Elizabeth holstered her sidearm, despite the overwhelming desire to shoot the man. Already, he was wearing her patience thin.
“First off, Sheriff, it’s Native American. Next time you throw out ‘Indian’ in any way, it better be directed at those from the country of India. I don’t have the time or inclination to school you on geography, so I’ll let you go home after and Google the difference. Next time I see you, there will be a damn quiz. As for the part about my partner lying, he didn't lie. We are using these facilities for the victims of that grave.”
She said nothing more, waiting to see how the man reacted.
“So, you’re saying that you found more recent victims? From what I’ve been told by the university, those bodies were decades old. A concerned citizen informed me that you thought one of them was a young girl who worked at an ice cream stand in town.”
Well, that told Ethan who went tattling to the sheriff. If he saw Freddy Bonaparte, he might just slap the stupid out of him.
“Yes, we’ve already identified one of the victims. Her body wasn’t in the ground more than…Chris?”
“A year, boss lady,” he replied. “Possibly a little more, but that’s pushing it.”
The sheriff crossed his arms, but Elizabeth could tell the anger was slipping away as he began pondering it.
“So, we have another killer?”
Ethan continued, “It’s a possibility.”
“You could have just told me,” stated Sheriff Douglas Carlton. “I wouldn’t have stopped you from investigating.”
Blackhawk laughed. “I walked into your office to do just that. Once in the doors, your men hated me right off the bat. You really can’t stand there and tell me that I would have had your utmost cooperation, can you? I was going in with the deck stacked against me.”
He didn't speak at first. It was easy to see he was trying to build his case in his mind. “I’m going to be running this investigation, since it’s not tied to your deaths. I’ll be taking over and finding justice for these victims,” he stated, waving his arm to encompass the three bodies on the table.
Elizabeth started laughing at that. “Oh, I don’t think so, Sheriff. It was our grave, our doctors, so it remains our investigation,” she stated. “You’re out of your damn mind if you think I’m handing this over to a man who hasn’t trained his own men to not pull weapons on Feds. In our world, there’s terminology for that.”
“Stupid?” chimed in Chris Leonard.
“Ineptitude?” volunteered Tony Magnus.
She winked at the men. “No. I like to call it a clusterfuck in the making.”
He stepped toward her.
Callen moved to her flank.
“I took down an armed man, Sheriff, with the back of my hand. Do you really think I won’t kick your balls up into your throat for coming after me? To add insult to injury, I’ll use your carcass as an offering in a sand circle when I’m done.”
“I want to talk to your boss.”
Ethan raised his hand. “I guess that would be me. I do have a year on her working for the FBI, so I get the privilege of doing all the paperwork when she kicks the shit out of people. It’s my cross to bear. In this case, I won’t even try to stop her. You know how we ‘Indians’ are.”
Jaxon had to stifle a giggle. It wasn’t easy. She now knew why Tony missed his job. This was pretty awesome. Not only were they a united front in their personal lives, but in the field they acted as one.
“Since that’s a dead end,” Elizabeth stated, “I suggest you get your men out of here. Oh, and I’ll be swinging by with my NATIVE AMERICANS to get the missing person reports you have for your fine town of Belleville. If you smile real pretty, giving me what I want, maybe I won’t level one of your deputies again.”
She grinned ferally at the redheaded man standing behind the sheriff. He looked scared.
Good for him.
One of them had an IQ over ten.
“This is total bullshit!”
Elizabeth didn't argue there. Something definitely stunk in the room, but it was the sheriff’s attitude, not theirs. “Maybe next time you’ll stay calm, keep a level head, and play nice with guests who arrive in your town.”
He practically growled as the man on the floor started to stir.
“See? I told you he’d wake up. It was just a temporary nap, but you should warn him that if he pulls a gun on a Fed again, I’ll make sure he takes a trip in one of our body bags. If you think I’m joking, I’m not. You know what they say about hormonal, crazy, pregnant women.”
The techs snickered.
“Deputy Weatherly, help Deputy Richmond up. Let’s head back to the office.”
Blackhawk grinned. Yeah, it was nice to have his wife back. Now, he could focus on work, since she was handling everything else.
Badass Lyzee Blackhawk had his back.
As he stormed for the door, she gave him one more parting comment. “Have those files ready, Sheriff, or I’m going to go all shit nuts on you. Don’t forget to file your complaint. Dial one-eight-hundred-kiss-my-ass. Wait for the beep before you pucker up.”
When they were gone, the tech team burst out into applause.
Apparently, the men weren’t the only ones who missed her.
It was good to know.
Elizabeth took a bow, or at least tried. It wasn’t easy when you were toting Kevlar and a baby bump.
“Now, let’s get back on track. Get my agents on the other two victims. We have lots of work to do, and little time to get it done.”
With that, she sipped her coffee. Yeah, Belleville was going to be one hot mess.
She could already tell.
* * *
By giving him a head start, Elizabeth knew that the sheriff would have time to stew in his own juices. When people were riled up, believe it or not, they were easier to control.
Anger stopped the thinking process, and that was to her advantage. When on someone else’s turf, you needed to find anything to work for you.
