True Love Lost (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 3)) (27 page)

She didn’t know what to say, but she managed to not yell ‘
DO IT AGAIN
!’, so there was a small miracle. Desdemona just nodded at his words and agreed. Something about this man sucked out her brain, and she was willing to follow him into anything, like making out next to a dead body. In her brain she heard the little voice warning her she’d always be second, and she chose to ignore it. Being near him felt too good.

“Callen,” she said softly.

Whitefox shook his head. “It’s going to happen again.” Right there he threw down the challenge. He was going to get what he wanted, and that was her. Forcing her to see how it was going to be didn’t matter to him. When it was all done, he’d be victorious.

She wasn’t sure what to think. Part of her wanted to do a cartwheel and part of her wanted
to escape far away.

He helped her step down. “Let’s wrap this up here, and then go find Ethan and Elizabeth. We should head out of here soon.”

She nodded, and went to go get the lab techs. “Stitch him up, and store him in the cooler. I’ll finish my report tomorrow. Ship out the samples to the lab at FBI West, and mark them urgent and then head out for the night,” she said to the techs in the next room. Desdemona hoped they didn’t just see her making out with the sexiest man in the world. On second thought, she hoped they all did. Kudos for her!

“Why are you laughing,” he asked, as he lifted a brow.

“Today has been the weirdest day of my life. I was frightened by a deputy dressed up as a killer, my pregnant boss kicked his ass, and then I just made out by a corpse with a sexy Native American. Possibly what is most disturbing is I’m beginning to believe that I’m the only one that finds this the least bit out of the ordinary.”

Now he started laughing. “
Your best bet is to just accept and roll with it.” Part of him was secretly thrilled she wasn’t laughing at the moment they just shared, because it felt monumental for him.

It wasn’t lost on Desdemona Adare that she’d just gotten the same advice earlier from Elizabeth Blackhawk.

“Give me twenty minutes to get changed back into normal clothes.” She needed to escape from him to just catch her breath.

“I’ll wait for you right here,” he watched her walk away, and immediately felt her retreat. His brother had been right. She’d run in a heartbeat. Desdemona was going to bolt the first chance she got, and he was going to do everything in his power to stop
that from happening. Someone should have told Doctor Adare that when you play hard to get, it just makes the man want to hunt you down that much more.

Protectiveness kicked in
, as she needed that from him. He needed a way to move forward in life, and he’d offer that in exchange for being her guardian. Deep down it felt wrong, even as he tried to rationalize it, but he shut off the inner voice.

“Start running, Desi, I’m right behind you,” he whispered. Yeah, right behind her
and willing to run a very long marathon.

                                *     *     *

Those two bitches were going to pay. First they came to his town and made him look bad in front of his co-workers, and then the one ambushes and breaks his nose. She was just lucky the mask got in his way, or he would have beaten her into a pulp, pregnant or not. She just got damn lucky.

Now he had to make a
run for it, and get back to his place and get some things. First he was going to break into their house and teach those women a lesson, and then he was going to head out of the state. His brother was in Canada, and he’d be across the border before they had any clue where he was heading. They’d never find him again.

Stupid, worthless, broads had cost him his job, and now it was going to cost them their lives, and the men following them around too.
If he was going to jail, it was going to be for a truly heinous crime. Not just scaring two stupid women with a mask and play knife. It was time to teach them a lesson about what happens when women aren’t kept in their place and made to mind their manners.

They ended up dead.

                           *     *     *

“I'm perfectly fine!” objected Elizabeth, as her husband was bullying her once again. “Wait until I’m not pregnant, I swear I’m going to kick your ass,” she stated, as he had her scooped up off the ground and into his arms.

“Just let Desdemona look at your shoulder,” he
replied, smiling. He’d let her kick his ass, if she’d just get checked out.

“Ethan, put me down!” she ordered
and then saw her brother-in-law standing in the doorway. “Callen, please help me,” she pleaded to the man.

“What’s wrong now?” he
inquired, walking in and laughing. She may have been mad, but the love they had was still evident between them.

“When she had her little fight this afternoon, she hurt her shoulder.
I just caught her rolling it out. It has to be stiff.”

“The one
with the bullet wounds?” Whitefox asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m perfectly fine, and the fact that you’re carrying me around is making me angry, and that’s going to exacerbate the ass kicking I give you when I get down.”

Blackhawk laughed. “I’ll
stop holding you,” he said, winking at his brother. “Hey Callen, catch,” he said, tossing his wife to his brother.

It showed the complete trust between the men. Elizabeth was precious cargo to him, and he only trusted his brother with her.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and prayed he caught her.

“I got you, Lyzee,” he said
, kissing her neck and gently cradling her against his chest.

“Please Cal? Can I get down?” she asked
, touching his cheek, trying to play the ‘girl card’.

Whitefox grinned wickedly
, knowing her game. “Sure beautiful.” He tossed her back to his brother and when she screamed in frustration they both laughed.

Desdemona watched the game of catch from the doorway and smiled. There weren’t many people that could manhandle Elizabeth Blackhawk,
and these were probably the only two she knew that would get away with it. There was distinct jealousy at the intimacy they shared.

“If you willingly let Desdemona look at your shoulder
, I’ll put you down,” said her husband. If he didn’t lighten her anger by their little game, she’d kick both their asses without a doubt. Already he could see the fire leaving her eyes and he kissed her, figuring it was safe.

