Paris stared at the empty space where Tess once sat, and he sighed. Well, so much for dinner. He’d better clean up and get back to work.
As he looked down at the picnic food, wariness began overwhelming him. She’d made him spaghetti and meatballs. It was his favorite. Then, there was fruit salad, another thing he loved. She’d gone through a lot of work for a simple dinner.
Staring into the basket, he saw a container and popped it open. What he saw made him sick.
There, sat a big chocolate brownie. Again, his favorite dessert, but this one was different. On it, she’d written with white frosting in a heart.
Marry me?
Now, it all added up.
The candles.
The dress.
His favorite foods.
The woman he loved had packed a romantic dinner, was trying to figure out where she stood, and was planning to propose to him.
And he missed it.
Racing to the side of the building, he could see the parking lot. Then, he spotted her. She was running to her car.
“Tessa!” he yelled, but she never looked back.
She kept going, making his gut twist into a million knots.
He was a complete and total idiot. He broke the heart of the woman he loved, and he had no one to blame but himself.
* * *
They were led up to the penthouse in the hotel, and still had no idea who they’d encounter. Greyson held the case in one hand as Emma remained incredibly close to his side. Her arm was through his, and he didn't plan to let her out of his sight.
Not in a room full of sharks.
He wasn’t an idiot.
Granted, Randall Mason wouldn’t let anything happen to Emma, but he still wasn’t taking any chances.
At the door, they were stopped by a guard. He looked like a big ape in a suit.
Great.
More stress on his shoulders.
“I need to pat you down, and you need to unbutton your shirt, Director Croft,” he said, motioning toward him.
“Why?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Someone in there was going to be checking for a wire. He honestly hoped the one they’d planted on his watch was going to remain hidden.
Handing Emma the case, he did what the man asked, and waited for him to inspect him. When the guard seemed satisfied, he nodded. “You’re clear. Mrs. Croft is next.”
The idea that his big ape hands were going to be sliding over Emma’s flesh made him see red.
Yeah, over his dead body.
“You're not feeling up my wife. I’ll walk first.”
The man didn't seem to care. “If you want in there, she gets checked.”
“Where’s Randall?” he said.
The man made a call and the door opened.
“Is there a problem?” Mason asked, coming out.
“This guy isn't patting down or strip searching my wife. Get another woman in here, or we walk.”
He leaned back in the room.
“This is Julianna,” he said. “She’s dating my dear friend Dominic. She’ll do the search.”
Croft relaxed.
“I’ll be okay, babe,” Emma said, heading off with the bleached out blonde.
Croft buttoned his shirt and headed toward the door. The look he gave Randall Mason must have said it all.
“I’m sorry, Greyson, but we’re extra careful in here.”
Croft was pretty sure that Mason didn't have a clue that he was bugged. If he did, they wouldn’t be playing poker. While he trusted the man to a degree, there was still hesitation.
“I’m all for being careful, but no man is pawing at my wife. You should know that by now, Randall.”
Oh, he was well aware.
Following after Mason, Croft entered the room. In there, he found four other men sitting at a table. Since he liked to be well prepared, he’d done his research. Most of them were already on his radar. Dropping his case on the floor beside his seat, he offered his hand as the introductions were made.
“Dominic Marianna, this is FBI Director Croft, one of my personal friends,” Randall said.
They shook hands.
“Good to meet you, Director. I’ve seen you all over the news. It seems you’re Vegas’s golden son.”
There was no hidden meaning in that sentence. Good. If the seedy element was hearing the rumors, he was on track. “I've heard about you too, Dominic.”
Had he ever? Dominic owned the casino they were sitting above, and half the politicians in the city.
Now that Thomas Booker was gone, and they were sure that Randall Mason wasn’t the one trying to buy him off, Dominic was leading the suspect pack.
The man proudly grinned. “Yeah, you should. I worked very hard to earn that reputation.”
Randall continued with the introductions. “This is Kenneth James,” he began.
“Yes, from the law firm. I ran into one of your partners on one of my cases, a Ms. Dumas.”
The man shook his hand and laughed. “And she didn't talk you into bed? That’s so unlike her.”
Croft shrugged. “She tried, but I wasn’t interested. I’m happily married.”
The men in the room all laughed, like the two words were oxymorons and had no place in the same sentence.
“This is Peter Marken. He’s a land developer. I get all my properties from him.”
They shook hands.
“If you’re looking for an investment, give me a call, Director. I have some primo real estate coming up soon.”
He nodded. Yeah, that wouldn’t ever happen.
“Lastly, this is Levi Hammond. He’s on the board of trustees at all the banks in town. If you need a loan, he’s the only one to talk to.”
“Yeah, and if you rob me blind tonight, I’ll own you,” he teased, shaking his hand.
They all sat.
“Give my guard your case, Croft,” stated Dominic. “He’s going to make sure you’re not playing your Fed games.”
“I vouch for him,” Mason said, offering up his case. He’d made sure that all the money and the case was on the up and up. If it wasn’t, Greyson and Emma would be in trouble. Dominic was easy to get along with, as long as you didn't try to screw him over. Maybe he should have warned Croft beforehand.
