embarrassed.
Tempest spun in his embrace and the loathing in her
eyes broke his heart.
“Let go of me!” she commanded, her tone like ice.
What did they do to you, Tempest? He wanted to comfort
her but her expression told him she meant what she’d said.
He let go of her reluctantly. Maverick stared in her
brown eyes and waited for her to say something else. He didn’t
have long to wait.
CRACK!
She bitch-slapped him, rocking his head on his neck.
“Hey! What’d you do that for?” He reached for her but
stopped when she stepped back, almost running into Dakota.
“You…you did this!” Her chest heaved. “You exposed
my son to the poison that I’ve protected him from his whole
life!”
Maverick frowned. “Your son? He’s my son as well. He
learned about his Sioux heritage today; what’s so horrible
about that? I’m his father; don’t you think I would protect
him?”
Brown eyes narrowed into slits. Oh, boy, she’s really
pissed.
“Yeah, you did such a great job of it the first twenty-one
years of his life! What was I thinking?” she drawled
sarcastically. Her eyes snapped toward her son. “I suggest you
get your ass on the next plane home.”
“I’m not a baby anymore, Mom,” Dakota insisted. “I’m a
grown man. I came here to find out about a part of my past you
couldn’t help with. I’ll go home when I’m done.”
Pain unlike any Maverick had ever seen spread across
her face, filling her eyes. Her body seemed to crumple under
the weight of her son’s words. She looked much older in that
second.
“You’re right, Dakota,” she said as she stared at her son.
“I couldn’t tell you that because your father’s side didn’t want
anything to do with me. I’m sorry I couldn’t convince them to
like me.” A tear crept down her face, followed by another and
another. “I did the best I could. Sorry it wasn’t more.”
Maverick felt an inch tall as her eyes looked at her old
family and him with painful resignation. Then without a word,
she walked away.
“Mom!” Dakota cried.
“Sarah!” Mitchell Whitehall yelled.
She never turned, just kept walking away.
Maverick grabbed Dakota’s arm and forced an eye
connection. “You get checked into that hotel over there and
wait until I get back.” Defiance flashed in his son’s eyes.
“Don’t,” Maverick growled. “Don’t argue; do it.” His tone was
that of a battle-hardened warrior and Dakota nodded.
With the acknowledgement, Maverick ran after
Tempest, who was quickly disappearing up the street. He wove
in and out of people as he gained on her.
A woman pushing a baby stroller got in his way and
halted his progress. By the time he got around her, all he could
see of Tempest was her getting into a vehicle and driving away.
“Damn it!” he swore. Where are you going, Tempest?
He opened his phone and called her. It went
immediately to voicemail. He left her a message. As he tried to
figure out what his next step was, he ran a hand through his
hair.
After he made another attempt to reach her by phone, he
spun around and jogged back to the hotel where Dakota was.
Twenty
Even now, the rock retained some of the warmth from
the day despite the fact the moon had risen. Tempest watched
its reflection on the mirror-like surface of the lake. Her chin
rested upon her knees as she stared unblinkingly out over the
water.
Breathe slowly, Tempest.
It was as if a knife had been plunged into her heart when
her son had uttered those words to her. Didn’t he understand
she was only trying to protect him? He’d seemed almost mad
at her, and that had cut the deepest.
Her fingers trailed over the smoothness of the rock
beneath her. The cool, night air had long since dried her tears.
She felt alone, abandoned, and unsure.
“I’d hoped you’d come here,” Maverick’s deep, sensual
tone snuck out of the dark and wrapped around her.
“Go away,” she said without maneuvering her head to
find him in the night. What do you want, James?
Instead, his body settled beside hers on the rock, close
enough that his scent embedded itself within her, but not close
enough to touch her.
“No.” His refusal was gentle.
Tempest wasn’t sure what to do. She needed to figure
things out; and when this man was near her, she couldn’t think.
Maverick naked, her mind taunted. Okay, she couldn’t think
about the things she should think about.
“Leave me alone,” she tried again. Tears threatened to
fall again. Grateful for the darkness, she blinked them away.
“Never, mitawin, never.”
A shiver overtook her and immediately she found
herself lifted and placed onto his lap. Maverick cradled her.
Her traitorous body wanted to sink deep into him and let him
shoulder some of her pain. Her pride didn’t.
“I’m sorry about today, Tempest,” he murmured in her
ear.
Warm tremors spread out from her neck to the soles of
her feet. This man was deadly to her, but she couldn’t forget
her earlier pain. “It’s over. You win.” Tempest struggled to get
out of his embrace. A deep need to distance herself from him
awoke within her.
