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  Her heart felt like that.

  Heavy.

  “Where are you going?” Gabe asked, pulling on his polo and dress pants. It smelled like her, and he was struggling to keep his composure.

  “I have to get to work. I ditched my partner in the field, and she’s Irish too. If he can’t get me, he’ll go for her.”

  “No, you’re not leaving this townhouse, Livy. You’re staying inside with me until Elizabeth comes back.”

  She went to move around him. When she went right, he blocked her way.

  “Move!” she ordered.

  He wasn’t going to let it happen. There was the only thing he could do. Gabe spun her, pressed her to the bed, and used her own cuffs on the back of her pants to restrain her.”

  “Gabriel!”

  When he stood her up, he lifted her chin so she was staring him in the eyes. “I do love you, and if it means making you hate me to keep you alive, so be it. I’m not letting you get killed. I’m not walking into this house to find you sliced open like some hunk of meat. You matter more to me than my career. If you weren’t mad, you’d see that I’m not lying to you. As your boss, I can’t always tell you what happens behind the director’s s door, but I can promise that I will accept the fallout for the decisions he makes. The higher up the ladder I move, the harder it is, Livy. The responsibility is crushing.”

  “You didn't trust me, and that’s why I’m mad, Gabriel. If we don’t have trust, we don’t have anything.”

  “I was scared. Okay? I was told to do something I loathed. I was forced into a game that I didn't want to play. I’m not the head honcho. One day, if I’m lucky, I will be. Until then, I still have to follow the upper management’s directive. This all came down from the Director of the FBI. There’s no room to play with it.”

  She didn't speak.

  “Listen, I’m in love with you, Livy, and Elizabeth is my family. She’s the only person I have an attachment to next to you. Do you really believe I’m the kind of man who would do this to you? That I could string you out there as bait and not have internal conflict over it?”

  She stared at him.

  “I will never do that to anyone I work with, and I especially won’t do it to someone I have feelings for. I only wish you’d stop being angry long enough to trust me.”

  Livy thought about it.

  “No. I don’t believe you would betray anyone working under you, Gabe.”

  He relaxed.

  “I get your point. I’m not angry anymore, so can you please set me free? My hands are going numb.”

  When Livy turned, she wasn’t sure he was going to set her free. There was fear in his eyes, and she had a way to fix it.

  “I won’t leave the townhouse without you. Okay, Gabriel? I’ll trust you enough to stick close.”

  “Swear?”

  “Yes.”

  He uncuffed her. When she turned, she punched him in the solar plexus, hip tossed him, and then sat across his chest as he struggled to catch his breath.

  Well, Gabe didn't see that coming. He didn't expect her to physically assault him. Boy, did he have a lot to learn. Apparently, Livy had spent way too much time with Elizabeth for his own good. That was totally something she’d do.

  “Do you want me to believe everything you’ve said to me?”

  He grunted, struggling for air. “Yes. I’d hoped you would, and it wouldn’t lead to violence.”

  “Then I need you to prove it.”

  “How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Gabe asked, his voice filling with emotion.

  Livy stared down and into his green eyes. They were filled with so much suffering. It killed her. She took a chance, putting it out there for him.

  “Then marry me.”

  His eyes went huge. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Had the woman sitting on his body just dropped the ‘M’ word, and in his direction?

  “Wait! What did you just say to me?”

  “You heard me. Prove to me that you didn't do all this just to keep me in the killer’s bull’s-eye. If you really love me, like you say you do, then you’ll do the right thing.”

  He didn't know what to say.

  He really never saw this one coming.

  At all.

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

  Boston

  Morgue

  There was only one thing left to do before heading back to DC. At the morgue, Elizabeth and Chris were met by the doctor who had done the autopsies. He didn't work for the FBI, and that troubled Chris. Honestly, he liked keeping the bodies in house, and this was going to be the reason. Every ME had their own system of running their lab. Chris did his a certain way, and so did the other ME’s who worked for the FBI.

  It was indicative of the man in charge, and this gentleman was nothing like a Federal employee. It appeared that his methods went south a long time ago.

  He knew they were screwed. The man was old, cantankerous, and didn't like being called out by them.

  At all.

  As soon as they started asking questions, the man wasn’t having it. He was more worried about his professionalism being questioned than solving the murders of all the dead women.

  It was crystal clear that it was all about him.

  When he gave Elizabeth attitude, Chris had about enough.

  “It’s rather a simple question, Doctor. Did the techs who processed the crime scenes any take more pictures than were in the file? We’re looking for any angles from above the body.”

  He laughed. “Son, do you know how many bodies I do a week?”

  Chris stared at him.

  “On a slow week, I do around thirty. These killing were months ago. If the pictures weren’t in the file, I don’t know what I can say. Techs do their job, and I do mine. I’m not here to babysit. Speaking of which, where did you pick this child up?” he asked, glancing over at Elizabeth. “Then again, you’re a child too. The preschool must have had a jail break.”

  Chris was getting riled up.

