They all sat back when she left.
“I’m still confused,” stated Tessa. “Why the hell did she have Greyson’s phone?”
Curtis looked over at her and lifted his eyebrow.
“Ohhhhhh.”
Paris turned on the television to BNN. Sure enough, there it was.
Someone had killed Dominic Marianna.
That explained it all.
“He was here,” Curtis said. “If anyone asks, he was with us as we figured it out.”
Paris touched his arm. “Relax. We won’t say a word. Greyson took care of me when I was hurt, and he gave us our condominium so I could swim. We know why he did it. He’s had our backs, and now we’ll have his.”
Curtis relaxed.
“Thank you.”
Tessa headed to the wine chiller and pulled out a bottle. “We’ve gotten enough on Kenneth James to put him away, and Dominic Marianna is dead. We have Vegas back again. Long live the FBI.”
She popped the cork and filled their glasses.
It was about damn time.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
He was watching the news at his place. That morning, Emma didn't call him to do a ride along, and when he called Greyson, he didn't answer.
Something was going on.
As he sat there, the news bulletin came on.
‘Dominic Marianna is dead by gunshot wound.’
He sat up.
Holy shit!
Pulling out his phone, he made a call. He knew his old friend would want to know about this. After all, he told them if the man turned up dead, he was why.
On the second ring, he got Ethan Blackhawk.
“Where are you?” Mace asked.
“We’re on our way in now. We land in a little bit. Why?”
He told them about the news. Mace knew he was on speakerphone because he heard Ethan’s wife crystal clear.
“What do you want me to do?”
Ethan thought about it.
“Nothing. Say nothing and let life continue as it was before. I’ll handle this. It’s an FBI matter. We don’t know that Greyson took that shot. We can only assume, and that’s not enough to hang the man.”
He was right.
“Okay, I’ll just play cop. When this is over, am I still staying under as a cop, or am I moving on as a Fed? I don’t mind staying undercover if you need me here.”
“I’ll let you know. Maybe Vegas will clean itself up. We’ll have to see now that Marianna is dead.”
“Okay, talk to you later, boss.”
Ethan hung up.
“Baby, this is a mess.”
Elizabeth knew. “No, handsome, this is a clusterfuck.”
“He didn't take the bribe, but now he’s threatening blackmail. Then you have Dominic Marianna’s death…”
“Can you blame him?” she asked.
“No, but you know the FBI holds us to a high standard. Once you’re a director, you’re under the magnifying glass.”
“There had to be a reason for it,” she said. “We need to get the facts before we do anything.”
He was aware.
“And if he did it?”
“I need a favor.”
He took her hand in his. “What, baby?”
She told him.
It put them in a bad spot, but he was willing to take a little heat. Greyson was a smart man, and there was no doubt he would have covered his ass.
He hoped.
“Please?” she asked.
“Deal.”
“Wow! That was easy.”
He leaned in and gave her a kiss. “For you, I’ll always be easy, Lyzee, my love.”
Wasn’t that the damn truth?
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Monday Late
Afternoon
Valley Hospital
When he got there, Dante was in with his fiancé. The surgery was over, and he was doing a bedside vigil.
As soon as Emma saw him, she knew it was over. His face said it all, as did Dimitri’s.
The deed was done.
“How is he?”
“Resting,” she said, as they went to the glass to stare in. The television was on in the room, and Dante was watching it with tears in his eyes.
When he looked over, he saw his brother.
‘Thank you,’ he mouthed. ‘I love you.’
He smiled.
That’s why Dominic had to die.
For his family.
Emma wrapped her arm around his waist. As he was holding her, Natasha came up with their phones.
Then she told them what the team had learned.
“Hot damn, I’m up.”
Emma kissed her husband. “I have a suspect to bring in. Want to ride shotgun?” she asked.
He didn't.
“I think I’d like to stay here with my brother for a little while. If you don’t mind.”
Her phone chimed.
‘Kenneth James just purchased a ticket at the airport. He used cash, but he’s using his passport. You better hurry.’
She grinned. “I’ll catch up with you at home, okay?”
“Sure thing, honey. Call for backup. Mace called earlier, and I blew him off.”
She could do that.
When she was gone, Greyson headed in to be with his brother. He pulled another chair up and held Steele’s other hand.
Dimitri and Natasha stood there, watching them through the glass.
“Well, it’s over. Are we going back to our old jobs?” she asked. “Are we moving on? You said you wanted out of Vegas. When do we leave?”
He stared at the three men.
“We’re not moving on.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Greyson and I are going to work on that pet project of mine. You know, the one I don’t tell anyone about.”
“Ohhh. He’d be a good partner in it. He cares about people. Look at him.”
Dimitri knew it.
Greyson Thaddeus Croft was one man he could work with for the rest of his life. He was honorable, and that mattered.
