Blood Shall Run (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 15) Page 23

  Merry could feel the blush.

  She wanted to ask a million questions, but she didn’t think she’d like the answers. He was watching her with his striking eyes, and Merry felt like she was falling.

  “You confuse me,” she said, not answering his question about using her name.

  Shit!

  Her mouth and brain were not working as one.

  “Why?” he asked, as she busily handed him his soup to distract herself.

  “You just do. You don’t know me, and you’re freaking me out.”

  He grinned. “Then let’s get to know each other. Will you sit with me while I have some soup?”

  She wanted to run out the door and not come back. If she had any common sense, she’d get the hell out of there and put as much space between them as humanly possible. After all, he was a cop.

  Still…

  Merry was falling.

  Nervously, she tucked her ebony hair behind her ears. “Okay.”

  “Would you like some? I’ll share,” he offered.

  She shook her head. “I’m good. I don’t usually eat dinner. This is the time I’m usually in the lab working.”

  “Every night?”

  “Yes.”

  “That must make having a social life really difficult.”

  She flinched.

  He caught it.

  “I prefer not to have a social life. It’s easier.”

  Yeah, as she’d learned.

  Merry had come to the conclusion that most men weren’t like the ones she worked with at the FBI. The world had far too few Doctors Leonard and Magnus. Ethan Blackhawk and his brother, Callen, were an aberration—not the norm.

  “Jesus,” he muttered, closing his eyes.

  She froze beside him. “Are you okay? Do you need something?”

  “I’ll live, but for the record, your boss tackles like a linebacker.”

  That made her laugh.

  He glanced over at her. “My pain is amusing?”

  “No, but you’re lucky. If you’re going to have backup, you’re going to want it to be her. She’s damn good at her job. Elizabeth is a rarity in a world of insanity.”

  “You genuinely like her.”

  “How do you know?” she asked.

  “You smiled. When you do that, you light up. You’re radiant and beautiful.”

  His words bounced off the wall she’d built around her heart. She’d heard them before, but mostly after she’d been hit, punched, or called horrible names.

  They’d lost their impact to her.

  They’d lost their sweetness.

  “What are you doing, Boone?” she asked bluntly.

  “I’m simply trying to get to know you.”

  “Why?”

  “Maybe it’s the cop in me. Curiosity killed the cat, right? I’ve always been inquisitive. You can relax. Trust me when I say I’m in no position to hurt you. I just had my ass handed to me by a woman who looks like a model but hits like a bus. My ego is bruised, along with every inch of me.”

  She relaxed.

  He had a point.

  Maybe it was simple curiosity. After all, Merry was the same way.

  She opted to try to be cordial.

  “I like your place. It’s really nice.”

  “Thank you. My father and mother built it. They live further onto the Rez. We grew up here, but when they started building the school, they wanted to be closer, so I stayed.”

  “Did you like growing up here?”

  He liked that she was loosening up. As he ate his soup, he watched her. She was holding a napkin and when he got some crumbs on him from the cracker, she’d wipe them off him. He wanted to make a mess all over himself just to have her touch him.

  She made him want to be silly.

  “I did. We didn’t have much, but it was a quiet place to call home.”

  “What tribe lives here?”

  He was impressed. Not many knew that there were different kinds of tribes and they weren’t all the same.

  “You can tell you work around Indians.”

  “Native Americ…sorry. Elizabeth hates the word Indian. She’s kicked the shit out of people for less. Plus, Ethan and Callen are great guys.”

  “I’m Choctaw with a healthy dose of creole thrown in. My mother can throw down in French slang like no one’s business.”

  “It’s clear you’re an only child.”

  Yes, he mentioned it, but still…she could see the proof.

  He lifted an eyebrow as he finished his soup. “How can you tell that?”

  “When you look at the hierarchy of a family, you tend to see characteristics of single siblings versus multiple child families. Homes with single children have more time to spend with the one child, and they tend to be overachievers, smarter, and have mannerisms more like an adult that a child.”

  He stared at her. “I’m not sure if you just gave me a compliment or insulted me.”

  She laughed.

  His heart skipped. The sound was melodious and music to his ears. He wished she’d laugh more often.

  “It was a compliment.”

  “Good, and yes, they spent a lot of time with me. My father was a world religions teacher, and my mother, as I mentioned, a cop. They instilled education and discipline in me. I am who I am because of them.”

  She got that. Merry was who she was because of the people who raised her and gave her life.

  “What about your parents?” he asked, still trying to get to know her. This was sort of like their first date. After all, he was half-naked. As for dates, this was better than most of his.

  “Both of my parents were in the medical profession.”

  “Were?” he asked.

  She paused, trying to decide how much to share. Personal and professional should have boundaries.

  Where did he fall?

  Instead of being icy, she opted to give him a shot. He was simply being friendly, and Merry couldn’t fault him for that.

  Right?

  “They died when I was in college. They’re the reason I do what I do. I was going to be a pediatrician, but I changed majors to Criminal forensic science.”

  “What happened?”

  “I decided I wanted to find missing things and put together puzzles instead of giving kids shots.”

