Tori sympathized with the woman. “I know for a fact that Julian doesn’t hate you. He’s simply been busy working on this assignment and trying to find the man that killed his father. You raised really great kids, Clarissa. You didn’t teach them to hate, so they aren’t going to return that emotion towards the woman that gave them love. I think you need to trust in the job you did all through their lives, believing that they’ll make the right choices when it comes to this.”
Clarissa sniffled, resting her head on the agent’s shoulder. “You’re probably right.”
She knew a great deal about hate. What lived in her for the woman that left her as a child was complete and total abhorrence. If anything, she was the poster child for loathing and anger. It wasn’t like she was proud of it. Tori was well aware that hate would eat you alive.
“I couldn’t live without my children. They’re why I survived Blake’s death.”
“Julian is a really gentle soul, and if anything he’s shaken up. He’ll bounce back and be himself in a little bit. Give your kids time to adjust to finding out the truth.”
Clarissa knew she was right. “I’m glad my son found you.” She hugged the woman tightly to her body. “I can’t wait for you to be my daughter.”
That touched Tori’s heart. At the sound of the vehicles in the driveway, the woman hugging her tensed. “Everyone’s coming here?” she inquired.
Tori simply nodded.
Clarissa began shaking and worrying. It was all coming to a head, and in the end all she prayed was to have her family remain intact.
“I have you, Mom. Don’t worry,” she soothed, this time holding the woman to her body. It was both odd and cathartic for Tori to call her that, but it seemed to ease the woman’s stress.
Clarissa held on and closed her eyes, waiting for the confrontation from her very angry children. If there was one thing about the Littlemoon family, they loved fiercely and were easily caught up in emotion.
There was familiar voices and discussion outside. As the sounds became louder, Tori noticed the woman she was protectively holding shook more. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”
“You know what’s going on?”
Tori nodded. “I do, Mom, you have to believe in your son right now.”
What choice did Clarissa have? “Okay, Victoria. I trust him and you.”
Julian waited until all his siblings showed up. Since it was Sunday and no one was at work. It made it easier to have this discussion if they all faced it at once. He didn’t want to rehash it over and over again.
“What’s going on?” inquired Justin, who looked like he just rolled out of bed. “I was a little busy,” he implied, knowing that the woman he’d picked up the previous night would be long gone by the time he returned. When he answered the chime of his phone and then informed her he had a family emergency in the middle of sex, she didn’t look pleased. Chances were he’d never see her again.
“I need to talk to the entire family all at once.”
“What’s happened, Jules?” asked Claire, holding Liana’s hand tightly in hers.
Connor spoke next. “This better be really important. My wife was heading out for a girls day away from kids. She’s pretty pissed that I bailed on her. Right now she’s thinking I set it up to get away from the house.”
Julian understood. There were things he’d rather be doing too, like being in bed with Victoria, trying to forget. “I’ll be quick and then we can all go back to our lives.”
The family followed him in and everyone was vibrating with nerves. It filled their childhood home, making everyone feel uneasy. There were more good memories than bad there, much like for every family. The good definitely outweighed the bad, and his mother was the reason for all that.
Inside, he found his woman sitting beside his mother, her arms wrapped around her as she soothed the woman. His heart flipped in his chest at the overwhelming love he had for Tori.
She glanced up at him and nodded, signally that she’d prepped his mother for the oncoming discussion.
Julian was grateful to have her in his life. “We need to talk, Mom. I have something I need to tell you all,” he began, taking a seat on the other side of his mother.
“Okay,” she said, eyes filling with tears.
Tori interrupted. “Before you tell them, Julian, can you all reassure your mother that no one here hates her?”
They all looked surprised at Tori’s words.
“Mom! You think we hate you?” Liana exclaimed. “Why would we hate you?”
It caused Clarissa to start to cry more, and she held onto the woman that would be part of their family.
