Justice is Dead (Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 7) Page 28
A lot.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Downstairs, they met up in the kitchen. Today was going to be a busy day, and they had a million things to do. As far as they were concerned, it was all hands on deck.
After the bell had rung, alerting them to a car in the driveway, Mace Bristol strolled in with Detective Heath Spencer right behind him.
“Morning,” he said.
Greyson pointed at the other detective, who had never been to their home before. Immediately, Dimitri went into action. He had the man against the wall as he frisked him.
“Hey! Emma! Tell him to back off. I’m not some crazed killer, I’m a cop.”
Then he focused on Croft when the woman simply laughed. “Seriously? A pat down? You know he was going to find a gun.”
“Yeah, well, that’s for checking out my wife at work. Next time, it’s a cavity search.”
Dimitri cracked his knuckles.
“Okay! Geez! Try some hospitality. I was going to tell you how awesome your house was. Now I’m afraid of what you may have in the basement.”
He grinned ferally. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Mace cut in before Greyson ate the man alive. “We heard you had some issues last night,” he said. “Before we head in for our assignments, we thought we’d see if you needed any help.”
Just at that moment, Chris walked into the room sniffing his shirt. He was in his dress pants and a t-shirt. “Emma, what the hell does the housekeeper use to get the shirts smelling so nice?” he said, and then realized they weren’t alone.
Mace started laughing.
Detective Spencer stared openmouthed.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” he said, trying to cover his ass. It was a slippery slope if word got out that he was cozying up to one of his employees. Then toss in that he was shirtless, and the media had just run a story about him and Emma having an affair.
Oh, this was bad.
Very bad.
Detective Spencer was staring at him, and he knew what he was thinking.
Yep, this was going to be his downfall.
He couldn’t play favorites, and this was three days beyond sketchy.
“Sir,” Detective Spencer said. “You look refreshed. I saw the news…”
He pointed at him.
“I’ll bust you down to pencil sharpener, and I’ll make you whittle your own pencils out of the hardest wood I can find.”
He closed his mouth.
“I worked late, and I crashed here. Alone. In my own bed. I mean their bed. I mean not THEIR bed, but a bed that they own in this huge house, far from their room…”
Emma handed him a cup of coffee and couldn’t help but bust his ass. “Nice save, sweetheart. Denying me already? Ouch.”
He gave her a dirty look. “You know, you can sit at your desk for the next ten years and never get another case for as long as I’m your boss.”
She blew him a kiss, which only caused him to go red and sputter in irritation.
Greyson laughed at their antics. He loved his family, and this was why. “I believe that the men want their assignments. Can I borrow them?” he asked.
“Go ahead. I lost control of this over a year ago when you two moved here. It’s never been the same since.”
Emma clinked her coffee mug off her husband’s.
“We have an anonymous tip for the name of the person pulled from the parking garage. We need someone to run it, and see if it’s viable. You know how tips are.”
He stared at Mace, and he didn’t flinch.
“Keep it quiet.”
Croft meant all of it. While he didn’t think Detective Spencer would betray them, the less who knew the better.
“No problem,” Mace said. “What’s his name?”
“The anonymous tip gave us Deshawn Le Donne. Find me someone who remembers what happened the day he disappeared.”
“Anything else?” Detective Spencer asked.
“We have five shooters in the morgue. I’m going to lean on Doctor Hanlon to get me IDs. When she gets them, I’ll need everything you can dig up on them.”
Heath made notes. He wasn’t accustomed to taking orders from the Fed, but Chris Ford was sipping coffee and playing nice.
Maybe the news reports were right.
Heath kept his mouth shut. As he was writing down the information, in rolled Paris and Tessa Archer.
Literally.
She was sitting in his lap.
It was hard not to notice that the Crofts had one big sleepover going on.
This was interesting.
“Great! Coffee!” Paris said, wheeling his wife to the counter so she could pour them two cups.”
“They stayed too?” Heath asked. “On second thought, never mind.”
“After last night’s attack on Sky Villa, they’re moving in until Marianna is in jail,” Greyson stated. “We’re not taking any chances that the asshole will take another shot at them there.”
And he wasn’t taking a chance. Paris and Tessa were his family. He would protect them.
“Wear your Kevlar,” Emma stated. “These guys are playing for keeps, and anyone who comes near us is getting shot at.”
When Curtis headed into the room, he was barely coherent. “Mom. Coffee. Please.”
She handed him a mug, and he kissed her on the forehead. It was a common everyday thing, and she didn’t bat an eyelash.
Again, Heath shook his head. “This place is like one of those religious compounds you hear about.”
Greyson lifted a brow. “You’re comparing my house, and family, to the Waco nut compound?” he asked.
“Uh, never mind.”
“Good idea.”
Emma continued, “Today, we’re going to escort the ME in so he can begin to work on the new body, and then we’re heading to Hanlon’s office to get an update. Tonight is the party and just about everyone here is going.”
“We’re not,” Paris said. “Can we watch movies in the theater?” he asked.
