Darkness Of Truth (An FBI/Romance Thriller~ Book 6) (39 page)

Elizabeth hopped down from the Denali and looked around. There were kids staring at them like they were strangers trying to lure them away. She strolled towards
the group, crouching down in front of a few of them. “Hi. I’m Elizabeth Blackhawk. I’m Tori’s friend. Is she inside?”

“Yes.” The kids watched the two big men behind her. “Who are they?”

She grinned, introducing them. Both men got down at their eye level too, so they wouldn’t make the kids as nervous. “Can we go see Julian and Tori?” Elizabeth inquired.

All the kids pointed towards the house
, watching the three walk away.

Ethan and Callen followed with a case of beer and one of champagne for the couple. “Julian has a really big family,” stated Ethan, grinning at a preteen boy checking out his wife
’s ass when they walked by. It wasn’t like he could blame him. Ethan remembered being that age, a Native boy and on a reservation. If a woman like Elizabeth had walked by him, he’d have given chase too.

“Yeah, it must be fun to have this much chaos
,” admitted Callen, grinning at the tiny little girl hiding beside a berry bush, trying to blend in.

Elizabeth went to knock on the door and found it pulled open before she could touch the wood.

“Where have you been all my life?” said the man, grinning at her.

At first he caught her off guard, but then the face registered and Elizabeth began
laughing uproariously. He indeed was the exact replica of his brother, just with a Marine haircut and a different shade of brown eyes. Apparently, this man was the more forward of the brothers, which was saying a lot considering Julian was bold himself.

“I’m Justin,” he held out his hand. When she took his, he valiantly kissed the top of her hand.

It only caused her to laugh more. “Here I thought Julian laid it on thick. You must be Justin. Just so you’re aware, I’ve been warned about you and the two men behind me get testy when you try to manhandle the goods.”

Justin looked up at the big
men that he’d never noticed until she pointed them out. “Holy crap!”

Elizabeth started laughing. “I’m Elizabeth. The one with the scowl is Ethan, and the one with the look of death is Callen.
I’m guessing by the look on your brother’s face, he didn't warn you that I’m married,” she pulled open her blazer and pointed, “and pregnant.”

Julian was laughing and couldn’t stop
. Sometimes his brother made it too damn easy. “Payback is a bitch, Justin.”

Ethan and Callen handed the man the Case of beer and Champagne and kept the stern look on their face. Following their woman in, they nodded at the Julian. “
He didn't know, huh?”

Tori started laughing. “Nope.”

Elizabeth went to the older woman in the room. “Thank you for inviting us to your home, Mrs. Littlemoon. We’re very happy to be here.”

Clarissa lifted a brow. “You always this polite?”

“No, usually I’m bitchy, crass and downright rude, but I like to let people think that I’m nice at first. Then I screw with them when they least expect it.”

“I like her,” stated Clarissa to Tori.

Elizabeth hugged her friend. “Congrats, Tori.” Then she whispered in her ear. “Since we’re family, you get to call me Lyzee.”

Tori sniffled. “Thank you, Lyzee.”

Julian went to Callen and Ethan and hugged them. “Thanks for the booze. Why not liquor my family up some more. Then you can really see my brother in action. I apologize for him ogling your pregnant woman. I’d like to say he’s not always like this, but why lie?”

Clarissa looked
down at Elizabeth’s belly. “Oh, there’s a pregnant woman in the house! I get to feed you!”

Elizabeth went with her and Tori to the kitchen. “I don’t mind being fed and neither does the baby.”

In the kitchen the smells of Native food filled the air. “I cook for an army, so I hope you and your baby are hungry.”

“What can I help with?” she asked. “I’m
pretty competent in the kitchen.”

Clarissa looked appalled. “Guests don’t help in the kitchen!”

Elizabeth grinned. “Now here I was under the impression I was Tori’s family and not considered just a guest.” She turned it right back on the woman. “I guess I was misled.” Elizabeth winked at her friend.

“I really like you,” she said, patting her cheek. “You and my Victoria get on some aprons. We have work to do.”

“Well holy shit, fry bread. I’m moving in,” she said, grinning. “Can I call you mom too?”

Clarissa laughed. “I love your family, Tori.”

The woman nodded. “So do I Mom. So do I.”

             
                            *   *   *

They all sat around the table after enjoying an amazing meal. It was a comfortable environment all together. Julian was definitely blessed with a strong family that loved him and wanted only the best for him. It was also clear that Tori had found a place to be protected and safe.

Julian was sitting beside Tori, and she was leaning comfortably against his body. Every now and again he’d drop a kiss to her cheek or forehead. It was obvious to everyone in the room that the man was completely in love with her. They shared their
adoration with all that watched them.

Elizabeth leaned against both men that flanked her. She’d shift f
rom one shoulder to another, drawing the speculative stares of Julian’s brother and sisters. Yet, no one brought it up. It made Elizabeth want to chuckle.

Clarissa watched the men lovingly touch Elizabeth’s belly, sometimes separately and sometimes together. “I have to ask, and I hope it doesn’t offend you, but you three are a
couple?”

Elizabeth glanced from man to man. “Yep.”

Clarissa grinned and started whipping out the Native language. Most of it Elizabeth caught, but the term referring to them, she’d never heard before.

“It means the sharing by brothers.”

Elizabeth repeated the word and laughed. “Good to know there’s a term for it.”

Liana started speaking in their Native Language and Julian sat up fast, getting ready to warn her.

Before he could get a word out, Elizabeth thanked her for thinking her men were the hottest things on the planet. She happened to agree.

Both Ethan and Callen grinned
, definitely not offended.

