Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four) (37 page)

Now Doctor Leonard started laughing. “Wow, Cornell huh? You have a better undergraduate degree than I do.”

“Let’s keep that our secret. I like the techs to think I
barely got my education in some southern back woods school. Makes them underestimate me and wonder how the hell I got this job.”

“How long until
you complete the autopsy?” questioned Blackhawk, standing beside his wife and brother.

“Shortly, but really we need to ship her back home and clean the bones. This facility is shitty,” said Doctor Magnus
.

Blackhawk
thought about it. “I’d like to keep her here for ID purposes. If this is Desdemona’s family, I don’t want to make her travel to have to say goodbye.”

“I can get the lab to send some things we need to strip the bones, and then she
won’t have to view this mess. I wouldn’t want my last memory to be this fleshy chaos, even though she’s an ME.”

“Get it shipped. Order it up from Quantico, we’re closer to there and it may get here by morning. Doctor Adare informed me she’s leaving her position with us at the FBI after this as
signment. She won’t be returning.” Ethan Blackhawk watched his brother’s face for any emotion and there wasn’t any at the news. It appeared that Desdemona was the last thing on his mind.

Then again, he was leaning against his wife
and playing with a piece of her hair and not really paying attention. Ethan smiled easily at the peace his brother had found. Yeah, Desdemona was right; Callen couldn’t possibly love her. He was in love with Elizabeth all the way.

“I say we finish up here,
head back to the bed and breakfast and wait for lab results. I’ll trust that you’ll hound the staff to make sure they get the information to you fast, Doctor Leonard.”

“Certainly will, Director.”

“I’m going to ship the skull if there are no objections to that,” said Tony Magnus. “I think they can do the reconstruction and get it back to us quickly.”

“
Desdemona doesn’t know about the theory that we think one of the victims is her mother. Until there’s an ID, we say nothing. Is that clear?” he asked, looking around the room.

Everyone nodded.

“Then let’s just get this done.”

                                *   *   *

When he saw them carrying the body bags out of the bayou he felt sick to his stomach. They found her! Immediately, he made the trek back to the location to double check and both remains were gone.

Shit!

All he could hope was all the physical evidence was degraded and wouldn’t be trac
eable back to him. Thank God he thought to rip that vile abomination from her body, or right now they’d have the truth. It was just a matter of getting away with it, as the man before him did.

Now he needed to figure a way to get to the last sister, and
destroy the last evidence from their shameful past.

                                *   *   *

Desdemona sat in the room that
Ethan Blackhawk had arranged for her at the bed and breakfast. It was a nice room called the Petunia suite. It was decorated with little petunias on the bed linens, and it was lonely as hell. She wandered down to the front desk, hoping that now that Elizabeth’s husband was here, Callen would be in his own room.

No such luck on that one.

She wasn’t surprised they were staying together. But now that Ethan Blackhawk was here, she
hoped to catch Callen alone and possibly ‘convince’ him that they could make it work.

The knock on the door startled her
, and when she peeked out, it was Julian and he was changed and appeared ready to go out.

“Hey,”
Desdemona said, opening the door.

“I’m your date for tonight,” he
stated, grinning. “I’m starving and need to eat. Want to have dinner with me?”

“Do I have a choice?” She was feeling like a prisoner at this point and wished
to go back in time and fix everything.

“Sure
you do. I can skip dinner. Want to watch TV instead?” He was pretty sure something bad happened between her and Callen. She looked absolutely miserable and Whitefox not so much. But then again, he was sleeping in a bed with Elizabeth Blackhawk, which in itself was remarkable, considering she was married to the boss man. 

“I think we should go out. I’m sick of sitting in here
.” Desdemona turned, grabbing her sunglasses and purse.

“I hope you like
riding motorcycles,” he said, grinning. “Want to take a spin on an Indian with an Indian?”

Desdemona laughed
at that. “Helmet? I’m a doctor and would like to keep my brains intact.”

“Sorry Doc, but I live life on the edge. We only have so much time
here, and I like to live as crazily as possible. So, are you in?” he asked, holding out his arm and waiting for her to decide.

“Let’s do it
!”

Julian led her down the stairs and to the motorcycle
that he’d rented. Once he started it up, he waited for her to get on behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and laughed when he pulled out like a manic.

Driving out of the lot, he nodded at his boss and entourage pulling back in. Looked like the team was back for the night
, and he was glad to be off to have something to eat and work on the new assignment. This time it was going to be pleasant, no swamp and a beautiful woman’s attention.

Elizabeth glanced back at Callen to see his face. It was completely blank and wasn’t giving anything away. Not even to her. “What do you want for dinner, Cal?” she asked, waiting to see if he was hungry or not.

“Something with copious amounts of grease and fat,” he said, smiling. “I’m starving, but I really need a shower first.”

Elizabeth glanced at her husband and they shared a look of relief. He didn’t seem to care that his ex was just riding off with another Native.

“Eat in or out, Ethan?” she
questioned.

“I say out, but I didn’t just trudge
through a swamp all day. So I think that’s up to you two.” He stared into the mirror at his brother. “What do you want to do, Cal?”

“
I’m good with either. Just tell me when to be ready.”

Ethan parked and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Okay, let’s go out for dinner. I’ll wait while you both shower.” He grabbed his suitcase and followed them up to their room. He noticed
from their set up, they seemed to both be sleeping in one bed, using the other for their suitcases.

