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

by Kelley, Morgan

  “I’ll get your father and husband justice,” Elizabeth stated. “I promise the killer won’t get away with this.”

  Julian glanced over at Tori, and he held his hand out, pulling her towards their circle. She was going to be his wife and was part of their family. “I know you will,” he said, believing it. Julian knew how tenacious the woman was, and he trusted no one more with the people he loved.

  It was the ultimate faith between friends and family.

  “I know you’ll make this right,” he said, going back to hug his family. Now it was time to pick up the pieces of something he never knew was even broken.

  * * *

  As the plane was landing on the tarmac, Callen called the hospital, asking to speak to Nurse Marly. When she was put on the call, he informed her that he landed and would be there in less than twenty minutes.

  “Do you want to see Desdemona before you leave with your child?” she inquired. “We can take you down to the morgue and you can say your last goodbyes.”

  At first his instinct was to decline her offer. After all this, the woman had planned on keeping his child from him. “Yeah, I want to say a few words to her.” What he wanted to do was tell her what was in his heart for the last time, severing that last tie. It was much like when he went to see his mother’s grave and said goodbye. Getting the words out had been cathartic.

  “We’ll see you shortly, Director Whitefox.”

  Callen unbuckled as the door was opened by his pilot. “I’ll be back in the next hour or two. As soon as I get onboard we need to head out of here and fast. Director Blackhawk needs the Jet back.”

  “Yes Sir. Just so you know, he has rescheduled the flight to land in the little airport outside Red River. You won’t have to make the drive.”

  Thank God for his brother. He ran out of the plane and was flagged down by another man.

  “Are you Callen Whitefox?” he asked, holding out keys. “Your rental car is ready. Drive safe, Sir.”

  That’s why Ethan was in charge. Never again would he bust his ass about micromanaging everything. He really owed his big brother for everything he’d done tonight by trusting him and backing him up. Callen should have known the man would have control freaked it to death, clearing the path to the undisclosed issue. Pulling out of the parking lot, he raced to the hospital and the child waiting for him.

  * * *

  Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat staring out the window. Everything around her was off balance and out of sync. Callen was nowhere to be seen, and she’d received a text message from him telling her he loved her, and he was sorry. That made her incredibly edgy. Something was going on and she needed to know.

  “Where is he, Ethan? Let’s go with the truth this time.”

  Blackhawk knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. While messing with Julian’s brother gave him time, the truth was eventually going to surface. “Callen received a call. When he asked me to come outside, he told me there was an emergency.”

  Elizabeth became sick. “Is our son okay?” Her hand immediately went to the baby growing in her belly. “Is Wyler hurt?”

  “No baby, stay calm. Our family is fine.”

  Elizabeth didn’t understand. “Then what was the emergency.”

  Blackhawk pulled into their driveway, turning off the engine. “He took the jet back to Cypress Grove.”

  It would have hurt less if he slapped her. Elizabeth stared at him. “You let him go back there to her, and you didn’t think I should know?”

  The tears filled her eyes at the betrayal, and Elizabeth wasn’t sure who to be angrier with at that moment; Callen for leaving or Ethan for allowing him.

  “Baby, he said he’d be back tomorrow. He needed my help. I’m his brother, and it’s my job in life is to protect him and help him. He was ready to beg. What was I supposed to do when he said it was an emergency?”

  That answered her question. She had never been angrier at him in her life. “You should have told me. I’m part of this too. You let him go off to do God only knows what.”

  “Elizabeth,” he watched her helplessly, as she climbed out of the Denali. This was exactly what he suspected was going to happen. He had to lie to protect one person he loved and ended up wounding the other.

  She ran into the house and to the closest bathroom. Never in her life had fear made her quite this sick. Elizabeth had just enough time to lock the door before she began purging everything in her body. As she finished retching, the dread filled her as she brushed her teeth.

  Why would he do this to her?

  Staring into the mirror, the tears poured hotly down her cheeks. Dropping to the nearest corner, Elizabeth braced her back against the wall. The pain ripped through her as she wept bitterly for the man she loved. Part of her couldn’t believe he would run back to a woman that damaged them all.

  There was anger, betrayal and hurt over the entire situation. The only thing it outweighed was the anxiety and the shock.

  Blackhawk stood outside the door helplessly. He was forced to listen to her being sick and then her sobbing. “Let me in, Elizabeth,” he demanded, banging on the door. When she wouldn’t comply, he did what he knew would get him to her side. Pulling out a pocket knife, he popped the lock.

  Elizabeth didn’t even look up as she continued to weep vicious, angry tears.

  “Baby,” he whispered, dropping beside her and taking her hand in his. “It’ll be okay.”

  She was dying inside. Of all her fears in life, this was her biggest. One day he’d leave, because they didn’t have that binding paper to hold him to her. Putting her hands over her stomach her entire body shook in sorrow. “What if he never returns to us?”

  Ethan pulled her into his lap and cradled her against his chest. “He’ll be back in the morning. You know he wouldn’t ever leave his child, Elizabeth. You’re making yourself sick over this for no reason. Callen loves you, he loves us, and he loves EJ.”

