Slowly, Tori moved her hand.
“Have dinner with me tonight, and we can talk privately. Then you don’t have to be worried about being embarrassed about being seen with me at work.”
She looked at him like he was indeed nuts. “Julian, I’m not embarrassed to be near you,” she whispered, getting her gun out of her desk drawer and clipping it to her hip.
“Then prove it, Tori. Let me take you out to dinner.”
Bracing both hands on her desk, she released a long sigh. “Fine, dinner and that’s it. We aren’t having sex, Julian.”
Now he grinned. If that was the first thing that came to mind, there was a valid reason. Tori Christensen was just as tied up in knots as he was over it all. “What time?”
“I’ll meet you there.”
He shook his head. “I may get lost, so no. I’ll pick you up at seven, Agent Christensen,” he said loudly.
“You don’t know my address!” she stated, as he walked away.
Julian turned around and grinned. “I find things for a living that are lost, Tori. Don’t worry, I’ll find you.” With that he left the bull pen, supremely happy.
Tonight he was going to figure out how to fix what went horribly astray, and find out what was making Tori look so scared.
* * *
Elizabeth stood in her kitchen making dinner for her, Callen, Wyler and little CJ. When Julian told her he was planning on taking Tori out for dinner, she was surprised the woman went along with it. Then again, who was she to complain? It meant a night alone with half of her men. The only thing that could make it better was if Ethan walked through the door.
“Take it easy on her, okay?” stated Elizabeth, as she stirred the sauce in the pot.
“I will. I promise I won’t run her through the ringer. I just want to talk.” Julian looked around their house. When they pulled up in front of it, he was surprised. People lived in houses, and Natives lived in little cabins, but Ethan, Callen and Elizabeth lived in a huge stone monstrosity. When Callen referred to it as ‘Fort Blackhawk’, he started laughing. They weren’t kidding, and then as they explained that there was an apartment under construction for their father over the garage, he tried to picture it even bigger. It was a really nice house, and the director jobs must have been lucrative after all.
Now Julian wandered around their living room and was just taking everything in that gave him an idea about the family.
“Beer?” asked Whitefox, holding one out to him.
“Yeah, thanks.” He accepted it and smiled. Julian admired the warbonnet in the glass case. “It’s really terrific,” he said pointing.
“It’s going to remain mine,” stated Elizabeth from across the room. When Julian looked confused, she laughed. “Granddad left it to me in his will, but I put it up in a bet against the men.”
Julian stared over at her. “Do I want to know what the gamble was over? That seems like a really steep offering to risk losing.”
Whitefox took a sip of his beer. “Our granddad wanted us to learn the Native language, and whomever does it best, gets the prize.”
Julian dropped his voice low. “Isn't that like taking candy from a baby?” he asked.
Elizabeth began speaking fluently in the Native language, and waited for Callen to reply. He did and flawlessly. When he told her that he couldn’t wait to get her naked later, she laughed.
“Just before you both go further, our tribe’s language is similar. I do know you’re talking about sex. I caught bed, naked and then that last part that almost made me blush.”
Elizabeth snickered. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Lyzee is my only competition. Ethan’s horrible at it, and that beauty is going to be mine,” he said, running his hand down the glass display case his brother built.
“Don’t bet on it, ace. I plan on winning and making you wear it naked in bed,” she snickered.
Julian laughed. “At least she knows better than to wear it herself. Why did she get it in the will?”
Elizabeth wandered over holding a can of soda. “Well, I’ve never been arrested, and I was his favorite.”
Whitefox laughed. “You steal a few cars on the Rez, get caught naked, and break and enter into a few places and you get ousted as favorite. So unfair.”
She wrapped her arm around his waist. “Granddad knew I loved it. On the day I met Ethan, I was drawn to it and told him it was gorgeous. The only other thing I coveted was the totem pole, and we haven’t pulled it out of the ground yet, but I plan on placing it in our back yard.”
