Blood Shall Run (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 15) Read online

  They were a long time coming.

  “I hate the nighttime.”

  Yeah, he knew why.

  Chris was being chased, and he refused to get help. Elizabeth had tried to get him into therapy with Doctor Gaines, but he didn’t want to talk.

  He’d refused and told her if she loved him, she’d back off.

  Well, out of her guilt, she did just that.

  Chris was playing a dangerous game, and they all saw it. Callen had been there, and therapy, plus the love of his woman, had helped.

  Ethan had been there too. Therapy had been the key.

  With Chris, he was skirting part one and relying on Elizabeth to carry him. They were both drowning in the guilt, and sinking fast.

  Ethan and Callen weren’t sure when to intervene.

  It likely would be soon. Tempers were flared, nerves were raw, and they were stressed to the max over the entire situation.

  Granted, Chris wasn’t ready yet but the time was fast approaching.

  For now, they were respecting his wishes. Unfortunately, they’d all been down this road, and dealing with grief only had two outcomes.

  You beat it.

  Or you lost yourself to it.

  They were waiting for Chris to ask for help and make his decision. It had to be up to him, and they all knew it. He was going to reach out or go under. Ethan and Callen hoped he didn’t take Elizabeth down with him.

  They knew her.

  She’d throw herself on the sacrificial sword for Christopher Leonard.

  “Dreams?” Callen asked. “Are you still running?”

  Chris grabbed a cup of coffee and knew exactly what the man meant. He was running, and it was one hell of a marathon. “Yeah, it’s the same old, same old. I’ll beat it. I just need time.”

  That had become his mantra.

  He needed time to heal.

  He needed time to grieve.

  He needed time to be angry.

  At some point, time would run out.

  It was coming.

  Despite that, Callen said nothing.

  For now.

  “I appreciate everything you’ve done,” Chris offered. “It’s meant a lot to me.”

  Callen felt horrible.

  “Don’t worry about it, Chris. We care about you.”

  Chris knew how true that was.

  There weren’t many people Chris called family, and this man was one of the few he could put his faith in without hesitation. He knew that Elizabeth trusted her husbands with everything, and he could too.

  “Chris.”

  He cut him off before he could even say another word. “I’m not ready, Callen. I still need time.”

  And there it was again.

  Those magic words managed to shut everyone down. Chris was getting good at using them for just about everything.

  This was the issue.

  The other issue?

  Elizabeth warned them to back off. It was irritating, but they got it. She knew what her friend needed, and they were respecting that.

  For now.

  What the man needed was love, and not someone pulling him kicking and screaming toward getting better.

  So, if not for Chris, Callen let it go for the woman he loved. The last thing she needed was more stress over the situation. They were all walking on eggshells.

  “What are you working on?” Chris asked, changing the subject.

  Callen knew what he was doing, but he let it go.

  Chris got comfortable, taking a seat at the table across from the large Native. His hair was pulled up in some man-bun, his glasses were on, and he looked like he was running a marathon too.

  It couldn’t be easy to write a novel and work a fulltime job for the FBI. Callen looked tired.

  “I’m finishing up this last page, and I’m sending it off to the publisher. This is the last manuscript for this year. I’ve fulfilled my obligation, and now I can take a break. Well, from writing. Work is always a different story.”

  Didn’t he know it?

  Any day now, they’d all be heading out. Elizabeth had picked her team, acclimated them to the new surroundings, and was ready to go.

  It wouldn’t be long.

  Even Ethan was ready. He was doing what the Deputy Director of the FBI did—work for it.

  Chris grinned. “Mr. Author is banging out a new one, huh? What’s this one going to be about?”

  Callen laughed at the nickname. It was odd and awesome at the same time. It had taken him a while to adjust to it.

  “I went with an oldie but a goodie. Remember the ‘Skinwalker’ case?”

  “Who could forget it?”

  “Well, I’ve added some twists and turns, and it’s good. Well, I think so. That’s yet to be seen by the publishing company. I’ll know in a couple days.”

  Chris didn’t doubt it would be awesome.

  Callen had a gift. He was meant to be a storyteller.

  Everyone thought so.

  Chris had read this man’s premier novel, and it was spectacular. It was filled with just enough facts to make it interesting, but enough fiction to make it exciting.

  It was full of steamy sex too. It gave them a sneak peek into his and Elizabeth’s life. It brought up so many questions to ask, but no one dared.

  She’d kill anyone who brought it up.

  “I see another bestseller in your future.”

  From his mouth to the Great Spirit’s ears.

  Truth be told, he was riding a high. He never thought his first book would sell a single copy. Fortunately for him, it did that and a lot more.

  He’d tripled his yearly salary in months. The kids had a free ride for college now, and that meant everything to a man who grew up dirt poor.

  His Natives were going to good schools, and never wanting for a single thing. That’s why he was sitting in a kitchen at that time of the night.

  Their baby birds.

  “I’ve already covered my bucket list,” Callen offered. “I can die a happy man.”

  “Well, if book two is like book one, you’re set.”

  He hoped so.

  Callen couldn’t believe any of this ride.

