Sacred Burial Grounds (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 2)) (55 page)

“Last name or not, you’re part of the family,” she smiled
, as her husband approached. I know we’d give you the name if we could,” she added.

Ethan Blackhawk sat beside his wife, dropping a kiss on her head.
“Are you smiling at me or the burger?” he laughed, knowing the answer. “Before you bitch about it, Elizabeth, we’re off duty, and I get to kiss my wife.”

“I do believe I was smiling at you carrying a burger,” Elizabeth winked at him. “And my only comment was going to be regarding that kiss. It was pathetic, and I
know you can do a hell of a lot better than that.”

Grinning he kissed her again and this time meant it.

“Really you two? First cannibalism before burgers, and now you're making out at that table in front of me? You should have mercy and pity on the only single person at the table.” Whitefox said, biting into his burger and laughing.

“There will be no pity
, Callen,” he said, laughing. “Suck it up.”

“Damn
it!” Whitefox went alert and immediately his brother reacted to the look on his face. “Bitch at two o’clock, Ethan.”

Blackhawk tensed and watched as the woman approached the table, and at that moment he only
wished they had decided to eat inside.

“Well isn’t this precious
? The boys are back together.”

T
he sarcasm dripped from her voice.

“
I didn’t ever think that I’d see this day. Oh and look, you’re both sharing another woman, that just screams ‘
done before’
. Will you be kissing her next, Callen?”

“Well Kaya, my brother has a better chance of
making out with my wife, than you ever have of kissing either one of us ever again,” interjected Blackhawk. He didn’t enjoy the woman going after his brother and he would do anything to protect the man.

Callen tensed and stared at his sister-in-law
, and their eyes met and he looked away, knowing the truth.

“I can’t wait to tell the
Rez that the Blackhawk boys are screwing the same woman once again.”

Elizabeth looked ov
er at the little woman. Finally, Kaya Cheek had appeared, and she seemed to be aiming for the most damage possible.

It was beginning to piss her off. 

Blackhawk’s cheek twitched. “Wondered when you’d be making an appearance Kaya,” said Ethan. He began unwrapping his burger, nonchalantly. “Bad things always turn up sooner or later.”

Inside he was seething that this woman was even this close to his wife and brother. All he could hope was he could keep his cool and not make a scene.

“I heard you were back, Ethan. Came crawling home and married to an outsider. It must have been hard to find a Native that didn’t mind your tainted blood. She’s the best you could do.”

“Yeah, married and sex with a hot woman. Poor Ethan,” Whitefox said, snickering.
“We should all have such horrible luck.”

Kaya
went directly after the woman to get some satisfaction.

“You must be the wife.
” There was so much hostility in her voice and pure unadulterated jealousy.

Blackhawk tensed immediately, and
his wife placed her hand on his thigh and rubbed it reassuringly. Kaya Cheek was setting herself up for trouble.

“That’s what the paper I signed says
.” Finally, she looked up at the woman, giving her all her attention. “I guess that and the shiny wedding band on my ring finger.”

“I expected you to drop in and say hi,” she sneered. “
S you could meet the woman he was with before he left.”

Elizabeth felt her husband tense again and this time she looked at him, caressing his cheek and lower lip with the pad of her thumb
.

This woman was nothing, and she didn’t care if she
watched the intimate display between them. “That’s funny that you bring it up. Just yesterday, I said to Ethan, let’s talk about the failed relationships and
mistakes
we both made in our past. Guess what? Your name was top of his list.”

The woman looked pissed.

Elizabeth continued, “And since I’m not really interested in my husband’s old hookups, Kaya, I won’t be stopping in to chat. Since I’m the one he married and not you, I have no reason to have any girl talk with you. But I did hear how you tried to trick him into marrying you, and then when that didn’t work you went after Callen,” she paused. “How’d that end for you?” Elizabeth ate a french fry. “Come to think of it, Ethan asked me to marry him and I didn’t have to trick him. Odd how that worked out… Go figure.”

“You have a pretty smart mouth for an outsider.”

“Yeah, I graduated from Cornell with a Bachelor’s degree in smart mouth. Want to see my diploma? I keep it in my box of fuck you. Let me pull it out for you.”

Both brothers laughed. They couldn’t help it. Elizabeth Blackhawk was entertaining when she was angry. It was only a matter of
time; the southern was on its way to the surface, and someone was going to be in for a world of hurt.

It just enraged Kaya to have both men laughing at her.

“Hey Callen, thought you were going to come home with me the other night from the bar. I was surprised you changed your mind.” She spit out venomously. “You two brothers are notoriously easy to get into the sack, especially you Callen.”

Elizabeth came to her brother-in-law
’s defense. “Like you have any clue what ‘
notoriously’
means.”

Kaya Cheek’s face grew red. “Why don’t you tell them the truth, Cal?
Tell them you came looking for me this time to get laid.”

Whitefox’s body went taut
, and he stared across the table at his sister-in-law, hoping she’d keep his secret. When he felt her leg brush and rest against his under the table reassuringly, he relaxed at the contact.

“I do declare
boys, you didn’t tell me she was an egomaniac with delusions of grandeur,” Elizabeth drawled, covering for Callen. “If I were you I’d be careful, Ms. Cheek. The first indicator that you have a serious affliction is you actually believe that either of these men want you. But don’t worry there’s an antidote. It’s me handing you an ass kicking. Sometimes, the cure if far worse than the ailment.”

Ethan nearly choked on his soda.

Kaya Cheek looked ready to punch the woman, but before she could say anything more Elizabeth continued.

