Reflections of Sin (An FBI Romance/Thriller #69)

Chapter 1

Where We Left Off…

Washington D.C.

Meeting Time

Thursday Morning

Special Agent Ethan Blackhawk had plenty of time to write his report on the way to his boss’s office. He’d whipped out his laptop on the flight and sent it so that Gabe would have it before he arrived.

He was running a little late, but honestly, he didn’t give a shit.

Gene had to have surgery to get screws in his arm, and he wasn’t leaving his side until he was out, safe, and in the clear.

Then, Will and Corbin had tied the knot on the beach, and they’d both been there. Granted, Gene had been drugged up as fuck, but they’d not dropped the ball.

Gabe could wait.

What was he going to do?

Ground him?

This morning, they’d headed to the airport, and as Corbin and Will stayed to honeymoon, Ethan sent his lover back to DC.

Someone was flying on pain pills, and the last thing he wanted to do was let the man go unattended. Someone had to control the big man on the flight.

Now, at least, Greyson was talking to them. He’d gotten his ass reamed by Gabe for shits and giggles.

A dead Fed, killed by a Fed on vacation…

It was a shit mess.

Yeah, he owed Greyson one.

That was for sure.

Now, as he was walking into the FBI office in DC, it was all coming back to him. The feel, the smell, and the desire to get back here.

This place felt like home, and he missed it.

Yeah, he and Gene had their adventures in Philly, but he couldn’t wait until the day they got back here.

He had a ladder to climb.

His goal was to make it to the top, so that he could change the rules, and marry the man he loved.

Oh, and he would.

That would be the first rule that went out the window if Ethan ever became the Director of the FBI.

PERIOD.

You worked harder when you had skin in the game, and that was the bottom line. Gabe’s rule was nothing but bullshit.

Sitting outside of Gabe’s office, he waited to be called in. Oh, and he was ready for anything the man threw at him.

What was the worst he could do?

Suspend him?

Yeah, he could have shot Lucas Mayfield lower, but as his report said, he was concerned that he would pull a gun and kill the kidnapping victim—also a Fed.

Sometimes, a cowboy had to cowboy when the life of his best friend, lover, and partner was on the line.

As the door opened, Gabe came to the door, and motioned for him to come in.

Nothing was said, but Ethan noticed he was red. That didn’t bode well for him.

Inside, he took a seat.

“I got your report,” he said.

Oh, and he wasn’t so much pissed as he was curious.

Honestly, he hadn’t expected Blackhawk to show up alone. He figured he’d bring his partner, and Gene would try to talk him out of whatever was about to go down.

Because Blackhawk rarely said a word to him.

EVER.

This had the makings of the showdown at the Not-so-okay Corral.

In the back of his mind, Gabe wanted to bust balls, but he needed to figure out why the two men were a couple, and how far he could push them to see if they’d break.

That would tell him everything he needed to know about them being able to work together, like LaRue and Leonard.

His main concern was if they were they strong enough together, as they would be apart. Like with the gambit he ran Elizabeth and Christopher Leonard through, the test would decide the outcome.

It was time to apply pressure.

His little spy swore up and down that they were, and now, he needed to figure out who was lying to him.

If it was Sasha, she’d regret it.

Trust.

That.

If it was the men, he’d figure it out. What he knew about Ethan was he bled blue and gold, and he was ambitious as fuck.

Was this a legit relationship?

Or would he take the bait and leave Cantrell in the dust?

That would tell him all he needed to know about if they could be trusted to be a team. If it was legit, he’d look the other way.

Because for the last year, Ethan had been abducted, and Gene now had too.

Were they even on their game?

He was beginning to think they weren’t.

“How is your partner?” Gabe asked, sitting behind his desk.

Ethan kept it cool.

There was no way he’d show his hand to this man.

Bet.

On.

That.

“He’s good. I’m sorry that I’m late. He had surgery, and I wanted to make sure he was released and back on a flight home before I headed here.”

Gabe nodded.

He was curious about what he’d just said. As a once profiler himself, Gabe knew how to break the best of them, and this man was definitely that.

“Where is home?” he asked.

Ethan didn’t like being mind-fucked, and he knew that was Gabe’s thing.

Well, that and ruining agents with his games.

If he ever got to his position, he’d never do that. It would be cut, dry, and to the point.

“Where you’ve put us, Deputy Director,” he stated. “In Philadelphia. Isn’t that the correct answer? Should I be calling another place home?”

Oh, someone was pissed and spicy.

It was time to dig.

Gabe opened his file.