Heath interrupted him. “You have a movie theater?” he asked. “Here?”
“You wanted to know what was in the basement,” Greyson said, laughing. “There you go. The cat is out of the bag.”
“This is unbelievable.”
When Dante and Steele strolled in kissing, Heath looked like he was going to lose his mind.
“He’s my brother. Of course, he’s going to be here,” Greyson said. “That’s his fiancé, and he’s staying here too.”
Greyson almost wanted to challenge him to make one comment. There was nothing more irritating than homophobic people, especially in his home.
“What? Them? I know your brother is gay. I was more shocked at how many bedrooms are in this place. It’s like one of those clown cars. People keep coming.”
Yeah, she was aware. Instead of getting insulted, Emma laughed. “We have more than we need.”
“Head out,” Ford said. “The show is over.”
The two cops listened to their boss. There was no way they were going to tangle with Chris Ford. He might be playing sleepover, but he had that ‘fuck with me and die’ look on his face.
Yeah, no thank you.
They headed out.
“I have to go play media circus today. Anyone want to join me?”
Paris and Tessa wheeled out to the dining room where the chef had breakfast. They hated the media as much as the next person.
Curtis shook his head and followed. He’d rather deal with Dimitri giving him dirty looks than the media. They sucked the soul right out of you.
When they were gone, Dante grabbed keys off the board. “I have to drop Steele off, and then swing over to the hotel to make sure it’s being set up the way you wanted. Then I have to sign about a million papers.”
“Okay, be safe. Do you need an escort?” he asked.
“I’ll take Natasha. She likes to wander around the hotel and play dress up.”
Ford looked around.
“Who
the hell is Natasha?”
They all started laughing.
“She was just here,” Emma said.
Chris stared at her as if she was insane. They had to be yanking his chain. There was no way he kept missing this mysterious woman.
There was no way. He was a cop. He was trained to see everything.
“I’m going in. What are you two doing?”
Greyson knew, but he wished he could leave Emma behind.
“I’m digging up a body. Paris suggested we escalate the situation and make Marianna more nervous. Hopefully, he’ll snap tonight, and I can end his miserable…”
“Homicide cops in the room. Rephrase.”
Croft laughed. “You’re off duty still. I’m good.”
Emma was staring at him.
“What?”
“We’re,” she corrected. “There is no way I’m missing that action. Bodies? Come on! A girl has to have some fun before a formal function.”
The men said nothing.
They both knew to say a word would mean getting hurt. No one wanted that.
Greyson was about to pour more coffee when his phone rang.
“Shit! It’s my boss.”
Emma laughed. “I hate when bosses get in the way. Excuse me, Chris,” she said, moving around his much larger body.
“You’re funny. I’ll remind you that I could be back in my happy condo, but you wanted me here. Deal with it.”
Greyson answered as he moved to a quiet spot in their house. Emma and Chris were bantering back and forth, and he didn’t need his boss hearing it.
“Greyson Croft,” he said, answering the phone.
“What the hell is going on there?” Elizabeth asked, apparently catching him off guard.
“Ma’am! I was expecting Ethan.”
“Yeah, I know. When I call, you dodge me, so I used his phone to make sure you answer. I’m not an idiot, and this isn’t my first day, Croft. Now, back to the topic at hand. What the bloody hell is going on in Las Vegas? I turned on my news, your wife is having an affair, you’re in a strip joint, people are shooting up your old condo, and it’s getting ugly there.”
He knew this call was coming.
He wasn’t shocked when his bosses called to tear him a new one. He was apparently losing control of Vegas.
“Ma’am,” he began.
“Elizabeth.”
“Yes, Elizabeth. We’re working a case.” He then broke it all down, telling her everything. He knew that they were going to need to share it all. If Dominic Marianna was gunning for a Fed, Ethan and Elizabeth would want to know.
When he was finished, she whistled. “I don’t like this at all.”
“Me either, since it’s my wife and family he’s hunting down.”
“Rattle his tree.”
“What?”
“If I were working this, I’d make him go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.”
He didn't know if he heard her right. “Are you telling me to provoke a crazy?”
“Well, that’s what I’d do. When someone is stirred up, they start making mistakes. He’s going to hate having his past coming out, and you’re going to make him nervous. On top of that, release it to the press.”
“What?”
“Have a conference and tell them who you’re working on convicting. He’s going to rethink aiming at you. Who gets called out and then retaliates?”
He thought about it. “You know, that might work.”
“You think?” she asked. “You know, this isn’t my first day as a Fed, right? I did work in the field for quite a few years.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She sighed.
“Keep your nose clean, point the media at him, and run with it. You know how to do the job, Greyson. Prove it.”
He could do this.
“Don’t burn the city down,” she warned. “That would be my husband’s advice. I get it. You have an issue, you take care of it.”
“I have your support?”
“Yes. If you need me there, call. I’ll be on the next flight.”
He could hear Ethan in the background.
