Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (29 page)

Elizabeth couldn’t help but relax.

It was the smell of cookies that was lulling her into a sense of calm. “By any chance, are you baking cookies?”

She laughed. “No, we actually have cookies. Our chef, Simon, loves this time of the year.” She lowered her voice and leaned forward. “He looks tough, but he’s a big softie. He loves that Santa hat.”

They all glanced over.

Apparently he did. It looked silly on the big bald head, but who were they to judge.

“Can I score a few cookies to go with my MILK?” she asked, giving Callen a look and almost daring him to try and stop her. “They smell really good.”

Both men looked over at her, but wisely, they said nothing.

“Can do!”

When she walked away, Elizabeth rolled her neck. Her mind was spinning a mile a minute.

“Are you sore?” Callen asked, letting his hand snake up her back to the tense muscles. Immediately, he began massaging her neck.

“Little baby Jesus, that feels good,” she muttered. Callen had magic fingers, and anytime they were on her body, she was in heaven.

As Tehila returned with the cookies, she didn't even move. She felt too good.

“How about I continue this later?” Callen asked. He didn't think her breathy little moans were going to be a good thing. He was already getting riled up, and Ethan seemed to be focused on her chest.

“Promise?” she asked, picking up a cookie. When she took a bite, she had to fight not to laugh.

They were easy.

“I know what we can do,” Ethan said, as her one hand ran up and down his leg. He needed to reroute this little lunch before they were all hot and bothered.

“What?” she inquired, lifting a brow.

He tried not to react as her fingers slid into his lap. “I was thinking since it’s so quiet in here, we could call Wyler and the kids.”

She immediately focused on that.

He could breathe again.

Elizabeth shoved a cookie in her mouth and chugged her milk. She obviously was happy.

They all were.

As Ethan pulled out his tablet, Callen and Ethan squished her between them. As he made the call, she bounced with excitement.

It didn't take long before Wyler’s face appeared on the screen. He was holding Charlie, and it was a beautiful sight. The little girl was tugging on his graying braids as she cooed and tried to eat his hair.

“Hello!” he said, smiling. “We’ve missed you.”

“Are you all safe, Dad?” Ethan asked. If they weren’t he’d have them shipped off somewhere else. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to his father or their kids.

“We’re great. Gabriel is a wonderful host, and he’s been hanging out here with us. I know he’s doing guard duty, but the kids love him.”

They could see him moving around in the back. His son was holding onto one leg, and EJ the other, as he dragged them across the room. Gabriel Jr. was on his back, shouting like a maniac.

Callen was jealous.

He wanted to be home with their kids in the worst way, but duty called. At least they were safe.

“So everything is good?” Elizabeth asked.

“Cat is off playing dress up with Livy’s girls, and the boys are playing cowboys and Indians. Gabe is the cowboy, and they’re the savages—for good reason,” he offered, laughing. “Thank God their house is indestructible, and they have six kids. This place is a madhouse.”

Yeah, speaking of six kids…

“Dad?” Elizabeth began.

“Yes, sweetheart?” he said, play eating Charlie’s cheeks to hear her laugh.

“I’m pregnant. You’re getting more tribe.”

He looked up, shocked as hell.

Yeah, she’d said no more, but this was the look she loved when she told him. Immediately, Wyler’s eyes filled with tears and he was overcome with emotion.

“Are you serious?” he asked. “More babies?”

Ethan laughed. “Are you crying because you need medication or because you’re happy? It’s tough to tell anymore, and no one would blame you if it was the first option.”

“Happy,” he said, wiping his eyes. “I’m blessed. This is the best Christmas present ever. I wish you were here, Elizabeth. I’d make you anything that tickled your fancy.”

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” she teased. “These two are bossy, and that’s why I love you best.”

“You take care of her,” he warned. Wyler pointed at his sons and got serious, and fast. “Please be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Both men looked over as if to tell her ‘I told you so’. Well, the Blackhawk apple didn't roll far from the tree. They were their father’s children.

“I’m safe, Dad. I have Frick and Frack riding my ass. It may sound like fun, but it’s not.” When she picked up a second cookie, Callen took it from her.

“See?”

Wyler laughed. “Good. I want you to come home in one piece. I have lots of fry bread to make.”

