Christmas is Killing (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 3)

by Morgan Kelley

  Ethan looked around. “No, but she has eyes everywhere.”

  Croft didn't doubt that.

  “Emma is the only person in the world that can make me change my mind, but there are boundaries. She’s my woman, and I need to keep her safe at all costs.”

  “I’m with you, but in our house we think it, but never say it out loud. Elizabeth was pregnant with our first child when she was taken. The killer tracked her through the woods, hunting her. He was going to kill her to strike back at me.”

  “This thing has shaken me. I can’t let it happen again.”

  Ethan started laughing. “Does your wife get in trouble all the time?”

  “Not too much. She’s not cavalier.”

  “Be glad. My wife has no sense of self-preservation. I may need medication. Callen feels the same way. Between three kids and Elizabeth, we’re strung out.”

  Okay, he had to do it. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask a personal question.”

  Ethan was ready for it.

  “There are rumors,” he began. “That you three have…”

  Blackhawk didn't wait for him to finish. “They’re true. We don’t hide our relationship. I fell in love with Elizabeth and my brother did too. We’re a unique family.”

  Croft started laughing. “I actually was going to ask about having three kids all under two. We’re in the middle of thinking about children, so…”

  Blackhawk roared with laughter. “That may be the first time I outted us without someone asking. My wife is going to kick my ass.”

  Croft laughed, “I won’t tell her if you promise to keep her from killing me when she sees the overtime for this month.”

  Ethan thought about it. “Deal, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t going to scream and yell. That just gets me all hot and bothered.”

  Greyson completely understood that.

  After all, he was a man.

  By the time he returned to the group, the waiter was just beginning to place their food on the table. He took his seat beside Emma, and immediately, her hand went to his thigh to connect them. It was such a simple gesture that he’d come to love.

  “What did he want?” she asked.

  Croft dropped his voice low. “The situation.”

  Emma got it immediately.

  “What did I miss?” he asked, beginning to cut into his steak and offering his wife the first bite. “Was there anything important?”

  “No, we were wrapping up the discussion on work. I was telling your agents that we’re going to be hitting up Principal Lee tomorrow at his home. We need to ask some questions about his relationship with Mary Lou Harwell.”

  Briggs grinned. “I would love to be there when you start to discuss all the bondage toys.”

  Paris started choking on his water.

  Tessa slapped him on the back. “Are you okay?” she asked curiously.

  “I didn't expect someone to be so happy while discussing whips and chains. It caught me off guard.” So did her hand remaining on his back.

  God, he needed to fix this. He missed the simple act of her touching him.

  Curtis continued, “I’m not excited to hear about it. I want to be there to watch the boss man get flustered while his wife is standing there.”

  Croft didn't bat an eye. “You know, you’re getting a little big for those pants there, son,” he said, biting into his steak. “Do you want me to call my brother again and have him tell you about the time I hung him naked outside by his ankles from the apple tree?”

  Briggs snickered. “You don’t have a tree.”

  “Oh, Curtis,” Emma murmured, knowing what was on the horizon. “When will you learn?”

  “I do have a balcony.”

  The man stared at him unsure if he was kidding. There were times when he knew he pushed him a little too far.

  “Grey,” Emma drew his focus, trying to keep Curtis alive for a little longer. “Don’t kill the newbie. We need him to do the grunt work,” she teased. “Want some alfredo?” she offered, holding out a forkful to him.

  He grinned wickedly, taking a bite and chewing before speaking. “If our warrant comes in tomorrow for the reverend, we’re all on that too. I want to divide and conquer. We’ll hit up his home and the church all at once. We don’t need anyone moving anything around while we’re at another location.”

  “Agreed,” added Emma. “How long are you planning on holding him for?” she asked, running her fingers across his leg and drawing a heart. She loved their secret messages back and forth without anyone being any the wiser.

  He glanced over, face perfectly calm, but his eyes told another story. They’d gone from that gray color to a liquid-y silver that fired with heat.

  “Only until the search is done, unless we can find something more substantial than what we already have on him. Hopefully, he won’t get booked today. Maybe the backlog Gods will smile upon us, and he’ll sit there until tomorrow, and then we have twenty four hours to get our warrant and pull his life apart piece by piece.”

  “Do we have anything in yet on Kristopher Karson?” Briggs asked. “Did Max email you?” There was still a little bad blood between Curtis and his boss’s head tech. Max had slept with Brynn and spread it around. He’d yet to forgive and forget, even though his own relationship with the woman had fallen apart.

  “No, but he will as soon as he does. I’m sure the lab crew will be working into the night. He knows I want something by morning when we roll into the office.”

  “Speaking of which, are we done for the night?” Emma asked, tapping his watch and writing something dirty on his thigh. She knew he got it when his body tensed.

  “Yes we are,” he replied, raising his hand to signal the owner. The man immediately rushed over.

  “Can I get the check?” he asked, politely.

  Richard Porter motioned to his waiter. “Yes, Director Croft. I hope that everything was to your liking, and you’ll tell all your friends about us down here in the square.”

