Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) (26 page)

“We just spent time in this bed. That wasn’t here.”

Ethan wasn’t shocked. He knew about the message from the killer at the ex-director’s home. Gently, he began opening it.

     ‘Olivia Spencer- Two out of seven.’

It appeared the killer had left his calling card.

“I can’t believe…”

The tears finally poured from Jay Melrose. That little scrap of paper had been his breaking point.

Ethan moved around the side of the bed and sat with his ex-partner.

When he put his arm around him, he offered him as much comfort as he could.

“Someone killed him,” he whispered as he wept on Ethan Blackhawk’s shoulder. “How do I go on? I know we weren’t public about our relationship, but it still mattered. He mattered to me.”

He didn't have an answer for him.

Whenever they had to talk to the loved ones who were left behind, there was never an answer for them.

What could you say?

Nothing seemed to feel right.

Ethan couldn’t imagine finding either Elizabeth or Callen like that. There was no way he would have ever moved on. The pain would have leveled him, and that was only until the anger ate him alive.

So, he did what he could.

He lied.

“It’ll be okay, Jay. You’ll be okay.”

The man sniffled.

“We’ll find who killed Tristan. Elizabeth is good at her job, and she’ll stand for him now. She won’t rest until the killer is found.” And that was the absolute truth.

The man only hoped so.

At that moment, he had no hope.

It had died with the man he loved.

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

One Hour Later

James O’Brien’s

Home

When Callen called, Elizabeth wasn’t expecting the news. To find out that the victim had had sex right before wasn’t the shocking part. People did it.

A lot.

She was personal reference on that one. With two sexy Natives in her bed, she was often fornicating around the clock. Toss in pregnancy hormones, and she was a walking sex fest. 

What caught her off guard was
WHO
he had been getting his sex on with. As soon as Callen had hung up, Ethan had sent her a text, delivering the rest of the newly found details.

Yeah, this was an interesting twist.

They had two gay agents, both in a relationship, and now one of them was dead.

Her gut was screaming.

She just wasn’t quite sure why.

When she shared it with Livy, the woman wasn’t surprised.

“Lots of agents hook up. You’re in the most stressful situations, and sex happens. Look at Gabe and me, or you can check out the fun you’re having in the sack.”

“I get it. I just don’t know why he lied.”

“He’s gay.”

“Yeah, and? What does that have to do with it?”

She laughed. “Not everyone is laid back about sex. Gabe still gets weirded out by you doing it with two men.”

She snorted. “Yeah, I know, and I love tormenting him with it. It’s the least I can do. I know too much about his penis. Trust me…the feeling is mutual.”

Livy gave her a fist bump. “Well, I feel obligated to share with you. Who the hell else am I going to tell? The man has a really energetic…”

She cut her off. “Please. I’m pregnant. I’ll puke. If you use energetic and cock in the same sentence, I’m divorcing you. I will dump you, and you can have sole custody of Gabe.”

She found that amusing as hell.

Livy hopped out of the Denali and unbuttoned her coat. Old habits were coming back. It was like time hadn’t passed them by. Livy was in the FBI groove.

She definitely missed this.

“You want to handle this?” Elizabeth asked.

“Why?”

“The sister hated me, so he’s probably not going to love me all that much either. I destroyed their lives by not finding their brother’s killer.”

“Oh, the sweet irony for both of us.”

Yeah, she was aware. One killed him, and the other gave birth to his child.

This whole case was jacked up on so many levels. It was a minefield with a million potential bombs, ready to go off.

Heading toward the door, they knocked and waited for someone to answer. When no one did, Elizabeth used her foot to bang louder.

“He might be at work. It is the middle of the day,” Livy offered. “Most people are gainfully employed.”

Elizabeth caught movement from the corner of her eye, and her hand went to the butt of her gun. Then she realized it was only a neighbor.

“Are you looking for James?” the older woman asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

“He’s in his shop out back. You can find him back there if you look.”

Well, wasn’t the nosy neighbor helpful?

Elizabeth decided to do a little recon before heading into the unknown. It was best to know your adversary before wandering into his playpen.

“What’s he do for a living?” Elizabeth asked as the woman’s yappy dog barked non-stop. In a few seconds, she was going to shoot the furball if it didn't shut up.

That said a lot about her mood since she preferred animals to people any day of the week.

“Oh, he’s a butcher. This week he’s off to earn some extra money. The hunters bring him deer, and he takes care of them.”

Elizabeth and Livy both looked at each other.

Interesting.

That might explain the dead man’s wicked deboning skills. This might not be a waste of time after all.

“Thank you,” they said, heading around back.

“I’ll question him,” Elizabeth said.

“Why? I thought you said he wasn’t going to play nice with you.”

Yeah, she’d said that, but this was a different story. They had a butcher, and a bunch of hacked up people.