Greyson didn't even flinch. He handed it over easily.
“So, where’s this wife of yours?” asked Dominic. “Randall is always singing her praises.”
Yeah, Croft bet he was. “All I know is she better be back soon, or I’ll be tearing the place apart looking for her.”
He laughed. “I hear she’s hot.”
Croft didn't bat an eye. It was time to play the game. “I personally think so. It’s why I married her.”
God help him. He married her because she was his heart, but they didn't need to know that. He only hoped that Emma could pull off the illusion of being his arm candy.
“I’m on wife four,” stated Dominic. “I get bored easily and decided to just date them until I move on.”
Kenneth James laughed. “You say that because the alimony has gotten too steep. I’ve got one ex and that’s all I’m getting. Screw the marriage game. It’s too expensive.”
Levi started dealing the cards. “Women have their purpose, don’t you agree, Croft?”
He was about to make a comment, when the door opened and the two women walked in. Croft checked to make sure Emma was safe, and by the easy smile on her face, he knew he could relax.
Okay, now it was time to focus on the problem at hand-dirty players and lecherous assholes.
“Sorry, Grey, but this skirt is a bitch to get in and out of. Julianna had to help me.”
“She’s clean,” the woman said, plopping down on the couch. “I took her down to bare nothingness, and she’s not wired. If she is, it’s implanted in her body.”
Dominic grinned. “Well, then let’s play some poker.”
Croft took his cards and got ready, hoping he could pull it off. He was in no way an expert at t
he game, besides he only needed to win a few hands. With Mason playing, they upped their odds of getting some of the men’s money.
“Julianna, get me a drink!” Dominic called.
She looked up from her phone. “In a minute, I’m sending an email,” she stated. “That fur you bought me still hasn’t been delivered, and I want it by tomorrow.”
Dominic rolled his eyes. “Now you see why I keep getting a new one?” he stated, checking his cards. “If she wasn’t hot in bed, I’d have no use for her,” he added, tossing in his chips.
Croft wasn’t impressed. His Emma was far more beautiful and had something Dominic wouldn’t get- class.
“So, I hear that you’re trying to clean up this town.”
He didn't bat an eyelash, or look up.
“Yep.” Greyson tossed in some chips. “And it’s not trying, it’s succeeding. The crime rate has gone down and people feel safer. Although, I’ve had a rash of bodies found in the desert. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
The man laughed, slapping Kenneth James on the back. “I plead the fifth, and look here. I brought my own high priced attorney.”
Croft laughed, trying to seem accessible. He wanted whoever was trying to bribe him to make their move.
“It’s a shame what happened to your old lady’s boss,” Dominic said, pointing at Emma. “I hear she’s a detective and working on his homicide. That’s a dangerous job, little girl.”
Emma looked over at him, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, well, I like dangerous. Look at my sexy husband. As for the little girl part, I’m tougher than I look. I could bring you to your knees.”
He laughed. “Oh, I like a woman with claws, Detective.”
Croft nonchalantly glanced up from his cards. “Yeah, well, she’s off the table, so you can look at your own girlfriend.”
Levi Hammond laughed. “Oh look. We found the only person in Vegas that’s crazy enough to tell Dom no.”
Randall patted Croft on the back. “I’ve already tried to lure her away. It’s a real marriage, so you might as well give it up, boys. Greyson is a lucky man.”
“Julianna! My damn drink!” Dominic ordered, getting impatient.
The woman waved him off. “I’m not your damn waitress, Dom.”
Emma took that as her cue. Getting up, she crossed to her husband. Once there, she leaned against him to get his attention. “Babe, would you like a drink?”
He nodded. “Thanks, sweet stuff.”
The men all watched her walk away. Each one of them was checking out her behind in the skirt, and the sway of her hips, thanks to those heels.
“Holy shit, I’d pay money to do that nightly,” Dominic stated. “Want to lend me your wife, Director? We can call it an act of good faith.”
He tossed in more chips. “Not going to happen. There’s not enough money in this town to convince me to sell off my wife.”
When Emma came back over, she placed a bourbon on the table for her husband and a whisky for Randall.
Leaning down, she was sure the men got a good show of her chest, as she kissed her husband. “Good luck,” she whispered, knowing all the men were staring at them.
“I already won,” he said, patting her on the ass.
Emma returned to the couch to flip through a magazine. Still, all the men watched her.
“So, are you going to keep her?” Dominic asked, checking out her legs and heels.
Croft knew it was time to play it like planned. “Have you seen her body? I’d be a fool to let her out of my sight. Plus, she’s very eager to make me happy. As far as I’m concerned, I won the jackpot.”
Emma blew him a kiss.
Greyson winked.
“So, why the FBI? I did some research on you, and you could have made a hell of a lot more money staying in the military and branching out as a mercenary.”
He shrugged, the current case flashing through his mind. It rubbed him the wrong way, but he remained calm. “Money’s nice, but I like catching the bad guys and being in charge. There’s something exciting about being powerful,” he stated.
Randall agreed. “Spoken like a real man.”
