Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12) (48 page)

Immediately, Ethan took the call in the hallway while Elizabeth pulled on her gear.

“Please be safe out there,” Callen whispered. “Our child…”

She understood. “I’ll be okay. I need you to get stronger and come home. That’s our priority now.”

He stared down at his arm.

Elizabeth moved closer. “Callen James, do you trust me?”

He nodded. “More than anyone.”

“Then I’ll get you back into the saddle. You have to believe in me. It may take us a few weeks, but you’ll be shooting leftie better than I am. In the meantime, we’ll get your arm stronger too. You have to have faith in me.”

“Can I have a kiss?”

“My love, you can have the heart in my chest if you ask for it.”

His eyes welled with tears as she kissed him. Her lips moved slowly over his, sharing her love for him. There would be no doubt in his mind how she felt about Callen.

This was pure love.

When she pulled away, Ethan was back.

“We have two more victims. The daughter of one of them found the bodies when she arrived home.”

Great.

Ethan focused on his father as he rested behind Elizabeth. Callen must not have realized he was there. “Dad, can you keep him company?”

Callen glanced over, moving his head so fast that pain shot down his side.

“Can do. Callen and I have to have a talk.”

Ethan reached into his messenger bag. He’d retrieved his brother’s badge and gun. He held the gold shield in his fingers. “Here, Cal. I’m not taking this from you. I know you’ll be back. I know how tough you are.”

He stared at him.

“I hope you’re right, Ethan.”

“I am right. Watch and see. Until then,” he began, handing his brother’s sidearm to his father, “if anyone comes near him that looks like they’re going to hurt him, shoot them. You’re on duty.”

Wyler took the nine millimeter and tucked it into the back of his pants. “I won’t let anyone hurt my son. Not ever again. I’m here to protect him.”

Elizabeth was ready. The second she clipped on her badge and gun, she was on duty.

“Put one between their eyes,” Wyler said, never looking away from his daughter-in-law. “The raven knows best.”

It said it all.

As she headed toward the door, Callen called out her name. When she turned, he looked pissed.

“Find the person who did this, Elizabeth. Make them pay.”

He didn't have to ask.

Oh, she was going to do more than that. She was going to show them what happened when you touched one of her men.

There was hell to pay over Callen’s spilled blood.

This was far from over…

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

Victim’s House

When they arrived, they found a hysterical woman on the front porch. She couldn’t be more than twenty five years old, and she looked vaguely familiar.

Only, Elizabeth couldn’t quite place her.

As they approached, she stopped to ask a local cop what was going on.

“Deputy Becker, what’s the deal with the blonde?”

He pulled out his notepad. “We got a call about an hour ago from some screaming woman. Dispatch couldn’t understand her, so they traced the call here and sent us in. When we arrived, we found her on the porch. She came home from a trip, and she found her father and stepmother dead.”

“Is it like the others?” she asked.

He shook his head. “They’re dead, but the killers didn't get to cut them up yet. They lost their heads, but they’re still inside too. It looks like Bonnie and Clyde didn't expect her to return, and she interrupted their play time.”

She made notes.

“She’s lucky that she didn't join them.”

Elizabeth was well aware. These two criminals were vicious. They shot a Fed. They wouldn’t think twice about taking a civilian out.

“Thank you, Deputy. Can you keep the media back? The last thing she needs is to be assaulted by flashing lights.”

He nodded and hustled away.

Before she could get to the door, the two agents were there.

“What do you have?” she asked.

“We have Cooper Douglas and his wife, Adeline. He was on the travel list, but we didn't have time to get to him. We were planning on tomorrow morning.”

She knew it wasn’t their fault.

These killers were on her last nerve.

“At least we know how they’re picking their victims. I need you to head out to the last two on the list.”

“What can we do?” Dakota asked.

When she turned, he and Delaney were standing there. Elizabeth hadn’t seen him after Callen was brought to his room. She was awash with emotions.

“You can take one, and my team can take another. I want you both to sit on them. If they leave, follow. If these killers were surprised, they aren’t going to strike tonight. There will be that adrenaline rush that they escaped. They’ll regroup.”

They all agreed.

“Ma’am, how’s Director Whitefox?” Johanna asked.

She took a deep breath. “He’s awake. They put him back together again. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that there’s no long term damage.”

She let it go at that.

Her team would figure it out. If she said the words, Elizabeth would start to cry.

“We wanted to stop by, but we figured you’d want us to keep working.”

“I do. We need to find this couple. I’ve had about enough of this jackassery and tomfoolery. When you start picking off my husbands, I get bitchy.”

Ethan patted her on the shoulder.

“You’re dismissed, Agents. Keep running those interviewees. I want anything you can find on any of them.”

They wouldn’t let her down.

Before she could head toward the door, there was a hand on her arm.

“Elizabeth, maybe you should find someone else to handle this,” Dakota said.

Delaney agreed. “You’re only human.”

“You’re too close on this one. Your husband was just shot. He nearly died.”

