Choices will Destroy (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 14) (66 page)

A gun was pointed at her brain.

She appeared to be out cold.

Elizabeth had blood running from her nose and a gash on her temple.

“I see you made it to the party,” stated Lily, pointing the gun at Elizabeth’s forehead. “If you move, she dies. Then you can kill me. I don’t care. The whole point was to end her. I’m not walking out of here. I’m going to eat my gun.”

Ethan dropped everything. He knew his gun was right there. He also knew Lily was bat shit insane.

Callen’s breath quickened.

“One move, gentlemen, and she’s dead. Test me. If she was awake, she’d know how serious I am. She’d be begging you to save her pathetic life.”

Yeah, Lily didn't know her at all. All three men knew she’d fight to the death, pregnant or not.

“Let’s deal with this, shall we?” she asked, shaking out her mop of blonde hair, as her finger was on the trigger.

God!

Ethan really hated blondes.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“All three of you are going to do as I say. Take off the guns, leave them on the table there, and come into the room.”

They didn't have any choice.

“The baby will die in seconds if her heart stops. Who’s the daddy?”

No one answered.

She pointed the gun at her belly.

“I am!” Callen said, fearing for their lives. He couldn’t lose them, and he couldn’t watch it happen.

“She’s such a whore. I’m disappointed in you, Ethan. You were always a man’s man, and now you’re letting your brother stick his dick in your wife? That’s so unlike you. I can’t believe how you’ve changed in five years. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

She didn't know him at all.

Lily may have claimed to study them, but she’d failed. The man behind him was more than his brother. They were all soulmates. He didn't need to be judged.

Lily glanced over at the third man. “My condolences on your wife. I hear she died in a terrible fire. That’s horrible.”

Chris flinched.

“Don’t do it, Doctor. I’ll end her miserable life.”

Chris suspected she wasn’t kidding. After all, she killed his wife. So, he was the first to put his gun down. He knew they were screwed. All he could hope was Elizabeth could pull this off.

“Good job, Doctor. You don’t want to see your wife yet, do you?”

He didn't speak.

Instead, he moved into the room.

Callen was next. He had a clutch piece on his ankle. If he could reach it, he was going to shoot her so many times that she’d look like Swiss cheese.

“The backup too, Director.”

He pulled it out of the holster.

This sucked.

“On the table, please. This is the last time I’ll ask. If you try to fool me, she pays.”

“You’re next, Ethan.”

He did as she said, hoping to get close enough to her. If he could…

“Stop right there. Your backup piece too. Leave it, or her brains meet this couch.”

Ethan couldn’t risk it. Lily had been his partner, and she knew he’d have more than one gun on his person. He knew she was going to shoot them all as soon as they were gun free. There was no doubt in his mind. As soon as she could, she was putting lead in all of them.

Now he understood how the killer had stayed one step ahead of them. He’d taught and trained her.

He moved into position to stand beside the other two men.

“Get to your knees, Directors. Doctor, use their handcuffs to lock their hands behind their backs. You’ll see ankle cuffs right there.

Chris did what she asked.

“Nice and tight or she dies.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, as he obeyed the lunatic with the gun. Chris knew they were goners.

“Now, down on your knees,” she ordered. Cuff your ankles, Doctor.”

He did it.

“Hands behind your back.”

When he did it, she moved toward them. “I’ll kill Ethan if you move. It won’t be your life, but his that I take. Think about it. I’ve watched you all. You’re pretty cozy with them.”

He didn't try anything.

She put the cuff on his wrist using one hand, and then did his other.

Then she smiled.

“This was all too easy. I’m shocked at you, Ethan. You used to see shit like this coming. You were the profiler extraordinaire, and now you’re some pussy whipped Indian.”

He stared at her. “I’m going to kill you if I get free. You’re the only pussy I’m going to whip. You couldn’t come at her head on. You had to screw with the people she loves. That shows who’s pathetic.”

She laughed, and then pistol-whipped him with her gun. He fell backward to the floor.

“Ethan!” Callen blurted.

She pointed the gun at Callen’s head. “Move and he’s wearing your brains. Tell your brother that I’m dead serious, Ethan. Tell him I’m not one to yank someone’s chain.”

“Don’t move, Callen. She’s sick.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Want to know why I left the FBI a few months ago?”

“Why, Lily?”

“I knew I wouldn’t pass my psych evaluation. It was time for qualifications, and I knew I wouldn’t get through it. So, I left. My career was all I had. She took that from me. The last five years, the hate I’ve felt for her ate away at me. It made me into this.”

Ethan struggled to get back up on his knees.

It wasn’t easy. His face hurt.

“This is partly your fault, Ethan. We came to this shithole town, you screwed her, and you lost your mind. You were the Cowboy, but you went insane. The sex couldn’t be that good. She’s passing herself around.”

He didn't speak.

In cases like these, it was best to say nothing.

He knew better. Ethan had endured torture, and he would go back and do it all over again if Elizabeth lived.

He’d sacrifice him for her and his brother’s child.

“Now I’m getting my revenge. I’m going to put a bullet in her brain, and then maybe in yours. It’ll depend on how hard you men weep. When she’s dead, I’ll win. When you three are dead, I’ll have peace.”

Chris glared at her.

“I told your wife you slept with this whore,” she said pointing at Elizabeth. “I told your wife all kinds of fun things. She died thinking you cheated on her. When I had her tied to the floor, she believed it. She cried, wondering why you’d betray her.”

