Love is Bleeding (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 4)

by Morgan Kelley

  * * *

  The card game was wrapping up, and while Croft lost a good part of his money, he gained what he had come for. He now had the faces behind the possible people gunning for him in Vegas. One of these men could have been the bastard who ordered his wife taken.

  Yeah, he was on their tail now. It wouldn’t take long to work it all out, and hopefully they could end this and move forward.

  “Greyson, my boy. Would you like a cigar?”

  He glanced at Randall Mason. “Cuban?”

  The other men watched him curiously.

  “Of course,” he replied, passing out the contraband. “They’re like the ones I gave you for Christmas, my friend. Only the best for the people I call my inner circle.”

  Croft was holding his drink and cards. “I need a spare hand,” he said, pushing his chair back. “Emma, my sweet,” he called.

  Instantly, she appeared at his side. “Yes?”

  Motioning toward the man beside him, he waited for her to prep his cigar. When she finished, he didn't even have to say the words. His Emma knew what he expected.

  When she perched in his lap, there was peace.

  This was their thing. It wasn’t for show, or to mess with the men watching them. This was purely Greyson and Emma at their truest core. She loved being in his lap, and he adored having her close.

  Dominic Marianna watched the couple and found it fascinating. Even after Randall Mason told them that this was a real marriage, he thought he was full of shit. Now, he doubted his initial assumptions.

  Emma held his glass as he smoked and played cards.

  “Toss in two chips for me, honey,” he said, leaning back. While Croft was enjoying this moment, keeping her in his lap wasn’t just for his own entertainment. The guard at the door had been getting a little too close to Emma, and that was distracting.

  As the hand played out, she nibbled on his ear, whispering low for only him to hear. Yeah, he was a little surprised by his wife and her suggestions. He couldn’t wait until later.

  When Dominic folded, he sighed.

  “You win, Croft.”

  He grinned triumphantly. Now, the night was finally over. “Gentlemen, I’m cashing out. It’s getting late, and I have a business meeting tomorrow morning with my bosses and Quantico.”

  Randall stretched. “I have some business myself.”

  The other men took it as their sign.

  Emma stood from her husband’s lap, going to retrieve the case for him.

  “I’ll ask again, Croft,” Dominic said, this time more forcefully. “I want one night with her. I’ll take very good care of your woman, and promise to bring her back in the morning. I won’t even leave any marks.”

  “Not happening, Dominic. You have a girlfriend. Go home with her. I don’t share, and before you offer a swap, no thank you. My woman is MY woman. I don’t cheat on her or pass her around like she’s cheap.”

  He nodded at the guard, and the man grabbed Emma by the arm, yanking her toward him.

  Her startled gasp drew his attention.

  Okay, here’s where it went bad. Even Randall looked alarmed, and wasn’t expecting Emma to be manhandled by the gorilla.

  “I think I’ll make up your mind for you,” he stated, grinning ferally. “I don’t like when people say no to me. That’s a lesson you’re going to learn. If you’re going to play with the big dogs in Vegas, you sometimes have to bend a little.”

  When the gorilla went a step further and grabbed a handful of her hair, to control her, Emma did what no one expected. She slammed the heel of her foot down on his instep, and when he bent over, she slammed her elbow into his face, and the palm of her hand into his throat. Grabbing his gun, she pointed it at the man on the floor. “Maybe I didn't make myself clear, earlier. No one touches me, but my husband.”

  The man groaned from the floor.

  “Now, I don’t give two shits that your boss thinks he can have you try and scare me. I’ve seen far nastier things on the street. Be glad that I don’t put a bullet in your brain.”

  There was silence in the room.

  Seeing that he was no longer a threat, she walked toward her husband, holding the nine millimeter out to him.

  Croft enjoyed the look on Dominic’s face. Obviously, he didn't expect to have his muscle dropped like a stone into water, and not by a small, redheaded spitfire.

  “You heard the lady,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. His body had gone from alarmed to turned on, very quickly. There was something sexy about watching his woman takedown an ox.

  Dominic Marianna was speechless.

  “I’ll see you at the auction, Randall,” Emma said, leaning over to kiss the man on the cheek.

  Croft unloaded the gun, tossing it onto the table. “I’ll ignore that the serial number was scratched off, since I’m here to play poker, not be a Fed. Consider that your gesture of good faith.”

  They headed for the door.

  Randall waited for them to go. “You’re lucky, Dom. He stayed calm. With a stunt like that, he normally would have fed you your heart. He must like you.”

  “I have to know more about them.”

  Randall wasn’t spilling anything. As far as he knew, he was the only one who had all the details on Emma. Everyone and everything else had… vanished. While Dominic knew about Greyson, he was going to have a damn hard time digging deeper. Mason had made sure of it.

  “What’s this auction she was talking about?” he asked, tossing the gun at his guard and ordering him to get up.

  “It’s for charity. Emma, playing a piano for an hour, is one of the items up for bid.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  He stared at him and realized that he just made a mess. Now, this man was going to be trying to get to Emma. “You hate music.”

