Paid Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 3) Read online

  “I missed you,” he whispered.

  Emma wanted to weep tears of joy. She was back against his body, and everything was right in the world. Emma took a moment to give him a kiss.

  Riley laughed. “To have a woman do that when she sees me…”

  Chris smiled. He got that with Natasha. At one point, he’d coveted their relationship, too, until he found his. Now he saw the beauty of it. Those two built this family, and they were the core.

  It was lovely.

  Emma broke the kiss and ran her fingers down the scar on his cheek. “I missed you, my rogue pirate. Later you can shiver me timbers all you like.”

  He grinned.

  That was pretty much the plan.

  Dimitri was right behind Emma and moved around her to shake the detective’s hand. “How are you, Riley?”

  “Busy. I did get the file you wanted,” he said, handing it to Greyson as soon as Emma was out of his arms.

  “Perfect,” Croft offered.

  Riley continued, “Gerald Darden was definitely murdered. We have camera footage from a local business showing that a white, older model car took him out. He was tossed through the air, and the brakes never went on. There were no skid marks. The person who hit him likely did it intentionally.”

  Interesting.

  “Any plate?”

  “No tags on the car. It was found later, and it was stolen. We found blood in the trunk, but we can’t match it to anything. There’s nothing on file. So, we don’t know who was in that trunk.”

  That was normal in Vegas.

  Bright lights.

  Gambling.

  Dead bodies in trunks.

  Emma had worked at least twenty cases just like that. If you wanted to move a body, you did it in a trunk.

  Hell!

  She’d been abducted and in one herself.

  “Anything else?” she asked, making mental notes. “Do you have anything on possible perps?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not my case, but I can ask around. I’m sure one of the detectives will give me something.”

  They could use that.

  “What are you working?” Riley asked. “Is it cop related?”

  Greyson shook his head. “We have a missing underage girl. Her sister is looking for her, and we’re taking the case. Can you find out if there are any Jane Does who match her?” he asked.

  “You think we might have her in the morgue in storage?” Riley asked.

  Greyson thought about the poor kid he’d met in that strip club, and it broke his heart.

  God!

  He really hoped not.

  “No, but before we go crazy, trying to find this girl, I want to make sure she’s not dead. Let’s face it. Hookers are the number one victims in this town, right after tourists.”

  Wasn’t that the truth?

  “I can call you later. Give me her stats.”

  Dimitri could do something better. He pulled out his phone, and sent the man a picture. “Here she is.”

  That worked for him.

  “I’ll dig around for you,” Riley offered. “If anything turns up, you’ll hear from me.”

  “Just watch your back,” Emma warned, touching his arm. “We’re being followed. You may want to go out through the back of the club,” she offered. “If it’s a cop, and they see you leaving here…”

  She didn’t have to say anything else.

  Riley would be royally screwed if anyone could tie him to the Crofts. He’d be tagged dirty, and that was the irony of it all.

  They were likely the only ones who weren’t dirty in Vegas.

  “Thank you for the heads up.”

  “We were followed,” Dimitri began. “I didn’t see who it was, but I could feel him. We all have to be more careful,” he warned.

  They trusted his gut.

  “I have to go. My new partner keeps tabs on me,” he said. “Lester Lucas is an asshole—especially now since you guys sent his BFF to the slammer for stealing drugs from lockup. I hate when shit like that happens.”

  Greyson gave him the heads up. “Delilah mentioned he’s out, so watch for him.”

  Riley knew he was safe. They hadn’t figured out who had leaked the information to the cops. So far, he was in the clear, and that’s exactly how he wanted to keep it.

  “Be safe, and I’ll be in contact,” he offered.

  When Riley headed out, closing the door behind him, the team regrouped.

  Immediately, Emma went back against her husband to cuddle against him.

  “God! I missed you,” he said, nuzzling her with his cheek. She was warm, pregnant, and his.

  She knew that feeling.

  “I definitely missed being near you, handsome.”

  “I’ll ignore that you smell like Dimitri’s cologne,” he said, sniffing her. “The confusion will end once I rub my scent all over you,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Well, I did sleep with him. His bed smells like him.”

  Chris began choking on his coffee. “What? How did I not get that exclusive invite? I didn’t know we were allowed to sleep with Emma too!”

  She punched him.

  “That sounded cheap, and you know better!”

  “Can I please sleep with Emma?” he teased.

  She pointed.

  “I’m not feeling the love, and you’re hitting me. I think I may cry,” he said, teasing her. “I remember when I used to be your favorite.”

  She laughed and gave him a hug. “You’re up there pretty high on my list.”

  What she didn’t tell him was all this talk about being followed was freaking her out. The hug was mostly to make sure he was wearing body armor.

  “Well, I’ve slept beside you too,” she offered. “Remember when you were recouping?”

  He did.

  It had mattered to him, and his heart.

  “I only recall you making out with me. After that it all gets hazy,” he teased.

  Greyson pointed at him.

  “Geez! No one laughs anymore.”

  Dimitri did. “Yeah, she slept over, she made me breakfast, and…”

  Emma covered his mouth.

