Tiptoeing to her closet, she dressed in her sweats and sneakers. A six mile run would take her an hour, and hopefully get her mind ready for the day.
As she stopped at the bed, she wondered if they’d want to join her. Reality dawned, and Elizabeth remembered that both men had been drinking, heavily. If she was exhausted completely sober, then they would be cranky, tired and miserable tonight if she didn’t let them sleep. Tonight was the big event, when she revealed to them that she was expecting, and she wanted it to be magical.
Cranky men need not attend.
With her first pregnancy, Timothy Blackhawk dropped the bomb and surprised them both. Elizabeth didn’t get the pleasure of finding out and springing it on Ethan. Now she got to tell both men.
Stepping onto her treadmill, she plugged in her headphones and downloaded the music she was in the mood to listen to that morning. Something fast and with a hard beat.
As she started working out, Elizabeth thought about the t-shirts she ordered for the men in her family to announce the news. Then it occurred to her.
What if it caused a fight? It was inevitable that one man was going to be left out and not the father. All she hoped was testosterone wouldn’t take over and ruin it for everyone involved. How would Ethan feel about her having their second child with another man? Granted it was his brother, but still.
Shit!
Then what about Callen? How would he feel if he didn’t get to finally be a father? Would being left out of the procreation pool hurt his heart?
Damn it to hell!
None of this was planned, but it had the potential for a big explosion. Elizabeth started to worry that there were going to be unpleasant ramifications out of the entire deal. Maybe their happy moment wouldn’t be so happy after all.
Suddenly, the pleasant run to forget about the case had only made her ponder worse things. What if her miracle ended up costing her the family she loved more than anything?
Elizabeth became sick to her stomach, literally, and hopped off the treadmill, racing upstairs to the bathroom. Locking the door, she purged everything in her body. This pregnancy was already running her through the ringer. It was harder to run, she could barely eat, and now she was seriously stressed.
Brushing her teeth, she stood staring into the mirror. Placing her hand over her belly, Elizabeth whispered to her little baby. “I’ll love you no matter what,” she promised, tears filling her eyes, as fear racked her body. Sitting on the bathroom floor, Elizabeth sobbed as quietly as she could, hoping no one found her.
Right then and there, she wanted to run upstairs and tell them both, hoping they’d still love her and their family. Yet Elizabeth knew she couldn’t. Today she needed to work and focus, and if the men were losing their minds, it would make it that much harder to handle. The dead women needed her attention.
When she cried her last tear, Elizabeth washed her face and tried to not look upset. Yeah, that wasn’t going to be easy at all. Her whole heart was scared.
“Okay, put it together, Lyzee!” Elizabeth ordered, giving herself a pep talk. “We can get through this.”
Just then there was a screech and reality dawned that there was someone else up in the house. Peeking out the door, Elizabeth saw Wyler pouring himself coffee, as he held CJ. Her little boy played with his braid, chewing on it and pulling.
It was safe, Wyler wouldn’t rat her out to the men. “Hey, Dad, how are you?” she inquired from behind him.
“Sweetheart, I didn’t know you were up,” he replied, reaching up and getting another cup for coffee.
“Yeah, I was running on the treadmill in the basement.” Accepting the coffee, Elizabeth inhaled in the scent, and thankfully it didn’t make her want to retch.
Small miracle there!
“I didn’t hear CJ last night, did he get up?” inquired the older man.
Elizabeth nodded. “Callen took care of him, and he was only up that one time.” She went to her little man, giving him kisses and love. “Let Mommy go shower, and then we’ll wake up Daddy and Uncle Callen.”
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Wyler finally asked, noticing her eyes were red.
Elizabeth sighed. “I will be after tonight, maybe.” The she shook her head. “I’ll explain to everyone by tomorrow at the latest. Just don’t tell Callen and Ethan. Please?” she begged.