  Elizabeth was accustomed to people like this. “Don’t let the jackwagon stir you up, Doc,” she stated, using the word he’d coined during their pub fight. “He’s right. How can he recall all those bodies?”

  The man nodded. “At least she understands.”

  “Oh, I absolutely do. I mean, it’s obvious that he’s getting old. I’m sure the city will be getting rid of him soon enough. Well, after we report this to the mayor, I’m sure they will be. Let’s be on our merry way. If he can’t recall jack shit, then it’s on him, not us.”

  That changed everything.

  “Hey! My mind is as sharp as ever, Special Agent LaRue.”

  “It’s Wilson,” she said, screwing with him.

  “What?”

  “My last name isn’t LaRue. It’s Wilson. See what I mean, Chris? He can’t recall jack. Someone has a wicked case of dementia.”

  The man sputtered. “It is not. You’re LaRue, and he’s Leonard. I clearly remember you introducing yourself!”

  “Actually, you’re mistaken. He’s Christopher Jackson,” she stated. “Did you miss the entire beginning of our introduction?”

  He opened his mouth.

  And then closed it.

  “I’ll check the files.”

  As he moved away, Chris started laughing. “That was smart. Where did you learn to screw with him that way?”

  She shrugged. “He’s a man, older, and concerned with the way people see him. His shoes are shiny, and he’s pressed and pleated. He’s going to have an ego. Appearances are going to matter to him. The minute you walked in here, he was comparing yourself to him.”

  “Wait! He was?”

  “Yes. He checked out your Rolex, designer shoes, and how you were put together.”

  Chris stared down at his watch. “He did?”

  “The second you walked in, he was threatened. He was intimidated, and that’s why he called you son. He was tossing his authority at you, since you’re obviously not on th
e same level financially as he is.”

  Chris glanced over at her in fascination. They’d only been in there five minutes, and she’d profiled the ME. Chris wanted to be able to do that. He wanted to learn that skill.

  “What else?” he asked.

  “ME’s are a special breed. They play in the dead all day, so you can’t treat them like everyone else. If you try, you’re going to butt heads with a wall. You have to be a special kind of crazy to do what we do for a living, so you use that. You find that one weakness, and you press it until the person snaps.”

  “What would you do to me?”

  She stared at him trying not to smile. “I wouldn’t even go there with you, Chris. I couldn’t, in good conscious, play head games with you.”

  He lifted a brow. “I don’t believe you. You’ve studied me. I can tell. You played me back at the hotel. You knew if you kissed me, you’d get your point across. You’re not some backwoods hick. I think you’re smart—real smart.”

  “I do declare, Doctor, that you are making shit up.”

  He laughed. “I’m going to watch you. You won’t be able to mess with me.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, okay. Your fly is down.”

  He looked down, only to find it wasn’t.

  “Elizabeth!”

  “That was so easy. I should write a book on how to screw with the lab staff.”

  He grinned.

  “There are no pictures,” stated the ME as he returned. “You’ve got them all.” He dropped his copy of the files on the table.

  Crap!

  It looked like they had wasted their time there and for nothing.

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “You’re welcome, Agent Wilson.”

  Elizabeth jerked her head at Chris, letting him in on the fun. It was the least she could do.

  “Doctor, are you feeling all right?” Chris asked. “Her name is Agent LaRue. You’re a little confused. Are you okay?”

  The man shook his head. “I have a headache. I need to get away from you two.”

  With that, they headed out.

  Chris was laughing his ass off as he exited the building. “Thank you for letting me yank his chain.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Elizabeth offered.

  “Is this what you do every day in your job?”

  “Yep.”

  “I think I could do this. Maybe I should have become an agent instead of an ME.”

  She stopped. “Christopher, you’re the ME, and I’m the agent for a reason. Let’s each do our own jobs. You can’t be out in the field every day. You’ll get hurt.”

  He grinned. “You look flustered. I think I got you.”

  She dropped her arm over his shoulders. “I’m going to tell everyone your boxers had kittens on them. When you have to drop your drawers to prove they don’t, I’ll have won this battle twice.”

  He stared at her.

  “You’re evil.”

  She grinned. “Yeah, I know. It’s a skill.”

  “That’s so hot in a woman.”

  “Darlin’, don’t I know it? Now, let’s get to the airport. We have to get back to DC. I don’t want to leave Livy alone. It’s time I did my thing, and you did yours.”

  He offered her a fist bump.

  “Let’s go.”

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

  Georgetown

  Gabe didn't know what to say.

  Here, Livy was sitting on his chest and staring down at him with a very serious look on her face. She’d just dropped the mother of all bombs, and he was still reeling.

  No, that wasn’t a strong enough word. She’d leveled him with two words.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “No. You said you loved me, and that sleeping with me was in no way a trick to keep me as bait. Now you have to prove it. You didn't keep us in the loop, and this is the only way for you to prove your intentions. Marry me.”

  He knew this was a defining moment in their lives.