Liana looked embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to insult you,” she said, as he mother slapped her.

Elizabeth held hands with both men. “I’m not insulted that you think their sexy. I’m also not insulted that you assumed I didn’t speak the language, but that was risky with them. They are Native,” she stated, motioning to the men beside her.

Clarissa was impressed. “You speak the language and are
with two men. You must love the culture.”

Elizabeth pointed to her belly. “I want my children
to be fully immersed in their heritage. I want them to be proud of their past and their ancestors.”

Clarissa definitely liked the woman. “So who is the father?”

Neither man moved, but Callen tensed.

It bothered Elizabeth that he had to hide what he was proud of and that it wounded a part of him. “Callen is the father. Ethan is the father of our other son.”

Ethan squeezed her hand lovingly and she in return did the same for Callen, sharing their love and support.

Tori realized how doubly blessed she definitely was in her life. Not only was she marrying into a great family, she’d been adopted into one too.
When she leaned back, her shoulder hit Julian in just the wrong spot and he winced in pain. “Oh Jules, I’m sorry are you okay?”

That drew Clarissa’s attention. “What
’s wrong with your chest?” she demanded. “Did you get hurt working?” The mothering instinct kicked in as she moved to her boy.

Everyone at the table started laughing, since they all knew why he was suffering.

“I’m sorry, Julian,” whispered Tori, starting to laugh. She’d just drew the attention of the big mom guard dog.

Clarissa put her hands on her hips
, as she stared around the table at her kids and guests. “What is going on here? Why is everyone in on some secret and yet your own mother has no clue.”

Julian opened his mouth to protest. His brother threw him right under the oncoming ‘mom wrath’ train, just for shits and giggles.

“I tried to tell him, Mom. I warned him not to do it, but he insisted.” Justin grinned, wickedly.

Tori was giggling now and holding her fiancé’s hand. “You’re dead,” she mumbled through the
onslaught of tears. Her fiancé looked nervous as hell.

“Stay calm, Mom,” Julian reassured. “I screwed up big time with Tori and had to win her back.”

Gone was the motherly concern and now she was glaring at him. “Tori, what did he do to you?”

Oh, if there was one thing she learned from the Littlemoons was it was every man or woman for themselves against Clarissa. It was a free-for-all when it came to saving their asses f
rom her. This was her chance to save them or toss them to the angry mom wolves. She went with the latter.

“Julian accused me of having an affair, and then had Justin stalk me three hours away to take incriminating photos. Except it turned out to be me with my lawyer
, and not a man I was having a torrid relationship with. Then I believe he told me something along the lines that I used him, betrayed him and didn't deserve his love.”

“Hey! I never said you didn't deserve my love!” he objected adamantly.

Clarissa slapped her son with a dishtowel.  “Are you out of your damn mind? She isn’t that skank you brought home last time. That’s a quality woman and if you can’t look at her and see she’d never cheat on you, then I did a very bad job raising you.”

Julian tried not to laugh. “I had a moment of insanity. But I made up for
it; it’s how I got her to marry me.”

His mother looked confused.

Julian stood and pulled off his polo shirt. His mother gasped and his sisters and brother started to break down into fits of hysterical laughter.

Clarissa Littlemoon began cursing in her native language as she paced back and forth. Then she turned on Justin. “You! Take off your shirt
! If he got one, you probably did too. You two can’t ever behave together.”

Julian
started laughing at his brother, knowing they were both going down on this one. It was much like his entire child hood. Once again, they were busted by the ‘mom cop’.

The man stood
, pulling off his shirt and across his back was the Marine’s symbol and mantra.

More cursing started up, and this time it was peppered with English, which made it even funnier.

Elizabeth was laughing so hard, she thought she’d pee her pants. “Oh this is priceless. For once a set of brothers are in trouble and it’s not you two,” she giggled, glancing at the men beside her.

Clarissa stopped in front of Justin and smacked him too. “You knew how I felt about marking up your body with tattoos!”

He was laughing at the absurdity of it all. “Mom. I’m in my thirties, and I live in my own house. I served three tours, and I think I can get a tattoo without having to ask your permission.”

Now she pointed at her other son. “Look at the FBI directors. I bet their mothers don’t have to have this conversation with them! They are reputable men, and now you went and inked yourself up!”

Elizabeth had just calmed down and now it started back up. No one really used the word ‘reputable’ when it came to the Blackhawk men. Now she was laughing so hard, she had to hold her stomach and put her head on her arm on the table.

Both men beside her grinned
wickedly in on the joke.

Tori glanced over at her
friends. “Come on, you know you want to do it,” she said, between fits of laughter. All three stood up. Ethan pulled his polo off and dropped it on the chair. Across his body were tattoos everywhere. They ranged from the raven on his chest to his wife’s name below it. When he turned around to show them his back, the woman began cursing and he laughed.

“There’s twenty four and once you get one, you keep going back,” Blackhawk snickered, giving his wife a wink.

Callen went next and pulled off his shirt. He had the fox on his abs and the same tribal arm band as his brother. When he turned around and showed them his back, the woman nearly lost it. He offered his brother a fist bump, and then one to Julian in solidarity. “I only have nine, but when the baby’s born I’m getting both our sons on me somewhere.”

Clarissa shook her head.

Elizabeth started unbuttoning her shirt. Beneath it was a tank top, and when she turned, Callen pulled it down to show the woman. Across her body was her husband’s name and on her shoulders were a memorial for Timothy Whitefox and a heart with Callen’s name and wording.

“They are addictive. I want to do my ribs next.”

Everyone in the family was still laughing, as the three pulled their shirts back on and sat back down.