“Yes. I’ll also clear any other outstanding loans you have—house, car, credit cards. You get my wife and myself back there, and we’ll make sure you start a new life tomorrow.”
“Bay six. He’s alone.”
He shook her hand. “Dimitri, get her information and pass it on to Dante. I want this handled before the sun comes up tomorrow.”
“On it, boss.”
Dimitri did what he asked, because it was the right thing to do. There was no limit to saving a child in need.
NONE.
Greyson led Emma down the corridor of closed rooms. The antiseptic smell of hospital assaulted their noses. This was horrible for them, and it must have been terrifying for Sam.
At bay six, she peeked her head around the curtain, and what she saw almost made her weep more.
There, in the large bed, was a tiny little kid. He was wearing a new cast on his arm and curled into the fetal position.
The tears came.
How could they not?
Greyson saw his wife was struggling, and he knew why. So, like a good husband, he handled it.
Walking in, he saw the boy, and it rattled him.
Yeah, Sam was coming home with them.
There was no way in hell he was going back into the system.
“Sam?” Greyson said, calling his name.
The boy didn’t even look over.
Emma moved closer. “Sam, it’s Emma.”
His eyes flickered over at her. “Hi, babe.”
That nearly made her sob. This poor little person, battered, bruised, and he was still trying to pretend he was okay.
“What happened, Sam?” she asked, crouching down beside the hospital bed.
“Who did this to you?” Greyson added.
“My foster mother’s boyfriend.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I came home, and I wasn’t hungry. I forgot to pretend I was starving. The second I said I didn’t want anything to eat, he knew. He wanted to know why.”
She felt horrible.
“I screwed up,” he said, sliding further beneath the sheet on the hospital bed. “I should have pretended. Then everything would have been okay.”
Emma wanted to be sick.
“What happened after that?” Greyson asked.
“He dragged me outside and beat the hell out of me until I finally told him. That made him furious. I held out on them. We weren’t a family if I was going to lie. He wanted the money, but I couldn’t give it to him. It was at the store.”
She understood. When she went to touch him, he recoiled like he’d been stung.
“Sam, I’m so sorry.”
He let his gaze flicker back over to her. “You didn’t do anything. It was my fault. I should have pretended and I wouldn’t have deserved this.”
That broke their hearts.
“I screwed up.”
Oh, that was far from the truth. Sam didn’t deserve this at all. If anything, he deserved a good life for being a child.
No kid deserved this kind of abuse.
“What’s his name?” Greyson asked. “What’s the name of the person who did this to you?”
He wanted to call him an animal, but for Sam’s sake, he kept it in.
He swallowed it.
But there would be repercussions.
“Jason Richter,” he whispered. “Please don’t make me go back there,” he begged. There were giant crocodile tears in his eyes.
Oh, he wasn’t going back there.
No fucking way.
“You have company,” Dimitri stated. “CPS is heading your way,” he offered, staring down the hall from his protective stance in the doorway.
Greyson would handle this.
“Emma, keep our Sam company.”
Then he was gone.
“I’m so sorry, Sam. I shouldn’t have left you there. I was a cop. I knew what kind of life you were living. Leaving you is on me.”
He stared at her. “Why are you crying over me? I’m nothing to you.”
She wept harder. “Sam, you’re valuable.”
He closed his eyes and scooched down. “I’m nothing, babe. Lose the tears. I’m already a lost cause.”
That broke her heart.
Sam wasn’t a lost cause. He was a human being, and to her, that mattered.
His soft whimpering broke her.
Emma couldn’t even think. All she knew was they had to fix this. Sam needed someone to love him.
And she was the woman for the job.
Greyson didn’t take no for an answer.
Normally, he might barter or bend, but in this case, he was standing his ground.
He’d threatened to call in all his chips with judges, legal officials, and even God—if need be.
He wasn’t giving up.
Finally, after some brutal negotiations, he won.
In the end, the CPS woman raked his wallet over the coals. While he knew that Vegas was dirty, he didn’t think it was this damn dirty.
The woman was more than happy to take a bribe, and she didn’t give a shit who knew it.
Boy, was he wrong.
This city was a million times worse than he’d ever thought, and he hated it to the core of his being. She was willing to ignore the law and protection of a child for some cash.
He already knew that one day, karma would take her down. He’d makes sure of it.
Later, he’d get Sam justice. If she’d been willing to take money now, he didn’t doubt she’d done it before.
Well, that was going to change.
Already, Greyson knew what his next charity was going to be. He and Dimitri were going to take the foster care system on, but he wasn’t sure how.
In time, he’d figure it out.
For now, he had temporary custody of Sam Kincaid. He was going home with them.
“Dimitri, make some clothes appear. I don’t want him wearing a hospital gown out of here,” he said, only to have the Russian pat him on the shoulder.
