“You weren’t at your house this morning,” he said, grabbing her coffee and stealing a sip.
Apparently, they had no boundaries with their friendship. “You do realize that I live clear on the other side of the county from you, right?”
“I’m aware,” he grinned, wickedly.
“I’m meeting with a few people this morning.”
“Oh?”
Elizabeth just smiled. She knew he wasn’t just here coincidentally. Tony had gotten the gossip from Martha, she was sure. He was dressed impeccably in his sheriff deputy garb, shaved and looked, or tried to look imposing. “Are you wearing cologne?”
“I’m glad you noticed,” he winked, flirting with her.
Elizabeth changed the subject, back to the reason he was here. “Martha told you, didn’t she?”
He blushed and looked guilty. “No, I heard her calling the FBI to confirm the files made it, and she gave them instructions to meet you here. I tried to get it out of her, but she was tight lipped.”
“So then aren’t you supposed to be out patrolling?”
Tony leaned forward and whispered in her ear and he noticed she smelled great too. “I’m just getting a coffee, and I’ll be on my way,” he tipped his hat at her, and she laughed.
If there was one thing Tony was, it was entertaining. Not an iota of his charm worked on her, but he kept on trying and she had to give him credit. As for the flirting, she just ignored it, refusing to lead the man on.
“Go.”
“Yes ma’am,” he retorted.
“Deputy!”
Tony perched at the counter, taking a seat as he waited for his coffee; he teased Beatrice and turned on the charm. He was trying to stall as long as he could to see what the FBI was going to send them, and of course if there would be any female agents.
Outside the quiet bar, the black SUV pulled to a stop. Lily was driving, only because it took her mind off how irritated she still was with her partner. “This is where the sheriff wants to meet us?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “I told you, fat, sweaty man who is most likely a drunk.”
“These are the correct GPS instructions. I’m guessing not much is open at six thirty in the morning here,” Ethan said, grabbing all his files and opening the SUV door. “Lily, try and wipe the scowl off your face. This Sheriff LaRue is Gabe’s friend. He already warned us to behave, or who knows where we’ll be shipped next. The fact the ‘Dragon Slayer’ has a friend is a miracle, let’s not be the ones responsible for jacking that up.”
“One derogatory female comment and I’m knocking him on his fat ass just to enjoy it.”
Blackhawk hoped she was kidding. “Let’s go.”
Once the doors opened, it was just like every movie he had ever seen. Two strangers walk into a place in a town and time stops and people stare.
He was used to being gawked at; he was tall, and somewhat imposing, wearing all black and obviously American Indian. It was always unnerving, and was like no one had ever seen a Native before.
This was the part he hated most.
It was the quiet judgment of his heritage. His eyes traversed the bar, sitting there was a man in a uniform, gun strapped to his hip, watching them with unblinking eyes. Well, it looked like Lily was wrong. The sheriff wasn’t bald, fat, or old. In fact, he noticed his partner was smiling as she walked forward, her hand out in warm greeting. It said it all. Apparently, she thought the sheriff was worth the attitude adjustment.
“Hello, Sheriff LaRue, my name is Special Agent Sanderson, and this is my partner, Special Agent Blackhawk. We were supposed to meet you here this morning to discuss…”
Blackhawk cut her off, people were staring, more so than usual. “How do you do?” he said, putting out his hand.
Tony must have looked confused, as to why they were talking to him, until he finally got it. Before he could properly introduce himself, a voice broke the silence.
“Excuse me, Special Agents Blackhawk and Sanderson, there seems to be some mistake. I’m Sheriff Elizabeth LaRue.” She waited for their attention and couldn’t help but smile at the faux pas. “I think you’re here to see me and not my deputy,” she drawled.
Everything in Ethan Blackhawk’s body froze. It was the voice from his dreams, and it now had somehow invaded his waking hours. Chills of awareness rushed over his body. It couldn’t possibly be...
“I hope you had a good flight and drive,” she continued pleasantly.
Blackhawk could feel his gut tighten much like in all the dreams. Could it be possible that he finally found her when he had just given up?
