“How about any of the members on the town council?” Ethan asked, hoping for clarification on the Denton Kline matter.
“Director,” she said, walking her fingers down his bicep. “We didn't talk about my horses, his council, or our dalliances. Surely, you understand that as a big strong man, the male needs his secrets, and so does a lady.”
Elizabeth began looking around frantically, drawing their attention.
“What are you doing?” Mrs. Harris stated, taking in her erratic motions.
“I was looking for the lady you were discussing.”
The woman went red and Ethan struggled to not laugh. It was very reminiscent of the first time that he watched her in action. It was good to see that some things would never change.
“Now, how about you tell me about you and your husband’s domestic disputes? I hear that they were knockdown and drag out.” She took a chance. “For the record, they’re the talk at the sheriff’s station. At first, I didn't believe it, since gossip is ugly, but now that we know you were both cheaters, I see it.”
She fumed and lost her temper. Gone was the southern belle, and in her place was the irate diva. “He said that he wasn’t going to put them on the record!”
Gotcha!
The woman fought for composure. “All couples fight. Sometimes, ours were a little spirited. Haven’t you ever had a fight with someone and it got out of control?”
She didn't say anything, since her life wasn’t this woman’s business. When Ethan moved closer to her, she knew what he was thinking. The last four months had been a stressful, trying time for their whole family, and they had a few arguments that went down in the record books.
Hopefully, those days were gone.
“My husband had a violent temper, but I guess that doesn’t matter now, does it?”
Neither Fed spoke.
“I’d rather stop discussing him. What’s done is done.”
“We appreciate you talking to us, Mrs. Harris,” Blackhawk said, as he placed his hand on his wife’s lower back.
Elizabeth just smiled at her husband. This had been a very interesting trip. When they got back to the station, there was a little digging to do.
“Thank you for your help, Mrs. Harris. We will be back,” Elizabeth stated. “Bet on it.”
As they walked out, Blackhawk was laughing. “You love your job.”
“Oh, there are days when it’s the highlight of my life.” Then, she looked behind him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Elizabeth patted him on the ass. “Just checking out one more thing that brightens my day.”
Blackhawk couldn’t help but find his wife amusing. “There are some days when you’re just too much.”
“Preaching to the choir, Cowboy. Now, how about we rendezvous with our team and grab us some lunch.”
“Works for me,” he said, as they walked back down the drive to the rental. “In fact,” he said, dropping his arm over her shoulder. “Do you want to know what the highlight of my day is?”
“What?” she asked.
“Being your partner, and I don’t just mean in the FBI.” This time, he patted her ass.
She grinned. “Cowboy, I aim to please.”
Friday Late Afternoon
Once more, they headed to the café to grab lunch, since there weren’t really that many options in town. Besides, Elizabeth was in love with the crab cakes, and swore that she would die without them.
So, in order to keep her alive, neither man was willing to test her theory.
When everyone arrived, they found that they were one person short in their group. Tyrell had opted to head home, since he needed to catch a few hours sleep before going on duty.
Since all the booths were gone, they had to slide two tables together to sit beside each other. As usual, both men flanked Elizabeth protectively.
“Okay, let’s order our food and then talk shop. I want to hear what we all dug up on the potential victims.”
Waving the waiter over, Elizabeth smiled sweetly at Brandon. He looked less than happy to be dealing with her again. It only made her day. If you didn't like annoying people, it was probably best not to work in the service industry.
After Elizabeth ordered, both men picked the same thing. Apparently, they were going back to the ‘only eat what she can eat’ thing for the pregnancy, or maybe they didn't want to admit that those were some spectacular crab cakes. Why should they be left out of the fishy fun?
When their drinks came, she pointed at Cyra. “You’re up first.”
She pulled out her notes and prepared to begin her report. “First off, you don’t want to go to the pig farm. The smell is putrid.”
She began laughing. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I sent the newbies there. Think of it as more hazing at its finest. That farm has been around for a long time.”
Agent Austin stared at her, contemplating what to say back.
“Darlin’, have you not learned anything yet? Spit it out.”
Cyra had seen her fiancé tease Elizabeth many times, and she always wondered if she would get to that comfort zone with her. She looked at her trainee. “Cover your ears.” It was now or never.
Harper Stanton did just that.
“Chris is right. You’re such a bitch at times.” There was that pause, and that momentary second where she thought she may have crossed the line. Suddenly, Elizabeth grinned and offered her a fist bump.
“Only because you’re marrying Chris, but that was a good call on making the newbie cover her ears. Pretty damn funny too.”
Cyra instantly relaxed and elbowed her partner. “When we pulled up, we were promptly held at gunpoint.”
All three directors stopped smiling.
“What?” Elizabeth said.
“Oh, you would have loved being there,” stated Cyra. She told them about the shotgun and finally the racial slurs towards Native Americans.
Elizabeth crossed her arms. “This is why I hate people most of the time,” she stated, as both men ran their hands over her thighs. It helped calm her considerably. “Okay, so she’s a gun toting bigot. What else?”
