Chris had a point.
“In the meantime, while you mull that over, I want you to ask yourself one thing.”
“What?” Greyson asked.
“Is Emma the kind of woman who would have a relationship with someone like Thomas Christ?” he asked.
He stared at Chris.
He was right.
“No, she isn’t.”
“What if she’s embarrassed that he’s even part of her past? Instead of assuming the worst, why don’t you ask her? Don’t you have anyone you wish you didn’t have a relationship with at one time?”
He did.
His ex.
“You may have a point.”
“What’s the one thing Emma likes most about you?” Chris asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I do. She loves your character and how you’re a good person. If she was with this loser, she may not like that it was part of her past. She’s with you now for a reason, Greyson.”
“We look alike.”
“You’re both big and have black hair. That’s it. You’re overthinking this. Trust me, I’m the king of it. Other than you both being cops…you have nothing in common. Your records are completely different. You’ve always stood for justice, and Thomas Christ has stood for the easy way out. You were a soldier who fought for your country, and he was some spoiled kid from Philly who only served his own needs.”
He had a point.
“So, stop being a dick and try to be nice.”
Well, that was the second time that day he’d been handed that advice.
Maybe this was his sign.
“Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Thank you for this, Chris. I needed it.”
“Oh, I know. This train was about to run off the tracks, and someone had to get behind the wheel. Stop being bossy to your wife.”
He laughed. “I can’t do that.”
“Try to lighten up a little. While she may think that bossy is sexy, there’s a line, Greyson. You’re WAY over it.”
Chris was right.
He needed someone to point that out to him.
Desperately.
“Now go get ready. We have a gallery to go to, and I have a date to begin.”
Greyson heard it in his voice. “Are you nervous about tonight?” he asked.
“Yes, I am, but I’ll manage to get through it. It’s a date. What could possibly happen?” he asked.
“Just be yourself, Chris, and everything will be all right. I promise. You’re a good guy. Natasha will fall for the real you.”
Yeah, only Chris new the truth.
She wasn’t seeing the real him. She was seeing what he wanted her to see.
That was an issue, and he knew it.
Greyson patted him on the shoulder in support. He was grateful to have family that always had his back.
“Break a leg, and for Christ’s sake, get laid. You’re grumpy too.”
Greyson headed out and toward his room. When he closed the door, Chris headed into the bathroom.
He knew what he needed to do.
He was going to puke.
When Greyson arrived in their room, it was empty. His wife, the woman who stole his heart and drove him insane, was gone.
This didn’t bode well.
Instead of hunting her down, he got ready for the evening. Taking a shower, he thought about what Chris had said about the man who had mysteriously popped up in Vegas.
All of this was bad, and he needed to find a way to navigate it.
If only he had some background information on Christ.
Wait!
He knew there was someone he could call to ask for help, and in this case, he really needed it.
Stepping out of the shower, he toweled off and picked up his cell. Dialing her number, he needed something.
“Hello?”
“Elizabeth?” Greyson asked.
“Hello, Greyson,” she replied.
“I need your help.”
She stopped him. “If it has anything to do with the FBI, I need to tell you that I’ve turned in my badge. I’m no longer an agent.”
“What?”
There was no way he’d heard that right. Elizabeth Blackhawk was no longer a Fed?
What the hell?
“I’m no longer with the FBI. The deputy director is, and he can help you.”
She sounded miserable.
“What happened?”
There was a pause, as if she was mulling it over. Then she shut it down.
“I’m sorry, Greyson, but if this is more than us being friends, I can’t assist you.”
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth.”
“Watch your back, and call the deputy director if you need something.”
With that, the call ended.
That worried him.
Ethan and Elizabeth Blackhawk were a power couple, and as of yet, he hadn’t heard that she quit the FBI. It wasn’t on the news, and that must mean there was trouble in paradise. Ethan had to be keeping it on the DL.
He thought about calling his boss, but it looked like he was going to be on his own with this one. Ethan had his hands full with his own domestic unrest.
Well, at least he wasn’t alone.
Greyson began making a plan.
It was one where he took down a crooked cop.
He should know.
Oh, the irony.
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
Terrace Glen
Forty Minutes
Later
In the living room, the men waited for their women. Curtis was there with a smile on his face as he waited for his fiancée.
Chris was waiting for Natasha with a huge bunch of flowers in his hand.
“You went all out,” Dimitri said.
“She always smells like lilacs,” he admitted. “Did I do okay?” he asked, holding a bunch of blooms.
Dimitri smiled at how nervous the man was. It wasn’t like Chris Ford to be unsure of himself.
It spoke volumes.
“Yes, you did.”
He relaxed marginally.
Well, at least he didn’t screw this up.
There was the clipping of heels coming their way. Kat and Natasha entered the room holding hands. Kat looked like royalty in the red gown. It also showed off her beginning baby bump.