“I have a gorgeous one in front of my cabin. I ordered it online from this artist, named Wyler.”
Elizabeth and Callen started laughing at the same time.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, looking at them both.
“Want to meet the artist?” asked Whitefox, finishing his beer and holding Elizabeth’s hand. Immediately, their fingers twinned together lovingly.
“You know him?” he asked, excitedly. “I saw his work at our commons house, and then finally got him to sell me one. They cost a small fortune. No one seems to know anything about him other than his work is almost magical. He captures the spirit of the animals completely.”
Elizabeth pulled Callen over to the book shelf and pulled down some hand carved blackbirds and foxes. She handed them to Julian.
Immediately, he flipped the small carved sculptures over and saw the ‘W’ carved into their bottoms. “I didn’t know he sold these too,” he said, running his fingers over the hand carved feathers and fur.
“Wyler doesn’t. Those were made specifically for us,” offered Elizabeth. “I think we have about twenty of them.”
Julian realized how priceless that made them. “They’re beautiful. How did you get him to make them?”
Elizabeth snickered as she heard her SUV pulling into the driveway. Since Wyler moved in with them, he’d taken over her car, and she’d been driving a Denali. Their driveway looked like a parking lot- her vehicle, Callen’s big red truck, Ethan’s Mustang, a Denali or two, and now Julian’s car.
When the door opened, Wyler walked in holding CJ in his arms. The little boy held onto one of his black braids and smiled when he saw his mommy.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he said, crossing the living room and kissing her on the forehead. Since his father had passed away, he’d taken up doing that to heal Elizabeth’s heart. It was something Timothy Blackhawk always did when he greeted her.
“Hi Dad! Was CJ good today?” she asked, taking her son and cuddling him. Then he saw Uncle Callen and was gone. Immediately he held out his arms, going to the man who shared his name. “Traitor,” she said laughing. “I carried you, fed you burgers, and you dump me for a dude with hair longer than mine?”
Everyone laughed.
“Dad, we’d like to introduce you to someone. We have a guest. His name is Julian Littlemoon, and he’s assisting us on an assignment.”
“You’re the one that helped my Elizabeth save Callen,” he stated. “Thank you.”
Elizabeth turned towards Julian. “This is Wyler Blackhawk, and the creator of your totem.”
Julian stared at him open mouthed. “Seriously? You’re the same Wyler?”
He laughed and nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.”
Julian was excited to meet the artist. “Mr. Blackhawk, your work is amazing. It’s gorgeous and speaks of our culture.”
He smiled. “Like the back of my work, it’s just Wyler, and thank you for the compliment.”
“Your father is really the man that makes the best totems in the world?” he asked, looking at Callen. He could see the resemblance between Wyler and Ethan. It had to be true.
“Yep, the one in the corner of my office is dad’s work too. Lyzee had it commissioned for me last year.” Whitefox kissed his nephew in the crook of his neck, and CJ laughed ridiculously. His heart overflowed. CJ was more like a son to him. The name thing that always worried him was long forgotten. Once he believed he was less, all because he
was the ‘Blackhawk bastard’, but Elizabeth helped him work through it.
“Which totem do you have?” asked Wyler, taking the soda can from Elizabeth.
“Three eagles sitting on a horse.”
Wyler remembered it. “One eagle was white, one red and one black.”
Julian started laughing. “Yeah, that’s the one! I can’t believe I actually get to meet you. There’s no research on you. You’re like a ghost to anyone that tries to find anything out about you. There was even a rumor that you weren’t Native.”
Wyler laughed. “As you can attest, I’m as Native as they come. I’m aware people are curious, but please keep it that way. I like to keep my life and family safe and private.” It wasn’t always that way; Wyler drank away their lives and never had them close to him growing up. Now it was all about redemption and protecting what was his in life.
“I promise that your secret is safe with me.”
Elizabeth stirred the sauce in the kitchen. “Julian, are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner? You could always bring Tori here.”
