Consumed by Wrath: An FBI/Romance Thriller (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 8) (47 page)

Hopping out, Elizabeth headed
up the stairs and onto the porch first and knocked. Both men stood behind her, protectively.

Ethan was observing
everything and biding his time. So far, Elizabeth hadn’t asked for a profile, but he knew it was coming. This was going to be his first time back at it since Circle Rock.

His stomach fluttered as he thought about it.

Knocking again, she called out to the man they needed to talk to, “Mr. Jason Walters. FBI. Please open up.”

It didn't take long for him to saunter to the door in nothing but his boxers. From the look of it, he was just waking up.

Yeah, all of him.

Elizabeth focused on his face, and tried to not stare at anything beneath his neck.
If she did, there would be a Valentine’s Day massacre.

It was hard not to notice a half-na
ked Native man who was covered in ink.

Both Callen and Ethan tensed beside
her, as the man grinned at their woman as he checked her out.

“Yeah, what can I do for you, lovely lady?”

She put on her very professional FBI persona and ignored his innuendos as she made the introductions. “Yes, we’re here to interview you regarding a Mrs. Barbara Harris and her husband Jefferson.”

At his name, there was the flicker of anger,
and then it went away fast. “Sure, would you like to come in?” he said, backing up. “Maybe I can get you something. Are you thirsty or hungry?” he asked, lecherously.

There was no doubt in anyone’
s mind that he wasn’t offering up cookies and milk to Elizabeth.

Blackhawk and Whitefox were far from amused. Yeah, she was lovely, but no man liked to watch some
asshole check out their babe openly. The least he could do was be overt.

This was a flagrant man code foul.

Elizabeth followed the man in and continued on with the introductions. “These are Directors Blackhawk and Whitefox, and they’re my partners.”

The man
ignored them as he took a seat and stared at Elizabeth. “What do you want?” he asked.

A way out of this.

To be back home.

The two men beside her not to lose their cool.

Oh, the list was endless. “While interviewing Mrs. Harris yesterday, you’re name came up.” Yeah, it didn't, but he didn't need to know that.

“How did it come up, exactly?” he inquired, staring at her.

“That you were arrested for trespassing on their land,” she continued. “Is that true?”

“Yeah, it is. You see, I was told
that I could, by Mrs. Harris. Unfortunately, her husband wasn’t aware that I was using his property for my own recreation, I guess you could say. It didn't make him happy to know his happy hunting grounds were being utilized by more than just him. Do you like hunting?” he asked.

Blackhawk’s cheek twitched.

“So, how long were you sleeping with Barbara Harris?” she asked, diving right in and ignoring him.

“Oh, there was no sleeping involved. I’d go over, satisfy her needs, and she’d take care of mine. After, I would go
about my merry way. I don’t like to make attachments. I’m not big into monogamy, I guess you could say.”

“So if I asked her about all this, she wouldn’t deny it?” Elizabeth asked
, already aware that the woman freely admitted to it, but she was curious what his take on all of this was.

“Oh, she’s
might deny it, but isn’t that’s how most ladies are, Ms. Blackhawk? She can lie her ass off, but the truth is still the truth. She even paid my fine for trespassing, and I paid her back later that night, repeatedly.”

She actually laughed. “I don’t deny who I’m sleeping with,” Elizabeth answered. “In fact, I have been known to shout it from the rooftops. So, that makes me wonder why you’re being kept a secret.”

He shrugged.

Okay, this was going to take a new route.

“Maybe you’re only so- so in bed.”

There was a little flinch there.

“Or is it that she’s a rich bitch, and you’re just her Indian plaything?” she added. Had anyone else threw down Indian like that, she would have gone shit nuts on them.

He laughed. “She warned me about you coming here and
playing mind games.”

Elizabeth shrugged
and continued on, because now she was aware that they talked. Barbara Harris was worried about what they would dig up. “Yeah, you’re probably good in bed. That means she’s embarrassed by you and is just riding you until the next Native strolls into town. In fact, she was fond of him,” she said, pointing at Callen.

The man tensed.

Bingo! He was a lot more attached to the woman than he was letting on.

Elizabeth prayed the men wouldn’t kill her later
as she dragged them both into it. “In fact, she mentioned something about getting her husband declared dead and having Callen visit her hunting grounds. Now, I see that she meant sex. Silly me.”

The rage in him was building. “She wouldn’t do that.”

Elizabeth laughed uproariously. “Oh, yeah she would. She was checking out his ass,” she tossed in, pointing at Ethan. “She said that she likes tattoos.”

Wow, the lies were flying today.

Elizabeth prayed that she could keep one step ahead of Jason and get him to crack.

“She told me mine were amazing,” he said, running his hands down his body.

Callen got the clue and lifted his shirt, and then pulled up his sleeve. “What a coincidence, mine too.”

Ethan grinned ferally. “She hasn’t seen mine yet.
Maybe later,” he answered.

That was all it took.

“What do you want to know?”

She smiled
in victory. “I want to know how long you’ve been riding that over-painted pony.”

He thought about it. “Two years, and when her husband disappeared, she told me
that she was buying her time to get him declared dead. She wasn’t exactly heartbroken.”

Now
, this was what she was talking about. “How do I know what you’re saying is true?”

He glared angrily at Callen, thinking he was moving in on his rich bitch. “
Barbara was pissed off. It seems that her husband brought home a little something extra from the mistress.”

