He’d have to see.
For now, he’d pack a go bag, get all the cash he could, and get ready to go.
Rosemary was out of town, and he was supposed to handle any calls, but he was scared.
Vegas was falling.
Back into the hands of the good guys.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Riley Henderson’s
Home
He was quiet while they made dinner together in his kitchen, and she didn’t know what was bothering him. Clearly, something was on his mind. Riley was an open book. You could tell what was on his mind before he said it.
Tonight, he was troubled.
It was time to find out why.
“Okay,” she said, putting down her wine glass. “What’s up?” she asked.
“Pardon?”
“I came home, I was wearing your favorite heels and garters, and you didn’t even notice.”
“I’m sorry, Delilah. I have a few things on my mind.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Are we breaking up?” she asked. “Since you took this job with Greyson, you’ve been chilly. Did I do something? Are you over me?” she asked, wearing a pair of his sweats and a t-shirt.
He stared at her like she was crazy.
“Uh, no. Where did you get that idea?”
“Uh, maybe the aforementioned garters and heels and you not noticing. We’re a new couple. That newness should still be there unless you’re sick of me.”
He laughed.
“That’s never going to happen.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded, and then realized they were, indeed, a couple, so he had to treat her like his partner. He had to be open with her. It was what couples did.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“If you watched someone kill someone, would you be freaked out?” he asked.
She lifted a brow.
“Who did you kill?”
“I’m asking for a friend.”
“Are you talking to Delilah, your girlfriend, or Delilah, your attorney?”
“The first one.”
“Did he deserve it?”
“Yes.”
“Did Greyson kill someone?”
He didn’t answer.
That told her everything she needed to know without him uttering a word. His sexy blue eyes were troubled.
“Well, this is an interesting conversation,” she said. “I didn’t expect it from you.”
Yeah, he was aware.
Normally, he lived his life by the rules.
This was not in the rules.
“I need more specifics, Riley, before I can even begin to answer that.”
“The person who died, abruptly, was trafficking children and women to Viktor Marchenko.”
Oh, well, that was a no-brainer.
“I would have shot him myself.”
He stared at her.
“I’m serious. Scum like that…they never get their day in court. They twist the system, they make it about them, and then they get off. I know. It’s my job to get them off, and I hate it.”
“You’d never get them off.”
She laughed.
“Oh, Riley. You’re cute when you’re naïve. When I first passed the bar, I was a public defender. I got off a bunch of people who were guilty. What Elizabeth said the other night…it’s true. I got them off, they committed more crimes, and she, or some other do-gooder cop, put them back in. I got them off…”
“It was your job.”
“Yes, and you have a job too.”
He thought about it.
“I’m struggling with it. I was a cop. He sent me out because he didn’t want me to see it, and that irritated me, but this does too. I’m torn.”
She got it.
Riley needed a little help. Well, that she could do.
“You’re still a cop.”
He laughed.
“I lost my badge. I’m not a cop.”
She grabbed the pad and pen by his phone where he did his grocery list, and she drew him a badge and wrote his name on it.
“Uh, what’s that?”
“This is a different kind of badge, Riley. Sometimes, people have to step outside the lines. Life is seldom black or white. Look at us. You and I are total opposites. We shouldn’t work, but we do.”
“We definitely do.”
“He was a scumbag. You just saved the taxpayers money, and you got justice for every one of those girls. That’s how you have to look at it. In this new world, with this new badge, you’re doing your job.”
He looked at it.
“You realize that’s more shaped like a heart than a badge, right?”
She owned it.
“Yes, because I love you.”
He looked at her.
“Pardon?”
“Oh, Christ, Riley. I said it first, okay? I’ve been waiting for you to say it, but you’re such a slow mover. I love you. I’ve loved you since you tossed me over your shoulder and saved me. Apparently, I’m a sicko. I like being rescued. There. Okay?”
He didn’t say anything.
“You don’t have to say it back. I know what you’re thinking.”
Oh, she couldn’t possibly know what he was thinking. The only reason he didn’t say it first was she was a flight risk. Delilah was one of those strong women who knew what they wanted. He’d been waiting for a sign that he was it.
Until now, there hadn’t been one.
Her phone rang.
“Thank freaking God,” she said. “Saved by work.”
She grabbed her cell off the counter and headed away. He tore off the badge she’d drawn him and slipped it into his wallet.
Whether she knew it or not, it was precious. It was the first thing she’d given him.
Now it was time to give something back.
Riley was astounded that he’d found the one.
She knew how to calm him and rile him up at the same time. She knew how to make him crazy and still help him find that peace.
She was definitely the woman for him.
He drew her a picture, too, and in it, he scribbled a sentence. Then he placed it where she’d been chopping a salad.
