Everyone stared.
“Together, we cleaned it up. We worked for it, bled for it, and lost sleep for it. I’ve been through three commissioners in the time it took to make it right, and you’re the worst one.”
He rubbed his face.
The bullpen had gone silent.
“You betrayed a cop, trying to set him up. I can’t live with that. In fact, I can’t work with someone like that. Betrayal is never a good thing.”
She pulled off her badge and gun and then dropped them on the desk. “You made sure my husband retired, and now I’m retiring too. You just lost us both. Good luck in this Godforsaken Vegas shithole.”
He stared at her. “What? The FBI wanted…”
She didn’t want to hear it.
Emma had plans of her own.
“It’s all about how you spin it. So now, watch this.”
Emma headed out. All the detectives stared at her. She didn't care. At the door, she pointed back at Commissioner Raye. “If I were you, I’d watch the news. It’s going to be fucking epic.”
The man looked worried.
Then he looked downright scared.
Emma headed out.
Outside, the media was waiting for her. “I have an announcement to make.”
That had their attention.
“I am no longer with the LVPD. I’ve turned in my badge. Some of you may wonder why, so here it is. Commissioner Raye tried blackmailing my husband. He wanted one million dollars for me to keep my job. Despite the work I’ve done here, I’ve opted to leave. I can’t work under someone who would do that. Also, my husband has turned in his badge. We’ve worked too hard to have it tarnished by the likes of Commissioner Jeffrey Raye.”
When she turned around, he was standing there.
He looked horrified.
“Oh, look, there he is.”
With that, the media raced toward him. Emma headed toward her car and turned to stare at the building.
It had saved her in a way.
It helped her find her way back.
When she came here with Greyson, she was a shell of a human being. She couldn’t eat meat, she was scared, and she was lost.
Now she was found.
Greyson Croft had saved her, and she was going to do the same thing. If one Croft went down, they all went down. There was no way she was keeping her career when he lost his. They were a team, and Emma was going to stand by her man.
Always.
After all, he stood by her. She wasn’t worried about what they’d do. There was time. For now, she had other things to focus on.
Her family.
Emma knew love healed all.
It conquered.
In the end, she knew they’d be okay.
They had to be.
As she drove home and pulled up to the gate, it opened for her. She knew why.
He’d be waiting, as she would have been for him. They were two peas in the same pod. Here was her proof.
As she parked the Navigator, he was standing there. In the moonlight, under the Nevada stars, he looked like a pirate.
A dangerous, tough pirate.
But she knew the truth.
He was anything but.
As she got out, he moved toward her.
“Emma.”
She heard it in his voice.
“I lost my badge.”
She held him against her, as he buried his face in her hair. Emma knew he’d hurt. She knew he’d be wounded.
“We don’t need them.”
“What? We?”
“Yeah, I punched the commissioner out in front of the whole squad room, and I told the media he blackmailed you. It’s all over the news. The FBI has one hell of a mess on their hands. It seemed fair.”
He started laughing.
“Oh, Emma.”
She shrugged. “Let’s go in and watch it. You’ll feel better. In fact, you grab a few beers, and I’ll make popcorn. We’ll watch the fallout in the theater.”
He wanted to feel better, but there was a hole in his identity. Croft didn’t know who he was without that badge.
“Tell me we’ll find our way, and that we’ll be better than before.”
She kissed him. “Mr. Croft, we’re going to take over the world. After all, we’re still the King and Queen.”
He kissed her knuckles as he led her inside.
Once they got there, the news was already on. Immediately, the entire family stood, and they began clapping.
Emma winked at her husband.
And together, they took a bow.
Not Quite The End…
To be continued.
Epilogue
Three Weeks Later
They opted to head to the island. It was warm, it was far away from Vegas, and it would give the Croft family time to regroup.
To Emma, it sounded like the best thing ever. They’d been working straight since coming to Vegas, and now it was time to play.
Only, Greyson was still in a funk.
He was bored out of his mind, and she couldn’t blame him. They could only fornicate so many times a day.
He needed something to fill his time.
Just as she was about to suggest they go snorkeling, Dimitri wandered in. He was in all black, and still looked as cool as a cucumber in his suit.
How?
She hadn’t a clue.
It was damn hot outside.
“Why are you in a suit?” Emma asked, glancing down at her bikini.
“I had business to attend to, and I still have a few meetings back in the States. I’m only popping in for a few minutes.”
Greyson sighed. He remembered being busy, and having someplace to be.”
Emma gave Dimitri a look. It screamed for help. She appeared to be at her wit’s end.
It was time to take care of this mess.
“I have something you need to see.”
Greyson hesitantly opened the folder. Inside, there were pictures, notes, and a list of names.
“What’s this?”