“No, we need to work out a few things,” he paused before continuing, “but thank you for your hospitality. I will ask for a place to get changed. I’m not exactly dressed for a date.”
“I’ll take him up, Elizabeth,” said Wyler. “I need to get changed myself.”
“Thanks Dad,” she smiled sweetly. When both men left, Elizabeth accepted a kiss from Callen and then leaned against him. Yet, her heart ached. She missed Ethan. Without him there, the family didn’t feel complete.
“He’ll be home soon, angel. Then we’ll all cuddle on the couch for Christmas.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Can you video conference him? I just want him to see CJ before he sleeps. It has to be hard being there all alone.” Ethan didn’t do well by himself. Whenever he had to survive on his own, he reverted back to being an obsessive workaholic, focused on nothing but office issues. It made him backslide into the man he used to be.
Callen set up the tablet on the counter and hit the link. When Ethan’s face materialized on the tablet, he grinned. His brother must have been working in his hotel room. There was a pen tucked behind his ear.
“Hey, I was just thinking about all of you,” he said, feeling his heart skip in his chest. His wife was smiling at him, his brother was holding CJ, and he wished he was there.
“We miss you, Ethan,” Elizabeth said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I can’t wait until you come home.”
“Oh, baby, it’s okay. Just hang in there, and I’ll be there with you, Callen, and CJ.”
“And Julian. He’s staying here.”
Ethan Blackhawk was at a loss for words, and instead of saying anything he stared at his brother who nodded. It was their silent signal that Callen was on patrol duty. There was another male around, and that meant keeping him away from their woman.
Elizabeth started laughing. “I’m making your sauce, but I think you do it better,” she stated.
“I told you, baby. It’s an acquired skill. It can only be replicated by the male that is vying for his soul mate. It caught you didn’t it?”
“It certainly did.”
Just then CJ let out a scream and Ethan laughed. “How’s my little man? I love you, CJ and I bought you a present while I was in DC,” he said, waving at his son. God, he missed them all. He might break down at any moment.
Callen saw the emotion. “Hey today Elizabeth passed up pizza and willingly ate a salad and a really big apple.”
Blackhawk stared open mouthed. “Holy shit, it’s the apocalypse! Get on a plane and get to DC fast! Quantico has a bunker!”
Elizabeth punched Callen. “You two are funny.”
“You feeling okay?” he asked, concerned for his wife. Cattle ran from her when they heard the clicking of her boots on the concrete.
“I think the coffee is burning a hole in my stomach lining. Don’t worry; I plan on gorging on Christmas day. Look out Mr. Turkey.”
“Okay baby, if you say so. Just cut back on the coffee then. You need your stomach intact.”
Julian walked down the stairs and stopped in the kitchen. “Hey Ethan!” He announced his arrival.
“Julian, how are you my friend?” Ethan inquired, as Elizabeth turned the tablet around.
“I’m in awe of ‘Fort Blackhawk’ and that your father is Wyler the artist. You’re a lucky man!”
Callen cued his brother in on the conversation. “He owns one of Wyler’s totems.”
“Oh, well yeah we are very lucky. Dad makes amazing pieces of art.” Ethan and his father were planning one for their yard. It was Elizabeth and Callen’s Christmas present.
“Thanks for letting me stay here, Ethan,” stated Julian. “I have to get over to Tori’s place. I have a date. See you in a few days when you get back.” Julian waved to everyone and left the room. Right now he was focused on the woman he was still trying to get to accept into his life.
Elizabeth explained the entire situation. Once Tori told her everything, she’d taken a look into the woman’s files and found the potential problem. “She was caught in an alley in the Middle East, and her backup took a round to his femoral artery. He died right there in front of her.”
Blackhawk whistled. “PTSD?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’m planning on watching her closely. She’s not appearing to have the symptoms other than nightmares.”
Callen spoke up. “She passed all FBI psych evaluations seamlessly.”
Elizabeth nodded. “So did Desdemona, Callen. Remember the secrets she was hiding?”
