“I can call him…”
She shook her head and dug into her bag.
“No, sir, I’m afraid it can’t work like that. This is to be a private conversation, via our equipment.”
She flipped the cover of the tablet open and dialed her boss. When his face came on the screen, she turned it around so he could see the men he’d requested to speak to that morning.
“Sir!” they both said, surprised that it was the deputy director. They expected some peon.
“Gentlemen, it’s a pleasure, and I wish I could do this in person, but something just came up with a case my wife is working, and I’m needed here in DC,” he stated.
They understood, but were still a little…surprised.
The men stared at the Deputy Director of the FBI. He was wearing a suit, a red tie, and his hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail.
“It’s fine, Deputy Director Blackhawk. What’s going on that you needed to speak to us?”
It was time to do his thing.
“I’ve done some research on both of you,” he stated, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve come to some conclusions on what I’ve found.”
Well, that didn’t sound good.
At all.
“Like?” the new commissioner asked.
“You both really care about your jobs. That, to me, matters. As we all know, the last commissioner and last captain were a joke.”
“And?” the police captain asked, following his boss’s lead on the questions.
Ethan took a second to figure out how to handle this.
“Here’s the issue with the FBI. I presently am faced with a conundrum.”
They didn’t know where this was headed.
“And that is?”
“I don’t need an FBI hub in Las Vegas. I can shift everyone to FBI West, open a much smaller office with ten agents, and call it a day.”
The commissioner didn’t like this.
Not.
One.
Bit.
The FBI presence kept things under control there. They were the local law’s safety net for when they couldn’t keep it safe for the citizens.
When they’d had a shooter, the FBI stepped in.
When they had a serial nut job, the FBI gave them a team and profiler.
If they pulled out…
Yeah, it would suck.
He knew this wasn’t going to be a good conversation. He just freaking knew it.
Still, he tried.
“Uh, the FBI is our partner in keeping this city safe, along with all of the people who visit here. If you pull out, Blackhawk, we are fucked.”
That was an understatement.
“Sorry, sir, to be so blunt. No offense meant.”
There was none taken.
Oh, he knew that the cops would be screwed. He was going to use that to his advantage.
That was why he was taking this route. Ethan needed to help cleanup a mess that started with Director Greene all those years ago. Deep down, he believed it was all of the FBI’s fault for starting the corrupt ball rolling.
It began with a Fed, and it would end with one, too—well, if he had anything to say about it.
“Well, then I need a few accommodations in order for things to remain the same and to stay in Las Vegas.”
Oh, Leo knew what was coming.
It was time to do the dance.
“What do you need, Blackhawk?” he asked, hoping he’d be able to offer them up.
He was serious.
They couldn’t bail.
“I need your reassurance that you will stay away from the Croft family until told to do otherwise.”
The man didn’t like that.
That was giving the most powerful crime family carte blanche in the city.
WHAT?
They had just vowed to cleanup the city, and here they were being asked to let a mob man slide.
“He’s the mob,” Horatio stated. “You can’t seriously be asking us to look the other way. You’re the FBI.”
Before going into that, Ethan needed to know.
“Aria, are we alone?”
“Yes, sir,” she stated, moving the tablet around her so he could see there was no one there.
Now that it was clear, he could have a private conversation. It would be…enlightening.
“Greyson works for me. He isn’t really the mob. They were running an operation where they looked guilty but were doing good things. That’s why Jeffrey Raye was gunning for them.”
The men looked shocked.
In fact, they looked back and forth at each other in absolute surprise. No one saw that one coming.
No one.
“Director, we have files full of claims…”
He shut that down.
Immediately.
“What you have is nothing but bogus,” he stated. “Jeffrey Raye was making it look bad to get them discredited. Greyson Croft was offered the FBI director job back.”
The man stared openmouthed.
Ethan continued, “Do you think that sounds like something the FBI would do if he was really the mob?” he asked. “Do I look insane?”
No, no, it didn’t.
He was completely sane too.
This was…astounding.
Here, they thought it was going to be just another Monday. Well, surprise, surprise.
“So, he’s not a bad guy?” Horatio asked as everything they’d known to be true ten minutes ago had been tossed around and thrown out of the window.
Everything.
This had been so unexpected.
Ethan didn’t stop there.
“Neither is Emma Croft, Christopher Ford, nor Dimitri Gideon. It’s all a cover.”
Okay, Ethan was taking liberties, but this was to make sure Vegas didn’t end up any more of a sucking cesspool.
Sometimes, you had to bend the rules. Dimitri was, before the Crofts, a bad guy.
Now he had changed.
Ethan gave him credit.
That wasn’t easy.
He should know.
“All I’m asking is that you cut him some leeway and let him do his thing. He and his team blew open the sex ring case that was closed. If not for them, we would still have a Fed lost in the mess.”
