Dark Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 1) (36 page)

He could find the joy in that possibility.

Greyson might get to be a father.

There was no way he deserved it or was ever going to take it for granted. In a single moment, she changed his life again. First by marrying him, and now, Emma really wanted to have his child growing in her body.

He wished there was time.

Damn the other issues in life that had to take precedence over that moment. He really wanted to celebrate more.

In fact, he wanted to celebrate all night long.

“I love you, Greyson Croft. No matter what, you’re always going to be the love of my life.”

“And you’re mine, kitten. I can’t live without you.”

He took her hand in his as they waited. He’d protect her for the rest of his life.

Emma, one day, was going to be the mother of his child. It didn’t get any better than that in his caveman book.

The
‘King and Queen’
were going to sire a royal offspring.

Paris and Tessa were the first two out of the limo. At first, Paris didn’t know if he could handle walking with the cane. It was the furthest distance yet, but he wanted to make his wife proud.

Besides, Tessa was holding him up. She was his support. With her, he could do anything, and he knew it.

He was blessed.

They ignored the questions being thrown at them, since the media had only ever driven them bat shit insane.

Once inside the building, true to Dante’s word, there was a wheelchair waiting for him. He was relieved. His body was already giving out on him.

“Want to take a spin?” he asked, holding out his hand to his wife.

She would love that.

“We’re going to dance later, right?”

He grinned wickedly. “We can take a few spins around the dancefloor, Mrs. Archer.”

Perfect.

Tessa took a seat.

“Let’s get some champagne and get tipsy,” she whispered in his ear.

“Anything for you, Tessie. Anything at all.”

That was the perfect night with his perfect girl.

It was going to be a good night.

Next out of the limo was Kat and Curtis. He had his arm around her waist, and she was leaning protectively into his body. To him, it was amusing, since she was the one who kept saving his bacon.

Still, he loved how she needed him.

In that moment, she was focused on being his date and fiancée. Every few feet, he would leave kisses on the crown of her head as he whispered into her ear.

It was all about the reassurance.

This was still only her second party like this, and he wanted her to be relaxed, at ease, and as his wife, one day soon, they’d have many of these parties to attend.

As they approached the media, the first thing everyone in the crowd spotted was the ring on her finger.

They went into a feeding frenzy—like sharks that smelled chum in the water.

Well, he was ready.

Curtis had played this game before.

“Are you getting married?” one yelled.

“Yes, we are.”

“When is the big day?” another asked.

“Before our child is born,” he offered, dropping the bomb. It was funny to watch them scramble. Curtis had caught them off guard. He’d debated on telling them, but honestly, Kat was tiny. She was going to show any day now.

Then there would be rumors.

That he couldn’t stand.

He wouldn’t let them tear her apart in the media. It wasn’t happening. He’d had to watch Greyson stay calm as the reporters accused Emma of all kinds of horrible things.

It was hard to see happening.

Curtis was going to protect Katerina with all he had—even if that meant full media honesty. If they told them the truth, they couldn’t make up the lies.

Right?

He hoped that worked.

The last thing he wanted to relive was hearing that his wife was cheating on him.

Been there.

Done that.

“Kat, ready to party?” he asked, kissing her knuckles.

She swore the female reporters sighed. Kat knew how lucky she was. Curtis, up to that moment, had been Vegas’s most eligible bachelor.

Now he was off the market.

He was all hers.

That made her smile.

“I’m very ready,” she said, walking at his side.

And she really was.

At last.

Dimitri was out next, and normally, he wouldn’t make an entrance, but he was doing it with purpose. When he and Greyson snuck out later, he wanted everyone to recall him being there. It was vital that the party patrons recall seeing him at the party.

Both of them.

He was laying the groundwork for his plan, giving himself, and his partner, an alibi.

He waved at the crowd, and even stopped to talk to the most hideous animals who ever lived.

The reporters.

The second he stopped there, he knew he was going to regret it. The only other person more mysterious than Greyson Croft to these animals was himself.

Great.

“Is it true your sister is marrying Curtis Croft?” one shouted.

“Yes.”

“How do you feel about it?”

He pretended to think about it. “Curtis is a fine man, and I think he and Katerina will make a very happy couple.”

“What about the baby?”

He smiled sweetly.

Yeah, it took everything he had.

“I can’t wait to hold the baby. How can you not love them? They are little angels.”

“When will you be marrying, Dimitri?” someone yelled.

He could hear Greyson laughing in the earpiece they were both wearing for later. It was so they could keep the family wrangled, and when they headed out to pay back some crooked cops.

“I have no plans to marry.”