“I can’t wait.” Elizabeth focused on Charlie. “Hey, baby girl. Momma misses you. When I get home, you and I are going to go shopping.”

Charlie looked around until she saw her on the tablet. Immediately, she tried to eat it.

“I love you,” she whispered, the tears filling her eyes.

It was hard to not get emotional. Elizabeth wanted to be home and in the worst way. Add to that the threat to her children, and she was scared.

Ethan dropped his arm over her shoulder as Callen used the pad of his thumb to wipe away a tear.

“It’s okay, baby,” Blackhawk whispered.

“We have you, angel,” Callen reassured.

She took a deep breath. Maybe calling wasn’t a good idea after all. When she was focused on work, her heart didn't ache. It was Christmas and they were stuck in a diner and hundreds of miles from their family.

It sucked.

No.

It pissed her off.

“Dad, we’ll call you later in the week if we can. Hold down the fort,” Ethan said.

“Is she okay?” Wyler asked, his eyes filling with so much concern. Elizabeth was the glue in their cookie. All three men wanted nothing more than keeping her happy.

She was their all.

“Yeah, we just want to be home for the holidays. We’ll be okay.”

“Be safe, kids,” stated Wyler. “When you get home, we’ll celebrate Christmas. Don’t worry about us. Focus on work.”

Yeah, easier said than done.

When the call was disconnected, she felt worse than before. The waitress came and put their food down in front of them, and they began eating.

At first, no one spoke.

“This sucks,” Callen stated, after chewing a piece of his lunch.

“The food?” Elizabeth asked.

“No. The part about us not being at home at Christmas. There’s something wrong with that. I’m trying to pretend it doesn’t bother me, but we should be with our kids.”

Oh, they agreed.

“We might make it home in time,” Ethan offered, trying to be the optimist. Someone had to do it.

“I wouldn’t have taken this case if I hadn’t been called out,” Elizabeth reassured. “I planned on playing ‘Susie Native Homemaker’ all week. I was going to wrap presents, make cookies, and deck the freaking halls.”

Ethan brushed a stray hair from her cheek. “We know. I hate it too, but we have to do this. We can’t be looking over our shoulder the next year, waiting for some nut to be sitting outside our home. It’s part of the job.”

Well, to repeat Callen’s sentiment, it sucked.

They continued eating, saying nothing.

When all three of their phones went off, Ethan pulled his out to read it. Then he dialed.

He was only on the phone for a few seconds.

“Send me the location. We’ll be right there.”

Callen took that as his cue, and he signaled the waitress for the check.

It looked like they were heading out.

“Another one?” Elizabeth asked, as she shoveled the rest of her food into her mouth. Who knew if she was going to eat later?

It had the makings of a long ass day, and they were stuck on this ride until they found the crazies.

“Not quite. That was Dakota. While he was at the sheriff’s office, a mailman came in to report something suspicious.”

She waited for it.

“What?” Callen asked.

“As he was delivering the mail on his route, he saw something out of the ordinary.”

“Like?” Elizabeth asked. “It wouldn’t happen to be two killers walking around with a large machete as they sipped dick cocktails, would it?”

“Jesus. I’m glad I’m done eating,” Callen stated. “That was pretty gross, even for you.”

She laughed. “Sorry. I forget my table manners. No talking about penises while eating.”

Ethan shook his head. “No, he found two really nicely wrapped presents sitting on someone’s porch.”

She didn't get it.

“Maybe someone dropped them off. It is Christmas, and people do that.”

“They’d been sitting there a couple days, and at first he thought they were part of the decorations, until he picked one up.”

“AND?”

“It was bleeding all over the place. Most gifts you give for the holidays don’t ooze blood. Well, the one’s that I get don’t.”

He had a point.

“He also noticed a week’s worth of papers all over the porch. Someone hasn’t been reading the news. He found that odd.”

It was.

The postman may have just given them one hell of a break on this one. They needed something, and this could be it.

As Ethan threw cash down on the check, they all stood up. It looked like their holiday scavenger hunt was far from over.

Lucky them.

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

After he finished typing his article, he proudly read back over it. It was his best work ever. Seth Denton had done a damn good job in digging up the truth.

