Chapter 4

I was awake at daybreak and then I got up at 6:30 getting breakfast out, a fire started and drinks. My stuff was already loaded when the guys made an appearance. Emmett said, "Damn! How long have you been up?'

"Long enough, but I'm a morning person and I love making breakfast. Let's eat up; we have a busy day ahead of us."

After breakfast was eaten and the raft was packed back up, we headed down the river. I told them about the river and its history. Some of the rock formations going up along the river had names and stories and I shared them. I liked hearing them banter back and forth it was quite entertaining. That day it was pretty warm outside, so when we got ready to climb, I looked up at the boys after I had finished putting on my shoes. There were three beautiful, sexy, shirtless men. I smiled to myself and said, "Ready guys. Edward, you're my partner today."

"Yes Bella. Why don't you switch to shorts and lose your knee socks and you would be cooler for climbing?"

"It's okay – I can handle the heat. Let's climb."

While climbing that day, each guy came up the second line and I showed them how I did the quick taps to release the clips and how I installed the clips and adjusted how far I tapped in. When I made it back down my line, Jasper asked, "Does it only hold for light weights like you?"

Emmett said, "No, because I used the lines yesterday."

"That's right; he did," said Edward.

"Don't worry guys; they work. You can try it tomorrow when we climb some more."

We ate dinner and then sat around the campfire again. I asked, "What do your parents think of you working for the CIA?"

Jasper said, "I never knew my parents; I was raised in foster care."

"You didn't want to try and find them."

"No. They gave up on me; so I decided that they weren't worth my time. Once I was in high school, I liked physical fitness and the law. I applied to the CIA and FBI and you can say the rest is history.

Edward then said, "My parents both died when I was very young and then my aunt and uncle took me in until right after I graduated from high school. I went with a group of seniors to Europe and they went to Hawaii and died in a helicopter accident over the volcanoes. I was also accepted into the CIA program."

Emmett then said, "My mother died giving birth to me and my father is in jail for drugs and too many other details that you do not need to hear about. I was put into foster care when I was eight years old. My father died in a stabbing in the jail when I was sixteen and I also decided to join the CIA."

"You three are really all alike."

Edward moved closer to me and said, "Actually, all four of us are alike," and he patted my hand.

Jasper said, "But Bella, what sealed the deal was when the Thanksgiving break came around and yet the office needed some guys to watch over a group for the weekend and we all volunteered. When we were driving to the location, that's when we figured out none of us had our own family so we agreed to become blood brothers and share the holidays together. We met Carlisle over that weekend and eventually, we became his ALMOST sons after Esme adopted us because they couldn't have children of their own."

"Wow! Do you really get along as well as it appears you do?"

"Yes. We all balance each other out like you said earlier Bella," Emmett commented.

"That's cool. You guys deserve to have something like that after being all alone for so long."

"Yes, but look at you Bella, now you're all alone; yet, you have always had family around you."

"That's okay. I promise right now this is the way I want it."

Tonight, the beach was a little smaller and it seemed even smaller after that conversation. My tent wasn't quite as far away from theirs as the previous nights. Again after my flashlight turned off, the boys said, "Sweet dreams, Bella and good night. Thanks for another great day."

I said, "Good night, guys."

EPOV

Once Bella was safely stowed into her tent up the beach some, Jasper said, "I recognize her, but I just can't place her."

I said, "Is it one of the million of ladies Emmett has been with?"

"No, it isn't like that. There is a picture of her haunting me from the office; but it's older maybe from three or four years ago." We went through some of our old cases in our heads together and nothing rang a bell.