Blood Shall Run (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 15) Page 19

  Callen and Elizabeth both glanced over.

  “They were just together.”

  Boone wasn’t shocked. He believed in the woman’s skill. He knew what he’d learned by listening to them. He wouldn’t mock her.

  “Priestess,” he said, stopping the conversation from progressing, “If you think of anyone, can you please assist us. It would mean a lot to me and the director.”

  She thought about it.

  “I can ask around. Since it’s for someone who believes, I’ll be more than happy to help out. I won’t help her. She’s mean.”

  Elizabeth started laughing. “I guess I’ll take my jump rope and go home.”

  Callen kicked her.

  She rubbed her ankle.

  “Thank you, Priestess. That’s very fair.” Reaching into his pocket, Boone pulled out some skeleton keys and a little bottle of rum. He placed it on the table beside the candle. “Thank the spirits for me, and I will do so later at my home.”

  She smiled. “I will, Detective. Oh, and they wish for me to give the director something.”

  “A tetanus shot?” she asked.

  She ignored her and dug around in a box.

  It was so bizarre that Elizabeth had to watch her. It was like a train running off the track.

  “Where is it?” she mumbled.

  Elizabeth lifted a brow. She wasn’t sure what the item could possibly be. A chicken head? A voodoo doll all of her own? The fetus of a small giraffe?

  At this point, it was up in the air. Somehow, she managed to keep her mouth shut.

  It wasn’t easy.

  She had a boatload of snark, and it was dying to come out. Elizabeth couldn’t help it. This woman was asking for it.

  When she glanced over, the detective was giving her the look. She relaxed her face and tried not to twitch. Even Callen was staring at her as if she was the possessed one in the room.

  Yeah, that was ironic, considering what the hell was going on around them.

  “Oh! I remember.”

  Marie pulled a medallion from around her neck. “I saw you in my sleep, Director. I was told to give you this. If you’ll carry it with you, you’ll understand. Maybe it’s because of your fiery temper.”

  She slid it across the table.

  Elizabeth picked it up by the cord.

  “You can wear it next to the pouch beside your heart.”

  That freaked her out a little, since no one knew it was on her person, not even Callen. Wyler had begun leaving them for her whenever they went away. It helped him stay calm, and she was humoring him by wearing it.

  When she had on a vest, she had on the pouch. It was tucked beside the ceramic plates. No one knew that but her.

  That gave her pause.

  “Thank you, Ms. Babineaux. I appreciate it.”

  She didn’t put it around her neck, simply because she wanted it for DNA.

  Sue her.

  She was a Fed, and the woman just gave her something with trace. This was like Christmas day for a cop.

  “Come back when you have more questions. I’ll ask around about anyone who could be doing these crimes. For the record, Voodoo is a peaceful religion.”

  She pointed at the chicken feet hanging above the fireplace. “Yeah tell that to your fine feathered friends. They don’t look all that peaceful without all their parts in one place.”

  Marie laughed. “I like you, Elizabeth Renee Whitefox-Blackhawk. Go in peace.”

  That was their sign.

  All the way out, Callen was tense. Once they were outside, he lifted her chin. “Please tell me you aren’t wearing one of Dad’s pouches.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I’m not.”

  He relaxed.

  “It’s tucked into the vest above my heart.”

  She reached into the front of her vest and pulled it out by the leather cord.

  “Oh, holy shit. I think I’m going to puke. There’s no way she would have known that. I didn’t even know it!”

  Oh, she was well aware.

  The detective laughed.

  They then focused on him. The looks he was getting said it all. It was time for him to eat some crow.

  “I’m sorry, but it was a calculated risk not telling you. If you want me off this case, I get it.”

  Elizabeth measured her options. Inside, she was creeped out, and her gut was screaming. Out here, in the daylight, by this man, she was perfectly fine. He didn’t give her that scary, bad feeling at all. She was going to go with her instinct. It hadn’t led her astray as of yet.

  “First, three questions.”

  “Shoot,” he said, pulling his hair back in a ponytail.

  It reminded her of something Ethan would do, and she suddenly missed him.

  “What the hell is this thing,” she asked, holding up the medallion by the cord.

  He didn’t touch it, but he examined the medallion as it hung there between them. “It’s Ogoun. He’s the God of fire. It’s a medallion of protection. The priestess must have liked you. It’s one of hers. You can tell by the initials engraved on the back.”

  She glanced over at Callen. “Tissue?”

  He pulled a latex glove out of his back pocket. “No, but will this do?”

  “It will.”

  She dropped it into the glove to keep it safe.

  “DNA?” Boone asked.

  “Yep. If she’s giving it up, I’m having Merry run it for any hits against our crime scene. If that happens, I’m going to bring her in for a formal questioning—or I’ll kick her ass until she tells me what I want to know.”

  Boone didn’t say anything.

  He knew that Elizabeth was playing with fire. Voodoo, here in New Orleans, was powerful. It went back to the African slaves, the Native slaves, and the Creole people whose blood tainted the land.

  “Next question?”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you really believe in all of this hoodoo Voodoo stuff?” she asked, curiously.