It hadn’t been all that hard.

The three directors didn't exactly keep everything about their relationship hidden.

In fact, all he had to do was watch them. At first he found it odd that they weren’t really trying to hide it. Following them across the country, he located their house. All three lived in the same large stone structure. There was even a totem pole out front with
‘Fort Whitefox-Blackhawk’
hanging on it, proudly displaying that they called it home.

But that wasn’t all. Outside the cabin they were now staying in, as they were leaving to start their day, Elizabeth Blackhawk had given them both a not so chaste kiss.

At the crime scene she showered with her husband’s brother in the decontamination tent. It was like she wasn’t even bothered if the world knew the truth.

He took that as his sign.

If they didn't care, he didn't mind sharing what he’d been so astute at finding. It was obviously not some secret they cared to keep hidden. If that were the case, they would have been far more cautious instead of flaunting it.

He’d seen them on the television news shows, and BNN made the loose connection after they picked up Callen Whitefox kissing his sister-in-law on the forehead.

It seemed chaste, and they didn't run with it.

He did.

When this hit the wire, it was going to explode, and he was getting all the credit. When the truth came out, he was going to win some awards for investigative journalism.

Seth could smell a story a mile away, and this one reeked of secrets and hidden lies. When he blew it wide open, he was going to get accolades.

It was about damn time.

As he did his final check, he had one last opportunity to turn back.

It was now or never.

He made the choice. Hitting the button, it was sent off to his editor.

It was done.

Tomorrow, it would hit the papers, and the world would know that Ethan Blackhawk and Callen Whitefox, both directors for the FBI, were sharing one woman.

Then he’d get an interview.

They’d have no choice.

It looked like he’d won this one. The Blackhawks had met their match.

Finally.

Chapter Nine

Thursday Afternoon

Pulling up, they knew it was going to be a spectacle. The sheriff was there, blocking traffic past the street, and his deputies were wandering around as they tried to uphold the perimeter.

The tech team was suiting up at the bottom of the drive, and Chris Leonard didn't look all that happy with the situation.

Generally, he was the king of smiles.

That told Elizabeth that someone had recently pissed in his Cheerios.

Once they got past the police barricade, they headed toward their ME.

“Why the crankies, Doc?” she asked. “You look like you’re about to chew through someone’s ass.”

God!

She hoped it wasn’t hers. Honestly, she was losing patience with everyone.

“The wonderful sheriff informed me that I can’t approach the boxes until you made your presence known. Apparently, he thinks I’m going to contaminate the case’s evidence.”

She started laughing.

He glared at her. “I’m serious, Lyzee. That backwoods yokel is going to get hurt. I’m a man on the edge.”

She saw that.

“It’s okay, Christopher. I’ll talk to him,” she promised. They all knew Chris hated when people screwed with his evidence, and now the sheriff had found another way to drive the normally calm man insane. While she may be running the scene, Chris was the boss when it came to bodies—or their parts.

Whistling, she got the sheriff’s attention. While this matter was easily handled, it was very childish. There was no doubt that the sheriff wanted to show he had bigger balls than the FBI did.

Boy, was he wrong.

It was time to teach the man a lesson, FBI style. She was going to make his life a living hell.

“So, what’s the deal?” she asked, when he approached the team.

“With what?”

She pointed at her ME. “Doctor Leonard should have been up there dealing with this already. He does his job, and then I can do mine.”

The man shrugged. “Listen, Mrs. FBI, I get that you’re here and running this, but I’m not comfortable with people running willy nilly all over a crime scene. I told him to wait. That’s it. My deputy will let him proceed now that you’re here.”

She stared at him. “He’s been to about five thousand crime scenes for the FBI. He’s not only the king of willy, but nilly is his bitch. When he rolls up, he’s a Fed. Treat him accordingly, or it’ll be your ass on that silver platter. As for running around,” she began, waving her arms to encompass the man’s deputies, “your men are running amuck on my scene. Get them in control. Are we clear?”

He muttered something under his breath.

She caught it.

As did both Ethan and Callen.