Everyone watched Curtis head toward her.
When she went into his arms, he cuddled her, his hand going to their child. “Anfisa, you look lovely,” he offered, handing her a black velvet box.
“Thank you, Curtis.”
“You make my heart stop.”
His words made hers skip in her chest. She loved this man with all she had. Before him, there was never that warmth and peace. Now she had the world at her fingertips.
She was getting married in one day.
Her child would have a family.
She’d have love.
“Open it,” he offered.
Katerina popped it open, and in it was a necklace with a diamond heart hanging from the delicate chain.
“Oh, it’s so pretty.”
“I wanted you to have it because you own mine.”
She gave him a kiss.
Dimitri couldn’t help but hide a smile behind his hand. The two of them were cute. All the worrying all of those years had paid off. His baby sister found someone who would keep her safe and love her until the end of his life.
That’s all he wanted.
One sister down…
Natasha headed toward Chris and all the while, she was smiling at him.
“You look beautiful,” he said, staring down at her black dress. It fit her body like a glove, and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was clear she’d put a lot of time into getting ready, which was going to make this suck.
Chris didn’t really want to go to a gallery.
He felt out of place.
This wasn’t who he was.
If Natasha was going to go on a date with him, he needed her to see t
he real him.
“These are for you.”
She took the flowers and smelled them. “I love lilacs, Christopher.”
“Whenever you’re around, you smell like them. I think I love them too.”
Natasha brushed a strand of red hair from her cheek. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For?” she asked.
“I can’t do this tonight,” he said.
There was an audible gasp from both women, and everyone glanced over at him.
ESPECIALLY Dimitri.
He looked pissed.
Natasha stared at him, tears filling her eyes. “I understand,” she whispered. “It’s okay. I’ll go change,” she said, her heart breaking in her chest.
Chris saw that clearly, it wasn’t.
Dimitri went to move toward the man to kill him, but Greyson stopped him. He knew Chris. If he was saying that, there was a reason.
“Give him a chance to explain,” he stated.
Chris had helped him earlier, and he was going to return the favor.
“Natasha, wait! I don’t think you understand. Give me a second to explain it to you.”
“Okay,” she said, but she took a full step away from him. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him. She’d been embarrassed in a room full of family.
She wanted to bolt.
Chris noticed it.
“If you and I are going to go out on a date, Natasha, I need you to be with the real me. This isn’t it. I’m not this man.”
She stared at him.
Natasha wasn’t sure where this was heading.
“What kind of man are you?” she asked.
“I don’t take women to galleries. I don’t go to galleries myself. This isn’t going to be indicative of who I am.”
Dimitri watched the man.
What was he doing?
“I don’t want to go to the gallery tonight.”
“Okay. I’ll go get changed,” she said again.
He grabbed her hand. “Wait! Please.”
She did.
“I want to go out, but I want it to be who I am. I want you to like me for me, not for this,” he said, indicating the house. “Chris Ford is a simple man. I like drive-in movies, I like popcorn, and I like making out with the girl in the front seat of my truck. I hate paintings, sipping champagne, and pretending I know the difference between abstract and contemporary art.”
Her heart skipped.
Was he saying…?
“So you don’t want to go to a gallery, but you want to do something more low key?” she reiterated, trying to understand. It sounded like he still wanted to spend time with her, just not at this venue.
“Yes.”
She got it.
Natasha was accustomed to being a ghost.
She hid in plain sight.
Tonight was hard for her too.
“I don’t want to go to some stuffy thing where I’m eating olives off sticks when I’m more at home eating popcorn out of a bag. I’m not fancy. I’m simple, and I want you to like him, not the illusion of him. Do you understand?”
Oh, she really did, and she couldn’t be happier. She loved the same things, and she preferred not playing dress up in her down time.
She did that for her job.
Natasha moved closer, giving him a chance. “I love popcorn and movies. I would love to make out with you in the front of your truck.”
There was some strangled sound from her brother.
Greyson pointed at Dimitri and shook his head. “Don’t,” he whispered to the man.
Dimitri kept quiet, despite his instinct to object.
“Will you blow this overdressed soiree off and join me in my truck?” he asked, smiling at her. “I’ll buy you ice cream after the movie if you’d like.”
That grin alone said it all.
Natasha held out her hand. “I like extra butter on my popcorn,” she stated, “and strawberry ice cream.”
That helped him relax.
Natasha was meeting him halfway, and that gave him hope—hope that hadn’t been there for a long time.
Chris shrugged out of his tux jacket and pulled off the bow tie. After he tossed them onto the couch, he took her hand.
“Now that’s my kind of girl.”
He glanced back at the men.
“Have fun. I’ll have her home by curfew, Dad.” Then they headed out. “Later, stiffs.”
