Dark Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 1)
Dark Justice
By Morgan Kelley
Copyright © 2016 Morgan Kelley LLC
All rights reserved. Without limiting rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, introduced into a retrieval system, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including without limitation photocopying, recording, or other electronic or technical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
The scanning, uploading, and/or distribution of this document via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. For permission requests, email author.m.kelley@gmail.com
Content Advisory: This book is intended for mature audiences and contains graphic violence, explicit sexual activity and disturbing imagery
©Copyright 2016 cover by Celestia Abraham
Other works by Morgan Kelley:
Standalone Thrillers
The Junction
Serial Sins
The Blood Betrayal
FBI Romance Series
The Killing Times (Book 1)
Sacred Burial Grounds (Book 2)
True Love Lost (Book 3)
Deep Dark Mire (Book 4)
Fire Burns Hot (Book 5)
Darkness of Truth (Book 6)
Devil Hath Come (Book 7)
Consumed by Wrath (Book 8)
Redemption is Here (Book 9)
Dead Shall Speak (Book 10)
Pledging to Die (Book 11)
Slay Bells Ring (Book 12)
Past will Haunt (Book 13)
Choices will Destroy (Book 14)
Blood shall Run (Book 15)
Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Series
Celestia is Falling (1)
Vegas is Dying (2)
Christmas is Killing (3)
Love is Bleeding (4)
Heaven is Weeping (5)
Hell is Burning (6)
Justice is Dead (7)
Littlemoon Investigations
Blood Red Rage (Book 1)
Lost & Broken (Book 2)
Unthinkable Games (Book 3)
Truth is Found (Book 4)
Haven of Nightmares (Book 5)
The Carter Chronicles Trilogy
Sinner Repent (1)
Sinner Realized (2)
Sinner Reborn (3)
Oracle/The Phoenix Files
Oracle Rising (book 1)
The Harcourte Vampyre Society series
Dangerous Revelations (1)
Dangerous Choices (2)
Dangerous Misery (3)
Dangerous Retaliation (4)
Behind Closed Doors Anthology
Illegal Fantasies ~ Behind Closed Doors (1)
Romance Under Arrest~ Behind Closed Doors (2)
Holiday Reinforcements ~ Behind Closed Doors (3)
~~~~ About the Author ~~~~
Morgan Kelley lives in the beautiful Pocono Mountains with her husband and two children. After attending college at Penn State University and studying Criminal Justice, Morgan knew her only true passion in life would be murder and books. She put them both together and began her career as a writer. Other than books and writing, you can find Morgan hanging out in her garden and digging in the dirt.
Her other works include: The Junction, Serial Sins, The Blood Betrayal, The Killing Times (1), Sacred Burial Grounds (2), True Love Lost (3), Deep Dark Mire (4), Fire Burns Hot (5), Darkness of Truth (6), Devil Hath Come (7), Consumed by Wrath (8), Redemption is Here (9), Dead Shall Speak (10), Pledging to Die (11), Slay Bells Ring (12), Past will Haunt (13), Choices will Destroy (14), Blood shall Run (15), Blood Red Rage (1) Lost & Broken (2), Unthinkable Games (3), Truth is Found (4), Haven of Nightmares (5), Celestia is Falling (1), Vegas is Dying (2), Christmas is Killing (3), Love is Bleeding (4), Heaven is Weeping (5), Hell is Burning (6), Justice is Dead (7), Dark Justice (1), Dangerous Revelations (1), Dangerous Choices (2), Dangerous Misery (3), Dangerous Retaliation (4), Sinner Repent (1), Sinner Realized (2), Sinner Reborn (3), Oracle Rising (1), Illegal Fantasies (Anthology 1), Romance Under Arrest (Anthology 2), and Holiday Reinforcements (Anthology 3)
Please feel free to visit Morgan at her website: www.morgankelley.com, email her author.m.kelley@gmail.com, or visit her blog at www.morgankelley.blogspot.com.
Spin off series of ‘The Croft & Croft romance adventures’.
Celestia is Falling
Vegas is Dying
Christmas is Killing
Love is Bleeding
Heaven is Weeping
Hell is burning
Justice is Dead
Dark Justice
Letter to the reader
I’m a little sad that I’ve had to pen this letter in the front of one of my books. I always tell everyone that I have the most amazing fans who are loving, supportive, and truly open to all kinds of relationships. (For the most part, that’s still very true!)
Well, in the final book of the Croft series, I was given a 1 star review—not for the writing, the storyline, or the editing, but because someone was offended by the gay couple Steele and Dante. I was chastised in the review because I had put gay sex in a book.