Before they could make a comment, she moved closer. “Maybe I didn't make myself clear. If you’re going throw names around, let me assure you that my vocabulary is extensive. I’ve gone toe to toe with more powerful men. I’m a woman in charge of a large FBI hub. You don’t even come close to intimidating me. Now, shut up, learn some manners, or this ‘bitch’ will own you too.”

He didn't say anything more.

“Whose house is this?” she asked, hoping someone had the sense to get her the information. Now she was three days past pissed off.

Dakota popped into the conversation. “We have Maximillian Schneider and his wife Lily listed as residents. They’ve owned it for the last decade.”

When they all looked over, he laughed. “I’m a Marshal, but I can still run a search. It’s not that difficult.”

The man was doing exactly what they asked, so they were grateful.

She waited for more. “Well? What else do we have on them?” she asked.

“He’s wealthy and owns some businesses. His wife doesn’t have a career, and she’s more his ‘trophy’.”

“Okay, then let’s get this done.”

They headed up the drive. When they got to the deputy, they stopped. He was standing there.

“What’s your name?” she asked, not recognizing him from the other deputies she’d seen in the sheriff’s office.

“I’m Usher Ott, ma’am.”

“Did this man approach you before?” she asked, pointing at her ME as he gloved up. “He’s pretty important to our team.”

The man didn't look impressed. “I saw him. I had orders from the sheriff, and I followed them. That’s my boss, and this is my job.”

She loved when some man-child gave her lip. It made her want to yank it off his face and stick it in the middle of his forehead.

“I just wanted you to meet him officially. The next time he approaches you, and you don’t give him access to a scene, he’s going to be the man who does your autopsy. Trust me, you don’t want to take that route. He’s prone to using a dull scalpel and making a Z-incision instead of a Y.”

The man looked back and forth between them as if trying to figure out if she was yanking his chain or not.

“I’ll be the one committing your homicide.”

He lifted the yellow tape.

As they walked up the hill, in a cluster of Feds, cops, and Marshals, Callen was snickering.

“See, Chris? When they give you a hard time, just threaten death. It’s a motivating.”

He was grateful for her help. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he offered.

At the porch, Chris went to work. Slowly, he cut away the wrapping paper from the boxes. The mailman had been right.

The one was a leaky mess.

As Merry stood beside him, holding a bag for all the evidence, Chris tried to keep the scene pristine. It wasn’t like they could use any fingerprints, but they still had to follow protocol. When this went to court, they’d need to make sure it was done by the letter of the law.

“It’s the very same ribbon as the other boxes Callen received,” he stated.

“I know this is a long shot, but, Merry, try tracing it. I know there’s a slim chance, but we have to work every lead to the end.”

“Got it, boss.”

Chris continued to work until the top of the box was freed from the decorations. “Are we ready?” he asked, trying to avoid the red stained snow on the porch.

“Yes, we are. Do your thing, Doc.”

He slowly lifted the lid. Inside, there was definitely a head, and it belonged to a woman.”

Callen had Lily Schneider’s driver’s license picture pulled up on his tablet in seconds. He held it beside the box so Chris could do the visual.

“It’s her,” he stated. “She has some facial bruising, but this woman is the one in the picture.”

Her skin was rock hard and she was frozen.

“She’s been out here a while. She’s a head-cicle. I’m going to have to defrost her before I take the top of her skull off. Her brain is going to be like carving through a frozen turkey.”

Elizabeth waited as Merry bagged the entire box, not willing to lose any of the precious trace.

Chris moved on to the second box. He proceeded to follow the same protocol until the box was open. Inside, he found a man’s head.

“Visual please,” he asked.

Callen delivered. As he held it out for him, he couldn’t help but think about Elizabeth. The killer wanted to do this to them, and he couldn’t let it happen. Callen wouldn’t let his brother open two boxes with his loved ones in them. It would be brutal.

“It’s him. I’m calling it.”

Elizabeth patted him on the back. “Thanks, Doc. You head back to the morgue with our dead friends’ heads, and I’ll keep Merry here as we roll through the house. Have Tony assist.”

He nodded. Pulling off his gloves, he stared at her. “Be careful,” he stated, holding out his fist.

When she bumped his, Elizabeth winked. She knew what was bothering him. Ethan had the same look on his face. “Got it, Doctor Death. I’ll be fine. Get me something on Mr. and Mrs. Schneider, please.”