She was good at pissing people off.
Why not go with it?
Not only was she going to head in to stir them up, but she was going to take only one of her Native men with her for this little mission. While Ethan would be chilly and cool, Callen would keep a level head, not letting the barbs or comments break his stride. Of the two men, Callen was more at ease with his heritage. Plus, despite the weight he’d lost in her absence, he was still bulkier and a bit more intimidating.
Or at least she thought.
Ethan would be the one more likely to sneak up on you and end your life, while Callen would be more obvious in his intent. For this testosterone mess, she wanted might over sneakiness.
In her mind, Callen would give her the tactical advantage.
As they pulled up, Whitefox wanted to know how she planned on running it. He already had a picture in his mind, and it didn't sit well with him.
“We’re getting those reports and that’s it. I want the sheriff to know I mean business. While he’s being a dick, I’m going to make sure he’s at least a cooperating one.”
“You’re deflecting his anger onto yourself and off of us,” Callen corrected.
She didn't even argue. Oracle had said one brother wouldn’t survive in the end, and that scared her.
It was well worth it to take the target off them.
“Cal,” she began.
He cut her off, not letting her start the spiel. “No, Lyzee. I know what you’re doing. You’re just lucky Ethan is so distracted with the tech team that he didn't call you on this one. If he even suspected you were acting as a shield, he’d lose his mind over this. This would turn into an epic fight.”
“Wow, I go away for one month and you two gang up on me,” she teased. “I’m not feeling the love.”
He turned her head to face him. “It’s not to pressure you. It’s to prove we love you with all our hearts. If you get hurt, that’s a strike at us. We’re men. It’s our job to keep you safe, especially
when you’re carrying our next child.”
She was touched by his warmth and love. Deep in Callen’s brown eyes, she could see the affection, so she let the caveman attitude go. “Who’s going to hurt me with two big strong Natives all over me?”
He grinned, right before lowering his mouth to hers. As he allowed the kiss to run its course, her hands found his hair, holding his mouth to hers.
Slowly, Elizabeth forced herself to pull away. “Mr. Whitefox, that was very hot,” she said, licking her lips.
“I happen to agree. I missed kissing you whenever I wanted.”
“I missed it too. I hated every second of being away, Callen. You have to believe that. It was hell.” She was worried he’d hate her for bailing on his therapy sessions.
“I do believe it. Now that you’re back, I’m so much steadier.”
Elizabeth tucked the longer strands of brown hair behind his ears. “Want to go intimidate some local yokels?”
He laughed. “Yes, angel, I do believe I do.”
As they headed across the parking lot, she tried to pull her hand from his. Giving Callen a look, it was totally ignored.
Great.
A month away and they’d stopped being afraid. She was going to have to work on that later.
Or kick just their asses a couple of times.
That might remind them.
Inside, they were met with every bit of hostility that was expected. It was good to see that her instincts were still spot on.
First, the deputy that she’d knocked out was glaring at her. The angry heat from his eyes said it all. He’d like to kick her ass. Elizabeth could see him clenching and unclenching his fists at his side. He was a loose cannon and an armed man on the edge. Hopefully, if he came at her, Callen wouldn’t do something like get in her way.
He glared at her, and then to make his point, he nondescriptly drew his finger across his throat, signaling that she was dead.
Oh, she really wished he’d try.
That would make her damn day.
Now, hopefully Callen didn't notice it. If he did, there was no doubt that he’d vault the counter and beat the hell out of the man.
“You’re prompt,” the sheriff stated.
He dropped the three files on the counter with a look of distaste on his face.
“You can drop the attitude, Sheriff. I’m immune. When you work for the FBI, you learn to love being loathed. In fact, you make it your goal every day to make people hate you. It becomes a game.”
“Where’s the other Indian?” he asked, trying to rile her up. Two could play her little game.
It was one thing to lose it over the term, but it was another thing to walk into a set up.
She was too smart for that.
They were on their own in there, and on the other man’s turf. Here, they’d have no backup, and that didn't set well with her. Back in the morgue, she had her doctors and a room full of techs.
“He’s at the hotel sharpening his tomahawk. I can smell a scalping a mile away. We don’t have your color on our shelf at home. We’ve been looking for a pelt of ‘asshole red’ for a long time. You can’t buy it on Ebay.”
It shut him up.
One of the deputies mumbled something.
Elizabeth let it go. After all, they got what they wanted. “If another body pops up, don’t even think of trying to step on my toes, Sheriff. I’ve tap danced on the balls of many local law officials who thought they could outmaneuver me. If you screw with us, you’ll have issues.”
“Is that a threat?” he asked.
“No. I promise that if you mess with us or this investigation, I’ll have so many Feds in this town, you won’t be able to spit without hitting one. In fact, I may take over this fine office of yours. I do like to park my heels on a desk now and again. I’ll redecorate it for you. When I look at you I think macramé and needlepoint kittens.”
He got the point.
“Have a good day, Sheriff,” she stated, heading out.
Outside, Callen laughed. “You’re totally a bitch. I am so glad you love me.”