  He nodded and pulled out his credit card.

  Emma smiled. “It was a really delicious meal, thank you for making it a really great Christmas dinner.”

  The man smiled jubilantly. “Anything for you, Mrs. Croft,” he said, rushing the man off to get the bill taken care of as quickly as possible.

  “Curtis, will you escort Tessa and Emma to the cars? I would like to have a private conversation with Paris.”

  Briggs stood and couldn’t help but wink at his boss. “There are days when I love my job. Maybe I can get lip marks on the other cheek next.”

  Croft simply signed the bill and took his credit card. “Think about the view from the thirteenth floor, Curtis.”

  The man stopped laughing. “Cranky,” he muttered.

  Emma laughed as the younger agent led them away.

  Now, Paris was nervous as hell. The only time that the boss man ever wanted a one on one was when someone’s ass was in trouble. He didn't know why he was surprised. Paris was well aware this was going to be happening.

  “We have a little problem, Agent Archer.”

  The man swallowed.

  “Want to tell me what’s going on between you and Agent Brass? There seems to be some sort of hostility and edginess that wasn’t there before.”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” If anything, he’d protect their partnership. This was why he didn't want to have a personal relationship with her. He saw this coming a mile away, and losing her as his partner was going to suck.

  Croft steepled his fingers and contemplated how to approach the subject. “Want to know what I’m really good at in life, Paris?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m good at my job. I like to think I excel at being a husband and loving my wife, and I also believe I can smell bullshit from a mile away. That statement reeked.”

  Paris was trapped.

  “How about we do this again,” he repeated the question. “Agent Archer, I seem to have noticed there is a situation brewing between you and Tessa.
Would you care to share with me?”

  Paris couldn’t lie, but he would take the blame and protect Tess at all costs. “Have you ever wanted something so bad that in that one moment, the outcome didn't matter?”

  Croft understood that. He’d just had sex with his wife in the company car. That broke a big rule in his book. “All the time, when it comes to Emma.”

  “I had sex with my partner, and it’s created a little tension. It was all my fault and she had nothing to do with it. I went to her house, I initiated, and I crossed the line. She’s since told me it’s over and forgotten.”

  Oh boy.

  Emma had been right.

  Where did he even take this? Croft leaned forward. “Let’s forget I’m your boss here and go with man to man, okay? First, she had to be involved unless you’re claiming you forced yourself on her.”

  He looked panicked. “No! I mean... I didn't… I would never hurt her.”

  Croft knew what it was like to be tied up in knots over a woman. Emma, at one time, had him a big twisted mess. “Start at the beginning.”

  Paris purged it all, knowing it was too late to do damage control. His boss already knew, and now it was going to end like he first believed. By tomorrow, he would be reassigned.

  God!

  This day just blew.

  When he got to the end, he told him the last part. “The next morning, I called it a mistake, hurt her feelings, and that’s why she’s mad at me.”

  Ahhhh, the man had a lot to learn. “Was it a mistake? Do you regret it?”

  Paris went with honesty. “Yes and no.”

  Greyson waited for an explanation on that one.

  “It was amazing and just being with her was more than I ever thought possible.”

  “Then why do you regret it? Why would you call it a mistake?”

  Again, he was honest. “I know the FBI rules. You’re going to reassign us. I’m losing the best damn field partner I’ve ever had. Tess is tough and intuitive, and everything I’m not. We complement each other. I regret it because I won’t get to work with her every day.”

  Now, he saw it.

  “Maybe, you should tell her that. She looks pretty pissed off.”

  He knew she was. “I didn't think she’d blow it out of proportion like this. I didn't mean she was a mistake. I meant ruining our careers was one.”

  “Do you have your tablet?” he inquired, watching the man immediately begin to dig in his messenger bag.

  Holding it out, he watched his boss curiously.

  Croft accessed the database for all the employee files. He scanned Tessa Brass’s information, specifically the psych profile. Then, he saw it and the woman’s reaction was as clear as day.

  Logging out, he handed it back. “Here’s my suggestion to you. Search around her birth year for Baby Tessa in Oklahoma, and go from there. You’re a smart man. You’ll understand why she reacted the way she did, and then you’ll fix it.”

  Paris didn't understand, but he’d do what Croft asked him to do. “So am I reassigned tomorrow?” Man, he was going to miss his job with Tess.

  “No.”

  He stared at him. “Why?”

  Croft stood, slipping into his suit jacket. “It’s up to my discretion what to do. As long as NO ONE comes to me to report you, and you’re keeping it out of the workplace, carry on. If I see it again, or someone points it out, I have to step in and split you up.”

  This was his Christmas miracle.

  “Why?”

  Croft stared at him. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not as tyrannical as everyone thinks. When it comes to love, I have a soft spot.”

  And he did. It was the one way to get to him. Just look at his Emma.

  “Director, I don’t know what to say, but thank you,” he gushed, standing. Now, he could stop overthinking everything. He could just feel for a change.

  Then it hit him. There was one major obstacle.

  The shitload of anger his partner was toting around.