It was as if everything moved in slow motion, except the pounding of his heart. He turned, as did Lily, to take in the woman addressing them. She was tall, but not as tall as him and incredibly well built. Her hair hung down her back in a long ponytail. Then there were the eyes he’d looked into every night for a year. The icy blue sparkled with laughter, at the error they both had just made.
Well shit, this wasn’t what he expected. He wasn’t sure if he just got very lucky or screwed over big time. The dreams had nothing on this woman. When he inhaled sharply, he recognized the scent. There was no mistaking it; she was the one. Their paths crossed accidentally, or because fate liked to have the last laugh. Just being this close, he was sure his pent up sexual frustration was about to get worse.
“Gabe didn’t warn you, huh?” she asked, stepping forward, and putting out her hand to the man gawking at her.
No he certainly did not.
“Gabe likes to mess with us,” he said softly, still staring at her. She wasn’t dressed as the sheriff at all. In fact, she was in jeans and cowboy boots. A fitted plaid shirt was tucked into the jeans and rolled up at the sleeves. Her gun and badge sat seductively at her hip, and a wicked smile was on her lips. He realized she was still holding out her hand, and he took it quickly as a little jolt of awareness rushed through him. Here stood the woman from his dreams in flesh and blood. Fate had a funny way of knocking you back and getting your attention, and he was fully aware now.
Fate had just become his new best friend.
Elizabeth could only hope she didn’t look like an idiot. When the agents entered the room, she suddenly felt very warm indeed. This man was amazing, and she suddenly couldn’t help but stare at him. This was going to be a long assignment, if this was her liaison to the FBI. Holy shit, he was sexy as sin. Tall, dark and handsome didn’t cover it at all. When this was over, Gabe was a dead man.
“I’m sorry, Sheriff,” said Lily, shaking her hand next. “Gabe literally threw us on a plane, and we didn’t get vetted properly.” There was chilliness in her voice, 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 nodded. “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 after just lucking out and finding her. The male in him demanded he keep other males far away from her.
Lily snorted and stared over at Elizabeth, hostility present in her eyes.
Blackhawk looked surprised, still not sure what the animosity was all about, and what was wrong with Lily.
“I’m sorry, Agent Sanderson, did I do something to offend you?” she inquired, although pretty sure she knew where this was heading. So much for maintaining her dignity and the past being the past. “Generally, I have a hard and fast rule to not piss off strangers until at least after I’ve had my coffee. I also play well with FBI agents, since I was once one.”
“We all know how well you ‘play’ with other agents. I remember you, Sheriff LaRue. I just didn’t expect you to end up here in the backwoods,” she leered. “Congrats.”
Elizabeth braced herself. Yep, it was about to get ugly. Did she run or did she face the woman down. This time she would do both. “If you're alluding to the incident that happened at the funeral of another agent, I assure you that I didn’t run here to hide in shame. My father was the sheriff here, and he had a heart attack and died that same day. I came home to bury him, and just never returned. I’m not ashamed of my past, Special Agent Sanderson.”
Blackhawk found he was irate and angry at his partner’s behavior. He needed to get control of the situation and fast, before they had a brawl on the floor. Before he could interject some calm, his partner went in with the kill shot, and he felt sick to his stomach.
“Oh, well then Sheriff LaRue, let me say that you made quite and exit that day,” she said it with nothing but pure animosity. “Not that you didn’t deserve that slap. That was the best part of the funeral, in my opinion. A home wrecker always deserves it.”
Blackhawk froze. He watched the sheriff, to see how she’d react. He was getting ready to jump in and protect her, like he felt he needed to in the dreams. He saw the barb find its target, and then she buried it.
“Contrary to popular belief, Agent Sanderson, I lost someone I cared about that day too. In fact, I lost two people that day.” Elizabeth stood, unwilling to do this here and with an audience. “I left my partner’s funeral because I wasn’t willing to mar his memory. I allowed his wife to strike me, because I knew she was hurting. Anything other than that is none of your damn business, Agent. While I tolerated her comments out of grief, and sympathy, please know that I won’t tolerate yours. You’re in my town, and I run the rules here.”
Elizabeth looked over at the man. “Special Agent Blackhawk, I apologize for wasting your time. Looks like both of you can get back on your plane, and head back north. I asked for help, not this bullshit. I’ll handle this on my own,” Elizabeth threw money on the table for their breakfasts, grabbed her hat and walked out the door, slamming it as she left.
