Devil Hath Come (an FBI/Romance Thriller ~book 7) (63 page)

Cyra wanted to give him a kiss goodbye, but didn't want to piss off the
bosses. “Thank you,” she replied, rushing back. Going up on her toes, she planted one right on his lips. “I’ll be safe, Christopher, you do the same.”

Racing back towards the
bosses, he stared at Elizabeth. She gave a nod and saluted.

Chris re
laxed, knowing his girlfriend was in good hands.

Callen grinned at Elizabeth as they prepared to divide up. He lowered his voice so only she’d hear his words. “You’re such a softie.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.
”

             
                  *   *   *

Callen and Cyra gloved up and began their search of the dead woman’s apartment. Just by looking at it, they could see
that there were touches of Wicca everywhere. She had quite a few things from the ‘
Mystical Merchandise’
shop. There were baubles and things all over the place.

“When I look at this place, I don’t think of a woman that’s offering her
self up for raunchy sex with a bunch of Satan worshippers,” stated Cyra.

“Me either,” he answered, scanning though the bookshelves. “I guess that just proves that people can have secrets and hide them well.”

It made her think about Chris’s mother. “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

He glanced over at her. “I guess. I can’t promise
that I can answer it. After all, I’m a ‘
married’
man, and the little woman isn’t here to tell me my opinion,” he stated, laughing.

Cyra found that funny.

“When you met Elizabeth’s mom for the first time, did she make your life hell?”

Callen
didn't hesitate to answer. “Unfortunately, when Lyzee was ten, her mom died in a car accident, and her father was killed a few years ago. I didn't have to deal with the in-law drama. I’m sure that they wouldn’t have been exactly thrilled that their little girl was sleeping with two men, especially since we’re brothers. I have a daughter myself, and the thought of two men putting their hands allover her scares the hell out of me.”

Crap
! Well, so much for an objective opinion.

“Why don’t you talk it out? You may feel better.”

She tried to figure out how to do that. “I met Chris’s mom, and she said really horrible things to me. Do you think it will ever get better? Or is it a lost cause and would you just accept it?”

It was hard to answer that, without more. “I guess that would depend on what she said. How horrible
are we talking here?” he asked, watching her.

She didn't know how to tell him without just spilling it. “Never mind
. I’m sorry that I brought it up. We should get to work.”

Callen wouldn’t let
it go. “No, you obviously need to get if off your chest, so go for it. I’m really good at listening. It’s my job,” he said, grinning. “I didn't get to be Liaison to the Native American community only because I’m Indian. Oh wait, yes I did.”

She laughed
and relaxed slightly. “She called me a gold digger and told me if I ever married Chris, I’d be signing a prenup.”

“
I think that’s a little farfetched. I mean he’s a doctor, but generally medical examiners aren’t millionaires.”

“Yeah, well in this case, he is one. I already said I’d sign one. I’m not with him because he’s wealthy. I didn't even know, but I don’t want to make her hate me from day one. How do I prove to her that I’m genuinely in love with him?”

Callen was surprised. “He’s really a millionaire?”

She shook her head. “Yeah, multi.”

Callen pondered his reply. He’d been the object of quite a few angry parents in his life. “Okay, here’s just my advice. You didn't know from the start, so that means you’re heart fell for his. It may be one of those things that you never can prove to her, and that doesn’t matter. What is really important is Chris knows the truth. If he believes you, then the rest will fall away.”

“But it’s his mother.”

Callen shook his head. “He’s a very smart man, and if he’s in love, then you have nothing to worry about.”

That was probably true.

“Just don’t focus on the money, and you’ll be okay. If you didn't know about it then pretend it’s just not there. Eventually after you’re with him for a long time, his mother will come around.”

“You think?”

Callen smiled reassuringly. “I believe so.”

His calm easy nature offered her enough peace that Cyra knew she could now focus on
the job at hand.

“How about we work on the bedroom? I don’t really see anything in here that’s out of place.”

“There’s not a hint of devil worship going on in here,” Cyra stated, following Callen.

The room looked like
that of a single girl. It was filled with makeup, shoes, and jewelry.

Heading to the bed, Callen lifted one corner of the mattress. Immediately, he hit pay dirt.
“Sex toys,” he stated.

Cyra did the same thing
and found nothing. “I’m going to check the drawer.” Moving to the bed stand, she pulled it out and found nothing odd.

“What did you find?”

“Nail polish and manicure sets. What’s on your side?” she asked, watching him look too.

“A book and some stationary.”

“I don’t think we’re going to find anything here. I really believe that this girl lived a clean life here, and then when she was at the Church of Satan she was another person.”

Callen sat on the bed, staring at the book on Wicca. Something about it didn't feel right. The cover looked to be a little too big for it. Picking it up, he opened the book to the first page. Yeah, he had been right. “She wasn’t living that clean
,” Callen said as he handed her the book.

Cyra opened it and read the title page.

      Satanic Sex Rituals for Beginners

“Yeah, you can say that again,” she answered, flipping to a page that was book marked. “Did you read that page that
she has saved?” she asked, looking up at him.

“No, what’s it say?”

