Deep Dark Mire (An FBI Romance Thriller ~ book four) (53 page)

Elizabeth stood
, as did both men. “I do have respect. I respect the women I’m here to find justice for, and I’m going to respect people that tell the truth. I’ve interviewed enough people to know when someone is lying to me. What I am is damn good at my job, Doctor Adare, and I’m aware your grandmother knows more than she’s saying. You want to be pissed at someone, then here’s a thought; go tell grandma to knock the bullshit off and tell me what she knows, so I can find who killed your family and who’s stalking you.”

Her fist
closed tightly, getting ready.

Elizabeth dropped her voice, dangerously low.
“Go ahead, darlin’. If you strike me again, Desdemona, I will knock you on your ass. You got your one free shot the other day. If you think I’ll take a second you’re completely wrong. Hate me all you want, because frankly I don’t care. Right now our job is to keep you alive, and to find a killer. Outside of that, you’re of no concern to me or my family.”

Desdemona
wished she could take her. If she thought she had a snowballs chance of knocking Elizabeth Blackhawk on her ass, she would and in a heartbeat.

“Just the fact you’re contemplating getting your ass handed to you by me, shows that you’re out of control.
Reign it in doctor, before it gets you hurt. I don’t fight like a silly girl over boys. I fight like a woman with a family on the line.”

“I’ll pass your message on
to my grandmother,” she stated, through gritted teeth, as she tried to remain in complete control.

“I appreciate your cooperation on this matter. Please know we at the FBI offer you and your family our sincerest condolences in your time of loss.” Elizabeth
repeated the standard line verbatim and without feeling.

Desdemona Adare walked away
with Julian following wordlessly.

“Wow,” said Whitefox. He wasn’t sure what to think of that.
Callen was still shocked by his brother pretty much admitting they were all a sexual couple, and then to see Elizabeth, who generally had compassion, go ice cold.

“Problem Callen?” she inquired, sitting down and closing down all her emotions. If she let one through, they’d all
follow.

He took her hand from her lap, and it was
chilly. “Hey, I’m not judging you. I just felt the tension in the room. I understand why you did what you did, and I’m not saying you were wrong, angel.”

Elizabeth relaxed a little.

Blackhawk took her other hand. “I blame it on the change of clothing.” He grinned at her and winked.

“Come on, I want to
visit Cordelia Adare’s family doctor. I need to see if she had official blood work, or just the over the counter pregnancy test.”

Blackhawk
glanced at his watch. “I’d love to join you, but today is the budgetary conference call. Unfortunately, I’m still responsible to handle it, unless you want this one,” he said, standing and kissing his wife.

“No thank you
!”

“
Then swing back and pick me up before you head to the Adare home.”

Whitefox took the keys, and they shared a look. His brother trusted him with the most important thing in their lives, and he was willing to take the responsibility.

“Come on beautiful. I can’t wait to see you in action today,” he stated, whipping out the famous Blackhawk grin.

Her heart melted and she patted his cheek. “
I can’t imagine it being any more exciting than how the day started.”

“Oh, I think I could make it fun,” he suggested.

Ethan grinned. “No bloodshed, Elizabeth.”

She smiled over her shoulder. “Darlin’ you know I can’t promise that.”

Blackhawk watched his wife walk away, and he only hope the fallout was kept to a minimum.

Elizabeth studied the papers on her lap. The one that had the friends listed for Cordelia Adare had something that piqued her interest.

“Hey Cal
! Guess who’s on the friend list?” she said, glancing over at the man driving.

Whitefox didn’t look over. If he did
, he would start thinking about the way that she was dressed and smelled again. “Who?”

“Deputy Jonathan Delray.”

Now he knew where she was heading with it. “You know a man can’t be friends with a woman without it involving sex of some sort.”

“We were best friend
s, and we weren’t having sex,” she stated simply.

Callen
started laughing at the statement. “Lyzee, the only reason we weren’t having sex is that you are married to my brother. Had he been any other man, you were fair game from day one. I would have gotten you in bed and kept you there with me.”

“Fair game?”
She tried to sound outraged, but she didn’t think that he bought it. Heat warmed her body over his possessiveness.