Whitefox did remember. How could he forget? It almost cost Elizabeth her life. “Yeah, point taken.” He hadn’t heard from his ex-fiancé in three months, and that was perfectly fine by him. The things she threw at him verbally when they were finishing the last assignment put the nail in that coffin for him. As far as he was concerned, they had nothing between them.
Elizabeth saw the emotions on his face. “It’s alright, sweetheart,” she said, stroking his cheek.
Ethan knew Desdemona Adare and Cypress Grove were still a sore spot for the entire family. So much happened there, some good and some damaging.
“Don’t send her out in the field alone,” stated Blackhawk.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes before being sarcastic. “Thanks sexy, my first day on the job was so damn confusing.”
Blackhawk laughed once he got it.
“Tomorrow I’m checking out strip clubs,” stated Elizabeth, and when her husband didn’t utter a single word, she laughed even harder. “I’m taken Callen with me.”
He shook his head. “I go away for five days, and you’re already out trolling strip clubs with my brother.”
Whitefox wiggled his eyebrows. “Maybe she’ll pick some tips up, and we can use this to our advantage.”
Elizabeth elbowed him in the rib cage, and then she had an idea. “Did you eat yet, Ethan?”
He turned the tablet towards the Chinese takeout sitting on the table beside him. “Not yet, baby.”
“Dinner is ready here. Want to sit at the table with us?” she asked, smiling when she saw the wave of relief and love wash over his face. “I’ll sit you right on the table in your customary spot.”
Blackhawk loved his wife more than anything in the universe. She just knew that he was suffering and was trying to give him any amount of relief as possible.
“I’d really love that, Lyzee.”
Callen picked up the tablet and carried it to the dining room, setting it on the table and facing where everyone would be able to see him and interact.
Elizabeth carried in the food and called for Wyler. As they all sat to have dinner, it made her heart feel a little better.
The Blackhawk family was back together again.
Sort of…
~ Chapter Six ~
Pulling up to the woman’s house in the development, he was surprised to see all the cheerfully lit homes surround it, and yet hers was dark and silent. It spok
e volumes to Tori Christensen’s mindset at that moment.
Again he reminded himself he didn’t like women with baggage, but something about her just kept pulling him into the fray. When he wanted to forget about her, she was plaguing his mind. When he hoped she was thinking about him, it always brought a smile to his face.
Knocking on the door, he waited for the woman to answer, praying she wasn’t planning on blowing him off after all. When the door opened, his heart skipped in his chest. Tori captivated him from the first day he saw her standing in a swarm of techs, and she still did. Her hair was loose and she wore a simple black dress and heeled boots. It brought them eye to eye. Julian wasn’t nearly as tall and beefy as Ethan Blackhawk and Callen Whitefox, but now the woman could stare at him directly in the eyes.
“Hi, Julian.”
He was having a hard time speaking. “Hi Tori.”
“Want to come in while I get my coat and purse?” she asked, watching him cautiously. Julian was excellent at hiding his emotions, possibly better than she did.
That caught him off guard too. Now she was actually inviting him into her house. “Yes, I would.”
Tori stepped back and started down the hall towards the center of the house. “Have a seat,” she offered, pointing at the large comfortable couch in the center of the room. It faced a fireplace that held three folded US flags in triangular boxes. Each one sat beside a picture.
Julian declined the offer to sit. Instead he studied the woman.
Picking up her coat, Tori was tense as Julian was moving towards her. When he helped her into it, she forced herself to relax. “Thank you. I hope I dressed appropriately. You said dinner, but you didn’t tell me where.”
“Do you like Chinese?” he asked, taking one step back. Her perfume reminded him of the times he’d been rolling around in bed with her, laughing, and feeling alive. Julian’s entire body went taut at the memories, and he knew he wanted them back again. More than anything ever in his life, he needed one more shot with the woman. If he got it, he’d do everything right.
Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) Page 13