Elizabeth had just calmed down and now it started back up. No one really used the word ‘reputable’ when it came to the Blackhawk men. Now she was laughing so hard, she had to hold her stomach and put her head on her arm on the table.
Both men beside her grinned wickedly in on the joke.
Tori glanced over at her friends. “Come on, you know you want to do it,” she said, between fits of laughter. All three stood up. Ethan pulled his polo off and dropped it on the chair. Across his body were tattoos everywhere. They ranged from the raven on his chest to his wife’s name below it. When he turned around to show them his back, the woman began cursing and he laughed.
“There’s twenty four and once you get one, you keep going back,” Blackhawk snickered, giving his wife a wink.
Callen went next and pulled off his shirt. He had the fox on his abs and the same tribal arm band as his brother. When he turned around and showed them his back, the woman nearly lost it. He offered his brother a fist bump, and then one to Julian in solidarity. “I only have nine, but when the baby’s born I’m getting both our sons on me somewhere.”
Clarissa shook her head.
Elizabeth started unbuttoning her shirt. Beneath it was a tank top, and when she turned, Callen pulled it down to show the woman. Across her body was her husband’s name and on her shoulders were a memorial for Timothy Whitefox and a heart with Callen’s name and wording.
“They are addictive. I want to do my ribs next.”
Everyone in the family was still laughing, as the three pulled their shirts back on and sat back down.
“I think I may need a drink,” Julian’s mother said, starting to laugh. “You better marry her fast and never get divorced Julian!”
“Unless you find another Victoria Rose”, added Justin, getting a punch from his sister.
“Thank you,” laughed Tori, since she couldn’t reach him across the table.
Trying to change the subject, Clarissa looked back at the agents and ignored her children punching each other. “What brings you all to our reservation?” she asked, beginning to clear the table.
Without warning, Callen’s cell began ringing and he pulled it from his belt, staring at the number. There was something familiar about it, and he excused himself.
Elizabeth continued. “We’re here because there were some remains found on the Rez.” She kept it vague.
Julian grinned. “Trust me you don’t want to know about this one, especially after eating.”
Everyone that knew the details nodded in agreement. This was most definitely not after dinner fodder.
“Yeah,” Elizabeth started. “We’ll just call this the crazy feather killer. It sounds less gruesome.”
Clarissa picked up the bowl of strawberry topping for the fry bread. “Someone’s killing people with feathers?”
Tori continued. “Not quite. He leaves a plain white feather with the body as a calling card.”
It was like the energy in the room shifted and they all watched the woman’s face go from calm to horrified. The bowl of red liquid fell from her hands, splashing across the floor as the glass shattered.
Everyone stared in shock.
“Oh my God!” The woman muttered. “I’m so sorry…”
Outside he took the call. “Director Callen Whitefox.”
“Mr. Whitefox, are you the same man that is acquainted with a Desdemona Adare?” came the voice, softly.
Everything in him rolled sickly. There was no reason anyone should be calling him regarding his ex. They parted ways in a very unpleasant manner, and for that he was glad. All ties to her were severed the day she shot Elizabeth in the chest and clawed at his heart with her vicious, angry words.
“Yes, I know Desdemona. Is something wrong?” But he already knew there had to be. The woman swore to never contact him again.
“Sir, my name is Nurse Marly. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I work for the Cypress Grove General hospital.”
“Okay, Marly. What can I do for you?” Right about then he was ready to be sick to his stomach. Although he wasn’t in love with Desdemona any more, he hoped she was okay. He wanted the best for her and only wished she’d moved on in life like he had.
“Desdemona was in our care today and unfortunately, she didn’t make it.” The woman hated doing this over the phone.
“Excuse me?” He leaned against the Denali.
“She passed away, Sir. We need you to come to Cypress Grove.”
None of this made any sense. “Was she in a car accident?”
The nurse was confused. “No sir, she was delivering a child and died while giving birth.”
