Emma spoke, “All three suspects could be good candidates for murder,” she said. “Marcus white disliked Phillip Cahill and is violent. Bobby Holmes had a temper and could have acted out of rage, and Vincent Leery was burned by the Feds and wanted revenge.”
“Yeah, we have three good suspects, but now we need to connect them to all the victims.”
“What if it’s random?” Brynn asked, hoping she didn't just insult Agent Archer and all the work he put into the profile. “I mean, what if it was only Phillip Cahill that the killer had a vendetta against, and the rest has been some methodical planning to get to him? You know, to throw us all off, like we are now.”
Paris contemplated it. His training and instinct said there had to be something that connected it. “I don’t believe it’s random. If it was, why not kill the boss the other day? He was right there. If you want attention, you go after the biggest fish in the pond.” He paused. “Although, I do understand what you’re saying, and I’ll look at it from that angle too. I could be wrong.”
Emma didn't like the sound of that at all. She had just calmed down over the idea that her husband could be a marked man.
“Thanks, Paris,” said Brynn.
He nodded, hoping he didn't screw up.
“We just need to dig deeper,” stated Croft. “There has to be something here. If need be, we’ll start back at the beginning and retrace everything we have.”
Paris took one for the team. “I’ll work late and go back over all the files and make some notes.”
There was a part of him that wanted to let the man do it, but the other part was hesitant. He didn't want to burn out the team, and they’d been going at it already for quite a few hours. “No. We’re going to wrap it up and call it a day.”
They all looked at him like he was crazy.
He noticed the expressions on their faces. “What?”
“Who are you?” Emma asked.
He grinned. Croft was trying to treat his people better, and again, he got the same response. “We’re not working here tonight,” he reiterated.
“Okay, where are we working?” Curtis asked, knowing this had to be some kind of trap.
Emma made a suggestion. “I hear swimming is very relaxing and good for the body.”
His team had been working tirelessly without a single complaint. It was the least they deserved. “In honor of my young partner doing a superb job in the interrogation today, we’re going to have takeout and go swimming. Bring your suits and rendezvous at our place in ninety minutes.”
“Seriously?” Brynn asked cautiously. “You won’t take this away from me if I get all excited to be using your pool, will you?”
He shook his head, laughing.
Tessa had to ask. “You have a pool? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but where do you keep it?” She knew the place was big, but this was news to her. The idea of a relaxing night with Paris under the stars had a lot of appeal to it.
She had just the swimwear in mind.
Emma stood. “No, it’s on the rooftop, and it’s romantic at night, so bring your bikinis ladies, and your favorite guy.” She took her husband’s hand and headed out.
Paris had yet to see Tessa in some skimpy swim things. That prospect alone helped him forget about the stress he was carrying. When she ran her fingers over the necklace, his heart skipped. Yeah, he needed a night off. Waiting for her at the door, they followed their boss out.
“Want to be my date to a pool party?” Curtis asked Brynn, when everyone was gone.
“Yeah, you know I do.”
“Then, let’s get out of here and get our relaxation on, before the boss man comes to his senses.”
“That doesn’t give us long,” she teased.
Curtis knew that better than anyone. “Yeah, trust me, I know.”
* * *
The time was coming.
The fundraiser was around the corner, and that meant the first shot at taking down the Croft duo. After the attempt to rattle the director’s cage by taking his wife, they knew what needed to be done.
This time, they had to mean business.
Once more, the tight constrictive grasp of the law was threatening to squeeze the crime from the city, and they had to handle it.
First, they needed to take out the man who was currently residing on top of the food chain. Money talked, and his voice screamed the loudest.
It was time to dethrone him.
Over the last few weeks, his weakness had begun to show. Be it because of the loss of his children, or his new found obsession with the redhead, it didn't matter.
His era of ruling Vegas was at the end.
“What’s your plan?”
There was laughter. “We have the Mason Industries fundraiser coming up, and we know who’s headlining it.”
“She is.”
“Yes, and we’re going to get her husband’s attention one way or another.”
“You’re bidding?”
There was more laughter. “Not me, but someone who will take care of business and destroy the Crofts once and for all.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
The grin said it all. “Oh, I think that when Mason dies and takes Emma Croft with him, the city will be free of the FBI once more.”
“What do you need me to do?”
Leaning forward, the hardest part began. There could be no mistake. “Here’s the plan, but I warn you. It may take some time…”
* * *
Greyson Croft was in a far better mood. Then again, that always happened when he could get his wife into some skimpy little bikini. He would always pick a modest one, knowing that she was going to disregard his opinion and go with something far more risqué.
It was his plan.
He loved how Emma liked to tease and make him insane, all in an attempt to heat his body and blood to the point of boiling. Swimming with his vixen would be an adventure.
Right now, he needed the distraction.
Already, the pressure was building to find the FBI killer. There were panicked families counting on his team, and he needed them to be on their game. Granted, it looked bad from the outside that they were going to be having a little makeshift party, but he knew the truth. When you spent your days trapped in the madness, sometimes you had to forget for a little while. A stressed team wouldn’t get him the results he needed, so instead of cracking the whip, tonight they would be cracking the jokes.
