Callen Whitefox slept like a rock. Fortunately, his grandfather called him to make sure he was safe, or he wouldn’t have been up on time to head into FBI West. As he pulled into the lot and parked, he balanced the coffees that he’d just picked up. It was the least he could do, since his family was letting him stay with them. Just the word family knotted his stomach and made him feel warm. Since his mother had passed away, it had just been him and Timothy. The addition of Elizabeth and return of his brother warmed him. There was the memory of how she covered for him, to protect his relationship and that made him smile. His brother’s wife stole his heart and having a sister was pretty great.
When he had been honest with her that morning, there was that fear she’d see him differently, but she didn’t. Just that acceptance touched his heart. She knew then he loved her. Whether it was the same love his brother had for her or not didn’t matter at this point to him. Elizabeth Blackhawk had part of his heart. There was a kindness and compassion deep within her, and an easy acceptance of the men around her. There weren’t many women who’d stand up to Timothy and love him the way the boys did. How she raced out the door of his house to save his brother spoke volumes as to the kind of woman she was deep down. Maybe today he’d find that he was completely over her.
Once inside the massive office, he saw no one manning the desk. The place seemed a little deserted, and he figured everyone was out in the field or busy. Peeking his head into his brother’s office he found it vacant. Since neither Blackhawk was toiling away there, he knew where they would be found. Walking into her office and finding them there together, that wave of jealousy was still there, but also was the overwhelming love that he felt for them both.
This was his family.
Callen Whitefox couldn’t help but smile, as his brother was protective of his wife even in sleep. They looked so peaceful, that he almost didn’t want to wake them, and yet he knew he needed to do it. They had a busy day ahead of them. Whitefox walked over to his brother and tapped him on the arm. When his eyes popped open immediately, he pointed over at Elizabeth, signaling that she was still asleep.
Blackhawk focused on his brother standing above him, forcing that wave of confusion out of his mind. Without having to even look down his body, he could feel the comfortable weight of his wife sleeping against him. They both must have passed out from exhaustion. Two hours of sleep a night would do that to a person. They were bound to crash at some time.
He took the coffee his brother handed to him with complete gratitude. The clock on the wall said almost ten in the morning, and they’d only been asleep a little over an hour. He didn’t want to do it, but he had to get out in the field. They needed the missing person reports, waiting for them at the sheriff’s office.
“Baby,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her on her lips. “We have to wake up, or I do. You can go back to sleep if you need more down time.”
“I smell coffee,” she muttered, not opening her eyes. “Whoever got me coffee gets a big wet kiss,” she muttered, “and I’ll even marry them if it’s the largest coffee sold in the entire western hemisphere.”
“I’m suddenly glad I thought to bring coffee,” Callen said laughing, as her eyes slowly opened. “Oh, and look here. It’s a very large coffee too…”
“If you marry anyone else, I’ll have to toss your ass in jail, Lyzee,” he quipped back. “One husband per woman and those are the rules.”
“Is it wrong that at this point I’d see jail time as vacation time? I can make that orange jumpsuit look sexy.”
Both men laughed at that visual and didn’t doubt she could.
“Well look at this, boys,” she drawled, sitting up and extricating herself from her husband’s arm and rolling her shoulder. It was stiff from the past injury and sleeping on it. “The lab fairy came while I was a sleep, and she left me the name of the woman in the hole.” Elizabeth took the coffee her brother-in-law held out to her. “I guess meaningless threats do still work on our staff even when they’re just as exhausted as we are,” she stood, stretching and then leaned down to kiss her husband on the cheek. “Thanks for playing pillow. You were the best I ever had,” she winked, salaciously. “I can’t wait to use you more later.
Blackhawk winked. There was nothing more amazing than the way his wife woke even after very little sleep. She was always ready with a joke.
“Callen, you are a Godsend!” Elizabeth went to walk by him and stopped. “Aw screw it, coffee is that damn important,” she said, pulling his face down to kiss him on the lips, leaving a big wet kiss. “For coffee, I’ll break the kissy-face office rule.”