“Remember that first day I ever saw you? We were in FBI
West, and you were talking to me about the killings on the Rez.”

“I recall it.”

“I wasn’t paying attention. I was too busy trying to figure out how to get you to come home with me and marry me that same day,” he admitted. “It’s the truth, I swear. If you weren’t married to my brother, I was going to find a way to steal you away and make you mine. I’ve always wanted you and coveted that he found you first.”

She looked surprised
at his honesty.

Whitefox touched her cheek. “I wanted you that first day
, and would have dragged you to bed every time I saw you after that. So, the whole guys and girls can be non-sexual friends, I’m calling it bullshit.”

Elizabeth weighed the words in her mind. She guessed he had a point. If she wasn’t madly in love with her husband, she probably would have been with
him from that day on too. From the second she saw him, he drew her attention.

“Now
, you're thinking, because I can hear the wheels turning all the way over here.”

“Okay, so here’s what we
’re going to have to do.” Elizabeth had a plan and it was coming together. “He’s not going to want to come anywhere near me, you know since I knocked him out three times.”

The
y both laughed.

“Although
Lyzee, he may want you to talk to him dressed like that.”

“I doubt it Cal
. He already called me a dick tease. I think he’s pretty much over me.”

Whitefox looked over. “You’re not a dick tease,
angel.” In her voice he could hear the unhappiness that someone thought she’d use her body to get what she wanted. Elizabeth Blackhawk was many things, but tease she wasn’t.

Elizabeth
held his hand in her lap, and ran her fingers over the circular burn scars. She lovingly stroked them, as if healing the memory that was tied to them. “So, you take that interview then. You’re a man; you know how to talk to a man about we fairer sex. Assume he was having sex with Cordelia, and then drop on him that she was pregnant and we have the fetus’s DNA and we’re going to test him.”

Whitefox
glanced down at her fingers as they traced the marks on his arm. It touched him that she was lovingly trying to soothe something that happened over twenty years ago. So much so, that it stirred his body and gave him butterflies. “You think he’ll admit it?”

Elizabeth shrugged before continuing. “If he gets defensive, we can put him on the suspect list. If he
tells us to take his DNA, then chances are your theory of the opposite sex is wrong.” Elizabeth read through all the names. “All of these ‘friends’ have the same last name.”

Callen
pulled into the parking lot of the doctor’s office and turned off the engine. Still he couldn’t focus on her, and he was desperately trying to not think about it. It was going to be a really long day.

“Hey, you okay?” she
asked, touching his cheek with her fingertips, and making him look into her eyes.

“I’m having a really hard time focusing on what’s going on around me
. You’re very distracting, Elizabeth. Part of it’s just you, how you're dressed, and how you smell like a spice cookie. I want to run my lips all over you and just taste you. So, no I’m not okay.”

Elizabeth didn’t know what to tell him.

“Let’s just go get this done, and I’ll be fine in a little while.” Callen knew it wasn’t the truth, but it would have to wait until they returned back to the bed and breakfast. Then he was going to solve his problem, repeatedly if she’d let him.

“If you say so,” she answered, hopping down and starting across the parking lot.

Whitefox followed close behind
, scanning the area around them. There was a feeling of eyes on their movement, and everything in him was on alert. Once before he’d had this feeling, and someone took shots at his family. Now he didn’t ignore the need for self-preservation when it popped up.

Ever
!

As the do
or to the doctor office closed behind them, there was a sense of relief. At least inside the office Callen knew Elizabeth would be safe. She was his utmost concern. If anything happened to her, not only would his heart be shattered, but his brother’s would too. There was a lot riding on keeping her protected, and his mind kept flashing back to Morgana Adare’s warning.

Callen
kept his sunglasses on and let Elizabeth do her thing. Watching her work was a thing of beauty on a normal day, but she was in rare form today, and he figured it was going to be entertaining.

Elizabeth
approached the counter, waiting for the woman to notice she was there. When the woman did, there was nothing but smiles. “Good morning, I’m Director Elizabeth Blackhawk.” Her FBI ID came out, and she slid across the counter. “This is my partner, Director Whitefox. We’re on assignment here in Cypress Grove working on a murder, and I need to speak to Doctor Lombardi.”

