Dark Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 1) (5 page)

“It’s all day sickness. She can’t eat a whole hell of a lot, and that has me freaked out too. What if she doesn’t feed the baby enough, or herself? What if…?”

Croft cut him off.

“You’re going to be a good father, Curtis. Here’s the proof. You’re worried already. Once Dimitri is let in on it, he’s going to see that. Don’t think that he hasn’t noticed that his sister is off her game. Maybe he’s simply waiting on you two to tell him.”

That never occurred to him.

“Do you really think so?”

Neither Croft would be surprised if that were the case. The Russian kept tabs on just about everything that happened in the house. It wasn’t like he’d miss something this big with his sister. Granted, he didn’t technically work for them, but he still watched the place like a hawk.

“If I was a betting man, I’d say so,” Greyson offered. “Dimitri is smart. He likely knows.”

“How about I talk to Kat soon, and then you two talk to Dimitri? You need to come clean about it. He’s not going to be happy, but he’s certainly not going to kill you. He’s not like that, and I think you know it.”

He hoped they were right.

The last thing he wanted was to be murdered by the Russian. It looked like Curtis was going to have to put all his trust in his family.

“Okay, talk to her. See if you can get her to marry me.”

Emma kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll do my best. I can’t make promises, but I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.”

Greyson’s tablet beeped beside him. It was the alarm for the security gate. Someone was pulling into the driveway.

Opening up the tablet, he watched as Dimitri’s sleek black ride coasted into the driveway. He was getting out and heading inside.

“Try and look calm. Here comes Dimitri. Never let them see you sweat, son.”

It was always sound advice.

As they sat there, trying not to look guilty of anything, it was almost comical. When they heard him coming, they glanced over. He was in all black, crisply pressed, and cool as a cucumber.

The man was an enigma.

They didn’t know how he did it. The man never broke a sweat, even in the Vegas desert. It had to be one hundred in the shade.

“Hey, Dimitri,” Emma said, smiling brightly at him.

“Hello, Emma, you look…cool,” he said, checking her out in the bikini. “Was there a half off sale on swim attire? Or did you lose some of the bikini on the way to the pool?”

She was amused. For a man, a Russian, and a killer, he liked modesty in women. Emma knew he didn’t approve of her bikini, but that was fine.

Greyson did.

She laughed. “I think I look good in it.”

“Oh, you do,” he stated.

Greyson lifted a brow and stared at him. “I’ll hurt you if you continue. There’s your warning.”

Dimitri laughed. Over the last six weeks, they’d built a very close family, and he loved it. Being born to a dick and a whore, he never had this growing up. This teasing was important to him.

Emma was like his third sister. He felt protective of her. Greyson, on the other hand, he was something different. He didn’t need protection. He needed a partner, and that fulfilled that part of his life.

They were soldiers.

Brothers.

Friends.

Since meeting the Crofts, the Gideons had people who genuinely loved them. It was the most important thing in the world to them.

“You’re home early,” Emma said.

“I had a visitor at
‘Club Aquarius’
,” he stated. “When she left, I thought it was time to come home.”

That had Greyson’s attention.

If someone had come in, that meant they had another case to work. He was glad. In order to stay busy, he needed to keep thinking about helping people.

Don’t get him wrong.

He loved the life of leisure, but there was something cathartic about using his mind to help people.

“A case?”

He handed Greyson the file that he’d compiled when their new client had left.

“Her name is Miranda Bell, and she needs us to help her brother.”

“What’s her deal?” Greyson asked, flipping through the makeshift file. Even done on the fly, it was well put together. He swore Dimitri was OCD to the max. The man had to have helper elves working behind the scene.

“It seems that he’s on death row for a crime she says he didn’t commit.”

They all looked up.

There was a collective sigh.

If they’d heard that once, they’d heard it a million times. No one on death row ever admitted the truth. Of course, they were going to say they were framed. The next most common thing mentioned was that they’d found Jesus.

No one took those two things seriously.

“Why is this one special?” he asked. “What makes you think she’s on the up and up?”

“He was a cop.”

Emma sat forward. “Seth Bell?” she asked, already knowing the case.

“Yes, you’ve heard of him?” Dimitri asked, taking a seat on the opposite side of Greyson.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of the case. He worked out of the same precinct, and they tied him to the deaths of five women. He said he didn’t do it, but no one bought it. He said evidence was planted.”

Greyson thought about it.

“Do you think he’s guilty?” he asked Emma.

“It was before our time here. I don’t know.”

He glanced over at Dimitri. “Why are you so sure he’s innocent?”