HOW DARE I?
NOW, to address that, there was NO SEX between them in that book—none that was described. This person blew it out of proportion, forcing me to put a message on Amazon explaining that to my readers. There were some scenes where they held hands, a kiss, and one when they went into a bedroom and closed the door. From the review, it made the book sound like something it wasn’t. There weren’t pages and pages of man on man orgy.
There just weren’t. I wish I could take credit for that, but I can’t.
Now you’re probably wondering why I’m writing this letter here. Well, here it is. Dante and Steele are integral to this series. They aren’t just token characters that I keep around for my wicked amusement. I have them to show one thing.
Love is love.
As a writer, I don’t put M/M sex scenes in my books, simply because I don’t think I write them very well. What do I know about two sexy men in bed together? This person was offended by their relationship, and even though she stated she loved my books, I had ruined it for her. I don’t get that for so many reasons, but mostly because Steele and Dante weren’t thrown into the series in the final book. They’ve been part of the series since book three—and a couple. They shouldn’t have come as this huge surprise. I wanted the readers to get accustomed to them, make them family, and watch them grow.
Hey! I get it. Not everyone is comfortable with gay people. I don’t write gay romances, so I get it when a reader is shocked that a gay couple turns up in a book having sex. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in my book. There was NO gay sex. Her response was a blatant homophobic reaction and one I won’t rationalize.
Dante and Steele are here to stay.
It would be the equivalent of me getting rid of Callen because it offends people that he’s Ethan’s half-brother.
It’s just not happening.
So, to make sure no one is shocked, horrified, or upset going forward—this series will NOT have gay sex in it, but it will have Steele and Dante getting married one day. It will have kissing, and it will have a relationship worthy of love.
I write happy ever afters.
That’s my job.
I can’t, in good conscious, in this day and age, exclude anyone
. We are all worthy of love.
Period.
So, if I’ve offended any of you, it wasn’t my intent. For the person so irate that I’d given two men a relationship in one of my books, I won’t apologize for it. I will say I am sorry that your heart is closed to love.
I hope you find an author better suited your tastes.
For the rest of you…
Let the ride continue. Let’s get our Croft on.
I promise you won’t regret it.
Much love, Mayhem, and Murder,
MK.
Greyson Croft, here’s the first day of the rest of your life…
My name is Greyson Croft…
At one time, I was the law in Las Vegas. I kept the streets clean, the bad guys going to jail, and peace in our fine city. Then, that all changed.
In the matter of a heartbeat, it was over.
My life drastically changed.
I kept my word and I made a choice to avenge my family. I let justice go in order to protect the ones I hold dear, and I became an outlaw.
To the cops, Feds, and citizens of the city, I was no longer the law but part of the criminal element. I gave up my gold badge for something completely different.
Dark Justice.
Oh, I still run Las Vegas, but now it’s done from the other side. I’m still a force to reckon with, but I no longer work for the government or the people of the city.
I work for me.
I am justice.
After a year of cleaning up the mess left behind by the powerful mob and money hungry animals threatening our city, I became them. I became what I hunted, and now I am feared. The police don’t trust me.
The media is curious.
And the only people who know what I’m really like are my family. They know the truth.
I became the new power player.
I became the new dark justice.
I became…
The new family everyone feared.
While most think I’m crooked, a criminal, and just like the Dominic Marianna’s in the world, they’re dead wrong. I’m still the only one who stands between the seedy element and the people who have fallen through the cracks. The only difference is, now I’m running Vegas my way. My hands aren’t tied, and I can help those who I couldn’t help before.
Honestly, there’s no one to stop me.
The Croft Empire has been formed. It grew from two people who lived and breathed justice and now it’s an entity in itself.
It’s strong.
And it’s not going anywhere, despite what the law in Las Vegas wants.
Why?
Because in Vegas the good guy is the bad guy, and the bad guys are the ones who pretend to care about the people of this city. That’s crystal clear from where I stand.
Am I breaking the rules?
Yes.
Am I willing to do whatever it takes to protect?
Yes.
What do I have to lose?
Absolutely nothing.
I’ve been a soldier, a man who served his country, taking that shot to end a life. I’ve been a Director in the FBI, making the tough decisions as I tried to keep the peace.
I did my job.
I followed the rules.
Now I make them.
Will everyone agree with them? Not likely. The police don’t like me interfering, but when I see people being kicked around, I always help the underdog.
It may not be the popular bet in Las Vegas, but I want them to win. I want them to find their missing family, get off the streets, and have good lives. They deserve it. They aren’t the forgotten.