“I won?” His hold tightened. “What are you talking
about?”
“Dakota. You…you turned him against me.” It came out
on a sob as she succumbed to tears. Tempest heard him
speaking to her in Lakota. Even though she didn’t understand,
as always, the smooth timbre he had began to soothe her.
He held her, rocked her, allowed her to cry it out. The
need to run within her calmed.
“I didn’t take him from you, Tempest. He’s your son and
no one can take your place. He doesn’t want anyone to take
your place. And he didn’t mean it like it sounded.”
The beast stirred again. “Shut up, James.”
“It’s true, Tempest. And deep down beneath the hurt
and anger, you know it.”
With strength she didn’t know she had, Tempest jerked
out of his hold and stood on the rock, glaring down at him.
“Don’t you dare presume to tell me how I should feel about
this!” She jumped off the rock and turned back to face him in
the moonlight. “You’ve not been through what I have. Damn
you!” she screeched, her voice cracking.
The hairs on her arms stood up and her body tingled.
Run, her mind hollered. Run!
“You want to be a parent so bad, fine. You do it!” She
dashed off toward her vehicle and drove off in a flurry of dirt
and squealing tires.
The road before her blurred from the tears she cried but
Tempest drove on. Never once did she look behind her in the
rearview mirror as the town of Little Creek, South Dakota
&
nbsp; faded into the night.
Maverick should have chased her. Tackled her.
Anything, so long as she didn’t get in her vehicle and roar off.
“What do I do now, Tunkašila?” Maverick asked the
night as he watched the taillights from Tempest’s car
disappear.
You really messed up, Maverick.
Maverick looked around for his Grandfather but saw
nothing. “Where are you?”
Where I always am…watching over you. And I must say, you
make me work hard to do my job.
“What am I supposed to do?” He threw a pebble into the
calm lake.
Did you think everything would be okay because you said so?
Staring at the now rippling water, Maverick shrugged.
Part of him did assume she would hear what he said and be
okay. “Yes, but—”
But nothing! Listen to me. Yes, you feel betrayed but look at it
from her point of view. No one wanted her. Not your family, not her
family, and most of all, not the man she loved more than anything.
You.
“I’ve apologized for not being there over and over.”
Hands clenched into fists.
This woman, Takoja, is your future. I have seen it, and you
know it. She is lost. Beneath her cold and proud demeanor she is still
that scared little child. She wanted to die during childbirth, and it
took a lot to get her to find and accept the will to live.
“I can’t make up for that any more than I have!”
Maverick thundered. “I was a kid. I didn’t know.”
Now you do and again because of you she has to face her past
alone. Even her son didn’t want to listen.
Maverick was assuaged by shame. He wanted to help
but all he seemed to do was hurt her, and that was the last
thing he wanted to ever do again. “I should let her go, then? So
she can heal?”
There are times I wonder if you really are my grandson. This
would be one of those times, asking such questions. You stir up all
these bees and now you think it would be better if you left her alone!
The displeasure from his grandfather came across
strong. Maverick looked down at the rock, not wanting his
grandfather to see the shame in his eyes.
She’s been alone. What she needs is someone who will stick
around. Someone to put her faith and trust into. She still needs you,
Grandson, no matter what she says. She needs you to help her finish
her journey and come home safely. It is you or no one. If you don’t,
she will be lost forever.
An owl hooted across the lake and Maverick shivered.
An owl? Death.
“Grandpa? Is she in danger?” He received no answer.
“Tunkašila?” Nothing. Maverick was alone with an unsettling
feeling in his stomach.
The next morning, five angry faces stared at him.
Maverick didn’t give a shit. He’d brought them all here against
their will, but it was past time for him to care what they
thought. Talli had shown up last night, so her face was one of
the angry ones glaring at him.
Dakota sat close behind him in the conference room of
the hotel they used. Maverick wanted to be between him and
the others. It might have been unnecessary, but to him it was
important to keep his son safe.
“I know none of you want to be here, much less with the
other people in the room, so I’ll make it quick.” He glowered at
them all. “Not a word out of any of you. The time for you to
speak has passed; you will sit there and you will listen.”
Carol Whitehall opened her mouth and hissed, “You
have no right to—!”
BAM! He slammed his palm down onto the brown
tabletop. “I said no talking!”
Maverick knew the image he portrayed. He wanted to
look fierce and intimidating. His shirt, BDUs, and boots were
all black. His face was expressionless. It worked, for the evil
woman shrank back and kept her mouth shut.
