Discarded by Fate Read online

  Then it would be pizza.

  She couldn’t wait.

  Standing in the shower, Elizabeth washed away today’s filth and focused on the case.

  What did a congressman’s daughter and a paid call girl have in common?

  On the outside, seemingly nothing, but she was willing to take a wager.

  Sex or money were going to be part of this.

  She’d bet on it.

  With Blue running the phone history, and Johanna running the IDs of the two victims, they should be on their way to some leads by morning.

  Then she’d be ready.

  It looked like Harvard was going to be getting a visitor, and she hoped the school was ready for her.

  As she dressed, Callen had prepped their dinner by getting some napkins and plates.

  They were having a threesome.

  Her.

  Callen.

  And a shitload of greasy pizza.

  She couldn’t wait.

  When she was starting a case, there was nothing better than talking it out with the people you loved.

  Chris had helped her focus. He’d done it for years as they were starting out. She hoped he made it back in time to join them.

  He was part of their unit.

  Some people called it weird, but it felt right. Ethan and Callen were brothers, and, well, Chris was hers.

  Maybe not by blood, but by love.

  As she headed out to the couch, she sat.

  “I’m starving,” she said.

  Callen wiggled his eyebrows as lecherously as he could. “Well, if you need another round, I’m right here. Devour me.”

  She snorted.

  Elizabeth loved how he lightened her soul.

  “Later. You. Me. Bed. Raunchy sex that will make you curse in three languages.”

  “Uh, I only speak two.”

  “Yeah, so that’s how hot it’ll be.”

  It was his turn to laugh.

  “I will be there with bells on. Do you like bells? Do they get you all wild?”

  She punched him. “I love you.”

  His heart skipped. “I love you, too, and it’s good to see you smile again.”

  She agreed.

  She felt lighter.

  “Want to call Ethan and ask him about the notify?” she asked.

  Before he could answer, there was a slam of their hotel room door. Since this was the penthouse, it took a while for the man to appear.

  When he did, she knew something bad had happened.

  Chris didn’t look right.

  Still…

  “Want some pi…?”

  He walked right past her and slammed his bedroom door. They both cringed at the heavy feeling in the air.

  Well, so much for her good mood.

  “Uh, someone is mad.”

  “Yeah, rock, paper, scissors?” she asked.

  He laughed.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “Pass. If you’ve slept with the person, you have to deal with the baggage.”

  She stared at him.

  “That was a cheap tactic. That WILL come back to bite you one day.”

  He stole her food.

  “Yep, and I only hope you really make me pay. Use handcuffs and hot wax. I insist.”

  She knew what he was doing. Callen was giving her the latitude to go help Chris. The men had accepted him, and she’d healed them.

  She loved her husbands.

  Elizabeth got up and gave Callen a kiss before she headed toward the door.

  When she got there, she knocked.

  No answer.

  She knocked again.

  Still nothing.

  Elizabeth glanced over at Callen and he shrugged. So, she took her chance and opened the door.

  Chris wasn’t there, but there was a trail of clothing to the bathroom. She could hear him in there.

  This was bad.

  Chris was overly immaculate.

  He didn’t leave his shoes on the floor let alone his clothes all over the place. On top of that clue, he also didn’t slam doors, and he didn’t ignore her.

  Something bad had gone down. From the smell of the perfume, she knew who.

  It looked like she’d won the bet.

  God!

  She wished she’d been wrong.

  Heading toward the bathroom, she watched from the doorway as he stood in the glass shower.

  He was furiously scrubbing his body as if trying to remove something only he could see.

  Someone was also really turned on. She’d remembered it well.

  “Uh, issue?” she asked, staring at his face.

  He jumped.

  “Get out!”

  “Uh, no! First of all, this is my damn hotel room, and you’re storming around like some pissed off caveman. Knock it off. It doesn’t look good on you, Christopher.”

  He turned his back to her, and she could see scratches across his shoulders.

  Okay, his dick said he didn’t get off, but the telltale bites and scratches said he did.

  Elizabeth began putting it together.

  “What happened? Did your sexcapades with the doctor go awry? I know I couldn’t have possibly done anything since I was NOT there.”

  He turned to stare at her.

  Chris was so mad.

  Angry.

  Scared.

  Hurt.

  He pointed at her, but he couldn’t figure out why he was any of those things. This wasn’t like him.

  At all.

  Before he could say anything, she moved closer.

  “I love you, Christopher. Let me help you. What’s going on?” she asked.

  That was all it took.

  The wall crumbled. There was Elizabeth, facing him down in the bathroom, and his heart hurt.

  It actually ached.

  He slid down the wall and sat on the floor.

  Elizabeth was alarmed. “Christopher, what’s wrong?” she asked, going into the shower to sit beside him. They were both being pummeled by the steaming hot water.

  “I accepted dinner with Heather. I wanted to come home, but…”

  She held his hand as he sat against the wall.

  “But what?” she asked.

  “I think I made a huge mistake.”

  Elizabeth reached up and turned off the water. “What happened, Chris?”