The woman stared at the agents standing in front of her, and slid the ID back. “He’s finishing up with a patient. Can you give him five minutes, and then I can slip you in before his nine a.m.?”

Elizabeth wasn’t accustomed to people working with her when she had a request, maybe it was the clothing. If that was the case, she was going to start wearing suits again. “Certainly, where can we wait?”

The woman pointed right to the waiting room.

She nodded, taking her badge and slipping it right back onto her hip. This was too easy; she was waiting for something to screw it up. Her husband wasn’t going to believe this one. They finally found a receptionist that they didn’t have to beat down to get assistance.

Whitefox leaned over and whispered in her ear. “That was anti-climactic. I was expecting at least some girl on girl slapping.”

Elizabeth laughed and leaned into him to speak. “Don’t get your hopes up, I punch. Rarely do I slap, and you may want to keep that in mind.”

Before
Whitefox could comment further, the receptionist came to the door and called them back. He let Elizabeth go first, this time not to protect her, but because he wanted to check out the view of her ass in that skirt. Good God! It was going to be a long day.

Elizabeth walked into the exam room and found a young man sitting on a stool and flipping through a file. When she cleared her throat, he looked up, and first the look was of confusion and then
pure masculine appreciation.

“
Hello, I’m Doctor Lombardi and Jenny tells me that the FBI is here to speak to me. I have to say, I’m wildly intrigued. What can I do for you, Agent?”

Elizabeth again was pleasantly surprised that he was going to cooperate too. Today was just an odd day all together.
Maybe this was the first sign of the apocalypse. Elizabeth reintroduced herself and Callen, holding out her hand.

Doctor Lombardi shook her
offered hand, and smiled warmly at the woman. She was beautiful, and he couldn’t help himself. “Please, Director Blackhawk, have a seat. I apologize for the accommodations, but it’s an exam room.” He pointed at the exam table, and Elizabeth hopped up and crossed her legs.

The man watched the action, like he
was helpless to stop himself. A woman with legs that long, in a skirt, was a sight to behold.

Whitefox
remained standing and noticed that he was completely invisible. The Doctor was focused on one thing, Elizabeth, and he wasn’t please about it at all. In fact, he felt his temper brewing deep in his gut, as the doctor continually checked out Elizabeth’s body.

“No worries, Doctor Lombardi. I don’t mind,” she smiled, easily. “I’m here to discuss Cordelia Adare.”

“Director, I can’t without a warrant. I hope you understand.”

Elizabeth nodded. “She’s dead, Doctor Lombardi.”

That seemed to catch him completely off guard. “I just saw her and everything seemed fine! Was it due to the pregnancy?”

Whitefox watched the man’s face, and he seemed genuinely
surprised. Maybe there was something a bit more between the doctor and patient.

“She was murdered.”

Lombardi considered what she was saying, and finally he stood. “Give me two minutes, I’ll grab her file and you can take it with you.”

Elizabeth smiled.
Yeah, it had to be the clothes. This was too easy. Way too easy. Something bad had to be coming to bite her on the ass. When she looked over at her partner, the look on his face wasn’t a happy one. Maybe if she ignored it, she could avoid the conversation she knew was coming.

Doctor Lombardi came back into the room, flipping through the
papers. He handed Elizabeth the file and stood incredibly close to her. Directing her attention, he pointed at the information and helped her read what was written. Okay, it was mostly to check out the woman.

“
So Cordelia came to see you regarding the pregnancy?” Elizabeth hoped that possibly she’d told him who the father of the baby was, and they’d have a lead.

“
Yes, it was Cordelia’s first check-up since she was fairly early on in her pregnancy. We estimated the pregnancy to be at approximately two months.”

That matched what the HCG hormones stated in the lab reports. “Did she by any chance come in with her partner?” Elizabeth mentally crossed her fingers.

“No, she saw me alone, but I will say something that I found odd.”

Now he had her attention.
Odd was a good thing because it usually meant a clue.

“She requested genetic testing.”

Elizabeth didn’t understand. “As in she wanted to check DNA to see who the father was?”

