Consumed by Wrath: An FBI/Romance Thriller (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 8) (43 page)

The deputy
hauled ass out of there, not wanting to witness a marriage related mêlée.

“What were you two thinking?” he hissed.
“Why the hell did you leave the house without me?”

She shrugged. “
It wasn’t like I could hang out and wait for you to get off your call, so that’s why I left you a note. Tony was at the bar telling everyone that we have a cannibal. Did you really want him spreading all we have around the town?”

Blackhawk didn't, but he definitely didn't want the mother of his unborn
child out at a bar either.

“You could have interrupted my call with Doctor
Gaines for a bar room brawl, Elizabeth. I think that may have taken priority.”

“Are you kidding me? You would have killed Tony if you were here. Callen, while not my first choice in a fight,” she teased, “he
’s at least is a little calmer than you.”

“Hey!” he objected, laughing.
It was obvious that the storm was passing and calmer heads were prevailing.

“I hope you b
eat the hell out of him, Cal,” Ethan said, finally calming down. His wife had a point. From the things that he heard over the phone, he wanted to rip the man to pieces. No one talked about his Elizabeth like that and got away with it.

“Ac
tually, this round goes to Tex, despite the blood on her lip.”

Ethan moved closer, and instead of being afraid, she moved into his body. There was no reason to
worry. While there may be murder in his eyes, Ethan would never hurt her.

“Baby,” he murmured, lifting her chin to look at her
mouth in the flashing neon light. “You scared me. All that I kept thinking was my wife and child were going to get shanked in some smoke filled bar.”

She grinned. “Come on
, Cowboy! You think I can’t take a drunk? Worse yet, you think that I can’t take an inebriated Tony? Please! That’s like me going head to head with a kindergartner when he’s sober. Toss booze into it and that’s an easy one.”

Callen had to agree. “His fighti
ng was laughable.”

Blackhawk found that
laughter was trying to escape.

Elizabeth was finally able to relax.
“Come on. We’re going to head home, now that the bar room brawl is over. We need to shower before we head to bed. I smell like cologne, cigarettes, and whiskey.”

“There
’s a sentence that I didn't ever think that I would hear my pregnant wife say to me.”

She snickered, patting him on his ass.

Callen headed to the one car. “I’ll follow you two,” he offered. “I don’t want to hear the lecture. Let me know if he switches it up, so I can catch the next one,” he teased.

Elizabeth laughed. “He’s not going to do that, are you love bug?”

Blackhawk grinned and helped his wife up into the passenger seat. “Oh hell yes I am, Elizabeth Renee LaRue Blackhawk! In fact, I’m going to bitch all the way home, and tomorrow, I’m killing Tony. I heard what he said about my wife, and those are fighting words in the land of the angry husbands. I recant that. Those are killing words.”

“Well shit,” she muttered.

Callen laughed all the way to the second vehicle as Ethan slammed the door.

“Yeah, you
certainly got that right.”

                                *   *   *

He was scared out of his mind.

After work, he swung by the bar and decided to grab a few drinks, shoot a few games of pool, and hang out before he headed home for his gourmet meal. Normally, he hung out at a bar a little closer to his dumping spot on the river, on the other side of town, But tonight, he felt like living on the wild side.

Never did he expect to see the sheriff
, and then the FBI in the place. He honestly believed that it was a safe hideaway, as he laid low.

Part of him wanted to believe they were following him there, but then he realized that was just insanity.

They couldn’t know the truth.

It was impossible.

He forced himself to relax, as he pondered it. No one would ever think it was him. He lived his life and headed to work every day. What was that saying about hiding in plain sight?

Well, whatever it was, that was his motto.

As long as he kept doing that, he was in the clear.

After all, he was eating the evidence
, and what he couldn’t consume and make into a glorious feast, he tossed in the river or buried where no one would find it.

There was no way to prove it was him.

He was in the clear.

Finishing his beer, he went out and climbed into his car. He had spent too long there, and now he was hungry.

Thinking about the food waiting for him at home, his belly grumbled.

Okay, maybe the risk was worth it in the end.

Never in his life had he eaten like this.

There was no going back.

He couldn’t stop it now. There was a craving building in his body, and it had full control of him.

He was addicted
to flesh.

It was his drug of choice.

                                *   *   *

Saturday Morning

Valentine’s Day

Slowly escaping from sleep, there was a brisk chill in the air. Cuddling closer to his body, Cyra enjoyed the scent of his skin. As her hands wandered, she could feel the kick of his heart, as he too pulled from sleep.

It
had been like open air camping out in nature, and she loved every second of it. It gave her more reason to cling to the man beside her.

Not that she needed it.

Chris didn't seem to mind when she was all over him. It was probably a good thing. Now, they needed to wake up, get the space put back together, and find their way back to Hotel Blackhawk.

“Morning,” he murmured, running his hands up and down her back under the layers of blankets. He would have thought that sleeping outside would have been cold, but between the gorgeous and unseasonably warm temperatures, and the heat they made themselves, it was perfect.

Cyra wiggled closer. What she wouldn’t give to stay in this little spot all day with him. “Good morning, Christopher,” she whispered, leaving kissing along his neck and up to his ear.