  Chris growled. “Mine. Stop poaching my Emma.”

  Greyson laughed. “Uh, no. MINE, and I shouldn’t have to remind you chuckle heads of that. My ring, my wife, my girl, my baby on board, and my girly bits.”

  She stared at her husband.

  “Seriously? You’re going to bring my girl parts up? I remember when I was the queen.”

  He laughed.

  Emma knew he was trying to keep it light. He kept looking over at Dimitri to make sure he was okay. He was a good man, and she loved him to death.

  “Anyway,” Emma said, “where’s our client?”

  She never got to be part of these meetings when they heard the story for the first time, so she was more than happy to see what Dimitri did.

  Plus, she wanted to make sure he was really fine with taking this case. He still seemed rattled.

  “Emma, do you want coffee?” Dimitri asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  He got up to get her and himself some. When he was gone, Chris was the first to speak.

  “What gives?”

  She wasn’t shocked he could feel it.

  “He’s having a rough time taking this case. Greyson, we may have to bail on it. I’m not willing to let him hurt.”

  “Nightmares?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Really bad ones. I’m worried about him. He’s hurting.”

  Greyson weighed his options.

  At that moment, Dimitri came back in, and he placed the coffees down. They all stopped talking, and that told him everything he needed to know.

  “For the record, this place is wired. I can go back and listen to you on my phone,” he offered, patting his pocket. “Do I need to?”

  Greyson had to trust his wife on this.

  “We were discussing if we should really take this case. Emma mentioned you were concerne
d.”

  “I am.”

  “Then we drop it.”

  He stared at Emma. She’d helped him work through a lot, and he had to put his faith in his family. If this went wrong, they would catch him.

  “I think we should take it.”

  “Marissa…”

  He stopped Greyson. “I’m not doing it for her. I’m doing it for that seventeen-year-old girl we saw in the strip joint. I’m doing it so she knows that not all men are sick and want to rape a child. I’m not doing it for Marissa. I’m doing it so we can find Julie and send her home.”

  Emma said nothing.

  “Last night was hard for me, and I’m sure Emma will tell you later.”

  “I won’t,” she promised, looking up at him.

  “I need to trust my family now. I’m going to try and be the man I should have been.”

  Chris stared at him. “If it’s any consolation, Dimitri, I like the man you are. You raised two girls who are amazing, and I’m grateful to you.”

  His heart felt a little lighter.

  “Thank you for that, Captain. I can do this, but I need my family. I may need someone to tell me it’s going to be okay.”

  Emma stood.

  “Do you need a hug?”

  He smiled. “Yes, please. Give me a hug.”

  She did.

  Both men stared. Something huge had happened if Dimitri Gideon, hired killer was taking hugs and asking for them. He didn’t look uncomfortable.

  Emma held him.

  When he let her go, she smiled. “See?”

  Yes, he did.

  “Let’s get ready to begin,” he offered.

  When Dimitri sat, Emma planted herself right beside him. Chris actually lifted a brow, and Greyson gave him a kick to the leg beneath the table.

  That was his signal.

  No one was busting Dimitri’s ass. This time, Croft was forbidding it. Greyson had to give his wife some leeway. She was trying to help the man.

  “Since we have time,” Greyson began. “We had company.”

  That had her attention.

  “What do you mean?”

  Greyson told her about their meeting with the Captain right outside the door of ‘Aquarius’.

  She whistled.

  “He’s getting ballsy,” Emma said. “He has a death wish to come at you here.”

  Yeah, if she only knew how ballsy he was all those years ago, she’d lose it.

  “I really don’t like him,” she stated. “He’s a piss poor example of what Chris had to do for his job. That whole place has gone to hell in a handbasket since he left. There’s no integrity there anymore.”

  They didn’t disagree, and she didn’t know the half of it. When she did, they’d have a bigger mess to handle.

  There was a knock to the door before Marie peeked her head into Dimitri’s private room.

  “Sir, Marissa is here.”

  “Bring her in.”

  The woman smiled and ducked back out to get the woman. Even though she’d worked there, Dimitri had made sure she wasn’t wandering around without supervision.

  He’d been burned once.

  “How’s she working out?” Emma asked of the newest employee.

  “Not as well as Marissa, but she was a fluke. I’ve begun to realize that she’s not going to be easy to replace. I need someone confident at the front door, and to handle the men who get a little too drunk.”

  “Why don’t you hire her back? It would make our lives easier if she wasn’t under foot. You never know what we’ll find out,” Greyson offered.

  “I can watch her,” Emma offered. She knew what he was struggling with, and his attraction to the woman was making it hard for him.

  Emma didn’t want him to suffer.

  He’d lived through enough.

  “I can take one for the team,” Emma said, giving her husband a look.

  Dimitri weighed the options, and knew what she was trying to do. He patted her hand on the table. He was going to take her advice and seek affection when he needed it—especially with her. She made him feel safe, and like he wouldn’t be rebuked.

  That helped.

  “Thank you, Emma, but I think hiring her back would be for the best. If she’s interested. I don’t want her investigating. Let’s all recall what happened last night,” he said, pointing at his shoulder.