Doctor Lombardi shook his head. “No, and that’s the odd part. She was pretty hysterical and believed something was going to be wrong with her baby. When I pushed to find out what her concern was
exactly, she was hesitant and stopped talking. At first I thought it was because she was worried about her age. I reassured her that mothers were having babies older and older and late thirties wasn’t advanced in age.”

Elizabeth just had her first child at relatively the same age, and she remembered the option of testing. “What was she worried about exactly? Did she say?”

“Birth defects.”

Elizabeth was puzzled. “Did she say why?”

Doctor Lombardi shook his head. “I asked what specifically Cordelia was worried about and she wouldn’t say, other than it was a family issue.”

Now Elizabeth was perplexed. “Thank you Doctor. I appreciate your help on this.” And she did
. They now had another piece of the puzzle, but it was a vague one.

“Anything I can do to help.” He went over to his binder and pulled out a card. “Here’s my office number, and,” he flipped the card over and pulled out a pen. “Here’s my cell. Call me if you need anything at all. I’m available
to assist again.”

Whitefox tensed. Over his dead body was that happening. He suddenly felt like kicking the man’s ass.

Elizabeth took the card and smiled. She could see Whitefox’s face, and it was priceless. It was a very Ethan response, and it touched her heart. It was indeed like having two husbands.

“I appreciate your offer of assistance Doctor. I’ll keep
in mind.”

The man grinned. “Have a good day, Director.” He helped her hop down off the table by offering her his hand.

Elizabeth accepted and stepped down. She was amused by Callen’s look of surprise. Normally she’d be more abrasive, but honestly, the man didn’t cross a line. Everything he said could be construed as professional, and he was helpful. That didn’t always happen, so why be rude and risk the Karma?

“
Talk to you soon.” Doctor Lombardi watched her leave, and shook his head. Wow, that was a fine woman. Then he noticed the big guard dog staring him down, and he smiled. “You have a nice day too, Director.”

Whitefox gave the man a look. Yeah, he was a
guy and knew what the doctor was thinking, and it pissed him off. How the hell did his brother deal with the intense jealousy he felt from other men staring at Elizabeth?

Longest day ever.

Elizabeth waited while the receptionist offered to make copies of the file for her. Everyone was being extremely nice, and she didn’t know what to do with any of it. It was foreign. Thanking the woman and taking the copies, she headed out to their vehicle. She heard the telltale click and the doors opening, and she climbed into the passenger seat, still reading the copies. When the Escalade didn’t move, she glanced up and saw Whitefox staring at her.

“What?” she a
sked, already knowing where it was heading.

Callen was pissed and
feeling out of control. He moved quickly, pulling her mouth to his and kissed her hard. He raided, stole, and pummeled her mouth in an effort to forget the way the man stared at her. He needed to forget how badly his body desired her at that moment. All he wanted was to taste her and remind himself that Elizabeth wouldn’t be stolen away from him.

Insecurity hit and hit fast, and
Callen was overwhelmed at the prospect that any other man could have what he had been given. Yeah, he shared her with his brother, but he didn’t plan on sharing her with anyone else.

Elizabeth braced herself through the kiss, and knew it had to be more than just the doctor staring at her. This kiss was from some deep fear he had
buried inside. It was ruthless and never had she felt anything like it from him before. All Elizabeth could do was ride it out, and let him feel that he was safe in her life. She slipped her hand around the back of his neck and slid her fingers into his ponytail, offering reassurance that everything was okay.

Whitefox felt the
familiar stroking, and he slowly relaxed, lightening up on the kiss. Slowly, he pulled away and gazed into her eyes. “I’m sorry.” The words were barely audible. “Forgive me.”

Elizabeth felt the sadness. “Callen.” Words just didn’t seem to be enough. His heart was
aching; it was clearly plastered across his face. Slowly she pulled him back down to her lips and kissed him gently, tenderly and soothed his soul. The kiss was full of love and sweetness.

When
Elizabeth broke away, Callen rested his forehead against hers. “How you just know, it overwhelms me. Thank you for understanding.”

And she did
understand. Her husband at one time had the same fears, and with time, they vanished and his would too. “You have nothing to worry about,” Elizabeth promised. “I wear your ring, Callen, my heart is completely full.”

It was exactly
the words he needed to hear. How she always just knew, Callen didn’t know, but she saw into the dark parts of his life and fixed them completely.