“I can go back to th
e other room,” offered Whitefox. “I know you're here now and probably want to sleep with your wife.”

Elizabeth heard the pain in his voice
, and knew she couldn’t get between them on this. “I’m going to go shower. Be out as fast as I can,” and she was gone. Her heart ached for Callen.

Ethan
waited until his wife started the shower. “You can sleep with us, Callen. I’m not kicking you out.”

“Okay,” but he didn’t move. “I’m waiting for the catch.”

Blackhawk shrugged. “There’s no catch, Cal. You love her, and you can sleep with her.”

“I
don’t just love her. I love you too. You’re my brother.”

“Then you can sleep with
both of us.” Blackhawk sat on the end of the bed and patted the spot beside him. “Remember when we were teenagers, and we always competed for women?”

Callen laughed sardonically.
“And then I slept with your girlfriend and ruined our lives?”

“Yeah, behind my back.”

Whitefox stared at him, unsure what to say next.

Blackhawk laughed. “We aren’t in competition anymore. I’m willing to share the woman I love with the man I love. She loves you, and you love her right?”

His cheek twitched. “I don’t even have words for it.”

“Okay, then stay with us.”

“You're completely fine with me sleeping beside your wife, Elizabeth kissing me, and me wanting her? I must be in a coma, or this is some really amazing dream.”

Ethan
punched him hard.

“Shit, what was that for?”
Callen rubbed his leg.

“Since it hurt, then you aren’t asleep,”
Ethan answered, grinning. “I’m not upset with you being near her, you kissing her, or you wanting her.”

“I want to have sex with
Elizabeth,” he cringed, sliding out of his brother’s reach just in case. “Don’t shoot me.”

Blackhawk laughed. “If I shot every man that wanted that,
there would be widespread carnage.”

“Is that on your sexual bucket list?” he asked, honestly curious.

Blackhawk let out a long breath, contemplating the answer. “Let’s just say I didn’t know it was on the list until the possibility of it happening came to the surface. I’ll be honest; I don’t know how I feel about it or how I don’t feel about it. It’s new territory here for me. But you in bed with us made me...” Ethan searched for words.

“Turned on?” he suggested.

“Yeah, let’s go with that.” He thought back to the sex and he felt his blood start to heat all over again.

“You're getting red.”
Callen laughed and then started thinking about it and had the same reaction.

Like brother like brother
.

“I was thinking about the
end result. Sorry, but it was really amazing sex. With Elizabeth it always is but this was different. Then she started with the sexual bucket list thing.”

“She’s on mine.”

“Yeah well, the day I met her she was on mine too, so I know where you’re coming from. I appreciate you being honest with me. That matters to me.”

“You both matter to me.
I love you, but I’m in love with Elizabeth.”

“If things are me
ant to work out, they always do.” Blackhawk heard the water shut off. “You better go shower.”

“Thanks for being my brother,” he said, hugging
Ethan. “I’d be lost now without you and Lyzee.” Callen rushed off to get the shower finished.

Blackhawk watched him leave and
knew that feeling; he was lost for so many years before he found his lifeline. Now he was willing to save the man in front of him too. Love gave him a chance, and now Ethan wanted to give Callen the same opportunity.

“
I’m finished first?” Elizabeth asked, stepping out in a towel.

“Yes you are, baby
.” He stood and took a minute to just kiss his wife. “I love you forever, you know that right?”

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes. “Of course
I do! I happen to love you too, Mr. Blackhawk.”

“Callen just told me he wants to have sex with you.”

Elizabeth didn’t know what to say to that. This was a very thin line that could snap at any second and cause mayhem. No, she was placed between two men who mattered.

Two brothers no less.

“No comment?” he asked her.

Oh, Elizabeth had so many comments on this one, but tact was needed.
“I figured he did, because Callen kissed me today. A piece of him lost control and it just happened, and the kiss pretty much said it all. Don’t get mad at him, Ethan.”

“I’m not mad.”

Elizabeth stroked her husband’s cheek. “Callen was fighting it so damn hard. Please don’t tell him I told you. He was ready to jump off a cliff because he betrayed you.”

Speaking of cliffs, here went nothing.
“I think you should have sex with him.”

Elizabeth stepped back from him and looked around. “I’ve apparently walked into a parallel dimension where things look right
, but are completely out of whack and everything is the opposite of what it normally would be.”

Blackhawk laughed.

“Are you bringing this up because of the ‘bucket list’ thing, Ethan?” she asked, needing to know. “I tend to bust your ass…”

“No, I’m going there because he’s madly in love with you and suffering
for it. His heart is already beat up and battered. I just think that he needs to see love is out there and that he’s worthy.”

“And?”

“And you won’t hurt him. If you’re not attracted to him and don’t want to, then let’s forget it. I didn’t mention the possibility to him.”

“I’m very attracted to Callen. He’s your brother
, and it’s the Blackhawk genes.”

“
I see how painful this is for him. I know my brother, Elizabeth. He’s resounded himself to only loving you, and now he’ll follow you forever. Sacrificing the little things that I take for granted. Cuddling in bed, that look you give me when I know you want to sit in my lap and make out. He’ll never feel any of that, because he’s in love with my wife and can’t touch her.”