  He wanted to kiss her. Merry was so sweet. “I actually meant what happened to them, not the major switch.”

  She stared at him.

  “I’m sorry if I pried, Miss Peyton.”

  It touched her that he didn’t use her name. Boone was being a gentleman and still keeping the boundaries she had set for him. She appreciated that.

  He deserved a reward.

  “Merry, and you didn’t. It’s just conversation,” she offered, trying to reassure herself.

  Oh, it was so much more than that. Boone was getting her to open up, and that mattered. She mattered. Before the night was over, he wanted to learn everything about the woman before him.

  She was fascinating.

  “They worked in an ER together. My mom was a triage doctor, and my dad was a nurse. Backward, huh?”

  He grinned. “Mine were too, I guess—cop and a school teacher.”

  Merry brushed a cracker crumb from his chest, and didn’t realize what she was doing. Boone felt that feather light caress all the way to his soul.

  He’d never forget the way her fingers felt.

  “The police brought in some guy one night, and he was looped on drugs. He broke free, got a gun from security, and killed them both.”

  He stared at her in horror. “Meredith, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to dredge that up. I shouldn’t have asked. Please forgive me.”

  She shrugged. “At least they got to go together, right? That’s my silver lining. When their time came, they were holding hands and not afraid.”

  “I guess. So you don’t have any other family?”

  “Nope. I’m an orphan, but that’s okay. I have my cat.” She looked around. “Where’s y
ours? Or were you yanking my chain?”

  He whistled and called the big cat’s name. “Bo!”

  There was a thump as something jumped down and onto the wood floor.

  “Give him a second. He’s slow. It’s all that cat fat.”

  She watched as this huge behemoth feline lumbered out of another room. When he jumped up onto Boone, he grunted. “Dude, your claws. Watch them or you’re getting them pulled out.”

  Merry laughed.

  Again, his heart skipped.

  “Wow. He’s bigger in person. Are you sure they didn’t cross a dog and cat?”

  Boone picked the beast up and placed him between them. Immediately, Merry began petting him. It was hard not to wish her hands were running all over his body.

  “What breed is he?”

  “He’s a Maine Coon. He’s just under thirty pounds and a huge tub of lard.”

  The cat meowed, and Boone gave him a cracker. He wolfed it down in two bites.

  “See?”

  Merry scratched the cat behind his ears. “He’s beautiful.”

  “So are you.”

  She stared at him.

  As he was about to say something else, there were tires on gravel in his driveway.

  Boone went to get up to protect them. Instead, Merry touched his arm. “Give me your gun.”

  He did what she asked, and he couldn’t help but watch her. She went over to the window, peeked out, and her body was tense. As soon as they heard the car door slam, she relaxed.

  “It’s your partner.”

  “Yeah, he stops by sometimes before shift. It must be almost six.”

  It was.

  “Do you want me to leave you alone?” she asked.

  “No, I’d really like you to stay.”

  Merry unlocked the door for Detective Le Bleu. When she opened it, it was clear he wasn’t expecting her to be there.

  “Oh, hey! Is Boone here?”

  She stepped back to let him in.

  “Are you okay? I just watched the news as I was waking up. What the hell, Boone? Are you trying to die?”

  He put his soup down. “The killer got a little overzealous. I’m good. No one was seriously hurt.”

  Detective Le Bleu took a seat and pulled out a pack of smokes. Boone stopped him.

  “Outside, Rolly. Not in front of Meredith.”

  “You don’t mind, right?” he asked, pulling one out of the pack.

  She stared at him. “With each cigarette you smoke, you put about four thousand toxic chemicals into your body. You’re killing yourself.”

  He started laughing. “Did he put you up to this?”

  “No. I’ve seen lungs when they’re removed from a body and the person was a smoker. They look like moldy cheese that’s been hidden behind someone’s couch. Besides, with each cigarette, you just puffed away seven minutes of your time on Earth.”

  He stared at her. “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Uh, yuck.”

  He put the cigarettes away.

  “What do you need, Rolly?” Boone asked.

  “I just came to check in with my partner. I was out last night on the strip and patrolled over by the cemetery. The hookers are talking.”

  “What are they saying?” Boone asked.

  “They’re worried. Most of them are shifting their business to Bourbon Street. It’s safer. They’re whispering about Jack the Ripper.”

  “It probably is safer. It would be better if they stopped tricking all together,” Boone stated.

  “Agreed, but one battle at a time, my friend.”

  He had a point.

  Merry watched them interact. They were total opposites. Boone was neat and tidy, and she could tell his partner wasn’t.”

  “Did you, by any chance, send off the information to Director Blackhawk?”

  “I was going to deliver in person, but then I saw the news. It said she was hurt. Is she okay? Do you need me to start working days with you?”

  Boone sipped his soup. “No, I’m good, and she wasn’t injured—just a scratch to her face and her shoulder is banged up a little.”

  “Director Blackhawk is hard to take down. We’ve faced some crazies.”

  “Want to get a beer and talk about it?” Rolly asked, grinning at her.