  She had to believe that. It was all the hope she had left. “Why would he run to her side, Ethan?”

  Blackhawk understood her worries and terror at a question he couldn’t even answer for her. “Callen will be back.” If he didn't come back on his own, Ethan would hunt him down and drag him there.

  She shook and sobbed more into his neck as he simply held her. “I’m scared, Ethan.”

  He knew exactly what he’d do to the man that broke Elizabeth’s heart. Brother or not. “It’s okay, Baby. I have you.”

  There was one cognizant worry building in him and Ethan prayed that Elizabeth wouldn’t even consider it. The idea that Callen would be coming back with Desdemona made him want to be sick himself. If anything, his brother was an honorable man, wanting to save the world. The call that drew him back had to be damn important. Now he was praying that when Callen returned, it wasn’t with the woman that threatened to destroy their happy lives.

  * * *

  Callen parked the rental and raced into the hospital. He pulled his badge out when security approached him. “I need the maternity ward!” he demanded, following the guard to the elevators. Getting in, he waited until the doors to the third floor opened. He thanked the guard and moved towards the nurses’ station.

  They all sat there chatting as if it was a normal night.

  When he approached all discussion came to an end.

  “My name is Director Callen Whitefox, and I need a Nurse Marly. I spoke to her earlier,” he said, pulling out his badge and letting the head nurse inspect it.

  “I’m Nurse Marly. I’m sorry that you had to rush here like this, Mr. Whitefox. Do you want to see your daughter?” she asked, “Or do you want to say your final respects first?”

  There was no other answer he would give. “I want to see my child. She’s my priority.”

  The nurse understood, leading him towards the nursery. Once inside there were a few babies sleeping in the clear bassinets. “Have a seat Mr. Whitefox. I’ll get her for you,” she whispered.

  Callen watched as the woman cro
ssed to the one pink wrapped baby. She was sleeping and had a pacifier in her mouth. As she approached, his eyes filled with tears. This was his daughter, and he’d almost missed knowing she existed.

  “Here you go,” she said, laying the sleeping child in his arms. “Under that hat is a ton of brown hair. I see where she got it from,” the woman offered, pointing at his ponytail.

  Callen stared in awe. His daughter was absolutely beautiful. “I love her already,” he whispered, touching her chubby cheek with his finger tip.

  “Her mother had brought certain things with her when she checked in. We dressed her to have her ready for you. She’s had her shots and blood work, and I’m happy to say your daughter is perfect.”

  Callen kissed her cheek and was already hopelessly lost. “How did Desdemona die?” He finally thought to ask it, now that he had his child safely in his arms.

  “It wasn’t an easy labor. Your daughter was wedged in fairly well. When she finally came out, we couldn’t get Desdemona’s uterus to stimulate and stop bleeding. She hemorrhaged during delivery.”

  “Did she suffer?”

  The woman shook her head. “No, she didn’t.”

  Callen nodded. “I need to name her, right?” he said, staring at his baby. She was precious, beautiful, and his. So this is what fatherhood felt like.

  “Yes, Desdemona just put her last name down. I don’t think she knew the sex of the baby.”

  Whitefox could feel the anger rebuilding. “I want the last name changed on the form. This is my daughter, and she’s a Whitefox not an Adare.”

  The nurse tried to soothe. “I already changed her last name. You only need to pick a first and middle name for her.”

  Callen kissed her again, and sorrow filled him that her life had already had a rocky start. “I promise it’ll get better than today, Sweetheart,” he whispered, already in love with her.

  “She’s beautiful. Now that I know she’s native, I can see it. She’s going to look like her daddy.”

  He looked up and tears had filled his eyes. “I think I’d like to do the birth certificate now. I know what her name’s going to be.”

  The nurse pulled over a chair. “Want me to fill it out while you hold your daughter?”

  Callen nodded, unwilling to let her go. “I’d like that very much.”

  * * *

  Julian couldn’t sleep. Everything was rushing through his mind a mile a minute. After so many years of believing his father’s death had been an accident, to find out it hadn’t been was shocking.

  No, it was horrifying.

  If his uncle were still alive, he would have gone to his house and kicked the hell out of the man. For all these years, they could have been searching for the killer; instead they let it go cold.

  His father deserved justice.

  There was a mix of rage and hate brewing deep within his body. He’d been robbed all those years of a father, by a killer that was still out there preying on people.

  There needed to be closure. For his father, he made a vow to work on this until the killer was dead or behind bars.

  “I love you, Julian. I’ll help you find justice for your family.”

  It was like she knew what he was thinking. Tori always sensed what was going on in his mind. “We’ll start on this tomorrow, and we’ll figure out a way to give your dad what he deserves.”

  He stared at the ceiling.

  Tori rolled over and curled around his body. Lovingly, she stroked her hand up and down his side, offering him peace.”

  “I’m not in the mood for sex tonight,” he said, a little harder than he intended.

  She swallowed the hurt that his words caused in her heart. “I wasn’t offering you sex, Julian. I was trying to comfort you. There’s a big difference.” Moving away from him, Tori slid her legs over the side of the bed. As she went to stand and leave him alone, he grabbed her arm.

