“Hey Cowboy, did you miss me?” she asked, smiling at him. If she broke, he’d be right behind her. Now wasn’t the time. Elizabeth would break later when they were home alone.
“Oh God, Elizabeth,” he whispered, laying his head on the bed. It took everything in him to not weep over having her back. “I didn’t think I’d survive this one. The minute my brother called, I stopped living, breathing, and existing. Don’t ever leave me again, even for a second.”
“I love you.”
“My God, Elizabeth! I love you too!” Blackhawk looked back into her face, re-memorizing everything about it. “I thought I lost you, baby. I just died inside,” he confessed, his voice filled with emotion. “Are you okay?” Ethan Blackhawk looked at her midsection, hoping she’d tell him their child was safe.
“We’re safe, Ethan,” she smiled, knowing what he needed to hear. “Back in one piece, or is that two pieces?” she tried to lighten the mood, she was seriously afraid she was going to start crying.
“Thank God!” He closed his eyes again and most of the fear began to drain away. “I can’t ever do this again, do you hear me? If you think I was a crazed control freak before, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“I’m okay with that,” and it was the complete truth. After this, she didn’t want to risk her future.
“How did you get away from him?”
“It was all a game for him. He wanted me to run, so he could stalk and kill me like prey. So, I gave him what he wanted. I took off, and he didn’t have a chance. I made it six miles and then he started closing in on me. Luckily your father was hiding in the woods. He saved me and got me out.”
She stroked his cheek. “I owe him my life and our child’s life.” Elizabeth looked into his eyes, before she told him how she felt. “I know you have a hard time around him, but I have to let him be part of our child’s life. I could’ve ended up in that pit, Ethan. That’s all I kept saying to myself. I was so afraid that it was you that was going to be digging me up and having to pick up the bones of our baby.”
He didn’t know what to say, but the idea made him want to be sick. Just the fact she had used that as her mantra to escape, broke something inside him. His father was the least of his concerns now. His beautiful wife was home and alive.
She wanted to say more, but there was a knock at the door. The tech team had arrived, and she was a walking crime scene. “Let me get this done, okay? I had a really long day at work,” she laughed, trying to make him relax. “Then I’d like to go home, we need to talk and I just want to feel safe tonight.”
“Okay baby.” He stood and leaned down, touching his lips to hers, just to feel that one point of contact with his wife.
Everything was going to be okay now, Elizabeth was back home.
“I’ll keep you safe,” he promised, and he knew he would.
~ Chapter Nineteen ~
Tuesday night
Ethan stepped out of the room and left his wife with the tech crew. He felt a sense of relief that she was back home and safe, and now he could start to focus on finding the bastard that dared to violate her. Thomas Mason may have been related, but now he was marked for death. Desperately, he wanted to ask his wife if the killer had touched her, but if she said yes the rage would have overpowered him. Now he knew she was in good hands. Christina would take good care of her.
As the woman walked past him with her trace kit, she patted him on the back in reassurance. This all could have gone horribly wrong, but he lucked out, and it had a happy ending.
Blackhawk joined his family sitting on the couch in his grandfather’s living room. What he couldn’t ask his wife, he could ask his father. There was no doubt his wife would sugar coat it to protect his heart, but his father wouldn’t. Man to man, there would be nothing but truth.
Sitting across from them, he closed his eyes for a moment until he was sure he was completely composed and able to continue. “I need to know what happened, and I need all the details. I don’t plan on making her talk about this when I take her home,” he stated, still unable to look at the man that abandoned him as a child, but gave him his wife back alive. There was no doubt in his mind that she had a right to tell him his father could see their child. How could he say no? He saved her and that alone was able to wipe the slate clean in his mind.
Wyler took a sip of tea his father had made him. “Your wife told me to go make myself scarce. She was afraid the killer would come after me. I went up to the hunting grounds that I always use for my food supply. While I was there I noticed someone had been there. The underbrush was disturbed, and it seemed off to me. I settled in for the night to wait for deer and to confront whoever came through my space. Grounds are domain to the specific hunter, and mine are far enough back that people don’t just stumble onto them. When I saw the tracks, I was angry and I parked myself in the brush and was going to find the intruder.”
All the emotion flooded through him, but he could finally open his eyes and stare into the face of the man that saved his family. “Please Dad, continue.”
The use of ‘dad’ surprised him and Timothy, equally. Usually, it was Wyler, but he tried to not have hope as he continued. “I heard a quad, and I went to investigate. I saw a man dressed as a warrior, war paint, feathers, the whole deal, with a woman. She was bound, hooded, and tossed over his shoulder.”
Blackhawk felt rage at the way his wife was treated. When his brother placed his hand on his shoulder, he nodded signaling he’d be okay.
“I stuck around to see what was happening. I thought maybe this was the killer. The woman was dressed as a Native in deerskin. When he pulled the hood off her head, I immediately knew who she was. Even with the braids and eyes closed. Your wife is beautiful and very distinctive.”
“He sent me pictures to torment me.”
“Yes, he took pictures and was laughing. Then he left her to rest on the rock after he re-hooded her. I was going to try to get to her then, but I only had a bow and arrows, and I didn’t know if he had a gun. I was lying in wait if he tried to hurt her.”