  “Yes, I do. I have an altar at home. I don’t do group rituals because I think they’re too showy, but I believe in the spirits. How is it any different than the Native belief that our ancestors are around us until they cross?”

  He had a very valid point.

  “Okay, then I’m going to go with my gut on this one, and play nice with the Voodoo priestess.”

  Callen touched her forehead. “Do you need some medicine? Do you have a fever? I should take you to the closest medical facility.”

  That reminded her.

  She kicked him in the shin.

  “Shit! What was that for?”

  She smiled sweetly at him. “That’s for the shot inside when your boot met my leg.”

  “You’re mean.”

  “Yeah, remember that.”

  Boone couldn’t help but smile. They had an interesting work dynamic.

  “Now to answer your question, I’m fine. I’m just running this with a calm head and cool temper. I’m pissed that you didn’t warn me, Boone, but I get it. It’s your private life, and that’s your business. Would you have told us if she didn’t see the medallion around your wrist?”

  “No. It’s private and no one’s business but my own.”

  She got that.

  It was like their sex lives. No one should be digging around in them, and religion was a personal thing.

  “I can respect that.”

  He relaxed.

  That’s when she went in for the kill.

  “What’s your intention with my head tech, Merry? Are you serious about her, or are you just chumming the water to see what turns up?”

  He stared at her. “That’s kind of personal too.”

  She grinned. “Yeah, but unlike the whole Voodoo thing, I like to play momma bird over my team. They matter. Merry matters.”

  He stared her right in the eyes. “What if I told you a spirit told me that I was going to meet the woman I was supposed to marry, and it was her?”

  She started laughing.

  Tha
t was the entertainment she needed after being freaked out by the priestess. Hearing him say that he already knew Merry was supposed to be his wife didn’t faze her. After all, Ethan had seen her in a dream and chased her down. That was probably the one thing she bought into from that whole day.

  “Well?” he asked, waiting for her to tell him he was nuts.

  “I’d tell you that you were bat shit insane, and welcome you to the damn club. I like you, Detective. I really do, despite the stunt you pulled today.”

  She headed down the street.

  When he didn’t follow, she glanced over her shoulder. “Are you coming or not?”

  “Is that an invite?” Boone asked.

  “It is. We have a crypt to check out.” Then she laughed as she walked down the street.

  Callen sighed.

  “Is that a sign of what’s to come?” Boone asked.

  “I have no idea. I’ve never heard her say she liked someone before—especially someone who works as a cop. Usually, she makes them bleed after they pull a stunt like you did.”

  Boone smiled. “Maybe the spirits are on my side.”

  Callen patted him on the back. “Don’t push your luck. She can turn on a dime, and your colon will be under her boot before you can say her name.”

  “Uh…”

  “Yeah, go with that.”

  He watched the two Feds walk away, and he relaxed. At least that secret was out. Now he could focus on getting Meredith Peyton to stop being so skittish, so he could figure out if what he’d seen had been right.

  If it was, he suspected he was going to have one hell of a fight on his hand. The woman he was supposed love was broken by someone else’s hand.

  And that pissed him off.

  Chapter Seven

  After talking to Ethan, Tony knew that he needed to give Elizabeth some sort of heads up. Ethan was going to handle the Chris issue, but truth be told, Tony didn’t want Chris blowing up at their friend.

  No one deserved that.

  While it wasn’t in Chris’s nature, he was way off his game. Who knew what was going to be coming out of his mouth. At this point, it was anyone’s guess.

  Besides, he and Elizabeth had history, and while Chris was his best friend in the entire universe, Elizabeth was a close second. He was stuck in the middle, but he couldn’t betray either one.

  So, he was going to try to give her some sort of warning. Dialing her phone, she answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, Tony, have you landed?”

  “Yeah, I did. I stopped by the morgue. You don’t have time to swing by, do you?”

  She glanced at her watch. “I’m in the middle of heading to the spot the bodies were dumped.”

  “I can meet you there. It’s kind of important that I see you sooner rather than later.”

  She could make time. Her team knew not to bother her if it wasn’t dire, so this had to be important.

  “Bring a tech kit, will you? I know the city team swept, but just in case I find anything, I don’t want to waste time. I can pull it myself.”

  Tony knew she was dead serious if the boss lady was going to pull trace. Then again, the team was sleeping after working all night. Elizabeth wouldn’t pull them out of bed unless she had no choice.

  “Sure, send the address, and I’ll get there ASAP.”

  “Thanks, Tony. Is Chris there?”

  Oh, he definitely wasn’t.

  Thankfully.

  “No, he left a while ago.”

  “Good. He’s falling apart, and Ethan and I ordered him back to the B&B. He wasn’t happy with either of us. I’m sure he’ll be bitchy about it.”

  Yeah, she could say that again.

  He was three days past bitchy and right into insane.

  “I’ll be at the cemetery in five minutes. Get your hustle on, okay?”

  “On it, boss.”

  Tony hung up the phone. He really wasn’t looking forward to doing this at all. Elizabeth was going to be blindsided when he told her what had gone down.