He kissed her on the forehead. “I won’t tell them, but if you need me to hold a secret for you, Elizabeth. I will. You’re as much my child as the boys are, and I love you exactly the same.”
Her eyes filled with tears and she laid her head on his shoulder. “I know, Dad. Just bear with me until tomorrow and then you can tell them if I don’t tell you.”
“Are you unhappy with the situation, Lyzee?” he queried, worried his one son was going to get his heart broken.
She shook her head. “I'm in love with both men, but I have to tell them something and I’m afraid of their response. Please Dad, give me until tomorrow.”
The man nodded. “Okay Elizabeth. I can give you until tomorrow, and then I’ll have to tell them that you're distraught. You know the Blackhawks don’t keep secrets from one another.”
“I know, Dad.” She patted his cheek. “I’ll be right back. I need to go shower.”
Wyler watched his daughter-in-law walk away, and already he suspected what secret she was hiding. He’d had a dream in which his father told him. Now it was just a matter of time to see if the dream was accurate or not. He understood her trepidation, and worry over the men she loved.
“Come on my little Blackhawk warrior. I’ll get you some O’s, and you can snack until your mommy gets back from her shower.” Wyler couldn’t help but smile at the possibilities.
Not all secrets were bad, and he was sure this one would be well received.
Regardless.
* * *
Julian rolled over in the hotel bed and started kissing the woman awake. The trail of lips across her body was pulling her from sleep, and hopefully she’d be up for more lovin’ before they had to head to work. Moving lower, she began to respond to his hands tracing cleaver patterns on her exhausted body.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she mumbled. “What are you? That damn battery operated rabbit on TV?”
Julian laughed and rolled her onto her back. “How did you sleep?” he asked. “Any nightmares?”
Tori snickered. “How can I have nightmares if I don’t sleep longer than an hour at a clip? You woke me up all night long,” she mumbled, putting his pillow over her face.
“I’m about to wake you up again,” he snickered again, nibbling on her luscious breasts.
She tried to ignore him. “What time is it?”
Julian looked at his watch. “It’s almost seven.”
“What?” she jumped out of bed and looked around for her clothing. “Oh my God!”
Julian laughed, as she searched for her undergarments on the hotel room floor. “We don’t have to be into the office until nine, Tori. We have plenty of time before work.”
“Are you insane?” she asked, pulling on her things and watching him lounge in the bed. “If you don’t wipe that smug look off your face, I’ll do it for you.”
Julian grinned wickedly. “Victoria, come back to bed.”
Slipping into her heels she tried to balance precariously. “You may have had your way with me all last night, Julian Littlemoon, but we have to get back to my place, shower, and to work.”
“It’s Christmas Eve.”
“You know what Elizabeth does to agents that try lame ass excuses like that?” she stated, emphatically. “I’m not chancing it and risking my life, especially now.”
That caught Julian’s attention. “Why, what’s new now?”
Oh shit! Now she just sicked the tracker on the trail. What the hell was wrong with her? Night long debauchery, ratting out her boss, and no nightmares. Her brain was on overload.
She sighed. “Elizabeth made me promise. I can’t tell you,” she said, a
damantly.
Julian shrugged noncommittally, and then grinned. “I’ll just ask her or Ethan.”
“Oh hell! Come on! Julian please?”
“Spill it Tori.” Watching her get all worked up was having the same effect on him. His body was ready for her again, and he was planning on making it happen.
“If I tell you, then she’ll kill me.”
“If you don’t, then she’ll kill you for slipping and spilling the details. This is a no win for you, unless you trust me.”
Now she began pacing back and forth, trying to decide on the best approach. “Promise you won’t tell her?” she asked, stopping to stare at him.
“You can buy my silence,” he grinned.
Tori was horrified. “You’re going to blackmail me with sexual favors? Are you out of your head?” she inquired. “I’m a federal agent and that’s a big offense.”
Julian watched her unblinkingly. “You can keep me quiet, and it won’t take more than twenty minutes, or we can argue about it the next twenty and you’ll be even later. Plus Elizabeth kills you on top of it all.”
