Page 78 of Chaos has a Name (An FBI Romance/Thriller #66)

He was a different guy altogether.

“The only thing I can tell you, Ethan, is you have to just release it. Wyler wanted you to dream walk with him. He wants to apologize to Catherine, and he needed you there so he could make that same apology to you.”

Well, he hadn’t gone there.

Although, he’d stormed out because he was afraid his temper would erupt. It was funny, but when he got out here, it was gone.

This place…it calmed him.

Oh, and that was all kinds of ironic.

Whether it be his grandfather watching over him, or his mother’s spirit still here, the anger was easier to let go here.

Ethan didn’t feel so lost here anymore.

It grounded him.

“I’ll do it for him,” he said. “I’ll help him if that’s what he wants. I don’t have the energy in my life to hate anyone. I just want peace. Whether it be him living or dying, I just want to know that I made my peace with him, so I don’t have to carry that with me the next thirty years.”

That she understood.

Elizabeth had made peace with her brother, Georgie, even though she hated him for what he did. She forgave Tony Morell for letting Charlie die and not getting him help.

She forgave Abigale for being so twisted and sick that she abused her and broke her other child.

She forgave, but she didn’t forget.

“Forgiveness is for yourself, Ethan, not the person you’re forgiving. You can let it go then.”

Yeah, he wanted that.

When they heard the creak of the ladder, they knew they had company.

When Gene’s head popped into the opening, he was holding a blanket and pillow.

“I heard there’s a slumber party. Am I invited?” he asked.

Yeah, Elizabeth knew this man was good for Ethan. What she couldn’t heal, Gene could help take care of when it was needed.

Ethan nodded.

As Gene got into the treehouse, another head popped into the opening.

“Oh, look. I found my tribe,” Chris said. “Room for one more?” he asked.

It was clear that the family was surrounding Ethan, and planning on taking care of him in his time of pain.

And that’s how it was supposed to be.

Again, Ethan nodded, and watched as his family came to support them. Apparently, they were sleeping in the treehouse.

And honestly, he didn’t mind.

As Callen brought up the rear, he closed the trap door, and dropped his things over it.

“Well, at least the bone-whistling nut won’t be able to get in,” he admitted.

That amused all of them.

They all sat down, and Ethan was grateful to his family for having his back.

“Do you want me to go yell at him?” Callen asked. “Because I will. You know I love getting snippity with the sperm donor,” he said, proving whose side he would always be on when it came to Wyler.

Callen might not know what happened, but he knew that Wyler was batting a big, fat zero more times than not.

Blackhawk shook his head.

“No, I’m okay. It just caught me off balance to read my mother’s words and to find out that after thirty-eight years of her being gone, there’s a box for me. It makes me wonder why he didn’t give it to me sooner. You know, like fifteen years ago.”

Yeah, Elizabeth knew how that felt.

When she and Chris dug up the container that Charlie had left for them, she’d been happy until it opened Pandora’s Box, for a while.

Who knew what was in the one Catherine had left?

“And we’re not angry with Wyler?” Chris asked. “Because I need a way to keep track. The man is like a rollercoaster. It’s a wild ride.”

Elizabeth laughed.

How could she not?

These were her nuts, and she loved them all. Of course, they were going to rally and protect Ethan.

“I’m not angry with him,” Ethan admitted. “I just have to learn to let things go. It’s been a rough week, with the exception of the handfasting with Gene. As usual, he’s my bright spot.”

The man grinned.

“I am a ray of fucking sunshine.”

That made them all laugh.

Why?

It was something Elizabeth would say, and it was pretty accurate. If you wanted to see the big man cheer up Ethan, just let him see that his mate was struggling.

Gene was now curious.

“Are we really going to sleep in the treehouse?” Gene asked. “I’m down with it, but it’s going to freak the hell out of Ivan tomorrow when he walks in and we aren’t there.”

Elizabeth grinned maniacally.

Oh, she knew.

She knew riling up Toady was the biggest gift anyone could give her. If she could make Ivan twitchy, that was a plus in her book.

“Why can’t you buy me that?” she asked. “How much is Toady’s tension? Do they sell it in a bottle? You know, like a good, French perfume?”

That made Ethan laugh.

“It’s priceless,” he said, knowing what she was thinking.

Yes, yes, it was.

When Elizabeth yawned, they all looked at their watches.

“We should get some downtime,” Chris admitted. “It’s been a LONG day.”

Yes, it had been.

As they placed out their pillows and spread-out blankets, Ethan cuddled up with Gene, and Elizabeth played man sandwich with Callen and Chris.

Honestly, there was never a problem when it came to cuddling in their unit.

Sign.

Her.

Up.

This wasn’t how she’d planned on spending the night, but Ethan needed his family.

Later, she’d get some work done.

For them now, there had to be rest for the wicked.

Because tomorrow was going to be a marathon.

A brutal one.