She turned to face him. “While I appreciate your concern, I’m fine. I have a job to do, and I’m going to handle it. I don’t have the luxury right now to back down and hide.”

“You’re marked. We saw the note.”

She shrugged. “I don’t kill easily. Others have tried. I’m like a fucking cat. I’ve got about six or seven lives left before my time is up. If Bonnie and Clyde think I’m going to bolt, they’re dead wrong. There’s a showdown coming, and I’m going to make sure they pay for all the death they passed around this holiday.”

Dakota didn't know what to say.

“If they want me, they’re going to have to work for it. If I keep moving, they have to keep moving. The odds are in my favor. If I go down, at least it was while I was fighting for justice.”

With that, she stormed off.

Ethan tried to keep his cool. This reminded him of the time she challenged a killer, and they nearly died trying to save Doctor Trudeaux from her crazed brother and stepmother.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Dakota stated to Ethan. “You have to stop her.”

Yeah, the only problem with that was nothing but a squad of armor clad Marines could stop her.

She was pissed.

And she was out for payback.

.

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

Callen didn't want to talk to his father, but he couldn’t sleep. The meds had worn off, and he was still wide awake. What he really needed was an escape route.

He began praying the nurse would come in to offer up more drugs. He couldn’t get any more morphine from the pump, so until he could medicate, he was trapped with his dad.

He knew what was coming.

Callen could feel it hanging over them ominously.

This was going to be just as painful as being shot.

He was sure of it.

Wyler climbed onto the bed that Ethan had been using. When he got comfortable, he stared over at his son. “I want to say some things to you.”

“Well, I’m a captive audience,” he muttered, wishing he wasn’t on the fifth floor. He would have rather jumped than talked to anyone at that point.

“I need to ask you something.”

Callen waited for it.

“Were you sexually abused as a child?”

Well, it had gone from bad to worse. While he didn't want his father talking about his arm, he REALLY didn't want to talk about his past.

Well shit!

Jumping was sounding better and better.

“Callen?”

He didn't speak.

As far as he knew, no one had ratted him out. Together, as a couple, they made a pact not to tell Wyler. They didn't believe he could handle the truth.

“Dad.”

“Callen James, please just tell me the truth.”

“Why do you ask?”

“About a month ago, you were in the office talking on the phone. I think it was your therapist. You brought it up, and I didn't know how to approach it. Since we nearly lost you, I can’t hold it in anymore. I need to know the truth. As your father, I need you to be honest with me.”

Well, at least it wasn’t his brother or Elizabeth who betrayed him. It was his own stupidity for having a conversation in the house.

“Yes, Dad, I was.”

“By who?” he asked.

“It was Charlene’s boyfriend—the one she was with before she OD’d.”

“For how long?” Wyler asked.

“Quite a few years. When she wasn’t forgetting to feed me, she’d let her boyfriend use me. My reward was food.”

Wyler looked down at his hands, and then over at his son’s. They were the same. Callen had his thick, strong fingers. He also had his heart. Wyler knew that Callen was sensitive and gentle beneath the big bulk of Native strength.

He wanted to weep. Here, he’d failed his son.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

Callen closed his eyes. “Because I didn't want to hurt you with it. I knew you’d feel horrible, and I love you too much to do that to you. I was also ashamed,” he stated. “I allowed it to happen to survive. When I was about to take my life, Granddad found me. He saved me.”

“I’m so sorry. I hate that my drinking caused you more harm. I hate that I let you down again and again.”

Callen patted him on the leg with his left hand. “I’m fine, Dad. It’s over.”

Wyler needed to know one thing.

“Is he dead?”

“Who?” Callen asked.

“The man who hurt you.”

“No, he’s alive, but Ethan handled him.”

“So everyone knew, and no one thought to tell me that my son was abused?”

Callen could feel the drugs kicking in.

Finally.

He could hide.

“It wasn’t their story to tell. It’s been mine, Dad, and until the last year, I wasn’t ready to bring it up. It took so many hours of therapy to be able to admit I was abused. Ethan and Elizabeth have been helping me work through it. If they told you, it would have damaged our relationship. I trusted them, and I didn't want you to know.”

Wyler was angry.

“I would have killed Charlene and that piece of filth to save you.”

He struggled to keep his eyes open. “I believe you. Granddad said the same thing.”

“I’m sorry, son. I’m so damn sorry I failed you. It won’t ever happen again. I swear.”

Callen’s tongue and mind went fuzzy.

When his head lulled to the side, Wyler placed his hand on his youngest son’s cheek. He’d failed with so many things in his life, but this was his greatest regret.

Callen had been hurt.

Looking down at his boy’s arm, he gently ran his fingers over the burn-likes cars. Until that moment, he didn't realize that they were part of it. Until hearing the truth, he didn't see what was there before him.

His son had suffered because of him.

This was almost too much to bear.

When he looked over at the table, he saw his oldest son’s tablet. Ethan had left it in case of an emergency. There would never be one more than right now. He knew he probably shouldn’t do it, but he wanted to find this man.