“These are the people who fell through the cracks. In my down time, I’ve been taking their cases—the ones the cops file away. One person at a time, I’m finding their loved ones and justice. Some were screwed over by the powerful people in town, and some lost people they loved to the city.”
He glanced up. “Why are you showing me?”
“I need your help.”
“How?”
“You are good at investigating, as is Emma. Curtis is perfect at hacking, Kat can steal anything, and Natasha is a master of disguise. Together, we can help those that the justice system failed.”
He stared at him.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. You told me you came here to do good, and this is my penance for my past. Why don’t you help me? We can save some people, wash the blood from our hands, and maybe clean up this city, one case at a time.”
“But I’m not a cop.”
Dimitri laughed. “These cases don’t need cops. I’ve proved that much. These cases need more. They need people who care. They need smart investigators who don’t mind breaking the law to save a life. Elizabeth Blackhawk told you to keep fighting, and I’m giving you the opportunity to do just that.”
Greyson stared at him.
When he didn’t answer, Dimitri went in for the kill.
“Emma? Tell him to do it. You know you want to help the hookers, the call girls, the parents who lost their child to the street.”
“You’ve been doing this on the side?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Greyson stood. “Emma, what do you think?”
She grinned. “Are you kidding me? You get to play Batman, and I get my cat suit after all. He’s right. We don’t need a badge to do good, Grey. We only need our family. We can make a difference.”
Dimitri was confused. “What did I just miss? Cat suit?”
He held out his hand to Dimitri. “You don’t want to know. As for helping people, I accept your
offer.”
Dimitri took his hand. “Sometimes, we may have to break the law. You aren’t cops anymore.”
He dropped his arm over Emma’s shoulders. “We tried doing it that way, Dimitri, and Vegas swallowed us whole. That city needs a different kind of law and order. It needs us. We have more money than God. It’s time we did this our way. Find us your first case. As soon as we get back, we’re going to start helping people.”
Emma was excited.
Greyson was smiling again.
That’s all she wanted.
“We can make a difference.”
For the first time in three weeks, Greyson had hope. He believed they could.
“I’ll head back. I have some loose ends to tie up. When you get back, we’ll have a drink at ‘Aquarius’ and choose our first case. I get three to four a week begging for help. Together, we can do a lot of good.”
Yeah, they could.
As Dimitri headed toward the door, Emma couldn’t let him leave quite yet. “Dimitri?”
He turned. “Yes?”
Emma hugged him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. Thank you for being our family and always having our backs.”
He grinned. “It’s my pleasure. I’ll always have your back, Emma. Always. Now let’s play heroes. I have some karma to cleanse.”
Yeah, that they could do.
“Thank you, Dimitri.”
He saluted his fellow soldier, and with that, he headed out.
Greyson was excited.
“Emma, I have hope.”
She knew it. She could see it in his eyes. The mischievous pirate twinkle was back. Greyson would be back to his normal self before anyone knew it.
“Let’s go tell the family.”
They headed outside. Curtis was lounging on a chair, sunglasses on, and not a care in the world.
“Where’s Kat?”
He pointed at the big beach house. “She’s getting some sunblock.”
“I have a proposition for you.”
The man looked over. “Uh, what?”
He told him about Dimitri’s side venture, wanting his opinion on it.
Curtis grinned. “I’m in! I love hacking.”
Emma went to scold him, but then she realized this was a different kind of game.
They were making their own rules.
It was a new day for their family.
“You realize, Vegas isn’t going to have a clue what’s about to blindside it,” Curtis said.
Greyson lifted a brow. “What are you talking about?”
Curtis grinned. “Right now, there’s no mob family in Vegas. Marianna had run them all out of town. Once we go back, we’re it. You’re it, Grey. Only you could redefine Vegas mob like this.”
It was true.
He started laughing.
That was the irony of it all.
Curtis was right. Anyone who wanted to do business in Vegas was going to have to play by their rules.
He and Emma were still king and queen. Only, they weren’t going to control Vegas.
They were going to police it, from a penthouse office on the strip. They were a new kind of crime family—the ones who cleaned the city up.
That was funny as hell.
They all began laughing.
“Can anyone join this party?” asked Paris, rolling his way.
“Hey! Are qualifications over?” Greyson asked.
“Yeah, they’re done.”
Tessa pulled on her sunglasses and parked herself in Paris’s lap.
“How’d you do, son?”
“I tanked it. I didn’t pass. I’ve had my badge revoked,” Paris stated.
Greyson stared at him. “I hope you didn’t do that for me. If you did, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Paris laughed. “I actually have something I want to talk to you about.”
“What?”
“I’d like to rent some office space from you. I’m going to hang out my shingle.”
He didn’t know what to say. “Sure, but why?”
“The FBI was great, and I’m still going to work for them, but now that there’s a new director, Tessa and I are banned from working together. So, I’m going to contract my services to them, and Tess has decided to quit too.”