Callen could feel all the air leaving his body as if someone punched him in the gut.
There was a baby?
In his mind he began counting the months since the last time he’d been with her. It fit the timeline. “Is the baby alright?” he asked, finally. “Born full term?”
“Yes Sir. She listed you on the birth certificate as father, and as she was dying, instructed us to call you and tell you about your child. Do you want us to turn her over to social services? We’ve already spoken to her grandmother, and she doesn’t want the responsibility.”
Of course she didn’t because of the baby’s mixed heritage. “Her? I have a daughter?” Callen was torn between laughter and sorrow. There were simultaneous waves of misery and joy over the new knowledge.
“Yes you do, Mr. Whitefox. She’s absolutely beautiful. She was born with lots of brown hair and this cute little nose.” The woman paused. “You weren’t aware that Desdemona was pregnant?”
Callen was still dazed. “We broke up six months ago and I returned home. She never told me that she was expecting.” At first there was the sorrow at her death, and then it was replaced by the rage that the woman never planned on telling him that he was a father.
In his mind, there was no forgiving that sin.
Ever.
Desdemona had intended to keep his child a secret and inflict the most revenge possibly on him for leaving her. If she wanted to rip his heart apart, this was the way to do it. It was hard not to be grateful that fate stepped in and saved him from never knowing he’d helped create a child.
“I’m sorry to be doing this over the phone, Sir, but no one wants her.” Nurse Marly felt bad for the child. In one day she was born, her mother dies, and then the family turned their back on her.
“I most definitely want her. I’m across the country on assignment. I’ll hop a plane and be there in as soon as I can. Please keep my daughter there. I’m coming to get her and I’ll call as soon as I land.”
“If you’re not here by morning, by law we have to turn her over to the Child services to be placed in a foster home.”
Callen was sick to his stomach and then he knew the one thing that would save her. “You can’t put her into foster care. She’s half Native American. If you try to put her there, I’ll have a lawsuit on behalf of myself and the tribe. Are we clear? I’m full blooded Native and I’m warning you in advance. Do I need to bring an attorney?”
The woman understood. “No sir, you can claim her, but you still have to be here by morning. You’ll need to name her. Her mother passed before filling out the birth certificate. We’re calling her ‘Baby Adare’.”
Callen blanched at the mere thought that his child didn’t have his name. Here was his biggest nightmare coming to light. He’d given life to a child that didn’t carry his family name.
Damn it! He was furious with Desdemona. Never in his life had he felt more betrayed.
“Change the last name to Whitefox. I’m coming for my daughter,” he said, hanging up the phone. Quickly he sent a text to his brother telling him he needed him outside, but to not alert Elizabeth.
Once he came through the door, he rushed to him. “Do you trust me?”
Ethan was caught off guard by that question. “Yes of course I do. Why?”
“I need access to the jet, and you need to get me to Cypress Gro
ve. I can’t give you an explanation, but I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow when I get back.”
“Cal, you have to give me something. The minute you leave, Elizabeth’s going to start wondering. I can bury the use of the jet for a few hours, but our woman is going to want a damn good reason.”
He thought about it. “Tell her anything until you get her back to the house. Don’t ruin Julian and Tori’s night. Please Ethan. I need you to trust me and help me here. I can’t take a normal flight. I have to be there in four hours.”
Ethan grabbed his brother behind the neck forcing him to look him in the eyes. “Callen, do you need me to go with you? Is Desdemona making you run back there?”
He nodded, eyes filling with tears. “Just not for the reason you’re thinking. Please Ethan, just trust me. I’ll be back by morning and explain it all. I have to go. I swear it’s an emergency. I need you to be my big brother here and run interference until I can get home.”
Blackhawk pulled out his phone, his stomach dropping. If his brother was running back there for his ex, hell was about to break wide open on them all. “Get to the local airport; I’ll have Jameson clear a private flight from there to the airport with the Jet. Get there and back by tomorrow. I can’t explain why the jet wasn’t available if agents need to go out in the morning.”
