True Justice

by Morgan Kelley

  He had to be.

  No one hiked this far into the woods at this time of the winter. Nevada mountains got shit cold, and night came fast this time of the year. This was like someone had one hell of a death wish—where he became a human icicle.

  She hoped following wasn’t a huge mistake. By the time on her watch, she was losing daylight. If she didn’t turn around soon, she’d never make it back to the base of the mountain, and her vehicle, before nightfall.

  That would be a death sentence. It was beginning to look grim. She’d lost Gideon.

  It wasn’t the only thing she’d lost.

  She’d lost cell reception.

  She’d, clearly, lost her damn mind.

  When she realized she was alone up there, her gut instinct was to head back. Only, something was going on and she needed to get to the bottom of it.

  Dimitri Gideon was up to something, and she needed to figure out what that something was. As a cop, she had no choice. If you dangled a mystery in front of her—of course, she was going to dig into it.

  Yes, this was dangerous, but her sense of curiosity was telling her to make sure she kept going.

  Poppy was its prisoner.

  Clearly.

  So, as she trudged up the mountain, following the footprints, she hoped she didn’t get killed. Then again, freezing to death on a mountain didn’t appeal to her either.

  As she wandered into the brush, she was just about ready to head into an opening when she heard it.

  The whole world had to hear it.

  It sounded like World War Three had commenced up ahead.

  There were gunshots.

  There was the echo of the blasts.

  Poppy got down, and she pulled her gun.

  So much for staying alive.

  This was bad.

  Someone was definitely going to die, and Poppy prayed it wasn’t her.

  * * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *

  Terrace Glen

  Honestly, he’d never been more excited for a Fed to magically appear in his living room. Greyson Croft knew they’d gotten damn lucky on this one.

  While he knew help had arrived, he only hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

  “Elizabeth, thank you,” he said, heading her way with his hand out.

  Ivan intercepted him.

  “Lose the gun first.”

  She laughed.

  “Ignore him. He’s paranoid. Sadly, my husband has made him that way.”

  Ivan gave her the look.

  “He’s not going to hurt me, Ivan. Take it down a notch, okay? We only need one paranoid person in the room, and that is my damn job.”

  He backed off.

  “Greyson, I hear your wife coming,” she said. “Once she gets here, I’ll make introductions.” Then she focused on her security guy who was still hovering. “Ivan, any closer, and we’re going to be living in sin. I’m good.”

  Ivan moved out of the way just as Emma Croft came in with a gun in her hand and a scowl on her face.

  Then she saw Elizabeth.

  She nearly wept.

  “Oh, God! Please tell me you’re here to help save us and this city!”

  Elizabeth headed her way and then gave her a really big, reassuring hug.

  Emma didn’t know what to expect, but the hug…yeah, that wasn’t it.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, releasing her. “I know how hard it is to lose family. Ethan and I both wish we could have prevented it.”

  Emma wasn’t sure if she meant Natasha.

  Dimitri.

  Or Chris.

  They were dropping like freaking mosquitoes in a bug zapper. They needed an intervention and if Elizabeth Blackhawk could help out…she was good with that.

  “Go get the rest of the family,” Greyson stated, as Steele stood over his husband who was out cold.

  “Is it wrong that I thought about learning how to do this, so I can slow him down?” Steele asked.

  Elizabeth laughed.

  “There’s a man after my own heart. I totally get that. If you don’t tell anyone, I’ll teach you later.”

  Ivan warned her, “Elizabeth.”

  She rolled her eyes. He was absolutely no fun whatsoever. In fact, he was the sucker of all fun.

  Meanwhile, Steele headed off to get Katerina. She was the only one not there.

  Elizabeth felt her pants vibrate, and that meant Ethan was checking in. Pulling out her phone, she read the message from her husband.

  ‘I have everything that the FBI secretly has on this case and the sex ring. I have a courier bringing it to you. Keep him. You may need the help, or the Crofts might need the backup. His name is Gamble, and you’ll know him when you see him. Get the Crofts to higher ground—fast. The enemy knows we are on the ground.’

  She loved her husband.

  Well, at least she knew he was safe, his mission was underway, and now so was hers.

  “We need to talk.”

  Oh, Greyson was pretty sure about that. He wanted to kiss her just to thank her. Croft would if his wife wasn’t pregnant and holding a damn gun.

  “What’s going on, Greyson?” she asked, ruffling the little boy’s hair. He was checking out her guns, and she didn’t doubt that he had sticky fingers.

  “Elizabeth, it’s going to shit, and we are pinned down. The family is in shambles.”

  Yeah, she heard.

  Before she said anything, she held out her hand and faced down the little boy.

  “Kiddo, if you go around sticking your fingers in the ladies’ pockets, someone is going to kick your ass. Give back my badge. I’m fond of it and I worked damn hard to earn it.”

  He tried to look innocent.

  It wasn’t working.

  At all.

  “Sam, give it back,” Greyson stated.

  “I was just practicing. My dad told me to practice. Where is he? Why isn’t he here?” he asked.

  Emma headed his way and dropped her arm over his shoulders to pull him against her side.

