Sacred Burial Grounds (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 2)) (21 page)

Somehow Whitefox doubted that
he had that kind of power over his wife. “I have to say, I like her. She’s tough, ballsy and completely charming. She has granddad wrapped around her finger. I didn’t think any woman could pull that off, and especially an outsider, Ethan. He was so hell bent on both of us marrying nice little Native women. Someone has obviously abducted the old man and replaced him with a clone.”

Ethan Blackhawk laughed. “Hearing about it is one thing, but you should have seen her do it. I couldn’t help but stare. It was pure magic. She got out of the car and he didn’t
stand a chance. Maybe she has that effect on all men in the Blackhawk family. Who knows, but he genuinely liked her. You could see it on his face. It was like the last twenty years didn’t happen and nothing had destroyed our family,” he laughed, taking a seat beside his brother.

“You should bottle that charm. I’d buy some just to get the old man to let me find a woman off the
Rez.”

Blackhawk knew how tough it had to be for his brother, and he wanted to cut him a break. “All seriousness, I need to say something to you, and then we need to move forward.”

“Okay, say it,” he answered, already knowing what was coming. This was where his brother asked him why he did it.

“I forgive you, Callen,” he said, suddenly. “I’d like to have my brother back. We can’t live this close and pretend we both don’t exist. I’m starting a family of my own, and I’d like for my child to have more than just a mother and father
. I want the next generation to have a full family. I want what we once had back. I find that I want the raven and fox to be together again.”

“I don’t deserve it. I screwed up royally that night,
Ethan, and I can’t say I’m sorry enough. I was drunk and stupid.”

“How’d it happen, Callen?”
He never asked before, but he needed to heal the entire wound and that meant knowing.

“I was home alone that night. I don’t know where you were, but granddad was at council. Kaya came to the door, and I told her you weren’t around. She asked if she could
wait for you, and I said sure. We started drinking and laughing and before I knew it, she was all over me.”

Blackhawk thought it would hurt to hear it, but it didn’t. In his mind, he couldn’t picture any other woman climbing all over him but his wife.

“I told her we shouldn’t be doing it. She was your girlfriend, but Kaya just didn’t care. I was young, stupid, and had sex with her. One time and that was it.”

“Then she claimed she was pregnant.”

“Yeah, and then she tried to pin the kid on you. I don’t know why she didn’t just blame me from the start. I guess it had to do with the fact that you’re the Blackhawk, and I’m the bastard. I guess I was the backup plan from the start.”

“Cal, trust me. Being the Blackhawk isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. She was pretty stupid to try and pin it on me. I never had sex with anyone without protection. I carried that rule on through my life until I met Elizabeth. I’ve always had a firm and fast rule about having a family and kids. Before my wife I never wanted either. FBI and family just never seemed synonymous, and that was my other sign Elizabeth was meant to be.” Then he thought back to Kaya Cheek with disgust. “I don’t like to be lied to, and I knew it wasn’t mine from the start,” he said
, sitting forward. “When she came and told me, I nearly lost it. When she tried to insist it was mine and then yours, it pissed me off and made me livid.”

“Well,
imagine how angry granddad was when he heard. You had just left, packed everything up and took off. He was furious. Then Kaya’s father came to the house, telling him he demanded a wedding, and one of the Blackhawk boys were going to do the right thing by his girl.”

Blackhawk wanted to laugh, but he managed to keep it in for his brother’s sake.

“I had told granddad the entire story, and once he knew she had first accused you and then me, he took her before the council.”

Now he did laugh. “I bet that was fun.”

“For me I was scared shitless and so was she. She lied to both of us. The baby was some outsider’s kid. Apparently, she slept around a lot.”

“Kaya Cheek was easy, and that was the allure as a boy.”

“Apparently she was.”

“So you were in the clear.”

“By being in the clear, do you mean how I lost my brother and nearly got forced into a marriage with a woman that I didn’t really want to be with all in two days? Talk about huge lesson from the powers that be. That day I learned to be a bit more cautious and that actions have consequences.”

“I bet.”

“I’ve adopted your rule on protection. Kaya was my lesson learned.”

“Is she still around?” he asked, because he didn’t like nasty surprises and Kaya Cheek popping up would be a very nasty one
indeed.

“Yep, she works at the town bar and is pretty much the same.
Now she’s just older, but still trying to find a man to marry her.”

“Great. Remind me to stay far away from there and keep my wife out of there too.”

“Will she really kill her?” he asked, eyebrow lifted.

Blackhawk laughed. “I don’t think she’d kill her, but I don’t doubt she
would beat the hell out of her bare fisted.”

“Damn straight I would, Ethan.”
Elizabeth joined them carrying the pizza boxes and the plates, and began setting up the table for them to have dinner. She had heard the entire conversation, and she hoped she did see Kaya Cheek. She was going to have a little discussion with her about coming near her husband. Oh there would be a beat down of epic proportions to go with it.

“She was the biggest mistake of my life
, and I regret it daily.”

“Lyzee and I discussed this yesterday, and I want to move past this. You sleeping with my girlfriend was a catalyst, Callen. You and that simple act of betrayal made my life what it is today. I left the reservation, got a college education, joined the FBI, became a workaholic
, and then crashed into the love of my life. At the time, it hurt and I’m not talking about losing Kaya Cheek. Cheap women are a dime a dozen. I wasn’t in love, and she was just,” he paused to look at his wife, “an easy distraction to a young boy that hadn’t a clue. I didn’t know what love was then, and now I do. So, I forgive you. If possible, I’d like to try and fix us, and get back some of what we once had, not only for me, but for my family.”

Callen Whitefox didn’t know what to say. This was more of a chance than he believed he deserved.