  “I don’t know. I was fine, and then I wanted to have so much sex I couldn’t think straight.”

  She grabbed a big fluffy towel and wrapped it around him. Then she grabbed one for herself.

  “I didn’t want to do it.”

  “Then why did you?”

  “God! Lyzee, I don’t know. Maybe I had a psychotic break. Maybe I was trying to prove something to myself, but all I know is I didn’t want to do it.”

  She listened.

  “What’s wrong with me?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she offered. “You’re fine, Christopher.”

  “No, I’m really not,” he whispered. “Something is wrong,” he admitted, touching his head.

  Elizabeth took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. He was right.

  They were…glassy.

  “Did you fall?” she asked.

  He stared at her. “I don’t know. I had some wine, I had some spinach-y dip thing, and then I headed to the bathroom. Maybe I fell. Maybe I did hit my head.”

  She ran her fingers over his wet head to feel for any lumps. She was concerned.

  “Okay, so you went to the bathroom, and then what?”

  He stared at her, trying to pull it all together in his head. “She was naked. We had sex.”

  Elizabeth patiently listened.

  Something wasn’t right.

  Chris remembered what she wore on their first date, the color of her shoes, and where they went. He’d never forget events.

  Only, she didn’t feel any lumps.

  “What else?” she asked.

  “As I was fucki
ng her, I couldn’t get off.”

  Elizabeth let him get it off his chest.

  “I tried and tried, and I couldn’t do it. I’m still rock hard, and I don’t know why.”

  Yeah, she’d noticed when she came into the bathroom. Since she’d had sex with the man for a long time, she knew his body better than anyone.

  She also knew that when they’d had sex, he’d get off pretty fast. Then he could go a few more rounds.

  “Maybe you didn’t want to do it. Maybe she wasn’t the one to be doing it with, and now you’re worked up,” she offered. Elizabeth wasn’t a doctor, but unfortunately, the one she relied on was having the issue.

  “What’s a sign of a stroke?” she asked.

  He stared at her. “Uh, not an erection.”

  She had to control her response. He wouldn’t be amused if she burst out laughing—especially now.

  He wiped his eyes.

  “I’m concerned,” she said.

  “Me too! What if I can never do it again? What if I had my shot at a relationship, and I blew it?”

  “Or you just didn’t like that hag, and your dick didn’t like the idea of you slumming it. Now you got him all worked up, and you have nowhere to holster him.”

  He laughed.

  “I mean, think about it. It had quality places to go—there was Cyra and I.”

  “I was in love both times. That’s why it happened.”

  While she wanted to focus on why he couldn’t remember, she knew he needed to talk it out. Sometimes, psychological issues could cause physical ones.

  “So? Maybe that’s not a bad thing. You were in love and we had lots of sex.”

  “Why did I let you go?” he whispered, resting his head on his knees. “I had it so damn good. Then I had Cyra, and now I’m alone.”

  She hugged him.

  “Christopher.”

  “I screwed up so many times. I fell for you, and then I cheated. I married Cyra, and then I put my job first. Now I’m dick diving with some doctor I don’t even like. What the hell is my issue?”

  “Well, I hope you suited Chris Jr up, because who knows what that doctor has? You’d be safer licking the bottom of a dumpster.”

  He snorted.

  She held him.

  “What’s wrong with me?”

  “Nothing. You’re fine.”

  “Liar.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you. You’re a passionate man, Mr. Leonard. When we were together, we had friends with bennies sex, and it was okay. Once we became a couple, it was amazing. Your heart has to be in it. Look at your job. You give two hundred percent. Maybe that’s the problem. Your heart wasn’t into it, and that’s fine. It will be one day.”

  He stared up at her. “I’m sorry I hurt you and cheated on you. If I could go back, I would.”

  She gave him a soft kiss. “I’m not holding that over you, Christopher, you are holding it over you. I forgave you the second it happened.”

  He closed his eyes.

  “I just want to sleep.”

  “Well, let’s get you dry and into bed.”

  Elizabeth stood.

  “I love you,” he said. “I’ll always love you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it enough toward the end while we were a couple. You deserved better, and I’m glad you found it.”

  She hugged him.

  “Oh, Newton. I knew you loved me. You said it to me plenty, and actions spoke louder than words.”

  He got up and began drying off.

  “You probably should turn around,” he said.

  “Uh, I’ve seen plenty of your dick, and Ethan and Callen’s. Plus, I have a lot of little boys at home. A dick is a dick is a dick.”

  And she wasn’t leaving him alone.

  While his dick was calming down, he still looked a little out of it.

  Well, someone wasn’t going to be sleeping at all.

  He laughed. “I actually just wanted to check out your ass while it was in those wet shorts.”

  She laughed.

  Callen cleared his throat.

  “He has the worst timing,” Chris muttered. “God! The absolute worst.”

  Callen began laughing. He’d heard most of the conversation. His heart went out to Chris.

  “I came in to see if anyone was hungry.”

  “I’m not,” Chris said, pulling on his pajama bottoms. “I’m going to go to bed.”

  Elizabeth headed toward her room to change.

  Callen stopped Chris at the door.