“Did he say anything?”
“Nothing I could hear. Elizabeth spoke to him a while, and he became visibly angry. Then he shot an arrow directly at her.” Wyler paused. “Your wife didn’t even move or flinch, and you can tell she saw it coming. It was like she was daring him to a game of chicken.”
Blackhawk laughed an exhausted laugh. “Of course she dared him. That’s my, Lyzee. A mere mortal would have been scared and panicked, but not my wife.”
“The arrow grazed her arm, and then she was gone. Elizabeth was off like a doe. I tracked her for two hours and had a hell of a time keeping up with her through the thicket. I don’t know if she had a compass, or if she was trained well, but she immediately headed north and away from the common trail. It’s how she kept ahead of him and away from him.”
“Her watch has a compass just like mine. Standard equipment for agents,” he said, lifting his wrist. Now, he was so grateful that the killer didn’t have the sense to take her watch.
“Well, she used it. The entire time he taunted her and tried to get her to give away her location. She just kept moving silently. We had to cross about six miles before I noticed that she was slowing down, and he was getting closer.”
He was so proud of his wife and he couldn’t wait to just hold her and tell her that she was the toughest agent he’d ever met.
“When he was getting closer to her I had to intervene. I was afraid he’d see her and take a shot at her.”
“Thank you,” he said, meaning it.
Wyler sipped his tea. “At one point I was able to get ahead of her, and as she came down an incline I made my move. I grabbed her, and we slid into a crevasse that I use to hide from game until he passed us. Then I took her the right way out. It took quite a few hours. By then she was starting to wear down, and we had to slow down.”
Blackhawk watched as Doctor Leonard, the ME, walked past them, nodding. He knew why the man was there, an
d it made him sick to think that the killer touched her. Refocusing he listened to his father, so the anger wouldn’t consume him.
“I have to say, she is very strong and determined. Not once did she cry or complain. Your wife is very disciplined.” Wyler had the utmost respect for her.
“It had to be hard for her. She hasn’t been feeling well and is pregnant,” added Timothy, not sure if his son was aware how hard she had to fight to get out of those woods. “I ask again, are you sure she isn’t Native? Your wife is the toughest outsider woman I have ever met.”
Blackhawk wanted to laugh, but he just couldn’t find the energy. “I’m very proud of her,” he answered. “Elizabeth should be inducted into it, somehow. Just for today alone.”
“I would have camped overnight to give her a break, but she was adamant that she make it home to you. Elizabeth was willing to punish her body to get to you, Ethan. The entire time, she was only worried about you and the baby.”
He rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. This had to be the most emotionally draining day of his life. He knew his wife was tough and this just proved it. “Dad, can I talk to you, alone?” he asked, pointing to the back door of the cabin.
“Yes Ethan. I’ll meet you out there.”
Blackhawk watched his father leave, but before following he leaned down and kissed his grandfather on the cheek.
“You're a good boy, Ethan. I’m proud of you too,” Timothy said. “Now go talk to Wyler.” As his grandson walked away, he looked towards the spare room where his granddaughter was being examined. It wasn’t lost on him that Elizabeth Blackhawk had successfully managed to heal the biggest hole in their family. It appeared the littlest Blackhawk was a miracle worker and gave them back what was once lost.
“You’re in love with her too, huh?” asked Callen Whitefox, smiling at his grandfather.
Timothy looked over grinning. “Absolutely.”
Elizabeth had seen victims checked for trace many times in her life. When Christina entered the room, she was grateful to see a familiar face. Immediately, she asked her to call Doctor Leonard as a favor. She was going to need a rape kit and didn’t want to go to the hospital. With her husband outside the door and already stressed, she wasn’t going to make him more upset. It had been a shitty enough day for him. Elizabeth was back to being his armor and protecting his heart.
Christina understood and made the call before they began the trace exam. She scraped her nails and used a sticky tape to pull any lint off her body. When she helped her remove the dress to bag it, they both noticed the dove above her heart.
“I need you to get a photo of this and get it off me before Ethan finds it,” she said, softly. “This will put him over the edge.”
Christina didn’t have the heart to tell her that the killer already sent him pictures, and her husband was well aware of the dove. It made her respect the woman even more. That even after all she went through, Elizabeth was more worried about her husband’s feelings. Many of the techs were surprised when their boss married her after less than a week in Salem, but she could see for herself their fears were unfounded. There was definite love between them both.
Elizabeth was glad that she still had her own bra and underwear on and they didn’t seem like they had been removed and replaced haphazardly. Doctor Leonard opened the door, and she asked him to lock it.
“You needed me, Elizabeth?” Chris Leonard suspected why she made the call, and as her friend he didn’t blame her one bit.
“Here’s the deal. He drugged me, and I have no idea if he sexually assaulted me,” she said it nonchalantly, even though it scared and horrified her. “I don’t want to make a big deal in front Ethan. This will hurt him like nothing else, and I think he’s been through enough today.”
“You’ve lived through it too, Lyzee,” he said, squeezing her hand. “You need to work through this too, as the victim.”