  He’d hit the publishing world by storm, and he honestly believed it was because no one could figure out who the hell Jackson James was.

  He was an enigma.

  The media wanted interviews, and his publisher told them he was a ghost and wouldn’t do the publicity junket. That alone drove them insane.

  Hell!

  It made them talk about him even more. The media liked a mystery, and he was it. They were currently trying to find the famous author who was writing under another penname.

  If his identity came out, they’d be shocked.

  It was funny as hell.

  “You could just do this for a living,” Chris stated. “You have a beautiful way with words.”

  Yeah, he could.

  The money was great, Callen could stay home with their kids, but he was still a Fed at heart.

  He needed to be with his team.

  His partners.

  His spouses.

  That mattered more.

  There was no Callen without Elizabeth and Ethan.

  Besides, he had something better on the horizon.

  He was now Lyzee’s partner in the field when they went out of town. Callen liked that best. He was no longer a mediator but a sexy woman babysitter.

  He was a special agent and Elizabeth Blackhawk’s partner in crime.

  Literally.

  “Yeah, who saw this one coming?” Callen asked, sipping what was left of his coffee. He’d slept a few hours, and he was going to head back to bed soon. He wanted to cuddle with his spouses.

  “We all did, Callen. We’re proud of you.”

  “Thank you, Chris. That means a lot coming from my family. I like bringing something to the table. Ethan is the Deputy Director, Elizabeth heads up the violent crimes division, and I do the writing.”

  Chris grinned. “Wel
l, you do it well.”

  Callen was simply glad he’d made it back to the FBI. There were days his hand didn’t cooperate, but that was par for the course.

  The conversation hit a lull, and the silence enveloped them. Callen now had time to focus on the man in front of him.

  Chris looked like he wanted to say something, but he was holding back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I need a favor, and I don’t want to go to Elizabeth with this one. I know she’d do anything for me, but this is a guy thing. You’re the only one I trust with this.”

  That intrigued Callen.

  He couldn’t help it.

  He loved a mystery.

  It had to be huge. Normally, Chris and Elizabeth were attached at the hip. She was the momma duck, and he was one of her wounded chicks. For Chris to come to him, something had to be going on in his life—other than the obvious.

  “What?”

  “I want to learn how to protect myself.”

  Callen stared at him. “Like fighting?”

  “Yeah, exactly like that. I know Elizabeth knows how to fight like a Fed, but I want to learn…”

  He tried to think of the best way to broach this. How did he say this without offending Callen?

  “You want me to teach you how to fight dirty, like Ethan and I did growing up?”

  The man was very astute.

  He loved that about Callen. It made him approachable.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  Apparently, since Callen was smiling, he wasn’t offended. Chris had heard about some of the brawls they had gotten into, and he wanted to be tougher.

  He needed to be.

  The last thing he wanted was to lose his daughter. It was a sick world out there, and he needed to protect her.

  He’d failed once.

  He couldn’t again.

  Callen stared at the man sitting across from him as he measured his response to his request. This wasn’t an easy one, contrary to what he thought.

  This was treading into Elizabeth territory.

  Chris watched him with hopeful eyes. His brown hair stood in peaks, and he looked like hell. His eyes, while better than they had been the last few weeks, still had shadows in them. Chris was still doing battle with the invisible demons.

  While Callen knew he should be reporting this to the family, he opted to cut the man a break.

  “Okay, I’m in. I could use some workout time. I’ve been sitting on my ass a lot lately. Tomorrow, we’ll head to the FBI gym to get sweaty. It’ll start there.”

  “Really?”

  He looked shocked.

  “Sure. It’s mostly technique with a lot of underhanded shots thrown in, but we need to start you out slow.” Callen pointed at Chris’s leg.

  He understood.

  “We’ll start with boxing. We can call it a workout and no one will be any the wiser.”

  Chris grinned. “Thank you, Callen. I appreciate you keeping this between us.”

  He stood. “You know that you can come to us with anything, right, Chris? We love you and we’re here for you when you need three shoulders to lean on.”

  He was aware.

  “Elizabeth can fight dirty too.”

  “I can’t dump this on her too. I see how she’s watching me, and I want someone to teach me how to fight, not mother me. I love Lyzee, but she’s…”

  “Smothering you with good intentions?”

  He laughed as he rubbed his hands over his weary face. “Yeah. I get it. She’s waiting for me to crash and burn over Cyra, but it’s not going to happen. I mourned, I put it away, and I’m going to take care of Bethe.”

  “I get it, but you have to know that she’s not doing it to upset you.”

  He was aware.

  “She’s doing it because she has the world’s largest heart, and I love her for it. I just need some testosterone for now. I need a man’s man to show me how to protect my daughter. I’m a scientist. What do I know about protecting anyone? You and Ethan are damn good at protecting what’s yours.”

  Chris at one time thought he needed to be more like his sister. Now he saw the truth.

  He needed to be more like them.

  Harder.

  Meaner.

  Tougher.

  Faster.

  He wanted to be a force to reckon with—not a pussy.