“Sure.”

“Liar,” laughed her husband, as he tossed her to his brother.

“Will you let her?”
Whitefox spoke, gazing at her seriously. “We’re just worried about you.” When Elizabeth looked into his eyes, he wasn’t above begging. “I’m worried about you.” He dropped his forehead against hers. “Please beautiful? For me?”

She sighed. “
Okay Callen.”

Blackhawk grinned. He had no doubt that she’d eventually cave, and especially if his brother gave her the wounded look. She didn’t have a snowballs chance in hell against it.
Elizabeth was a sucker for the Blackhawk men and especially Callen.

Desdemona came further into the room and was ready to check out her shoulder.
She decided to ignore the way Whitefox cradled Elizabeth in his arms. Thinking back to the kiss they shared, the jealousy grew at how it wasn’t the same. “Men out,” she said, pointing. When they were gone, she smiled at her new friend, despite the raw feelings inside her heart. “Let me look at your arm,” she helped Elizabeth out of her shirt and inspected the wound. “It has a little swelling on the joint. I’ll give you some ice and then heat will make it feel better.”

“Can you do me a favor?”

“You want to screw with them, don’t you, Elizabeth?”

“Oh, yeah I do. Want to help me teach the
m a lesson?”

Desdemona smiled.
“What can I do?”

Elizabeth whispered in her ear, and told her what to say and how to play it. “Can you pull it off?”

“Yes, and I’ll enjoy every second of it too.”

Desdemona rushed into the living room and looked worried. Immediately she could tell both men sensed her panic.

“What’s wrong?” Ethan stood. Gone were the laughter and the wicked grins from tormenting his wife.

Desdemona dropped her voice. “It’s bad. Her shoulder
is a mess, and she’s in the kitchen crying. You guys screwed it up tossing her around. You both better get in there fast.”

“Shit
!” They both rushed the door, entering the kitchen. Elizabeth was ready and waiting for them. Turning suddenly, she tossed a bucket of ice cold water on both men, drenching them completely.

“That’s for thinking might is right,” she said
laughing, wickedly. “I’m smaller but not above fighting dirty!”

Blackhawk stood there soaked with cold water
. To add insult to injury, his wife had opened the windows and back door so the room was subzero in temperature. “You are so going to get it now,” he growled menacingly, as he started stalking towards her.

Elizabeth ran for the back stairs and headed up them two at a time, her very wet, laughing husband right behind her nipping at her heels.

Desdemona stood in the doorway laughing at the man remaining. “You’re right, I like Elizabeth a lot, thanks for bringing us together,” she said snickering, and then she saw the same look on his face. “Callen, don’t do it,” she warned, but it was too late. He already had her by the arm and was dragging her across the room and into his arms.

Whitefox was going to teach the woman a lesson, she was pressed between him and the kitchen counter
, and he invaded like an advancing army. Callen wanted what his brother had, and his only frame of reference was watching Elizabeth and Ethan together. He followed suit, pulling her into the kiss. It wasn’t gentle and he worked hard at conveying how he felt. He buried his hands in her hair and pummeled her mouth unmercifully. He took what he wanted and didn’t care if she was going to protest.

Desdemona at first was filled with fear.
When she saw the look on his face it made her nervous, but then she realized he wouldn’t hurt her. Callen may have looked scary in that moment, but his eyes stayed warm and gentle. It was her own fear of her past that had her frightened, and what she was going to do about the man pressed against her. Now he was invading her mouth and wouldn’t let her free, and she was falling for him. Something about him just made her feel safe. When he picked her up and plopped her on the counter, never breaking the kiss, she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

Somehow he’d set her hair free from the clips holding it up, and he
was running his hands through the long lengths, and continuing to swallow her whole. This warmth grew in the pit of her stomach, and her hands began to trace a trail across his shoulders and chest.

Wow
, he had a really nice muscular chest
.

“Desdemona, are you okay
?” came the yell, as Elizabeth ran down the stairs and slammed to a stop. Yeah, they had the worst timing ever, as her husband ran into the back of her.

Callen turned to look at his family
and his face was flushed. His eyes met Elizabeth’s as if waiting for some comment. When she gave him the reassuring smile he’d come to love, Callen relaxed.

“Um
yeah, I’m fine!” She finally squeaked out, blushing red.

Both Blackhawks began walking back out of the room. “So sorry,” she said
, grinning at them both easily. “Night guys,” she snickered, and hustled out of the room giggling with her husband on the way back up the stairs.

“Oh, that was
the most mortifying experience,” she said closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands. “Oh my God!”

Whitefox tried to not be hurt by those words
, but they sliced at his heart viciously. It wasn’t like they would care that she was kissing him. Both his brother and sister-in-law were pretty laid back about affection around each other. “I see,” he said, and stepped away from her to put space between them. “I’ll lock up,” he stated angrily, closing the back door and refusing to look at her. Then he did the same with the windows, and the entire time he didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. He was that damn mad at her.

Desdemona stared open mouthed. “Callen, I didn’t mean…”

Whitefox cut her off by shaking his head. “Have a good night, Doctor Adare.” He walked out of the room alone, angry, and hurt.

What could she do? She wasn’t mortified by him kissing her, but by her bosses catching he
r making out with their brother in the kitchen. Now she’d ruined everything. Then again, she wasn’t surprised.

It was the story of her life.