Justice is Dead (Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 7) Read online

He had other plans.

  While he wanted to slide into that beckoning heat, he wanted more from her. Greyson wanted her shouting his name, her hands buried in his hair, and Emma on the edge. He found the most sensitive part of her body, and began tormenting her with tongue and teeth.

  She moaned as he moved her legs over his shoulders so he could have access to all of her. They were quite the sight, and she knew it. If anyone came in, they would be privy to Greyson dining on her.

  It turned her on even more.

  The king of the castle was claiming his queen. He was licking, teasing, and nibbling on her in an attempt to drive her insane.

  Well, it was working.

  The pressure built, tying her up in knots as he pushed her up and over.

  The first orgasm hit, ripping her from the edge in pleasure.

  Only, he didn't stop.

  Greyson continued, pushing Emma through the pleasure right into that delicious pain. He didn't let up, and she knew he was punishing her.

  Not with anger.

  Not with vicious words.

  He was proving what he had said earlier.

  She belonged to him, and here was the proof. Greyson Croft was staking his claim once more.

  “More,” she begged, burying her hands in his hair. She never wanted him to stop. As he drove her insane, she could feel the tremor of need filling him. When he was ready, they would both be taken on one hell of a ride.

  When he nipped her, she fell again.

  Greyson could do this all day, but he knew he needed to feel himself buried in her body. The need to take her was overcoming his desires to offer her pleasure.

  Before Emma had resurfaced, he was positioned and ready to strike.

  The second her eyes fluttered open, he buried his rock hard erection in her wet heat.

  She gasped at the invasion.

  Then he began the ride.

  It was hard.

  It was fast.

  Greyson kept her pinned, no, make that trapped beneath him as he took what he wanted from her. They were punishing strokes meant to remind her who was in charge.

  She moaned in pleasure, holding on for the pummeling ride.

  “You’re mine,” he hissed, refusing to look away from her. “Say it!”

  She couldn’t even think, let alone speak.

  He thrust into her body harder and cuffed her wrists with his hand above her head on the couch.

  “Greyson!”

  “You need to give me what I want. Tell me that you’re mine, Emma. Tell me that you’ll never crave this from anyone but me.”

  “Yes! I’m yours, and you’re my only!” she shouted, as he took and took. “Greyson!”

  She fell again, the orgasm overtaking her.

  He didn't want to stop. He wanted the world to know that when they came together, she came. It was masculine pride, it was machismo, it was him. Greyson didn’t care what the world thought.

  In that moment, it was them.

  As she floated up, her hands were now trapped at her sides. She was pinned with hands and erection. Emma couldn’t move. “Grey.”

  He slowed the strokes down, planning to drive them both to delirium.

  “God, Emma, so good,” he whispered, watching himself slide in and out of her body. The wetness of his erection only made the visual that much hotter.

  They were one.

  She moaned. As she moved toward another orgasm, suddenly, he stopped.

  She opened her eyes.

  He was watching her with molten silver eyes. She wasn’t the only one on fire.

  “Ride me.”

  He moved to the couch and she didn't hesitate to obey. As Emma straddled his lap, he pulled her down, impaling her on his erection.

  “Oh God!”

  He hung on, praying for control as his fingers buried themselves in her hips.

  As she began moving, he forced her to stare into his eyes. “You will never correct me in front of people again,” he warned, and then, as if to prove he meant business, his hand crashed against her ass.

  She gasped in surprise.

  Emma couldn’t believe he’d hit her. In fact, she couldn’t believe how it turned her on.

  “Yes, Grey.”

  He forced her up and down his erection.

  “You will not ever move between me and another man to protect him,” he said, again, his hand finding her ass.

  She gasped once more.

  “Promise me, Emma!”

  “Yes, Grey!” she said, the heat building again. She wanted his hands on her in the worst way. This was new, hot, and exciting.

  “You will not keep secrets from your husband. Am I clear?” he said, the heat building in him. When his hand landed on her ass again, he was close.

  God, he was so close to coming.

  Emma moaned. “Yes, Grey,” she whispered, so turned on that she was balanced on the razor’s edge.

  “Who owns you, Emma?”

  She wanted his hand on her again.

  Emma was so filled with lust and need, that she didn't answer him, just to provoke him. She craved that kiss of pain she’d get for being defiant.

  When his hand crashed against the pinkening flesh of her ass, she didn’t get a chance to answer. Instead, she came.

  And so did he.

  They both fell, him filling her with everything he had. Greyson poured into her in wave after wave of wet heat.

  Emma’s head rested on his shoulder as she floated back up. Together, they both were breathing heavily. When he could finally speak, he wanted his answer, but this time not while she was lost in the passion and heat.

  “Who owns you, Emma?”

  She lifted her head and touched his cheek. “You do, Greyson Croft, and you have from that first second in Celestia in that field.”

  His heart skipped.

  Gently, he wrapped her in his arms. “I will love you until the day I die.”

  His words undid her.

  So much so, that she cried.

  All Emma Croft could hope was that his death was far into the future.

  And hers too.