It was hard to concentrate as Greyson was humming porno music in his ear.

Payback would be a bitch.

“Are you working for the Crofts?” another one asked.

“No, we’re one big happy family,” he said.

“Which one of you heads the
‘family’
?” some reporter asked.

He heard Greyson laughing.

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

It shut them up.

Perfect.

Now he could escape.

His friend knew that he was going to have to deal with the mess from his last reply. Dimitri found it enjoyable to bust his ass, making him work for it.

He was going to relax more often.

Well, after they hurt some cops.

That always made his day.

Heading toward the entrance, he eagerly awaited for his partner in crime to make his appearance. Then the fun would begin.

Greyson was last with Emma.

When he stepped out, he reached in to take her hand. Of course it was her left hand, and that was the first thing the media saw.

They ogled the rock.

They talked about her dress.

They made comments about Dimitri’s comment, and still that drew no response. 

Then the media got more focused, asking questions about her life after the LVPD. The Crofts handled them with grace and ease until one of them dropped the bomb.

“What’s it like being married to the mob? Now that you’re retired, and a mob wife, that has to be so very different.”

Greyson went to defend his wife.

Only Emma cut him off.

“Well, honestly, it’s like being married to any man you love, only we have assholes following us around asking about my ring, my family, and if I’ve dumped anyone in the desert lately. You know, all those truly thought provoking questions that come out of your mouths.”

That shut them right up.

It wasn’t like Emma Croft to go off. She generally tolerated their antics, but obviously not today.

She was pissed.

It was clearly on her face.

“For the record, I’m married to Greyson Croft, not the mob. You can’t marry the mob. You marry a man. Are we a power family? Yes, but we built that together.”

The reporters didn’t say a peep.

They got that they’d crossed a line. It was one thing to whisper about the Crofts being mob, but coming right out and saying it?

Very stupid.

“Now, are there any more asinine questions, or can we go in? If it matters, I’m having the beef Wellington, no, I won’t finish it, and yes, Greyson will.”

There were no more questions.

Emma had managed to shut them up.

This was the first time in the last year they’d seen that happen. It started with Randall Mason, and continued on despite them having more than enough.

Greyson was more than ready to get this evening started. Only, Emma was struggling. As she tried to keep up, tripping on her gown, Greyson did something she didn’t expect.

He scooped her up in his arms so she wouldn’t trip.

Every woman lining the venue giggled and pointed at her being swept off her feet.

Literally.

It made her laugh.

Yeah, the ladies could eat their hearts out. This caveman was all hers.

“Later, Greyson?” she asked.

“Later what?”

She teased his earlobe with her teeth until the tremor rolled through his strong body.

“Later, when we’re all alone, I’m going to give you one hell of a blowjob for being a gentleman.”

For a second, he didn’t know what to say.

Then, he started laughing, simply because Dimitri had overheard that, thanks to the com in his ear.

All Greyson could hear was the man choking on a drink, somewhere in the venue.

“Kitten, I’m going to hold you to it.”

And he would.

 
                 
* * *
  G r e y s o n   C r o f t   * * *

Commissioner’s Office

To say the man was pissed would be the understatement of the year. When he spoke to the two cops, in the privacy of his office, he knew they had jacked it up big time.

“What do you mean you went at her in broad daylight in the middle of the strip? Are you insane?”

“We saw our opportunity and decided to make a move on her. You didn’t tell us not to do it.”

He couldn’t believe this. Did he really need to be that specific and outline it step by step? Were they that stupid?

Apparently, that was the case.

“Did anyone record your foolishness?”

They hesitated.

“What did you do?” he practically hissed.

“Commissioner, we didn’t know it at the time, but Emma Croft had her vehicle loaded with a recording device. It caught everything from the second we rolled up to the minute we rolled away.”

“Everything?”

They nodded.

Again, and for the third time, he’d been screwed over by a Croft recording something they shouldn’t have been.

Shit!

Shit!

Shit!

“This is a mess. So what you’re telling me is they now have proof that you two idiots were going after them? They now have evidence that they’re being harassed by the LVPD’s finest?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head. “You’re screwed.”

It was time for damage control.

A part of him knew he deserved this. He’d picked complete and total morons to do a job that was definitely out of their scope of expertise.

Now he’d have to sit back and wait for Greyson Croft to make the next move.

Oh, he would.

There was no doubt in his mind.

“Maybe we should back off for a while,” Officer Stoner said. He’d been trying to tell his partner all day that they were screwed.

Greyson Croft had evidence.

They were both waiting for their jobs to end. There was no doubt it was coming.

“Well, you screwed up, so you have to deal with the outcome,” he stated.