“I’m going to go check on Captain Ford. Even though he’s safe, I think I’m going to stay here tonight to watch over him, if that’s okay with you.”
“It is.”
“Thanks, Dimitri.”
“Kat is up there. Send her back to Terrace Glen so she can get some rest.”
She started to walk away.
“Oh, and Dmitri?”
He glanced over his shoulder, his aqua eyes meeting hers.
“I know you. There’s no way you let him take that shot.”
Dimitri smiled. “Is that so?”
She laughed all the way to the elevator. “Yeah, that’s so.”
When he was alone, Dimitri leaned against the wall, making sure to keep an eye on the Crofts. His sister could think what she wanted.
Only two people knew what happened on that ledge.
Him.
And Director Croft.
And that was how it was going to stay.
Forever.
* * * Croft & Croft * * *
Terrace Glen
Monday Night
When the gate alarm chimed, Greyson headed to the intercom. He could clearly see who was behind the wheel, and he knew the jig was up.
When the Blackhawks showed up at your house, flying in from FBI West, nothing good could come of it.
He pushed the button, letting him in.
“We have company,” he stated. “My bosses are here. I’m about to get pink slipped or arrested. Maybe you should all head out.”
No one moved.
“It’s not happening, Greyson. We’re sticking until Emma gets back from her interrogation,” Tessa stated.
They all agreed.
“Suit yourself.”
Heading to the door, he let them in.
“Greyson, you have a lovely home,” stated Elizabeth. “It’s huge.”
He was aware.
“We tend to have lots of co
mpany. Come in. Would you like a drink?” he asked, trying to stay calm, but his heart was pounding.
He wished Emma was there. He could really use her by his side.
“No, thank you. We’re here on business.”
He led them into the main room. Everyone was there—Paris and Tessa Archer, Curtis and Katerina, and even Dimitri.
It looked like the fun was about to begin.
“Can we talk to you alone?”
“Actually, this is my family, so if you need to say something, feel free.”
Ethan took a seat, and Elizabeth perched on the arm of the chair. She was watching the people in the room. They were expecting the worst.
That told her everything she needed to know.
Arriving there, they weren’t sure what he’d done. Now, she would bet money on it.
Greyson had done it.
“I’m sorry to hear about your brother’s fiancé. We heard about it as soon as we landed. Is he going to be okay?”
“He was sodomized, burned, destroyed, and blinded in one eye. I doubt it. Not many people can come back from something like that.”
“Yes, we got the hospital report.”
Of course he did.
He was Ethan Freaking Blackhawk.
“I see.”
“Are you sure you want to talk about this here?” Ethan asked.
“I have nothing to hide.”
“You were going to pay a bribe, and then you opted to start blackmailing the Police Commissioner. Is that true?”
The only way they’d know that was if Jeffrey Raye told them. He thought back to the conversation.
Raye told him that they’d spoken.
Shit!
He’d fallen into a Blackhawk trap.
“Yes, I did. He asked me for a million, and I said yes to bide myself some time. When he showed, my brother told him no deal, but we’d use it as leverage if need be.”
Ethan heard nothing but the truth.
“We asked him to test you. It was to see if you were above the law.”
“Why?”
“I’m leaving FBI West. You were my choice to take over. I wanted you and your wife to head there and handle it out of Damascus. It would be more stress, but less Vegas.”
“I see.”
“I can’t do that now.”
“I understand.”
Greyson had been so close to getting out of Vegas with Emma, all the while keeping his job.
Shit!
Dominic Marianna screwed him again—oh, and his temper didn’t help.
“It seems that that Dominic Marianna came to an ugly end a little after you found your brother’s fiancé.”
“That’s perspective. I think he got away too easy. If I killed him, I would have cut him into pieces for what he did to Doctor Bentley. That would have been justice.”
They stared at him.
He wasn’t telling the truth.
He was holding something back.
Elizabeth stood. “Ethan, cover your ears. I need to say something to Greyson.”
He did.
She continued, “What you need to do is retire. Right now, your best bet is to hand in your badge and gun, and call it a day. If you do that, this ends here. If you don’t, he’s going to be required to investigate. You do NOT want us working a case to find out if you’re guilty.”
“You won’t find anything,” he said. “I’m innocent.”
Elizabeth moved toward him. Immediately, Dimitri did too.
“Tell your bodyguard that I’m probably the one person who could outfight him, and I will put a bullet in his ass without batting an eyelash.”
Greyson knew she would.
He held up his hand. “She won’t hurt me, Dimitri.”
It was time to do some damage control, and she knew it.
“We like you, Greyson. You’re a damn good man, but your run in the FBI is over.”
He pulled off his badge and ran his fingers over it. He knew it was. The line had been crossed, and he didn’t deserve to wear it.
