Redemption is Here (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 9) (11 page)

“I can’t wait to carry you back to my love shack in the woods,” he murmured. “I’m going to have my way with you a couple of times.”

She could only hope so. When he patted her on the ass, her pulse jumped. “Callen!” she hissed. It was hard to get upset when the simple action turned her right on.

Damn baby hormones
.

Callen knew it was half-hearted. “
Later, you can show me how upset you are. In fact, I’ve been a very bad boy. Maybe you should bring your handcuffs and teach me who is boss.”

It made her laugh
and flush all at once. Oh, she’d be giving him a lesson he’d never forget.

As they approached the burial
site, all three doctors were leaning over the graves. “What can you tell me?” she asked, waiting for something. 

Doctor Legend spoke up,
“Well, I have good news and bad news for you,” he offered. “Which do you want first, boss?”

“Give me the good. I’m hoping it will soften the blow when you tell me what I already think you’re going to say.”
This wasn’t her first crime scene, and Elizabeth knew how her ME’s rolled.

He was good with that. “I can tell you right now that ID’ing the victims won’t be so bad, because they’re well preserved.
We should be able to get a good set of prints or DNA.”

Elizabeth braced for it.
Here it came.

“Unfortunately, that smell, the one
which may or may not remind you of Christmas, is frankincense. It was used by the Egyptians many years ago. It’s going to make TOD a bitch. You’re looking at four very well preserved bodies. I’ll be able to hopefully give you how they died, but when that occurred isn't going to happen. With the temperatures in the ground and the amount of frankincense, we’re going to be shit out of luck.”

Awesome.

“So, basically if no one filed a missing person report on them, we have no damn idea of when they were taken?”

“Yep. Did
my good news soften the blow?” he asked, grinning.

“No, why?”

“Because I have more bad news,” Zane began. “I need to get these bodies into a chiller and out of these wraps soon. The longer they’re out in the air, the worse the pickling effect is going to be. You don’t happen to have a spare morgue lying around, do you?”

Yeah, this is why they hated being in the field. They had bodies on the Rez, and
for all they knew they could be Native. Housing them was destined to be a bitch.

She glanced over at Callen. “The Black Mountain Reservation has a police department
. How big is their space?”

He started laughing
at the ridiculousness of that question.

“Okay, I’ll take that as a no. I’m going to have to head off the Rez and into town. It looks like I’ve got to go
play nice with some local cops. These could be citizens of Devil’s Lake, so they might be willing to accommodate me.”

She hoped.

Now, Callen stopped laughing. Elizabeth was not known for getting along with many people, especially police. She found them irritating, bothersome, and generally a pain in her ass.

This was bound to get ugly.

“You’re not going alone,” he stated.

Elizabeth glanced over at him. “
If by that statement, you think you’re joining me, you can’t. You have to stay here and watch the scene to make sure our doctors are safe. When there are only two of us, we have to divide and conquer.”

Callen didn't like that at all.
Everything in him screamed in resistance to that suggestion. Pulling her aside, he led her to a quiet spot not far from the bodies, tucked behind some trees. “Please take the two agents you came with. I don’t think I could handle it if anything happened to you,” he whispered.

She saw the pain in his eyes. Both men were super protective normally, but while she was pregnant
, they were out of control.

Elizabeth was just lucky this was Callen. If Ethan were here, it would be a million times worse. He took overprotective to the extreme.

“Okay, Callen. I’ll take them. While I’m on the road, I’ll get housing from Ethan. It’s going to be dark soon. I want to get these bodies out of here. Zane can start the autopsies in the morning. He’s going to be too tired to focus, and we need this done right.”

He understood. Staring down at his woman, he was drawn to her lips. “I’m feeling the need to touch you, Lyzee,” he whispered, low enough that only she could hear.

She glanced around making sure the coast was indeed clear. “One kiss, Callen. You can spend hours touching me later,” she promised. “I’m sorry that’s all I can give you for now.”

He lowered his mouth to hers for one single taste. Nothing in his life ever made his heart pound quite like kissing the woman he loved.

Slowly, his lips moved over hers as they remained off by themselves. They both knew it wasn’t professional, but after nearly losing one third of their unit, they made a promise.

Always take the moment
, because it could be your last.

Breaking away, he opened his eyes. Her brilliant blue ones stared lovingly up into
his. Here was the woman he loved. It was almost two years, and he couldn’t imagine not being with her.

“I love you,” she whispered, running the pad of her thumb over his lower lip. “Until the day I die, I’ll always be yours, Callen,” she vowed.

He swallowed. Whenever she’d whisper those words to him, his heart would skip in his chest. His life, over the last few years, had changed vastly. It went from having no one to love to having this woman.

She
meant everything.

“I love you, Elizabeth. I can’t wait for you to have Charlie, so I can knock you up,” he teased.

She started laughing. “Nice one,” she offered. “Here I was impressed with your romantic streak.”

There was no other woman he’d rather be romantic with in his entire life. Yet, there was a time to show her, and it wasn’t now. As her birthday approached, he was getting ready for it. Oh, he’d knock her socks off.

In fact, both men would.

They already had a plan.