“Lily, what the hell was that?” he asked, shocked and horrified. “You tell me I run fast and hard with the rules? You just pissed off the one contact we have in the town and our boss’s only friend. When we end up fired, this one is all on you. I can’t imagine what she ever did to you to make you act like this.”
“Remember the woman Ray was having an affair with?” she asked. “There she goes, in all her glory.”
“Lily,” he started to speak, trying to get her to shut up. People were staring. “I didn’t want to hear it then, and I don’t care to now.”
“She’s the one,” she picked up her phone, dialing Gabe. There was no way she was staying in this town with that woman. “Screw this assignment to hell. I’m going back.”
“Well shit,” said Blackhawk. Now he had to clean up a mess before he could even begin to find a serial killer. He motioned to the waitress and stood. “Do whatever you want, Lily. I came here to handle this assignment.” Now he was going to work on damage control. Not only for the assignment, but because he wasn’t willing to let the woman in his dreams slip away yet again.
Elizabeth pulled out of the parking lot, her emotions overwhelming her. The tears overcame her and a few broke free. There was no doubt in her mind this was going to happen. The minute the FBI agents arrived, her past was going to rear its ugly head and bite her in the ass. Elizabeth drove to the station, checking her face to make sure she didn’t look like a hot mess. Despite it all, it was time to work. Once inside the building she headed right for her office, slamming the door in anger and once again, humiliation.
Martha jumped at her desk, glancing over at Deputy Sara Bishop. The woman shrugged, heading to the door and knocking. “Boss, are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“Want to talk about it?” asked Sara, never seeing her boss this frazzled before.
Elizabeth tried to smile. “No, I’m fine. I have to head over to the morgue in a few, but thanks for asking Sara.”
Sara wanted to say more to her boss; she couldn’t help but feel that something bad had to be brewing. Sheriff LaRue didn’t let anything work her up like this. Then she saw the stranger. Oh, yeah. If he had anything to do with it, she wouldn’t be surprised. She had never seen a man who looked quite that perfect and tanned, and now she couldn’t help but just stare.
“Special Agent Blackhawk, to see Sheriff LaRue.” He stood there like he had no intention of leaving, even if she refused to see him. He grinned when both women just pointed at the door, wordlessly. He gave the courtesy of knocking, and then pushed it open.
Relief flooded him just to see her again.
Elizabeth didn’t say a word, as he entered her office. She was just grateful she
had managed to stop crying before he arrived. Why add more humiliation to the entire situation?
“Well Agent, I didn’t expect to see you here after your partner’s little display.”
“Didn’t you say we were going to the morgue?” He sat across from her, opening his take out container. “Yours is in the bag. I doubt we’ll be in the mood afterwards.” He saw her eyes and the sadness and wanted to comfort her, but he just needed to observe for now. Blackhawk wasn’t sure if the woman in front of him would be as receptive to him, as she was in his dreams.
Elizabeth stared. She didn’t understand why he came after her. “Why?”
Blackhawk shrugged. “Rarely do I find things are as cut and dry as they seem. Unlike my partner, I like to know the person first, and then make my mind up regarding them. Anything she’s said to me about you is hearsay. I don’t buy into other people’s opinions, Sheriff LaRue. Gabriel Rothschild said you were his closest friend, and I don’t think he says that lightly. If he sees you in that light, I need to give this an open mind unlike my partner.”
“Thank you, Special Agent Blackhawk.”
“Ethan. My name is Ethan. Since we’ll be working together a great deal, why waste all that air on a long title when first names are perfect?” A small smile flitted across her lips, and the sadness in her eyes lifted. Blackhawk could feel hope returning that his partner didn’t just bury his chance of learning more about this woman.
“Okay, Ethan.” There was something about him that put her at ease.
“What do I call you, Sheriff?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee. His blue black eyes never left hers, because they couldn’t. He felt trapped, as he waited her out. Blackhawk wondered how liberal she’d be with her nickname- the one the deputy had used. It was the one that he desperately wanted.
No, it was the one that he needed.
“Well the people I work with call me Sheriff LaRue, or Elizabeth.”
The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 1)) Page 6
