Darkness Of Truth (An FBI/Romance Thriller~ Book 6) (38 page)

She nodded. “Yep.”

Clarissa started laughing. “I told you to ask her the last four times I saw you, Julian. When will you learn that
your mom is always right?”

Now he was laughing
, wishing he’d asked earlier. They could have been married by now.

“We have to celebrate! You both will be coming here tonight for dinner. You have no choice. You’re brothers and sister will be so happy for you.”

Julian paused. “Mom, we made plans with our bosses.”

Clarissa didn’t care. “You bring them here. The more the merrier. Are they Native?”

Tori chimed in, entertained at the prospect of the Littlemoon clan running headlong into the Blackhawks. Talk about a fun fest this was destined to be. “Yes and no. The men are, but the woman isn’t. I think you’ll like her though, Ma’am.”

There was this ‘
hrmmph’ sound. “Ma’am? You plan on calling me that for the rest of my life? You’re sleeping with my son and marrying him, and you don’t have the decency to call me anything else.”

Julian started laughing
at the look on Tori’s face. It was somewhere between nervousness and amusement.

Clarissa continued, being her bossy self.
“You call me what all my children call me. You are now marrying my boy. I’m your mom. Don’t make me mad, or I’ll take you out back and teach you manners.”

Tori’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you,
Mom.”

Julian hugged her to his body, knowing it had been a long time since she’d had anyone wanting to be her mother.
When he saw the woman, she was going to get some extra kisses from him.

Clarissa softened, remembering the conversation they had regarding Tori’s mother abandoning her at a young age. “You wipe those tears little one. You have a big family now and if you cry like a baby, they’ll
eat you alive- especially my girls.”

Tori started laughing
, knowing she was probably right. Liana and Claire were tough. The idea that soon she’d have brothers and sisters in her life, lightened her heart and soul.

“I’ll see you both in two hours. I have cooking to do!”

Julian hung up with his mother. “You think the Blackhawks and Callen will be okay with changing plans?” he asked, not wanting to blow them off, but desperately wanting to be with his family on this night too.

Pulling out her phone, Tori dialed her boss to ask.

“Shouldn’t you be naked and in bed?” inquired Elizabeth over the speaker. “Why the hell are you calling me?”

Julian started
laughing, not even knowing where to begin this conversation with the woman. “Uh, so you know, you’re on speaker phone, Elizabeth, and we are actually naked in bed.”

There was laughter on the other end.

“We just told Julian’s mom about the engagement, and she’s insistent we go there for dinner. We wanted you three to come with us. The woman makes amazing food.”

“If you want to spend it with your family, we can celebrate tomorrow.” Elizabeth didn’t want the family to feel obligated.

Tori remembered everything they did for her, including when they personally gave up their New Year’s Eve to ride with her to the VA hospital. “You three are my family. I don’t have anyone but you, Ethan and Callen. It would mean everything to me if you’d come and be there with me.”

Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears
and she began to sniffle at her agent’s words. Here was a woman that was deserving of the girlfriend code. Right then and there, Elizabeth knew she didn't make a mistake again.

“
If you come, you get to meet Julian’s twin. It’s funny to watch.” Tori tried to lure her in with anything at that point. She was desperate to have her friend at her side.

Julian grinned. “I want you there too,” he said, reassuring them. “My mother makes the best fry bread on the
Rez.”

It was obvious the man knew her well. “You had me at fry bread. Email me the directions and the time
, and we’ll be there.”

Tori disconnected the call.
“Okay, that’s settled. Now, do we get out of bed and go help your mother, or do we stay in bed and make out.”

He began laughing. “Gee go to my mom’s or make out with the sexiest woman in the world.
That’s really a damn difficult decision,” Julian teased.

When she slid down his body and took him in her mouth, his eyes glazed over, his heart pounded in his chest and his mouth went dry.
Apparently, he wasn’t too tired after all.

“Okay, decisions made.”

“Why are you all weepy now,
Baby?” inquired Blackhawk, starting to get dressed for dinner.

“Tori called us her family
, and I’m pregnant and hormonal,” she stated. “We’re going to Julian’s mother’s house. So be on your best behavior.”

Callen started laughing
at the woman he loved. When it came down to it, the offending party would most likely be their woman. “Someone should be telling you that, not us. Do you need examples? I’m sure I can come up with a few right off the top of my head.”

She gave him the look
, crossed her arms and almost dared him to do it. “Bring your guns, boys.”

Blackhawk lifted a brow
at the request. “Are you expecting trouble, Tex? I’m sure everything will be more than fine at the OK corral.” he stated. When his wife simply stared open mouthed, he continued. “It’s not like you to want a weapon at a family dinner.”

Whitefox jumped in. “Unless it’s Christmas, Easter, May Day, Groundhog Day
…” He looked like he could go on forever with the list.

Elizabeth punched him in the arm. “Okay, I get your point. I tend to be overly cautious.”

“I don’t think that word covers it,” stated Blackhawk.

“Oh you two are a laugh a minute. For your information,
I want to be armed on the Rez. It has nothing to do with Julian’s family and everything to do with the fact, that I don’t like roaming around with this killer lurking in the dark. That’s all.” She didn't like the idea that the killer was targeting men.

Whitefox dropped a kiss on her forehead. “So, Julian really has a twin
, huh?”

Elizabeth
wrapped her arms around his waist and curled into his body. When his hand lovingly stroked his child, her heart melted more. “Oh yeah, and I can’t wait to have fun with this.”