“Like hell you will.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Ignore him. I do. Now, get back to work and stop this mess from further escalating.”
That was what he was trying to do.
Elizabeth hung up and glanced over at her husband. “I have a very bad feeling about this.”
Blackhawk leaned back in his chair. “Like?”
“You still have Mace following Emma around, right?”
“Yes.”
“I want him to report everything back to us. Spying isn’t usually my thing, but in this case, we need to make sure Greyson doesn’t snap and do anything we’re going to regret.”
With that, he completely agreed.
Ethan picked up his desk phone. “You just told him you supported him and to take care of it.”
Oh, she did.
Only, they had a problem with all of this.
“We’re heading out of here soon. He’s going to have to answer to someone else. This mess is explosive. Any other director won’t tolerate it. If he crosses that line, they’ll toss his ass in jail.”
“And we won’t?”
“We’ll mostly kick his ass until he realizes he’s really in deep shit.”
“What if he wants this job?” Blackhawk asked.
She shrugged. “He’s capable. If he wants it, give it to him, but still watch him. I trust our kids but I don’t look away when CJ and EJ are running with scissors.”
He started laughing. “No comment.”
Blackhawk began dialing. When he was finished, he hung up. “Your spy is in place.”
“Good. Let’s see how Greyson handles this. Let’s call it a test. To run this nutfarm, you have to be a special kind of crazy, but you also have to be able to handle situations like he’s facing. Our family is always in danger. We don’t lose our minds—well, I don’t. ”
Ethan let that go, and he hoped she was right.
He liked the man, but FBI West was a million times worse than Las Vegas. The staff was tripled, and the problems were a million times more complicated.
If Greyson wanted to move up the ladder, he was going to have to prove he could handle it.
Just like they did.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
FBI LV
Morgue
Inside, Emma and Greyson found Doctor Bentley working on the body that had been encased in concrete. He was rolling the femur in his hands, checking the bone for damage.
“Doc, what do you have?”
He glanced over. “A vicious hangover, a bunch of bones, and mommy issues that the best therapist in the world couldn’t solve in my lifetime.”
Greyson stared at him, but Emma laughed. She was accustomed to their repartee.
“I should have been specific. What do you have on our dead guy?”
“We ran facial while we slept last night. It’s definitely Mr. Le Donne. As for COD, It’s a long shot. He degraded in the concrete, and most of his tissue dissolved and was absorbed by the porous material in which he was encased. We’re testing it now, but it’s likely going to be nothing.”
“Gunshot?” Croft asked.
“No.”
“Really?” he asked, already suspecting where this was heading. He and Dimitri were suspicious.
“He was cut up. This man has no damage to his body but the cut marks in his bones.”
That was odd.
“Okay, so how did he die?” Greyson asked.
“His time was up?”
“Funny, Doc.”
“I found some fractures on his fingers and toes. It’s odd. I can’t figure it out as of yet. Maybe you need a Forensic Anthropologist.”
“Keep working it.”
“I will.”
They went to head out.
“We’re going to dig up the next one,” Emma said. “Want us to ship it right here?”
She didn't want him
out in the open. He was part of their family, and he could be in danger. Out of everyone, she worried most about him. Dante had been a soldier, he had the instincts. Paris and Tessa were Feds, and they had training, but this man was a doctor. He didn’t even carry a gun.
She would prefer he stayed in.
“Sure.”
That wasn’t the doc they knew and loved. He hated being trapped inside.
Emma closed the door and headed back over to him. “Spill it. You need to vent.”
“I’m good.”
“Liar.”
He sighed, looking around. “I was thinking about the wedding.”
Greyson’s eyes went big. He might not understand gay men, but he knew whenever someone was lackadaisical about a wedding, it was bad news.
He really prayed the man wasn’t bailing on Dante. If he did, it would crush his brother. Dante was head over heels in love, and for the first time in his life he was happy.
“What about it?” Emma asked.
“I want to cancel it.”
Oh boy.
That wasn’t good.
“Why?” she asked.
“Do you think Dante would mind if we just went with a much smaller venue? I know he’s all into planning this wedding, and so are you, but why are we having a production.”
“Because he loves you,” she said.
“I love him too, but who’s coming?”
“Our friends and family.”
“See? Ours—not mine.”
Emma saw what was going on. She didn't want a big church wedding either. Without her parents, or Gage, it seemed silly.
“Okay.”
“I wish it was that easy. I don’t want to hurt Dante, and if I even bring this up, he’s going to freak out. There will be a fight, he’ll think I don’t want to marry him, and it’ll be a mess.”
She pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling Dante,” she said as she dialed. When he stared at her, Greyson laughed.
“Ask and you shall receive.”
“Dante Croft,” came his voice. “Talk fast.”
“Hey, handsome, it’s your sister.”
His voice changed. “Is Steele okay? Has something happened to my brother?”
“Would I sound this calm? Would I call you up, call you handsome, and then wait for the conversation to start? No. I’d be screaming like a lunatic. That would be your clue something bad happened.”