Chayton's Tempest

by Aliyah Burke

  embarrassed.

  Tempest spun in his embrace and the loathing in her

  eyes broke his heart.

  “Let go of me!” she commanded, her tone like ice.

  What did they do to you, Tempest? He wanted to comfort

  her but her expression told him she meant what she’d said.

  He let go of her reluctantly. Maverick stared in her

  brown eyes and waited for her to say something else. He didn’t

  have long to wait.

  CRACK!

  She bitch-slapped him, rocking his head on his neck.

  “Hey! What’d you do that for?” He reached for her but

  stopped when she stepped back, almost running into Dakota.

  “You…you did this!” Her chest heaved. “You exposed

  my son to the poison that I’ve protected him from his whole

  life!”

  Maverick frowned. “Your son? He’s my son as well. He

  learned about his Sioux heritage today; what’s so horrible

  about that? I’m his father; don’t you think I would protect

  him?”

  Brown eyes narrowed into slits. Oh, boy, she’s really

  pissed.

  “Yeah, you did such a great job of it the first twenty-one

  years of his life! What was I thinking?” she drawled

  sarcastically. Her eyes snapped toward her son. “I suggest you

  get your ass on the next plane home.”

  “I’m not a baby anymore, Mom,” Dakota insisted. “I’m a

  grown man. I came here to find out about a part of my past you

  couldn’t help with. I’ll go home when I’m done.”

  Pain unlike any Maverick had ever seen spread across

  her face, filling her eyes. Her body seemed to crumple under

  the weight of her son’s words. She looked much older in that

  second.

  “You’re right, Dakota,” she said as she stared at her son.

  “I couldn’t tell you that because your father’s side didn’t want

  anything to do with me. I’m sorry I couldn’t convince them to

  like me.” A tear crept down her face, followed by another and

  another. “I did the best I could. Sorry it wasn’t more.”

  Maverick felt an inch tall as her eyes looked at her old

  family and him with painful resignation. Then without a word,

  she walked away.

  “Mom!” Dakota cried.

  “Sarah!” Mitchell Whitehall yelled.

  She never turned, just kept walking away.

  Maverick grabbed Dakota’s arm and forced an eye

  connection. “You get checked into that hotel over there and

  wait until I get back.” Defiance flashed in his son’s eyes.

  “Don’t,” Maverick growled. “Don’t argue; do it.” His tone was

  that of a battle-hardened warrior and Dakota nodded.

  With the acknowledgement, Maverick ran after

  Tempest, who was quickly disappearing up the street. He wove

  in and out of people as he gained on her.

  A woman pushing a baby stroller got in his way and

  halted his progress. By the time he got around her, all he could

  see of Tempest was her getting into a vehicle and driving away.

  “Damn it!” he swore. Where are you going, Tempest?

  He opened his phone and called her. It went

  immediately to voicemail. He left her a message. As he tried to

  figure out what his next step was, he ran a hand through his

  hair.

  After he made another attempt to reach her by phone, he

  spun around and jogged back to the hotel where Dakota was.

  Twenty

  Even now, the rock retained some of the warmth from

  the day despite the fact the moon had risen. Tempest watched

  its reflection on the mirror-like surface of the lake. Her chin

  rested upon her knees as she stared unblinkingly out over the

  water.

  Breathe slowly, Tempest.

  It was as if a knife had been plunged into her heart when

  her son had uttered those words to her. Didn’t he understand

  she was only trying to protect him? He’d seemed almost mad

  at her, and that had cut the deepest.

  Her fingers trailed over the smoothness of the rock

  beneath her. The cool, night air had long since dried her tears.

  She felt alone, abandoned, and unsure.

  “I’d hoped you’d come here,” Maverick’s deep, sensual

  tone snuck out of the dark and wrapped around her.

  “Go away,” she said without maneuvering her head to

  find him in the night. What do you want, James?

  Instead, his body settled beside hers on the rock, close

  enough that his scent embedded itself within her, but not close

  enough to touch her.

  “No.” His refusal was gentle.

  Tempest wasn’t sure what to do. She needed to figure

  things out; and when this man was near her, she couldn’t think.

  Maverick naked, her mind taunted. Okay, she couldn’t think

  about the things she should think about.

  “Leave me alone,” she tried again. Tears threatened to

  fall again. Grateful for the darkness, she blinked them away.

  “Never, mitawin, never.”

  A shiver overtook her and immediately she found

  herself lifted and placed onto his lap. Maverick cradled her.

  Her traitorous body wanted to sink deep into him and let him

  shoulder some of her pain. Her pride didn’t.

  “I’m sorry about today, Tempest,” he murmured in her

  ear.

  Warm tremors spread out from her neck to the soles of

  her feet. This man was deadly to her, but she couldn’t forget

  her earlier pain. “It’s over. You win.” Tempest struggled to get

  out of his embrace. A deep need to distance herself from him

  awoke within her.