Justin was horrified at what was going through his mother’s head. Did they honestly give her that impression? “Mom, we don’t hate you! You’re our center. Right now we’re just shocked and off balance.”
Julian took her hand. “I’ll never hate you, Mom,” he promised, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
“I feel like you’re all so angry with me for not telling you sooner about your father.” Clarissa took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I hid the truth from you. At that moment in time, I didn’t know how to tell the five of you that dad was dead. I didn’t know how to convince myself he wouldn’t be back. Maybe pretending made it easier for me, and then harder for you.”
Tori rubbed her hand up and down the woman’s arm reassuringly. Losing family was never easy, and she completely understood from experience.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt any of you. I hope you all will forgive me.”
Julian squeezed her hand. “Mom, I’m mad, but not at you. I’m furious that the man that took dad’s life got away with it for all these years. That’s where my anger lies, not on your shoulders. When dad died, we all struggled to survive. You had it worse than all of us, because you became a single parent to five kids. You had two sets of twins and Connor. I remember you working so many jobs just to take care of us and keep us fed. You’ll never have to worry about us hating you, Mom. You only have our love.”
They all agreed with their brother.
“I love you all,” she whispered.
Julian knew it was time to tell them all. “Dad’s killer has been found.”
You could have heard a mouse walk across the floor, that’s how silent the room became.
“I’m going to kill him,” stated Justin, angrily. “I’ll do the exact same thing he did to dad. Who wants to be my alibi?”
Connor, Liana and Claire all raised their hands. When Julian and Tori didn’t, he glared at them. “You’ll arrest me then?” His hostility was aimed at Tori. “You’ll break apart the family of a man you say you love.”
Julian didn’t like the tone in his voice. He stood, as his brother did the same. “Tread lightly, Justin. You’re getting angry for no reason. If you’d just let me explain…”
Before Julian could continue, Justin pointed at Tori. “If she’s going to be one of us, then she needs to stand with the family. There’s no FBI in this house. She’s one of us or none of us.”
Tori didn’t want them to fight. “Julian,” she said softly, touching his arm. “I’ll go outside.” Justin’s words hurt her, since she finally believed she had a place to belong, and it was falling apart around her. The tears filled her eyes, as she moved away from them, all their eyes on her back.
“No, you won’t,” he answered, watching her continue from the room. “Tori, come back,” he pleaded, needing her by his side.
“Justin!” exclaimed Clarissa. “This is my house, you have no right to do that to her!”
“I’m going to kill that bastard, and if she’s going to forget that she’s almost family, then she doesn’t belong here.”
Julian lost it; he swung out striking his brother in the face. As the man hit the ground, he stood over him. “First of all, you’re not talking about my future wife like that. She belongs here just as much as I do. Second of all, had you just controlled your damn temper, you’d know the man that killed dad is d
ead and you don’t have to worry about Tori arresting you. Although there is a chance that I’m going to be kicking the shit out of you in a few seconds, and I’ll be the one going to jail and needing an alibi! ”
The room went silent.
“I was trying to tell you that, but you’re damn mouth is two days ahead of your brain,” raged Julian. “Now you just took your emotional baggage out on my woman and without provocation. I wouldn’t have gotten through this without her. She’s been supporting and holding me up.”
“Me too,” admitted Clarissa, shocked by her son’s behavior towards the woman.
Justin got up off the floor. “I’m sorry, Julian. I didn’t mean…”
“Great. You’re damn temper once again rears its ugly head and you make an innocent person hurt. Maybe now she won’t want to be part of this family. After the way you just treated her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me to pound sand and the wedding is off.”
Clarissa stood. “Okay, let’s take a minute to calm down. Give Tori some time to get her bearings, you tell us what’s going on and we’ll work through it.”
Julian stayed standing. “Chief Soaring Eagle killed our father, Chief Runningbear and Officer Kevin Clark. He left a confession before committing suicide. The man that murdered our father is facing his judgment elsewhere.”