  “He’s on a mission,” she said, trying not to cry. They’d all decided to cover for Dimitri as the paperwork to have his adoption papers revoked were handled. They were going to make him a Croft.

  “He’s brave. I want to be like my dad one day. I’m glad to be a Gideon.”

  Elizabeth lifted a brow.

  Good to know.

  The next generation was picking pockets at the age of eight. She’d watch for him in ten years.

  Before Sam could say anything else, there were two moans from the couch.

  One from Dante.

  One from Curtis.

  They waited for the men to wake up. When Dante opened his eyes, he blinked a few times trying to figure out what the hell had gone on. His face said it all.

  He was confused.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  Elizabeth found that amusing.

  “You ran into Heath.”

  She pointed at the big man and he waved.

  “You were pointing a gun at Mrs. B. I couldn’t let shit like that go down.”

  Dante rubbed his neck.

  Curtis sat up, and he wasn’t as worried.

  He knew Elizabeth Blackhawk. Well, not ‘KNEW’ but he’d worked the East Coast and heard about her. She was one of the good guys, and if she was there, the FBI was on the ground.

  They needed the help.

  When Katerina came in, she was carrying a crying baby. She rushed right toward her husband. The baby wouldn’t stop crying.

  “Curtis!”

  “I’m okay, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her and then the baby on the head.

  “She’s sensing my tension. She’s freaking out, and I can’t get her to stop. I don’t know what to do.”

  She looked around.

  No one there had baby experience. Well, except for Elizabeth Blackhawk.

  So, she took control of the situation. Elizabeth was up and holding out her arms.

  “Let me try. I have a couple ba
bies of my own.”

  The woman looked worried. She wasn’t family, and she didn’t know the woman.

  “She won’t hurt Sadie,” Emma offered. “She’s here to help us.”

  Kat handed over her crying child.

  Elizabeth took the binkie and began rocking the baby against her Kevlar covered chest.

  Immediately, the bouncing soothed.

  “Babies get lulled by motion. With my fifth one, we had to bounce the hell out of him. He made me work for it.”

  “FIVE?” Katerina asked. “I don’t know how to manage one. Five is a lot,” she said, watching the woman with Sadie. Sure enough, the baby was calming down.

  “Yeah, well, since I have so much time on my hands, I figured six kids, all under seven, was a good idea.”

  They looked at her like she was crazy.

  “And you work too?”

  She laughed.

  “A girl has to pay the bills. You learn that sleep is for the weak.”

  As she rocked Sadie and calmed her down, she focused on the Crofts.

  “Ethan is in town, too, Greyson. He’s pulling Robert Lee from his post, and he’s going to sit his fine ass in that nest until we fix what’s broken.”

  Greyson sat down, and he was grateful, calmer, and a whole lot of relieved.

  “How did you get in?” he asked.

  “Your security blows.”

  Oh, he was well aware. It only worked when they had people patrolling the place.

  “We found your codes on the dark web,” she said, letting it hang there.

  Immediately, Curtis looked the most freaked out by what she was saying. He was the tech nut.

  “Uh, that’s beyond bad. Anyone could have bought them too. We’re sitting ducks here!”

  He stared at his wife and child.

  “I’m going to make a suggestion,” she said. “I really think that maybe you should take it.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Pack up and get out of Terrace Glen.”

  He didn’t like that idea.

  “Where will we go?”

  Elizabeth held the baby and kept working.

  “Ethan and I are planning on staying at your hotel. Go there. You have a penthouse. You’re out in the open here, and I can’t be seen cavorting with you. I’m here to help, but I have to tread very lightly.”

  Oh, he was aware.

  “I’m the bad guy.”

  She laughed.

  “Fuck no. I’m the bad guy, and if you’re going to regain control of this city, you need to stay the one who they fear. If they smell cop all over you…it won’t happen. The only reason you’ve had the success you’ve had here is because they think you can help. Cops in Vegas are not anyone’s friends.”

  He looked at his family.

  “We lost our security detail. I can’t risk moving them and keeping them safe. We’re dead the second we leave this house. That’s bulletproof glass.”

  She got it.

  “I’m going to lend you three of my security team to make sure you’re safe.”

  Ivan lifted a brow.

  He hoped she didn’t think he was going to let her wander willy-nilly in Vegas.

  Yeah.

  NO.

  The Crofts would have to make do with the two security guys. He was on Elizabeth like tan on Native.

  “Let me make those introductions that I promised earlier. Now that you’re all here, you should get to know them.”

  She pointed at the biggest man in the room.

  “That’s Heath Lerroux. He’s Callen’s personal bodyguard. He’s really good at cracking skulls and kicking ass. He comes across like a teddy bear, but he’s not. He’ll keep you safe.”

  The man waved.

  “And I like babies,” he said, moving toward Elizabeth. “May I?” he asked.

  Katerina looked freaked out.

  Curtis didn’t mind.

  Heath took the baby and cradled it. He looked ridiculous with the tiny baby against his big body.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Croft. Mrs. Croft, it will be my pleasure to make sure you’re safe. She’s so pretty. She looks like you, ma’am,” he said, smiling at Katerina.