Blackhawk had the privilege of observing the look on his brother’s face. He was pretty sure that Callen Whitefox had also been steamrolled by his wife; she seemed to do that to people, men in general. He looked panicked by the kiss and that made it even funnier. Good, as long as his brother believed he’d be dead if he crossed the line, he had nothing to worry about.
Callen Whitefox froze as Elizabeth planted a wet one on his mouth. First there was panic, then lust, and when he noticed his brother laughing, he tried to relax. Apparently, the kiss wasn’t going to get him killed. Thank God. Now he prayed his face wouldn’t give him away.
Elizabeth felt much better. A nap had helped her recharge. “Cowboy?” she said, looking down at her paper.
“Yeah baby?”
Whitefox took a seat on the couch and couldn’t ignore it any longer. “Okay, I wanted to say this last time it came up, and now I have to do it. Really, isn’t he more the Indian, and you the cowboy?” he asked as he drank his coffee, and pointed at her boots.
Blackhawk laughed. He’d made the comparison to that in his mind many times, and he always found it funny and ironic.
“I’m the level headed, calm one that keeps the town safe,” she answered, “the sheriff of this rodeo so to speak. But come to think of it,” she grinned. “Now that you’re in the picture, Callen, the two of you can be cowboy and Indian. Fight amongst yourselves on who gets to be whom,” she sipped her coffee and winked at both men. “One of you can borrow my hat, but since I’m the only one in the room who hasn’t been arrested… I get to play the law.”
Ethan was ready for her. Many times she’d caught him off guard, and he’d choke on his coffee. Not today, he was aware of her game.
Whitefox was completely charmed by her, and he couldn’t help but laugh at her teasing them. Some people would be worried about pointing out the obvious, but she definitely wasn’t.
“Anyway, boys,” she said continuing, “What are your plans for today?”
“Callen and I need to swing by the sheriff’s office and get the missing person reports. Meanwhile, you’ll be constructing the white board.”
It wasn’t lost on her that he was emphasizing that she was staying in the office. “I’ll be staying inside FBI West, until I run out of work to do here. Since you want me to stay here, I suggest you get me some viable data. Don’t forget our deal, Ethan.”
Ethan was relieved. She was going to keep their bargain and not fight with him over it, even after the killer took a shot at him. “I’ll vest up,” he answered.
“And?”
He thought back to the deal, he was taking his brother with him and the other part was breakfast. “I’ll make you breakfast tomorrow.” It was stated with absolute certainty. Tomorrow he’d beat her out of bed, even if he had to sleep in the kitchen on the counter.
Elizabeth dropped her booted feet on the corner of her desk. “Since I’ve yet to eat today, lunch technically is breakfast, so you’re on food duty, Cowboy. Feed your growing child. Besides, if you think back to yesterday, I do believe I fed you.”
He grinned with nothing but love for his wife.
“Callen, heads up. He doesn’t share his milkshakes, so you’re out of luck.”
“Damn it.” Whitefox laughed and winked at her.
“I’m glad you’re smiling, Callen. We’ll be discussing you poaching my wife’s milkshake
later.”
“You had to tell him, didn’t you, Lyzee. It could have been our dirty little food secret. I never would have told.”
Elizabeth snorted and shook her head.
Blackhawk punched his brother in the arm and then laughed.
“Ethan, if you bring me some healthy girly lunch I’ll kick your ass.” Then she pointed at her brother-in-law. “If you let him do it, then you’ll get your ass handed to you just because you knew it was coming and didn’t have the common sense to intervene. Clear boys?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said, grinning.
Blackhawk walked over and kissed her on the lips, slow and long. When he broke away it pleased him that she didn’t protest, and she looked nearly as distracted as he felt. “Be back for lunch, Lyzee,” he spoke softly, as he lovingly rubbed his hand over their child.
As she watched them leave and close the door, she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. Her eyes filled despite her will to stop it. She accepted the kiss, because she knew it could be the last moment she had with her husband.