Relaxing.
Socializing.
Being themselves.
It was definitely needed.
Greyson had just finished ordering take out, and was whistling as he opened a bottle of beer. For now, something else was troubling him.
Dante.
The man was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger, looking like he was ready to gnaw his own limbs off to escape. “Are you okay?”
He glanced over at his brother. “Yeah, I’m just restless. When I came here I thought you had a pretty exciting life, but now I see it’s pretty much a pain in the ass.”
“All work and no play makes Greyson a dull boy,” chimed Emma, entering the room in a pair of cut offs and a tank top.
Croft was amused, and very curious to see what she was planning on swimming in. He’d bet good money that it was going to be far from a dull night.
Curtis wasn’t far behind her. “No, he’s still a dull boy, just one with a sexy babe.”
Croft pointed at him.
“Dante, do you want to go swimming with us?” Emma asked, offering to let the man hang out with them.
He gave her a hug. “That’s sweet, Emma, but I’m more an explorer. I like to creep around and check things out. It’s the soldier in me.”
“Then why don’t you?” Croft asked, sipping his beer. “It’s not like you have to play babysitter while I’m here in the house,” he added, and then pointed at the man before he could lie his ass off. “I know you. If you haven’t already conspired with my wife to guard me like some feebleminded old man, you will
be soon.”
Okay, so he had him there.
She tried to cover for him. “Yeah, you should go out and have some fun, Dante. You can take Grey’s car,” Emma suggested.
At that sentence, Greyson began choking on his beer. As his eyes watered, he stared at her like she’d committed some major sin. “What did you say? Why would you even put that on the table for him?”
“I said,” she began.
“Emma! I’m well aware. I just doubt your sanity, and if you even know me at all.”
Dante grinned wickedly. “Hell yeah! I’d love to borrow his car. It’s sweet!”
Croft glared at his wife. “Really, Emma? Do you know what you’re doing? You just gave the wolf a place to trap some sheep, and on my really nice leather seats.”
She had no doubt what he was going to try and pull off with his brother’s car, and it amused her.
“Come on, Grey,” Dante pleaded. “Please? I’ll take good care of her.”
“It’s a he and NO. I don’t let anyone behind the wheel but me, and that includes my very sexy wife, who can bribe me with so much more than you ever could.”
She winked at him.
“Come on! Why won’t you trust your own flesh and blood with your car? We’re brothers.”
“Because last time I trusted you with my car, you were still in high school. I found condom wrappers and had to sanitize the entire thing.”
He laughed. “You should have bronzed it. That night was epic. Want me to tell you about it?”
They all shouted, “No!”
Present on his face was the same sexy Croft smile. In order to calm his brother down, he raised his hands in surrender. “Okay! Relax. It was only sex, and one time. Okay, maybe three, but not all on the same night.”
“See! It was just fornication for you, but Emma and I haven’t even christened that car yet.”
Emma snorted.
“What if I promise to not have sex with any women in the vehicle?” Dante offered, knowing that was a promise he would willingly keep.
He sighed, knowing that he was being silly. After all, this was his baby brother, and he didn't want the man not to have fun in Vegas. “If you get arrested or my car gets impounded, I’m going to be on the news tomorrow. I don’t need the media all stirred up even more than they usually are when they hear our name. So, once more, I’m going to throw this out there. No hookers, driving drunk, or drugs. Got it?”
He started laughing. “Dude, I’m thirty years old. Hookers carry STDs, I can always catch a cab, and drugs were so nineteen ninety two.”
Emma wrapped her arms around his waist. “Be safe, Dante, and don’t get hurt.”
He dropped a kiss to her forehead before hugging her tightly. Then, he turned to catch the keys from his brother. “Have fun.”
Curtis couldn’t believe what he had witnessed. Someone other than Croft was going to be driving his precious Challenger.
It was official.
The man had lost his damn mind.
Dante headed toward the door, whistling. “Don’t wait up. I’ll see you in the morning!”
Croft called after him, “My car better be back by the time I leave for the office!” he yelled, only receiving an explosion of hysterical laughter from his brother. “I mean it and with a full tank of gas!”
Emma could have pointed out that he sounded like the man’s father- not his brother.
“I must be out of my mind,” Curtis said. “I never saw this day coming.”
Emma had to agree. Apparently, her husband was mellowing out. Who knew?
“You never let me borrow your car,” stated Briggs, accusingly. Then again, he knew why.
Croft sipped his beer, hearing the tone in his partner’s voice. “You’ve never asked to borrow it for a date, or to use it off duty. If you had, I’d hand you the keys too. The one time you brought it up, it was to race through the streets to lure the media away. There’s a big difference.”
“Really?” he asked, shocked.
Croft patted him on the shoulder. “Yep. If I trust you living in our home with my most precious asset, why wouldn’t I let you use my car?”
Emma stared at him. “WHAT? Did you just call me an asset?”
He grinned wickedly, before slapping her on the derrière as he walked by. “And what an asset it is.”