“On second thought, Kaya, I d
id want to talk to you. It seems we’re having a big wedding on the Rez. I need a bridesmaid. I figured you might be up for the job, you know since they have that saying, ‘
Always a bridesmaid and never a bride’
. Care to help us Blackhawks out? I reckon you owe us, since you caused the boys so much grief in their pasts.” Elizabeth purposely included her brother-in-law in the family name.

If looks could kill, Elizabeth would be dead.

“Bitch,” she muttered.

“Kaya, stay away from my husband and my
new best friend.” As if to emphasize, Elizabeth stood and towered over the woman, and she placed her hand on her hip showing her the badge and gun, “or I’m going to come looking for you, and you don’t want me to go shit wild on you. Because while I may look civilized, and I may have a degree from Cornell, let me assure you that I’m the bitch that defined crazy. I will defend my family,” Elizabeth paused. “And these two men are my family.”

“You can have them!
” Kaya Cheek stood her ground.

Elizabeth took a step forward, lifted her sunglasses and stared into the eyes of the woman, giving her the very scariest look she had in her arsenal. “One
, they aren’t yours to hand out. They belong to me, and I am very protective of the people I love. And two, if you make a play for either or think of trying any shit that will put them in a compromising position, you will find me on your doorstep without my gun and badge. I’ll teach you what happens when you touch what’s mine. I don’t share, Kaya. Bet on it and know they are both off limits. Consider this your official warning.” She took another step forward until the woman was forced to step backwards. “You, plus we three Blackhawks, equals some serious hospital time. Remember it.”

Elizabeth watched her turn and walk away in a huff.

Blackhawk looked over at his brother and smiled. “That’s why I married her,” he said to his brother. “Watching her get all territorial just gets me all hot and bothered.”

“Yeah, I’m betting that’s why,” he laughed, drinking his soda and winking at his sister-in-law. He was pretty sure the outer packa
ge is what got him hooked first, but now he was feeling all warm himself.

“Now, where were we?” she asked, crossing her legs, placing the napkin back on her lap and returning back to her burger.

“Thanks baby for keeping the bloodshed to a minimum,” he said, leaning over to kiss her and laughed. “For the record, I didn’t care what she said.”

“Me either,” added Whitefox
lying. He thought for sure the truth was going to come out. He was still touched he was included in her protection and love. “Sorry, Ethan, but this show deserves a kiss.” He stood and kissed her lightly on the lips, grateful she was in his life. “Thank you, Lyzee.” When his brother didn’t move, he let out the breath he was holding.

Elizabeth looked at both men. “I cared. I thought we discussed this, Cowboy. After the flight attendant
, no one treats you like that, or they deal with me. Now, he’s added into that too,” she pointed at Callen. “I promised granddad to keep you both safe.”

“Flight attendant?” Whitefox
perked up immediately.

Blackhawk shrugged. “She was my ex-girlfriend before Elizabeth.”

“Still have her number?” He teased half-heartedly, knowing he’d already lost his heart to a certain woman.

Elizabeth laughed and choked on a
French fry, and had her husband patting on her back, as her eyes filled with tears from the laughter. “Yeah, call her up. I need to have a talk with her yet too.”

“Before we kill my wife, how about you finish telling us about the vet?”

Whitefox broke it all down, describing the conversation, and how their father was working there carving a totem.

“Wyler’s too old for the profile. I feel pretty secure removing him,” added
Elizabeth. Plus she saw his face as he was leaving the office, he wasn’t a killer.

“Why the change of heart?”

“Something about the cards and the totem animals, it just doesn’t fit for me. Now he gets the card about only one brother surviving.  I really think it’s about you two.”

“Us?”

“I keep thinking through the evidence, Ethan, and no matter how I look at it, play it, and set it up this all feels super personal to me.”

He thought about it.

“We’ve played it from quite a few angles, but honestly this is about you both. If we go by the literal meaning on the cards, then only one of you will remain.”

“Maybe we should talk to Wyler. If the
killer is now leaving him cards and stealing his arrows then it feels like he’s targeted too. Why else would he take his arrows?”

“Wyler makes his own arrows
. I’ve seen him do it. They have black and white feathers on them.”

“Like the black and white feathers on our porch,
Callen? I really think someone is messing with us. The profile is being screwed with and it looks like the killer is trying to point us at your father.”

“Same feathers,” answered Whitefox. “I have a few arrows he made me a while ago.”

“Okay, let’s swing by his house,” Blackhawk sighed, it was the last place he wanted to go.

Elizabeth patted him on the knee. “Yeah, we can’t. I’m sorry Ethan, but on the way out of FBI West, I told him t
o go stay at your grandfather’s or lay low.”

His body went rigid at the idea his wife was talking to his father behind his back when he specifically said no contact. “I see my statement about him nowhere near you wasn’t clear enough, Elizabeth.”

“Please don’t get mad at me and start a fight, Ethan. I did it for you.”

“You did it for me?”
He wasn’t even sure how to comprehend that statement. How could talking to his father behind his back be helpful to him?

“I understand why she did it, Ethan,” said his brother, jumping in to defend his sister-in-law. “If the killer went after him and killed him
, you’d feel guilty that you didn’t save him or at least warn him. Even though you’re pissed at him, it would still cut you just a bit to know you let your father get killed without a word.”

“I don’t know that it would
,” Ethan lied. There was no doubt in his mind he would have bled a little over it, especially since he didn’t even think to warn him.

“Yeah it would, because I would hurt too
, and I’m less emotionally tied to him. You look like him, you have the last name. You’re the only Blackhawk son.”

“Wait,” Elizabeth put her hand on Whitefox’s hand. “Say that again.”