  Boone pointed at the door. “Out.”

  The man laughed. “Fine! You don’t have to share the pretty girl. I get it.”

  Merry opened her mouth and stared at Boone.

  “Out, Rolly!”

  “I’ll email the director. Feel better, Boone. I’ll be down on Bourbon walking the strip. The mayor is giving me a cop to tag along. I’ll find something for him to do.”

  “Be safe, Rolly,” Boone said, “and make sure you check in tomorrow.”

  He saluted, a clove cigarette hanging from his lips.

  When he was gone, Boone apologized for his partner. “He’s old school. You get accustomed to him after a while. I’m sorry if he offended you.”

  She laughed. “I don’t offend easily. You’ve seen who I work with, and where.”

  Merry had a very valid point. You had to have a thick skin as a Fed.

  “Now, where were we?”

  She smiled. “You were about to take a shower and head to bed for some rest. I’ll have pain medicine on your nightstand.”

  He wanted her to join him. What wouldn’t he give to have her getting soapy with him? That would be the best part of his night, and it would make him forget about his throbbing headache.

  Boone wished she’d relax more with him. He loved learning everything about her.

  “Meredith.”

  “I’ll sleep out here.”

  That said it all.

  She was done discussing it.

  So much for getting Merry to warm up to him. Damn his partner for interrupting their conversation! Boone was going to kick the man’s ass when he saw him next time.

  She picked up his soup bowl and headed back to the kitchen.

  “Good night, Boone.”

  It appears the conversation was done.

  For now…

  Boone was far from finished.

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

  B&B

  Chris’s Room

  When they’d gotten him back to the room, Elizabeth forced him to eat, and then she joined him on his bed. As she sat there, her back to the headboard, and Chris’s head in her lap, there was plenty of time to think.

  The pain in her body didn’t matter.

  The ache in her heart was the main focus. At that moment, everything around her was ignored, including her company.

  Tony was there, lounging in the chair with his bare feet propped up on the bed. He was trying his best to keep them company. Ethan wanted eyes on them, but mostly Chris—in case he lost it again.

  From his breathing, Elizabeth could tell he was asleep.

  “I’m worried about him,” she finally said, as she broke the silence in the room.

  She ran her fingers over his hair.

  “Me, too, but there’s something you should know,” he said, making the decision to tell her everything Chris had said to him. She deserved to know, and at this point, it was going to come out sooner or later when he explained why he was a mess.

  He had her attention.

  “I’ve had to think this one out and decide if you needed to know, or I should keep my mouth shut. I hope I’m doing the right thing.”

  “What?”

  “Before he left the morgue today to take a walk, he flipped out. He was rambling on and on about crazy shit.”

  “Like?”

  “He said he was mad and blah blah.”

  “Just say it, Tony. We’ve known each other long enough that I know when you’re sugarcoating things. He’s pissed at me, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He blames me because of Cyra’s death, right?”

  “Yeah, but you know that right now, he’s just not in his right mi
nd. Logical and rational Chris wouldn’t blame you. He’s lost in the grief, and that’s where this is coming from. We all know you didn’t cause it, and you did get her justice in the end.”

  Yeah, and she’d nearly lost her life and that of the son she was carrying.

  “He’s right.”

  “What?” Tony said, staring at her.

  “I am to blame. No, I didn’t do it on purpose, but I let it happen. Every day I replay that day’s events over and over. I should have posted an agent there. I did at my own house. Why didn’t I think to do it with Cyra?”

  “Maybe because you were focused on a million other things to solve the case?”

  “That’s no excuse, Tony, and we both know it. I screwed up, and they paid the price.”

  He had to talk some sense into her.

  “Maybe you weren’t thinking because you carry all of this on your shoulders, and at some point, you have to realize you can’t do it all, Elizabeth.”

  He might be right, but she was sick over it.

  “I love him so much, and he’s a brother to me, but I failed him. Maybe I deserve his hate. God knows I hate myself for being too slow and missing that one detail. I dropped the ball on this one. I promised to protect him, and I didn’t.”

  “You’re putting too much pressure on you,” he said, whispering. “You’re only one person, Elizabeth. How were you supposed to know that Lily would go to his house and destroy his life?”

  She laughed sardonically. “I should have known because I’m fucking badass Elizabeth Blackhawk. I always win. Only this time, I didn’t, and it cost Chris his heart. I love him so much that I’ve hurt every second, of every minute, of every hour since it happened four months ago. I failed him. I broke my promise. I let him fall.”

  “Elizabeth.”

  “It’s okay, Tony. I love you for what you’re trying to do, but I don’t deserve his love anymore. I do deserve his anger. He saved me all those years ago. I was able to hold out for Ethan and Callen because he loved me and let me be part of him.”

  Tony patted her leg reassuringly.

  “You saved me too, Tony. You both healed my heart in ways you’ll never understand, and this is the payment I’ve given him for his love, loyalty, and everything else. I’ve failed him when he needed me most. If I could, I’d trade myself for Cyra. If I could go back, I’d sacrifice myself for her so he wouldn’t hurt like this.”