Page 102 of Chaos has a Name (An FBI Romance/Thriller #66)

“And when they ask me about my son, I will tell them that he’s the bravest, smartest, and most amazing man in the world.

I just gave you the tools, Koda. This is who you were always meant to be.

I keep telling you. You saved me. You’re a good father and husband, and that’s just you.

I’ll be proud of you no matter what you do. ”

He set her free and wiped the tears on her cheeks.

“I love you, Momma. No matter how old I get, you’re my momma and always will be.”

She was glad for that.

Elizabeth wouldn’t trade the last four years for anything.

“Let’s go find a killer,” he said, holding her hand as she hit the start button. “The family that chases the crazy together, stays together.”

She snorted.

“That works for me, Son.”

When the door opened, they headed out, back across that FBI emblem, and toward the offices.

“Have you seen Duke?” she asked Vivian, since he’d left a message for her.

The woman pointed.

“The breakroom.”

That worked for her.

Going into her office first, she grabbed her Kevlar and headed with Takoda to the space.

Once there, she found her brother sitting at a table, and he looked…stressed.

“Hey,” she said.

When he heard her voice, he looked up.

“Hey,” he offered back. “I was worried about you. I didn’t hear from you this morning.”

Shit.

Her.

Phone.

“Koda, can you run back down to Chris, get my gun, badge, and phone, and bring it up here. Ask him if they found anything on it. I’m getting forgetful.”

He kissed her, and then kissed his Uncle Duke on the cheek before jogging out.

When he was gone, she sat down.

“Sorry, my shit is in evidence still.”

He reassured her.

“It’s okay. You’re busy.”

As she was staring into her brother’s eyes, they were filled with tension.

Oh, and he didn’t sound right.

“What happened?” she asked.

He sighed.

“Ax and I had an argument. She’s not handling single parenthood all that well.”

Uh-oh.

Well, to be honest, she wasn’t shocked. Ax was NEVER a maternal person. In all of the years she knew and loved her, from her time with Jack, to her time with Lewis, and then the asshole senator she married, she never once wanted kids.

Ever.

Her upbringing turned her off to that. Now, she was in DC, alone, and with their two very young daughters. Two children under three was NOT easy.

She knew that.

This was likely torture since Duke wanted kids.

She didn’t.

“I have to leave,” he said. “Ax gave me the ultimatum. It’s at home with the family, or I have to come back and get the kids. She can’t do her job with being a single parent.”

Elizabeth knew they were heading home.

Only, she was thinking about what Takoda had said. She was also weighing what was best for everyone. Wyler included.

Heavy was the head that wore that crown and badge. That was for damn sure.

“Go.”

He looked up.

“What?”

She was to the point.

“Your wife can’t handle the kids. She’s frazzled, and needs you to head back. Go home, and fix that situation. I’ll be in touch,” she said, not saying anything about going home.

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Go. I’ll see if we need you back,” she admitted. “We might not for this case. You’re just on backup for now. Koda can carry the weight.”

Duke didn’t want to bail on his sister. He’d heard about the arrow at the cabin.

“Are you sure? I know Wyler’s having chemo.”

She was to the point.

“We’re heading home, but it might be a few days. I have to close this, and replace all the people we ousted to get me here. Then, I’m heading back East.”

He was honest.

“I feel like I’m bailing on you. It’s not cut-and-dry. You’re my sister. Caryn is my mother. Wyler is my step-father.”

She reassured him.

“We have this. Go make nice with your wife, and watch the kids for the next few days so she can get her work done. I’ve got this. If something goes to Hell, I’ll call you back here.”

He looked relieved.

“If I have to come back, can I bring the girls?” he asked.

She smiled.

“The more the merrier. Wyler loves those kids and you know it. Your mother does too. Plus, there’s a daycare here in the facility. Why not?”

He was grateful for that.

He had a village.

Axelle did not.

“Thank you, Honey,” he said, standing up and taking his coffee.

“Take the jet. We won’t need it. Just have them head back when you get home.”

He could do that.

Giving her a fist bump, he headed out.

As she was standing there, she saw cookies on the table by the coffee pot. On them, they said, ‘The Director’s’.

So of course, most were eaten.

She had hungry Marines who liked cookies a little too much.

Before she could say anything else, Koda came back in, and handed her the items she’d wanted back.

“Trace?”

He shook his head.

“They said your DNA, and then some dog hair stuck inside the holster.”

Well, that made sense.

Where wasn’t there dog hair with her German Shepherds?

Instead of saying anything else, she tossed him one of the cookies, just as she saw Ian coming into the room.

It looked as if she was getting an update now too. Thank God she was the boss, and no one could leave without her.

“You should eat something that’s food. You get mildly bitchy when you’re hopped up on sugar,” he said as she handed him two cookies.

“Yeah, well, it’s on my list of things to do. We’ll have Michael grab us food while we hit our next interview.”

Well, since she was heading out, and Ian didn’t know when he’d see her next, it was time for him to update her.

“Gryphen said you were here.”

That was a factual statement.

“You found me.”

Koda gave her space in case anything was classified. His mother had a lot on her plate. When he pointed, she nodded.

He was going to wait for her in the lobby area outside of her office.

“What do you need?” she asked. “Normally, I’d say take a number, but you’re holding my shitshow together, so go for it.”

He heard the tone.

To work for Elizabeth, you had to know one very simple thing.

She was a complex creature.

“Talk to me,” he said, knowing she was frustrated. There were lines between her brows.

Elizabeth sighed.

“I’m getting nowhere with this. I feel like I’m behind, and that the hundred and seven years of skulls has put me behind the eightball.”

He listened.

