Dead Shall Speak (An FBI/Romance Thriller Book 10) (10 page)

That was just the response Ethan wanted.

The concierge looked worried.

“Sir,” he began. While he knew he wasn’t supposed to give out details, he didn't think the gun and badge were fake. The dark haired man in front of him looked dead serious.

Plus, his eyes were creepy as they stared through him.

On second thought, why fight it?

“Yes we do, sir, and no you don’t need to talk to a manager unless I can’t make your stay here satisfactory.”

Well, this made Blackhawk’s life a little bit easier.

“Thank you for your help. Is there any way you can put as many of us on the same floor as the two doctors?”

“Are they in trouble?” he asked worriedly. “We don’t want anything bad to go down here. This is one of the nicer hotels in the area.”

Ethan shook his head. “They work for me, and we’re here on assignment.”

It was all he had to say to reassure the man.

Immediately, the man behind the desk began typing until he came up with a rate. Once he gave him the details, Ethan was extremely pleased. That fit into their budget and on the first try.

“Deal.” Blackhawk pulled out his work credit card and ID before handing it to the man.

Typing away, he looked up at the Fed before him. “This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened here,” stated the man behind the counter. “I can’t believe we have the FBI here in our small town. This is totally crazy.”

He couldn’t wait to tell everyone he knew.

Ethan read Johnny Antonio’s name tag. He should commit it to memory, since he may need to smooth some issues over later. Plus, the friendly guy might just look the other way. His team tended to get a little crazy when they were out on duty. The young man was not only in charge of check-in, but a concierge, and that could work to their advantage.

“Can you tell me what’s going on? Or is it all hush-hush,” Johnny asked.

“We’re here working over by the university,” Ethan stated, keeping it as simple as possible. This young man was fortunate that his wife wasn’t there. She was far less magnanimous to nosey townsfolk, and she would likely tell him as much.

That might be the understatement of the year.

“Yeah, we heard. We have some college kids who work here. They said you found bodies.”

Ethan nearly cringed. Well, so much for keeping this to themselves for as long as possible. It was already fodder for the gossip mill with the university students. Soon, there would be media coverage, and one more thing he would need to add to his plate.

Shit!

“Yes, we did.”

“Well, if you need anything from us here, just let me know, sir. Belleville is relatively quiet. We’re a college town, so most of the stuff that goes on is minor.”

This could work to his advantage. If they needed a conference room at some point, he imagined this place had one. “You wouldn’t happen to know who the sheriff is, and where I can find him, would you?”

The man nodded his head enthusiastically. “You go back out the way you came in, head to the stop light, and turn right. He’s right there in that glass building. As for his name, it’s Sheriff Douglas Carlton. He’s a great guy! I’m sure he’ll give you a great welcome, being law enforcement and all.”

Ethan dug more. “Oh, has he been around for a long time?”

The man laughed. “Not as sheriff. He’s only about thirty, but from what I hear, he’s tough to work for. The man loves his job. He’s keeping the college kids out of trouble, and if you’ve ever been to the university, then you’d know that’s no easy task.”

Great.

They had a hard ass cop who wasn’t going to like the idea that there were interlopers in his town. Blackhawk had done this enough to know what was coming.

Now, he was sorry he asked in the first place.

“I appreciate all your help, Johnny. My people will be checking in later tonight. I hope that’s not going to be an issue for you.”

He grinned. “No way, sir! Here at the hotel, we want your stay to be exciting and fun. In fact, there will be fresh baked cookies waiting. They go pretty fast, so I’ll have the staff put some in the rooms you booked.”

Ethan couldn’t help but smile on his way out. He’d procured rooms, it wasn’t a roach coach, and the man was going to leave them cookies on top of getting the town scoop.

Yeah, maybe he could do this without Elizabeth. Only, it just wouldn’t be as much fun.

Blackhawk’s mood was heading in the right direction as he dropped his sunglasses on and headed out to roust a cop.

It was a decent day, if he did say so himself.

                            *    *    *

He didn't feel right.

Since arriving there, Callen Whitefox felt like they were being watched. While he might not be as astute as Elizabeth or Ethan, he was pretty sure he could tell when someone was stalking him.

Wherever he moved, Callen was certain eyes watched his every move. It was giving him the willies. He only wished he could figure out where they were coming from, so he could put a stop to it.

It was making him edgy.

As he stood guard over the three doctors in the grave, he could feel someone approaching his flank. At the touch to his arm, he actually jumped. While he knew he had company, he didn't think he’d be touched.

Truth be told, Callen wasn’t one to like contact to his person in the first place, but never that close to his firearm. Turning fast, he surprised the woman beside him, and then had to apologize profusely when she gasped.

“I’m sorry, miss, but you really shouldn’t sneak up on someone who’s carrying a gun,” he chided, glad to see that she was just one of the dig crew.

“Are you really a Fed?” she asked, staring up at the large Native man. His dreamy brown eyes and straight hair was making it hard not to ogle him.

“Yes, why?” he asked.

There was a wave of uneasiness as she moved closer to his body. While he didn't mind having Elizabeth in his personal space, or his brother, Callen hated strangers being there.

It freaked him out, especially after the run in he’d had with his mother’s old boyfriend. It dredged up memories he didn't like to dwell on.