  “Yeah, but I want to get to know Emma Croft. She intrigues me and turns me on. She’s going to be mine.”

  Randall knew right then and there that they had a very big problem. If Dominic wasn’t the one gunning for the Crofts, they now had his attention.

  The Vegas mob was a whole other mess.

  In the lobby, Croft left his wife with the driver. He had one more thing to handle before they were off duty. Stopping at the desk, he grabbed their room key. What he wanted now, was to bring his wife upstairs and spend hours rolling around with her.

  He was dying to get his hands on her.

  Taste her.

  Feel her.

  Spend the night worshiping her.

  After being forced to listen to the men in the room make sexual comments about her, he wanted nothing more than to reclaim his prize.

  Heading toward her, he sent the agent away. “Get this money to the lab. We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, removing the watch and sending it with the cash.

  With that, he began leading Emma away.

  “Wait, where are we going?” she asked, noticing that they were heading back to the elevators. This definitely wasn’t the way out.

  “Upstairs,” he said, giving her no other answer.

  “Grey,” she said, placing her hand on his arm. When the elevator door opened, he practically shoved her inside. It caught her off guard, and Emma nearly stumbled. With a roughness not often seen, he yanked her against his body. While being pressed against him, she was already aware that her husband was incredibly aroused.

  “Emma, I want you so bad,” he whispered, running his lips across her shoulder.

  When she reached behind her to stroke him through his pants, he moaned.

  “God, this night is killing me. I need to get out of my clothes and on top of my wife.

  His words heated her blood, making her want to torment him even more. When she wiggled, rubbing her body against his, he shook.

  “Emma, you’re a very bad girl, and you know what happens to naughty little kittens.”

  She could only hope. “You haven’t seen anything, Director Croft,” she replied, as the doors opened.

  He led her dow
n the hall, practically dragging her to get to their room. Yes, people stared at them, but he didn't care. His first priority was to get her behind locked doors and to take what was his. When she stumbled again, Croft was sick of the damn heels.

  “Come here,” he growled, throwing her over his shoulder.

  “Greyson!”

  Now, people were really staring.

  “I need you, honey,” he stated, unapologetically. When he slapped her roughly on her behind, it made her gasp.

  Emma could feel her own pulse throbbing in her neck. It felt like days since she’d had Greyson’s hands and mouth all over her body. It was too long, and now she was ready to attack like a crazed animal.

  Granted, she never thought she’d be seen hanging from her husband’s shoulder, but it wasn’t exactly upsetting her.

  In fact, it was making her wild.

  Once the door was open, he raced into the room, lowering Emma to her feet. It didn't take long for him to slide his hand into her hair, yanking her forward to meet the demands of his mouth.

  There was another gasp, as she didn't expect the roughness.

  The kiss was so filled with heat that Emma believed she’d melt right out of her clothes. His mouth plundered, stole, and took.

  Emma held on for the ride. “Grey,” she muttered as his free hand traced down to her behind and yanked her forward, pressing her against the front of him.

  “Do you see what you do to me, Emma? With you I have no control.”

  She loved how he felt against her. “I need you, Grey,” Emma whispered, as she swore the room was now on fire.

  Releasing her, he pulled her into the room and placed her beside the bed. “You smell so good, Emma. I want to taste you,” he said, running his fingers across the soft, supple flesh of her chest.

  Leaning in, she brought her lips to his neck to leave kisses. When he relaxed, she bit him and he shook. “Undress me,” he ordered. Croft was pleased as her hands went to work, stripping him from his clothes.

  First, his buckle was opened.

  Then, his pants were undone.

  Finally, she was staring at him with big, green seductive eyes. Without warning, she dropped to her knees and took him in her hand.

  “Oh, Christ,” he muttered, as her very eager fingers slid up and over his flesh, heating him even more. When he didn't think it was possible to feel anything more amazing, she took him in her mouth.

  There was heat and bliss, and it was devouring him whole.

  Emma loved tasting him. The feel of control was exhilarating and made her want to do so much more. Working him into a frenzy, she waited for him to begin begging.

  “God, honey, I need more.”

  She gave him what he wanted.

  Before he knew it, his hands were buried deep in her hair, and he was using her mouth to get lost in the sensation. As he began to slip, he had to pull away from her.

  “Get up,” he hissed, wild with lust. He was thinking back to how the men admired her, slapped her on the ass, and wanted what was only his. It pushed his limits and made him into something that he had a horrible time controlling. What he wanted to do was tell her the words that sat just below the surface, dying to be set free.

  “I want you, Grey,” she whispered, as he pulled her to her feet.

  Oh, God, he wanted her too.

  “Take me to bed, Greyson. I need you.”

  His body shook. “Emma,” he began.

  “Make me yours,” she purred, needing to feel her husband’s hands and mouth all over her. She missed the feel and scent of him. “I want to belong to my husband.”

  It was all he could take.

  Suddenly, he struck.

  Emma gasped as the material of her shirt was ripped from her body. The sound filled the air around them. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was falling backwards, Greyson with her. Lips attacked, wandered, and stole, as her entire body was assaulted by her husband.

