Dark Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 1) (42 page)

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

He knew it.

The man was easy to read.

Dimitri grabbed the paper on the table and scribbled down a number. “This will start the negotiations. Here’s what I’m offering as a salary. I know you have years of police work, so I’m willing to go up ten thousand more. There are bonuses quarterly, I provide your gear, and you have to dress like you’re security.”

Dimitri slid the paper toward him.

Chris read it and started laughing.

“Like I said, I can go up.”

That wasn’t what he found funny. The number was three times what he made in a year as a cop, and it had six digits.

That amused him.

“You’ll be on Croft detail most of the time. Since we stay here, you’ll have to stay too.”

He stared at him.

“Are you serious about this? And Emma didn’t put you up to it?”

He simply smiled.

“She did.”

“Do you really want her unprotected?”

“I’d do it for free. She’s my sister. She saved my life. I’d die for Emma. I love her.”

And that was why he was offering him the job. The man had more skin in the game than a stranger would, and that mattered.

“I’ll do it, but you don’t have to pay me, Dimitri. This is my family too.”

He shrugged. “Everyone in the family draws a salary. What makes you any different?”

He didn’t have an answer for that.

“I don’t know, but it feels like charity.”

Dimitri stood.

“My friend, have you seen this family? You’re going to earn every cent. Trust me. The Crofts draw trouble every single day of their lives. I was in less danger as a soldier. Trust me. Take the salary, buy life insurance, and be ready to get your ass handed to you.”

Chris knew he had a point.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Chris looked over as Dimitri headed out of the room. “What?”

“Get healed up and get to the gym. You, Captain, have gotten soft.”

“Hey!”

Dimitri walked out laughing.

Chris, not so much.

Sue Dimitri, but he enjoyed that last shot.

The man had been in bed with his sister, and he wasn’t going to let that slide.

He could be nice, but…

Dimitri Gideon wasn’t crazy.

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

Upstairs, they found the couple waiting in his office. They were sitting together—Tessa in Paris’s lap. When the Crofts came in, Tessa wiped her eyes, trying to cover the fact that she’d been crying.

It didn’t fool anyone.

They all got it.

This couple had to fight an uphill battle from day one. It had to be wearing them down.

Paris tried to buy Tessa time to regroup when he saw them coming. He wanted to comfort and soothe her. In all of their working relationship, and their marriage, he’d only seen her cry when he was shot, and on their wedding day. He knew how desperately she wanted a family and how he longed to give her what she deserved.

Tessa stood by him through everything.

He was failing at providing for his wife.

“So, what’s up with work?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

“Actually, there’s nothing going on. We wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What?”

“We need to discuss having a baby. It’s clear that Tessa is upset. How about we stop ignoring the big pink elephant in the room and go with what’s really happening here?”

“What’s there to say?” Paris offered. He tried to sound nonchalant, but it wasn’t working. There was an edge to his voice, and no one in that room believed he was okay.

Neither of them were.

“Apparently, a lot,” Emma added. “Tessa doesn’t cry for no reason, Paris. How about we drop this act and we lay it all on the table?” 

Paris knew they weren’t going to let it go.

Over the last year, Greyson had been a great mentor, and part of their lives. He was family.

He could be trusted with something so private and painful for them.

“I’ll be honest, the baby thing is hard for both of us. It’s not that we aren’t happy for Curtis and Kat, or want to celebrate in your joy of starting a family, but we are struggling with it.”

“Why?” Greyson asked, knowing he’d feel better if he simply got it off his chest. Paris, while smart, tended to keep things in, and that never worked. It ate away at him.

Greyson was like that.

“I feel like a failure,” Paris said. “I can’t give Tessa a family. It’s my job as her husband, and I’m letting her down. She wants to be a mother. I want to see her hold our child, but we know deep down it’s not going to happen.”

“You don’t know that,” Emma offered.

He loved her optimism, but he knew. This was just out of their reach.