  Callen got it. He understood where he was coming from. Their lives dictated how they had to behave. He and Ethan had to be tough. When you grew up in squalor and poverty, fighting was your life. When you had something, you didn’t need to lose it to someone bigger, tougher, and meaner.

  Callen patted him on the shoulder. “Okay. I’m in. Be at Quantico early. It’s two now, I’ll see you in the gym at seven thirty.”

  “You won’t tell her, right?”

  They both knew who ‘her’ was.

  Here was a fine line for Callen. He wasn’t willing to tread over it for anyone—not even a friend.

  “I don’t lie to Lyzee or Ethan, Chris. If they ask what’s going on, I have to tell my spouses the truth—especial the little woman. A happy life…”

  Then he realized what he was going to say. It was their favorite saying, and for the last four months, they didn’t say it around him for good reason.

  Shit!

  Chris stared at him.

  “Say it, Callen. Don’t baby me. I want my life to be normal again, and I need you to stop walking on eggshells for me.”

  Here went nothing.

  “I can’t keep this from her because a happy life is a happy wife.”

  Chris relaxed.

  Finally, someone wasn’t treating him with kid gloves. Chris knew he could trust him.

  “Thank you, Callen. I appreciate it. I need everyone to stop treating me as if I’m broken and unrepairable. I’m still Christopher Leonard.”

  If that’s what he wanted, then Callen could give that to him. He hoped Chris was ready for it.

  “I’m not going to take it easy on you in the gym, Chris. If you want to learn, you have to sweat for it.”

  He could do that.

  He wanted to stop being the victim. He’d failed his wife, but he wasn’t going to fail Bethe.

  No, it was time.

  “I don’t mind getting my ass kicked.”

  So be it.

  “She has a meeting at eight, so she won’t be down at the gym. In fact, she’s probably going to be in the Hoover building kicking agent ass around the place. We should be safe.”

  That bought them some time.

  “Great. I’ll see you in a couple hours. Go cuddle with your girl. I’m going to work.” Saying it wasn’t nearly as hard as it had been.

  He was healing.

  Or so he hoped…

  Callen was going to take his advice. He wasn’t a martyr. He was willing to admit that he was past forty and getting older with each passing day.

  He was going to crash, and hard.

  Being up all day and practically all night was exhausting. It was wearing thin on his mind and body.

  Any more sleepless nights, and he was going to forget how to string a sentence together.

  Considering his night job…that was funny.

  Callen headed toward the staircase, and when he looked back, he could see the demons chasing the man they were calling brother.

  He was sitting there, staring off into space.

  It was only a matter of time.

  Chris Leonard was going to implode.

  And it was going to be ugly.

  Chapter One

  Tuesday Morning

  Quantico

  Eight A.M.

  When she woke, everyone was already long gone. As of late, that was more often the norm as the occasional occurrence. They were busy, moving in three different directions.

  Ethan had his job.

  Callen had two of his own.

  She was pulling double duty as parent and investigator.

  Life was bedlam.

  Truth
be told, Elizabeth didn’t really like it, but it was the nature of the beast. Ethan had early meetings, and she heard his alarm going off at five. The light brush of lips against hers meant he was heading out to start his day. She was sorry she missed him in his power suit and tie.

  She loved him all dressed up. All that black hair, those sexy blue-black eyes, and ridiculously overpriced finery made her heart go pitter pat.

  Normally, she’d worry, but he was safe.

  Since he had a security detail, she didn’t have to worry that some nut would try to take him out. He was being guarded like a hawk.

  At least that was one thing off her list of troubles.

  Callen?

  He was another story.

  As of late, she was stressed over him burning the midnight oil as he tried to hold up two careers. He’d stumble out of bed after a quick nap, and then back into bed, mumbling his apologies before he fell asleep.

  It sucked.

  Plus, it was putting a damper on their union. When she wanted to stay up late rolling around with her Natives, she was instead kissing him goodnight so he could get to bed early.

  It wasn’t fun.

  At all.

  Still, it was his dream, so she’d suck it up. The men in her life sacrificed a lot for her, so this was the least she could do.

  Elizabeth had to choose her battles, and the biggest one lay ahead.

  The biggest challenge, on her list of stress, was the job. She was itching to head out, and if she didn’t get a case soon, she was going to go bat shit insane.

  Being locked up at Quantico and the Hoover building was getting old. Livy was away at qualifications, and if she failed, she wasn’t coming back. The last thing she needed was random boredom texts throughout the day while she was trying to earn back her badge.

  So, she wasn’t available.

  Gabe was busy showing Ethan the ropes, and that was probably a good thing. Elizabeth was scaring lab staff to whip them into shape.

  Her boss should be ashamed of himself.

  His team wasn’t up to par, and in her boredom, she’d taken it upon herself to have Merry and Chris teach them how she liked to run her shop.

  Let’s just say she wasn’t making any fans.

  Most of the techs and agents really thought she was only heading the violent crimes division because she was banging the boss.

  Please.

  That was merely a perk—and a huge one at that. Their sex life had nothing to do with how she did her job. If it did, she’d be emperor of the universe, not a lowly paid Fed drone.