“Thank you, Ethan,” he whispered, hugging his brother. “I’m sorry,” he said, holding onto the man that was his stability and rock. “Tell her I love her, and I’m so damn sorry.”
Those words alone didn’t bode well at all.
Ethan handed his brother his keys and watched the man race away. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he muttered, calling their administrative assistant. “If this is Desdemona related, Elizabeth’s going to lose her damn mind.”
Callen tore out of the driveway with only two things bouncing in his brain. One was to go get his daughter, and the other was his hope that when he brought her home, it didn’t cost him the woman he loved and his unborn son.
~ Chapter Eleven ~
Blackhawk snuck back to the table, taking his seat. Immediately, his wife leaned into him and looked up into his eyes. It was going to mean lying to her and putting his ass on the line for his brother.
“Where’s Cal,” she whispered. Already she could see the worry lines around his mouth. Something was going down, and she wasn’t privy to it.
“Work related,” he muttered, trying to keep his face neutral.
Elizabeth relaxed, assuming it had something to do with her stirring up the natives today at the council. “Oh, okay. Will he be home later?”
Blackhawk simply nodded, mentally praying she didn’t figure out it was a lie before they arrived home.
If she did, not only was Callen a dead man, but because Ethan just broke the biggest marriage rule, so was he.
* * *
Julian pulled his brother aside. Something was going on and he needed to talk to his mother. “Do you ever remember mom talking about a white feather?”
His brother stared at him. “No why? You think that’s why she nearly lost it when she heard about your assignment?”
Julian shrugged. “I have no idea, but I vaguely recall hearing something as a kid. I want to know what freaked her out so bad.”
“What do you need me to do?” Justin questioned. He was used to running interference for his brother. It was their twin thing, and the fact that they used to cause lots of trouble together. He was his built in alibi and wing man. As kids they’d switch places all the time. Until he joined the military, they still did it. Once he cut his hair, the gig was up. Justin even tried to get his brother to chop his off more than once, but Julian wasn’t having it.
“I need you to distract everyone. I want to corner mom alone and talk to her. This feels off to me.”
Justin stared. “What would you like me to do? Arm wrestle the giant Native man? You could have warned me that she was taken and pregnant. That used to be what we DID!”
Julian snickered. “Yeah, I could have. Hey, I know. Why don’t you talk guns and take the ladies out back and school them on how good of a shot you are?” he said, setting up his brother once again. Julian knew Justin was screwed if he tried to outshoot Elizabeth.
“Okay, but you better do it fast. Set it up for me at the table, and I’ll do the rest.”
Both men sauntered in, taking their seats.
“So Jules, you owe me some shooting at the practice range,” he said, grinning. “I’m going to whip your ass,” Justin stated, with certainty.
“Yeah, hey want to place a bet?” Julian laid the groundwork. Generally, his brother could annihilate him, but this was going to be payback for years of torment.
“What kind of bet?” Justin inquired, lifting a brow.
Julian set the scene. “How about we set up a little target practice out back? I bet I can beat you.”
“I can take you and anyone at this table,” he arrogantly stated.
His sisters shook their heads. “Here we go,” whispered Clair. “Another family function and the guns are coming out.”
“Anybody at the table?” Julian was trying hard not to laugh. “I bet my girl can school you.” He pulled out his wallet and threw down a twenty.
Blackhawk wanted in on this. “Can I join this little bet?” he asked, running his hand down his wife’s arm. Tex loved a little shoot out on the reservation. This was going to be priceless.
It was all going to plan, and he didn’t even have to warn Ethan of it either.
“Hell yeah! I’ll take your money and his too,” snickered Justin. “Toss it down. Are you shooting?” he asked.
Blackhawk simply snickered. “Oh, no. I’m betting that my wife is going to hand you your ass. In fact, I’ll even let her keep the cash when it’s all over.”
