Devil Hath Come (an FBI/Romance Thriller ~book 7) (82 page)

She turned
in a circle. “Do you like it?”

There weren’t words.

Ethan was so caught off guard that his mind had gone completely blank.

Callen grinned wickedly.
“We decided that since you have to start over and regrow your hair out, we’d join you on the journey.”

Again, he had no words.

Ethan was well aware that one of his issues was his hair. Even though for many years, he wore it pulled back to deny his heritage, it was still a part of his identity.

Now
that part of him was brutally chopped away, Ethan was feeling the loss. There were two things that Elizabeth had been attracted to, and they were his hair and raven tattoo. Now, the tattoo was scarred up and his hair had been scalped off. Ethan had to wonder if she’d still look at him the same way.

He desperately wanted to ask if she was still attracted to him
and wanted him.

It was breaking his heart.

Automatically, his hand went to his own hair and his fingers ran through it. It was the same old average haircut any man on the street might have. In fact, it was very straight
lace FBI. For days, he tried to hide his hurt, and he didn't realize that the two people he loved knew that it was damaging him.

“Well?” she asked, moving towards him. “Can you live with it? Or do I need to go get me a big
ol’ Cher wig?”

He ran his fingers over the incredibly short hair and found it moved him on a few different levels. First
, it touched his heart and next, it stirred his body.

If po
ssible, his wife looked sexier and more exotic. The wispy pixie cut made her eyes stand out even more. It dawned on him that he suddenly felt the need to kiss her like he had before all this happened.

“I think I love it more than before,” he answered honestly, as she moved even closer.
Life began unfurling once more in his cold, dead soul. Something so simple as this was pushing the darkness back marginally.

“Really
, Mr. Blackhawk?”

He stared into her
ice blue eyes and let her see the emotion building in his own midnight ones. “Yes, Lyzee my love.”

Elizabeth’s heart skipped. For days, he hadn’t used her nickname. It appeared that the old Ethan was fighting his way back to the land of the living.

Callen grinned, knowing what his brother was thinking. “You should kiss her. It’s like you’re getting a new woman out of the deal. Try it. I bet you’ll like it,” he urged as he tried to reconstruct his family.

Ethan wanted this part of him back so badly. He missed the physical contact with the people
who he loved. “I just may,” he whispered, bringing his lips to hers, ever so gently. When her hands ran up his shoulders and slid across his newly shorn hair, his body raged to life.

Nothing had changed.

He was still the same man, just newly defined.

Ethan Jackson Blackhawk had
lived through hell and found his way back to his vixen wife. His mouth plunged into hers as his hands wandered.

His brother was both wrong and right. Yes, it was like a new fantasy, but it was still the same foundation that made him crazy.

Here was his soul mate, and she was filling him back up with the life that had drained away.

When the kitchen door
opened and Wyler stepped in, he began to laugh.

“I see we’ve decided to all cut our hair, I think
I missed that memo,” he teased. He was glad that his son was fighting back to the life he’d once had. This had to be the first time in days that he’d seen him kiss Elizabeth like he really meant it.

He sent out a silent prayer to his father to thank him.

“It was a spur of the moment thing,” Callen added as Ethan reluctantly released the kiss.

“
It’s good to see my son has returned,” Wyler stated. “I wondered when you would start mauling Elizabeth again.”

Yeah, Ethan knew
there was a long road back, but if he could just recapture this little part, it would begin the healing process.

“I have something for you,” Wyler said, handing him a box.
“I saw it in my dreams and thought you needed it.”

Ethan released his wife, only to take the box and place it on the counter.
It wasn’t lost on him that her hand slid down his back to pat him lovingly on his ass. Focusing back on the box, he opened the lid and pulled out the carved sculpture. 

Elizabeth gasped in pure delight. It was gorgeous
and by far, Wyler’s greatest creation.

All three lovingly ran their fingers over it.

“It’s the upper part of a raven and he’s been remade into the phoenix. He’s rising from the fires of hell.”

It touched Ethan and was very poignant. It wasn’t just him, but the Blackhawk family. They
had been battle tested and survived.

“I love it Dad,” he said
with his voice full of emotion.

Wyler grinned
and patted his son on the back. “Now I guess that I need to go back out and get a haircut.” He too was taking one for the team.

Elizabeth winked at her father-in-law.

Ethan had something else in mind for the moment. “I may need you to watch the kids for a little while, Dad. I seem to have some mauling to do. It may take a while, since I’m out of practice.”

Now
, they were all laughing.

“
Yee haw! The Cowboy is back!” stated Elizabeth, as he swept her up into his arms and headed towards the stairs.

“You coming
, Cal?” he called over his shoulder, knowing that he wanted his brother to be there with him. They both had earned this time with their woman.

Callen had no intention of
giving that up. He’d have to be absolutely crazy to say no to what was being offered. Sexy new Elizabeth in bed was an early Christmas present. “You better believe it. Want to play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets her first?”

She snorted. Some things would never change.

“You’re on,” Ethan answered.