  Sometimes, it sucked having to decide between two people you loved.

  This time, he knew it was going to cost him someone he cared about.

  How could it not?

  Now Tony was going to have to see which person booted him from their life.

  Sometimes, friendship sucked.

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

  Ethan Blackhawk owed Doctor Gaines his life. When he’d been abducted, she stuck with him even when he fought her tooth and nail all the way through therapy.

  He knew the woman had just given birth to a baby—no more than eight weeks ago—but he really had to hope she’d come through for him.

  They were at wit’s end.

  Something had to give, and his fear was it would be the core of the team. A storm was brewing, and Ethan was trying his best to batten down the hatches.

  This blow out was going to be huge—as in Katrina-esque. There was no doubt in his mind who was going to get hurt.

  His wife.

  Chris was going to be a special case, and if they wanted him to keep his job, Ethan was going to have to pray for a miracle, and some friendship. If they were lucky, he could sway Callista Gaines into doing him a favor.

  As he dialed, Ethan had to believe that their ME was savable. He was a good man, and honestly, he wasn’t shocked by what Tony had told him.

  Had the situation been reversed, and Elizabeth had perished, he would have blamed the universe too. No one would be clear of his wrath.

  They didn’t hate Chris for his feelings.

  In fact, they loved him for being honest. Now they had to figure out if he could be fixed, or if their paths were going to part.

  When the doctor’s voice came over the line, there was that calm that Ethan always felt when he spoke to her.

  “Deputy Director, how are you?” she asked. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

  “I’m good, Doctor, and thank you. I owe some of it to you. After all, you’re a miracle worker.”

  She made some derisive sound. “It was all you, Ethan. I just held the light so you could see the path. I do have to ask…”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Are you really okay? It’s not like you to call in the middle of the day. Is Callen fine?”

  He grinned.

  She knew him well.

  It was unnerving, since he liked to think of himself as someone who could keep people guessing. Callista Gaines was like his wife.

  Very astute.

  It was calming and very irritating all at once.

  “Callen is actually doing really well. He’s sold his second book, and he’s in the field with Elizabeth as we speak.”

  “I read his first book. I think I blushed through about ninety percent of it,” she teased.

  Yeah, he wasn’t surprised.

  That book was based on the case where they first came together. The sex in it was spectacular, and exactly what happened. Callen didn’t pull any punches on their personal arc of the storyline. The only part he embellished was the criminal case. Honestly, Ethan kind of hoped people thought there was creative license with all of it.

  He’d read it too, and he got all hot and bothered.

  “It was spectacular.”

  Thankfully, no one knew who Jackson James was, but their family and Doctor Gaines.

  They all knew she could keep a secret.

  “I don’t know what to say to that, Doctor,” Ethan offered, laughing about it. “I'm horrified, embarrassed, and a little proud.”

  She laughed. “I bet. For the record, you don’t have to say anything, but now I get the whole threesome thing—much to my husband’s dismay.”

  That amused him.

  “So why are you calling?” she asked.

  “I have something so very inappropriately timed to ask of you. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t do it. I’m in a situation, and I have no one else to turn to but someone I trust.”

  “We’re more th
an doctor-patient, Ethan. I’m your friend, so ask.”

  He told her about Chris Leonard.

  “I’ve read his file. Gabriel Rothschild has some concerns about him being in the field.”

  Ethan wasn’t shocked.

  Gabe had asked a few times about the ME. The only reason he wasn’t all over the man was because he felt responsible too. After all, Chris covered Livy’s rape, and that lead to Cyra’s murder.

  There was a fine line for Ethan.

  Here’s where it got tricky. Callista was obligated to report everything to Gabe. After all, he was both of their bosses.

  “Chris is falling apart. We didn’t realize he was this bad until he melted down today. If we don’t step in, he’s going to be in worse shape.”

  “What happened?”

  “First, I need to know that this is going to stay be between you and I. I’m aware he needs help, and it’s our intent to push him into therapy, but we want him to keep his job.”

  “Ethan, what you’re asking is for me to lie to Gabe. That’s never a good thing.”

  “I’m not asking you to lie. I’m asking you to get on a plane, meet me in New Orleans, and talk to him. He’s blaming Elizabeth for the death of his wife. He’s buried it for weeks, and it finally surfaced. I know when I was forced to therapy, I lashed out. I think he’s going to do the same. I need this off the record—at least for now.”

  She sighed.

  This was a bad place to be, and she knew it. Still, she trusted the man calling her. He genuinely cared about Gabe, Chris, and his wife.

  “I can take a trip. I’m still off from work, but I know for a fact that my husband is NOT going to like me going alone. I’ll have to have a buddy.”

  He laughed. “Callista, if you can do this for me, and just talk to Chris, I don’t care if you bring your dog.”

  “You must be hard up if you want that mutt anywhere near a crime scene.”

  “I’m three days past hard up. I’m really worried. Chris is family. It’s for Elizabeth. She loves him, and the second he spews all this anger at her, she’s going to need you too.”

  And there it was.

  There was the true reason Callista was needed there, and she completely understood. Ethan didn’t think he could be what his wife would need.