Clarissa couldn’t believe it. “Ben killed Blake?”
Julian nodded. “It seems the killer of the last four victims wanted the FBI to find out about the sins of the first killer. He led them right to him and the truth is out.”
Claire shook her head. “So, it’s over then. Daddy’s spirit is free.”
“The FBI is doing the autopsy right now on the chief.”
Clarissa spoke up. “Ben wouldn’t want an autopsy. It’s against our beliefs.”
Julian was astounded that even after what she learned; his mother had enough compassion to care for the man that murdered her husband.
“He’s part of an investigation, he doesn’t have an option. The FBI needs to conclusively determine if it was suicide. There’s no choice.” The anger resurged through him. “We don’t have to worry about a trial or killing him. He’s done.” Julian stared at his brother. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go find my fiancée and pray she still wants to marry me.”
Everyone in the family stared at the other twin, giving him the look.
Julian tried to get past his brother. “Move Justin or I swear to God I’ll kick the shit out of you.”
He didn’t move. “I did this; I’ll go talk to her, okay? Let me fix my mess.”
They stood toe to toe and finally Julian relented. “If you make her cry, hurt her feelings or make her bolt, after we have a brawl I won’t ever speak to you again.”
Justin touched his lip and winced. “Yeah, I get that.” He sucked it up and went out to find Tori, hoping to keep his brother and clean up the mess he’s made.
* * *
Wilma May smiled as they walked into the diner. She genuinely enjoyed when they were around, because it made her jerk boss twitchy. Escorting the FBI to a booth in the back, she grinned at them.
“I hear you got yourself a mess,” she said, winking. “You come to see me to help figure it all out?”
Elizabeth grinned. “Yeah, and to grab some lunch too. What’s good today, Wilma May?”
“Not the meatloaf and stay away from the Salisbury steak, which is really the meatloaf masquerading in a scary brown gravy,” she answered honestly.
Callen laughed. “Thanks for the heads up.”
“Anything for you sexy men,” she replied, winking.
Elizabeth didn’t even look up from her menu. “Remember what happened to the last woman that flirted or touched them, Wilma May? Don’t make me get my pregnant ass up out of this booth.”
The woman laughed. “Anything you say, Sugar.”
The men waited for her to order.
Elizabeth handed her the menu. “I’m going to have a burger. Take it easy on the grease and only put tomatoes and lettuce on it. I’ll have the mayo on the side, if you don’t mind. I’m not sure I can handle it, since this is my maiden meat voyage with this pregnancy.”
Both men almost shouted hallelujah at the prospects that they might be back on the carnage wagon again. It was getting to be miserable having to sneak around behind her back with their mistress- the burger.
Ethan grinned wickedly at his brother. Could it be possible that their days of hiding their burger consumption on late night food runs were over? “Double cheeseburger, bacon, and load it with anything that should be on it.”
“Make that two,” stated Callen. “And I want a shake, a large chocolate one.”
Elizabeth started laughing. “Have you two been waiting for me to order a burger so you both could go to hog heaven?”
Both men nodded.
“I’m tired of having to eat meat outside the house and then take a shower since you can smell it a mile away,” Ethan winked at her. “I feel like I’m having some torrid affair, and you’re going to catch me with my mouth all over the burger’s soft sesame seed buns.”
It was hard not to laugh at that. The visual was priceless.
“Since we’re confessing our cheatin’ ways,” started Callen. “I eat mine at work in my gym clothes and then shower immediately after wards. I feel less dirty.”
She laughed even more. “I’m thinking I can handle it now. Let’s see how it goes before you both celebrate.”
Wilma may returned with the shake, placing it in front of Elizabeth.
“Hey that’s mine!” Callen said, staring at his absconded treat.
“Dairy is very good for a baby,” Wilma May replied, winking. “You feed the baby first then the men get fed.”