“I will, Chris. I just don’t want this asshole to hurt Ethan any more today. I can bear it for now. Please help me protect him,” she begged, her eyes filling with tears and threatening to spill over.
“Okay,” he agreed. Elizabeth didn’t need more stress, and this was the least he could do for her. “Christina, give her the gown. I’ll step out.”
“You can stay, Chris. Just turn around until I strip. I don’t want him getting suspicious.”
Doctor Leonard turned around. “I think he deserves to know. He is your husband, Lyzee.”
“I’ll tell him in the privacy of our own home. Not here, and not after the day we’ve both had. Ethan’s a smart man, Chris. I'm sure he already knows. It’s standard procedure for a female victim.” Elizabeth slipped out of her undergarments and Christina bagged them. “Doc, he drugged me with the Chloral Hydrate. Is that going to hurt the baby?” She was afraid to ask.
Christina looked up surprised. The bosses were having a little Blackhawk.
“No, you should be good. It was only once, right?”
“I believe so.”
“I’ll get you some clothes from the tech truck, Elizabeth. Do you want me to stay with you?” she asked. “I’ll hold your hand.”
“Thank you, Christina.” She trusted the people she worked with and knew they’d make this as easy as possible. Elizabeth knew the procedure, and what he needed to know. “Chris, I had sex last night and this morning with my husband. I need the DNA run as fast as you can, so I can ease him into it.”
“I’ll have it to you within the hour,” he said. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Ethan stood outside in the back yard with his father. There were many things to hate his father for, and his whole life he swore he’d never forgive him. But in one day he managed to erase it all, and do something his son never thought possible- redeem himself. In his mind what he did for Elizabeth was worth swallowing all the pain from his childhood. Everything he lived through as a kid was nothing in comparison to losing his wife and child.
If there was one universal lesson that he seemed to be learning by coming home, it was sometimes you had to just trust the universe when it placed the path before you. Fate had set it all in motion, like it had with his brother. Now he was going to forgive the man that destroyed his childhood.
“I want to thank you for saving her, Dad.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Ethan,” he sighed. “I didn’t do it for your gratitude. I did it because I didn’t want you to hurt anymore. I couldn’t bear thinking about you losing the love of your life.”
He looked over at his father and for the first time he realized how old his father appeared. There were lines permanently etched around his eyes and mouth. Time went fast and already he was in his late fifties. “I do have to thank you, because you saved my wife and our unborn child.”
“Congratulations on the pregnancy. I know you’ll make a great father.”
“I hope so,” he said, and he really did.
“You will be, Ethan. I can tell just by watching you, and how you treat your wife,” he paused. “She loves you very much.”
Blackhawk knew how blessed he was to have a woman that loved him as much as she did. “I want you to be part of our child’s life,” he said, thinking it would be more painful to say it, but it wasn’t. Not after today and not after he thought about it. He’d made the man suffer plenty of years for his sins, and it was time to forgive him and work on their relationship. He wanted to be able to show his child how to be a son, a father and a man.
Ethan Blackhawk was going to lead by example.
Wyler sat down on the grass and laid back to look at the stars. “Elizabeth told me about the killer, and how he’s my son.”
He mimicked his position in the grass and just allowed the man to get it all off his chest. Sometimes you just had to listen, even if you knew it was going to hurt to know the truth.
“I told your wife everything I know, and she told me to have this conversation with you. I think it’s time we discussed this, now that we’re both men. There are some things
you don’t know about, like what happened between us. I think that it’s time we brought them out in the open and talked about your mom.”
Ethan Blackhawk was willing to listen. He owed this man his life. He saved his family and in the process saved him. “I’ll listen, Dad. I may not agree with your choices or how you handled life. But I think I’m done holding a grudge.”
“I understand, son.” Wyler tried the endearment out, and when the man didn’t protest he felt hope.
“I want to move forward and heal, Dad. I need to for the sake of my family.”
Wyler couldn’t believe the words coming from his mouth, and he couldn’t believe that he was going to get a second chance. Maybe by the end he could have his son back. At least one of his boys for now, and possibly he’d get to see his grandson grow up. Hope blossomed inside him as love started to unfurl and become a reality not just a dream.
When Doctor Leonard was done, Christina ran out to the tech truck and got her boss a pair of sweats and an FBI t-shirt. They always had them onboard in case of contamination. When she returned, she watched her boss carefully, unsure if she should say anything to the woman.
“Spill it, Christina,” she said, pulling the clothes on and waiting for her to get it off her chest.
“I’m glad you’re safe Elizabeth!” She quickly hugged Elizabeth tight. “Welcome back, boss!”
Elizabeth patted her arm. “I’m hard to kill, Christina,” she said winking. “Can I trust you to keep my pregnancy a secret?” she asked the woman. “You and Chris are the only two that know.”
“I won’t say a word, but congrats on the little Blackhawk!” Christina gave her boss privacy to get into the sweats.
Elizabeth finished dressing and just wanted to go home.
Gabe knocked on the door. “Hey beautiful! Just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” he asked, the fear in him subsiding once he saw her. “I see you did a number on your arms.”
Sacred Burial Grounds (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 2)) Page 50