  “I won?” His hold tightened. “What are you talking

  about?”

  “Dakota. You…you turned him against me.” It came out

  on a sob as she succumbed to tears. Tempest heard him

  speaking to her in Lakota. Even though she didn’t understand,

  as always, the smooth timbre he had began to soothe her.

  He held her, rocked her, allowed her to cry it out. The

  need to run within her calmed.

  “I didn’t take him from you, Tempest. He’s your son and

  no one can take your place. He doesn’t want anyone to take

  your place. And he didn’t mean it like it sounded.”

  The beast stirred again. “Shut up, James.”

  “It’s true, Tempest. And deep down beneath the hurt

  and anger, you know it.”

  With strength she didn’t know she had, Tempest jerked

  out of his hold and stood on the rock, glaring down at him.

  “Don’t you dare presume to tell me how I should feel about

  this!” She jumped off the rock and turned back to face him in

  the moonlight. “You’ve not been through what I have. Damn

  you!” she screeched, her voice cracking.

  The hairs on her arms stood up and her body tingled.

  Run, her mind hollered. Run!

  “You want to be a parent so bad, fine. You do it!” She

  dashed off toward her vehicle and drove off in a flurry of dirt

  and squealing tires.

  The road before her blurred from the tears she cried but

  Tempest drove on. Never once did she look behind her in the

  rearview mirror as the town of Little Creek, South Dakota

&
nbsp; faded into the night.

  Maverick should have chased her. Tackled her.

  Anything, so long as she didn’t get in her vehicle and roar off.

  “What do I do now, Tunkašila?” Maverick asked the

  night as he watched the taillights from Tempest’s car

  disappear.

  You really messed up, Maverick.

  Maverick looked around for his Grandfather but saw

  nothing. “Where are you?”

  Where I always am…watching over you. And I must say, you

  make me work hard to do my job.

  “What am I supposed to do?” He threw a pebble into the

  calm lake.

  Did you think everything would be okay because you said so?

  Staring at the now rippling water, Maverick shrugged.

  Part of him did assume she would hear what he said and be

  okay. “Yes, but—”

  But nothing! Listen to me. Yes, you feel betrayed but look at it

  from her point of view. No one wanted her. Not your family, not her

  family, and most of all, not the man she loved more than anything.

  You.

  “I’ve apologized for not being there over and over.”

  Hands clenched into fists.

  This woman, Takoja, is your future. I have seen it, and you

  know it. She is lost. Beneath her cold and proud demeanor she is still

  that scared little child. She wanted to die during childbirth, and it

  took a lot to get her to find and accept the will to live.

  “I can’t make up for that any more than I have!”

  Maverick thundered. “I was a kid. I didn’t know.”

  Now you do and again because of you she has to face her past

  alone. Even her son didn’t want to listen.

  Maverick was assuaged by shame. He wanted to help

  but all he seemed to do was hurt her, and that was the last

  thing he wanted to ever do again. “I should let her go, then? So

  she can heal?”

  There are times I wonder if you really are my grandson. This

  would be one of those times, asking such questions. You stir up all

  these bees and now you think it would be better if you left her alone!

  The displeasure from his grandfather came across

  strong. Maverick looked down at the rock, not wanting his

  grandfather to see the shame in his eyes.

  She’s been alone. What she needs is someone who will stick

  around. Someone to put her faith and trust into. She still needs you,

  Grandson, no matter what she says. She needs you to help her finish

  her journey and come home safely. It is you or no one. If you don’t,

  she will be lost forever.

  An owl hooted across the lake and Maverick shivered.

  An owl? Death.

  “Grandpa? Is she in danger?” He received no answer.

  “Tunkašila?” Nothing. Maverick was alone with an unsettling

  feeling in his stomach.

  The next morning, five angry faces stared at him.

  Maverick didn’t give a shit. He’d brought them all here against

  their will, but it was past time for him to care what they

  thought. Talli had shown up last night, so her face was one of

  the angry ones glaring at him.

  Dakota sat close behind him in the conference room of

  the hotel they used. Maverick wanted to be between him and

  the others. It might have been unnecessary, but to him it was

  important to keep his son safe.

  “I know none of you want to be here, much less with the

  other people in the room, so I’ll make it quick.” He glowered at

  them all. “Not a word out of any of you. The time for you to

  speak has passed; you will sit there and you will listen.”

  Carol Whitehall opened her mouth and hissed, “You

  have no right to—!”

  BAM! He slammed his palm down onto the brown

  tabletop. “I said no talking!”

  Maverick knew the image he portrayed. He wanted to

  look fierce and intimidating. His shirt, BDUs, and boots were

  all black. His face was expressionless. It worked, for the evil

  woman shrank back and kept her mouth shut.