“Besides, my job can be just as lucrative as hired mercenary. I just get to dress better and come home every night to my wife.” When he glanced over, his heart skipped in his chest.
There, the trap was set. Now, he’d hinted at being dirty.
“You think I got her by being a straight arrow?” He showed them his cards and won the pot.
So far, so good.
“Julianna! Get your ass over there and make me a drink!”
When the woman still didn't listen, Croft whistled and on command, Emma appeared at his side.
“Yes, Grey?” she asked, as he rubbed his hand on her derrière.
“How about you help our friend out over here? It seems he needs a drink. Be a good wife and handle that.” If his wife didn't kick his ass later, it would be a freaking miracle. He felt so bad, Croft wanted to kick his own.
It was hard not to break into a fit of giggles. “What can I get you?” Emma asked, twirling a piece of red hair around her finger. All the men at the table were staring at her chest, not her face.
Dominic couldn’t help himself. “An hour alone, in the next room, with your head in my lap, to start off, would be nice.”
The other men laughed.
Croft fought to stay calm. It was all part of the act, and he had to let it slide. What he wanted to do was beat the man to a bloody pulp. Unfortunately, his baboon wasn’t far away, and there was no doubt he was carrying. He saw the telltale bulge under his arm. “We all have to dream,” Croft stated calmly.
“Let me rephrase to cut out any misunderstanding. The blowjobs are for my husband, the drinks at the bar are for you. I know that’s easily confused.”
Dominic liked her already. She definitely had a brass set. Winking at Croft, he continued, “She’s spicy. I’ll have what you’re giving… I mean gave your husband.”
Emma wasn’t bothered by the innuendos. She’d been in the boys club long enough to get a thick skin. Unfortunately, her hand was on Greyson’s neck, and she could feel the rage vibrating through him.
“Gentlemen?” she asked, directing that at the other two poker players. After taking their order, she went behind the bar and got to work. When she started mixing the martini in the shaker, all eyes were on her.
Specifically, her assets as they moved with the shaking motion. Even her husband watched, and the heat was very clearly noticeable in his eyes. Emma did it more, trying to tease him, even licking her lips.
When they got home, it was going to be a free-for-all.
“Damn it, Croft. I’ll give you a cool mil for an hour with her, and if you ever run for office, I’ll back you.”
“Not going to happen. I don’t share.”
Emma brought over their drinks and placed them on napkins. When Dominic slapped her on the ass, she prayed her husband stayed in control.
From the telltale twitch in his scarred cheek, she knew he was fighting a hard battle on that one.
She said a little prayer.
With his voice void of any emotion, he took two cards from the man dealing. “If you put your hand on her one more time, you’re a dead man,” stated Croft, not looking up from his cards. If he did, bad things would happen. The second he heard the crack of the man’s palm against Emma’s behind, he wanted to jump the table and beat the hell out of him.
Then, he took a deep breath and considered that this might be a test. They could be seeing how he’d react. Certainly, no one behaved like this anymore.
Emma walked to her husband’s side and stayed there. “Do you need anything else, Grey?” she asked.
“I just lost. I need some good luck.” She dropped into his lap and kissed him like she meant it. When Emma broke away, he was grinning.
“I’m good now.”
Emma headed back over to the couch to ride out the night. She couldn’t wait until later. The
n, her husband would really understand what getting lucky meant.
* * *
After cleaning up the picnic and sending his boss the list of potential suspects from the other cases, Paris packed up and headed home.
The last two hours were the longest in his life. In the back of his mind, he kept worrying about Tessa. She wouldn’t answer his calls or text him back. That meant when he got home, he was fully expecting her to be gone.
It wasn’t as if she could run back to her place. After all, she sold it when they moved in together. Now, it would probably mean having to hunt her down.
Pulling into the driveway, he found her purse on the coat rack and her keys in the colorful bowl by the door. Well, that gave him hope. Dropping his bag and hanging up his jacket, he wandered the house.
It was fairly late at night but he could hear the TV from their living room. That was odd, since she really didn't like watching it. Tessa was a book fiend and would spend her free time reading with him.
Entering, he found her on the couch. Her hand was tucked beneath her chin, and she was sound asleep. Paris took a few minutes to watch her. There was nothing he wanted more in his life than to be her husband.
Every day he wanted to scream at the top of the lungs, the truth he held locked deep in his heart. Tessa was so precious to him.
If he could only make her understand that he wasn’t rejecting her, but protecting her. If he gave up the dream of being married, it meant that he could ensure her safety.
That meant more to him.
For his Tessa, he’d sacrifice anything. In fact, he’d die for her. There was no bigger desire in his life, than to have her as his wife. All day they stood over death, and he’d die if anything happened to her. By giving up marriage, he could make sure she was protected.
Turning off the TV, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom. He was sure there’d be a fight in the morning, but for tonight, he wanted to hold her one last time.
Before she walked away from him.
Breaking his heart.
Unfortunately, he knew he’d deserve it. Finding Tessa had been a blessing, and it was going to take a miracle to keep her.
Love is Bleeding (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 4) Page 17