Fortunately for him, the buzzer sounded. “Mr. Croft, you have guests downstairs, and your food order is here.”
“Send it all up, William.”
Croft unlocked the door.
“We’re going to discuss this later, Greyson,” she stated. Emma would be lying if she said his possessiveness and manhandling didn't turn her right on. When he opened his arms, she moved right to him, proving once again that she couldn’t hold a grudge.
“Mmmmm, that’s so much better,” he murmured in her ear. Tonight, he was planning to have his wife in his arms as much as possible. Even he needed to relax a little.
“Yes it is, Grey.”
At the knock, he yelled, “Come in!”
All their guests piled in. Already, they looked less stressed. They were in shorts, and ready to get their relaxation on.
“Dinner is here,” stated Brynn, placing the two bags on the counter. “I say we eat up by the pool in the cabanas!”
Croft was good with that. Heading to the refrigerator, he motioned for the men to help him. He couldn’t carry all the beer and wine up alone.
Emma led the way. “I’ll take the ladies up,” she offered, having them drop their purses and keys to follow her.
“I’ve never been in a rooftop pool,” stated Tessa, following her boss’s wife to the one elevator.
“It’s fun,” Brynn added. “You can float in the water and watch the stars. It’s something you’ll never forget.”
Emma grinned. “Yeah, you also get to cuddle in a cabana. Who doesn’t like that?”
Tessa looked a little uncomfortable at that prospect.
“Tonight, you’re Paris and Tessa, not agents. You can be yourself. Greyson isn't expecting you to keep up the façade, especially since everyone here knows the truth.”
She relaxed. “Thank God. The bikini I’m wearing is scandalous,” Tessa replied laughing. “That would have been awkward.”
Brynn couldn’t help herself. “Yeah, mine too.”
Emma offered them both a high five. “Then, tonight should be a very interesting night.”
None of them had any doubt about that.
~ Chapter Ten ~
Once the men arrived upstairs, carrying the alcohol and food, they were met with three frolicking women in a pool. Now, being men, they immediately forgot the food and headed for what they hungered for most.
Half-naked babes.
The first one into the pool was Greyson Croft. Cutting through the water, he used powerful strokes to reach his delectable prey.
Without warning, Emma screeched as she was pulled under the water and into his arms. Together, they sunk into the water’s heated depths.
Curtis ran at the pool, cannonballing and nearly taking Brynn out in a wave. When he surfaced, she attacked, dunking him back under.
Tonight, they were going to forget that they weren’t a couple, and just let it take them wherever it may lead.
When Tessa stood in the water, pushing her hair off her face, she noticed Paris was watching her. “Well, are you coming in?” she asked, not sure why he was hesitating.
His heart quaked in his chest. Ever since Tessa had brought up marriage, it had been trapped in his overly compulsive brain. Now, he was picturing her as his wife, and it was making him crazy.
He wanted to keep her safe, but he needed to have her too. It was as if he was trapped between two unmovable forces, and helpless to them both.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” he said, diving in and swimming up to her. Once there, he stood, his body so very close to hers. What he wanted to do was take her under the water like he’d see his boss do.
“Paris, go ahead a
nd kiss the girl,” Croft yelled, as he was yanked back under by his wife. His laughter stopped as his wife kept him busy.
Who was he to argue with his boss? Without hesitation, he sought out her lips. Once they were both engrossed in the warm meeting of mouths, they fell into the water, sinking below the dark blue liquid.
Tessa was on fire. The man holding her in his arms made her heart pound with need. She’d never be more complete than she was at that very moment.
Here was her Paris, and he was more than she had ever hoped to find in life.
Mouths plundered and hands explored, sliding over her bikini clad body. Tessa wrapped her legs around his slim waist and locked them together.
She never wanted this night to end.
For now, she had perfection.
Paris was so glad that Tessa had wound herself around him. If not, it would be clear to everyone where his mind had wandered. All he wanted was to get into one of those cabanas, close the sides, and make love to his sweet and beautiful Tessa.
When they couldn’t sustain the kiss any longer, Paris floated them until his feet could touch the bottom.
“Oh, Tessie,” he murmured, holding her to him. “I love you,” he said.
She leaned back to stare into his eyes. “I love you too, Paris,” she replied, tenderly kissing him all across his face.
Greyson and Emma were against the side of the pool, her between his legs as she resting against her husband. “You have to do something, Grey. They belong together,” Emma whispered. “Being apart has to hurt them.”
He sighed. “Emma, if I could,” he began.
“What if we had to hide our love?” she stated, cuddling back into his larger frame. “What if when we met, someone told us we couldn’t get married? How painful would that be? When you belong together, you need to make it happen, or you’re lost. You know that.”
Greyson was sunk. Watching the two agents, his heart broke for them. It was obvious they were more than just a fling which was destined to end. He saw the same look on Paris’s face and knew the truth.
That was true love.
“Okay, let me talk to my bosses. If I can keep them together while letting them out of the closet, I will.”
Love is Bleeding (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 4) Page 23