Dimitri thought about it. There were a bunch of reasons, and most of them had to do with Miranda Bell. A sister’s love was strong, and this woman believed in her twin.

“My gut tells me she’s telling the truth, and she really believes what she’s saying. Plus, there’s one piece of evidence that doesn’t fit with me. It feels off, and I’ve learned to live by my gut,” he offered.

They all had.

He figured they’d get that.

“What is it?” Emma asked.

“He was accused of raping five women, right?”

“Yes.”

“He’s as gay as the day is long. She swears there’s no way he could do it. He can’t get it up for the ladies.”

They stared at him.

“That’s it?”

“Oh, and a little thing you might be interested in.”

He had their attention.

“What?”

“Chris Ford’s department handled it, and it appears that Commissioner Thomas Booker was the one who put the pressure on them to lock him away.”

At the mention of his name, they got it.

The man was crooked as sin. If he’d put the order out, there was no doubt he didn’t give a shit if the man was guilty or not. He wanted someone to hang.

“Booker was an asshole,” Emma muttered.

Yeah, and the one who jacked their lives from the start in Vegas.

“Well, I’m in,” Greyson said. “If Booker had his fingers in this, there’s no way in hell I’ll let it go by.”

Emma grinned. “I’m in too.”

Dimitri stood. “She’s meeting us at
‘Aquarius’
for dinner. You had better get dressed, Emma.”

“Do I make you nervous?” she teased.

He laughed. “No. You make him nervous. I have the overwhelming need to cover you with a very large blanket.”

Greyson laughed. He trusted the man around his wife. In fact, he trusted all of the team.

He had to.

They were his and he loved them.

Dimitri glanced over at Curtis. “We need to talk about something.”

The man went white. “We do?”

“Yeah, I need your help. Can you get us the files from the police database without anyone knowing you’ve been there?” he asked. “This is going to be tricky. I personally don’t think we should let them know we’re investigating. The second they do, they’ll stir the shit pot.”

They were well aware.

“If they can secure it, I can hack it. It might take a little longer if they closed up the backdoor access, but it’s doable.”

Perfect.

“I don’t think the LVPD is going to like us investigating this case,” Greyson offered. “We might need to make a little visit to see Chris.”

Emma smiled.

“YAY! I can’t wait to see him. He’s been so busy that he’s been stuck there long hours. I’ll get ready to go for the meeting. I can’t show up in a blanket.”

Both men waited until she headed toward the house to get changed.

“You didn’t tell her?” Dimitri asked.

“Nope.”

“What?” Curtis asked. “What doesn’t Emma know?”

“The new commissioner has laid down the law. Anyone who associates with a Croft, is going to lose their jobs.”

“Uh oh,” Curtis said. “So Chris isn’t busy? He’s avoiding us?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Greyson offered. “I’m going to have to break it to her, and soon. This is going to be ugly.” He didn’t blame the man, but then again, he did.

Dimitri agreed.

“You had better make it sooner rather than later, Grey. She’s going to get hurt.”

He was well aware.

Only, how did you tell your wife the man she considered brother was turning his back on them?

It was going to sting.

Badly.

Chapter Two

Club Aquarius

Dinner

When they got there, they were welcomed as usual. Dimitri made sure his staff treated Emma and Greyson as if they owned the place. As far as he was concerned, his family was to be treated like royalty. Granted, it wasn’t as if he had to force his staff to be personable. Everyone who worked there was curious about Emma and Greyson Croft.

The couple was an enigma.

Plus, they were there a lot with Dimitri.

They were beyond regulars. They were a fixture.

In the bar, it was pretty empty. Then again, it was early in the day for people in Vegas. Dinnertime to a normal person was different on
‘Sin City’
time.

As they sat down in the back room, Dimitri didn’t even have to look at the menu. It was his, and he knew what he wanted to have served.

“May I?” he asked, asking the couple to give him the privilege of ordering for them.

Emma didn’t care. She was too busy looking around. This room fascinated her—it always did. There were old pictures on the wall of all the mob men who came before them.

“Great. Thank you, Dimitri.”

Greyson also agreed. It was his place, so he could do whatever he wished.

After putting in the order for their meal, he glanced at his watch. “We have some time.”

Greyson knew what he wanted. This place brought out the caveman in him.

“Play for me, kitten?” he asked, nuzzling her ear.

She smiled sweetly at him.

“God! I hope you mean that piano or this is awkward.”

He snorted and then nipped her lobe. “You know exactly what I mean. Don’t be a smart ass.”

Emma gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. “I was well aware, but I have to keep you on your toes, Greyson Croft.”