  If he said no, she’d walk. If he said yes, he’d be scared shitless. He never wanted a wife until she brought it up, and now that the entire thing was staring him in the face, he had to make a life altering choice. If they did get married, she couldn’t be risking her life their entire career. It would make him crazy.

  He couldn’t marry another Fed. Honestly, Gabe didn't have it in him. A marriage to another person who lived the dangers wouldn’t last long. Resentment would grow, and in the end…it would die.

  It wasn’t going to happen.

  “Well, Gabriel? You’re the one who started this mess by not trusting me, so the ball is in your court. You laid down the law before, so what’s it going to be?”

  He stared up at her. The fiery red hair, those brilliant green eyes, and the feisty attitude—he never knew he wanted to be in this situation until it presented itself. Now he couldn’t imagine not having exactly what she offered him.

  Still, he was Gabriel Rothschild.

  He was a difficult man to love, and he was about to prove it to her. All he could hope was that Elizabeth’s words were right. He was betting everything on Livy, and the premise that she wanted to be a wife and mother.

  “You don’t want to put that out there, Olivia. Trust me.”

  “Oh, I think I do. I can be stubborn too, Gabe. Why can’t you just answer me?”

  Livy wasn’t exactly playing with a novice when it came to pigheadedness. He’d worked his way up the FBI food chain being smart, and if Livy thought he would buckle under this pressure, she was insane.

  “Fine. You want me to answer you? Well, I’ll give you my answer after you answer one question that I need answered first.”

  She shrugged. “Okay. That seems only fair.”

  Oh, he was going to turn the tables on the woman sitting across his chest. This was a picture he’d never forget. On one wrist was a handcuff, dangling precariously, the other hand was fisted in his polo.

  He wanted to laugh.

  He never saw this coming. How could he not want to spend the rest of his life with a woman who could level him this easily? Finally, he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. This was love, and with it, he would find all the things he never had before.

  Still, he wanted to shock her too.

  Why should he be the only one freaked out? Gabe was about to see if she was really asking because she loved him, or if she was only trying to hurt him.

  “I won’t, and can’t, marry an agent. There’s no way I can be your boss and husband. The FBI won’t allow it, and quite frankly, I don’t want it either. My boss will force us apart since I’m higher ranking. You might get transferred, and we might drift apart from the distance.”

  She watched him. “What are you saying, Gabriel?”

  “I want you to quit your job, be my wife, and have our kids. If you’re going to throw marriage around, then you need to know that I’m very old fashioned. I want a wife at home, not one wearing a bull’s-eye. I won’t be able to function unless I know you’re home for me every night when I return. I don’t want to ever visit you in the morgue.”

  She let his words settle in. Was he really asking her to quit her job?

  Did she really want to do that?

  “If we do this, Livy, then you’re retiring. We can’t both work out in the field, and this is my one and only caveat to your marriage proposal.”

  Her eyes got wide.

  Shit!

  He was asking her to do just that.

  “Surprised, Livy? I guess it’s not so much fun when someone throws your future around, is it?” Gabe asked. “You wanted my answer, and there it is. Now, you have to decide what you’re willing to sacrifice too.”

  She stared at him. The Dragon Slayer had turned it around and managed to put her on the spot. “Are you being serious? You really want me to quit my job, marry you, and have your children?”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’ll accept your odd and poorly timed marriage proposal because I
love you, but you have to know I can’t do this every day, Livy. I can’t have a wife who gets shot at and used as bait. If you really want me to marry you, then prove that you want me just as much as I want you. We’ll have to meet in the middle.”

  She shrugged. “Okay. I’ll meet you in the middle.”

  He stared at her. “What? Okay as in you’ll marry me? Wait! I mean I’ll marry you, or was that…”

  She laughed, knowing that this was definitely the right answer. When it came down to it, Elizabeth was the one who carried the weight of their team. She solved the cases, and Livy, if anything, was just her keeper. She loved her job, but she loved this man more. When she thought about her future, it meant a husband and family.

  It was Gabriel Rothschild.

  It was as clear as day to her.

  “You heard me right, Gabriel. I’ll quit my job and become Mrs. Rothschild. I’ll be your wife, and I hope you want lots of kids. I happen to love children.”

  He sat up, knocking her into his lap.

  His heart thumped.

  “If you’re yanking my chain, Olivia, I’ll have a heart attack. I don’t do spontaneous and crazy easily. I’m a thinker. This is a huge risk for me.”

  Livy was well aware.

  It said it all. If he was willing to even compromise and put his heart out there, this man had to love her. Gabriel Rothschild had to think about what color highlighter he’d use to mark up an agent’s report. He NEVER did spontaneous.

  It wasn’t in him.

  “Can I ask you something now?” Livy inquired. While she had him off guard, she might as well go for it.

  “You’re not going to tell me this was all a joke, are you?”

  Livy hated the worry in his eyes. She’d never take it back. She wanted him, his baggage, and a life together.

  She wanted to be his partner.

  “I wouldn’t hurt you like that, Gabriel. I swear I would never do that to you.”

  He relaxed as she stayed on his lap. “Then ask me anything you want.”