He lifted an eyebrow and focused on his wife. “Thank you, I think.”
“We were just bonding over pictures of our honeymoon,” Emma offered. “She liked the shirtless ones of you best.”
He couldn’t believe it. “Emma!”
When Missy jumped, she laid her hand on her knee. “He’s not really mad, honey. He’s a big softie. I swear,” she reassured.
The woman stared at him warily.
“Can you tell me if Marcus has lots of weapons at the house?” he asked, pulling out his phone to make notes. If they were granted their warrant, based on her report, they were going to need to be aware of all the possible dangers.
“Yeah, he has ‘em everywhere. He likes his shotgun best. Sometimes he goes out to target shoot critters just for shits and giggles. He’s taken me a few times, but when I got more kills, he got pissy. That’s when he implemented the rule about a women’s place being in the kitchen.”
Croft nodded. That bumped him up on his list of potential crazies. In fact, he was leading the pack.
“Where does he hide them?” Emma asked.
She snorted. “Wherever he can. Most are in the floor under a rug. If you know where they are, they’re easy to get to. He likes to always be able to reach his guns.”
“Missy, I’m going to go out with my husband. I’ll send in the female officer who was here before. She’ll keep you company until we can get you situated.”
The woman nodded. “Okay.”
Heading out, Greyson led her to a corner. “I don’t want you coming with me. This man dislikes females and has a propensity toward violence. I don’t need my wife getting hurt.”
She patiently stared him down. “Again, you’re making me sound like a pair of shoes you own.”
He opened his mouth, and she gave him the look. Yeah, he was well aware that his Neanderthal behavior only worked in some situations. Her job wasn’t one of them.
“Now, you were saying?” she asked, patting the sidearm which was attached to her belt.
He growled but didn't say anything more.
Emma patted his cheek. “I’m proud of you, Grey. I know how hard that was.”
“I’m glad you find this funny, Emma. If you think I won’t toss you over my shoulder right here in front of an entire squad room, then you don’t know me too well.”
She took the threat seriously. When a caveman was provoked, who knew what would happen. Then again, they had a more serious issue. “She came in two hours ago, and it’s going to take a while to get the warrant. By then, he could be in the wind.”
Croft was well aware. “We have no choice but to wait it out.”
She knew the tone in his voice.
“You’re going to get cranky, aren’t you?” she asked, noticing that his body was already taut with tension.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he muttered.
Yeah, somehow, she didn't buy that.
* * *
After giving his boss the news about the woman at the police station, he sent them right back to work on the tablet. Only, that was driving them both insane. Instead of getting pissed off, they opted to kill two birds with one stone.
Curtis and Brynn decided that heading to the hospital to see Paris Archer would be a good idea. While there, maybe they could cheer him up, and he could just tell them what was in his files.
It would be a win-win situation all around.
When they arrived, they flashed their badges to get access to the room. Apparently, the nurse’s desk had been put on alert that no one was to get past them. Brynn and Curtis didn't exactly know how four women, without guns, were supposed to stop anyone who tried to enter, but one never knew.
Inside the private room, they crept in to find Tessa asleep in a chair and Paris completely immobilized in his bed. Both of them felt horrible to watch a man who had been this full of life, lying there attached to metal and wires.
When he heard them approaching, he whispered. “Yes?”
They moved closer, so he could see them.
“Hey, Paris,” stated Brynn, taking his hand. “How are you?” she asked, whispering to not bother Tessa. The woman had to be exhausted.
He stared up at them. “I’ve been better, but at least I’m alive.”
Curtis hated seeing him like this. He remembered the man being so full of life. This seemed like hell to him. If he were going to go down, it was best to not wake up, or at least that’s what he believed.
“Do you need anything?” Curtis asked, placing his hand on the man’s arm.
Paris thought about it. “Yeah, my legs back.”
Neither spoke at the uncomfortableness of that one sentence. How did you reassure someone when you didn't believe it yourself?
“Hey, it’s okay,” Paris said, trying to not bring everyone down with him. “I’m just bored,” he said, sighing. “I went from running full speed ahead to lying in a bed. Don’t get me wrong. I liked being on my back, but this wasn’t the fantasy I had in mind.”
Brynn grinned, despite the morose atmosphere.
“Well, if you’re bored, we can remedy that,” Briggs said, pulling out his tablet. “We had to hack it. I’m sorry,” he stated. “Oh, by the way, Emma wanted you to know that using your woman’s name isn't secure enough. It only took her three tries.”
That made him laugh. “Yeah, I guess not, but I had Tessie on the brain. I’m betting you got into it and can’t decipher it.”
Curtis held it up for him. “Yeah, it’s in some weird psychobabble lingo. Care to help us out?”
He grinned as a piece of him was back, now that he was focused on something other than his broken body. Work would help him temporarily forget.
“I can tell you what it says,” he offered. “I don’t even need to see it.”
Curtis went to sit on the side of the bed to make notes, and Paris winced. “Oh shit! I’m so sorry! Do you want me to get a doctor?” he asked, panicking.