“I love you, Lyzee.”

Elizabeth grinned. “I love you too, but be honest with me. It’s the clothes, isn't it?”

Now
Callen laughed and gave her the grin he knew she loved. “Hell yeah it is, but I miss the jeans too.”

“Tomorrow they
’ll be back. No worries, Cal.”

He relaxed and sat back in the driver’s seat. “Yeah, I see that now.” She’d managed to reassure him in minutes
. The intense jealousy was gone, and he was back in control.

“At least today was somewhat productive. We can assume from the co
nversation with Doctor Lombardi, that this pregnancy wasn’t planned. Cordelia Adare must have had a slip up with birth control if she was this worried about birth defects.”

Suddenly
, his whole body tensed.

Birth control.

Immediately, Callen glanced over at her. “Lyzee, are you on birth control?” It never once occurred to him that he could get her pregnant. He’d been too lost in the connection and the intimacy that the idea of her protecting herself never came to mind. He’d just assumed when his brother didn’t, he was safe.

Elizabeth heard the tone of his voice and looked over at him. “I’m not Callen. I wasn’t having random sex, so why would I be on birth
control? Ethan and I leave babies up to fate.” She let it go at that, because honestly she hadn’t thought about it before just now. This was a whole new situation and honestly, it was new territory.

Ethan was a control freak and Elizabeth assumed he’d already
dwelt on it. After all, Doctor Magnus brought up children and two fathers earlier. Elizabeth knew her husband, and she was sure he already analyzed the issue to death. Since he didn’t discuss it with her privately, then he must be okay with it.

“Okay.” He was divided. There was the idea that she could be having his child, and it warmed him incredibly.
Thinking back to the moments he shared with her while she was pregnant with CJ, his heart thudded in his chest. Feeling the baby move, watching her get big and wobbly, and seeing her bring life into the world was amazing. But then there was his big hang up in life.

Having a
n illegitimate child like himself, coming into the world and what that child would be forced to carry the rest of its life. That was his big fear in life. If she got pregnant, he couldn’t marry her and give Elizabeth his name. She was already married to his brother. They were Blackhawks and he…wasn’t.

Shit.

“You okay?” she asked softly, already knowing the answer to that question. Next to her husband, he was her best friend. There was no surprise that he looked off balance.

“Yeah
.” Callen dropped his sunglasses on his face and lied to her. After everything they’d gone through together, he was ashamed that this was his sticking point and caused an issue between them. He needed to talk to his brother before he touched her again, just in case he didn’t think about the ramifications either.

Elizabeth was hurt
at how easy he lied to her face. It was hard, but she forced herself to let it go. At some point they were going to have a conversation on relationship rules. Lying was a big NO for her, Ethan and now him. Relationships needed to be built on truth and trust or they’d crumble easily.

“Let’s go get Ethan.”

Elizabeth nodded and stared out the window, mulling over the situation. Yeah, there was an equal chance she’d get pregnant by either man. She wasn’t sure how they felt about that, but Elizabeth would love the child regardless.

It would be her baby
!

It never occurred to her how complicated this could get, but it was too late. They were
already involved as a couple, and now they had to deal with the consequences.

Well she’d deal
with the consequences, because it looked like Callen was planning on a hasty retreat.

~ Chapter Thirteen ~

Wednesday Mid-
M              orning

Ethan knew something was definitely off when he jumped into the back of the Escalade. His wife was reading some papers on her
lap, and his brother was driving with a completely blank look on his face. If that was all that was happening in the vehicle, he might just blow it off as them being focused, but there was an underlying tension filling the car.

He desperately wanted to ask, but neither of the people he loved seemed to want to have it dredged back up. So he opted for the very safe
route. “The meeting went great! Thanks for asking,” he stated, to no one in general.

Elizabeth looked back. “I’m sorry, Ethan. I should have asked
you how it went. Are we in the black or red this month?”

“Okay, what the hell is going on? You’re asking
about the budget like you care and you never do, and Callen is staring out the window lost in thought. What happened?”

Elizabeth didn’t know what happened. They were fine and then all
of the sudden he freaked out. “Cal, you want to take this one?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” he said, tersely.