And he waited.
When she came back in, he was sipping a beer and said nothing.
Delilah was mortified.
She’d blurted out her feelings and he hadn’t said anything back. Way to freak him out.
Picking up her knife, she saw the pad, only it wasn’t the ‘badge’ she’d drawn him.
It was a badly drawn house.
In it, he’d scribbled something. Delilah picked it up and read it.
‘I love you too. Move in with me.’
She looked up at him.
He said nothing.
“Why?” she asked. “You’re not a fast mover, Riley.”
“I was waiting for you. I didn’t want to scare you away. What we have is pretty awesome. Sell your house and move in with me. I have the porch swing.”
She couldn’t do that.
“No.”
His heart dropped.
“Oh, I see.”
Well, this whole thing was a mess.
“I have a better idea. Sell your house, too, and let’s find a place where we can start fresh. Let’s make a new place for us. This is Riley’s place, and that’s Delilah’s. I want an us. I want an us with you.”
His heart skipped.
“Really?”
She moved toward him, and he pulled her into his arms.
“Yes. I love you, Riley, and I’ll always love you. Let’s start our life.”
He kissed her.
When he set her free, she was smiling up at him.
“Are you wearing those garters under those sweats?” he asked.
“No, but I can be if you ask me to.”
He grinned wickedly.
“Consider yourself asked.” Then he slapped her roughly on the ass. “G
o get them on.”
She rushed away, without an argument.
Yeah, he’d found the one.
Now he just had to lock her down.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Sky Villa
Paris and Tessa had gotten into one phone with some help from their tech supreme, Curtis. They were halfway there. All that was left was the second phone, and currently, there was a tech beside them trying to get into the other one. They needed access to Babylon’s information, and they needed to get to it soon.
Both of them had been Feds, and Elizabeth Blackhawk’s reputation proceeded her.
“I can’t do it,” the tech muttered. “It’s this weird encryption. I need to take it back. I don’t doubt he found it on some dark web site. We’ll have to hook it up and run all we have to break it.”
Paris stared at him.
“You can’t lose that phone. If you do, Ethan Blackhawk will kill you. Then when he’s done, his wife will dig you up, dance naked on your corpse, and kill you again.”
Oh, he was aware.
“If I work through the night, I can get you what you need. I have better tech in-house.”
Oh, they were all aware.
He’d seen it in action there, and he missed it. The tech—not the FBI. He loved being a doctor.
“Okay, but make sure you have it back by morning. If anything happens to that phone…”
He was aware.
Heads would roll.
The man left, and they glanced over at Dimitri. He was asleep.
That was NOT like him.
“Want to come sit on my lap?” Paris asked.
Dimitri cleared his throat.
“Or not.”
He opened his eyes.
“We have GPS on this phone, right?”
“Yes.”
“If you can tell me where he was dropping off the girls and women who were ordered, I can help you pinpoint the owner. If it was a sleazy locale, I’ll know who owned it. What was the name he used for his home base where he kept the girls?” Dimitri asked.
“Masters Victor,” Tessa stated.
“We can run that too.”
Tessa shook her head.
“I already did. Nothing tied to that name came up. I have one of the FBI programs running combinations of anything that might connect.”
She pointed at the flat screen on the wall.
“Well, it was worth a try. Let’s go with GPS. We can track the old-fashioned way,” Dimitri offered.
Paris began typing with Tessa beside him.
It didn’t take them long to find corresponding GPS locations.
“We have three locations that were most common for Derk Utz to show at in his daily wanderings. Two of them are warehouses.”
“And the third?”
“A private home.”
“Maybe that’s the pickup,” Tessa offered. “He’s got to get them somewhere. His house was in a place where people could see what was coming or going.”
They agreed.
“What’s the address on this location?” he asked.
“Six forty-seven Hillcrest Road. It’s in a good part of town,” Paris stated.
“Wait.”
They both looked over.
“What?” they said at the same time.
“I’ve been there.”
“You have?” Tessa asked. “How? Who owns it? Please say you don’t own it. Please say the family doesn’t own it.”
That was the ONLY way it could be worse.
No, none of them did, but when he got there, the person who did own it was in deep shit. He was done with this mess.
“I have to run out,” he said, giving them no other information.
“WHAT?” they both answered. There was no way they heard him right. There was no possible way he’d just offered that up.
Yeah.
NO.
“You can’t go out,” Paris stated. “Greyson specifically stated that you were to stay in where Viktor wouldn’t see you. He’s trying to kill you,” he said, pointing at his arm.
“Oh, I’m aware. Let me borrow your very sensible hybrid. I can sneak out and be back.”
“Uh, no.”
“Okay, let’s try this a different way. I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.”
Tessa laughed.