If the killer was out there waiting for him that could have been her goodbye. Letting him go without her was the hardest thing she ever had to do, but she knew it was his job, and she couldn’t put him in a box to keep him safe. There had to be trust that he’d stay alive. When her door opened and Callen Whitefox walked in, she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.
“Hey are you okay?” Whitefox looked concerned, placing his hand on her shoulder and dropping to his knees beside her. “You can talk to me, Lyzee. I have your back too and I’ll protect your secrets as well.”
Elizabeth would have blown it off if the man hadn’t caught her mid-cry fest in her office. All she could do was go with the truth. “Please keep him safe, Callen. I need him to come back to me,” she whispered, as her voice filled with emotion and the tears started to spill over. “I don’t want to do this without him. Please get him back here safe, and I’ll owe you for the rest of my life.” Elizabeth stared into his eyes and shared all the fear inside her willingly. There was no doubt she could trust the man with her worries. Callen was as honorable as her husband.
“I’ll bring him back, Lyzee. I promise.” He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb, offering her a candy bar. “Ethan wanted you to have a snack.” Whitefox put it on the desk and leaned down to kiss away her tears. “Please don’t cry, beautiful. I’ll make sure he stays safe.” A part of him ached for her sadness. A woman as tough as Elizabeth Blackhawk didn’t sit around crying. Just that morning, she ran headfirst into danger, and now she was breaking down, alone in her office. It was a defining moment to him. She wasn’t as tough as they all thought, and right then he took a vow. He’d protect her heart, like she did for all of them.
Elizabeth watched him leave, hoping and praying it all would end soon; it was a rollercoaster of emotions, and she just wanted them all to survive in one piece.
~ Chapter Eleven ~
Ethan Blackhawk sat in the front seat of the shiny FBI vehicle, and he felt despondent over the loss of his beloved mustang. The tech crew had taken his car to the repair shop for him after cutting apart the door to remove the bullet. It was going to be in the shop for a while, and until then he was going to be stuck in the company car. As his brother climbed into the Denali, he knew immediately something was bothering him.
“What’s bugging you? I’ve seen this look before and you look worried.”
Whitefox just shrugged. “Can I be honest with you?”
He didn’t like that question from a stranger, but from his own brother? It made him feel off balanced. That was a loaded question and usually meant one thing; the listener was going to be pissed. “I think that depends.” Blackhawk was hoping it had nothing to do with Elizabeth.
“I didn’t expect that answer,” he said, laughing.
“If you're going to tell me you’re in love with my wife and thinking about having sex with her every time you see her, let me warn you now. I’m going to pull my gun and shoot you. I won’t kill you, but I will shoot you.”
Callen Whitefox looked over at his brother surprised. Granted he was always thinking about his sister-in-law, but this time she wasn’t the reason he was bothered. “This had nothing to do with Elizabeth, but since you brought it up,” he paused, “I’ll admit to you that I’ve found myself hopelessly in love with her.” When his brother’s eyebrow went up and he reached for his gun, he continued and started laughing, “As is granddad. She’s pretty darn lovable” he paused shaking his head when his brother pulled his suit jacket back over the gun. “She rolls right over you and makes you fall in love with her. You would think her bossiness and brashness would turn a man off, but oddly it doesn’t.”
God, he hoped that sounded innocent, not desperate.
“I thought the same thing when I first met her.”
“I love my new sister, and have to say that the prospect of being an uncle is pretty thrilling too.”
Blackhawk felt relief that his brother was fond of Elizabeth. It meant one more person willing to keep her and their child safe, and that they would all be a happy family. “I think Baby Blackhawk is going to be pretty lucky to have you as an uncle.”
“I’m not saying I wouldn’t chase down one of her sisters,” he added, hopefully.
“No sisters. You're out of luck.”
“Damn it!” He looked right into his brother’s eyes. “I told you, Ethan. I won’t betray you ever again. The lesson was learned the hard way. I won’t cross that line with your wife.”
“I believe you,” he replied, pulling out of the garage. “Now tell me what you needed to be honest with me about,” he headed to Black Fall’s sheriff’s station.