Cyra went into report mode and dished it all. She told them about the Maxwell Steppapaw incident and how the council wanted Duke Williams to close down and sell his farm.
The three watched intently.
“I think that gave us a good jumping off point,” stated Cyra. “We can check up on that lead.”
Callen interjected. “Well, we got the dirt on our potential victim, and even went through all his effects. There’s nothing he left behind for us to use to locate him, but we too, had a run in with a potential Native suspect,” he stated, and then began to tell them about the sacred burial grounds and Herman Peterson tromping around there.
Once he brought it up, everyone at the table who got it, sucked in a quick intake of breath.
“What?” Cyra said. “So? He was taking pictures of all the tombstones. I’ve done that when I’ve come across an old cemetery.”
Elizabeth genuinely liked Cyra, so she opted to explain it to her. “There’s a cultural difference there. When Natives bury their dead, they wait until they pass over into the spirit world. No one knows how long or when it will happen, so rarely does a Native go back.”
She thought back to all the times they went to them to visit Timothy. Since they knew he didn't cross yet and was with them, they continued to visit. After Circle Rock, from what her husband had told her, Timothy made it clear in Ethan’s last dream that he was waiting to cross with him. For now, no one felt him or heard the wind chimes, so they assumed he was gone.
“I’m betting that he didn't ask permission to be there, and that was his first big mistake. The second error of his way was touching anything that the family left on the grave, like beads or feathers. They’re there to send the spirit off into the next life in peace.”
Ethan and Callen both kissed her on the cheek. Since marrying into the family, she had been trying to immerse
herself in the culture.
Callen continued, “Had he asked to do a story about the grounds, he would have likely been permitted. The offense was just tromping in there. Natives have lost so much of their identity to outsiders that they cling to the littlest pieces of respect that they have left.
Now, Cyra got it. “Well, Chief Runningwolf was pissed. That could be a potential person to interview.”
They agreed with her. In fact, the town council had popped up a few times too, once for pressuring Duke Williams, and also for the fight between Denton Kline and Jefferson Harris.
“I guess I’ll be focusing on my real job,” stated Whitefox. “You’re looking at me like you want me to smooth the way to do some interviews.”
Elizabeth grinned. “I love when you just anticipate my requests before I even have time to ask them,” she stated. “It’s like we’re married, or something.”
It made Callen laugh. “Yeah or something.”
“Cyra, I have a little job for you and your partner,” she stated. “It seems that we found some interesting dirt too.” Elizabeth laid out all that they had learned about the Harris couple. She detailed how they both had lovers on the side and liked to have knockdown, drag out brawls with each other. “I want you to find out who, at the sheriff’s station, buried the domestic disputes. Then, I need you to find out all you can about Jefferson Harris’s call about a trespasser. I like all my bases covered, no matter how small.”
She made notes and was willing to handle it.
“The woman was a little too happy that her husband was gone and out of her way,” Ethan said.
“Who should I hit up for the details?” Cyra said.
All three spoke at the same time. “Martha.”
When the waiter came and put her food on the table, the owner, Justine Stephens, was right there behind him.
“Oh, you’re back! And look at you, ordering more crab cakes.”
Elizabeth took a bite and closed her eyes. “I’d marry them, if I could, and have little baby cakes.”
Callen started choking on his iced tea, so much so that she had to slap him on the back.
Ethan couldn’t help but snicker.
“Are you okay, sir?” Justine asked.
He nodded, as he tried to catch his breath. Callen knew that he should know better. You never could expect anything that was poised to fall from Lyzee’s mouth.
“I can’t wait to get my shipment,” she stated.
The woman smiled. “I’ll be making them next week. I’m in the Spring Fling chili cook off competition. I’m entering a vegan protein inspired chili recipe. It should knock the judge’s socks off.”
Elizabeth stared at her, waiting for the punch line. When she didn't say anything, Elizabeth couldn’t help herself. “You realize you’re in the Deep South, and we like our BBQ and Chili with meat, right?”
“Yeah, but it can kill you. I’m going to show everyone how to live off plants, not meat. We don’t need to kill animals to survive.”
Both men stared at their woman.
“Is this real crab?” she asked, the feeling of dread overcoming her. If this was some faux fish, she was going to go shit nuts.
The woman reassured her. “Yes it’s very real. I don’t think that crabs are sentient beings. I believe them to be more like big giant bugs, plus customers like at least one ‘live’ option.”
Brandon stood there refilling their tea, trying not to laugh.
When they walked away, Elizabeth stared at her food.
“You okay, baby?” he asked.
She thought about it and mulled it around in her head. With EJ, she couldn’t eat meat. Man, she had missed it. Now, some woman’s words were creeping her out. All that she could think of was bugs and food.
Those two words weren’t synonymous.
Finally, she made up her mind. “Yeah, I think I am.” Elizabeth rubbed her hand over her belly. “But then again, I’m not the boss,” she added.