“Newsflash, Dimitri, but Sam could stop you. You can’t move your right arm.”
“I have to settle this.”
“Is it your brother’s other place?” Paris asked.
“No, it’s someone I trusted up to this point.”
“Who?”
He didn’t say anything.
“I’ll go,” Tessa offered. “He’s stubborn, and he’s going to go despite what we say, and we can’t cuff him to the furniture.”
“WHAT?” Paris said. “You’re pregnant! This plan is getting worse and worse by the second!”
“Yeah, so he’d better fess up because I’ll be driving him in my very sensible hybrid.”
“You can’t go with me.”
“Listen, pal, I was a Fed. I work out, and I can kick my husband’s ass and yours. I got this. If I let you leave alone, I’m going to get my ass handed to me by Emma—pregnant or not. If I take you…I’ll only get a stern talking to…maybe.”
He laughed.
“Okay. You can drive since it’s your ride.”
“I’ll go and be the lookout man,” Paris stated.
“I don’t need…”
He stopped him.
“I bet I can get to the door before you,” he said, grabbing his cane and standing up.
Dimitri tried to get up, but because of the big soft couch, he couldn’t. Paris was off, and he hobbled toward the door.
Tessa laughed at the sight.
They were a freaking hot mess, and here was the proof. They were the walking wounded.
“He did beat you fair and square.”
“What has my life come to?” he asked rhetorically.
“He’ll keep the motor running for us.”
Dimitri couldn’t believe this.
What the hell had happened? He’d been the head of security. Now he was…not.
“Christ Almighty,” he muttered.
Tessa helped him up.
“I WON!” Paris shouted from the door.
Tessa laughed even more.
“I’m riding with two broken down men. Well, this is one hell of a team.”
Oh, he was well aware.
How could this possibly go wrong?
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
The Hotel
Penthouse
Dante and Steele were babysitting two kids. One was playing video games, and the other wanted to be fed.
BY BREAST.
That was out of their scope. They really hoped that Sadie was good with a bottle. If not, Katerina was going to have to come home.
A nipple was a nipple, right?
“Okay, how hard can this be?” Dante asked his husband who was heating up a bottle.
“Well, the note Kat left with instructions says it’s pretty easy. When Sadie cries, feed her or change her.”
“She’s not wet.”
“Then she’s hungry.”
“We have this, right?” Dante asked. “People don’t ask me to babysit for a reason.”
“What reason is that?” Steele asked, checking out the warmed breastmilk that Kat had pumped.
“I lose things.”
Steele stared at him.
Then he laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He held out his hands and took Sadie from his husband. Gently, he cradled her, and he began feeding her.
She sucked away, holding onto his pinkie as she drank from the bottle.
Score!
She was bottle ready!
Steele cooed to her as she ate. It was hard not to do it. She had the bluest of eyes as she stared up at him.
“Hello, gorgeous girl,” Steele said
. “You may have just stolen my heart. I didn’t like the ladies before now, but you may be my new favorite little girl.”
Dante watched his husband.
Steele was a natural.
It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. His husband was mothering a child.
“I want babies,” Dante stated out of the blue.
Steele looked up at him and couldn’t help but laugh. He’d just said he would lose a kid.
“Well, babe, my uterus isn’t functioning, so...”
He laughed.
“Let’s adopt ten kids.”
Steele lifted a brow. “You just said you don’t know how to do this.”
“So that’s a no?” he asked. “You don’t want to be parents together?”
“No, I definitely want to have kids with you, Dante. It’s more a, ‘let’s try one at a time and not ten at once’ thing. I’m the one who will be home with them. I don’t want to die. I’ll be outnumbered.”
He laughed.
“What are you talking about?” Sam asked as he headed into the kitchen of the penthouse. “You’re doing that goofy smile thing again.”
Was Dante?
Yeah, maybe he was. It probably had everything to do with having kids with his husband.
“We are talking about adopting a baby or maybe even getting a surrogate. Then our kids could have each of our DNA.”
Sam lifted a brow.
“I don’t think you should,” he said.
Dante didn’t know where that came from.
“Why?”
“You lose things. Last week you had to buy a new phone, and I bet you don’t know where the key to this place is.”
He patted his pocket.
“Wait, there’s a keypad. There is no key.”
“And yet you still thought there was. That’s my point. You kinda have to watch kids nonstop. They wander away. We’re pretty high up.”
Steele began laughing at the look on his husband’s face.
“He has a point.”
Okay, so he did.
“I haven’t lost you yet.”
“About that, when can I go see my dad? I miss him. You two are great, but I want him. I’m worried about him.”
They got it.
“We’ll call him later, and maybe tomorrow, Sam. There’s a bad guy after him.”
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