  How could they forget?

  Besides, that gave Dimitri an out. He would avoid ‘Aquarius’ like the plague until they finished this case. Then, she’d be gone.

  He didn’t want her there.

  Liars were not welcome in his life.

  “I won’t risk my family, and it’s dangerous out there right now,” Dimitri offered. “I’d prefer if you weren’t playing babysitter to a wild card.”

  They got that.

  “I have to ask,” Chris said. “You let someone sneak up on you?” he inquired.

  Dimitri braced for it.

  “Yes.”

  “It had to be witchcraft,” he said, cutting the man a break. “We all know how impossible that is.”

  Dimitri relaxed.

  His family was protecting him. He could feel it, and he let them. He was raw inside, and it was only going to get worse.

  As the woman was escorted into the back room, she took a seat beside Chris in an empty chair.

  Now Greyson and Chris figured out why Emma sat beside him. She was hovering and in protection mode.

  They waited for Marie to pour a coffee for their guest, and to refresh everyone else’s cup.

  The door had barely closed when Marissa was already speaking.

  “I’m sorry about last night, Mr. Gideon. What I did to you was inexcusable, and I have to make up for it. Just tell me what it is, and I’ll do it.”

  He shrugged in his normal way.

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine, Miss Pierce. I don’t hold a grudge. Today, we’ll hit up your sister’s last known address and begin working this case.”

  NO ONE at that table believed that. Dimitri Gideon could hold a wicked grudge if he was provoked.

  “It’s not fine. I snuck up behind you and stabbed you. I could have killed you.”

  No one spoke.

  They knew what he was thinking.

  A flush of red was creeping up Dimitri’s neck. It was visible over his starched, shirt collar.

  That was bad.

  He was worked up.

  This was either going to blow up all over Marissa Pierce, or them. Chris hoped it wasn’t the latter.

  “Again, I’m over it. Emma patched me back up, and it’s forgotten,” he said, leaning over to kiss Emma on the cheek. “I’m good.”

  Emma took his hand in hers.

  Greyson watched it.

  There was something there. Dimitri was trying too hard not to look at the woman, and Emma was mothering him.

  Croft really hoped Dimitri would hold it together.

  “I feel so helpless. What can I do?” Marissa asked, “I want to help,” she admitted, addressing it to Greyson since Dimitri wouldn’t even look at her.

  “We’ll take care of everything,” Greyson stated.

  Dimitri chimed in, sipping his coffee. No one missed that there was this veneer covering him. It was ambivalence, irritation, and hostility.

  None of which he ever let anyone see.

  He was rattled.

  When he disliked someone, they were none the wiser. Now he was cracking under the strain.

  “If you’d like your job back, while you’re here, it’s yours,” he stated.

  She stared at him. “Why would you do that?”

  “You were good at your job. Don’t read into it. There’s no allegiance between us,” he said, glancing over at her with his aqua eyes. “You need to do something while we work at finding your sister. That’s all.”

  She stared at him. “I thought I could help you find Julie. I knew her best.”

  Dimitri squeezed Emma’s hand under the table, as he battled for compos
ure against this woman. The betrayal had offended him. Her lies had irritated him.

  Emma knew she had to help him.

  Dimitri let few people in, and for some reason, he’d let this woman get under his skin.

  This was going to be…bad.

  Emma took over. “Well, had you not tried to kill one of us, and then hit Greyson, this might be different. You can work here, and we will update you.”

  “But I know…”

  Emma protected her family. While Greyson headed the ‘family’ these people were hers, and she’d be hellbent if she let this woman do any more damage.

  When Dimitri was worked up, it was a bad thing.

  “NO. I think I made that crystal clear,” Emma said. “You will NOT be helping us. Your behavior was unacceptable. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t be taking this case. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my decision. I don’t like people who use violence as a way to express their frustration. It’s so very childlike.”

  Marissa got it.

  She’d pissed one Croft off, and a Gideon. She was batting a thousand today.

  She didn’t miss the way Emma was leaning against Dimitri. It was her signal the man was off limits. If she could just get him alone to talk to him.

  She’d apologize again and again.

  “If you say so,” Marissa offered.

  Greyson stopped her from continuing. “Those are your choices. This is what we do, and we don’t need help. We have a whole team of people who can do this.”

  She got it.

  She’d fucked up.

  “Okay. I’ll take the job back. I’ll give you everything I have so far.”

  They waited.

  She pulled out her notes.

  They’d been wrong. She was likely qualified to help them. Only, she wasn’t part of their team.

  What she did was too inexcusable for Emma.

  “Talk us through it,” Emma offered.

  “The last place I could trace Julie was to that madam. Stephanie said she didn’t stay long. She suspected that Julie took a side gig with someone else, maybe her new pimp.”

  Greyson needed to know. “What do we know about the validity of that madam?” he asked.

  Chris pulled out a tablet. “Do we have her name?”

  “I can vouch for her. I’ve dealt with Stephanie for a long time as Mr. Ivanov. She began as a street level hooker, and she’s moved up in the world.”