I haven’t forgotten them.
My family will do whatever it takes to help them.
Someone has to do it.
That someone is me.
Being the most powerful man in Las Vegas comes with a price, and I’m not the only one paying it. I have a family behind me. In Vegas, being a Croft means something.
It means money.
It means power.
It means…the police hate us.
It means that if you need help, and the cops won’t even give you the time of day, find me.
I will help you.
I don’t hate the police. We used to be them.
I can’t blame them for being suspicious of us. I would be too. In fact, I used to hate people just like me. I used to wake up every morning, strap on a badge and gun, and head out to make sure no one person was in control.
That’s still my job, but instead of being on the side of law and order, I’m on the side of doing what’s right.
I don’t tolerate the criminal element.
I am still that person, the one who ruled from the glass tower of FBI Las Vegas, but now I do it my way.
I’ve learned a valuable lesson.
My family had my back when the law and justice never did. My wife, bless her for putting up with me, was a detective and a damn good one. She handed in her badge the day the FBI took mine. She’s my ally in this fight for justice in the city. She’s smart, beautiful, and willing to fight the good fight. On our team, she’s the sleuth. If it needs to be solved, Emma Croft is your girl. She’ll get to the bottom of it. Every gangster needs that beautiful woman on his arm, and she’s mine.
Together, we have something powerful that no one can destroy. We have true love. There is no Greyson Croft without Emma Croft.
And that’s the truth.
Then there’s my ‘son’, Curtis. He was a Fed too. I trained, mentored, and taught the man everything he knows. He, too, left the FBI when my badge was taken, and I’ll never forget that he always had my back. We may not be blood, but we were forged in something so much stronger.
Love.
He has joined me in helping the people that justice has forgotten in this city. He’s my hacker. If I need something found, he’s going to be the one who digs it up. He’s good with his hands, and even better with his technology. I trust him to do the job—like I did in the FBI.
Curtis helps me level the playing field.
I need all the help I can get.
Then there’s Dimitri Gideon. He’s Russian, a killer, and my muscle. I never thought I’d need that, but he’s proven his loyalty and worth. He, too, like Curtis, is family by love, not by blood. He’s always had Emma’s and my back, and he still does. If I get into a tricky situation, he’s the one who helps me out. He’s smart, complicated, and has so many secrets that no one will ever find them all out.
He’s also the man who locates the victims that this city has forgotten. Dimitri is the one who started all this, and I call him friend, brother, and partner—for life.
Together, we will clean up Las Vegas.
Then there’s Katerina Gideon. She’s young, pretty, damaged, and my thief. If I need it lifted, stolen, or absconded, she’s my girl. She can pick a lock, scale a building, and get into any locked location.
She can disappear in plain sight. Kat is handy, and she’s part of our team.
We’re lucky to have her.
She’s not alone. With her comes Dimitri’s other sister. Natasha Gideon is a genius when it comes to disguise. One minute she is playing one person, and when she comes back around the corner, she’s someone new.
It’s that damn fast.
If you need someone to manipulate the situation, she’s the one. She’s sweet, gentle, and will kill you when you’re least expecting it. No, it’s not all clothes and wigs. She’s lethal, just like her half-brother and sister. Don’t let the girls fool you.
They’re deadly.
They’re smart.
They’re not putting up with anyone’s BS, and that’s how I like them. They have my best interests at heart, and I have theirs.
Family is what matters.
They will always have your back. In life, that’s all you really have. Careers come and go, but the people who love you?
They stick.
In this family, we’re all equal. We’ve been compared to the mob, and it’s d
amn true.
We’re rich.
We’re powerful.
And we’re doing it our way.
With the rest of the team, we’re taking Vegas by storm. We’re not letting anyone tell us how to find justice. We’re leveling the playing field and helping the little people who were left behind.
We’ve made friends.
We’ve made enemies.
The cops hate us.
The criminals hate us even more.
But the people who lost their way, who were stepped on by the boot of justice, and pushed aside…they need us.
That’s all that matters.
As long as they do, we’re sticking around. Vegas needs that Dark Justice to keep everything fair, and I’m here to make sure it happens.
I am that justice.
When the cops won’t help you and everything seems to be falling in on you, threatening to crush you—find us. When you feel that justice has left the building, and you’re standing there holding the bag—we’ll be there. When you think that you’ve been screwed by the law….
We’re your people.
You don’t have to pay us. We’ll do it for free. Money means nothing to any of us. All we want is justice for all, and for the law to be accountable.