“I’ve gotten Greyson’s report, and they match, word for word. Is there anything you’d like to report in addition to this? Like how long you were in Puerto Rico?” he asked.

Ethan knew that if he lied, the game would begin. He knew that Gabe was a jerk who would use anything he could to break a person.

That’s why he came alone.

Gene was high on pain meds and wouldn’t be fair prey to The Dragon Slayer.

Ethan had to protect him.

“I was there long enough to profile a case, Deputy Director.”

Gabe closed the file.

It was time.

Someone was getting a little too ballsy.

“So, you’re being reassigned. Since you love Puerto Rican vacations, the director and I have decided that you’re going to be going back to Puerto Rico.”

That hung there.

Oh, and Ethan fought to keep his face neutral.

It took everything he had, too.

“If that’s what you want, Director. We can pack up our place, and head there.”

They’d have to break that to Corbin. He was on his own, unless he wanted to relocate to the local police force. They were down a detective, but who knew?

At his words, Gabe actually laughed.

Oh, the loyalty was strong with this one. Only, that made Gabe even more curious about how much this man would take before betraying his partner.

It was time to pick at his one weakness.

His.

Ambition.

Every agent had it, but Ethan Blackhawk had it in SPADES.

“No, you’ve misunderstood. There is no ‘WE’. There’s you, and there’s Cantrell. I’m pulling you so that we don’t have to be distracted, Agent. He’s staying in Philly. You, Ethan, are not.”

At his words, Ethan’s heart was racing.

That was the worst-case-scenario. That was his big fear, and before Gene, he wouldn’t have given a shit. He would have taken a new partner and moved on. It had all been in the plan to move up the ladder by being a good FBI lackey. Only, now, he’d found something so valuable.

LOVE.

“Gene and I work well together. There’s no distraction,” he stated.

Gabe rattled off the distractions.

“Javier Hughes is there, and it’s getting more difficult to keep him away from you. You’ll be safer in Puerto Rico, and Gene will be safer with you far from him. You’re a danger to your partner.”

Gabe watched, and he saw the emotion flicker in his eyes, and then, how it was shoved back down.

Yeah, he found his weakness.

Oh, Ethan Blackhawk was good, but Gabe had been doing this twice as long as he had been.

He’d been raised by a man who had been an agent. Gabe was familiar with how to play any game.

“Now, Puerto Rico is down two agents, and I’ll get another sent there. Maybe they’ll learn how to cowboy it up just like you. You know…by getting your partner in a shit ton of trouble and lying to your boss.”

His heart skipped.

Yep.

He knew.

Their run as partners was over.

What hurt the most was that he already knew it was his fault that Gene had been hurt, and he was already doing battle with the demons in his head that told him he was a piece of shit for allowing it to happen.

It was his fault.

Gene would be safer without him.

Still, that love inside him held steady, and he fought to find a way.

“But we’re a good team,” he said. “We close cases all of the time. We closed this one in a single day.”

Gabe was to the point.

“That’s accurate, Agent,” he said, watching him. When he saw Blackhawk’s eyes dilate, he knew he got it. “In fact, you’re too good. That’s the problem.”

Ethan was about to have a panic attack.

“Is this because you’ve been told we are in a relationship?” he asked, going there.

Oh, Gabe wanted to play mind games. Truthfully, he missed them. That was why he did what he did, more times than not.

He.

Was.

Bored.

Okay, and the lives of his agents were his responsibility. He basically sweated blood to keep them safe, and the two men were way too cavalier.

“Yes,” he said. “You know the rules. I’ve decided that it’s too much of a risk. Mr. Cantrell will be fine without you. It’s my way or the highway, Blackhawk. You could have been honest, but you two opted to lie to me. Do you think I wouldn’t check to see if you caught a flight back?”

Oh, God.

The panic was messing with him.

Gabe continued.

“You caused a shitstorm with Javier Hughes, and I had your back over that video. Do you know how pissed the director was when he found out? I’ve been spending way too much time protecting both of you, especially since you lied to me.

Part of being a team is trust. Had you come to me, and been honest, this would be a different conversation. ”

No, it wouldn’t have been.

Ethan was smart enough to know that. Now, though, he was fighting for the calm. His whole world was falling apart, and he wanted to puke.

He.

Was.

Losing.

Gene.

He fought as hard as he could.

“The director is crooked. When are we going to talk about that pink elephant in the room? When?” Ethan asked. “Do you think I give a shit about what that piece of garbage who is aligned with Javier Hughes thinks?”

Gabe was watching his prey, and while he was angsty, the fight wasn’t there. He expected the man to argue this until the cows came home.