“Can we at least do this in the shower, and cut out a step?” Tori demanded, glancing over at the bedside clock.
Julian laughed at the absurdity of it all. Tori was actually negotiating bribery. “Yes, we can. Now that’s the way to think, Victoria.”
She started stripping again, watching him stand from the bed. Yeah, the man was already to go. Slowly, she backed into the bathroom. “Julian, stop looking all smug, like I’m some antelope on the Serengeti and you’re a starving carnivore.”
“You better hurry, Tori, and keep my mind occupied or I might come up with another way to blackmail you.”
Slipping out of her heels, she backed right into the tub and waited for him. Tori would be lying if she said she wasn’t completely turned on by him. There was just something about the man that made her crazy.
Julian grinned. Now it was time to try her out all wet and soapy.
Tori laughed as he lurched, grabbing her. Now she only hoped they could get to work on time.
Oh yeah, and her boss didn’t kill her.
* * *
Elizabeth stepped out of the bathroom and found their bedroom deserted. That meant the men had decided to grab showers in the other rooms and converge downstairs. She didn’t realize she’d been in there so long. Looking over at the clock, she slipped into a simple wrap dress and heels. Since it was Christmas Eve, she was trying to look presentable.
Pulling her hair back, she twisted it into a knot at the base of her neck. Certainly the men were going to give her flak about being dressed up, but it didn’t bother her. There were other things on her mind.
Finishing up her morning routine in record time, Elizabeth grabbed her gun and badge out of the bedside table. It was time to start the day. Creeping downstairs, Elizabeth observed the scene playing out in her kitchen, and it touched her heart.
Wyler was sitting on a stool feeding CJ. Ethan and Callen were in the kitchen, and it appeared the older brother was giving the younger a cooking lesson. Both men were in aprons and focused solely on the cooking food. It gave her a warm fuzzy feeling that the men were hers to love.
“Morning boys,” she said, leaning against the fridge.
Ethan grinned at his wife, taking in her attire. “You look beautiful, baby,” he said, opening his arms and kissing her good morning. Once he broke away from the kiss, he dropped a chaste kiss onto the tip of her nose.
“Thank you, Cowboy.” Leaning against the man, Elizabeth took in the scent of his cologne. It called to her. “What’s going on here?” she inquired, moving towards Callen and going into his arms next.
Whitefox picked her up off the ground in a big hug. When he put her down, she pulled him down for a kiss.
It was longer and deeper than the one she just shared with Ethan, and for a reason. “I hear you made a big sacrifice for your brother last night, Cal,” she whispered, after breaking away from his lips.
The man simply shrugged and kept his eyes on hers. “I don’t mind,” and he didn’t.
Elizabeth went up on her toes and whispered in his ear. “I love you and you’re an amazing man. Thank you for being mine. I’m a very lucky girl.”
Callen hugged her again, and accepted another kiss.
Ethan started laughing. “He gave up a night of sex. He’s not going off to war. Let the man focus on breakfast before we have to start over again. He can’t multitask.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Okay, but Callen gets more kisses before work.”
“Yee haw,” he said, winking.
“So what are you boys making me for breakfast this morning?” she asked, scooping up her son and cuddling with him. Instantly, he placed his head on her shoulder and her heart skipped a beat. Being his mommy was nothing but sheer joy, and she couldn’t wait to have another child running around their house. The more the merrier as far as she was concerned.
“We’re going with French toast, because it’s relatively easy,” stated Blackhawk. “Or one would think it is.”
“Hey, I don’t have culinary skills,” Whitefox muttered. “You started cooking as a kid with your mom. We both know I didn’t get that luxury. Let’s face it, the only cooking Charlene did was heroine in a spoon. ”
Elizabeth’s heart ached for the man. Both her and Ethan were well aware of the childhood the man had, and the abuse he’d suffered. Callen’s mother had the instinct of an alley cat, and often forgot to feed and care for her son. She’d also allowed him to be burned and abused by men she brought home. Elizabeth suspected that the abuse went even further than Callen shared with them. “Trust me, my Native eye candy. I’m not in love with you for your cooking skills,” she said winking.