“No, it’s okay. The surgery left my lower back sore,” he replied. “I’m sure if I could feel it all, it would be far worse.”
Curtis swallowed, sickened by it all.
“Really, it’s okay, Curtis.”
He didn't know if he believed him or not. Paris being in a halo and strapped to a bed, looked anything but okay.
“The last thing I was working on was the possibility that they were all connected by one central thread, like a case. I get that they’re FBI agents, and what do agents have in common?”
“Assignments,” Brynn replied, picking up his train of thought.
“When you have a spectrum of people this varied, you need to find the single tie that binds them together. I’m willing to bet that if you check, somewhere they all cross at one point,” he whispered.
Curtis made notes.
“Pull all the cases and start there.”
He glanced up. “Some of those agents were on the job over twenty years.”
If he could have shrugged, he would have. “I didn't say it was going to be easy, Curtis, but that’s what I was working on before this happened.”
Briggs glanced over at Brynn. “We’re going to be working late,” he stated. “Anything else.”
“No, that’s all that I have on it. Like I said, I had only started to break it down.”
“This is a good start. Thank you, Paris.” Brynn squeezed his hand. She remembered being in bed recovering from being shot.
It sucked.
“I just want to tell you both that it was a pleasure to work with you these last few weeks. You both made it more fun than a job, and I appreciate it,” Paris said wistfully.
God, he was going to miss it.
“You’ll be back, Paris,” Curtis reassured. “Before you know it, you’ll be on the team and helping solve things.”
Paris Archer found that funny. “It’s not likely, but thanks. I’m going to be bound to a wheelchair. The biggest mystery I have to solve now is how I’m going to get upstairs in my house to get to bed.�
��
“We can come help move around your rooms, Paris,” Brynn offered. “If you need anything, all you have to do is ask. We’re a family and here to help.”
He appreciated it.
Then, one thing occurred to him.
“Curtis, you’re off probation soon, right?” He knew there was only one shot at taking care of the business that was now left up in the air. The woman sleeping in the chair was now his first priority.
“Yeah, in about two months or when Greyson is done torturing me, why?”
“When your probation is over, you’ll be reassigned a new partner in the field, correct?”
He never really thought about not being the big man’s partner, but realistically, that couldn’t last forever. “I guess, why?”
“Tessa is going to need someone. I don’t trust anyone with her other than the people I know will keep her safe. When you get off probation, can you request her? I know if she’s with you, she’ll be okay, now that I can’t keep her protected.”
The hitch in his voice brought tears to Detective Westmore’s eyes. The love he felt for Tessa overwhelmed her. One day, Brynn hoped she found that kind of emotion.
“Paris, man, have faith. You don’t know what the future holds. You could be back up and moving around once your fracture heals.”
He wasn’t that optimistic.
“Please, Curtis. I know that she’s going to need people who will take care of her when I’m not there. Tessa is tough on the outside, but she’s fragile inside. I’ll beg if I need to. I need you to do this, just so I can have some peace. Please tell me that you’ll make sure you guys will keep her safe and not let her fall away.”
It sounded so final. Like he was giving up and tossing in the towel. “I’ll request her, because we’re friends, but I still have faith in your recovery.”
A tear slid from the corner of his eye as he let out a sigh. “Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’m going to sleep a little while. I’m not feeling all that great right now.”
They watched him close his eyes, shutting out the pain and retreating to hide somewhere else.
“See you soon, Paris,” Brynn said, squeezing his hand and then letting it go. As she walked out the door, she couldn’t help but want to sob in pain for the man. Her heart ached for both Paris and Tessa.
Curtis left the man’s bag beside the bed, trying to give him a piece of his past to cling to as he fought to recover. If the man was packing it in, then Tessa certainly would need them more than anything.
Outside his room, Brynn’s eyes filled with tears. “That was one of the worst conversations I’ve ever had in my life,” she admitted, taking Curtis’s hand in hers for some support.
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy for us, so imagine how hard it is for him.”
“Are you going to request her as your partner?”
He gave the man his word, so there was no going back. “Yeah, I will. It’s the least I can do.”
“You’re a kind man, Curtis,” she offered, giving him a kiss on his cheek as she squeezed his hand.
“Let’s go get to work. It’s going to be another long night.”
She didn't say anything. It may be a rough one ahead for them, but they had nothing to complain about. Their road was going to be easy.
Unlike Paris and Tessa’s.
* * *
Monday Early Afternoon
He was wearing a path in his carpet as he paced back and forth. Soon, he’d be starting a fire from the friction of his shoes on the rug. When he started getting edgy, Emma had to step in.
“Sit down,” she ordered, pointing at his chair. “You’re making me insane, and I can’t concentrate,” she stated.
He couldn’t help it. “Every minute this takes, is one more that Marcus White gets further away. I just want to get in his house and see what’s there. If he killed my agents, I’m going to kick his ass,” Croft practically growled.
When she pointed at the chair again, this time he opted to listen. Immediately, Emma moved behind him to begin working the knots from his neck, it was hard to stick with the irritation. His wife had magic fingers.