“We’ll take care of the boy. I’ve seen it before. Twice, as a matter of fact.”
“I’m not making a mistake, am I?” Greyson asked, needing an honest opinion from his friend.
“No. You’re going to make a difference. It’s going to be a battle, but it’s going to be worth it in the end.” He thought about his sisters, and how far they’d come.
Yeah, it was worth it.
He’d do it all over again.
And it looked like they were going to with Sam Kincaid. The whole family was going to have a lot of work cut out for them.
Heading back to the curtain, he found his wife sitting there. She was trying to get Sam to look at her, but he wouldn’t. He already knew what she was thinking.
Emma was blaming herself.
Greyson got that.
After all, he was blaming himself too. This shouldn’t have happened to the boy, but it did. Now they would make it right.
That’s all they could do.
“Dimitri is getting Sam some clothes,” Greyson stated.
“Where am I going?” Sam asked, his eyes full of fear and terror.
Who could blame him?
To a child, he’d been let down by all the adults around him, and the system.
He had a right to be afraid.
“Don’t make me go back there,” he begged. “I’ll live on the streets. I’ll go to a shelter. I can take care of myself. Just don’t make me go back to her place.”
Emma held out her hand. “You’re coming home with us, isn’t he, Greyson?” she asked, praying her husband had pulled it off.
“Yes, he is. Would you like that, Sam?” Croft asked, giving the boy a choice.
“Will you hit me?” he asked, making himself small like he was trying to protect his body.
“Never. I don’t hit kids.”
“I heard about you on the news. They said you’re a mob guy. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Greyson waited for the fear. Only, it never came.
> “Can I be a mob guy too?”
Greyson smiled. “Maybe when you’re older,” he offered. It looked like his badass street cred actually had a benefit.
It intrigued a child.
It would open the door to get Sam to trust them.
Greyson would take whatever he could at this point. When Dimitri headed their way, he had clothing for Sam.
“It’s the best I could do. There will be more things waiting at home.”
He was good with that.
Emma sat there and watched the boy. He reminded her of herself right after Gage was killed. She knew what he was living, since she’d lived it too.
He was afraid.
He was terrified.
He was going to bolt.
“Greyson, can I speak to you?” she asked, as her husband gave Sam his clothes.
“Sure, baby.”
“Dimitri, too.”
They left Sam to finish getting dressed.
Out in the hall, Emma started crying. Greyson pulled her into his body and soothed her. It was all he could do.
“Do we have custody?” she asked.
“We have temporary custody. If you want to make it permanent, we can do that.”
Dimitri ran his hand up and down her back, trying to help calm her. “He’ll be okay, Emma.”
“I can’t go tomorrow…I mean tonight. Someone has to stay home with Sam.”
“We don’t have to go. I’ll stay with you,” Greyson offered his wife.
Dimitri shook his head. “You two are hosting this event. You both donated a lot of money. You have to go. I’ll stay with the boy. I can handle this.”
Emma didn’t know.
This was Dimitri.
He wasn’t exactly people friendly.
With kids?
“Trust me. When I got Kat away from our father, she was in worse condition. I know how to deal with it. Let me handle this, Emma.”
She watched him.
“You’re pissed off, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes, I am. I hate when a child is hurt, and I really loathe when they’re broken by someone who is supposed to protect them.”
She hugged him and then kissed him on the mouth. “I knew you were a good man, Dimitri.”
He scowled.
Greyson knew it was all an act. Dimitri Gideon was a good soul, once you got to know him.
“Let’s bring Sam home. It’s going to be a long night.”
No one argued.
Once again, Greyson Croft was right.
Chapter Eleven
Terrace Glen
I t had been an interesting night at their home. When they got back with Sam, everyone was up and waiting for their arrival. Emma didn’t know why she was surprised. They obviously had been alerted to what had gone on, and they wanted to make sure she and Greyson knew they had their support.
As soon as they pulled into the drive, Sam’s eyes were huge. To him, the place must have been crazy big. They didn’t blame him. When they first arrived there, it took days to acclimate themselves. All Emma and Greyson could hope was Sam got accustomed to the place.
To them, it was home.
It was their safe place.
And now they were giving him that too.
It was going to be a long fought battle.
For the first five minutes, it took coaxing to get Sam out of the vehicle. He really didn’t believe it was their place. He swore it was some government building where he was being dumped off until he could be placed in another foster home.
The poor kid had a rough ten years. He’d never really had a home to call his own, or a family to protect him.
That was going to stop now.
As she sat beside him in the car, refusing to force him, she finally broke through the barrier. After she showed him her license and the house numbers, he finally relented.
The boy was suspicious of everyone—including her.
That stung the most. Emma didn’t know why she expected Sam to bond with her instantly, but she had.
Now she needed to bide her time.
She needed to be his strength.
Once inside Terrace Glen, his eyes were huge, and he actually hid behind Greyson’s legs. All that could be seen was the baby blue cast on his arm.