Natasha giggled as they left the room. She was more excited now than before. This was her ideal night.
She was blessed.
When they were gone, Greyson noticed something.
Dimitri was smiling again.
“Why are you happy?”
Oh, he knew why. His sister would be fine. Christopher Ford was a decent man, especially if he wasn’t willing to go through a charade.
“I like him. I like him a lot.”
“HEY!” Curtis objected. “What about me?”
“Ehhh.”
“We should go,” Greyson stated before they got started. He knew what was coming. He’d been down this road before.
Dante and Steele both stared at him.
“Uh, aren’t we missing someone?” Dante asked. “She’s petite, redheaded, and runs this crazy train?”
“Yeah, where’s Mom?” Curtis asked, as they all grabbed their things.
“She’s not interested in a gift from me,” he stated. “She opted out of it.”
“Uh oh,” Curtis said.
“What did you do to her?” Dante asked, glaring at his brother.
“Really? Why is it always my fault?”
No one spoke.
“Okay, I get it. I’m a dick.”
No one talked him out of that nickname.
He couldn’t blame them.
The shit had hit the fan, and Greyson was likely going to be riding the couch.
“You had better fix this,” Curtis stated.
This was huge.
And damn scary.
Emma was the only person on the entire planet who could manage to keep Greyson Croft calm, and she was nowhere to be found.
Yeah, this was bad.
Really bad.
Emma took the time to check on him.
Sam was upstairs in his room, and she hadn’t seen him all night. When she knocked on his door, no one answered.
Opening the door, she peeked inside. He was nowhere to be found.
Something wasn’t right.
Moving around his room, she heard some noises from his closet. That couldn’t be right, but she decided to check.
Slowly, she opened the door.
Inside, Sam was sitting on the floor with food all around him. He was tucked into a tiny position as if trying to protect himself.
“Sam?”
He scooted back into the shadows. “I’m sorry I took it,” he said. “Don’t hit me. I’ll give it back.”
That broke her heart.
Emma dropped to her knees so she could be at the same level. “What did you take?” she asked.
“Your food.”
Emma knew the boy needed help. Paris and Tessa would be back in the morning, and she was going to have him start to talk to the young child.
He was damaged.
“You can take whatever you want,” she stated.
“Why?”
“Because this is your home now too,” Emma reassured him. “You don’t have to worry about being hungry, and no one will get angry with you. For the record, I don’t hit. EVER.”
“Even if I hide food?”
“Even then, Sam.”
She thought about it. “Would you like a little refrigerator for in here? Then you can keep your own food here if you like. Would that make you feel safer?”
He nodded.
“Okay, I’ll have one in here for you tomorrow.”
“I played video games with your son,” he stated. “He’s nice.”
“Curtis is very nice. I’m glad you could play w
ith him. I believe Dimitri is going to play more with you tonight.”
“When are you sending me back?” he asked.
Emma could hear the fear in his voice.
“Do you want to go somewhere else?” she asked. “I just want you to be happy, Sam. If you’re not happy here, I’ll do whatever I can to give you that.”
“No one keeps me. You won’t either.”
“I will keep you.”
“Curtis said you’re trying to have a baby.”
“I am,” she said, unwrapping a candy bar and handing it to the boy. It was better than him not eating at all.
He reached for it and hesitated. “The last good place I was at, they sent me away when she got pregnant. They couldn’t afford me and a baby.”
“I can afford you and sixty babies.”
He shrugged. “You’ll ditch me. Everyone does. No one wants me.”
She did.
Emma wanted to solve his problems and make everything better in his life.
She wanted him to live without stress.
“What if I adopted you?” Emma asked. “If Greyson and I made you our own, would you then believe we want you here with us?”
He stared at her. “Really?”
“Yes, but there’s one condition.”
He backed away.
Yeah, Paris was going to have to sit down with this boy and work with him. He was a mess.
“What?”
“You trust us. We won’t hurt you, but we will do what’s right for you.”
And then she got it.
Earlier, Greyson was saying the exact same thing to her in his own way, and she got mad. To him, it looked like she didn’t trust him, when that wasn’t the case.
Shit.
She’d gone overboard on this one.
“I can do that.”
Emma held out her hand. “Then come downstairs with me. Dimitri is staying here tonight to be with you, and we’ll be back after this gallery thing.”
“Can I go next time?” he asked, taking her hand.
“You want to go?”
“I feel safe with you.”
He was giving her a huge gift. “You can come next time, and tell you what…we have a wedding tomorrow. Will you let Dimitri get you a tux?”
He stared at her. “Are you for real, lady?”
She laughed. “Deuce, I’m very real. Being part of this nut farm means you have to sport a tux every now and again. It’s our cross to bear.”
Lost Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 2) Page 28