“Smart move. Now, listen up. This young man behind
me is your grandson. His name is Dakota Falcon Burnell. I
know that it was the fault of everyone here, except Dakota, on
how this has played out over the past twenty-one years.”
He took a deep breath and kept his eyes moving around
the room, making sure he connected with each of the five
facing him. “Mine for being an idiotic teen who neglected to
think of any ramifications the night I took Tempest’s virginity.”
A snort of disbelief filled the room along with a gasp of
something else. Horror, perhaps. Maverick glared at Mrs.
Whitehall, knowing full well the snort came from her. “Yes, she
was a virgin. It was also your fault as parents for ignoring her
pregnancy.”
He looked at his parents. “Partially yours for not telling
me she came by and yours,” he paused as his attention turned
toward the Whitehall’s, “for washing your hands of her.”
Maverick shook his head, fighting to remain calm. “I’ve
had enough of all this shit. The schemes, plans, meddling, and
viciousness. Talli, you know damn well I’m not the father of
your child. But I do believe you are carrying my half brother or
sister.” At the beginning of the protests, he crossed his arms
and silenced the room with his deadpan stare.
“Don’t bother denying it. I add very well and can also
see the little looks you share with my father.” Snapping his
night to talk with her and what do you know, Aho?, you were
there.” He ignored the looks of hatred and disgust that flew
around the room. “I don’t care about that. All I care about now
is Dakota and Tempest.”
Maverick looked at Mitchell Whitehall. The sorrow on
his old, weathered face saddened him, but he had to think of
Tempest and what was best for her. “I want everyone here to
leave her alone. Stop the harassing calls, stop showing up
where she works. Just let her be. You didn’t want her when you
tossed her out, so let her live her life in peace. I’m sorry if you
don’t think her life should include me, but it does.”
He stood tall, hands behind his back and looked at each
of them, assessing them as he made sure everyone understood
his message. “If you don’t, I’ll know.” His voice dropped to
arctic-chill temperature. “And you don’t want that.”
Maverick met Dakota’s gaze as he jerked his head to the
door. “We have a plane to catch.” He turned back to the five
faces that, right now, he would be fine without ever seeing
again. His eyes narrowed as they settled on his father. “Shame
on you for trying to pass your child off as mine. All that talk
about what’s best for the tribe and that is what you go and do.
You dishonored Ina and you dishonored me.” He was
disgusted.
James Lonetree followed his son out of the room without
a glance back. They were his past; now it was time for him to
get a hold of his future.
_
Maverick climbed out of the SU
V that had returned the
Team from its latest deployment. He headed immediately for
his locker and grabbed his cell.
Three calls from his parents. One from Dakota. None
from Tempest. He listened to Dakota’s message. By the time it
was over, Maverick had a frown on his face; there was still no
sign of Tempest.
He grabbed his bag and went toward Scott’s office. The
Team’s leader was there writing up a report. Although back
with the Team, Scott had yet to accompany the men out on a
mission. His leg hadn’t fully healed yet.
“How long will you need to be gone?” Scott asked him
without looking up.
“How’d you know?”
Scott put down his pen, sat back, and looked at him with
those intense blue eyes. He smiled, the corners of his mouth
crinkling up. “You are the only single man left on the Team.
Everyone else went home.” The teasing smile changed to a
more serious expression. “How is she?”
Maverick shook his head. “Still gone. All I know is she
went home and left again. Dakota said she wrote him a note
apologizing again for not being a better mom and for treating
him like a baby.”
“And he doesn’t know where she is, either?”
“Doesn’t sound like it. I don’t know how long I need.”
Scott waved a hand. “Look, you do what you have to,
but quickly. I’ll try my best not to call you unless absolutely
necessary.” Those unwavering eyes met his. “You need this
worked out; I can’t have your personal life affecting your job.”
The reprimand was there, subtle, but there nonetheless.
Maverick knew Scott was right. He did need to be on his mark
for what he did.
“Yes, sir.” Maverick stood at attention briefly before he
did an about-face and left to head back to New Mexico.
Walking into B’s Quarry, Maverick looked around. The
place carried the same hectic and yet organized feel to it he’d
become used to experiencing there. Yet no matter how hard he
glanced around, Tempest never appeared before his eyes.
He saw Dakota behind the bar. The expression on his
son’s face was one of uncertainty and exhaustion. The young
man was obviously worried.
Maverick strode toward him. “Dakota?”
“Hello, Maverick.” The greeting was somewhat stiff.
The father in him wanted to reach out, hug Dakota, and
promise everything would be okay. He couldn’t do that. Not