  It was perfect.

  Delicious.

  It was exactly what she wanted.

  Before she could say a word, his mouth covered hers and he stole her breath. Emma could feel herself being frenetically stripped as he tore through layer after layer of clothing to get to heated flesh. The sound of fabric rendering, shredding, and being destroyed was more than enough to drive her mad with pleasure.

  Who didn't want a man ravishing you out of need?

  This feeling was amazing.

  Emma couldn’t get enough.

  When he was finally through the hindering garments, Emma gasped, as fingers found her wet and ready. If there was one thing that was fact about her husband, it was that he knew his way around her body.

  Like a pro.

  “I can’t stop,” he muttered, struggling to breathe. At that moment, instinct had taken over and the caveman was about to claim his babe.

  She moaned as Greyson slid into her roughly.

  Croft barely gave her a second to catch her breath, and he was off. The race had begun. At that moment, he longed to take his wife and claim the victory.

  No matter what the cost.

  As he pounded into her body, he braced his arms above her shoulders, caging her beneath him.

  It was as if he feared she’d try and escape as he brought them both to the edge.

  “Emma,” he groaned, feeling so damn good. It was a mix of love, lust, and jealousy that men touched what was his.

  She was his woman.

  His wife.

  Greyson’s kitten.

  “I need you so bad,” he said, slamming into her, nearly losing his mind. The more he took, the more he had to have. His Emma was the forbidden fruit, and the only weakness in his life.

  “I want all of you,” she moaned, as she remained his prisoner beneath his larger frame.

  “Emma, so good,” he whispered, feeling himself move close to the edge. Now, he only had to make sure she tumbled with him.

  Opening his eyes, he stared down into hers. Here was his heart and soul, in another human being.

  “Fall with me,” she begged, already beginning to quake beneath him. The scent and feel of her husband burying himself in her body was too much.

  She was done.

  Now, Emma wanted to fall into the pleasure with the only man she’d ever love.

  “Oh, God!” he shouted, slamming into her, just as her body ruptured apart. He shook, falling into the cascading colors which enveloped him.

  Slowly, he floated, deaf, blind, and mute.

  It was her voice which called him back to awareness. Lifting up onto his elbows, she was laughing, and he couldn’t help but join her.

  “You’re still in your shirt,” she said, glancing down their bodies.

  “You’re still in your heels,” he stated, running his finger up her ankle and grinning smugly.

  “You’re a wild man, Mr. Croft.”

  “Viagra my ass,” he muttered.

  She stopped smiling. “What? Why the hell would you want to even go there? Last I looked, you don’t need to medicate, babe. This should have been proof.”

  He was well aware.

  Rolling off her body, he shared with her Max and Curtis’s words. As the tale unfolded, his wife looked more and more horrified.

  She stared openmouthed.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, laughing.

  “I am, but we’re going to have a very big problem when we get home.”

  He was confused. “What?”

  “If Curtis thought I got testy when he called you old, he’s going to hate what I plan on doing to him for insinuating that your wife is less than taken care of in bed.”

  Croft grinned wickedly. Here was his fiery kitten and fierce protectress. He was blessed.

  She rolled into his body, and immediately her hands began wandering.

  “Emma,” he hissed, as she cupped and teased him back into the madness.

  “Let’s prove them wrong, Director Croft. It seems your wife still isn't satiated.”
/>   Who was he to argue? If she needed, he’d supply.

  His Emma attacked, and Greyson let his wife have her way with him, because if anything, he was a gentleman.

  ~ Chapter Eight ~

  Thursday Morning

  There was something to be said about the intimacy of cleaning your gun. It was almost like running your hands over the body of a naked lover. You admired each line and unique curve.

  Guns were so important in life. They helped you hunt, protect, and kill.

  They also brought justice to those who needed it.

  It had been a full day since the last victims were taken, and time was slowly ticking away. For now, there was an overwhelming need to eliminate more of the guilty from the list.

  They were sinners.

  Liars.

  Betrayers.

  And traitors.

  They sold their soul to save their asses, and then turned their backs on one of their own. In their desperation, to appease society, they hung their brother out to dry.

  Now, they would pay.

  Looking down at the list, the killer checked out the remaining names and made a decision. Originally, the plan had been to take one a week, but the Feds were searching with a vengeance. Already, it was clear that they were going to try and find a way to stop justice.

  It wasn’t going to happen.

  The solution was simple.

  Bump up the schedule and make a move.

  The next victim would throw them off balance. Yes, this person carried guilt, and it was time to purge the FBI. It was time to remove another cancerous tumor festering in the ranks.

  Laughing, the plan was put into motion. Now, it was only a matter of time before finding the victim in the right place.

  Once that happened, it would be done.

  Justice was coming.

  One dead Fed at a time.

  * * *

  Well, he may be oblivious to many things, but Paris Archer saw this mess as clear as day. There was no doubt that he had made a disaster out of something so very simple, but then again, didn't he always?

  When he went to bed last night, he carefully tucked Tessa against his body. As she peacefully rested against him, he had hope. Now, Paris knew the truth.