was unnerving. “I didn’t talk to Blackhawk yet for an update, what’s going on there?”

Elizabeth broke it down, just the way she had countless times before when she was leading an assignment and checking in with him. At the knock at the door, she motioned Blackhawk in, and continued with the conversation.

Dropping the phone into the cradle, she put
him on speakerphone and mouthed ‘
close the door’
. She didn’t want whoever leaked the serial killer angle to get any more information. She explained what she and Blackhawk had figured out the night before and the angle they were going to take with the religious aspect of the killings. She gave her old friend a list of some research they needed done out of Quantico.

“I
’ll get someone to pull anything we have on similar killings,” he said, “Is the Cowboy there?”

It’s like he had eyes in the room. “Yes, Gabe. He’s standing right here with me.”

“Blackhawk do you need anything?” he queried, his voice lacking any emotion.

“I j
ust need a push on those tox reports. The sooner we can get them the better.” Ethan sat on the edge of her desk, staring down at her, his eyes were emotionless.

“I’ll light a fire under the lab right now. Good call on the witch connection. I’ll expect an update nightly.”

“You’ll have it,” he answered, his voice even and toneless.

Elizabeth listened
to the discussion between them, and she realized he had been telling the truth. He took his professional life very serious. Gone were the joking and teasing. Ethan Blackhawk was concise and to the point with his boss. Work was work, and he wasn’t screwing around. He lived his job to the T, and she was now positive that he bled for the FBI like she had once too.

S
omehow, Elizabeth had an overwhelming need to break him of it, and show him life could be fun. It was going to be her new mission.

Operation ‘
loosen up Special Agent Blackhawk’
was about to begin.

“If we have another body, I’m going to call in a few more agents,” said Blackhawk. “It’s not that I
don’t have faith in the sheriff’s men, it’s just we’re stretched pretty thin here.”

“I’ll approve it, just call it in. Your team is on standby and ready if you need them.”

“Thanks, Gabe,” he said, watching the sheriff. She didn’t seem bothered by the idea that the town was possibly going to be inundated with agents if the cavalry came to town. He would have to take control of the investigation. It was procedure. If the feds were footing the bill, they ran the show.

“How are you finding the accommodations?” There was laughter in his voice.

“You're a sadistic bastard, Gabe.” Elizabeth interjected. “Nice try but Ethan is staying at my house with me.”

There was silence on the phone, as if
Gabe was trying to understand or rationalize the situation. “What about Sanderson?”

Blackhawk took that one. “She was given the choice
, and Lily preferred to stay at the roach coach.” Blackhawk couldn’t help but be surprised that she had told him he was staying in her home. She didn’t mention the brick or the killer at her house, rationalizing it to the man. Elizabeth let it simply sound like it was more than just her offering the FBI a home base. Now he wondered how much Gabe suspected, and he was surprised it didn’t bother him.

Elizabeth patted his knee, seeing the confusion on his face. “Gabe, when are you and the family escaping from Virginia a
nd coming to see me? I miss my God kids,” she said, lightening up the conversation and giving Blackhawk a peek into life outside the FBI.

“You can always come take them away
. Livy and I could use a vacation from the chaos,” he said, laughing. “Please, rescue us!”

Blackhawk was surprised his boss was opening up on the phone,
especially while he knew his agent was standing right beside her. This had to mean something.

“Maybe if we get this cleared up, I’ll
come steal them away for a week. Then you two can celebrate your anniversary. Don’t forget it’s coming up soon, and Livy will skin you alive, my friend,” she laughed. “If you need help with the present, she already dropped hints to me, just email me. I’ll send you the list,” she laughed.

Gabe’s voice was tinged with humor, “Don’t I know it, she’s more vicious than you when it comes to shit like that,” he paused. “And for the record, the kids are yours any week you want, just come
take them away. We won’t put up a fight.”

“Deal, besides, someone has to teach those kids how to survive outside the city.
You’re turning them into wusses.”

Gabriel Rothschild laughed.

Blackhawk sat there in awe, as the man on the phone sounded completely different. This couldn’t be the same person he knew from the office. People feared Gabriel Rothschild. They called him the ‘
Dragon Slayer’
for a reason. Here he was talking about kids, and a wife, and it made him both uneasy and more relaxed.

Maybe an FBI agent could have both, and keep them safe and alive. Something inside him opened for the slight possibility.