“IVF is incredibly expensive. I’m a shrink and by the time we save up enough to pay for it, our chances are even slimmer. With each day, my count is going to drop. It’ll never go back up. I’ve even thought about selling Sky Villa. It would pay for it, but then we’d have to find a home.”

That was proof of how desperate they were to have a child. That said it all.

They didn’t want to see them lose their home. Paris was thriving because of the open floor plan and pool on the roof. He needed to be there. That’s why they gave him the place.

“We want to have someone who we can love for the rest of our lives. We don’t mean to rain on your parade. We’re happy for you, but the missing piece of us is a baby.”

Tessa sniffled.

Paris soothed her. “We’ll figure it out, Tessie. I promise. I’ll find a way to give you this.”

Greyson could see this was damaging them. Paris felt guilty and Tessa was distraught. It was time to handle it.

“Are we your family?”

“Yes, of course you are.”

“Do you believe that we’d never hurt you?”

“Yes,” they said together.

“If this was bothering both of you, then you should have come to us. We would do anything for the both of you. We would help you any way we could.”

Paris’s body language said it all.

He was a man, and this was his job.

Greyson didn’t give up.

“We want to do something, and we don’t want you to think about it, just go with your gut.”

Paris was wary.

“We want to make sure you both have everything you’ve ever wanted. As your family, we want to make life easier, not harder. Tomorrow, we want to get you an appointment with the best fertility specialist.”

If only it was that easy.

“We want you to make the appointment because we’re paying for it. We want to give you that family you deserve and want.”

Tessa looked over, her eyes huge. “What?”

“Emma and I can’t start a family if you’re hurting like this. We love you both, and we want to make sure everyone feels this joy.”

Tessa stared at them before she began crying. She couldn’t believe them. That was a huge gift.

Then her world crumbled again when her husband burst that bubble.

“No, I’m sorry, but I can’t let them do it, Tessa. The answer is no, Greyson. Thank you, Emma, but we decline.”

Greyson wasn’t shocked.

Emma was. She had to find out why he wouldn’t accept their help. It seemed…silly.

“What? Why, Paris?”

It was simple.

“You gave us our house, you made us your family, I’m not paying for my office space, and it makes me feel like I’m using you as our bank roll. I can’t. I’m sorry. We aren’t dependent on you to survive. You can’t fix all of our problems, Emma. We have to do this on our own. If it’s not meant to be, then there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Greyson figured as much. Even as Paris was saying it, he could see the weight on his shoulders getting heavier and heavier. He’d taken a huge knock in life when he was shot. Now he was trying to regain his dignity, and it would start with this.

He saw it coming.

“Paris, that’s silly. We want to help you. We can make this easier for you.”

It wasn’t about being easy.

It was about being right.

This was his duty.

“As much as I want Tessa to be happy, and I want a child with my wife, I’d have to look at that child and know I couldn’t give him or her to my wife. I need to feel like a man. This wheelchair emasculates me enough. Knowing I wasn’t man enough to provide for my wife and family will set me back.”

In a way, Greyson was proud. Before, he would have kept it in, letting it fester. Now he was being honest.

He got that.

Fortunately, he saw this coming and there was a backup plan.

“Greyson,” Emma said, staring at him. “Please do something.”

Oh, he would.

“Okay, Paris, here’s the deal. We pay for it, and you work off the money. You profile for us until it’s paid off. Tessa will help Curtis, and you’ll be able to give her the child you both want, but without it being given to you. You’ll have to earn it.”

Tessa knew Paris had suffered a lot since being shot. This had to be up to him. It was his pride.

His ego.

His sacrifice.

“I might be able to do that, but there has to be one condition.”

Greyson lifted a brow.

“Okay, what?”

“You both become our child’s god parents, because without you, I don’t know if I could do this.”

Emma saw the stress release from his, and her, shoulders. The sadness lifted, and Tessa had hope.

That’s what this was all about.

Happiness.

“I’ll speak for both of us and tell you that we would be honored,” Emma said. She was so damn happy that Greyson had talked Paris into it.