Elizabeth started laughing. “I’m glad to see you just volunteered your pregnant wife for something without asking.”
“She sounds chicken to me. I mean I am a Marine, and she should be worried. Pretty women should stick to shoe shopping.”
It was all he had to say, as both Ethan and Julian began laughing at the man, knowing what he’d just done.
Priceless wasn’t going to cover it. This was heading for an epic shoot out.
“Son, you just opened a big can of squiggly worms you can’t handle. Right Tex?” he said, glancing down at his wife.
“I do declare that man called me chicken, and believes because I’m easy to look at I’m incompetent. I’ve heard this all before and now I have to school his ass too.” Elizabeth stood. “Come on Justin. Let the pretty, pregnant woman and the Army girl teach you a lesson. You won’t be the first Littlemoon that traveled that trail.”
Julian grinned, achieving his goal. Justin got them to agree and keep them busy. The entertainment was going to be his brother’s face when he found out the truth. Glancing over at his sisters, he nodded at the empty cans of beer. “Bring them on out ladies. We’re having some target practice at the Littlemoon family compound.”
They all moved towards the door, and Justin held back to talk to his brother. “Make it quick.”
He nodded, trying not to laugh his ass off.
“Jules, why did he call her Tex and what trail was she talking about?”
Julian began laughing. “I have no idea.”
Callen ran to the tarmac and the FBI Jet. The co-pilot was waiting for him just inside the stairs. As he bounded up the steps, he nodded at him. “You have three hours to get me to Cypress Grove, this is an emergency,” he ordered, rushing to the first seat and buckling in for takeoff.
“Yes Director Whitefox! We’re ready to go.” The pilot closed the door to the cockpit, and they began their taxing down the runway.
Closing his eyes, he wanted to punch something at the anger brewing in him. When he and Desdemona parted ways, she could have told him she was expecting. It wouldn’t have made him stay, but he would have owned his responsibilities and the child.
She was well aw
are this was his deepest darkest fear. To have a baby that was disposable, like he’d been growing up. Everything he’d fought so hard against all his life was now staring him in the face. The cold ugly truth was he screwed up, and now an innocent child’s fate hung in the balance.
Damn it! Desdemona had wanted maximum damage, and she’d achieved it.
He couldn’t help but think about what he was risking in his life now. Callen was finally happy, at peace, and with a woman he greatly loved. It was as if everything was crumbling beneath him. To get a call that said he was already a father; what was that going to do to the heart of the woman carrying his child. How many times had she told him that their son was the eternal link to each other? That they’d created something no one else ever had.
And now the truth was about to come out. He’d knocked up another woman and the blowback was about to cause major damage. It wasn’t his life he was worried about, but poor Elizabeth’s heart was going to get bruised over this. There was no doubt that part of the plan conceived in Desdemona’s mind was making sure there was as much collateral damage as possible in the war against Callen. His Elizabeth was the other intentional target. Wherever Desdemona was, Callen was sure she was enjoying the show.
He wondered when she planned on telling him. When his daughter was old enough to hate him? To believe she’d been abandoned? It crushed the joy in his heart, making him want to howl in excruciating pain, for both the baby born and the woman he loved.
His sins were now on their backs. Because he chose poorly, the spider had caught him in her web. He thought back to the animal that Desdemona had once told his grandfather she related to, and it all played out. The spider was trickery, lies and death. She fit all three, and Callen was having a hard time mourning the loss of someone that may have just destroyed his life.
Once he boarded the flight back to his family, he was going to be asking the woman he loved to swallow something so huge. Callen was scared shitless that Elizabeth wouldn’t love his daughter, making her feel like an outsider. Granted they’d had this discussion before, but it was in reference to THEIR children. Not the child born to another woman. If someone had wanted a way to destroy hearts and love, this was it.
Darkness Of Truth (An FBI/Romance Thriller~ Book 6) Page 29