  That might be a problem.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here,” Croft suggested, leading them through the restaurant.

  Outside the building, they found Curtis and Emma, leaning against the Denali, but Tessa was nowhere to be found.

  “Where’s my partner?” Paris asked, searching for her. He could see the passenger seat of their vehicle was empty.

  Emma spoke up. “She wanted to go home, so she grabbed a cab. We offered to drive her, but she just left.”

  Yeah, big obstacle.

  Croft looked over. “Fix this, Agent Archer. I want happy people in the morning. I don’t care if you have to sell your soul to a higher power, but as of start of shift, there had better be happy FBI harmony.”

  He had no intention of ruining this opportunity. Paris raced off to do his research and fix his mess. It was all up to him and Tessa now.

  “Yeah, so the boss man can be the only cranky one in the workplace,” mocked Briggs.

  Emma gave him a fairly hard gut shot that made him wince.

  “Crap that hurt,” he groaned, rubbing his side.

  Croft held out his arm. “That’s my girl,” he stated winking at his wife. He loved how she always protected him in her own way.

  “Yes, I am.”

  * * *

  Sitting at his desk in his home office, Paris Archer started scanning the internet for anything that he could find about his partner’s childhood. When he put in the search words that Greyson Croft had suggested, he found a bunch of articles.

  Reading over each one, he was horrified at what he found.

  Newborn baby found on roadside wrapped in plastic.

  The title alone made his stomach churn in disgust. When he read it, the story only made it that much worse. His partner’s biological mother had taken her, after her birth, and tossed her aside like trash. She had claimed that getting pregnant was a mistake and didn't want the baby.

  Tess was disposed of in the most callous way possible, and made to feel like an error. Now, he understood the anger and look on her face as he completely broke her by saying those words. Surely, all through life these news stories chased and haunted her.

  He knew she was adopted by a nice family, since she’d mentioned being an only child. Paris was grateful she was so little at the time and that she couldn’t remember the fear.

  Scrolling through the rest of the articles, he learned even more. Continuing on, he read of her rescuer. It had been some man walking his dog. When he had heard her cries, he saved her.

  Thank God for that.

  Fate protected her that day and now she was part of his life. Right now, she may only be his partner, but he couldn’t help but feel connected to her. They’d had one night together, but it meant something.

  No, it meant everything.

  He couldn’t let Tessa hurt over his callous words. She’d carried enough in life. It was time that he helped her a little along the way. Paris wanted to prove that she wasn’t disposable and that to him, she did matter.

  The only mistake was leaving her side.

  Now he’d fix it, or pay the rest of his life.

  * * *

  Greyson was thoroughly enjoying the scent of his wife’s hair as it lay across his chest. Now with the extensions, it was longer and more fun to play with it. Curling a piece between his fingers, he enjoyed the peace of simply being near her.

  Yet there was no calm in his mind. He was thinking about the serial killer and the man who took his wife. The rage rose up in him, as he wanted to hand out justice and retribution at the same time. He knew it was a fine line to walk, and deep down, he wondered if given the chance he’d cross it.

  What wouldn’t he do for his wife?

  Would he trade his code of ethics to take the life of the man who placed his hands on her?

  He tried not to think of that asshole slipping her out of her clothes, touching her petal soft skin, staring at her practically naked. If he kept it up, he’d lose the carefully built control he
’d created to hide the truth.

  But let’s face it. He knew the answer to his own question.

  He’d kill for her.

  “What are you thinking about?” she asked, shifting her focus up to his face.

  “Sex,” he answered laughing, trying to cover the true thoughts bouncing around in his mind. Before she could comment, he added more. “I’m a man. I think about it every seven minutes.”

  She snickered. “We just had sex.”

  “Yep, and the timer started right after. I’m actually slow. It’s been nine minutes.”

  “I love you, Greyson,” she whispered, curling into his body. There was nothing like post coital cuddling with him. In fact, she could feel the tension, and that made her want to offer him more comfort. Emma knew he wasn’t dwelling on sex alone. She knew him well enough.

  “Now what are you thinking about?” he inquired, stroking the soft flesh of her bottom with the palm of his hand. Maybe he could distract her with her own thoughts.

  “I was wondering if we’re going to catch the person who’s after you.”

  It scared her to think she might lose her husband in all this. When it was all over, she swore they needed a vacation.

  “We absolutely will,” he promised. “It’s a matter of time, honey.”

  Emma ran her hand over his abs and dangerously lower. Immediately, his body rippled at her touch. “Careful, Emma! You know what happens when you tease me. It fires me right up, and then I have to teach you a lesson.”

  If anything, she loved a challenge. The lessons he handed out were earth moving and orgasmic.

  “Or what, Grey?” she taunted.

  He began laughing, as he pulled the blanket over both of them.

  She screeched and tried to escape, but it was too late. He already had her pinned beneath him, and she was at the mercy of his much larger frame.

  “Greyson!” she admonished, only to have him bury himself in her body.

  “Yes, honey?” he murmured in her ear. “Is there a problem?” His mouth became busy with her earlobe.