With that, he headed off, a tech helping him with the two bags.

“Merry, I want pictures of everything. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As they approached the door, they knew they had to be careful. Chances were, the killers were gone, but that didn't mean she was going to sashay in there unarmed.

Pointing at Dakota and his partner, she motioned to the back of the house. If they wanted in, she’d let them help. They could use the backup.

Dakota read the signal and motioned to Delaney to follow him. Together, they trotted off to make sure no one tried to make a break for it out the back door.

As she touched the door, both men squeezed in front of her like some sexy Native wall of armor.

Apparently, Ethan and Callen were going in first, and they didn't care if she protested. As they stood there, ready to kick in the door, Elizabeth waited.

She knew there was no point fighting. They were hell bent on keeping her and the baby safe.

So instead of busting their balls, she simply counted them down.

Three…

Two…

One…

They booted the door and went in. Elizabeth kept her one free hand on the back of Ethan’s jacket. She couldn’t feel Kevlar beneath, and that gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

They were going to be having a conversation about that later. In fact, they all were.

As soon as they stepped inside, they were assaulted with the sound of cheery Christmas music. Then the brutal stench hit them like a brick wall.

It stole their breath.

Death was here.

Or at least it had been. Now all that was left was the ruin of life.

As the sheriff cleared the upstairs of the large house, Elizabeth could see Dakota and Delaney moving toward them.

“We have a mess in the kitchen,” he stated. “Our killers were definitely here, and they didn’t care if they left chaos behind.”

Ethan couldn’t help but notice the mess in the dining room too. “I saw the photos from the scene Callen ran, and this place looks pretty much the same.”

Callen agreed, holstering his gun. “It definitely looks like the other scene,” he offered. Since he was the only one who walked it, he took over, leading them into the kitchen.

“Here’s where they dismembered them,” he stated, pointing to the cut marks in the granite countertops. From those slices, it looked like some power tool was used. Granite is pretty hard.”

“I don’t see any tools.”

They all looked around.

“So they’re coming prepared,” Ethan stated. In his mind, he was building the profile. Every little bit added to it, making a clearer picture in his head. That would benefit his wife when she had to pull this all together.

Callen pointed at the blender. “It looks like they like protein shakes.”

The sheriff looked grossed out.

He should be.

Pulling on her gloves, Elizabeth held out her hand to Merry, and like she was a mind reader, the woman handed her a wooden tongue depressor.

“You’re not going to play in that, are you?” the sheriff asked. “Oh my God! You’re going to…”

“Stir up some dick?” she asked. “Actually, I am.”

When he watched her from a safe distance, she wanted to laugh. It wasn’t like she planned on throwing it at him.

The man was too much.

As he looked around, she glanced up. “Something wrong, Sheriff O’Neil?”

“I’m just looking for my one deputy. She should be here handling this. I don’t have a stomach for this mess.”

Yeah, well not many people did.

Elizabeth handed Merry the blender. “Process this. It’s chunky. I’m willing to bet that there’s processed penis in there.”

While her husbands looked on, they tried not to laugh. While the whole thing was gross, but the more someone didn't want Elizabeth to talk about something, the more she would. The sheriff’s horror was her amusement.

You couldn’t stop the runaway train, and she was behind the wheel.

Elizabeth strolled through the kitchen. When Dakota tried to talk to her, she simply held up her hand to stop him. This was her first walk through, and she needed to think.

“What’s she doing?” he asked.

Ethan glanced over. “She’s walking through the scene as if she the killer.”

He stared at her. “Really?”

“Yes. It’s how she gets into his mind.”

Dakota didn't know what to think about that. This wasn’t the woman he fell in love with all those years ago. She was harder, colder, and didn't feel like she once did. The job had changed her.

He could see it in her eyes.

“The killers would have needed something to restrain the male victim,” stated Elizabeth. She’d seen Maximillian’s driver’s license, and the man wasn’t a lightweight. “If some crazies were in our house, Ethan and Callen, trying to hurt me, what would you do?”

“Fight,” they said at the same time.

She knew they would. It wouldn’t be a one sided fight. “The killer had to incapacitate and then restrain. Find me what he used.”