“Maybe I’m not meant to close them all.”

What?

Was she serious?

Oh, he knew what he needed to do. Someone needed an Ian peptalk.

“Wow. I never thought I’d see the day where you became a quitter.”

Elizabeth bristled and for good reason.

“I’m not a quitter.”

He lifted a brow, and only had to open his mouth for her to get it.

“Shut it, Ian.”

Instead of saying anything about her giving up, he instead opted to give her a hug. Sometimes, that was all you needed.

He learned that personally.

Yes, they were all busy. He had a wedding he was planning, and being in Damascus made that more difficult. The time zone was worse between here and Scotland, where Graham was helping them.

“Remember when I was ready to pack it in, and you said to me that with each step closer to the end of the trouble, there was the light at the end of the tunnel?

She remembered.

“You got this. I’ve signed all your papers, any meetings where you’re required to attend are scheduled for tomorrow in a two-hour stretch. I can rebook. Vivian, and I love her to death because she’s like me but with ovaries, is kicking ass with the paperwork you were behind on.”

She laughed.

“Well, I’m glad you’re successful at your job. I’m not faring as well.”

Before she could eat her cookie, he stole it and swapped the one she’d given him. He liked chocolate chip better.

What was one more person stealing her food? It happened a lot.

“We got this, Elizabeth. You aren’t doing this alone. Look at how many people came with you who WANTED to be here. This is a new adventure.”

She relaxed.

“Breathe. You’ve got this.”

He was absolutely right. She was just in a funk because it felt like she’d been blindsided all at once.

“You’re right. I’m not quitting. I can do this. The Wyler stuff just cockblocked me for a bit. I’ll be back on my game. I have forensics and I can work with it.”

He smiled.

She caught it.

“I don’t like that smile. It’s…one that says you’re about to tell me something like you’re quitting. I just got you back. I’ll kick your ass.”

He laughed.

“Hell, no. I’m glad to be back. This is the easiest gig—even out of two offices. I am not leaving, but I have the bad news.”

Damn.

She hated that she was right.

“W-T-F, Ian?”

That amused him.

“You’re going to spell that out and not say it? Now?” he asked. “Is HR around?”

Oh, hardly.

“I’m turning over a new leaf.”

That was funny.

Somehow, he didn’t think this old dog was learning that particularly new trick.

“The news hasn’t been pretty. Riley Cunningham was fired from the TV station, and he’s on a smear campaign in the media.”

Fuckity.

Now, this was on her plate too.

“At Michael?”

He shook his head.

“No, he’s trying to get him back. He had flowers delivered for him at three locations. The house, the fort, and the office. He’s gunning for you and trying to woo Michael back. It’s almost creepy.”

Uh, yeah, she didn’t like that.

The last thing she needed was for Michael to have a stalker.

As for someone gunning for her…

Who wasn’t?

“If Riley finds out he’s here, he’s going to be coming here to try and get him back. I think he’s got some screws loose in his noggin. The man is unhinged. Like sleeping with the enemy unhinged.”

She got the reference.

What worried her was that they were going back into the storm in DC. Michael was still deeply heartbroken. In fact, he hadn’t returned to the guy he’d been.

This betrayal was the icing on the shit cupcake for him.

“We should hide him,” Ian said, knowing that was what they did for him.

Oh, boy.

This was bad timing.

“I can’t lose him right now. Uriel is off protecting the cop, and I’m down security.”

Only, Michael was one sucker-punch away from collapse.

She began pacing, and in that moment, her need to protect him, over herself, won out. Michael was distracted and a hot mess.

There was only one option.

“Call in Callen’s jet. Get flight plans booked off the record like we did with you. I’ll talk to Ivan to get Gunny out here until I close this. He can fly here on the jet, and then Michael can head out on it.”

He was more than happy to do that.

As someone who was stalked, this was the best idea to keep him safe.

Did he think Riley Cunningham could hurt Michael if he attacked him?

No.

But a gun did damage.

He of all people knew that.

“Gunny is just as good as an Archangel, so we’ll have to spare him there.”

He knew it would take the rest of today to get the jet back if they were waiting on getting Gunny there.

“Michael can fly out tomorrow,” Ian said, knowing it would take him time to make those flight logs private.

Elizabeth was to the point.

“He’ll be okay once he gets to Scotland. I know he’s tired of being alone. So, I’ve handled that.”

Ian was suspicious.

“What have you done?”

Since Michael wasn’t around, it was a good time to clue Ian in, since he knew Graham.

As soon as she did, he laughed.

Oh, well, shit.

They knew that Graham had his heart broken, but clearly, Michael had his broken too—by each other.

This was going to be interesting.

“Oh, Fate had to set this one up. What are the chances?” he asked.

She was aware.

“Michael will be pissy, but that’s life. He’ll adjust, and they can glare at each other until they work it out.”

Ian was honest.

“Graham needs this too. He’s barely hanging on. Gryphen had him promise he’d be around until the wedding. By be around, I mean alive.”

Yowza.

Tony told her he was in bad shape, but that was something she didn’t want to hear.

Too many soldiers died of suicide. Now, she had two to save.

“They are going to both be bitchy that you interfered,” Ian admitted.

Tell her something she didn’t know.

Instead of saying anything, she grabbed the cookie back, licked it, and then handed it back to him.

“When isn’t someone pissed at me?” she asked. “That’s part of my charm.”

As she walked away, he shouted after her.

“I hope you don’t have cooties! I’m eating this cookie! At least I like what your mouth has been on!”

Ian heard her laughter.

Only, he was worried.

Deep down, he had that feeling.

Elizabeth seemed off.

And that was never good.