It was clear what Sam was thinking about.
He wasn’t sure this was real.
It was written on his face.
When they welcomed him into their home, he stared around. Repeatedly, he told them there was no way this was their home.
Then the family started appearing.
Dante and Steele appeared first.
Introductions were made, and they quietly headed off to bed. No one wanted Sam waking up in a house of strangers, but no one wanted to force him to be friendly either.
Time would heal all wounds.
Hopefully.
When the boy moved closer to Dimitri, he patted him on the head and reassured him that this was a safe place.
Emma and Greyson watched in fascination. This was a completely other side of him.
Their killer was gentle when it came to children.
Apparently, Dimitri did have this under control.
Next to come into the room was Kat and Curtis. They entered from the patio and cautiously approached the boy. He immediately responded to them. It looked like they were the two he was least afraid of, and Emma knew it was likely because they looked like kids themselves.
That might work to their advantage.
When they left, Chris Ford showed up, and Sam was terrified of him. The boy backed away, and Chris realized why. He looked imposing.
So, he hugged Emma, patted Greyson on the back, and headed out of the room without looking back. He figured with time, Sam would relax around him.
As soon as he was gone, Sam returned to stand between them.
Lastly, Natasha appeared. She entered the room walking on her hands. They didn’t doubt it was to break the ice.
It worked.
Sam had found that amusing.
As did the Crofts.
It was clear she related to kids well, and for that they were damn glad. When she did cartwheels out of the room, after her introduction, it was time to settle Sam down.
In a room.
Alone.
Already, Emma was as nervous as hell to leave him by himself.
What if he got scared?
What if he ran?
What if…?
Dimitri made her stop, breathe, and let him handle it. He would watch the boy all night, and she needed to relax.
So, they let him pick his space.
The poor boy was overwhelmed by it all. The place was luxury personified and he didn’t know what to think. Finally, he asked Emma where she slept. She pointed to a room. He picked the one right next to it.
It gave her hope that he’d want to stay there with them. She desperately wanted to give him a life he deserved with them.
With the family.
So, they let him check out the room.
He seemed okay with it. Before Emma could overwhelm him with more things, Dimitri gave her the look.
She got it. She was suffocating the boy.
Emma would have to just be glad that he wanted to be near her—for now.
After tucking him in, they left the room. They heard the click of the lock the second the door was closed.
They got it.
He was afraid.
Here he was, locked in a house with strangers, and he was hoping for the best. If he survived the night, he would have more trust.
So, they gave him space.
To say she was exhausted would be an understatement. If this was what having a child was like, she was screwed. All night, she sat up whenever there was a sound.
Greyson would tug her back into bed and reassure her it was fine.
Sam was fine.
The house was fine.
EVERYTHING was fine.
Emma wanted to sit outside h
is door, but that would come across as him being a prisoner. Dimitri told her to give him space, and she was doing just that.
It scared the hell out of her.
Would he be gone in the morning?
Would they be chasing him down?
She didn’t have a clue.
When they finally rolled out of bed, headed downstairs, and got coffee that morning, Dimitri was there.
“Well?” she asked.
“I had him monitored on the security system,” he stated. “About an hour after you fell asleep, he crept out of his room, headed to the kitchen and found food. He took a shitload of it back to his room and likely hid it.”
She wanted to cry.
“It’s normal, Emma.”
“That is NOT normal,” she stated.
“I did it,” Natasha stated.
Chris was sitting at the table and drinking his coffee. Her words piqued his interest.
Emma looked over at her. “Why?”
“When Dimitri first came for me and brought me to my new home, I was in survival mode. I was so used to having so little, that when he offered me anything, I hid it to save for when it was gone. I was preparing for the worst-case scenario.”
She listened.
It broke Emma’s heart for this woman and for the little boy upstairs.
“Once Sam realizes that it’s not going away, he’ll stop hiding food. It’ll take time, but he’ll come around. The best thing is to let him have control of the situation.”
She closed her eyes and wanted to weep.
How could she not be responsible for this?
“This is all my fault,” Emma admitted. “When I met him, I knew he was in a bad place. I put a money bandage over it. It only made it worse.”
“Emma,” Dimitri stated. “You didn’t do this. That man did. He’s the one who should pay—not you.”
Curtis pulled a paper out of his shirt. “Here you go, Dad. I have his information. They are holding him on bail. As soon as he’s out…”
“He’s dead.”
Emma pointed at him. “Greyson.”
He shrugged. “Okay, Emma. Well, I can leave him alone. Sam is strong enough to face him in a trial. I’m sure that will be a walk in the park.”
That was all she had to hear.
Emma had to let go of the justice and be realistic.
“He’s dead.”
He kissed his wife on the forehead. “I thought you’d see it my way.”
Lost Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 2) Page 21