This was one hell of a way to wake up. Chris honestly hoped it would be like this the rest of his life. If it was, he could die a very happy man.

“I wish we could stay like this,” he said, as his hand slid down further, to cup the soft skin of her derrière. His whole body was already on alert, but that simple action drove him even wilder with the memories of the previous evening.

God, what he wouldn’t do to just pretend they were lost in the woods
, together and alone.

That was one fantasy he could absolutely enjoy.

“Me too, but duty calls.”

Yeah, there was that pesky obligation thing, standing in the way of his fun. Pulling his arm from under the blanket, he glanced at his watch. “If we want
to shower and scrounge up some coffee, we need to get up now.”

“I definitely want a shower. Maybe you can help me out and wash my back?
” she whispered, running her hand down his abs and lower. When she found her prize, he moaned.

Okay,
he wasn’t going to turn down a slippery, wet woman. So that meant hustling it.

Chris was up and working fast.

Watching him deconstruct everything and gather all the candles, while naked, was incredibly entertaining. She had never seen him move that fast. While he did that, she started getting dressed.

There was no way she was going to get busted
, buck naked in the woods, behind her boss’s house.

Yeah, no freaking way.

When she finished, she began folding the blankets and placing them back in the shed on the shelf. When she was finished, Chris was getting dressed.

Looking around, they didn't find anything out of place.

“I think we’re good,” he said, grabbing the picnic basket.

Cyra agreed and held out her hand as they started back to the path. “I had a really great time.”

So had he. In fact, he knew what would top it. “Tonight’s Valentine’s Day, will you go out to dinner with me?” he asked, as a plan began formulating in his mind.

“I would love that.”

Chris went with honesty. “You’re my first date on Valentine’s Day. Generally, I stay in, have a few beers and catch sports. So, this is new to me.”

She grinned. “I have no doubt that you will make it a night to remember.”

Oh, she had no idea.

If he had his way, tonight was going to blow her away and top her wildest dreams.

After all, she deserved it.

             
                  *   *   *

Elizabeth sat in the kitchen, sipping coffee. Callen was still showering, and Ethan was sitting on a stool not far from her doing some work.

When the patio door creaked open, they both looked up. It was hard not to giggle
as they walked in, hand in hand.

Here was one of her agents, completely disheveled, and her ME, with a dopey grin plastered on his face.
In fact, dopey didn't even come close to describing it.

It did Elizabeth’s heart good to see them both happy. “So, how was that picnic?” she asked, glancing down at her watch.

Cyra blushed, but Chris kept on grinning.

Ethan started laughing, because the look on Chris’s face was one that he’d seen many times in the mirror
, and on his brother’s face.

“It was the best damn picnic that I’ve ever had in my life,” he stated, placing the basket down to empty it.

Cyra went up on her toes to kiss him. “I’m going to go shower, see you in a bit,” she hinted, as she winked at him.

Watching her walk away, Chris was in a pretty fantastic mood.
He doubted that anything could taint the feeling that was living in his heart.

Elizabeth knew that he wanted to follow her in the worst way. Standing, she took the basket from him. “Go shower, Chris. I’ll take care of this for you,” she offered.

He stared at the woman. “Thank you for helping her plan last night out. I know you had something to do with it.”

She grinned. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about, Doctor Leonard. I’m just offering to clean this up so you can go conserve water with the pretty woman.”

He took a chance and went to her, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “I owe you,” he said, racing off.

Elizabeth watched him leave, and how he nearly plowed into Callen on his way up the stairs. “I love when people fall in love,” she said, softly.
“There’s nothing more beautiful to watch unfold.”

“You’re my very own Cupid,” Ethan stated, going to her side to hug her.

She snuggled into his embrace. Elizabeth firmly believed that everyone deserved to feel what she found. Without love, there was no doubt her life would be desolate. Ethan and Callen filled her up and made her complete.

“What did I miss?”
Whitefox asked, as he watched the two people he loved most hug. Feeling the need, he went to them and joined them. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Lyzee,” he said, kissing her on the cheek as the men cocooned her between them.

“I can’t wait to give you our gift,” stated Ethan.

She glanced up. “Can I have a clue?” If there was one thing that made her giddy like a school girl, it was presents. Having two men in her life was amazing because of the obvious reasons, but along with that came twice the fun of surprises.

“Nope.”

Elizabeth had ways to make them talk. “I’ll give you a hint what I have for you,” she whispered.

They were both pretty sure what she had in mind, and to them, it was the gift that kept on giving.

“Not happening,” he replied. Not telling her wasn’t going to risk the spectacular sex that he was sure was on the evening’s agenda.

Callen laughed. This was going to drive her bat shit insane all day long, and that in itself was well worth it.

“You two are no fun,” she muttered.

Blackhawk found that amusing. “I’m well aware.”

Then it hit her, she never asked him about the call to the therapist last night. “Ethan, what did Doctor Gaines say?” she asked.

It caught him off guard, and warmed his heart that she remembered to ask. “I told her about how we came here and bared our souls. She was proud that I opened up and was honest with you both.”