“This is insane,” the commissioner stated. “I thought you’d be talking to us about some secret crime ring, or an issue with a mad bomber.”
He laughed.
Yeah, one never knew what was going to come out in Vegas. He’d never seen this coming years ago either.
“Ahhhhh, the good old days. Honestly, is it any more insane than a cop doing dirty deeds in this city? They appeared dirty, and everyone bought it. If he was genuinely guilty, don’t you think he would have been arrested?”
He had a point.
They’d assumed.
That was a no-no for law enforcement.
“Jesus. This changes everything.”
Yes, it did.
Ethan waited for them to adjust to the fact that the bad guy was no longer the enemy.
He knew this had to be shocking, but there was no way he could leave the pressure on Greyson. The man was at his breaking point. Ethan had seen it when he had come to his home.
That…it was an act of a desperate man.
Someone had to step in.
The Crofts had done their time in Hell.
Ethan noticed that they’d digested that, and he moved on with the next part—the more difficult part.
Essentially, it was blackmail.
“If you would like for us to remain here in Las Vegas, in the capacity we already are, I need you to make concessions for him and his team. That’s it.”
“No palm greasing? No dirty deeds?”
“Gentlemen, I don’t run the FBI that way. The Croft family is made up of Feds, cops, and people who are buried in a deep cover. They are the only ones keeping your city from exploding. The good guys fear Greyson Croft, and so do the bad guys.”
They were awa
re.
“He’s your balancing point. Without him, you’ve got huge issues. All hell will break loose on the strip.”
Ethan wasn’t exaggerating.
Unfortunately.
He wished that wasn’t true, but when it came to Las Vegas and New Orleans, the cities were not going to be run by a strong police force.
They needed a little extra help.
This one was alive with the promise of more bad deeds on the horizon. This was all Ethan could do, other than send a thousand Feds there to babysit.
He couldn’t do that. With budget restraints, and the president’s recent death, Washington was a hotbed of issues.
The Congress.
The Department of Justice.
The White House.
He had his hands full.
Besides, the Crofts had been vilified long enough. It was time to lessen the pressure, and with two legit cops…it might happen.
“They are not your enemy.”
They got it.
It was time to play ball.
But first…
“I want to have a face-to-face meeting with Croft,” Commissioner Markum stated. He was good at reading people, and he wanted to meet the man.
As of that moment, he only knew what was in the files—not the person himself.
Now...
He was damn curious.
Ethan totally understood.
Commissioner Markum was a hands-on kind of leader. He would want to take Croft for a figurative test drive.
Well, so be it.
If it cleaned up the city?
Yeah, he was good with that. The only lie he’d told was about Dimitri Gideon being clean.
Greyson would never out the man.
Not.
In.
This.
Life.
“Go for it. I think a private conversation is warranted when it comes to saving this city. After all, we are all on the same page, gentlemen.”
Markum thought about it.
“If he confirms what you’ve said, we’ll do the deal. At this point, one of the few things that are keeping the city from going nuclear is the presence of the FBI here. I’m not willing to lose that. Is Croft taking the position? You said you offered it to him.”
He only wished.
When Greyson ran Vegas, he didn’t have this mess. He had a tough leader who had control. Hopefully, his replacement would do the same.
They had the same style of running an operation.
His fingers were crossed.
“No, I have someone else who is going to be running the office.”
That made them curious.
“Who?” he asked.
It was time to unveil his new choice.
“This agent has many years’ experience and will be a good asset to you when you need one.”
Plus, his choice for that office was loyal to him.
That mattered most.
Ethan was battling a mess with Miles Lane, his own crooked Feds, and Gabe asking him to run for vice president. He couldn’t drop the ball, and neither could his choice.
He had about forty balls in the air, and Vegas was at the top of all of his worries.
For today.
“You will have someone loyal to have your back,” Ethan promised. “That’s the bottom line.”
That really piqued their interest.
They were waiting.
“Well?”
“She’s holding the tablet. May I introduce you to newly appointed Bureau Director Aria Goodwin? She’s your liaison to me.”
They stared at her.
The pretty woman?
Seriously?
Ethan wasn’t shocked by the looks on their faces, and he hoped Aria wasn’t insulted. When he heard her laugh, he knew they would be fine.
She couldn’t help herself. With the way they were gawking at her, she had to be amused. There was no doubt in her mind what they were thinking.
It was the same thing everyone always thought when they saw her.
She was accustomed to it.
Before he made the announcement, the men, these two men, were going to ask her to get them coffee.
She’d been down this road before.
“Director Goodwin has been an agent for twelve years out of your city, she’s worked terrorism, vice, and cybercrimes. She’s very good at what she does, and she can assist you. She and I are on the same page, so you’ll have direct access to my thoughts on something through her.”
