Her fingers ran over the stiff collar of his shirt and jacket, almost soothingly.
“I was detected and wounded.”
She went up on her toes and dropped a kiss to his chilly cheek. It was as if his entire body was filled with ice water, and not an ounce of warmth flowed through him.
“I left the military because I was tired of playing God.”
“Why didn't you just tell me, Grey?”
“I’m not proud of my past.”
Emma knew that she had to reach deep into his soul and pull him back from the brink of this self-loathing.
“I am. I’ll always be proud of my husband, even if you see what you did as wrong. I’ll tell you right now that it wasn’t. How many people did you save, Grey? Your job was important, just like it is now. I’m beyond proud.”
His face remained neutral.
“What’s in the chest?”
“Pieces of my past,” he answered, as she wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. A little piece of the cold was breaking away, helping him thaw.
“May I look?”
His instinct was to tell her no, but instead he nodded.
Emma was very proud of him. Releasing his body, she crossed to the chest and knelt down. It wasn’t filled with a ton of things, but this, to her, was a treasure trove. Greyson didn't speak of his past in the military, ever. To see anything from that time in his life was like a window into his soul.
Reaching in, she pulled out a picture which was lying on top.
Croft watched her cautiously, as if afraid of what she might say or think. Here was Pandora and his box of sins. Now, time would only tell.
“You were handsome then too, but I kinda like the scar. I would miss the pirate if he was gone.”
The corners of his mouth curved slightly.
“Your brother does look exactly like you did then. It’s definitely sexy Croft genes.”
Emma reached in to pull out his dog tags. Once in her hand, she reverently ran her fingers over them. The entire time, she could feel him watching her. “Join me, Captain?” she offered, patting the floor beside her.
Instinctually, he wanted to say no, but now he was curious to see how she would react to all the things in his footlocker.
When he was at her side, she dropped the dog tags over her own head.
His heart skipped. “When you wear a man’s tags, Em, it means you belong to him. Soldiers don’t give them away easily. They’re our only identification.”
She smiled at him. “And here you’ve been spending all this money on jewelry, when you could have let the US government foot the bill.”
He touched the tag around her neck before leaning over to kiss her. “I love you.”
His wife was his rock.
She kissed him back and returned the words. “Forever, Greyson Thaddeus Croft.”
Emma reached into the chest and pulled out a journal. “May I?” she asked, waiting for him to make the decision. If he really wanted no secrets, it had to be his choice.
“Yes.”
Emma ran her fingers over the beat up leather. When she opened it, the first few pages had numbers and letters she didn't understand.
“A sniper leaves a trail of the jobs he’s done. That’s a record of the locations and the kills.”
She looked up at him. “You’re a strong man, Mr. Croft.”
‘Only because of her,’ he thought.
Turning the pages, she found entries. “May I read them?”
His body was tense again. “Yes.”
Emma scanned the page, and then cleared her voice. She wanted him to hear his words from twenty years ago.
Today, I took my first life. In training, it’s different. I could barely pull the trigger, and when I did, everything in me stopped. At first, I thought there would be this feeling of power, but instead all I felt was revulsion.
I hated every second of it.
When I signed up to do this, I was young, stupid, and naïve. Now, I’m changed. I see the value of life in everything, since I never know when I’m going to be told to end it.
This has changed me, and I’ll spend the remaining days of my life on the Earth trying to make up for this. May God, if he exists, have mercy on my blood-covered soul.
I promise. I will make amends.
Emma wanted to weep at the words. The pain and the hurt in them were evident. Now, she was faced with patching up his soul. “This,” she said, touching the page in the book. “It’s why you’re so damn good at your job, Grey. This part of your past made you the man you are today.”
He went to speak.
She stopped him. “If this didn't happen, we wouldn’t have found each other. If you didn't go into the military, what would you have done with your life?” she asked.
“I would have been a cop.”
She touched his cheek, running her fingertips across the scar. “Then the military didn't change anything, other than making you better at your job.”
His eyes filled with emotion.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” she asked, giving him the opportunity. “If you want to share, I’ll listen.”
Finally, the ice began breaking up in his chest.
“Yes, I think I do.”
* * *
Wednesday
Late Afternoon
To say that he wasn’t happy to get the text would be an understatement. Curtis Briggs wasn’t looking forward to being Dante Croft’s babysitter.
In fact, the entire thing pissed him off.
Yes, he understood that in Greyson’s life, he had a permanent place, but it didn't mean he wanted to look after a man who seemed to take nothing seriously.
After all, that was his role in life.
Now, he was going to have to herd in a man who obviously was nothing like his big brother.
This was going to suck.
His boss was going to owe him big time. Then, Curtis thought about that. He was living in their home rent and bill free, so maybe he should just shut up and do what they asked.
Heading into that morgue, he could hear laughing from somewhere, and that just seemed odd and out of place.
This was generally a somber location.