Elizabeth had another little ‘welcome back’ present for Ethan.
As he carried her to the stairs, she whispered in his ear. “Want to see if you can knock up the woman in your arms, Cowboy? I seem to be ready to start thinking about adding another Blackhawk to the tribe.”

His heart skipped at what she was offering him.
“Really? We can try?”

She stared deep into his eyes. “It’s time, Ethan.”

What could he say to that? More peace filled him. “Hell yeah, you bet I do!”

Callen hid his
snicker behind a cough.

“Think you’re up for it, Ethan?”

Since she was pressed against him, he was sure Elizabeth already knew the answer to that. “Oh, yes I am, ma’am.”

Together
the threesome ran up the stairs laughing. Ethan carried the woman he loved in his arms, and Callen followed with the new sculpture for their bedroom.

This didn't break
them. It only made them dig their roots in deeper and build something even stronger.

They were unbreakable.

When it came down to it, they were unstoppable and more determined than ever to make it work.

When it came to love, only one thing would ever matter. Ethan, Elizabeth and Callen were a team, and not even hell could
stop them.

Like the phoenix, there were some things that you just couldn’t keep down.

Across town at the Haunted Mausoleum

Early Evening

Cyra found the note as soon as she arrived home from work. It was sitting on their bed with a single red rose. Picking it up, she breathed
in the sweet fragrance as she read his words.

Meet me in the garden.

~Christopher

Cyra quickly changed and raced from the house to meet him outside. It didn't take her long to follow the path through the tall labyrinth of hedges. As she got closer, there was soft violin music playing.

She smiled
and couldn’t wait to reach him. It appeared that they were going to have a romantic evening under the stars. Pulling her sweater tighter around her body, she didn't let the chill bother her, since she knew that soon enough she would be heated up.

Rounding the corner, she slid to a stop.

Cyra couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked around.

Oh, he was there alright, but so was a man playing a violin and a waiter. In fact, there was a candle lit table sitting there too. She didn't know what to say. Staring around the opening, she found the little twinkle lights charming and very romantic.

“I was wondering when you’d get here,” Chris said grinning. He was enjoying the look on her face. This night had been in the making since he arrived home from Circle Rock.

Tonight was the night
that he popped the big question.

“Chris, what’s going on?” she asked as her heart began pounding wildly in her chest.

He didn't reply but instead, he simply moved towards her with his hand out. Leading her back over to the hundreds of candles that flickered in the chilly night air, he stared deep into her eyes.

“I’m madly in love with you, Special Agent Austin. From the minute I stared up at you from the floor of the
autopsy suite, I knew in my heart that you were the one. You’ve captivated me, brightened my world and gave me purpose. I love you, Cyra, and I don’t think that I can go on a minute longer without you promising to be my wife.”

Her eyes filled with tears as he released her hand to take off his jacket and drop it to the ground. Beneath it, he was wearing a tuxedo.

Dropping to his knee, he reached into his pocket for the little black box. “I invited you here tonight to ask you the most important question that I’ll ever say out loud. Cyra Jade Austin, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She stared down at the black box in his hand that Chris held out to her. Immediately, the tears rolled down her cheeks as she reached for it. Popping it open, her one hand went to her mouth. “Christopher!”

He started laughing at the twin look of shock and horror. “What?” When he went ring shopping, he had picked out the biggest most insane ring he could find for her. Not because he wanted to impress her, but because it would forever remind them both of how much she loved him, despite his money.

She didn't have words. She simply stared at the huge rock.

“Well, Cyra? Will you marry me and be my wife?”

What girl didn't dream of this day all her life? The man did everything right, and she knew what her answer would be.

“Yes, Christopher. I want to be your wife more than anything in the world,” she replied.

Chris stood, and took the ring from the box to slip it onto her finger.

It fit like it was made for her.

“I love you, Cyra,” he whispered, taking her face in his palms as he stared into her eyes.

“I love you too, Christopher,” she replied.

H
e brought his lips to hers and feasted on Cyra’s mouth hungrily. This was quite possibly the best night of his life. Nothing in his past had ever made him feel like this before.

Chris was home.

The shadows were gone and the gloom was receding.

Slowly breaking a way, she stared up into his eyes. “If I lose this ring while at work, you have no one to blame but yourself,” she teased.

“Then I’ll buy you another,” he answered, grinning wickedly. “So don’t worry.”

“Christopher!”

Yeah, life was going to be damn good.

Meanwhile…

The smell of cooking meat filled the room. Soon, it would be time to have the meal.

There was nothing like a home cooked dinner to warm your body and soul on a chilly night.

This was quite possibly, the best part of the day. There was no feeling quite like coming home, kicking off your shoes and having something to fill your body and soul.

This was one of the perfect moments in life.

Walking to the kitchen, the big crock pot gave off the aroma of a barbeque. Tonight would be the feast of all feasts.

Hopefully, there would be some left over to take to work tomorrow. If not,
there was more was in the freezer just waiting to be cooked up.