Staring down at her belt buckle, she gave it a second and then ate more crab cake. “Apparently Baby Blackhawk is good with it too.”
And that was all that mattered.
* * *
Chris Leonard had been thinking about her all day.
It seemed like weeks since he saw her last, so he opted to go find the woman he was going to marry. By now, she should be back from the field.
When he arrived next door at the sheriff’s station, he found that wasn’t the case. Well, since he still had time in his lunch break, he figured he would wait. As he walked to a bench under a tree, he saw a florist across the street.
Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and he couldn’t have a hundred roses delivered, like he planned, so he needed to think of something else to be romantic. Until then, why not get Cyra something to let her know that he was thinking about her?
Walking inside, he asked the man for a single red rose, and paid for it. When he walked out, he could see her heading down the street with her partner. Quickly, he slipped back onto the bench and waited for her.
As she approached, he could tell when she noticed him. It caused his heart to flip in his chest. Here was his betrothed, and she was wearing his ring.
Handing her partner the files, she raced towards him. Once in his arms, the rest of the world fell away around them. When their lips met, she immersed herself in one amazing kiss.
At the sound of her partner’s snicker, Cyra regretfully pulled away to stare into his baby blue eyes. “I missed you, Christopher.”
When she used his name, his body tightened in want and need. “I was thinking about you, sweetheart, and I got something as a token of my love.”
He handed her the single red rose.
Cyra melted right then and there. He was so super romantic, and she was blessed to have him in her life. “It’s beautiful.” She sniffed the bloom and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“It’s not nearly as lovely as you.” Chris was blessed. He was the mad scientist who lucked out and got the golden haired Goddess to be his.
She went into a puddle of mush. “I also have something for you,” she said, handing him a bag. “It made me think of you.”
Chris took the bag and looked inside. He was faced with chocolate chip cookies, and they were still warm. “Oh, I’m in heaven. I got to make out with a gorgeous woman, and now I get cookies.”
She winked at him.
“I’m not sharing them with Tony, even if he holds me at gun point.”
Harper laughed. “That seems to be going around today.”
Chris looked over as Cyra gave her partner a look. “Wait! What is she talking about?”
She motioned for Harper to head inside. “There was just a little incident today, Christopher,” she said, holding his hand. “I’m fine, so you have nothing to worry about.”
He didn't like the sound of that at all. In fact, it scared the hell out of him. “What happened, Cyra?”
She sat him down and told him about Mrs. Williams and the twelve gauge shotgun.
When he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, but it’s nothing.”
Chris didn't even know where to begin to go with this, or her blasé statement. “When my wife-to-be gets held at gunpoint, trust me, it’s not nothing. In fact, it’s a million times more important than nothing. It’s infinitely disturbing!” he raged.
She ran her hand up his arm. “Chris, relax. I’m an agent and people pull guns on us all the time. You know that it’s part of the job.”
His blood pressure spiked. “I can’t relax when this is the topic. What if she pulled that trigger?”
Cyra tried to reassure him, but she knew the truth. At that range, she would be dead.
“Were you wearing a vest?”
“Honey, we were less than six feet apart. A vest wouldn’t have stopped a twelve gauge.” After it came out of her mouth, Cyra realized how stupid it was to even think it, let alone say it to him. The man stuck his hands in bo
dies of victims who faced down bullet wounds and lost.
Obviously, this was his big freak out.
Standing, he released her hand. “When did you plan on telling me?”
She stared at him incredulously. Normally, Chris Leonard was as easy going as they came. In fact, he made laid back Callen Whitefox look tense.
“Chris, I just had to meet with Elizabeth for our daily update. I would have told you as soon as I could,” she stated.
“I have to go,” he muttered. At that point, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure that he was going to be able to not rage around like a lunatic over this one. This could very well be his breaking point. Yeah, he would swallow her being away on the job, and their lack of private time, but nothing could make him let this go.
Nothing!
Twelve gauge shotguns weren’t something that would ever fit into their relationship. Her nearly getting shot, made him want to be sick to his stomach, and that was a feat in itself.
“Chris,” she called after him. When he didn't even turn back, she started to worry. Then, when he tossed the cookies in the garbage can, she wanted to cry and race after him.
Yeah, this was a very bad thing. Christopher Leonard loved his junk food. If he was tossing warm cookies in the trash, he was ready to blow.
Cyra knew that she needed to fix this, and fast.
There was only one way to do it, but she was going to need a little help. Salem was a foreign place for her, and there was only one expert that she trusted.
It was time to see if Elizabeth Blackhawk really meant what she said about them being friends, outside of her relationship with Chris Leonard.
As soon as she got a minute, she was going to beg for help.
Cyra was woman enough to admit that with this one, she was way over her head.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
It was time to call in the big guns.
And fast…
* * *
All the way to the missing person interview, Callen sat in the back of the Navigator working. If they wanted to get onto Native lands, they knew that they needed to ask first, and not just assume.
Consumed by Wrath: An FBI/Romance Thriller (An FBI/Romance Thriller ~ Book 8) Page 26