If he had something to do with it…

Elizabeth couldn’t ignore that Livy wasn’t actually a real agent. Legally, that could bite them in the ass.

“Why the change of plans?”

She went with honesty.

“Well, technically, you aren’t an agent. You’re a temp. I’m going to be the one sitting in front of a jury getting her ass reamed by the defense attorney. Let’s just call it preservation of my sanity, and go with that. I’m sparing you.”

She understood.

“It’s all you.”

They knocked on the garage door, and someone called for them to come in. Carefully, they entered.

Inside, Livy froze. There stood a man who reminded her of her past. James O’Brien and his dead brother were identical.

As in twins.

She wanted to throw up.

Elizabeth noticed the look on her backup’s face, and she immediately placed herself between them. “James O’Brien?” she asked, holding out her badge. “I’m Elizabeth…”

“I know who you are. What do you need?”

“We’re here to talk to you about your brother. I see you’re a butcher.”

“I don’t know what there is to say,” he offered, pointing at the urn on the shelf. “Seamus hasn’t spoken to me in a long time.”

“We just need some background on him. We’re working on the case.”

“Yeah, my sister called. She told me you were heading this way. I don’t get why, but I’ll cooperate. I just want this to end. For years, it hurt thinking about him, and finally I forgot. Now this is starting up again. Already, the media was here. They were digging and asking questions.”

They sympathized.

Well, they tried.

“So, you’re a butcher? Does that run in the family?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yeah, my father was one and my grandfather too. It’s kinda in the blood.”

“What’s your sister do?”

“She’s a nurse.”

“Do you own a shop?” Elizabeth asked.

“No, I work for someone else in town. For two weeks a year, I take off for hunting season. I make a lot of money doing this on the side. It’s cold enough that I don’t need freezers to store the kills.”

They both glanced over at the dead, gutted deer.

“So, you’re good with a knife?”

“Yep. I’m not the best in the family. That was my brother. He was gifted, but he didn't have it in his heart. He didn't like the blood. To do this, you can’t be bothered by it.”

That was ironic.

“Are you twins?”

“Yes. Identical.”

Yeah, Livy could tell. Being this close made her want to be sick. The smile, it was the exact same one she recalled when she’d done the street interview with Seamus O’Brien. Little did she know that on that day, she sealed her fate.

That haunted her.

If she closed her eyes, the voice was similar too.

She’d heard it for years in her nightmares.

Now here it was.

She hoped she didn't throw up. If she did, they wouldn’t let her help on the case, and she knew it. If Gabe even smelled fear, he’d yank her to keep her safe. She didn't want that.

Livy wanted to be free of this, and it meant facing it head on—
like she should have before
.

“He was an artist, right?”

“Yeah, my dad wanted him to be in the family business, but he ran away to follow his dream. Only, it didn't end well.”

“Yeah, he was killed.”

“Yes, but I meant before that. He fell in love with a woman, and she distracted him. Then he began blowing off school. Right after he left the university to spend all his time with her, she dumped him.”

“Do you recall her name?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes. It was Helena Brennan.”

Livy struggled to make notes. This was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do in her life.

Well, that made sense to Elizabeth. Apparently, he had been heartbroken, right before he started killing women.

“Do you know what she looked like?” Elizabeth asked.

There was some hesitation.

“We need to ask these questions so we can help find your brother’s killer,” Elizabeth offered, lying her ass off.

“Yes. She was Irish.”

Elizabeth knew
‘The Butcher’
was killing women who looked like Livy for a reason, and here it was.

It was unrequited love.

“Once she dumped him, he lost it. He was never the same again. He couldn’t find beauty in art. He moved to DC to be closer to my sister, and that’s about it. He was walking home one night and he was killed.”

Livy wanted to kiss Elizabeth right then and there for eradicating that asshole from the face of the planet.

That one bullet saved her.

She saw it now.

She wouldn’t have been able to go on had he still been out there.

Never.

“Did you live in Boston?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am. I moved here when Seamus died. My sister was a wreck. I closed the family business and took a job. I’ve been here ever since.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, pulling her card out from behind her badge. “If you think of anything, call me, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He glanced over at Livy. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

“I’m fine,” she stated, praying it was over, and soon.

Elizabeth took that as her cue. Heading out, she made it five feet before Livy started puking.

Apparently, she wasn’t okay.

Elizabeth held her hair, trying to avoid the regurgitated brunch.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered between heaving. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

She rubbed her hand on her back as she kept her eye on the building they had just exited.

“It’s okay, Livy. That had to be hell. I didn't know he was a twin.”

“I’m just glad he’s dead. Oh, God, am I glad.”

Elizabeth handed her some tissues from her coat pocket, so she could wipe her mouth.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Livy nodded. She was ready to put distance between her and the man’s twin.

“Where to next?”

Elizabeth knew they needed to hit up one more place before they headed in, yet she was torn. After this episode, she should probably bring Livy back to the Hoover building.