He didn’t mind at all.

For Emma, he’d do anything. There were no limits to the love he felt for her. She was his queen.

Dimitri enjoyed watching them in action. It was nice to see that they could be themselves, and they didn’t care who saw it. It was clear that this man loved his wife, and she loved him right back.

It was sweet to watch.

He wondered if he’d ever have that luxury in his life, and then he realized that was one hell of a pipe dream. He’d never have a normal life. Dimitri would be forced to watch their love story play out.

He’d come to grips with it.

It was what it was.

As Emma headed toward the piano, Greyson glanced over at him. “Why’d you have it moved in here?” he asked.

Dimitri knew he was going to realize it hadn’t been a fixture. Honestly, he didn’t know why he wanted the piano in his private room.

Maybe it was to hear Emma play.

Maybe it was to study them.

From what he’d learned about the couple, they both had families that were good, kind, and loving. He was trying to surround himself with that as much as he could.

In a way, he was trying to immerse himself in love by proxy. He honestly hoped the man didn’t mind.

“Why, Dimitri?”

It was best not to lie to Greyson Croft. They were cut from the same cloth, and he could smell it a mile away—much like himself. Out of respect, he’d always be honest.

As Emma began playing, he watched her.

“When I was young, after my father was done beating the hell out of me, I would retire to my room to lick my wounds. There I would find solace as I would see old American shows on the tiny TV. I used to think that all women were like Emma—that my mother was simply useless and the bad apple. It helped fuel my anger to get me through the shitty life I was living.”

Greyson sipped his bourbon. This was probably the most the man had ever discussed of his past.

“I focused on life and that fantasy on TV, swearing I would have gentleness like that in my life. Someone like Emma was my goal. Then I got out in the real world and saw that women weren’t like that. They were the same horrible mess my own mother was.”

“Okay, but why the piano? I’m not seeing the connection to it.”

“She’s priceless. I see that now. When I see Emma play, and listen to her music, I have hope. She’s good, kind, and she plays because you love it. That gives me a warm feeling. One day, I might just find someone who is the opposite of my mother. That piano in here is my sign of hope.”

He patted his hand on the table. “You will, Dimitri. She’s out there. I know your childhood sucked.”

He laughed. “That’s putting it mildly. The wrong syrup on your waffles sucks. My childhood was a nightmare.”

Yeah, this was surprising. Greyson didn’t think Dimitri would ever open up. It was proof how close they were becoming.

“It’s better now, right?” Greyson asked, swirling his drink. “You have a good life in Vegas.”

“Yeah, it is. I was empty for a long time. Finding you and Emma was a blessing. Randall Mason did me a huge favor. When he put me on your tail, he gave me a family I could be proud of in life, and that matters.”

Greyson agreed.

The two men sat there, listening to the music play. It was sweet, beautiful, and hauntingly soulful. Emma was telling a story through her fingers.

When their food came, she wrapped up the song before returning to her place beside Greyson.

“That was lovely, Emma,” Dimitri stated.

“She played that song for me at a charity auction. It’s my favorite one she plays.” He nuzzled her cheek with his chin. “I love you, kitten.”

“I love you more,” Emma stated. Then she focused on Dimitri. “Thank you for moving it in here. I loved playing for both of you.”

Oh, the pleasure was all his.

“We should eat,” he stated.

“When is the client coming?” Emma asked, cutting into her salad and salmon.

“She should be here any minute. I have something waiting for her to eat when she arrives.”

They continued to dine, and then it happened. Dimitri asked the big question.

“So, which one of you is going to tell me what’s going on with my sister and your man child?”

They both looked up at him.

“What?” Emma offered.

He laughed. “Really? You think that’s going to fly in here, and with me?”

Greyson took a bite of his steak and chewed. “Mmmm, cow.”

Emma pointed at him. “You get a smoothie tomorrow to counteract that cholesterol.”

“Yes, honey.”

“Stop trying to change the subject to his crappy eating behavior,” he said, eating his own steak. “Curtis is avoiding me like the plague, and Kat keeps looking at me like she’s ready to cry.”

They didn’t say anything.

“He swore you to secrecy, huh?”

“Not really,” Emma said.

“Should I be worried?” he asked, playing their game.

“Yes,” Greyson stated.

“No,” Emma stated at the same time.

“Interesting.”

He watched them.

What he liked more than honesty was loyalty.

He sat back and sipped his bourbon. “Is it about Kat being with child?”

Neither of them flinched.

“Oh, you two are good. Sometimes I think I’m dealing with two mere mortals, and then I’m reminded that you used to be a Fed and a detective.”