“Don’t stop fighting the bad guys, Greyson. You now have an advantage we don’t. We have to live in the law, and that sometimes sucks.”
He stared at her.
“The Marianna’s in the world are a plenty. The Greyson Crofts aren’t. Fight the good fight. Take it to them on their turf and use everything you have to beat them. I’m in your corner. He’s in your corner. We are routing for you to win.”
He was surprised.
“I’m not arrested?”
She patted his arm. “I once did the same thing. I paid for it for years, making amends. Go out and make amends. Your sins will be forgiven. Vegas is a mess. You need to be here, and now, you play by your rules. I’m envious.”
She whispered in his ear.
He started laughing. “I used to be afraid of him, but now I see I was wrong. You’re the smart one.”
“I heard that,” Ethan said, standing.
“Sweetheart, Greyson has opted to retire. He’s going to go out on his own and see what he can do for the city.”
Blackhawk grinned. “Smart man. I’m sure a man with his skills can level the playing field in ‘Sin City’.”
He crossed to him and shook his hand.
“Had it been my brother, I would have done the same. I don’t blame you. Think of this as me setting you free.”
Ethan knew because he’d done something similar once for Callen.
“If you need anything, you call us.”
They went to leave.
“Wait!” Curtis said, digging out his badge and gun. “If he goes, I go.”
“Curtis.”
“No, Grey. Family sticks.”
Elizabeth took his things. “You will be missed, Mr. Croft.”
He looked surprised when she knew about his adoption and name change.
“Thank you, Directors,” he said.
“Greyson, take names and kick ass,” Ethan said, taking his wife’s free hand.
With that, they headed out.
“Well, that didn't go like I thought.”
“She was hot. Who is she?” Dimitri asked, grinning wickedly.
“Yeah, trust me. You don’t want any of that action. She’ll chew you up and spit you out, and then her husbands will do the same.”
“Husbands?” Dimitri stated.
“Don’t ask. It’s a long story.”
Then he turned toward Curtis. “Are you insane? You just quit your damn job!”
“I don’t need it. My pops is loaded.”
Greyson smacked him in the back of the head, and then hugged him.
“Yeah, he is.”
Paris wheeled forward. “Okay, what did she whisper?” he asked.
Croft laughed.
“She called me slick.”
Yeah, and she also told him that she knew who pulled the trigger.
She’d been right.
Of course she was.
She was Elizabeth Blackhawk, and she was his friend. He realized that she had his back.
“Now what?” Katerina asked.
“Why don’t we go get something to eat? Emma is going to be home soon. I miss her.”
Curtis heard it in his voice.
Greyson would need her.
“I’ll be right there. I want to talk to Katerina.”
When they were all gone, he touched her cheek. “Stand lookout for me. I need to call Emma. She needs to get home. I’m worried about him. He’s been a Fed and a soldier, and nothing more. He looks fine, but he’s not. I can tell.”
She went to the doorway.
“Go ahead.”
He made the call.
Someone had to protect the man. He was always worried about everyone else. When he was done talking to Emma, he hung up.
“She coming?”
“Yeah, she’s on her way.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
Curtis didn't know.
With Greyson Croft, it was a tossup.
> * * * Croft & Croft * * *
LVPD
Commissioner’s office
He was running things while Chris Ford was out of commission. The man was taking charge of the homicide division as they worked out of vice until their squad room was cleaned up.
When she got the call from Curtis, she was worried and pissed. She hated that she hadn’t been there to stand by her husband.
She was pissed that the commissioner had set this up as a way to test Greyson.
She hated that Dominic Marianna had won in the end anyway. He’d achieved his goal.
He took Greyson Croft down. He’d stolen his badge.
As she approached the office, there was applause. Detective Emma Croft had brought down part of the biggest crime syndicate in Vegas history.
Once she arrested Kenneth James at the airport, and brought him into interview with Mace, he sang like a bird. The man didn't stop talking, and she barely had to say a word.
At first, he tried to pin it all on Dominic, but they had enough proof to make him nervous.
He broke the lawyer’s cardinal law. He sang like a canary.
Now, she only had to turn in her report.
As she entered the office, the commissioner came around the desk to shake her hand.
“Croft! You did an excellent job.”
“I had help.”
“It doesn’t matter. You just cleaned up the streets, and you made the headlines.”
She stared at him.
“While Chris is out, maybe we can talk you into sitting in the captain’s chair.”
“No, thank you.”
“Are you crazy?” he asked. “You’re Vegas’s darling. You just made us look good amidst a publicity nightmare. That’s no easy feat.”
“Well, then you’re really going to hate this.”
She sucker punched him in the face.
The man went down.
“That’s for setting my husband up you douchebag. He’s left the FBI for good because of you. He’s had enough of people trying to sully his character, and so have I.”
Justice is Dead (Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 7) Page 47