“Are you trying to put me to sleep like last time?” he asked, enjoying the relaxing ministrations of his wife’s hands.
Emma laughed. “I do believe, Director, that it took a little more than a backrub to get you to sleep. Are you offering up some kinky fun in your office?” she teased, knowing he’d get all freaked out. “If so, count me in.”
“Emma!” he hissed, even as he pictured her crawling all over him in there.
“You’re all tied up in knots, Greyson,” she stated, working on the biggest one.
“Yeah, I have an agent who may never walk again. That’s enough to stress me out, but dump that on top of the other eight bodies in the morgue.”
“You like him, don’t you?” she inquired, knowing that her big strong husband would know what she meant.
He sighed. “Yeah, I do. I wish I could go back in time and not have them there. Of course Paris would dive on Tessa. Just look how Curtis and I reacted. When you love someone, you want to make sure they make it home at night. I can respect that.”
Emma leaned down to kiss him. “We’ll do whatever we can to help him. Even if it’s just to be here for him to vent or let him do rehab in the rooftop pool.”
“I have to find a way to keep him employed. One way or another, the government is going to ensure his medical needs are met.”
“I have no doubt you will. I believe in you.”
“Yeah, except that’s ‘we will’. I won’t let any of my people be forgotten, and I know you feel the same. It’s my job to make sure they’re okay, and I’m going to do just that.”
At the knock at their door, Greyson called for the visitor to enter. He figured it was going to be part of his team, but when he saw his secretary, his hopes were up.
“Is it in?” he asked, almost like a little kid.
“Yes, Director, it just arrived. I have the papers on my desk, and they’re ready to go,” Linda answered, bringing them both in a cup of coffee to go.
Something about that sentence set off a bell in his head.
Papers. Desk. Linda.
Oh shit!
The papers sent up from the doctor. In the hectic last few days, he’d forgotten to follow up with his secretary. It was apparent that he was under a little stress and slipping.
“Linda, did you get any medical reports that needed to be entered in the last few weeks?” he asked calmly.
She thought about it. “From Doctor Havers?”
Croft nodded.
“Yes, I put them on my desk…” Suddenly, her face said it all right before the blonde rushed from the room. When she came back in, she looked upset and was holding a folder. “Boss, I’m so sorry. It was the end of the day, and I ended up bringing it home with me instead of filing it. The file was still in my bag.”
Well, at least they solved one mystery. Of course, it would have been nice had it been the important one, like who was killing Feds.
“It’s okay, Linda,” he said. “I was just following something up. Get it in the system, so there are no issues down the road, if you don’t mind,” he stated.
She looked contrite. “It won’t happen again.”
He stood and grabbed his pull over from the coat rack. “I know it won’t,” he stated, dismissing her.
“You are such a big softy,” Emma teased, as they got ready to head out. Now, they were going to see if they could tie Marcus White to the dead Feds.
“I’ve learned there are two women you never piss off in your life. The first is your wife, and the second is your secretary. She’s the only one who will remind me of my anniversary and to pick up a gift.”
“Greyson!” she objected.
He started laughing. “What?”
“You need someone to remind you of our anniversary?” she inquired, crossing her arms defensively.
He couldn’t help but be entertained. “Emma my sw
eet, we haven’t had one yet, but what do you think?” Croft asked, as they headed out. He already covered the anniversary present, three months early. Croft was well aware he’d never miss their special day.
“I think it’s lucky that you’re bigger than I am, or I would kick your ass for joking about something so sacred.”
He snickered. “That, I would love to see.”
* * *
It didn't take long to mobilize any available staff for the search of Marcus White’s house. When the agents in the bullpen heard they may have a lead in the slayings, they were all up for it. In fact, Croft had to turn people down for the very dangerous assignment. It did his heart good to know how many good people he had on his team. This was a brotherhood, and no one would turn their back on a fellow Fed.
Once on site, they decided the best way to sneak up on the house, and not be walking targets, was to suit up at the beginning of the long driveway. From there, they could hike in on foot. As he handed out his instructions, the team listened eagerly. When he was done, he gave them each five minutes to suit up and get ready.
At the back of their vehicle, he glanced over at Emma. “I can’t talk you into staying put, can I?” he asked, hoping a miracle would have happened and his wife would be more agreeable.
“Not unless you’re staying with me.”
He sighed. Opening up her vest, he double checked to make sure there were ceramic plates inside. If she was going to take a chest shot, they had a better chance of holding up under fire.
“I’m ready, partner,” Emma quipped. “Let’s take down a possible bad guy.”
“There is no sentence that warms my blood and chills it at the same time, like that one.”
She snorted. “Yeah, well get over it,” Emma stated, tucking his com pack into the back of his pants, and then turning for him to do the same for her.
When they both put their ear pieces in, he paused before turning the link on. “Emma?”
She looked up from tying back her long red hair. “Yeah, babe?”
He struck, pulling her into his body and placing his mouth heatedly against hers. The kiss was punishing and stole her breath away. When he finally released her, she stared up into his stormy eyes.
Love is Bleeding (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 4) Page 42