Ethan laughed, covering the guilt he was feeling over the childhood differences they had. “You’re distracting him again.” He gave his brother instructions on how to flip the French toast and not make a mess.
Wyler sat laughing at the table. The three of them made his heart very light. “What are your plans today?” he asked, watching Elizabeth cuddle with her son. He was falling asleep on her shoulder, and that would mean time to shower and shave.
“We have to go to work for a few hours. There’s an autopsy on the table at nine,” answered Elizabeth.
“I have some paperwork that I need to take care of too,” added Ethan. “Then I’m free until Monday.”
Callen flipped more French toast. He may have actually gotten this down finally. “I’m chasing a sexy, dress wearing woman. That’s my Christmas present to myself,” Whitefox stated, with a serious look on his face.
Elizabeth snorted. “We should be home by the afternoon. Then I’d like to have dinner, sit on the couch and do absolutely nothing.”
Wyler thought about it. “Tomorrow I’m going to my father’s grave.”
Both boys paused, as the sharp pain lanced their hearts.
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears, and they threatened to spill over. “I’ll go with you, Dad,” she offered softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.
Patting her hand, he smiled up at her. “I know you will. It’s his first Christmas under the ground, and I just need…” Wyler didn’t know what he needed.
“I’ll pick up some flowers today and tomorrow we’ll open presents and go see granddad.” Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek. “You both don’t have to go. I’ll take dad.” Losing Timothy was a tough thing for both boys. The man raised them, gave them a home when they were without their mothers and Wyler. He was a father to them, and the wounds were still very raw and at the surface.
“I’ll go,” Ethan stated, his voice void of all emotion. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to, but if his wife could handle it, then so could he.
Callen didn’t speak for the longest time. Timothy’s death hit him the hardest. He was still mourning the loss. “I don’t know if I can do it.”
Elizabeth went to both men and they moved around her, hugging her to their bodies.
“It’ll be okay, Callen. If you can’t do it, then stay here. Granddad would understand.”
He let out a long sigh. “No, it’s time. I’ll face it.” The last time he went there he was getting drunk and having a pity party for himself. This time it was to just tell the man he missed him. It was time to confess what was weighing heavily on his heart.
“We’ll get through it together,” Elizabeth promised them.
Ethan pulled away first, and finished the French toast. He knew his brother would struggle with going there, and he wanted to give his wife time to help him through it. Elizabeth was the Band-Aid on Callen’s heart.
“Let’s go put CJ down for a nap,” she said, taking Callen by the hand and leading him away. She knew the man needed to purge, getting it off his chest.
“Okay angel,” he replied, taking off the apron with one hand and dropping it on the counter as he walked away.
Ethan and Wyler watched him leave.
“Think he’ll ever be okay?” inquired the older Blackhawk, watching his son with guilt. Had he been a better father to his boys, possibly the man’s heart wouldn’t still be wounded.
“Elizabeth will fix him back up again,” Ethan stated with absolute certainty. “Just give her time to work on it.”
“I hope he heals soon.”
Ethan watched his brother walk up their stairs. “Yeah, me too.”
Elizabeth tucked CJ into his crib, and then stood beside Callen as they watched the little boy. She knew the man wanted children in the worst way. “Let’s go talk, Cal,” she whispered.
He simply nodded, taking her hand and letting himself be led away. Right now he was feeling raw inside again. The pain had begun dulling over the loss of Timothy Blackhawk, and he was feeling incredibly guilty. Honestly, he missed him but he was able to now go a day without dwelling on him being dead. That alone was gnawing away at his gut. The man he swore to never forget was slipping away.
Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) Page 25