Page 378 of Chaos has a Name
“Chris, you’d better get to the morgue,” Gene said. “If we can’t get this solved, she’s going to beUNGODLYtoday. Don’t let the techs slack.”
He hugged Gene.
“Bless you.”
Oh, he didn’t blame the man for heading out as quickly as possible.
Only, he was best equipped to handle Elizabeth—meaning he could lay on her until the mad passed, and she couldn’t budge his bear ass.
As they all divided up, and both Callen and Gene went to go find the two people, they didn’t have to look far.
Standing by the totem was Elizabeth and Takoda. Not far from them was Gryphen and Raphael.
As they watched Chris leave with Saint, they moved closer, trying to see if this might work itself out on its own.
Only, as they got closer, the heated tone said it all.
“Mom, I’m a grown-ass man.”
She wasn’t playing.
“That’s not my problem,” she admitted, digging in. “You’re not working security for me. That’s the end of the discussion, Takoda.”
He dug in too.
It was like watching the same personality go head-to-head in a death-cage match. They all knew there wouldn’t be winners.
“Well, the president said I am.”
She laughed, and it wasn’t the funny ha-ha laugh. It was the‘I’m about to go nuclear and destroy the world’kind of a laugh.
That was a bad sign.
ElizabethRARELYraised her voice with her children, unless it was EJ and CJ trying to blow something up. Then, she got hella yell-y.
This was different.
“You’reNOTplaying bodyguard for me and your fathers.”
Takoda didn’t know when to let it go, apparently. Because he kept going.
“I think it’s incredibly irrational that you are not looking at it as me being a Marine. I’m as good as anyone else on your team.”
She stood there.
“I went through boot camp. I survived a lot, Mom. I’m not some baby you need to coddle. I’m a goddamn Marine, and I deserve some respect. I’ve earned it!”
Callen cringed.
Oh, their son was clearly going through his rebellious years much later in life. If anyone else spoke to Elizabeth in that tone, including her husbands, they’d be on the ground bleeding.
“I don’t care if you’re the next coming of goddamn Jesus Christ himself. The day I let you play shield to me is the day I quit my fucking job, Takoda. Now, we’re done discussing this,” she said, going to walk away.
And that’s when Takoda did theWORSTthing possible.
He grabbed her arm.
And she showed him exactly why she didn’t want, or need her son being her shield.
