That worked for her.
“Make my life easier. That’s a lot of stairs for these heels. If you get naked, shout down. I’ll run up and pretend I’m worried about you.”
He laughed as he bounded up the stairs, and she headed toward the big fireplace mantel.
She could tell he used the fireplace, and that amused her. Vegas was hot most of the year.
“When do you use the fireplace in this city? Do you like roasting your chestnuts on an open fire?” she yelled up.
There was the masculine laughter she’d fallen for the last couple of days.
“You’re close. I use it for Christmas. I open the windows and live in my own little fantasy land. I like my chestnuts intact.”
She snorted in amusement.
At the mantle, she saw something.
It was a photograph, and it was of Riley and two other people. Coincidently, they all looked alike.
It hit her.
He was a triplet.
There was a second Riley, and a Riley-ette running around somewhere?
Wow.
Shocking.
He headed down the stairs. Riley could see her looking at the picture.
“Yes, there’s three of us. I’m the middle kid in the family. My mom couldn’t have kids naturally, so she and my dad did IVF a long time ago. We weren’t the first IVF, but we were pretty close.”
She turned around. “You and your brother are identical.”
He nodded. “We are.”
“And what about her?”
“That’s Kiley, she’s the baby. Miles, or Miley as we called him, was the first born. He and I are identical, and she’s fraternal. We were each born three minutes apart, and my parents were troopers. Three babies at once…brave.”
She could only imagine.
“Are you close?”
His face changed slightly. It was subtle, but Delilah was accustomed to reading those subtle clues.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded.
“Miles is dead. Kiley and I have a strained relationship. I wish I could say we talk weekly, but we don’t. I haven’t heard from her in a few months.”
That’s when it happened.
He shut down.
Delilah could see it.
That made her even more curious about it. “What happened?”
He touched the picture. “I don’t want to talk about it. We should go. I need to get you back to Terrace Glen.”
Riley practically yanked the picture out of her hand. Then he placed it back on his mantle.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
He cut her off.
“It’s fine. Let’s go.”
Delilah was the queen of throwing up barriers. She knew one when she saw one. She didn’t like the way his whole demeanor had changed.
It was as if he were a different person. The calm, kind energy was replaced with tension.
It set off a warning bell.
“Riley…”
He ignored her.
That was the one surefire way to get her curiosity piqued even more.
She dug her heels in.
Delilah didn’t like how he was closing down with her. It upset her to know he was hiding something from her. If he couldn’t answer that simple question, what else would he evade about?
“I really think...”
He faced her. “NO.”
That one word said it all. He was not discussing it with her, and he had no intention to do it either.
That really pissed her off. She went into attorney mode, and her walls went up.
“Let’s go.”
“Sure, but I see how it is. We can have sex, but your personal life is out of the question, right?” she asked.
He refused to speak.
Riley knew that discussing it was a bad idea. He could tell that she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
“What do you want from me?” he asked. “I didn’t force you to share your personal life. Some people like personal space and for good reasons.”
Personal space?
He didn’t seem to mind physical space being compromised when they were naked and in bed, but anything past that was off limits?
Yeah, no.
Just no.
She stared at him.
“What do I want? How about equality, Riley? I shared all of me. Clearly, you aren’t willing to share the same with me. We’re done.”
“Delilah.”
She pulled her arm away.
She was finished.
“Forget it, Detective. I’m going home. Thomas Christ is dead, and odds are I’m safe. You can head off into the sunset. Your saving of this damsel is over.”
Riley wanted to panic. This was NOT how he wanted this to go down. Only, if he was honest with her, she might bail anyway.
They were from two different worlds, and they saw things from different perspectives.
“He might have someone…”
She cut him off.
“No. I don’t need to be saved. I was wrong about you, Detective Henderson. I really thought…”
She stopped.
There was no point.
Lesson learned.
There were no good ones left. She’d been tricked by one more man who didn’t want to have that connection based in honesty, trust, and love. He was more than happy to use her body, but he wouldn’t let her get to know his heart.
Deal.
Breaker.
She was done.
“Delilah!”
She ignored him and headed out. On her phone, she hit an app and ordered up a car. Fortunately, there was one right around the corner.
It was time to leave this mess behind.
Riley followed her out, trying to figure out how this had gone so damn wrong.
Oh yeah, he fell for a woman he shouldn’t even be with.
The car pulled up to the curb, and Delilah got in without even looking back.
When she said over, she meant over.
“Delilah!” he shouted. “Wait!”
She didn’t even turn around. Instead, the woman he’d really fallen for drove away.
Out of his life.
Back into hers.
“Well, shit!” he said, heading back into his place to regroup. Riley had to wonder why he set himself up for this mess.
He knew better.