“I think we should sell our house and move here,” Elizabeth offered, opening the straw wrapper slowly and teasing Callen. It was a paper strip show, and he was desperate to get his hands on that milkshake.
“Two words on that one, Elizabeth,” added Blackhawk, entertained by the entire thing. “Carly Kester.”
“Hell no, forget I brought it up. I’m not moving to Skankville. You both will just have to write on your hands that I get fed first.” She slowly took a sip of the shake and tormented Callen. “Really good,” Elizabeth purred, making Blackhawk snort.
If they were going to tease him, he was giving it back. “Can I at least taste?” he inquired, grinning wickedly.
Elizabeth conceded, sliding his shake towards him.
That would be too easy. Callen caught her by the back of the head and pulled her mouth towards his, diving in and enjoying the kiss. Slowly, she melted into it, enjoying the sensation until he began pulling away. “Yep, tastes pretty good.”
Sitting there she stared at him, trying to be offended but it was hard to get mad at a really great lip lock. “Seriously? Kissy-face?”
Callen looked down at his watch. “Technically, we’re off the clock and you didn't specify HOW I had to taste the shake. You should be more specific next time.”
Blackhawk found them entertaining. “Want to talk shop and make this a working lunch? Then you can yell at him for making out with you while we’re on duty?”
“YES!”
Whitefox was far from concerned. Elizabeth had yet to ever turn down a kiss from either one of them.
“After we eat, I want to head to autopsy and get any details from Chris that we can. I feel like were so damn close that the killer is right in our reach.”
“I’ll handle the media,” offered Blackhawk.
Callen continued drinking his shake. “Okay. I also requested a list of people related to the three original victims. Maybe we have a family member that’s hell bent on revenge.”
“That could be,” added Blackhawk. “I’d be curious to see if Longtree or any of his officers are related. We know it’s someone in house. They slipped up with the feather and the cleaning solution. So far that’s stayed quiet. Once we locked down the files and stayed off paper, it
seems to have quieted down.”
Callen thought about the three officers. “Yazzie helped William Boyd to escape from us. He assisted with dodging us, so why kill him?”
“Maybe he knew too much,” Elizabeth added. “Or the man was dead at the time. The body was underground in a root cellar. Possibly that altered TOD, and gave Yazzie some help. We show up and he’s dead. We don’t think that he had anything to do with it since the timelines are slightly off.”
“Also valid,” Ethan said, his burger being placed in front of him. “Thank you, Wilma May.”
The woman laid the other two in front of Elizabeth and Callen. “Anything else for my favorite FBI agents?”
Elizabeth shook her head, dismissing the waitress. “Well, here goes,” she muttered, picking it up and staring at it. “You don’t want to have died in vain Mr. Cow. Be gentle.”
Both men watched as she took a bite, neither of them tasting theirs. If she couldn’t handle hers, they wouldn’t be eating burgers. It was their little concession they agreed to at the beginning of the pregnancy. Not eating in front of her was the least they could do. They were silently praying. It would be nice to be able to consume burgers at home again.
She swallowed and placed the burger down.
“Well?” questioned her husband.
“Please…Please…” implored Whitefox, desperate for the burger sitting in front of him.
Placing her hand on her stomach, she grinned. “Eat up boys, the child is either sleeping or doesn’t mind the dead cow!” Watching them tear through the burgers was entertaining. You’d think they both hadn’t eaten in about ten years. “God! Chew your food! Someone’s going to need the Heimlich!”
Neither cared. All that mattered at that point was the deliciously, greasy, dead animal before them.
“I’m glad you’re both back together again with your meat mistresses. Now, where were we?”
Callen mumbled something inaudibly.
His brother nodded in agreement.
Elizabeth snickered. “Anyway, chew and listen. We have Officer Redwolf, next on the list. He was very anti-outsiders and that changed suddenly.” She told them about Christina, the dinner in the lab and the one night stand.”
Darkness Of Truth (An FBI/Romance Thriller~ Book 6) Page 51