They leaned forward.

“If she denies anything, ask her about the crabs.”

Oh, that was priceless. “
Did either of you kill her husband?”

He stared at her with his mouth open. “Hell no! I may have been her toy, but I’m not that enamored with her, especially now
that just any Native will do. I wouldn’t kill anyone!”

“Do you think she’s capable of taking his life?”

He thought about it. “When she fights, it’s mean. Once I told her that she gained some weight, and she left marks, so yeah, she could do it. Babs likes greenbacks, and now that he’s gone, she’s rolling in them.”

“How do you feel about meat?”

He looked at her like she was crazy. “I love it. That’s why I hunt.”

“Could you debone an entire carcass?”

The man laughed. “I’m Native, lady. I can do it with my eyes closed.

Fascinating
.

“That’s good to know that you Natives have such amazing skills, in and out of bed.”

Once more, he angrily stared at Callen.

“Yeah, you can stop giving him the evil eye,” she said, grinning. “Remember before I told you
that I will admit to who I’m saddling up with in the sack?”

“Yeah?”

“They’re both all mine. I like tattoos too, just not on men who sleep with women who’ve had STD’s. That’s a big turn off. Thank you for your help, Jason. I’m sure we’ll be back later.”

At first, he stared incredulously,
not buying what she was selling, but then he glanced at their hands, and he saw the matching rings.

Well shit, he just fucked this up.

Watching them walk away, he slammed the door behind them. Barbara was going to be pissed. Now, he had to decide if whatever she threw at him was worth it, or if he should just move on.

Damn it!

Back in the vehicle, both men stared at her.

“Before you say anything, I really needed him to roll on her. If she’s telling him to commit crimes, I needed to find out if he would spill the beans. I didn't mean to allude that Natives are only good in the sack, or to demean you both like you were nothing more than a cheap piece of ass. Please forgive me?”

Ethan looked over. “Ride the over-painted pony, Elizabeth?” he said, right before he and Callen both began laughing, uproariously. “Where did that come from?”

She relaxed marginally. “She wears too much makeup, and it was my little homage to Native sayings.”

Callen shook his head. “I think that was pretty damn clever. He thought that he owned you and was in control when you walked in there. You schooled him something fierce.”

“I’m impressed that she didn't check out the ink all over his body. That takes amazing control
,” stated Blackhawk.

She dropped her sunglasses on her face. “I check out plenty of Native ink. I’m just selective
as to what I want to drool over.”

Ethan grinned. “That’s good to know.”

“Let’s go hit up Mrs. Harris. I want to see if she still has a big attitude once her plaything calls her up. Jason’s going to try and do damage control.”

“After that display, I’ll follow you anywhere,” Ethan said, grinning.

“Saddle up,” added Callen.

Elizabeth was super grateful that both men were willing to cut her some slack.

It looked like the team was intact, again.

They weren’t sure if
Barbara Harris had been warned of their arrival, or if she simply kept an overpriced lawyer lying around for her whims.

With her, one never knew.

When they pulled up, the woman and her attorney were standing in front of the house, almost defensively. It was like they knew the shit was about to hit the fan, and they were prepping to shield themselves from the blow back.

Behind them stood the gardener, Xavier Jensen, and the look on his face spoke volumes. His boss was in a frightful tizzy
, and it almost appeared that he was trying to warn them in advance. In fact, as they approached, he rolled his eyes in warning.

It didn't matter, Elizabeth was ready, and her attorney was going to be a piece of cake
, for dessert.

As the woman scowled, it set the tone. Then again,
a case of husband induced crabs could do that to a person.

“Hello, Mrs. Harris,” she began. Before Elizabeth could even say more, the man beside her cut her off.

“I have advised my client to say nothing to any of your questions. Since she isn’t under arrest, there is no obligation for her to speak to you.”

When her partners sighed, assuming it was over, Elizabeth just grinned. Oh, she had one last trick up her sleeve.

She stared at the man, menacingly. If there was anything that she hated more in life than bigots and cheaters, it was high priced defense attorneys. They were assholes, and she loved nothing more than chewing them up and spitting them out all over their client’s pricy shoes.

Yet, this one was going to be special…

“Well golly,” she drawled, slipping back into her thick southern accent. “Lookee here, boys. I guess that someone should do the introductions before we continue.”

Both Feds crossed their arms across their chests.

“This man here is Jacob Brome. How do I know that, do you ask? Well, he and I were buddies in fifth grade when I moved here. In fact, I think I remember him asking me out in middle school. It was the cutest darn note. There were smiley faces, and I had to circle yes or no. Isn’t that right, Jacob?”

The man looked
vastly uncomfortable all of the sudden. Gone was the defense attorney sheen.

Callen and Ethan fought
hard to not laugh. The man was about to get Elizabethed, big time. That was where she played dumb, right up to the point where she ended up owning your balls, the sack included.

“I don’t recall.”

She crossed her arms. “Surely you do, Jacob. I do believe we were twelve, and you were my first kiss. You were horrible at it, but then again, so was I. Since then, I’ve perfected my technique, and I hope you have too.”

Now, the man looked like he wanted to escape
, or be swallowed by the earth.

His client was just looking pissed.

Blackhawk and Whitefox were a little less amused, once they found out that this man had tasted the forbidden wife fruit, even if it was well before their time.