The second he saw her, he should have known that they wouldn’t work.
Here was the proof. She didn’t even give him a chance to explain, and at his pace.
Why did life had to be so damn hard?
Why did he have to fall in love with a woman he couldn’t have?
Again…
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
Hospital
Curtis’s Room
When he opened his eyes, they were all staring down at him. Immediately, he pulled Katerina’s hand to his lips to give her a kiss. He could feel her hand in his, and she was shaking.
“Curtis!” she said, tears filling her eyes.
“What the hell?” he muttered. “Did I get hit by a train or a bus?”
“Neither. It was Viktor Marchenko,” Greyson stated.
Curtis focused on his family.
“I really hope someone is going to put a hole in him for trying to kill my wife.”
Greyson laughed. “That was the plan.”
He stared up into Katerina’s eyes. “I’m okay. Seventy-five more.”
She burst into tears.
“Dad, help me,” he said, trying to slide over.
Greyson and Dimitri slid their arms beneath him and pulled him over on the bed. Katerina crawled onto the bed and curled against him.
“Shhhhh, I’m here. I couldn’t let my best girl get shot, now could I?” he asked. “You have a baby hanging out in you. It was worth it.”
She kissed him.
The heart monitor went off.
A nurse ran in.
“Uh, sir,” she said, staring at
the woman in bed with him with her lips pressed to his.
Greyson cleared his throat. “He’s fine. We have him.”
The nurse didn’t argue. It was likely because his wife was on the board of trustees at this hospital, or that a wing was being named after them from donations. Either way, they’d take it as a win.
“When can we move him?” Greyson asked.
“He’ll be in here for the next day or so,” she said. “Then he’ll get moved for rehab.”
Greyson looked around.
That didn’t work for him.
“I need him in a private room with security,” he stated, pointing at the windows all over the place.
“Sir, there are no rooms.”
Well, then that left one option.
“Get his papers ready. He’s coming home with us,” he said, not messing around. “I’ll have a nurse come stay at our home.”
“Sir,” she began.
Emma stepped forward.
“I think what my husband means is if you want us to keep donating money, you’ll get his doctor in here to discharge him. I think that’s about right, isn’t it, Greyson?” she asked.
The woman headed out before he could even answer.
Greyson was amused. She used to be the nicer one. Clearly, he was wearing off on her.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re going home, you’ll stay where we can watch over Kat, and that will make our lives easier. If we have to keep heading here, that puts all of us out in the open.”
“Sam will play video games with you,” Greyson stated. “I’m sure he would love to kick your ass now that you’re down a limb,” he teased.
He laughed. “Will I be getting this arm’s use back again?” he asked.
“Yeah, you’ll have PT. You’ll be on your feet and in a sling by Dante and Steele’s wedding. You’re going to be fine.”
“I need a nurse.”
“I’ll take care of you,” Kat offered.
“Will you wear a sexy outfit?” he asked, leaving a kiss on her lips. “That will make me better, and fast.”
“Curtis will live,” Emma said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “For that, we are so happy.”
“What happened?” Greyson asked, touching the top of his head with affection.
“I turned, and I saw it. Then I knew in my gut that it was going to be her or me. I couldn’t let her die. I had to make that choice.”
Dimitri had to say something. “I know I’ve ridden your ass for the entire time you’ve been with my sister, but you are officially my favorite.”
“Score!”
Chris laughed. “I’m not getting shot to be number one. It sucks. Been there, and done that. You can have that position. I’ll take number two.”
Curtis laughed, and it hurt.
“Jesus!”
Kat kissed him.
“So much better,” he admitted. Then he realized something, and it scared him to death.
He sat up in his bed.
“She’s in danger. If he took one shot at her, he’ll take another. I need you to get Kat out of here!”
Then he moaned in pain as the monitor went off again.
The nurse was back. “If you’re going to make his monitor go off, you have to leave. I don’t care if you are the mob. His life comes first.”
Emma moved toward her, and she scurried away.
“Liar.”
Greyson laughed.
“I’m safe with Mom around,” Curtis teased.
“As for Kat, we already talked it out. You lie there and get better until we can transport you too.”
That seemed to help him relax.
“She and Sadie will be okay, right?” he asked.
Kat stared at him. “You just told them the baby’s name!” she said.
“Pain meds. Shit! Sorry!”
Dimitri was intrigued. “You’re having a little girl?” he asked.
Kat nodded.
He gave his sister a big hug. “I am so happy. I can’t wait to hold your daughter.”
Yeah, if that were to happen, he had to live. That was part B of their plan.
“Dimitri is going to take you, Kat, Nat, and himself home,” Greyson said. “He will watch you all there while we work.”
The Russian didn’t look happy.
“I’m not…”
He knew how to shut him up.
