True Love Lost (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 3)) (61 page)

“Are you one hundred percent in love with that girl, with your entire heart and soul?”

Callen knew he shouldn’t lie to his grandfather, so he twisted the truth to make it more palatable. “I can say without a doubt that the only other woman I will ever love other than her is Elizabeth.” Then he prayed it would be good enough. There was just no way he was going to ruin the entire experience by telling his grandfather that he was in love with his brother’s wife.

That just screamed ‘very bad idea’.

Timothy looked deep into his eyes
, feeling the lie, but holding his tongue. What he didn’t tell Callen was he saw the way he looked at Elizabeth, and it wasn’t with lust, but complete adoration. Again, he was going to defer this one to Elizabeth to handle. This would be the last thing he said about it all. “I have one piece of advice and you can do with it what you see fit.”

“Okay,
Granddad.”

“If it doesn’t feel right, or you feel like you’re rushing into something, step back and think about it.
Talk to your brother or Elizabeth and get a second opinion.”

Callen kept his face completely neutral. “Are you telling me not to marry Desdemona?”

“No, I’m saying listen to your heart, not your head.”

Whitefox didn’t understand the wariness, but it was evident on his grandfather’s face. “Why are you worried?”

“She identifies with the spider. A spirit guide says a great deal about the person.”

“Okay, and what does it mean?”

“Just watch her carefully and make sure you keep her close to you and your family. I just have this feeling that Death is looming just outside what we understand.”

Whitefox was taken aback, since he knew what the stalker said on the note, but his grandfather didn’t.

“I will, Granddad. I promise.”

Timothy nodded. “If you're happy then I g
ive you my complete blessing.”

Yeah, he was going to grab his sister-in-law, dip her low and plant a big one right on her lips. She was going to be the best woman at his damn wedding
that was for sure.

He stood at his dresser and pulled out a little box. It was carved with a letter B on it, and he held it lovingly in his hand. “When your brother married Elizabeth the first time, he gave her his mother’s ring, because it was part of his family history,” he paused
, looking up into his boy’s eyes. “I know you don’t have that option. Your mom didn’t marry, and she didn’t really want to settle and plant roots.”

He shrugged, unwilling to let that hurt him.

“I want you to take this,” he said, handing him the little box and watching him open it. “It was your grandmother’s ring. I gave it to her when we married a long time ago.”

Callen didn’t know what to say. “The family tradition says this ring goes to the new woman that will be
married to the head of our family.” He tried to hand it back. “That’s Elizabeth. Plus you picked her personally over Ethan.”

Timothy sat on the side of his bed. “I spoke to
Elizabeth before you arrived, and we discussed this. I told her about the family tradition behind the ring, and she insisted that you use it to marry Desdemona if that was what you wanted. She wants you to have it and give you a part of the Blackhawk legacy.”

His eyes filled with tears. The Blackhawk family ring was priceless to the family
, and he wasn’t a Blackhawk. Not by name anyway.

“I also spoke to your brother. He also wants you to have my wedding band as your own. I would be pleased if when you marry her, you’ll wear it and remember me.” He slipped it off his finger for the first time in over six decades and handed it to his grandson. “When you make the vows, mean them. That’s all I ask.
Go into it completely sure of what you are doing. Only marry for complete love.”

Callen didn’t have the words. He wiped the tears and couldn’t believe the luck
he’d finally found. His family was precious to him. Growing up he went from a mother that never cared, to a grandfather who loved completely and now a brother and sister who understood and would sacrifice their part of the family heritage to give it to him, and cement him firmly to it. They were officially declaring he was a Blackhawk with the gift of the rings. “I don’t know what to say, Granddad, but of course I’ll wear it, and I know Desdemona will love grandma’s ring.”

“Remember son that your
family will keep you safe and protect you when you need to be guarded over. You can always rely on your family, especially your brother and Elizabeth.”

“I won’t forget that,” he placed his grandfather’s ring in the box and closed it. “Thank you for this,” he said, slipping
the rings into his pocket.

“It was our protective raven’s idea. Now go.” He stood and patted his boy’s cheek.
Soon he would be calling Elizabeth to have a private conversation with her regarding everything he’d learned and felt. Something definitely wasn’t right. His boy lied to him, and was hiding his feelings deep. They needed to have a family call and soon.

Callen
memorized this moment for all eternity. It was burned forever into his mind and heart. Walking out of the house he stopped at his father’s side and hugged him again. “Take care of Timothy, okay, Dad?”

“I will son. Be safe, both of you.
Kiss our Elizabeth for me and my grandson in her belly.”

“Oh don’t you worry! I plan on it!”

Wyler grinned.

Callen took
Desdemona’s hand and led her to the Denali. It was time to head back to work and protect his family.

“Are you okay, Callen?”
She saw the tears in his eyes.

“I’m more than okay
. Today has been an amazing day,” he said, smiling gently at her, and then he just couldn’t help it, he pulled her against his body and kissed her. Whitefox held her trapped to his mouth, as he kissed her deep and shared all the emotion that was in his body.

“Callen James Whitefox, you stop mauling that girl in the middle of the yard,” yelled his grandfather. “You and your brother weren’t raised by wolves. You let her breathe!”

He broke the kiss, and started laughing. “Unlike Ethan, I don’t have the legal document authorizing a mauling. This is a preemptive mauling. I have to kiss her like this to lure her in!” He yelled back over his shoulder.

Desdemona
was completely confused, but laughed anyway. This family was insane but now she felt safe and it was all worth it in the end. 

To feel safe, Desdemona believed she’d sacrifice anything.