  His heart thumped. “Is this where you kick my ass because she saw me naked?” Chris asked.

  “No, this is where I tell you I’ve been there. I know how you feel. The more people I fucked trying to find that feeling, the worse I felt. Here’s my advice. Stop looking for love in sex. You won’t find it. Look for it where it matters most.”

  Chris was shocked.

  “Where’s that?”

  “In your family. If you change your mind, we have pizza. I won’t even eat it out of spite because you were checking out her ass.”

  Chris watched him walk away.

  He was dizzy.

  He was scared.

  As he sat on the bed, he didn’t want to be alone. He never felt this way before. So, he pulled on a t-shirt and headed out to the lounging area.

  “Room for one more?” he asked, watching Elizabeth and Callen eating.

  “Always,” she said, patting the couch beside her.

  When he sat, she handed him a plate with three slices of pizza. She’d saved it for him.

  “Elizabeth, I love you.”

  She gave him a kiss.

  “Callen, I love you too.”

  He puckered up and closed his eyes to be funny.

  Chris kissed him.

  “JESUS! What are you thinking?” Callen said, wiping his mouth. “You are NOT my type.”

  Chris didn’t know why he did it, but it made him laugh.

  “You’re my type. You both are. I’m lucky I have you both. I love my family.”

  “Let’s call the house and check on the kids,” she suggested.

  They were down with that.

  Work would wait twenty minutes.

  They had more important things to do.

  As Chris watched the room waver, he had a sneaking suspicion why he couldn’t get off, his memory was hazy, and he wanted to hump a stump.

  He’d been drugged.

  It was the only possibility.

  While he wanted to tell Elizabeth, he couldn’t. If he did…Heather was dead.

  And he’d lose Elizabeth forever.

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

  Fort Blackhawk

  When Ethan arrived home, he was heading in to check on the kids when he found the chaos had definitely ensued.

  The two dogs were back in the house and they were chewing on one of his shoes.

  Kanji had destroyed the hell out of it.

  “What the hell?” he asked, trying to get it but the dog took off running.

  He knew Beatrice didn’t let the dogs in, and he was pretty sure Sarah wouldn’t either.

  That meant only one person would break the rules and do something like that.

  Perfect.

  It looked like Gabe’s plan had worked.

  Wyler was back.

  Heading into their massive family room, Ethan found his father. He was sitting on the couch, and beside him was the mangy, shoe-chewing dog.

  Well, so much for those four weeks of training. They’d broken him of that, and he was back.

  Only, the dog wasn’t the only one on the couch.

  His father was also surrounded by all of their kids. It was a school night, they had ice cream faces, and they were cuddled against him in piles of little Native bodies.

  It was hard not to smile.

  Ethan cleared his voice, and his father turned his head. Slowly getting up, he placed TJ in his bassinet not far from the sleeping children.

  They’d pas
sed out watching some cartoon about a princess and snow, and there was no doubt tomorrow was going to be hellish.

  Yeah, the mayhem was back, and he was glad.

  When Wyler met him, he pointed at the kitchen, and he did not look happy.

  Ethan followed him in there.

  “Yes?” he asked.

  The second he spoke, Wyler flipped his shit.

  That was funny to see, since Callen got his easygoing nature from him. Nothing pissed Wyler off.

  Nothing.

  Well, until now.

  “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re locking up the dogs, the boys can’t sleep together, and you had to have a doctor here to look at Bethe. It’s her damn teeth. That’s why she has a fever. She’s getting more in!”

  Ethan said nothing.

  This had to play itself out. Sometimes, you had to let a person vent.

  Here was Wyler’s chance.

  “On top of that jackassery, you won’t feed them elk, but ‘good ol’ beef’ because elk and deer are ‘hard’ to find! BULLSHIT! You and your brother both know how to shoot a deer, dress it, and pack it. I know you could ‘find’ it, if you had the inclination. This has turned into the house of misery. My little Native babies are turning…white!”

  That made Ethan laugh.

  He owed Gabe one.

  “What were you thinking? That Nanny is like a hopped-up version of Mary Freaking Poppins, and she’s trying to make my kids into the Von Trapp clones!”

  “You realize that’s two different families from two different movies, right?” Ethan asked.

  “That’s not my freaking point!”

  Wyler looked better.

  His hair was braided, he was pissed off, and he was wearing some clean things.

  Yeah, Granddad was back.

  It was about damn time.

  This called for a celebration, and the last test in this whole plan. Ethan grabbed two beers and slid one toward his father.

  He opened his, and Wyler walked his back to the fridge, returned it, and grabbed a root beer.

  He chugged that.

  And there it was.

  His father had put the beer away, and he was going to fight for the kids.

  “I know I fucked up, but you’re ruining their lives. They can’t run wild and play with toy guns. You and your brother did! I know you did! I would watch from the woods as you and Callen did just that!”

  “You watched us?”

  “Yeah, I watched you both. When you would go hunting, which you sucked at—so maybe you can’t ‘find’ venison—I was in the woods watching then too. You think I only loved my son with Maeve? Well, fuck you.”