“Do it for Sam. He’s finally happy that someone wants him, and he made his choice. If that’s not enough, then how about the fact that your sisters and Curtis will be unguarded.”
He didn’t say anything because this was a precarious position.
If he went with them, they might get caught in the crossfire. If he didn’t go with them, they might be targets by the law in town.
Sam needed him.
Kat needed him.
Nat needed him.
“Fine.”
Greyson was relieved.
“If all of this mess is going on around Vine, maybe we should think twice about Marissa staying in her sister’s place. I mean, it could be bad,” Emma said.
Dimitri looked worried.
“We can bring her back with us,” Croft offered.
“Please?” Dimitri stated.
“No problem,” Greyson offered. “I have to admit, I’m curious about what’s going on at that basement apartment.”
Emma was too.
“One thing,” Dimitri stated.
“What?”
He didn’t know how to tell them. It looked like he was going to just have to say it, and let the chips fall where they may.
“I didn’t tell her that my brother was the one who killed her sister.”
They all got it.
“She won’t hear it from us,” Emma said, willing to cover for him. “His name is Marchenko. You’re a Gideon.”
He stopped her. “I’m going to tell her. I just need some time. When we catch the people, who hurt her sister, I’ll tell her.”
Yeah, time to get her to want to stay. He needed to make her fall for him—enough that she’d want to be there in Vegas. He couldn’t offer her that fantasy life.
His only hope was that she’d settle for him because he was smitten. He was thinking about her, and what they shared.
“Should we call Riley? He is a cop.”
Greyson thought about it. “You know, let’s keep him at a distance. I’m sure he doesn’t need our mess on his shoulders. We’re going to illegally enter, so…”
She got it.
This was technically a burglary.
Yeah, their lives had changed.
“Wear gloves, make sure you…” Dimitri stopped when they all stared at him.
“Seriously?” Chris asked. “We were all cops. We know how to not be detected.”
Dimitri didn’t know.
He had this bad feeling.
It was brewing in his gut, and he only hoped they didn’t get hurt.
Chris, Emma, and Greyson headed out. They left him in charge, and Dimitri couldn’t let them down. He had to get Curtis and Kat back to the house, and before anyone took another shot.
This mattered.
He couldn’t fail.
He’d already done that once.
He wouldn’t be guilty of it twice.
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
Monday Late
Afternoon
LVPD
As Poppy Wayne sat there, she was going over her notes. Something didn’t feel right, but she wasn’t sure. They’d found the message on the detective’s phone, but they’d also found a piece of gum that looked oddly familiar.
She hadn’t figured it out until they searched Lester Lucas’s desk. There, sitting on Riley Henderson’s was the same gum. It was a kid’s gum with fruity stripes on it. They busted his ass since he was from California.
Now that gum, in the tell-tale wrapper, had ended up on the crime scene.
How?
Had Captain Thomas Christ had a partner?
Was the detective in on it too?
She needed to tie up all the loose ends, and that meant taking it to the only source that was left—Detective Henderson.
So, as much as they wanted to believe this was a closed case, getting the confession from Thomas Christ on record, she still had that one niggling detail.
So, she was going to do her job.
As she pulled out her phone, she called him. Poppy really hoped and prayed that the man could explain it. If not, there was going to have to be an internal investigation, and that would be bad.
Very bad.
Internal Affairs could destroy a career just by standing by your desk. Actually interviewing?
Yeah, it would be over for Riley.
On the third ring, he answered his cell. “Detective Henderson.”
“Hey, Riley, it’s Poppy.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I know you don’t want to hear this, especially since your partner just died, but we may have found your DNA on the scene.”
There was a pause as he took that in.
“WHAT?”
“You heard me, Riley. We found your chewed gum. They are processing it first, and if it comes back…”
He cut her off.
“Where?”
“I can’t tell you that. I need you to come in for questioning. Don’t make me drag you in. Just do it quietly, okay? I want to believe you didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“Poppy, I didn’t kill Lester. I wasn’t at his home. I’ve only been his partner for two weeks. I haven’t even had a beer with the man outside of work.”
She gave him a gift.
“Bring a lawyer, okay? We have a shit mess. I’ll see you in interrogation room three in thirty minutes.”
He didn’t know what to say.
Shit!
This sucked.
As soon as she hung up, he made a call.
“Croft.”
“I have a problem,” he said, sitting on his porch swing in a pair of sweats.
“What?” Greyson asked, as they were in his car.
“It’s about Lester Lucas’s killing. One of the detectives just called me,” he said.
Emma listened on speakerphone. “And?”
“They think my DNA was found at his place. I haven’t been there. I think I’m in trouble. What if they are setting me up? I may have to blow the lid on the commissioner.”
Paid Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 3) Page 41