“I left the reservation to be a deputy, but after a while I didn’t want to be away from granddad, so I came home. I took the job as reservation police chief to keep busy, and because I like to eat.”
Blackhawk grinned. “Okay, so far I’m with you.”
“Then you came back from the outside world, and I’ve realized that I hate my job, the lack of a serious relationship, and my life in general.”
Blackhawk didn’t know where this was going. “You want my job and life? That kind of sounds like you’re thinking about my wife,” he said laughing.
Whitefox punched him in the arm. “No, I’m just saying I’m envious and proud that you took that chance and got away from it all. I wish I’d have been as strong and tough as you.”
“You can leave at any time, Callen. It’s a big world out there, and it’s not all as bad as we heard growing up. Yeah, people can be major assholes on a daily basis. Like I told Lyzee back in Salem, assholes keep us in a job. If I didn’t leave here I wouldn’t have met her, and without her I wouldn’t be happy right now. I dated women before her, but it just wasn’t right. You’ll find her, and you’ll know because it’ll knock you on your ass and make you do stupid things. I’ll give my younger brother one piece of advice. Look for a woman that will challenge you, respect you, and make you laugh. Then marry her and do whatever she tells you to do.”
Callen laughed. “So Lyzee is the boss?”
“Hell yeah, she is,” he said grinning. “If you want to have sex on a regular basis, you let your wife be in charge.”
Whitefox shook his head and grinned at his brother. If he was married to Elizabeth, he’d wear a shirt declaring she was queen of the universe, so he understood what his brother was saying.
“Gabe once gave me similar advice and he was completely right.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he paused. “I think after this, I need to get off the reservation and take some time off to just figure it all out. Since you’re back, you can take care of granddad. It’s your turn.”
“Deal,” he said. “We have a summer home in Salem, and you’re welcome to head there with us on our next vacation, or you're welcome to just hide out there and relax for a while.”
“I think I might do just that,” he said smiling. “Thanks, Ethan,” h
e was definitely feeling better.
“That’s what the older brother is here for daily. Guidance and to keep you from screwing up as badly as I did,” he pulled into the sheriff’s station. “Shall we go see the welcoming committee? I’m glad we wore Kevlar after how angry the sheriff was with Elizabeth.” Who was he kidding? He loved watching her stir the pot with the inept.
“Expecting trouble?”
“No, but Lyzee poked the hornet’s nest the other day, and that’s another reason I didn’t want her coming with us. If the sheriff or his men are holding a grudge, then he’s going to be a bitch to deal with today.”
Whitefox stayed close to his brother, scanning the area. He planned on keeping the promise he made to Elizabeth. Nothing was going to happen to his brother. Once inside the sheriff’s department they noticed it was extremely quiet. They must not get a great deal of crime in the town, and that would probably explain why they had little crime scene experience. Immediately, they were greeted by the deputy on duty.
“Director Special Agent Blackhawk,” he pulled out his ID and placed it on the counter. “This is Chief of Police, Callen Whitefox, and we’re here to pick up the missing person reports that Director Special Agent Elizabeth Blackhawk called regarding yesterday.”
“Good morning guys, I’m Deputy Thomas Mason. I spoke to the other Agent Blackhawk on the phone yesterday. I have them pulled and ready to go for you.” The deputy walked back to his desk.
Blackhawk was pleasantly surprised. He was truly expecting hell for the fallout the other day between the sheriff and his wife. “I appreciate your help, Deputy Mason. I have to say, I wasn’t expecting cooperation.”
“Hey, not a problem,” he answered back, handing the folder back. “I’m sorry about the other day,” he said apologetically as he leaned forward, lowering his voice. “The sheriff is a real good guy; he’s just not big on strong women. If it were up to him we’d all be living back in the fifties,” he grinned. “Sheriff Pavette is more the ‘barefoot and pregnant’ kind of man, if you know what I mean,” he winked.
Sacred Burial Grounds (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 2)) Page 27
