Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) (76 page)

Elizabeth stared up at the giant crucifix above the door. “Score one for the mortal sinner.”

Out in the Navigator, she
put on her sunglasses as she began laughing. Sometimes, secrets were best left unsaid for a reason.

This was proof of that.

Pulling away, Elizabeth focused on what mattered most- her family, her friendships, and the insatiable need to find justice for the victims who had no voice.

God would have to wait.

Life was for the living, and she had no regrets.

None whatsoever.

                                *     *     *

At the Hospital

Tony was awake and lying there. When
Elizabeth walked in, there was no doubt he was in pain. Her poor friend was suffering, and she wanted to offer him some peace.

Sitting, she told him all about it.

Now, he’d have justice.

“I hurt, Elizabeth,” he finally said, his hand over his heart.

“I know, Tony,” she said, taking his fingers in hers. “Many years ago, a very good friend of mine told me something. He informed me that when it was darkest, I could rely on my friends to get me through.”

“That was me.
I told you that right after Ray was killed.”

She kissed him on the forehead. “I know, and I’m
giving it back to you. For all these years, I’ve carried it as a talisman to keep me safe, and now it’s your turn. All I’m asking is for you to get better and trust me to do what I’m promising. I’ll take care of everything for you. Have I ever let my friends down?”

“No, you haven’t.”

“Then give me this, and you just focus on healing your physical wounds. I’ve got your back.”

For the first time in hours, Tony Magnus
had hope. Elizabeth was a pit bull when it came to her friends, and he knew it. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for the people she loved.

“If you want, I can go hunt her down and kick her ass for you,” she teased.

It made more tears fill his eyes. Soon, they began falling.

“I just want her back, Lyzee,” he whispered.
“Just get her back for me, so I can live again.”

“Okay, Tony.” Sliding onto the bed, she held her arms open
, and he slowly moved into them. While he mourned for love, she held him against her body. Sometimes you had to fight the world for your friends, and sometimes you just had to hold them up when they were weak.

Either way, she’d keep her word.

This was far from over.

Come hell or high water, Tony Magnus would get love back.

It was only a matter of time, and working out the small details.

In the end
, love conquered all.

~ Epilogue ~

Two Weeks Later

The last few days had gone by in a whirlwind.

After returning home from Devil’s Lake, the entire family had to regroup. Wyler moved into the house from his above the garage apartment, so Tony could be moved in.

Transporting him had been the easy part. It was his destroyed heart that was the major
problem. His gunshot wound was healed, and he’d become part of their family-more so than before.

You learned a lot about a person when they lived in your home. Before, they knew he was funny, but what shocked them was his incredibly fragile heart. Obviously,
his tough childhood had forced him to build walls to keep him safe. As soon as he was inundated with their kids, the truth had come out.

Tony Magnus was a very gentle man.

Now, the walls were crumbling. For the first time in his life, it appeared that he trusted someone other than himself and best buddy Chris Leonard. He began opening up and sharing the real man beneath the jokester.

It was a beautiful thing.

Even Wyler’s life was changing. Gone was the albatross from his neck, and he appeared to be free. Once the ghosts of Bly Cocheta were gone, they found a really great housekeeper to help him out. Cindy Melrose was sweet and very helpful. She was also very married, and that helped make the transition easier.

Any temptation was off the table
as Wyler could feel safe and secure with his decisions. At first, he was wary. When Cindy arrived, and he discovered that she was madly in love with her husband, it helped take all the pressure off.

There was no way Wyler would be getting any pies from this woman.

Which, he was more than happy about. For now, he was going to remain single.

It was best for everyone, especially him.

Elizabeth’s birthday had come and gone. On her special day, she had a peaceful night out with her men. They promised her a birthday redo and a cake on the day she used her spa present from Ethan. In her opinion, after you turn forty, it was all downhill anyway, so the exact day to celebrate didn't matter.

Just bring on the cake.

At that moment, she was enjoying a day away from it all at the spa, getting her relaxation on.

It was heaven.

Her toes were painted pink, because it made both men crazy, and her muscles were lax from the massage. After all the pampering, all she really wanted was to go home, roll around on the floor with her babies and step back into the role of mother.

It was the greatest job in the world
.

As she pulled up to the house, she noticed the lights weren’t on, which was odd. Elizabeth had texted Ethan and Callen that she was on her way home.

Then again, she never did get a reply, so maybe she’d have time to shower and start dinner for them.

At the front door, she slipped in her key, waiting to hear the two dogs barking like mad.

They weren’t.

Again, that was odd. Her fierce little balls of fluff were generally the first ones to greet her.

Heading in, she set the alarm and hit the lights. The silence made her uneasy. In fact, it freaked her out. It wasn’t like she didn't like a quiet house, especially when theirs was anything but…

This was just odd.

Now, she was on alert.

Rounding the corner, a herd of people jumped out at her.

“Happy birthday!” they shouted.

When she didn't even jump, they all started laughing. Of course she wasn’t going to react.

Why wasn’t Ethan surprised?