Or at least that was what Doctor Steele Bentley demanded of all who came there. Many times, he’d heard the lecture go down, as someone did something inappropriate.
Now, it sounded like a party.
Once inside, Curtis found the two men drinking coffee and talking about sports. Dante was telling the ME about a football game that he’d participated in, that involved a little visit from a desert scorpion and his shorts.
Curtis cringed.
“Uh, hello,” he said, getting their attention.
Doctor Bentley noticed him first. “Hello, Agent. What can I do for you?”
The man was smiling, and Curtis really believed he was in the wrong dimension. Obviously, this was the Twilight Zone. Yeah, this was very odd indeed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the ME smiling and being jovial.
“Yeah, I’m here to pick him up,” he said, jerking his thumb at Dante. “Greyson has summoned us home, and I’m his ride.”
The younger Croft hopped off the table and shook the ME’s hand. “Thank you for today, Steele. It was fun. I appreciate you keeping me entertained.”
The ME grinned. “For Emma, I’d play football with scorpions too.”
Dante returned the smile. “It looks like we have more in common then. I love me some Emma.”
Briggs stared at the ME. Okay, so this was new. The only person who was ever able to get Steele Bentley to act normal was the woman they were discussing.
What was the world coming to?
It was official. This was the beginning of the end.
“If you’re bored, Dante, give me a call. You can come hang out here anytime.”
The younger Croft headed for the door. “Well, are you coming, Agent Briggs?” he asked, waiting for him.
“Yeah,” he re
plied, following the man to the car.
“Thanks for picking me up. I could have found my way home.”
Just the use of that word irritated Curtis. “No problem. It’s my job.”
As they rode in the car, neither spoke. It was incredibly uncomfortable. Finally, the Dante had to ask. “You don’t like me. Why?”
Briggs glanced over. “I don’t know you well enough to like or dislike you,” he stated neutrally.
“Are you after my brother’s wife? Are you planning on getting into Emma’s pants?”
“WHAT?” Curtis practically shouted. “Where the hell did you get that idea?”
“You seem too lovey dovey with her.”
He was astounded. “Emma’s my family, as is Greyson. I’d take a bullet for either of them. I wouldn’t ever go after a man’s wife, let alone one who I consider a brother.”
Dante finally got it with the admission of that one single word. It spoke volumes. “Are you an only child?”
“Yes.”
“I wish I was sometimes.”
Briggs navigated traffic and glanced over. “You’re damn lucky to have the brother you do. That man would walk over shards of glass for you. I bet he always took care of you when you were kids, too.”
“Yeah, he did, along with busting my ass all the time, tormenting me, not sharing his things, and threatening to shave me bald. Oh yeah, and following through on that one.”
“You were still lucky. I grew up with just my grandmother. It was tough to not have anyone to watch my back.”
Dante relaxed around the man, knowing that he wasn’t some wife poaching asshole. There was fondness in his voice when he spoke about Greyson, and that meant everything. “Here’s a little newsflash, Agent. He sees you the same way, so you’re just as lucky.”
Briggs finally got what the man had just done. “You’re just like him. He’s tricky and really good at interrogations, so much so that you don’t know what he’s up to.”
Dante grinned wickedly. “Yeah, well we are cut from the same cloth, with a few minor differences. It’s irritating though, isn't it?”
Curtis pulled into the condo. “Hell yeah, it is.”
“I know you’re wary of me, but let’s make a deal. We’ll play nice, so Grey can have us both in his life.”
Parking, he held out his hand. “Deal.”
Dante took the olive branch and ran with it. “Do you like pizza?”
“Yes, why?”
“They’re going out, and we need to eat. How about I buy us dinner, and we can get to know each other?”
Curtis got out of the car and stared over at the man. “I doubt that you’re not completely like him. That was a textbook Greyson maneuver, if I ever saw one.”
Dante couldn’t help but laugh. “What can I say? I learned from the best.”
* * *
Croft was pacing back and forth as the two men entered the condo. He was fully dressed and looked agitated.
“What’s wrong?” Curtis asked, dropping his gear by the door. “It’s early, so I know you can’t be worked up about being late.”
Lately, he had opted to lie to Emma about the time they had to leave to go places, only because she took forever to get ready. It broke his no lying rule, but it was better than being worked up into a tizzy.
“I’m worried.”
Dante crossed to him. “I can go tonight.”
He laughed. “Not about the game. Randall Mason sent over clothes, and I heard her laughing. That scares the hell out of me. It was that scary girl laugh when someone was going to suffer, and I’m the nearest target on this one.”
Briggs snorted. “You should be very afraid.”
“Who’s Randall Mason?” Dante asked. “Why is he sending your wife clothes?”
Croft began relaying the entire story from start to finish. By the end, his brother’s eyes were big, and he looked just as worried as Croft was feeling.
“You should keep your woman away from him.”
Briggs continued laughing even more.
“What?” they both said at the same time.