“I was given a second chance when I met my wife, and I want to give you one too.”

Elizabeth came and stood beside her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Let me just throw this out there,” she said
, smiling sweetly at her brother-in-law. “I know I may be pregnant, and you may think I’m not dangerous, but if you hurt him again you won’t have to worry about Ethan. I will be the one you need to worry about. Scalping isn't just for Natives.”

Blackhawk laughed and pulled her down into his lap. “I’d listen to her, I’ve seen her do some violent things to people that bully her husband.” He kissed her on the lips and grinned at his brother. “Just a warning Callen, Elizabeth Blackhawk fights dirty.”

Callen Whitefox laughed. “We’ll I’m fond of my hair and scalp, so I’ll be on my best behavior, Elizabeth.”

“You can call me Lyzee. F
amily automatically gets to use my nickname.”

He was touched at how easily she accepted him. “Thank you, Lyzee.”

“Shall we eat, boys?” she drawled, climbing out of her husband’s lap and patting her brother-in-law on the shoulder as she passed him. It did her heart good to see the calm that her husband had finally found coming home. 

Ethan
Blackhawk realized coming home to the Rez wasn’t as bad as he anticipated. There was hope that by coming home the scars would heal, and he could start to repair the part of his life that he had written off a long time ago.

Dinner was very enjoyable. Elizabeth served the pizza and skipped the beer. Although after the day she had, she could have used a few, but it was okay. She was growing a Blackhawk. Watching the brothers, she wondered if her child would be just like them. Both men may have had different mothers, and slightly different appearances, but still both believing in justice like herself. She wondered if her son or daughter would find the value and need to restore law and order for those that couldn’t speak for themselves.

Elizabeth
placed her hand protectively over her stomach and continued to observe her husband and brother-in-law. It was easy for Elizabeth to see that the men had at one time been very close. The easy banter was back, and it was as if nothing had ever divided the brothers. Pride swelled in her for her husband. As promised he had kept his word and repaired his past with his brother. It was a good night despite the horrors of the day.

“Granddad called me yesterday after he met your wife,” said Whitefox
, grinning at Elizabeth. “He told me that his Ethan had picked the perfect woman. So, my question is how did you charm the old man? He’s eighty-eight, tough and any woman we ever brought home or around wasn’t even close to his standard.”

Elizabeth shrugged, “I didn’t do anything, but be honest with him. Maybe he can smell bullshit a mile away, or maybe he just recognized the right woman for Ethan and that’s why he didn’t put up a fight.”

“He told me you admired his totem, and that’s the pride of his life next to his boys. Did you warn her?” he asked his brother.

“I didn’t tell her anything. How do you warn someone about the shaman?” he laughed. “Elizabeth charmed him on her own.”

“I love the totem. It’s truly gorgeous. The carving and the staining of the wood is beautiful,” she sipped her iced tea. “It looks almost real.”

“Wyler did it,” answered Whitefox, looking over at his brother. Both men felt the same about
him. Nothing needed to be said between them. They both had anger towards the man that gave them life, and turned his back on them as young boys.

“He does really good work,” she said, with little to no emotion in her voice.

“Wyler told me he’s trying to change,” he added, throwing it out there, unsure if he believed it or not.

“Maybe he is,” she stated, adding no other comment. Elizabeth was well aware how her husband felt about his father, and how he abandoned him and his mother
. She also wanted to point out that everyone at some point deserved a second chance. All three of them had been lucky enough to get one.

“Yeah, maybe,” added Whitefox.

“I don’t plan on seeing him,” added Blackhawk, in case there was any misunderstanding. “He isn’t coming back into my life, and he isn’t coming anywhere near my wife or my child.” He stared at his brother, “In fact, I prefer that no one tells him that we’re having a child.”

“He won’t hear anything from me, Ethan.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I understand how you both feel,” she paused, “And I’m not going to suggest otherwise when it comes to Wyler, but I really think you should spend some time with your grandfather. I like him a lot. Does he ever leave the reservation?”

Blackhawk grinned. “Yeah I missed too many years with him. I’
m glad you like him. Granddad’s tough, but a really good man. When we were kids he didn’t have to take us on, but he did without a second thought.”

“In all the time I’ve been alive, I can count the times he’s left on one hand,” Whitefox laughed. “When our grandmother died
, and when he went and picked out a memorial stone for the cemetery. Then, he did the same for each one of our mothers. That’s it. Timothy is a very good man, but he doesn’t like the white man,” he paused, realizing that his sister-in-law was one of the outsiders. He forgot that point, since she blended with them seamlessly. “Sorry Lyzee, you know what I mean.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I’ve seen some of the things people do to one another
, and I tend to agree with him on occasion. I think you both got that trait of being good men from him,” she said, standing. “I’ll load the dishwasher. You call the tech lab, Cowboy. We have some work to do.”

“I love a bossy woman.”

“Don’t I know it,” she laughed, as she left the patio.

Blackhawk called the lab, and
he managed to get them to send some of the preliminaries. They didn’t have a lot, but they had enough to start a basic workup and allow them to begin talking scenarios and possibilities. Christina had worked late, scrubbing the card for evidence. She offered to send it over to him via email as soon as she disconnected. Blackhawk didn’t know if he should be amused or worried at the smirk on his wife’s face over the entire tech infatuation. There was a part of him that worried about Christina’s life if she crossed the line. Elizabeth only tolerated so much and when she joked this much, it meant she was approaching her threshold for female obsession of her husband. Christina was a smart tech, but she was baiting the tiger, and that was going to get her in trouble soon.

When he hung up the phone his wife was laughing, as she lounged in the armchair,
her legs and feet hanging over the side.