  “Smart move. Now, listen up. This young man behind

  me is your grandson. His name is Dakota Falcon Burnell. I

  know that it was the fault of everyone here, except Dakota, on

  how this has played out over the past twenty-one years.”

  He took a deep breath and kept his eyes moving around

  the room, making sure he connected with each of the five

  facing him. “Mine for being an idiotic teen who neglected to

  think of any ramifications the night I took Tempest’s virginity.”

  A snort of disbelief filled the room along with a gasp of

  something else. Horror, perhaps. Maverick glared at Mrs.

  Whitehall, knowing full well the snort came from her. “Yes, she

  was a virgin. It was also your fault as parents for ignoring her

  pregnancy.”

  He looked at his parents. “Partially yours for not telling

  me she came by and yours,” he paused as his attention turned

  toward the Whitehall’s, “for washing your hands of her.”

  Maverick shook his head, fighting to remain calm. “I’ve

  had enough of all this shit. The schemes, plans, meddling, and

  viciousness. Talli, you know damn well I’m not the father of

  your child. But I do believe you are carrying my half brother or

  sister.” At the beginning of the protests, he crossed his arms

  and silenced the room with his deadpan stare.

  “Don’t bother denying it. I add very well and can also

  see the little looks you share with my father.” Snapping his

  gaze over to his father, he continued, “I went over to Talli’s last

  night to talk with her and what do you know, Aho?, you were

  there.” He ignored the looks of hatred and disgust that flew

  around the room. “I don’t care about that. All I care about now

  is Dakota and Tempest.”

  Maverick looked at Mitchell Whitehall. The sorrow on

  his old, weathered face saddened him, but he had to think of

  Tempest and what was best for her. “I want everyone here to

  leave her alone. Stop the harassing calls, stop showing up

  where she works. Just let her be. You didn’t want her when you

  tossed her out, so let her live her life in peace. I’m sorry if you

  don’t think her life should include me, but it does.”

  He stood tall, hands behind his back and looked at each

  of them, assessing them as he made sure everyone understood

  his message. “If you don’t, I’ll know.” His voice dropped to

  arctic-chill temperature. “And you don’t want that.”

  Maverick met Dakota’s gaze as he jerked his head to the

  door. “We have a plane to catch.” He turned back to the five

  faces that, right now, he would be fine without ever seeing

  again. His eyes narrowed as they settled on his father. “Shame

  on you for trying to pass your child off as mine. All that talk

  about what’s best for the tribe and that is what you go and do.

  You dishonored Ina and you dishonored me.” He was

  disgusted.

  James Lonetree followed his son out of the room without

  a glance back. They were his past; now it was time for him to

  get a hold of his future.

  _

  Maverick climbed out of the SU
V that had returned the

  Team from its latest deployment. He headed immediately for

  his locker and grabbed his cell.

  Three calls from his parents. One from Dakota. None

  from Tempest. He listened to Dakota’s message. By the time it

  was over, Maverick had a frown on his face; there was still no

  sign of Tempest.

  He grabbed his bag and went toward Scott’s office. The

  Team’s leader was there writing up a report. Although back

  with the Team, Scott had yet to accompany the men out on a

  mission. His leg hadn’t fully healed yet.

  “How long will you need to be gone?” Scott asked him

  without looking up.

  “How’d you know?”

  Scott put down his pen, sat back, and looked at him with

  those intense blue eyes. He smiled, the corners of his mouth

  crinkling up. “You are the only single man left on the Team.

  Everyone else went home.” The teasing smile changed to a

  more serious expression. “How is she?”

  Maverick shook his head. “Still gone. All I know is she

  went home and left again. Dakota said she wrote him a note

  apologizing again for not being a better mom and for treating

  him like a baby.”

  “And he doesn’t know where she is, either?”

  “Doesn’t sound like it. I don’t know how long I need.”

  Scott waved a hand. “Look, you do what you have to,

  but quickly. I’ll try my best not to call you unless absolutely

  necessary.” Those unwavering eyes met his. “You need this

  worked out; I can’t have your personal life affecting your job.”

  The reprimand was there, subtle, but there nonetheless.

  Maverick knew Scott was right. He did need to be on his mark

  for what he did.

  “Yes, sir.” Maverick stood at attention briefly before he

  did an about-face and left to head back to New Mexico.

  Walking into B’s Quarry, Maverick looked around. The

  place carried the same hectic and yet organized feel to it he’d

  become used to experiencing there. Yet no matter how hard he

  glanced around, Tempest never appeared before his eyes.

  He saw Dakota behind the bar. The expression on his

  son’s face was one of uncertainty and exhaustion. The young

  man was obviously worried.

  Maverick strode toward him. “Dakota?”

  “Hello, Maverick.” The greeting was somewhat stiff.

  The father in him wanted to reach out, hug Dakota, and

  promise everything would be okay. He couldn’t do that. Not