Looking around the group, her eyes did fill with tears. Here was her extended family and friends. There was no doubt who had his Native fingers all over this one. Ethan Blackhawk was going to get his ass kicked, and from the grin on his face, he knew it.

Chris and Cyra Leonard rushed forward, giving her a hug and kiss as they wished her a belated happy birthday. “We wish we could have been here for that actual day,” Chris stated. “Ethan was nice enough to wait until we got back!”

“Yeah, he
is something,” she said, pointing at him. He simply laughed, grinning wickedly.

After the Leonards
had finished, Tori and Julian Littlemoon came at her. She was so glad to see her friend. Hugging Tori, she released her to rub her baby belly. “Momma, you came to see me!”

“How could I not?” Tori said, kissing her friend on the cheek. “I’ve missed you, and who doesn’t want to jump out and scare Elizabeth Blackhawk when she’s not armed.”

She laughed. “Yeah, lucky me. My family is a bunch of sickos.”

Julian hugged her. “Hey, Tex. I’ve arrived for my teepee tour.
Bring it on.”

She slugged him, and then so did Tori.

“Damn girlfriend code,” he muttered, winking at her. “We brought someone to see you,” Julian offered, moving out of the way. There stood Christina, and she was definitely pregnant.

“Holy crap! That baby is bigger than you!” she teased, opening her arms
to embrace her ex-tech.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” she said, laughing and crying at the same time. “Damn hormones!
Happy Birthday, boss lady!”

Elizabeth wiped her own eyes. This was a pretty amazing feeling, even if she never wanted a surprise party for just this reason. Love made her weepy.

Bad ass Elizabeth Blackhawk hated being a public puddle of mush.

“Christina,
I’m so happy to see you. Thank you for leaving and torturing me these last few months. I’ve had to start dying my hair thanks to you.”

She laughed. “Yeah,
that’s funny because when you became my boss, I had to start dying mine. Looks like we’re even.”

Elizabeth laughed and accepted a hug from Christina’s fiancé.
When Kane picked her up off the ground in a bear hug, she was amused.

Immediately, her
men cleared their throats.

It only made her laugh that much more.

Then, Ethan and Callen moved toward her. Each offered up a kiss, and she accepted them because she was the belated birthday girl, and this was her damn house.

“You’re in so much trouble,
Ethan Jackson Blackhawk.”

Callen snickered
, glad that he was off the hook on this one. This was all Ethan, and he wasn’t going to get scalped for it.

His outburst
had her attention next. “Laugh it up, chuckles. You’re in just as much trouble for not warning me in advance. You’re an accessory to the crime.”

The men didn't care.

This moment was worth it.

“You said a party with your family, and here they are.
We couldn’t have a birthday celebration without all of them.”

They had a very valid point.

She’d walked right into this one.

“Now, you have to give a speech!” shouted Chris Leonard, who was elbowed by his wife.

Elizabeth laughed. Little did she know that life would change once she let these people into her heart.

Family was a wonderful thing.

She was blessed.

“I want to thank you for coming,” she said, watching CJ toddle over to Tony Magnus. Immediately, the man scooped him up and held him in his good arm.

It touched her heart.

“I didn't know Ethan was going to do this, but I’m glad
he did. I never saw it coming and frankly, I love it. I didn't know what I was missing. So, thank you for coming, and I hope Ethan has lots of food and cake planned, because there are four pregnant women in this room. If he doesn’t, he’s screwed.”

They all laughed.

“In honor of my daughter’s birthday,” said Wyler, “we’re having all Native American cuisine. After presents for the birthday girl, you’ll find there’s enough food to feed an army.”

She blew him a kiss.
“I love you, Dad.”

The feeling was mutual.

Callen decided to kick it off and got everyone’s attention. “Speaking of birthday presents,” he began. “I have one for my beautiful wife.”

Whenever he used that word, Elizabeth’s heart would skip in her chest. “This should be fun,” she offered, knowing the waterworks were about to turn on.

Ethan winked at Elizabeth. He couldn’t wait until Callen was finished, because they had a little surprise for him too. This was one more reason why they needed to wait on the party. Callen’s gift took some time.

Official red tape was a bitch.

“I toiled long and hard over what to get you for your birthday. It’s not easy when you’re in love with someone so amazing. There are few things that can show my love and adoration. After all, you gave me a child. There’s nothing greater than that.”

Christina yelled
, “Diamonds hurt less!”

T
hey all laughed.

“I picked out something that would last almost as long,” he began. “Years ago, I fell in love with my brother’s wife.”

Ethan laughed. He loved whenever Callen said that. Generally, it caused mayhem for anyone listening. Since they were with family, it wasn’t a surprise.

“I was fortunate enough that she
had the same feelings for me. Ironically, on the day she married Ethan a second time, I got a tattoo with her initials in it on my shoulder. It was to tell the world that she’d always have my back, and heart. Well, over the last two years, that’s grown, so much so, that it’s not enough. So, I took it a step further.”

Unbuttoning his shirt, he held it open to face h
er. Callen watched the emotion as she saw her name written across his entire chest. It was beautifully scripted and a work of art.