“I was just curious. I’m Valerie Joseph, and I’m in grad school here at the university. I’m also working the dig to help you out.”

When she offered her hand, Callen took it, not sure what to expect. The woman was checking him out, and that made him nervous too.

“I can’t believe we found remains with meat still on them. It’s a once in a lifetime thing,” she offered. “By the time I see a body, it’s all bones.”

Callen relaxed.

Maybe she was just being friendly. It was a sad testament to his life when a petite blonde could freak him out this much.

God, he missed his woman and couldn’t wait to get her back at his side. He was completely screwed up in her absence.

He felt like an idiot.

“Yeah, well, when you work in the FBI, you get this kind of thing a lot. Our victims are generally fleshy or at least partially. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.”

“Just watching your people, you can tell that they’re good at their job,” she stated, pointing into the grave and at the Feds who were steadily working.

“We’re used to playing with corpses,” Callen stated, still staring down into the hole.

“That’s sexy, and in fact, so are you. Want to get a drink with me tonight?” she asked.

Callen was appalled but not by the invite. That he could brush off because it happened on a regular basis, but it was her very blatant ass grab which was a little too much for him to take. Reining it in, he tried to not lose it.

“No thank you, Valerie,” he stated, moving his body away from the handsy woman. “While I appreciate your offer, I’m very happily married.”

Callen hoped his voice remained even but stern. It was probably a good thing that Elizabeth wasn’t there. If she’d seen that full-handed squeeze, she would have gone shit nuts on the young girl. She liked to make sure the men in her life weren’t felt up by anyone but her.

She was crazy like that.

“Is your wife here?” she asked coyly, dramatically scanning the area.

“No.”

“Then who’s going to tell her? I’m talking a drink and maybe back to my room for some sex. That’s it. There’s no obligation in the morning. Doing it with a Fed is on my bucket list, and you’re hot.”

Callen was obviously out of his league with this man-eater. While he’d lived his life much like the offer she was handing out, he wasn’t going to go there again.

Not in a million years.

His family wasn’t worth the risk. While the woman was pretty, and his body craved that intimacy of his woman’s touch, Callen wouldn’t cheat.

Not now.

Not ever.

The last few years had taught him control, self-worth, and value. Oh, he wanted sex in the worst way, but only one woman would do.

His Elizabeth.

As Valerie’s fingers stroked down his arm, across the burns that had once caused his shame, his heart began thundering in his chest. What he wanted to do was rush away. What he had to do was try and be strong.

“Did you get burned?” she asked, her hand pausing on his arm.

Callen was in full-blown freak out mode. The unwarranted touch and invasive question reminded him of so many childhood horrors.

“First, that’s going to be a no thank you on the offer of sex. I don’t have one-night stands, and I don’t cheat on my wife. As for what happened to my arm, it’s really none of your business. Let’s keep this professional, if you don’t mind.”

Laughter gushed out of her as she moved closer to his body.

Callen fought the need to take a step back.

“All men cheat, Mr. FBI.”

That was a sad declaration from her and the types of relationship she was involved in. Callen had news for the woman.

He didn't.

He wouldn’t.

She was definitely wrong on this one. Even before Elizabeth, he didn't cheat on anyone he was with. After having a father who did that, he wasn’t going there. Without thinking about it, his free hand spun the wedding band on his finger. It was a talisman when he was worried or scared.

Now he was both. 

“Again, I say no. I need to focus on my work, so if you could head out of here, I’d appreciate it.”

Not deterred by his blow off, she opted to walk away—temporarily.

As soon as she was out of earshot, another person approached, and to Callen’s relief, it was Doctor Armstrong.

“Are you okay?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“Yeah, just a little irritated,” he admitted. Maybe that wasn’t the correct word. Callen was freaked out.

“The women on this dig are like piranhas. If it makes you feel better, Valerie hit on just about everyone here. She likes lots and lots of dick.”

That made him laugh, because it was a no holds reply that Elizabeth would throw out. Callen relaxed as Jaxon tried to offer him calm. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry, Doctor.”

Callen only wished he believed his own declaration.

At that moment, he wanted his wife by his side even more than ever.

God, he missed Elizabeth.

And the peace she gave him by just being at his side.

                               *    *    *

He was like a man heading into battle, and that was pretty close to the truth. Walking into the sheriff’s station was both exciting and stressful on so many levels.

One of the reasons that he let his wife handle this area of their job was because of the reaction he often got. Being part Native American was a curse growing up, and finally, he’d come to terms with it. Yet, having Elizabeth there always added another buffer to the potential negativity that would come his way. Over the years, she’d added herself to the layer of protection for his heart. When she was around, Ethan knew that any barb thrown out would be blocked by her sheer will and depth of love.

She was the sentry that no one could get past, and in all honesty, he’d taken it for granted.

Until that very moment, as he was forced to be out there on his own.

Truth be told, no one liked to be insulted, stared at like they were an oddity, or made to feel different. Ethan Blackhawk was an American, just like everyone else in that building, but his heritage singled him out.

Shit!

Why was he so freaked out doing this? It wasn’t like he just became Native. This was a battle he’d been fighting all his life.

Digging deep to find his nerve, Ethan headed inside to face his fears. Once in the door, he found the response to be exactly what he had expected. At the counter, all the deputies working stopped moving.