Dark Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 1) (40 page)

If last night was downhill, let the roll begin.

When he’d gotten them to their bedroom, he took her there, but he wasn’t done. They were a wrecked, sweaty mess so they took a quick shower, which didn’t turn out to be quick at all. What it turned out to be was her on her knees, getting him hard all over again.

He wouldn’t let her stop until he was primed and ready to go. Then he carried her to their secret room, locked the door, and took her all over again.

Emma found herself trapped, legs spread, and Greyson being one hell of a caveman.

She’d come more times that she could count, and he still didn’t let up. When she’d finally fallen asleep from pure sexual exhaustion, it was his erection nudging her three hours later for their wake up call.

And what a call it was!

He’d still been wild, driving her over the edge again and again, until he finally exploded, burying himself in her.

Now, she was beat.

Yes, the sex had rejuvenated her at first, but Emma was no fool. Later, she’d pay.

When she came downstairs, they found Curtis and Kat sitting at the table having breakfast. Obviously Curtis cooked, because they were having cereal.

That was about his speed.

“You look like shit,” he said, staring at her. “Are you hung over?” he asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before.”

Yeah, she didn’t get drunk for a reason.

Only this had nothing to do with booze.

When Greyson strolled in after her, whistling, and looking like he swallowed a whole cage of canaries, Curtis dropped his spoon.

He knew that look.

It was appalling.

“Come on! Really? Jesus.”

Greyson laughed. It made his day to torment the man. There was nothing like having his wicked way with his wife. Since this was technically their home, he planned to continue his fun. That’s how you made a baby.

He was old school. You did it often, and you had fun trying. Greyson was living that motto.

Emma sat, and she didn’t even comment. She was too tired. As Greyson poured them both cereal, the healthy stuff, Curtis stared at him.

“Kat, we have to get out of here. It’s the end times. He’s eating bran, almond milk, and Emma didn’t have to say a word. He’s possessed. Someone stole Dad and replaced him with this new happy model.”

Greyson laughed.

Yeah, he was happy. All was right in his world. He had the wife, they were going to try to have a child, and he was working a case. This was a good Monday for him.

As for the cereal, he’d promised to start detoxing. Greyson wanted healthy swimmers finding their mark. If sticks and twigs were the way, he’d eat a whole tree worth of bark.

Since he was a man, and honestly, he didn’t know much about child growing, he’d take her cue. If he had to eat healthy, so be it. Then he stared at her, and he felt horrible. While he’d satiated all his needs, she looked worn down.

That couldn’t be good.

“Honey, let me make you some coffee,” he said, pouring her a cup. “I’m sorry I kept you up all night. Tonight, we’ll get sleep.”

He whispered in her ear, “After sex. But only one time, I promise.”

She snorted, patting his cheek.

“Way to take one for the team, Grey.”

He grinned.

It was time to start their day.

“We have interviews this morning,” Emma said, sipping her coffee. When Greyson bent over, she checked out his ass.

Curtis started choking on his coffee.

“Jesus. We’re eating at our place from now on,” he stated. “She just checked out your ass. This day is so backward that I don’t know how to process it.”

Kat was amused. She loved watching Emma and Greyson. She didn’t know any other happy couples. They were it. She wanted that same kind of fun relationship with Curtis.

It obviously worked.

“We have an issue,” Dimitri said, walking into the room.

So much for the good mood!

That one sentence put Greyson on edge. Immediately, he thought about what they’d done last night.

“The cops?”

He shook his head, placed his finger over his lips to signal silence, and then rested his tablet on the table. It was black, sleek, and high-powered. When he touched a few keys, their front yard, past the gate, pulled up on the glossy screen.

There, across the street, was a flower truck.

“Did you order flowers?” he asked.

“No. I use the same florist, and so does Curtis. We don’t use that company.”

He pulled a little box out, and placed it on the table. “Watch and learn.”

When he touched it, there was a high-pitched shrill sound from outside on the grounds. The truck immediately pulled away, like hell was chasing it.

“Surveillance?” Emma asked.

Yes, unfortunately, she was right.

“They were sitting out there likely with microphones and recording devices,” Dimitri stated.

Paris and Tessa rolled in, and immediately, they saw the tension.

“What happened?”

They told them.

No one looked happy. If the FBI was sitting on the house, that meant they were going to be following them around.

“From here on out, we have to be really careful what we say,” Dimitri stated. “They will try to find anything. We’ll have to go somewhere safe to talk. While Terrace Glen is safe, it’s not going to be good in this scenario. The area around us is too vast. I can’t monitor it all. Meetings have to be moved after this morning.”

“The casino office?” Greyson offered.

“Yes, or my bar. That’s a safe place too. I used to do most of my questionable business out of there.”

Well, that was both scary to know, and damn reassuring at the same time.

“I know the FBI. They’ll have something better to eavesdrop with shortly,” Greyson offered. “It’s a matter of time before they come back.”

“Then we better get our day planned,” Emma stated.

“Curtis, what did you find on our one interview,” Greyson asked.

He saw the man’s laptop and figured he was working before breakfast.

“I was working on pulling information on Trent Webb,” he offered. “I found some more you might be interested in hearing about before you do your interviews.”

Yeah, they would be.

“Okay, go.”