Curtis shook his head. “Same cloth, just two different cookie cutters,” he stated. “If Emma hears either of you talking like she’s a piece of property to be passed back and forth, you’re dead.”
“Nah, Emma’s sweet and innocent.”
Curtis was borderline hysterical.
Croft thought back to the dog tags, their afternoon of digging through his box, and the look of love on her face. He had nothing to worry about. In fact, he would have crawled all over her, but they lost track of time.
“You have no idea,” stated Curtis, picking up his phone and calling for a pizza.
“How was your afternoon?” asked Croft.
“It was fun. The ME is pretty damn entertaining. He took the time to give me a tour, we had lunch in the cafeteria, and talked sports. It was like spending time with you, if you had time for me.”
Croft got the hint. “Hi. Maybe we haven’t met before, but I’m the one paying for the lap of luxury that you two are residing in. I barely have time to have sex with my wife.”
Curtis snorted and handed Dante a beer. “Yeah, somehow I doubt that.”
Dante agreed.
He began pacing as his agitation grew. “Where is she?” he practically growled.
“I’m right here,” she replied, standing in the doorway.
All three men turned.
One of her favorite things in life was when she appeared ready for one of their functions. Each time, she was able to catch him completely off guard.
Like now.
Dante whistled and wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Nice one, Em!”
Curtis stared openmouthed, unsure what would be appropriate at that moment.
Greyson’s heart skipped in his chest, as his face was mired with love and want.
Mission accomplished.
Granted, she’d never wear the clothes that Randall had sent over every day, but she didn't mind tormenting her husband.
“Emma!”
She started giggling and turning in a circle. When she had opened the garment bags, she’d opted for a very tight, black pencil skirt that showed off all her curves and a white silk shirt that was somewhat sheer. If she wore a white bra beneath, the world would be none the wiser, but Randall had sent over a leopard print one and it was clearly visible.
“Do I look bad?” she asked.
Croft stared down at her feet and nearly swallowed his tongue. The red heels were insanely high and made him want to drop to his knees as he built her an altar. There was nothing overtly revealing about the outfit, other than the shirt was a little see through. It was the fact that it screamed sensuality and sexiness in a classy way.
“You look hot!” stated Dante, crossing the room to give her a kiss. “All the men are going to be following you around.”
Croft gave him a look. “Yeah, that’s what I need to hear right before I stroll into a den of vipers.”
Curtis was next. “Emma, can you breathe?” he asked, pointing at the skirt and the way her cleavage was showing in the opening of the shirt. “Nice girly things,” he teased.
Croft growled, slapping his agent in the head.
“Hey! I’d rather she hit me, if you don’t mind,” Curtis teased, getting Dante to laugh too.
Emma giggled. “I think I pulled it off. What else are you supposed to wear to a high stakes poker game with the most corrupt people in town?”
Croft had a million comments for that alone.
She stared at her husband. “You’ve nothing to say?”
He started laughing. “Oh, there are so many words going through my head right now. I don’t think any of them are appropriate in front of the children,” he added.
Crossing to him, she went into his arms. “You smell really good, Director Croft,” she purred, teasing his ear with her teeth.
His body reacted even more, as it was tormented by the sexy woman pressed against him. Tonig
ht was going to be hell for so many reasons. First, he wanted to drag her back into their room and lock the door for the rest of the night, and then he wanted to make her cover up. The idea that other men were going to be checking out his wife was infuriating.
Randall Mason had struck again.
Croft couldn’t help but believe that the man liked to torment the hell out of him, all the while studying him like a lab rat.
“Do you want me to wear the ‘C’ you gave me or the handcuffs?” she asked, running her fingers down the black buttons on the shirt he was wearing. Her husband looked dark, mysterious, and so powerful.
It turned her right on.
“The ‘C’,” he replied.
When she turned to head back to their room, he slapped her on the ass, and it made her laugh. When she was gone, he stared over at his partner. “When we leave, I want you to grab the overnight bags that we have packed in our closet, make a reservation at the hotel for us, and drop our things off.”
“Staying over?” teased Dante.
“Yes, is there a problem with that?”
He finished his beer. “If you weren’t, then you definitely had a problem. But, it’s nothing some drugs can’t help.”
Croft pointed at him. “Why is everyone today insinuating that I need medication to make love to my wife?”
Emma interrupted them as she walked into the room. “Can you help me, babe?” she asked, turning and lifting her hair.
When she did, she rested her body against his and wiggled her tightly clad derrière against him. Immediately, his body responded. “Why, Mr. Croft, are you happy to see me?”
He laughed as he placed the necklace around her throat. His mouth watered as it rested in the vee of her breasts. It was like an invitation for him to run his lips across the silky mounds and valley.
Briggs laughed and teased his boss. “Someone’s going to get lucky tonight. Look out, Mom.”
Pointing at the man, Greyson issued the warning. “Knock it off or I’ll…”
Love is Bleeding (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 4) Page 15