  Tori glanced back.

  Julian stared up at her, his eyes filled with pain and tears. “Please don’t leave me,” he whispered to her. “I need you, Victoria.”

  It broke her heart to watch him hurting this much. Climbing back into bed, she pulled him towards her body. Julian curled around her, taking all she had to offer.

  He released the tears and pent up pain.

  Julian let go of the anger and hate, trusting she’d keep him safe.

  Tori simply held on through the storm giving him everything in her to heal him.

  As he once did for her.

  * * *

  Ethan sat on the couch, his wife still in his arms. She’d cried herself to sleep over the entire situation. When his brother finally returned, he’d better have a damn good excuse.

  Pushing up from the couch, he carried Elizabeth to their bed, placing her in the middle of the mattress. Hopefully when he woke up all three of them would be back in the bed together again.

  Sliding out of his clothes, he stripped Elizabeth out of her jeans and climbed in beside her. Immediately, she turned into his body, and he pulled her against him.

  With one hand, he sent his brother a text message explaining the mess he’d made by not telling them what was happening. Placing it back on the bed stand, he willed himself into sleep.

  Hoping in the morning everything would be intact.

  Or at least fixable.

  * * *

  Callen stared down at the text message and was sick to his stomach. Not once had it occurred to him that Elizabeth’s first thought would be that he returned to Desdemona’s side. He whipped out another text, trying to reassure her. Callen would be leaving shortly. He was only waiting to see the woman that gave life to his daughter and in exchange lost her own.

  “Damn you, Desdemona,” he muttered, staring at his little girl through the glass.

  “I love you,” he whispered to his child.

  “Are you ready, Mr. Whitefox?” the nurse inquired, coming to his side.

  Callen wanted to get this part finished, as he followed her to the elevator. “I only need a few minutes. How long until I can take my daughter?” he asked, unwilling to stay any longer than he needed to at that point. Now he needed to go home and face Elizabeth and save his relationship.

  “All your paperwork is in place. We called Quantico and spoke to a Gabriel Rothschild’s secretary. She vouched for you and assured us you work for the federal government. The woman also verified your Native Rights, and your daughter is free to leave with you. I’ll remind you that she still needs a round of inoculations in a week.”

  “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of properly. I have a family waiting her arrival.” He hoped that was true, or he’d be alone with his daughter in the world. The thought that he might lose his son, scared the hell out of him, and he couldn’t even dwell on it. “She’s going to be loved and protected,” he swore.

  “I’m glad. When Desdemona’s family didn’t want her, it was heartbreaking.”

  Callen nodded. “I’m not surprised. She’s mixed race, and the family didn't exactly approve of me.”

  The nurse patted his arm. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Who isn’t a little bit of everything now-a-days? Purity is overrated.”

  He smiled at her reassurance. “Thank you for that.” Even though she was being kind, Callen wanted to get his child out of there fast. “I’m sorry but I need to make a call,” he said, pulling out his phone. When his pilot answered, he spoke quickly. “I’ll be back at the airport in an hour. I need us back in the air and to Red River as soon as possible.”

  “We’ll be waiting, Sir.”

  He hung up the phone.

  It wasn’t lost on the woman that the man had to be pretty powerful. To fly across the country on a private jet to race to her side implied the child would have a far better life than now. Everything in her relaxed, believing the baby had a fighting chance.

  “So you know,” she began, “we packed formula and diapers for you in her diaper bag. You should be good until you get home,” Nurse Marly said, drawing his atten
tion. “If I may say something off the record, Mr. Whitefox?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I grew up in Cypress Grove. Get her out of here and don’t let her come back. The swamp isn’t a great place to be a child.”

  He hugged her. “Thank you for being kind to my daughter. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.”

  When the doors opened, she led him to the morgue doors. “I’ll wait out here for you to escort you back up.”

  Callen walked in, completely at home and familiar with the chilly room. A year ago, this would have creeped him out, including the body under the sheet. From the size and shape, he already knew who was waiting underneath.

  “I’ll pull it back for you, Sir,” said the technician.

  When he did, Callen was surprised. Desdemona didn’t look like he remembered. Her face had worry lines around the eyes, and she just looked…older. It was a testament to what hate and anger could do to a person. The six months since last seeing her hadn’t been kind.

  “Can I have a minute?” he asked. When the man was gone, he turned to the woman he once thought he loved.

  “I’m sorry this was the path you took in life. I wish you could be here to see our daughter grow into a woman. I’m angry that you planned on keeping her from me, Desi. You deliberately planned to hide her to make me pay. That’s a great deal of hatred you were carrying on your shoulders, and I’m glad it’s finally gone from weighing you down. If we pay for our sins when we die, you’ve a great deal to answer for and so do I.”

  Whitefox closed his eyes, trying to dig deep and find any compassion.

  “Last time you saw me you told me you hated me and that I ruined your life. Since this is the last time I’ll see you, I’ll tell you this. I forgive you. I know you were angry, and I promise to tell my child about you if she asks. I won’t disparage you or tell her you were cold, angry and bitter in the end. I’ll tell her you loved her and would have been a good mother. Have a safe passage to the afterlife, Desi.”