“Promise me that you’ll be safe?” he asked one more time. “I won’t be able to focus if you’re in danger. Oh, and Ethan will kill me if anything happens to you,” he added, laughing.

She didn't doubt that for a second.

“I love how you two think I can’t take care of myself,” she stated, leading him back to the team. “You two tend to be in more trouble than I ever am.”

“You get abducted one time, and your woman never lets you forget it,” he replied, teasing her.

She whistled. Everyone came to a complete stop, including the new anthropologist.

It looked like she was learning.

“I’m heading into town. I’ve got to procure us a place to call base. I’m taking Agents Seaton and Madden with me. In my absence, Director Whitefox is in charge. If you haven’t noticed, it’s getting dark out. I want to clear these bodies and all sweeps by nightfall. I’m also going to get you places to crash for our stay in Devil’s Lake.”

There were mumbled words
, and she didn't miss them.

“If you make Director Whitefox angry, you will be in the crappiest roach coach FBI money can buy. If you do your job, you will still be in the crappiest roach coach, but you’ll feel good about yourself.”

There was a chorus of moans and some snickers.

“Behave, do your damn jobs, and for Christ sake, no one wander into the woods. I don’t want to have to search for anyone when I get back. Am I clear?”

They all looked around.

She waited for it.

When they saluted, she started laughing. “See you in a little while,” she stated, blowing Callen a kiss before heading through the team to the tree line.

He watched her go
before checking his watch. Now, he had to trust the relatively new agents at her side. If something happened to her, he and Ethan were screwed. As it was, their family was barely patched back together.

“
Director,” Zane called.

“Yeah?”

“Can you suit up and help me bag up the victims?” he asked, as the two anthropologists were already working on the other two bodies.

“Yeah, I can do that,” he stated, grabbing a clean suit from one of the techs.

Once he was dressed, he climbed down into the shallow grave.

“Are you ready, boss?”

Yeah, he most definitely was. For now, he needed something to keep his mind on the mummies and not his woman.

Maybe it would all be okay.

How much trouble could she get into in town?

Holy shit! This was going to be a disaster...

~ Chapter Three ~

        Devil’s Lake

Elizabeth let one of her agents do the driving. For now, she needed to check in with Ethan to make sure he’d gotten confirmation on their lodging. Ginny had probably already submitted the details to him, and Elizabeth knew that he wouldn’t tolerate their team staying in a roach coach.

On the second ring, he answered the call.

“Hey, baby! I miss you,” he said, typing furiously on his tablet. Knowing his wife, Ethan was well aware why she was calling. As a matter of fact, he was just about there.

“I miss you too, Ethan. I hope Gabe’s not bugging the hell out of you, or I’m heading up there to hurt him.”

It made him laugh. Before he left, they had both discussed the upcoming tests that Gabe was likely to toss out. “I’m good, Lyzee. I’m finalizing the hotel accommodations right now. You’re going to be staying with Callen on the Rez, and since it’s the tourist off season, there’s only one motel open in town. The team is staying there.” He paused, trying to figure out their one problem.

“But? I feel like you’re waiting to drop the bomb,” she admitted.

“We have one extra person that Ginny didn't account for in the set up.”

She hoped
Ethan had a solution.

“Who isn't staying
at the hotel?”

“Well, we were good until Gabe mentioned that you needed Tony to remain and work. So, he’s either got to bunk with you and Callen, or…”

She started laughing. “If you put him with us, your brother is going to be disappointed. You know how he is,” she offered, trying to keep it as detail free as possible. After all, she wasn’t alone.

“
You have company?”

“I’m on my way into town to mess with the local law. I need to procure a morgue for the mummies.”

His blood pressure shot up. “That’s not what I asked you, baby. Are you alone?”

“Hell no, Cowboy! You think I’m wonky? I have Agents Seaton and Madden with me. In fact, I’m letting one of them drive. It looks like I’ve turned over a new leaf.
Apparently, when you’re not around, I’m not a control freak.”

At her reassuring words, he was able to breathe again
. “Good. I might actually get to sleep tonight, instead of worrying.”

“Now, back to our situation,” she stated
, knowing they didn't have much time.

“Our only other option is one of the cabins on the Rez. Do you think Tony will be okay by himself?”

She thought about it. “Yeah, he’ll be good. Besides, he can get to know Doctor Armstrong a little better.”

That sentence alone spoke volumes to him.
“Uh oh. Are you donning your Cupid wings again?”

There was nothing funnier than that vision in her head. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am.”

“I’m just glad I’m here. One day, someone’s going to get hurt, and I want to stay out of your line of fire.”

She didn't buy it at all.
“Liar, liar, your expensive britches are on fire,” she chanted.

He loved his wife. She knew him too well. “I’ll be there in a day or two. We have something big on the horizon
, and Gabe is dumping it in our lap.”

“
Uh oh. What’s coming?”

“I can’t tell you over the phone
. In fact, I can’t tell Callen either. It’s classified. You and I barely meet the clearance level on this one.”

“Oh boy,” she muttered.
They were pretty high up on the security clearance scale. If they barely met it, then it was going to be epic. “Okay, Ethan. We’re almost there, so I have to go. Please be careful, think about me, and stay out of trouble.”

“I should say the same to you. Call me later, baby. I love you.”