Both men gave her the look. “Elizabeth! Be on your best behavior.”

“Always, my sexy Native arm candy. Always.”

After showering, Julian and Tori raced over to his mother’s homestead to help out. Hopping out of the vehicle, there was already chaos and craziness going on inside and out. Kids were playing kickball in the front yard and running around like mad. When they saw Julian and Tori, everything stopped and they charged, jumping all over them.

“Uncle Jules!”

“Aunt Tori!”

Her eyes filled with tears as little Maryann went right into her arms and wrapped her legs around her
, holding her close. “Hello my little peanut. How are you?” asked Tori, getting hugs from the girl.

“Are you really marrying Uncle Jules?”
she asked, her eyes incredibly big and excitement visible all over her face.

“I certainly am,” she answered, grinning. “Is that okay?”

Maryann giggled. “Yes it is! Uncle Justin said that Uncle Jules made a deal with the devil to catch a hot babe. What’s that mean?”

Julian started laughing. “It means I’m going to kick his butt when I get inside,” he answered.

Tori shook her head. “We better go see your mother. If we don’t you know what happens.”

“Dish duty!” he answered, laughing.

Clarissa Littlemoon was very tough. She had to be with all the kids she had raised alone after his father’s death. Leading her through the excited children, Julian pulled his fiancée into the home he grew up in as a boy. Standing not far from the door were his sisters, also a set of twins, but very different. Liana immediately got married after high school and began having babies. Claire went into the Navy to ‘see’ the world and escape the Rez.

“Jules!” they yelled at the same time. Both women crashed into him, and he winced from the pain.

“Take it easy guys,” he muttered, the agony of the tattoo being slammed into overwhelming him.

Both sisters stepped back. “Are you okay?” whispered, Liana, looking over her shoulder for her mom. “What happened?”

Tori started laughing. “Tattoo,” she whispered.

The girls stared at him openmouthed. “
Mom’s going to shit a brick, Jules. You know how she feels about tattoos. When she finds out you better run!”

He simply shrugged. “
I think at my age I should be allowed to get one, and if that doesn’t work, the FBI can protect me.”

The sisters started laughing
, crossing to Tori to hug her. “Welcome to the family, Army,” stated Claire, kissing her on the cheek. “You are a glutton for punishment to be marrying him.”

Liana hugged her next. “Mom is so happy. Start popping out the kids
, and I’ll be your new best friend. My uterus is exhausted!”

Again Tori looked horrified. “Uh, how about I marry him first and then we talk about kids after that.
Until then, you and your reproductive organs are on your own.”

Julian
snickered, truly believing his girl fit in perfectly with his sisters.

A
round the corner strolled Justin, and he skipped right past his twin to go to Tori. “Hello gorgeous woman. What the hell is this I hear about you marrying him? Don’t you want to marry the better looking twin?”

Tori laughed as he swept her up in his arms.

“Oh, you and I have a lot to talk about, Justin. Like why the hell you followed me back to Damascus and sent your brother pictures of me with my lawyer.”

Justin grinned. “He made me do it.”

Now there was laughter from Julian. “Yeah, thanks for taking the heat there.”

Clarissa came around the corner. “Justin! Put your brother’s fiancée down! No picking up women in the house!”

He obeyed immediately. “Yes mom!” Justin dropped a kiss to her cheek. “Congrats, Tori! Welcome to the family.” Then he went to his brother and hugged him fiercely. “I’m glad you fixed it. You both were meant to be together.”

Tori crossed the room to the little woman that gave life to her new family. The woman wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

“Hello little one,” she said, kissing her soon to be daughter on the cheek. “You look better and better every day.”

Clarissa
was referring to her condition after leaving the VA. When Julian brought her home she’d lost forty pounds off her already thin frame. Unsure what to do, Julian called his mother and she rushed over immediately. While he lay on the couch with her, unable to let her go, Clarissa went to the kitchen and cooked up a storm. Then she proceeded to make Tori eat.

Needless to say, the momma bird nursed her back to he
alth with food and Julian healed her with love.

“I feel better too, especially today. This is the best day of my life. I can’t wait to marry your son.”

The woman led her over to her boy. “You plan on taking good care of her, Julian?” he asked, taking his hand.

“I’m going to make her the happiest woman in the world, Mom. I swear.” Julian moved towards her and pulled her into his arms, drawing her lips to his for a kiss. It was slow, deep and showed everyone in the room exactly what was in his heart for her.

All the kids went wild and started laughing as their lips stayed connected, despite the pandemonium.

There was a sound of
more tires in the driveway.

“Stop making out in the middle of the living room. You
r bosses are here!” Clarissa demanded, slapping them both on the arm.

Julian pulled away from
his fiancée, and again he wanted more of her. There was this never ending need for Tori.

Justin whistled from the door. “Holy shit, that woman is hot! You get to work with her?” he grinned, wickedly.

Tori and Julian laughed. “Let him try,” whispered Julian in Tori’s ear. It was going to be payback for talking him into a drunken tattoo. “It’ll be fun to watch.”

She giggled at his whispers. “Okay.
What’s a little blood shed at our engagement party?”

Both of Julian’s sisters peeked out the window to see what their brother was fascinated with. Then they saw the men.

Claire began giggling as she pulled Liana over to look too. “Oh hello, boys! Those are some fine Native men. I’m so glad I’m single.”

There was more snickering from Julian and Tori, as they watched it all unfold.

Yeah, this was going to be one hell of an engagement party.