There was a light at the end of their tunnel. Both Paris and Tessa looked less stressed. Tessa was smiling as she stared at her husband.

He kissed her, and the joy was present.

“Thank you,” she whispered to Paris, resting her forehead against his. She’d never wanted kids, or a family, until she found him.

Now she was going to have it all.

There was so much hope. That horrible knot in her throat was gone, and she was finally happy.

The last obstacle to their happily ever after was now out of their way.

Emma was thrilled. “Tessa, make the appointment. I have a good feeling about all of this. You do whatever it takes, and we’ll be there for you.”

“Yes, we will,” Greyson stated. “You’re our family. If you need anything, we’re here for you, Paris. I get the stubbornness, but you can always come to the people who love you.”

He understood. “Thank you, Greyson. The day you became my boss was a blessing.”

Croft knew it was the other way around. The day he’d gotten Paris and Tessa as agents was a plus for him.

Emma smiled at her husband.

He was a good man.

Here was the proof.

Greyson Croft loved with all of his heart.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When Curtis said the place was dangerous, he wasn’t kidding. Trent Webb lived in the seediest part of Vegas. In fact, from the look of everything around them, it was the worst place on the face of the earth.

Emma had been down there many times as a detective, so she opted to lead this one. Greyson, while scary, he wasn’t going to be ready to see what was coming. The men, women, and kids in this part of town were hardcore.

Some loved drugs.

Some loved sex.

There were even some who wanted to be thugs when they grew up, and they were looking for any way to prove it.

When they parked the car, she glanced over at him. “Are you ready for this?”

He laughed. “I did multiple tours of duty. I think I’ve got this, kitten.”

She touched his arm. “I didn’t mean the danger. I meant seeing what it’s really like down here.”

He didn’t get it.

“Emma?”

“I love you, Grey, but you were in that glass castle. This is the Vegas underbelly. Trust me when I say it can make the toughest break.”

He touched her cheek. “I have this.”

She hoped so.

Together, they got out. Emma locked the Navigator doors, and they headed toward a building. On the stoop sat a kid.

He couldn’t have been more than ten.

Immediately, Emma knew how this would play out. The kid looked desperate. Cash would talk.

“Hey, babe, what’s shakin’?” he asked.

“I need some information, and I need a babysitter. You up to make a quick C note?”

He laughed. “Momma, I’d kill my blood for a C. Whatcha need?”

“Tell me about Trent Webb. He lives here.” She described him.

The kid shrugged. He brushed the dirty blonde hair from his freckled face. “He’s okay.”

“Let’s try the truth.”

“That’s going to cost you two c’s.”

“Deal.”

She didn’t care about the money, and this kid looked like he’d not eaten in a week. He could use some cash, and hopefully, he didn’t buy drugs or pay off anyone for him.

“He’s a dick. He likes being a bastard to the ladies, but he’s been creeping again.”

Emma knew he was talking about selling drugs.

“Did he know these women? You ever see them here?” she asked, holding out her phone so he could swipe the pictures.

“Yeah, that first one was here. She came by once and left stoned out of her mind. She’d forgotten to put her shirt back on. There was more than drugs going down.”

Croft was appalled by what this kid was saying. He should be playing video games, chasing a ball, and going to class.

“Why aren’t you in school?” Greyson asked.

The kid laughed. “Why aren’t you a cop anymore? We all got our issues, suit. You should mind your manners when I’m talking to the babe.”

Greyson lifted a brow. “The babe is my wife. So, I don’t have to mind anything other than you. Answer the question. Why aren’t you in school?”

“I don’t go to school. I don’t need to. I got other skills. Your lady sees that, right, babe?”

Emma was used to this.

She trolled these streets for informants on her cases. She’d been down in this area more times than she’d like to recall over the last year. Each and every one involved a body.

“You didn’t see him with anyone else?”

“Nah! I didn’t see no one else, and I see everything. Right now, Boots across the street is thinking of lifting your ride. He’s got fast fingers. He can do it.”