Cyra opened it up and began:

Sex magic is powerful when used to worship

the
dark Lord. It can grant you power and strength

unmatched by anything else. In order for it to work,

you must first find a woman willing to act as the

‘offering’.
Once upon the altar, you shall have the

door to greatness opened.

“That sounds like a load of crap to me,” stated Callen, shaking his head. “I’m shocked that someone actually believes that.”

She had to agree. “I guess
that I should brush up on Wicca in order to deal with Chris’s mother.”

Callen laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that. We better bag that book and bring it. Maybe there’s a clue in there.”

She dropped it in the evidence bag. “There are only two more rooms to go.”

“Let’s hurry up. I don’t want to leave Elizabeth with just Ethan. I like to be that third set
of eyes while my brother’s off balance,” he stated.

“After what I watched last night, I can’t blame you.”

It was always a little weird to be standing in the home of someone who was violently taken from life. You looked around the space, and it looked just like your own, and it made you wonder.

Would someone be thinking the same thing about me one day?

For her, that was more prevalent. Now that the killer intended on her being the final victim, she was scared shitless. Granted, she wasn’t letting Ethan see that, but it didn't negate that she was definitely worried. If she looked nervous, it would just push him and Callen closer to the edge.

“Find anything?” he asked, glancing over at her.

“No, nothing yet,” she stated, going back to scan the bookshelves.

“I know you’re keeping your fear from me,” he stated out of the blue. “I can feel it.”

She sighed and rested her forehead against the one shelf. Elizabeth should have known better to believe that the ‘king of profiling’ couldn’t see though her façade. “You’re absolutely right,” she stated, not even denying it.

When she turned, he was standing there staring at her. Here was one of the fearless warriors in her life, and he was being driven to madness by some lunatic. It hurt her heart. His own pain was there. She could plainly see it across his features.

“I’m going to be okay.”

Ethan wanted to say so much to her. He wanted to spout all the love that was living in his heart for her. “Please don’t leave me. Promise me that you’ll never leave my side.”

She crossed to him and leaned against his body. “Oh, Ethan, I swear on everything in me that I will fight to stick by you. You have nothing to worry about. I promise.”

He stared into her icy blue eyes
and needed that reassurance. “I will follow you to the ends of the earth to find you,” he stated, just in case something were to happen. He prayed it wouldn’t, but she needed to know the absolute truth in the matter. She would never be forgotten. “I found you once, and I would search again until we were together.”

She didn't doubt it. “I would search for you too, Ethan.”

Lowering his forehead to hers, he took a minute to use her to re-center himself. At that moment, she was the anchor that kept him from drifting off into the panic and fear.

After a while, she spoke. “
Is it all better, love bug?”

He snickered. “Yes,
sweet cheeks.”

“Okay then. Let’s get this search done and get moving. I’m dying to roast some male witch over the open flames of infidelity.”

Blackhawk started laughing. “I am so glad I’m on your side. You’re scary and vicious.”

“
That’s funny since you’re not the first person to tell me that,” she retorted.

They divided and conquered, going through everything to find what they were looking for in her home.

Starting with the living room, they found the usual.

A
TV.

DVD’s
.

Magazines
.

There were even some Pagan crossword puzzles.

Scanning the bookshelves, most of the books were romances. Moving to a lower shelf, they found all the ones related to Wicca and Paganism.

Nothing seemed out of place. The books referenced spells, protection and herbal books about concocting potions for one’s health and wellbeing.

Elizabeth pulled that one from the shelf and began flipping through it. “A lot of this herbal stuff is the same thing that I’ve seen Granddad and Wyler do,” she stated.

He stared over at her. “Where are you heading with this?” Ethan asked warily.

“I think I can respect this aspect of a nature based religion. People for centuries used plants to heal and some still do.”

“Uh huh.”

“Do you think Wyler would teach me?”

Ethan looked around as if he was trying to find something. “You,
the woman who calls most religions bunk, hooey, bullshit, crap, garbage, malarkey, and prosperous idiocy wants to learn Native American herbalism? Are you feeling okay?”

“What if it’s not all made up nonsense? Maybe if I was more open to it, our kids would one day feel the same way. I don’t want my opinions to influence their heritage.”

Ethan smiled. “I think that he would love to show you. I know he has Timothy’s medicine book.” He loved how his wife was so willing to embrace and accept his culture.

Not only for him, but their children.

Refocusing, Elizabeth went back to work. After a while, they headed to Pandora’s bedroom.

“
Do you want to help me in here or hit up the bathroom?” he asked grinning.

“I’ll take bathroom. It’s smaller.”

Splitting up, they each began their search.

Ethan pulled the room apart
as he dug through drawers and looked for anything out of the normal.

There was absolute
ly nothing there that screamed devil worship.

“Any luck?” he called, hoping
that Elizabeth may have found something in the medicine cabinet.

“She was on birth control, and yesterday’s pill
is gone. So, we know that she was at least home to take it.”

“This bedroom is squeaky clean. Nothing in here even describes her sex life at all.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t think if someone walked through our bedroom, they’d think we were a threesome. The only thing that we have that speaks of our sexual fantasies is the lingerie drawer.”