Chris didn't believe her. Elizabeth told him she was dead before the fire. He had to believe his best friend.

“Say what you’re thinking, Doctor.”

“You’re a bitch!”

She laughed. “Don’t I know it? They made me. Trust me when I say that your wife believed it. The entire time, Cyra knew. She wept when I told her that you’re fucking Elizabeth behind her back. It was perfect.”

“I didn't cheat.”

“She offered to turn her in for you. Your wife would have done it. It was in her eyes. The eyes don’t lie, Doctor.”

She pointed the gun at Elizabeth’s face.

“I know you technically never slept with her, but you lusted after her once, didn't you?”

He didn't speak.

Her finger went to the trigger.

“Yes! Okay! Yes, I did!”

She laughed. “See, I’ve watched all of you. She’s only into them. She loves her half-breed and Indian boy toys. She’d never hurt them, and that’s why this is perfect. She loves you three, but you love her too. I think I was wrong. I’m going to kill this child, kill her, and then leave you three to survive. This is my revenge, Ethan, for choosing her over your partner. I always had your back.”

He struggled as she pointed the gun at their child.

“Bang!” she yelled, making them all jump.

There was a collective gasp.

“This is fun.”

Callen’s eyes filled with tears as he began praying to his grandfather.

“Say goodbye to the little woman.”

Callen let a tear fall, but then he saw it. Lily was facing them, the gun on their woman, but she couldn’t see Elizabeth’s eyes.

She was waking up.

This was far from over.

“Hey!” Callen yelled, as Lily went to look back at Elizabeth. He had to buy her time. If it meant with his life, he was okay with that. His child and woman would live on. Ethan would raise his kids. This was what you did when you loved someone.

You sacrificed, and he’d die for her any day.

“You’re a stupid cunt. You won’t win. You forgot one thing,” he said.

Ethan stared at his brother like he had a death wish. He was trying to get his wrists free. He could smell his own blood as he tried to pull them from the cuffs. Callen provoking the crazy was a very bad idea.

“What’s that?”

“The woman we love.”

Elizabeth was up and off the couch, and fast.

She took Lily to the ground, knocking the gun toward the men. Ethan fell on it, making sure Elizabeth was safe.

“You’re a dumbass, Lily. You don’t ever take your fucking eyes off the person the gun is pointed at,” she hissed, getting a good punch in to Lily’s face. “That’s FBI one-oh-one!”

Then she was up. 

“You’re dead for calling him half-breed and him Indian.”

Lily got up swinging.

Elizabeth dodged, ducked, and backed out of reach. When Lily got closer, she let her have it. Before getting pregnant, she was in the best shape of her life.

Now it was time to use it.

Lily took a shot to the face, her nose breaking.

Again.

She hit the ground with a scream of rage.

“Just like old times, bitch! This time it was even more gratifying!”

Elizabeth went to go for the guns in the hall, Only Lily tripped her, taking her to the ground. She was on her punching Elizabeth.

The men tried to get free.

They couldn’t.

When she started wailing on the baby, they were desperate to save them both.

Elizabeth kicked her off and got to her feet, blood pouring from her split lip.

“I hate you,” Lily hissed, charging her. She missed, going to the ground.

Elizabeth was on her. “You touched my family! You killed my friends, and you tried to hurt my baby. Fuck you!”

She had her by the hair, and slammed her head off the ground.

It dazed her.

That’s when she went for the kill.

“You’re dead,” Elizabeth said, repeatedly bare fisting her in the face. She hit her over and over again, tears filling her eyes as Lily struggled. She clawed at her arms, but Elizabeth wasn’t getting up, and she wasn’t letting up.

“This one is for Kay,” she said, punching her.

“This one is for Tristan.”

She hit her again, until Lily’s breathing was nothing more than gurgling.

Then she glanced over at Chris.

She delivered the killing blow.

She took Lily from life with a strike to her windpipe, crushing her throat with her bloodied fist.

“That’s for my hurting my brother and Cyra, his wife.”

Lily stopped breathing.

Elizabeth stumbled off her now prone body.

She was covered in blood. She found a key in Callen’s pocket and set him free.

Then she sat.

“Elizabeth,” Ethan said, as he was set free.

“Call an ambulance. When she hit me, my water broke,” she said, lying down. “I’m having a baby,” she said, trying to breathe. “Now!”

There was no doubt in her mind that all of this stress caused this. She was giving birth way too early. This couldn’t be good.

Callen set Chris free and then raced to her side.

“Angel.”

She stared up into Callen’s eyes. “I don’t feel so well. That can’t be a good sign.”

Callen went into panic mode.

“Chris!”

The man moved fast.

He dropped beside her, resting his hands on her stomach. “His head is down. This is happening. Ethan, Call an ambulance and get me towels. We’re going to have a baby.”

She lay there, and the pain was immeasurable. Elizabeth was struggling to count. It was as if her body was trying to expel the baby as fast as it could.

“Tell me he’s going to be okay!” she hissed, staring Chris in the eyes.

“He’s going to be okay.”

“Liar!”

He held her hand. “You can’t push. You have to resist the urge and buy me some time.”

Ethan rushed back. “The ambulance won’t be here for thirty minutes. It’s on the other side of Salem.”

Chris knew they didn't have that long. “We have to head to the nearest hospital. Callen, get her to the vehicle. Ethan, drive it like you stole it.”

Despite the pain, she laughed. “I wish I was in a better mood to see this happen.”