They were dumbfounded.
Still.
Well, Ethan wasn’t really shocked. Most people felt the same way since the word had gotten out.
Aria was the first and only female bureau chief holding the position at a major hub. The only other female ‘agent’ they had who could handle this kind of responsibility was his wife.
There was no way in HELL he was placing her in Vegas. He wanted the place standing, not burnt to the ground.
So, his choice had been clear.
That people were shocked said it all…he didn’t like that. If anything, he didn’t see a person’s gender. Maybe being married to Elizabeth did that.
She was smart.
She could kick ass.
Now, he hoped Aria could do that too.
Ethan knew it was time to shake up the boy’s club, and he put his faith in her.
“I don’t know what to say.”
She didn’t take any offense.
“It will be a pleasure, gentlemen.”
Ethan was glad this had gone so well. He’d been expecting a hot mess.
People didn’t like change.
Cops didn’t like Feds trying to run the show in their city. This had gone a lot smoother.
“Any questions?”
“No, Director.”
“Then, gentlemen, carry on. If you need to speak to me, Director Goodwin will have a direct link to me.”
His job there was done.
For now.
Hopefully, it would buy the Crofts some time. If his contacts were right, there was some serious shit coming to the city.
The Wild West had nothing on what was on the horizon. It was time to brace for it and prepare to fight back.
“Blackhawk, out.”
Ethan signed off.
The men looked uncomfortable.
“We are so…”
She stopped them.
“Don’t stress it.”
Aria took a seat and waited for the shock to wear off. It was clearly written on their faces.
“It’s okay,” she stated, reassuring them. “I get it.”
Yeah, shock was an understatement.
Leo knew it was time to get down to business. He could see this working for all of them.
“Well, Director, it’s going to be a pleasure,” Commissioner Markum stated, figuring they didn’t have a choice. It was time to work with the new director.
“I hope so. Now, let’s talk about Vegas. I have some ideas, and I think you may like them. It’s time to cleanup the mess that Jeffrey Raye left behind.”
That worked for them.
So, they got down to business.
To save a city.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Aquarius
Noon
It was odd to have a third person lurking around behind them. Emma normally spent her time out with Chris, but today, Nikita was riding shotgun.
All of the way to Dimitri’s bar, she was scanning the passing surroundings with the eye of a trained ‘something’.
Emma wasn’t sure if it was security, or possibly a killer. It was up in the air. What she did know was that it was very reminiscent of what Natasha used to do.
When they got out in the private parking garage beneath the giant hotel, Nikita flanked her.
“Where do you want me during the interview?” she asked.
“Make yourself scarce,” Chris stated.
“Is that a good idea? I promised to watch Emma.”
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He understood that, but truthfully, Chris was nervous. He’d received a text from Greyson, behind Emma’s back, asking him to keep an eye on Nikita.
To him, that signaled there might be an issue. Until they knew more about the woman, he was…skeptical at best.
Call it self-preservation.
“We’re going to check-in at Aquarius, and then head up. I can manage one woman meeting us in a room. Just keep an eye on the door.”
She could do that.
As they rode up in the elevator, Nikita was the first out. When she turned, she smiled.
“See you around.”
Then she was off and into the crowd of patrons of the hotel.
“You’re worried about nothing,” Emma teased. “I know you. What did Greyson do?”
He laughed.
“He’s worried.”
“When isn’t he?”
“He’s less skittish when you’re not carrying his kiddo. Let’s just go with that. I don’t have time to analyze his ego.”
She snorted.
That would take forever.
“Aquarius?”
Chris steered them in that direction, making sure no one approached her in the hotel. Oh, people stared, but no one moved toward her.
A few times, Chris picked up Nikita’s black and red hair in the crowd.
Then, he escorted Emma into the safety of the bar.
Once inside, they were assaulted with the familiar sounds, smells, and surroundings.
It was calming.
This place had always felt like a safety zone in a city of chaos. Here, they didn’t have that fear that they were marked and in danger.
The criminal element, as of yet, hadn’t tried to try enter Aquarius.
For now.
Checking in was one way to make sure of that. With Dimitri off with Greyson, Emma liked to make sure all of their ducks were in a row at their favorite place to be.
You could tell the state of the city by the influx at Aquarius. As of late, their cover office had been getting a lot of visitors carrying those little black business cards. People were in dire need of assistance.
They were begging for help.
It looked like as long as they remained in Vegas, they’d be in business for a while.
As Marie met them at the bar, she poured Emma an iced tea and got Chris a beer.
As he went to sip it, Emma stared at him.
He shut that down.
“Uh, not your husband. You don’t get to police my food or alcohol intake,” he stated.
No Justice_A Croft Mob Family Book Page 14