“I’m betting that’s why they call him Boots,” Emma stated.

Greyson wasn’t worried. Dimitri handled the security on their vehicles. One call, and
‘Boots’
would be locked inside if he tried to hotwire it.

“Thank you,” she said, waiting. “What’s your name?”

“Deuce.”

“Let’s go with your real name,” she stated.

The boy floundered under her green stare. “Sam.”

“That’s so much better.”

“Greyson, give him one hundred. If we get back and the vehicle is there, he gets the other one.”

“Hey! That sucks! That ain’t the deal!”

The deal wasn’t the only thing that sucked. Sam’s grammar needed some help.

“Take it or leave it, Sam.”

“Fine, but I don’t like you so much now, babe. No one likes women who play hardcore.”

Greyson laughed.

Emma patted him on the head as she walked past him. Once inside, she handed him the phone. “Take a picture of his fingerprint on the screen, and send it to Curtis to do his thing. I want to know everything about our little watchdog.”

He did what she asked.

“He should be in school.”

Emma knew the cold hard truth. “I’m betting foster kid that was tossed away. His
‘parents’
or now guardians likely don’t give a shit. He’s a paycheck to them. He’s easy money. The kid hasn’t eaten in a while. I’m hoping he’ll use the money we give him for food.”

That made Greyson ill.

“He’s just a boy.”

“Yeah, and this is the other side of our kingdom. This is what I waded through every day. I love you, Grey, but the FBI had no clue.”

He saw that now.

“He’s up here. Let’s go.”

Emma climbed the stairs, and when she got to a door, she knocked. It didn’t take Trent Webb long to get there. When he opened, he first looked excited, and then looked scared.

“Shit! Cops.”

“Watch the news, Trent. We’re not cops, we’re worse. You know my husband, Greyson. He’s running the mob in this town.”

That did what she wanted.

It scared the shit out of the man. Obviously, his reputation preceded him.

Good.

“We need to talk.”

“Okay,” he said, backing up.

“It smells like a meth lab in here,” Greyson stated.

“I don’t know what you’re saying,” he stated.

Croft stared at him.

“You’re the mob, what do you care?”

“It’s my city. I get to care. You’re going to lose it. Tomorrow, my muscle is coming by with a baseball bat. He’s destroying anything here that looks meth-y.”

Emma sighed.

Way to make it harder, Greyson.

Shit.

“Anyway,” she said, reeling it in. “We need to know about these five women.” Emma showed him the picture.

“That’s Sallie Mae. She came here once to get high. She was supposed to be on Methadone, but she wanted to have one more party before she tried out sobriety. The clinic is around the block, and she and I walked back here on her first day.”

“She was a hooker. She had plenty of fun,” Emma stated, looking around. “Did you and she have some of that fun?”

“Hell yeah! I supplied, she put out. It’s how I used to roll. I’m clean now.”

Greyson moved toward him.

Trent backed up. “I don’t want no trouble.”

“Then tell my wife everything she wants to know. We’re not the cops anymore. What I am, it’s worse. Lie and you die.”

He believed him.

“I hooked up with Sallie Mae here, but she’s the only one I got with. The other pictures were women at the clinic. I was in charge of checking them in at the front desk. They didn’t let me near the drugs and for good reason.”

Yeah, she could see that.

“Did anyone come around while you were working at the clinic?” she asked. “You know trouble. What did you see?”

“I saw a lot of cops. You know that one who was arrested for killing Sallie Mae and the others?”

“Yeah?”

Now he had her interest.

“He was always there. We had fights outside and he and his partner showed up a lot.”

She pulled up a picture of Charlie Tillman, Seth’s first partner, and then Jesse Post, his last partner.

“Which one?”

He identified the last one.

“Did he ever give her a hard time?”

“Nah, he mostly got them moving. There’s a corner store between here and the clinic. The owner was always calling the cops when any of the ‘junkies’ walked past his store. How the hell were they supposed to get to the clinic?”

Emma listened.