  * * * Croft & Croft * * *

  Dimitri Gideon said nothing as he sat in the pool house. He wanted to be angry, but he couldn’t blame the man. Everything he’d accused them of, they’d done.

  As for the punch to the face, well, he probably had that coming too. If not from Croft, from someone he’d outmaneuvered in his past.

  He wasn’t angry.

  For the first time, he was worried. Before the Crofts, there was always another job. If he disliked his boss, he finished up and left, never bothering to look back. It was the best part of being in charge. You took the cases you wanted, and flipped off the assholes you hated.

  Now he had a dilemma.

  He genuinely liked the Crofts. One might say he loved them. The family antics, their warmth and inviting nature—it was all something so unfamiliar to him. When he stumbled upon it, the sloppy emotions he fought to contain took over.

  This was something he could never give his sister or Natasha.

  It was safety, family, and love.

  He enjoyed working for Emma and Greyson because they were a family, and he and his sister didn't have that. They only had each other.

  Leaving would leave a mark on him.

  It would hurt—whether he wanted to admit it or not. In the short time he knew them, they had made him see that it wasn’t all about the job.

  It was about the people.

  They weren’t money or one more job. They did matter, and now it was likely gone.

  Dimitri was a smart man, and all his life he did what was best for him and his sister. Now, he knew he should leave. Instead of waiting for Emma, he should be on his way home.

  The logical part of him knew that the storm was coming, and they were all in danger. Protecting the Crofts was a suicide mission, and maybe that’s why he took it.

  To escape.

  Only, he couldn’t bring himself to walk awa
y. Maybe Greyson firing them was a good thing. He could pack up, put distance between them, and be free.

  Katerina, Natasha, and he would leave Vegas for good.

  They couldn’t stay.

  Simply by helping the Crofts as much as he had, he’d marked them. When Marianna made his attempt at them, they’d also be in danger.

  Glancing over, he saw his sister sitting there. She was watching him.

  Her eyes said it all.

  She didn't want to leave.

  Dimitri suspected the young agent was why. Out of all the men she could get entangled with, he wasn’t a horrible choice. In fact, he was likely the perfect choice. Dimitri had covered his bases and done his research.

  Like his sister, Curtis Briggs was damaged.

  He could see it when he looked at them. What worried him was if he would be strong enough to protect Kat if something happened to him.

  Maybe that was part of this.

  Maybe that’s why he wanted to leave.

  Dimitri knew that the end was always out there, looming ahead, teasing him with the end of his life. Dimitri hung on for Kat and Natasha.

  They gave him purpose. When they were happy, in love, and taken care of, he could stop fighting.

  Now that Greyson was likely going to fire them, he wanted to be upset. He’d found that safe place to hide his family among theirs, and now that was at risk.

  “Are we leaving?” Katerina asked, worrying the one ring on her finger. “Are you moving us?”

  He glanced over.

  What could he say?

  “I like it here, Dimitri. I know it doesn’t matter what we think, but I’m happy. I…” She couldn’t tell him what she felt for the young agent.

  He wouldn’t be thrilled.

  In fact, it might make him pull up stakes.

  “Please, don’t make us go.”

  She reminded him of so many years ago when he came back for her. Over the last decade, he’d pretty much raised her.

  Instead of telling her to let him worry about it, he said the only thing he could.

  “I don’t know what to do, Kat. For the first time, I don’t have a clue.”

  Chapter Four

  It didn't take them long to get dressed and clean up the room. As they were finishing, there was a knock to the door.

  Greyson knew who it would be.

  “Come in, Curtis. She’s fine. I didn't hurt her. You can stop pacing outside the door.”

  His head peeked around the corner.

  “When the den is a rockin’, you best not come a knockin’,” he teased, when he saw their disheveled appearances. Greyson’s hair was standing up in spots, and Emma’s shirt was untucked.

  There was no doubt what went on when he left. It made him smile. They both looked calm, and Emma was by his side. That alone told the tale.

  Mom and Dad were better.

  It calmed him down. They were the center of the family. When they were disconnected, the whole group was out of sync.

  Heading at Marianna, they needed to be focused.

  “Well? We have a mess on our hands,” Curtis began.

  Oh, he was well aware.

  “I meant what I said when I fired him,” Greyson stated, fixing his hair.

  Emma went to object, but then she recalled their bout of lovemaking. He’d told her he didn't want her to question him when people were around.

  She knew her husband.

  This was a test.

  “Okay, Greyson. If that’s what you feel is best.”

  Curtis began choking on the water he was drinking.

  They both looked over.

  “What? You’re making them leave? You’re going to give in that easily? Emma!”

  Greyson watched him. Oh, he was well aware why he didn't want that to happen, and her name started with a ‘K’ and ended with an ‘at’. Curtis had been relying on Emma being able to calm him down.

  Curtis didn’t want to lose the chance with the woman he was smitten with, and that softened Greyson too. He loved the boy.

  Curtis, to his heart, was his son.

  “He went behind my back and could have cost Emma her life. I don’t screw around when it comes to her.”

  They were aware.

  Emma said nothing.