~ Chapter Sixteen ~

Friday afternoon

Ethan couldn’t believe he was going to actually smoke to get DNA evidence. It still made him laugh when he thought about it. While he staked out the woman that was their subject of scrutiny, Elizabeth made sure the ash tray was completely clean of butts. Granted most of them had Sheila Courts lipstick on them, she wasn’t going to take any chance. There could only be one butt in that tray, and it was going to be shipped off for DNA to FBI West.

When she peeked out the conference room they were using, he saw the woman putting her jacket on, and getting ready to go out. “Okay, I’ll be back in as soon as I get the evidence.”

Elizabeth put a glove and an evidence bag in his pocket. “Here,” she handed him a cigarette and a lighter. “What?” The look on his face was priceless.

“Where did you get them?”

“Tech team,” she smiled. “I went down and said, ‘I need a smoke and lighter’ and three appeared in under three seconds.”

“Great, they now think you’re pregnant and chain smoking,” he laughed
, taking the lighter and cigarette. “Okay, be back.” Ethan buttoned up his wool coat, and headed for the doors. When he spotted the woman, he found a place to stand, out of the wind. This was one reason he quit. Freezing his ass off for a nicotine high wasn’t fun. If his wife would have let him wear the parka, he probably wouldn’t be as cold. Unfortunately for him, she insisted on his wool pea coat for this mission.

“I didn’t know you smoked, Agent,” she stated, staring over at him.

“Only when I’m stressed.” Blackhawk started the lies. Anything to distract her from the truth that he planned on raiding the ash tray when she went inside. The things he did for his job and wife.

“Yeah, it’s pretty stressful lately. I’m so freaked out about Bobby Lee that I forgot to order supplies.”

Blackhawk took a long drag and felt the head rush. All he could hope was he didn’t keel over from being dizzy. “Oh, is that your job?” he asked, taking another drag. If he became addicted to smoking again, he was going to force Elizabeth to help him break the habit with something else that would keep his hands busy whenever he craved a cigarette. Mainly his naked wife’s body.

“Yeah, Jimmy said not to worry, but I’m a nervous wreck.”

Blackhawk went the sympathetic approach, and he prayed the woman wouldn’t smoke more than one. “It’s tough to lose a friend,” he said.

The woman started sniffling.

Oh shit. He was pretty sure his wife was watching this go down, and enjoying every second of it. Blackhawk took another drag, because this time he needed it, and then he put the cigarette out in the ash tray. “Ms. Court, it’s okay.” He moved closer, patting her shoulder, awkwardly.

Sheila put out her cigarette and threw herself at the sexy FBI agent. It was the perfect opportunity, and hopefully the woman would see him consoling her. His stupid wife deserved to feel the jealousy after she got Bobby Lee killed. Her and that wannabe
Morticia Addams both deserved to hurt.

Blackhawk patted her back. Then he saw his way out. “You,” he pointed at his tech, getting ready to light up on his cigarette break
. “Please take Ms. Court inside.” Ethan passed her off on him. “Thank you,” he watched the tech walk away with the woman, and Sheila was completely confused as to what just happened. Quickly he pulled on his glove, picked up the discarded butt, and dropped it in the evidence bag. His mission was done, and he was going to drop it in his wife’s lap and tell her he was finished playing DNA collector. His brother was going to have to handle the last two.

Elizabeth was waiting for him when he closed the conference room.

“I know you enjoyed every second of that,” he said laughing, as he handed her the evidence bag. Once he began taking his coat off, she stopped him.

“Know why I love and hate your coat, Ethan?” she
asked, snapping on a pair of gloves and walking towards him with tweezers.

“No.” It was official
. She lost her mind. The baby hormones finally won and drove his beautiful wife to madness.

“I love it because you look
absolutely sexy in it, but hate it because it catches all my hair whenever you hug me.” Elizabeth moved incredibly close and checked the front of his coat. “Hello there long blonde hair. Come to the very tricky Director Special Agent Blackhawk!” Elizabeth pulled the hair from the wool.

“Is that…?” H
e was getting excited.

“That my love was her thinking she could piss me off by throwing herself at my husband, and because I am an infinitely calm woman
and knew it was coming, I get the payoff and the DNA evidence.”

“That’s why you insisted I wear the wool and not the parka?
Unbelievable.”

“Next time Cowboy, trust your partner,” she winked. “This hair has a root, and we now can compare it directly to the
hair that was on the victims.”

“I
’ve decided that you are definitely an evil genius.” Then he thought about it. “What am I then? Do I get to be your sidekick?” he asked, rubbing his hands manically.

Elizabeth patted him on the ass
, laughing. “You get to be woman bait.”

Blackhawk laughed. “I feel so cheap.”

Elizabeth wandered around the photo and gift
shop owned by Courtney Brewer, taking in the setup. It was eclectically arranged and looked like she took a great deal of pride in her business. As she picked up the items she had on display, she wasn’t really focused on it. All that she was seeking were Ethylene Glycol related items. So far she’d spotted a printer, a coffee pot that could have been used, and then a large machine she was guessing was used to develop pictures.

Ethan was across the room, wandering the same way she was, as they both examined the scene and tried to get their bearings before they pulled the woman aside. Courtney Brewster was
definitely a blond, and of the four women they suspected, the only true blond. Her eyes were a pale blue and she had the freckles splattered across her nose. She suddenly wondered if they checked to see if the killer’s hair had been color treated, and she pulled out her phone and sent a text message to Christina to set her on that trail. She also sent it to her husband, so he would be keyed in to what she was thinking.