She wouldn’t disagree with either part of that sentence. She loved her men fiercely, and she hated assholes with a passion. It brought out the crazy in her.
“Where to now, boss?” he asked, hopping behind the wheel of the Denali before he started it up.
“I want to visit the dig site. I know we pulled Tony from the assignment to work in the morgue, but I want to make sure the team there isn't running amuck. We are still responsible for them. I just picture a bunch of crazed anthropologists digging up anything they can find. I sure hope there isn't a cemetery nearby.”
He laughed as he drove. “I think there is.”
“Then we’re screwed. That’s why we’re heading there.”
God, he loved her.
“Besides,” she began, “I want to meet them. You can learn a lot about people when you talk to them.”
Callen’s body tensed. “Uh, about that.”
She glanced over at his hesitation. It was odd, because it seemed uncalled for. “What?”
“There may have been a little issue that happened before you arrived here. It was really nothing, so you shouldn’t get upset or go over the edge.”
That had her attention.
“A little issue? Like you spilled coffee on one of them? Told someone off? Or are we talking something more than a little issue?”
“Yeah, okay maybe issue isn't the word I should use. It probably was a little bigger than that. I guess that depends on how you look at it.” Even he knew he was rambling and stalling.
Shit!
This was going to suck!
“Callen James, spill it before I get riled up. It won’t end well for you.”
“I was watching the scene and one of the dig team may, or may not, have gotten up close and personal with my body.”
She didn't like that at all. The idea that someone put their hands on what she claimed as her own set her right off.
“How close and how personal are we talking here?”
Callen swallowed. “Well, um. She may have copped a feel before getting my permission.”
Immediately, her eyebrow went up. “Before? So what you’re saying is had she asked, you would have been perfectly fine with her copping a feel?”
“Wait! I didn't mean it to sound like I wouldn’t have given her the okay to do that. She grabbed a handful of ass, and I didn't know what to do about it.”
Elizabeth knew the man before her.
She understood him well enough that she could hear not only the fear in his voice, but the anxiety. Callen didn't like to be touched unless it was up to him. Reaching over, she ran her fingers over the burn scars on his arm. “I’m not upset with you.”
And she wasn’t.
He let out the breath he was holding. “I wish I could say the same thing. I’m upset.”
She knew how much that took for him to admit. “Want to talk about it?” Elizabeth asked, taking his hand in hers. Immediately, their fingers linked together.
“Therapy isn't going well. I sit there alone, and I’m ashamed. When will it go away, Lyzee?”
This was her fear. Elizabeth hated that she bailed on the man in his time of need.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been there, Cal. All I can say is that it’ll dull with time. I promise that as soon as I’m home, I’ll take care of you. I won’t leave your side, I will hold your hand, and if I have to, I’ll carry you through this.”
He nodded as he pulled into the parking lot. “I feel so empty and cold inside. I wake up each day wondering when he’s going to find me again. Then I worry if he’s going to come to you and tell you the horror stories. You know what happened, but I don’t want you to hear the details. I can’t stand the idea that he’ll tell you what I was forced to do to survive. I fear just about every day of my life. It’s like I’m still trapped, only the cage has gotten far bigger.”
“Are you going to run, Callen?” she needed to
know.
He shook his head, despite the thought had crossed his mind. It was easy to bail, but he was holding on. “No. I’m going to stay and fight, but I’m so afraid I’ll fail. Will you still love me if I’m not able to do this? How long can you carry me when I’m nothing but a burden?”
Her heart ached for him. “Can you park over there where there aren’t any cars?” she asked.
It made him nervous that she didn't answer him. “Sure, angel.”
When he did what she asked, Elizabeth unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed into his lap. When her hand touched his chest, there was the kick of his heart beneath her fingers.
“I love you, Callen James. You’re worth any battle, any war, and any fight. I’d challenge the world for you. If I have to suit up and rage against the demons of your past, I will. You’re far from a burden.”
He closed his eyes. “I needed to hear that.”
It wasn’t hard to feel what else he needed. The man beneath her was hard as desire whipped through his body. What were a few minutes to take the time to heal his heart and soul?
Bringing her mouth to his, Elizabeth sought out the pain growing within him. With tenderness, love, and desire, she offered a bandage to heal his heart.
As her tongue glided across his and hands moved up his large frame, Callen couldn’t help but get lost in the moment. Here, in his lap, was the woman who was his champion.
His salvation.
“Lyzee,” he practically begged. “I don’t know if this is a good idea. I’m not going to be able to fight you off. I can’t promise I won’t do something stupid after your hands are all over me. I’m raw inside.”
That was all she needed to hear. Her job, as their protectors, was to heal what was broken.
Climbing out of his lap, she could see the look of disappointment. While his mouth said no, his body told a different tale. Immediately, she crawled into the back seat. “Callen, hurry,” she whispered. “We can’t get caught doing this.”
It excited him.
Callen couldn’t believe that she was offering up sex in a work vehicle. “Seriously?” he asked, glancing back at her from between the two seats. “This isn't something to tease me with. Sex with you, while at work, is on my bucket list.”
Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) Page 19