  When he lifted her chin, he could tell she wanted to object in the worst way.

  “Kitten?”

  “I’m sorry that I went behind your back. I was scared. I know you don’t want me to defend Dimitri, and our actions, but someone has to, Grey. He’s become part of this family, and shoving him out will hurt them.”

  He was aware.

  Tears filled her eyes. “Please, Grey. They’ve watched our backs the last month and saved us a few times. Please reconsider before you do this.”

  He knew he went behind her back too.

  Croft wasn’t innocent in all this either. For that, he owed her.

  “Grey, please?” Curtis finally said. “If you send Katerina away, I’ll never know if what I feel was meant to lead me to something bigger. I get that you’re pissed, but please. Don’t make them leave.”

  He loved them both.

  Curtis hadn’t lied or gone behind his back. The man had been loyal, and he deserved that shot. As someone who loved him, Greyson wanted to give it to him.

  “You can cancel the adoption, fire me, or do whatever. Take it out on me. Don’t make them leave.”

  Curtis would sacrifice anything.

  That said it all.

  “I’m still pissed at Dimitri. He pulled a gun on me and in our home. That’s a line you don’t cross. You don’t pull a gun unless you plan on using it.”

  Greyson didn’t doubt that if he hurt Emma, Dimitri would have shot him. He might not have killed him, but he would have been bleeding.

  Emma wrapped her arms around his waist. “Give him time to apologize. We all crossed a line tonight. No one is innocent in this mess. We’re all under pressure.”

  He glanced down at her.

  Oh, her words were aimed at him, but it was time to point out a little infraction of hers.

  “If I have to swallow Dimitri’s actions, then what about the words you hurled at Chris?”

  She tensed.

  “When you told him to leave, notice I didn’t stop him like you did with Dimitri. If I have to forgive, so do you.”

  “He betrayed me.”

  Croft laughed. “He didn't want to tell me, Emma. I’m hard to say no to, and you know that. If it’s any consolation, he did it to keep you safe. The entire conversation, he said nothing. In fact, he tried to keep me off this case.”

  She said nothing.

  Already, the guilt was creeping in from how she’d spoken to him. Emma had been angry, and Chris had been the target for that emotion.

  Okay, she crossed a line.

  “He tried, Emma. It was only when I told him Marianna was gunning for you that he caved. Chris didn't want to see you get hurt. He was willing to incur this in order to spare your life. He had to make a split second choice, and now he has to live with it.”

  “I know. I took it out on him.”

  He smiled.

  “I hate when men do something stupid but it’s because they love you. Then you end up feeling horrible in the end. Okay, I’ll fix it in the morning.”

  Greyson grinned. That battle was fixed.

  “We are a flawed breed, honey. This is the cross you have to bear.”

  Curtis started laughing. He loved his family. This was more proof they belonged together. Through all the anger, they managed to work their way back to the center.

  “What are we going to do?” Emma asked. “I asked Dimitri to wait in the pool house. We have to deal with this.”

  “We should deal with it as a family,” Curtis said. “I know that I’m new to this unit, but we should all have a say in it if all of our futures will be affected.”

  Emma didn’t say anything.

  “Uh, can I get an amen?” Curtis asked, waiting for her
to side with him.

  “I want him to stay, but Grey has a point. I’m going to defer this one to him. If he wants him gone, I agree.”

  Curtis stared at her. “What’s gotten into you?”

  Croft grinned wickedly.

  “Please. I don’t need that picture in my head. She has a hickey on her neck, and that says it all.”

  Greyson put his arms around her, proud that Emma carried his mark. “It’s scruff burn, not a hickey.”

  “Oh, even better then. You rubbed yourself all over her. Great. That’s a better picture. I’ll need a raise to pay for the therapy that’s going to take to erase.”

  Emma laughed. Her family was knitting itself back together again.

  Greyson knew they needed to fix this before they slept. “We need to head out there. I’ll handle it.”

  As they headed out, Curtis felt sick to his stomach. He had a feeling that it was over before it started. If Greyson didn't boot the Gideons from the house, he was going to take that opportunity to talk to Katerina.

  At the pool house, they knocked on the door.

  Kat opened it, and she looked miserable. Immediately, Curtis wanted to comfort her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her.

  Only, he knew better. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded.

  He knew it was a lie.

  This didn’t bode well, and he knew it.

  As they headed in, he went last so he could touch her for what felt like the last time. Gently, he placed his palm over her cheek. She stared into his eyes, and there were tears in hers.

  Shit!

  They were leaving.

  As they entered the space, Dimitri was holding ice on his jaw. A bruise was already forming.

  “I’m surprised you missed when you swung at me,” Greyson said, keeping his distance.

  “It was more a warning. I didn’t expect you to actually hit me back. I figured it would calm you down.”

  “I don’t swing to miss, and violence begets violence. I also don’t pull my gun and point it at a friend.”

  That resonated with both of them. Greyson saw the remorse in his eyes. It was rare that Dimitri ever showed anything, and that one glimpse softened him further.

  He regretted it.

  That meant everything.

  “I am aware of that now. I won’t make that mistake again.”