“Long story short, he’s trouble. He’s had mega run ins with the law. We’re talking intent to sell, possession, and assault. As I mentioned earlier, he did his community service time at the clinic.”

“The same one with all five women, right?” Emma clarified as she ate her breakfast. Greyson wasn’t the only one who had to detox. Too often, she skipped meals, and she knew that wasn’t good for a woman trying to have a baby.

“Yeah, other than Seth Bell, they are the only two who were in contact, or had potential contact, with all the women.”

“Does he still have any community service left?” Greyson inquired.

Curtis shook his head, and then handed Emma the most up to date address. “Here’s his home, and it’s a flop. Let’s just say that if my kid was a drug dealer, I still wouldn’t want him hanging out in that part of the city.”

Greyson didn’t want to hear that. In fact, now he had that overwhelming need to wrap Emma up and keep her completely safe.

Before he could protest or suggest that she stay at Terrace Glen where it was safe, she stopped him. Emma could tell by the look on his face what he was thinking about.

“Don’t. We have a long day, and we don’t need an argument. I’m doing the interviews and that’s final.”

It amused him that just last night, his kitten was submissive, but now…she had her claws out. It was a damn good thing he didn’t mind a few scratches.

He liked her like this too. His Emma was no pushover, and that was always sexy in a partner.

“Next?” Emma asked before he could carry on with the nonsense. “Who was working on Corey Powell?” she asked.

Tessa raised her hand. “He’s also trouble, and he’s got some skeletons in his closet. By skeletons, I mean the ones that an ex-cop and Fed might like.”

“Oh, well, then do tell.” Emma asked.

“Want to guess who wanted to be a cop, but failed the testing required to get in?”

Emma lifted a brow.

How was that possible?

It wasn’t that difficult.

“All he had to do was the physical and pass the psych evaluation. It’s not that hard—or it wasn’t when I joined. Did something change?” she asked.

Paris took this one.

He was looking at it from the shrink’s perspective.

“He has deep seated anger issues. From the files that Chris got us, I was able to read all of his psych evaluations. They were right on the line with pass/fail. The police opted to give him a different job to keep him out of the field. That says a lot. They gave him the dispatcher position, so he could still be on the force, but away from the public.”

No one there believed that they were doing it just to fill a spot. They were doing potential damage control early in the man’s career.

“Yeah, that screams cover up,” Emma stated. “It’s no wonder Sawyer Laden and Mace Bristol didn’t make a big deal about it. There was likely pressure from above.”

Paris agreed.

“Plus, the knowledge that a gay man passed the training, but the straight man didn’t would likely set him off. With his documented anger issues, he would want to target him.”

Well, he’d done just that.

“He’s high on our list.”

Greyson trusted Paris’s skill. “Would he kill to make him pay?”

He didn’t hesitate.

“Yes.”

That was all they needed to know.

“He works nights, so you’ll likely find him at home,” Tessa offered.

Emma took that address too. It looked like they were going to be having a busy day.

“I can’t wait to talk to him. It’s going to be delightful,” Emma stated.

Again, Greyson said nothing.

Emma knew there was one more on the schedule. “We have Todd Robins interview today, too, right?”

They nodded.

“Want an update?” Curtis asked.

Emma was curious. “You told us about him,” she asked, “didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did but thanks to Dimitri’s equipment, I have some more information available, and like our first two men, you might find this interesting.”

She waited for it.

“I was able to pull his name up in the police files, and I found a curious little nugget that caught my attention, and I think it’ll catch yours too.”

They knew it had to be a juicy lead. Curtis was setting it up. They knew how he worked.

“Okay, what?”

“I told you he lived across from Norma Hatch, and near Seth Bell, but what I didn’t tell you was that she filed a report against him.”

That was curious.

Emma wanted everything Curtis had. She liked going in completely prepared, and since they no longer had the power of the badge behind them, they might only get one shot.

Time, in their case, and in Seth Bell’s, was of the essence. They were already at a disadvantage, since they were no longer cops.

Greyson lifted a brow. “Really?”

Curtis nodded. “Yes, so once I saw that, I dug deeper.”

Emma couldn’t believe that coincidence. “So Todd Robins is our mystery John with Glenda Mateo, his cell linked to calling a pimp for sex, and he was reported by a second hooker for stalking her?”

“Maybe he just likes hookers,” Dante said, walking in with Steele beside him.

Again, Dimitri waited for the Crofts to make a comment, and again, they kept his secret.

He was grateful.

“Well, who doesn’t?” teased Curtis.

Emma smacked him in the back of the head. “You know better than that.”

He blushed. “I was only kidding.”

Kat kissed him on the cheek. “Curtis, I know you were joking. If you weren’t, Dimitri would have already killed you. He’d never let you near me if that were the case.”

The man waved his fingers and grinned. “She’s right, man-child.”

He sputtered.

“Tough room today.”

Emma snorted. “Yes, so learn that lesson, and learn it fast. You’re going to be a father.”

He got it.

People were cranky from partying and booze.

Emma was curious if the cops dropped the ball on this one too. “Do we have a record of the police investigating that call?”

“Yeah, it’s in the report Chris dug up for us,” he said, pulling up the copy and sending it to their big screen.

They all read.

“Wait,” Emma said, pointing at the most prevalent thing in the whole report. “He had a freaking wall covered with women’s pictures, and all of them were of prostitutes?” she asked.