  Immediately, she relaxed. He was being more than gentle, and most importantly, Sadie was silent.

  Emma wanted to weep tears of joy. This was what they needed. Their miracle had arrived, and it was in body armor.

  Hallelujah.

  Greyson shook his free hand.

  “Thank you for offering to help us.”

  “It’s not a problem, sir.”

  Elizabeth continued, “Heath is excellent at getting into places, and he’s really good at kicking in doors when you want to scare the shit out of people. Ethan uses him to ‘motivate’ people.”

  Heath grinned.

  “Yeah, he does. I like scaring bad people.”

  Ivan looked at him.

  “Bad people? That’s the words you chose?” he teased.

  “I’m not cursing in front of the ladies or this little girl. That’s all kinds of wrong.”

  Ivan rolled his eyes.

  This was all well and good, but Greyson was curious.

  “How can I use them and not have the whole world know the FBI is helping me? They’re always around you.”

  “They are ghosts. No one really pays attention to them, so you can use them as your personal bodyguards, and it’ll fly. Media sees me, and they see you and your family. They will blend. Trust me. If they don’t want to be seen, they will disappear in plain sight.”

  He didn’t know how a man that big could blend, but he wasn’t going to argue. They needed to stay alive.

  This was their best bet.

  “This is Wilcox Decker. He’s the plans guy. He’s big into making sure the team is ready to go and all their gear is ready. If you need to get the details on something, ask him. He’s got magic fingers when it comes to unlocking things.”

  Sam grinned.

  “Can you teach me how to pick a lock?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. Do you want a bomb ready to go off at the same time or just a plain old lock?”

  “BOMB!” Sam said.

  Emma had to shut that down and fast.

  “Uh, no, we don’t need more bombs.”

  Elizabeth realized that it might be a sore point since Natasha had been blown up.

  “Wilcox, don’t be a pain in their ass,” she said. “You know better.”

  The man pulled an envelope out of his pocket and held out his hand.

  “Be warned, the man likes to be a douchebag when you curse. He has a stupid shit jar that he makes you put money in if you drop the F-bomb.”

  She handed him a five to cover it.

  He put it in the envelope, tucked it away, and then held out his hand to Greyson.

  “It’s a pleasure,” he said, shaking Greyson Croft’s hand.

  “Wilcox is all business when he goes through a door, Greyson. He’ll watch your back.”

  Greyson didn’t care if he charged him an arm and a leg. At this point, they were without security, and he didn’t trust anyone in the city to do the job. This was Vegas, and without Dimitri’s contacts, they were sitting ducks. He could inadvertently hire someone out to kill them.

  Money talked in Vegas.

  He didn’t want to get them killed.

  “This is Ivan Bennet. He’s my personal guy, and he won’t be watching you. He’s going to be my tag team partner when Ethan can’t help.”

  Croft was good with that.

  There was cursing from the kitchen.

  “Oh, we knocked your chef out too. My bad, but he saw us coming in.”

  Emma laughed.

  “Now I have to rewind the security tapes to see his bloated, arrogant ass…”

  “Emma!”

  She closed her mouth.

  “Well, I will. Later.”

  He was sure she would.

  “You said three people. If you’re keeping Ivan, who else are
we getting?”

  There was a buzz at the gate.

  “Wilcox, check that. It should be more backup. Ethan sent the third man to handle the job.”

  He headed out.

  “I can’t thank you enough,” Greyson stated. “You’re saving our bacon.”

  “You don’t have to thank us. Ethan told you that he will always have your back, Greyson. He meant it. My husband, like you, is a man of his word.”

  Thank God for that.

  Croft knew they’d been spared by the powers that be on this one. Now they had a fighting chance.

  When the front door opened, a man headed in, and she knew for a damn fact that he was one of Ethan’s plants.

  One, he was native.

  Two, he was scanning his surroundings for trouble.

  Yeah, that said it all.

  “Director Blackhawk, I’m Gamble Holloway. Your husband sent me.”

  She shook his hand.

  “Director Blackhawk wants me to move you. He insists that this place will NOT be secure in a couple of hours once word gets out that Robert Lee was shitcanned. We expect him to run right for his buddy Commissioner Raye.”

  And there it was.

  “Everyone get packed,” Greyson stated.

  “We’re getting up high. You’re heading to the hotel, the penthouse.”

  “Well, that’s going to be crowded,” Curtis said.

  Gamble handled this.

  “Ma’am, the director had a call from your other husband. He’s arranged for your place while you are away from home.”

  Well, that was good.

  Callen would make sure she was damn safe. He wanted her to make it to that wedding.

  “Where?” she asked.

  “He wanted you to be up high, so he got you exactly what you needed. It’s the safest place in Vegas, and you and the Crofts can work there without anyone taking shots at you.”

  Emma didn’t get it.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Greyson was well aware. There was only one place in Vegas that fit that criteria.

  “Sky Villa?” he asked.

  “Yes, Director Whitefox has procured you the penthouse for your stay here.”

  “They don’t rent those condos,” Greyson stated. “He would have had to buy it.”

  She laughed at that. Oh, she knew why they were staying there. This wasn’t about Callen James. This was about Jackson James.