They both continued eating.

“For the record, I’ve seen my sister puking her brains out most of the day. While I admit that I bought the food poisoning excuse the first week, the last five weeks…not so much.”

“So, you know?”

He nodded.

“And you haven’t flipped out and killed him?” Emma asked. “Are you taking meds?”

He snorted. “Is he afraid?”

“Well, that’s both of their fear.”

He laughed at that. “Why would I kill him?”

Now they stared at him.

“Uh, do you recall the morning you found them sleeping in the same bed fully dressed when sex never even happened? That was one hell of a freak out, and he hadn’t even deflowered your sister,” Greyson stated.

He shrugged as he wiped his mouth with the corner of his linen napkin. “I do like a production. That was to see if he would defend my sister from a bigger, scarier threat. He passed that test. This is completely different.”

“So you’re not mad?” Greyson offered.

“I’m going to share this with both of you and trust that you keep a better secret for me than you do for him. I’m angry, but that’s because they’re sneaking around. It’s quite clear they’re happy as a couple. I watch Curtis bringing her water and sneaking her cookies. I watch him pull out her chair and open doors for her. He’s a good guy. He was, after all, trained by the best,” he said, pointing at Greyson.

“He also thinks you’re going to ask for a shotgun wedding.”

He laughed. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. If you’re old enough to make a child, you’re old enough to navigate this path on your own. I handed my sister, a woman I consider my own child, to him. If he doesn’t have the decency to want to marry her, I’ve misjudged.”

“Oh, he asked,” Greyson offered.

He didn’t want to be surprised, but he was.

“She declined?”

Emma explained.

When she was finished, he was amused to the point his eyes were tearing up.

“Uh, this isn’t funny, is it?” Emma asked.

“Bless that boy. I love my sister, but Katerina has the widest stubborn streak in the world. She nearly broke me, and I consider myself a very patient person.”

They both snickered.

“What?”

“You’re not really patient.”

“Yeah, I know. See the irony in all of this? I’m simply waiting for them to come to me and be adults. I figure she’s about three months, maybe four. She’s not going to have a hell of a lot of time left to hide this. I figure I’m going to win this one. It’s not like a baby can magically show up and I won’t notice.”

Greyson clinked his glass of his friends. “You’re one sadistic bastard.”

Yes, yes, he was.

“When they come to tell me, I’ll pretty much tell them I know, and let it go. They’ve made themselves a nervous wreck over this for no reason. That, in itself, is the punishment they deserve.”

Emma shook her head. “Sadistic.”

“Yeah, but you have to admit, it’s as funny as hell. They’re worried, and there’s no reason. Now, you can’t tell them. Let them learn a lesson in life. This is something parents have to do.”

He was smiling.

It was a rare thing.

Emma couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was when he was amused. Like her husband, Dimitri was a sexy man. He should smile more often. It suited him.

Then something occurred to her.

“You like babies, don’t you?” she accused.

“I refuse to dignify that with an answer, Emma.”

“You do! Dimitri Gideon loves babies,” she sang, just to amuse herself and Greyson.

He scowled.

It was an act. Dimitri loved little kids. In his mind, they were the best things in the world. They needed to be loved, cuddled, and told they were cherished—unlike he and Kat had been.

They were hope.

They were a future.

Greyson started laughing. “You two are amusing, but I think here comes our dinner meeting. Maybe you should both stop acting twelve.”

They glanced over at the woman heading their way. As she got closer, both men stood, and she looked ready to bolt. They were being gentlemen, but the look on her face said it all. She was ready to run.

“Have a seat, Ms. Bell.”

Dimitri motioned toward a waiter, and he hurried off to get her food. “I ordered you dinner. I hope you don’t mind,” he offered.

“Ummm…thank you, Mr. Gideon.”

She stared at Greyson and Emma.

And kept staring.

Greyson looked behind him, searching for whoever had her focus, and then he realized it was him.

“What?”

“You’re the king and queen of Vegas.”

Emma snorted. “Thank you, local news. Someone’s never living that one down.” It was true. They were stuck with that nickname, and it was still irritating—even when they were no longer cops.

It was plain weird.

Just when they thought that the media frenzy had just slowed down, and they were likely good until the next function, there it was again.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said.

Dimitri motioned for the waiter to pour two glasses of wine for the women.

“I don’t drink,” Miranda said, stopping him.

“Water then?”

“Yes, please.”

She watched the three of them as she began eating her dinner. She’d done some research, and the Crofts had lost their jobs as cops, and now they were going to be helping her?