She smiled. “It’s not the same, Grey. I tried. The new Director is this douchebag. He’s running the place like a police state.”
He sympathized. “I don’t know what to say.”
“That you’ll rent me some office space.”
He grinned. “I might need your services,” he stated. “I happen to have a new venture.”
He told him.
Tessa fist bumped Curtis. “Partners?”
He laughed. “Hell yeah! For the private sector. The Croft Family is going to own this town.”
Greyson laughed. “Paris, thank you.”
He pushed up from the wheel chair and hugged the man. “Thank you, Grey. Without you coming to Vegas, trying to clean it up, I wouldn’t be happy. I wouldn’t have Tess.”
He hugged him back. “It’s been my pleasure. As for the office, you can have any one you want, and you’re not paying.”
“But…”
“Family doesn’t pay. That’s the end of discussion.”
“Now, why don’t you two go swimming?” Emma said, as Tessa grinned wickedly.
“If you insist.”
She raced at Paris, and they both tumbled into the pool. When he came up, sputtering, she was laughing.
“When I catch you…”
Tessa dove back under and out of his reach.
Emma wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist. As they stood there, overlooking the pool, beach house, and their kingdom, there was peace.
They were going to be okay. This was a new chapter in their lives, and while they weren’t going to be a Fed and a Homicide cop, they were still going to have one hell of an adventure.
“So, do you really think Vegas can handle a mob family that’s like nothing they’ve ever seen before?” Greyson asked.
She grinned at him. “Greyson Croft, this job was made for you. You were born too late. You know you were meant to be a mobster. You’re dangerous and totally badass, Bugsy.”
He swung her up in his arms, laughing at the nickname.
“Yeah, you’re right. Only, it’s not just me. It’s all of us.”
“Hell yeah!” they all said.
Croft took that as his sign.
Racing toward the pool, he dove in, taking his wife into the pool with them. They stayed under, wrapped in each other’s arms, lips locked, and hearts as one.
When they surfaced, they were both smiling.
“I love you, Emma Croft. Thank you for being my wife. We’re going to light this town on fire.”
She let him keep them afloat.
“Like you said once before, Greyson—what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
He laughed.
It had come full circle.
They’d all changed. They came there with scars, both physical and emotional.
They’d grown.
They’d become a force to reckon with too.
Greyson could live with that. When he arrived over a year ago, it was about gaining control, running the city, and cleaning it up.
Now, he had all the power.
He had all the control.
And they were going to clean it up—one way or another.
He may no longer be the long arm of the law, but justice was coming by his hand.
It was enough.
And that, he could live with.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Kat waited until she couldn’t wait any longer. She headed into the upstairs bathroom and unwrapped the pregnancy test.
Emma had bought it for her, promising to keep it quiet. Kat didn’t have a mother to help her, but Emma had been super sweet and kind.
She was almost like a mother.
Or so she imagined.
When she s
tarted feeling sick, Kat knew her biggest fears had been right.
She had to be pregnant.
There was nothing she could do now.
What was done was done, and she had to hope that Curtis would keep his word. Over the last three weeks, she’d realized something.
If she was pregnant, she didn’t want to do this alone. She was scared, sick, and a nervous wreck.
Pulling out her phone, she sent him a text. He deserved to know, and in a few seconds, they’d have the answer they had both been sweating.
Curtis was a wreck.
She was a mess.
Hell!
They’d held off on having sex, only because neither one of them was able to focus. Curtis was giving her time and space, and she was grateful.
Now it all came down to this.
This moment.
Kat took the stick and followed the directions. After peeing on it, she closed her eyes.
Pink was pregnant.
Blue was not.
“Come on, blue. Come on, blue,” she kept saying, over and over again.
When she opened her eyes, she read the stick.
“Oh, shit. Pink.”
That said it all.
Katerina Gideon was having a baby.
“Kat, are you okay?” Curtis said, knocking on the door. When she opened it, there was concern in his eyes.
Instead of speaking, she handed it to him.
Curtis stared at it. “What’s the pink line mean?”
“We’re having a baby.”
He stared at her.
“We are? Wow.”
Kat went to speak, instead, she felt sick. Racing back into the bathroom, she began tossing her lunch.
Curtis knelt beside her, holding her hair.
“I have you, baby. It’s okay. I have you.”
Kat wanted to cry.
She was torn. She wanted the baby. There was only one thing that stood in her way.
“We have to tell Dimitri,” she said, as he rubbed her back.
“Yeah, I know.”
“He’s going to kill me.”
Curtis kissed her on the forehead as he held her in his arms. “He’s not going to kill you, Kat. Don’t worry.”
Curtis Croft knew the truth.
Dimitri Gideon was going to do something worse. He was going to kill him…
Justice is Dead (Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 7) Page 48
