Free The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 1)) by Morgan Kelley

and it drew her partner’s attention and a dirty look, warning her. The chip on the shoulder was back and raring to go.
    Elizabeth n odded. “Please, you both have to be tired. Come sit down, and we’ll get you some food and coffee. It’s going to be a long day. Then I can give you whatever information I can to get you up to speed.”
    Blackhawk nodded, following the sheriff as he glared over at his partner. He’d heard the snap of chill in her voice, and he didn’t understand it at all.
    “Sheriff LaRue, that would be perfect,” he said, sitting across from her. Thankfully, his partner was keeping her distance. He watched her straddle the chair. Her arms were on the back, her chin on her arms, and she was smiling at him. There was some innate sexiness, about a woman who smiled like that, and sat with much self-assurance. Immediately, the room began to get hot, but thankfully the waitress saved him from babbling.
    Elizabeth couldn’t help but watch the man interact with Beatrice. Something about him just drew her focus. Not staring at him wasn’t an easy task. His skin was a medium tan, and his dark black hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck into a ponytail, and she wanted to pull it free just to watch it fall. Then there were the most amazing blue black eyes. All she could think was, exotic and incredibly handsome didn’t cover it. The chiseled features made him alluring.
    Agent Blackhawk wasn’t what she expected, and in a way, she was really glad. When they shook hands, she swore she felt a wave of awareness wash over her. Gabe had to send her the sexiest man he knew. Somehow, she didn’t think it was a coincidence. This stunt screamed payback for years of torture she inflicted.
    Blackhawk’s partner ordered and was pleasantly talking to Beatrice. None of the hostility was there for the woman, so that meant the icy chill was strictly aimed at her. Elizabeth had to believe it had to do with her past. Her stomach knotted as worry and nerves resurfaced.
    “The coffee is pretty good here, and the food isn’t bad either,” she said, handing Beatrice the menu back.
    “The usual, Sheriff?”
    “Yes ma’am,” she drawled, leaning back. It was time for the show. Her attention was back on the agents sitting across from her. “Thank you both for coming so quickly. I hope you got the files and all the information I sent to your boss.”
    Blackhawk nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.  “Gabe mentioned you were having some issues,” he said, looking around, trying to be as blasé as possible. “I looked at the files, and I tend to agree. Reading your notes, I think your assessment is on track. ”
    Lily sat there sipping her coffee, saying nothing, but continually scrutinize the woman before her. She remembered seeing her before at Quantico. She just didn’t know her name. The woman rubbed her the wrong way for so many reasons, and she knew that this assignment was going to be a nightmare working with her.
    “ After breakfast, I have to meet with a woman at the morgue. She filed a missing person report yesterday, and we confirmed her daughter is one of the last victims. I’m hoping she can give us a clue to the identity of the woman who was found with her daughter. We can’t seem to get her name, and we need a visual ID.”
    “I’ll go with you,” said Blackhawk, pausing as the man they believed to originally be the sheriff approached the table.
    “Lyzee, I’ll see you at work, okay?” he tipped his hat, and winked at her.
    “Tony,” she warned, as he laughed and walked away. “I’m sorry, Agents. He’s one of my deputies, and he sometimes forgets that I’m his boss. He likes to get me going at every opportunity.”
    Somehow the man rubbed Blackhawk the wrong way. It seemed to be his easy demeanor around the sheriff . Plus the way he looked at her when Elizabeth LaRue wasn’t paying attention. Tony was eyeing her up like she’d be a tasty snack.
    Suddenly , he felt very territorial