“Anyway, he also didn’t want pimps and hookers in front of his place. He hated all of them.”

That was interesting.

“Are we talking Calhoun’s Quickie Mart?” she asked.

“Yeah, the girls got a kick out of the name.”

She bet they did.

“Stay out of trouble, Trent,” she said, heading out of there. Out in the hall, there was the smell of some burnt food and a crying baby.

Ahhhh, Vegas.

If the tourists only saw this part.

Heading down, she was met with Sam rushing their way. “The cops are outside, and they’re all over your ride. You better get out there.”

Shit.

Of course they were going to continue with the next wave of harassment.

They didn’t have time for this.

“Stay here, Sam, I’ll pay you in a minute,” Emma stated.

When they headed out, it was her worst-case scenario. It was Detective Heath Spencer, and he was leaning against her ride.

Emma prayed Greyson would keep his cool. If one of them was going to get punchy, it wasn’t going to be her. Immediately, he began sending a text, and she prayed it wasn’t to Dimitri. If he arrived, this was going to escalate and fast.

“Hey, Emma. How are you?” he asked. “Sleeping well at night with all this on your mind?”

She didn’t bat an eye. “We’re working on something. Is there an issue?”

“We got a call that said there’s some trouble in the area, and we thought we’d check it out.”

Emma laughed. “Look around. This whole place is trouble. I kinda like it here,” she said. “See, the people here have been screwed over and forgotten. They’re my kind of people. They distrust cops, again, my kind of people. They are afraid of Greyson, once more…I think you get it. You shouldn’t mess with us, Heath. We didn’t do anything. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

His face said it all.

“I don’t think so. See, before Mace was killed in his own home, know what he told me? He told me Greyson killed Marianna, and that if anything happened to him, look at him. He was a good cop who saw his own death.”

Emma knew the truth, and while she didn’t condone what Dimitri did, she got it. So much had changed that she couldn’t ignore it.

“Know what I told Greyson today, Heath? That if Mace wasn’t playing cop as he snitched everyone out to the FBI, he likely wouldn’t have been hurt. Maybe someone else found out. Maybe someone else got angry. Look at Vegas, Heath. This is a bad place.”

He stared at her. “You can’t possibly believe that bullshit, Emma. You were a good cop before you fell into your life with him.”

The
‘HIM’
in question glanced up. Croft wasn’t thrilled that the man was trying to turn his wife against him.

It pissed him off.

Emma immediately defended him. “If he was dipping his fingers into this, what else was Mace investigating. If I were you, and a good cop,” she said, right before he cut her off.

“Yeah, you aren’t anymore or you wouldn’t be taking his side. You would have locked him up. A cop is a cop to the core.”

She laughed. “Yeah, let’s run your record and years of service against mine, shall we? Before I got married, I made you look like that scared kid on the playground. You have nothing on me. That’s first.”

Heath looked pissed.

“Second, I know my husband. I swear on his life, mine, and our family’s that he didn’t kill Mace. I was with him on an island hours away. You have him on surveillance there. You know he didn’t do it. This is a witch-hunt. Besides, Greyson is a face to face kind of guy. Right now, he’s getting ready for you.”

He looked up from his phone and grinned.

Emma was right. Last night was proof. If someone had to get their hands dirty, he’d be first in line.

Greyson didn’t pass the buck.

“I’m not afraid of you or him, Emma. He’s a thug.”

Greyson had enough.

“My little helpers are currently buying off all your debt, Detective Spencer. I now own your mortgage, your car loan, and the rest of your student loans. That sucks for you. I hope you don’t make me angry.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Nope. Not a threat at all, but don’t be late on your payments. I’d have to repo your ride just to be a dick. I’d rather screw with you for better reasons.”

“You are threatening me!”

Greyson reached into his pocket and both cops went for their guns. Carefully, he pulled out a little box. “This blocks your recording devices. Let’s call it a high-tech signal interrupter. My security gets them for me. The second I saw you, I took the chance you two were wired. I’m not a fool. I did run the FBI here.”