Greyson patted his brother on the back. “I’m proud of you, Dante.”
The man mimicked his fiancé’s actions and dropped his arm around Greyson’s waist. “I learned from the best.”
And he absolutely had.
Thank God for that.
Chapter Four
Terrace Glen
Dinner
Eight P.M
T he dining room, inside the large family home, was fancily decorated with all the fine china and goblets that had once been Randall Mason’s. Emma made sure the housekeeper and chef used the things that the man had collected through his life.
It seemed right to include him in this day. After all, he’d brought them all together. Without him, Dimitri, Kat, and Natasha wouldn’t have become part of their lives.
The man, from the grave, had blessed them all, and she wanted him to be a part of the celebration.
Plus, she missed him.
The man had tried to change, giving them the best life he could have offered. They were only the mob family in Vegas because of him.
He deserved to be represented.
As they all took their seats, Greyson was at the head of the massive table, and his father at the other end. Beside him was Emma, and then Christopher Ford. They wound around the table, like threads in a tapestry of life. Each mattered in the picture and brought a richness to the family that money couldn’t buy.
Chris was Emma’s, and he mattered to her.
Dimitri was theirs, and he was vital to their happiness.
The sisters were loved by people who created a family for Emma and Greyson, and the Archers rounded it off by being loyal in their careers, and their friendship.
This group was theirs.
Greyson stood up, and he lifted his glass of champagne in toast to a family he and Emma had lovingly crafted to meet all of their needs.
They brought love.
They brought joy.
They brought loyalty.
He also wanted to toast Dante and Steele. As soon as he was on his feet, the family got quiet.
“I would like to say a few things to everyone who has joined us on this important occasion.”
Everyone waited.
“To my brother-to-be. I want to welcome you into the folds of our family, and as you take the Croft name, there is much to go with it. There’s a responsibility that I know you will handle with ease. Your loyalty has been a treasure, and we love you for it. Your compassion for the dead and the living has been contagious, and we are lucky to have witnessed it.”
Steele wiped his eye as he held his glass.
“Your devotion to Dante, and the way your romance played out, has been a beautiful story, and I am blessed to be here tonight, and tomorrow, when you say your vows. Steele Bentley, soon to be Croft, welcome to our family, and know that we will love and protect you as much as my brother has also vowed. We are family.”
They all raised their glasses, and they clinked off of each other.
“Thank you, Greyson.”
He wasn’t done.
“Last but not least, to my brother. You are a colossal pain in my ass.”
Everyone laughed.
“I am not feeling the love, Grey,” he said laughing. “Try a little harder. I know you can do it. Dig deep.”
That he could do.
“When I was a teen, Mom and Dad came home with you, and I prayed that it was a joke. Over the next ten years, you followed, bothered, and drove me absolutely insane. Then one day, I went into the military, and I realized something.”
“What? That I got to go through all your shit?” Dante asked, busting his brother’s ass.
“No, that you were my secret wish all along. Before you, I didn’t understand. While I had you, I still didn’t get it, but facing a future apart, I realized that I didn’t know how much I’d come to rely on you. I didn’t know how much I’d come to love you. The man who looks like me, behaves like me, and has made me learn to slow down, cherish the people I love, and enjoy life, has saved me.”
Dante was shocked.
His own eyes filled with tears as Steele held his hand.
“In your own way, Dante, you were the reason I became a cop. I wanted to make sure I could protect and serve, and that I could make the world a better place for my brother. I wanted to make sure no one could ever hurt the man I’ve loved since I first saw him.”
Dante wiped his eyes.
“You are my blood, and even though you almost shot Emma while we were dating, and you’ve borrowed my car and fornicated in it without my permission, you’ve been my best friend for so long. You were born to give me reasons to think, reevaluate, and see it from a different angle. The age difference disappeared, and when you followed me into the military, you gave me the greatest honor. You became my friend. You can’t pick your family, because fate chooses for you, but I can say that you are quite possibly my best friend, and I’m blessed for it. Thank you for enriching my life, for making me a shitload of money, and for being here for me. I love you, Dante, and I love your new husband too.”
Dante got up from his chair and headed toward his brother. They embraced, and stayed that way for a whole minute.
There was love there.
Finally, he let him go.
Greyson wasn’t done.
“I didn’t choose you, but if given that choice, I would have,” Greyson stated. “I would have picked you as my brother each and every time. Emma lost her blood, and she was able to replace it with two men who filled that hole. I didn’t have to fill that void, but instead I got to have you, and my new brother-in-law. I’m blessed. Thank you for being mine.”
Steele even headed toward him.
Greyson held him and his brother, wrapped in his strong embrace.
“We love you both. That’s why Emma and I have a present for you. Well, we have two presents.”
The whole family waited.
“What?” Dante stated. “I don’t want anything. I have this place as my home, and I have everyone here. I’m blessed. Tomorrow, I marry my soulmate. I want for nothing.”
Steele agreed with him.
Greyson pulled keys from his pocket.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“The keys to my car. I can’t drive it anymore, but you can. I figure you’ll let me borrow it someday.”
“Are you freaking serious?”
That was a precious gift. It wasn’t that he couldn’t buy a million cars, but this was Greyson’s prized possession. It had been his for so long, and he loved it.
“Grey.”
“You can take it when you leave on your honeymoon,” he said.
“We are only heading to the hotel. I have work on Monday.”
Emma stood, and it was her turn to get in on the love fest. “Actually, you don’t. You have a trip to take. Steele has always wanted to see New York, and you can head there in the car.”
“It’ll take us a week.”
“And then you’ll find the apartment in downtown NY that we’ve bought you for a vacation home. Leave your car there, and fly home.”
Emma handed Steele an envelope.
“Are you shitting me?” he asked. “You bought an apartment in NY?” Dante asked.
Greyson continued, “Yes, and the family can use it. Take Steele back there, see some shows, and show him the town. You and I have been to New York City, but he hasn’t.”
Steele grinned. “I want to see some Rockettes!”
Greyson laughed.
The men hugged them.
“Thank you for the time off.”
He knew they deserved it. Plus, with the shit hitting the fan, they needed the family to be safe. Vegas…it wasn’t safe.
“Paris and Tessa will be using the apartment the next few days for their IVF, and as you are arriving, they will be flying home.”
“Well, at least someone is having a baby. Now I only wish one of my sons would.”
The whole family looked down the table at Reggie.
They knew what she didn’t.
Emma was pregnant.
“I’ve waited all these years, and I assumed that one of my boys would give me a kid. Is it so much to ask for?” she asked, slamming down her wine glass. “I’d even settle for an illegitimate, bastard child.”
Everyone cringed.
The shit was about to get real.
“My one son marries a woman, and they decide not to have kids. Instead, they adopt a full-grown man.”
Curtis waved at her. “Come on, Grandma! I still love you,” he teased, trying to lighten her mood. He knew what was coming, from the tension in the room.
She glared at him.
Clearly, she wasn’t in the mood to joke around.
Everyone at that table knew this was a big issue for her, and when Reggie wasn’t happy, she let them all know. The only person who looked surprised was Steele’s brother.
He’d learn fast.
It looked like Reggie had her last straw.
“Terrific. A full-grown grandchild. Then my second son decides to live an alternative lifestyle where I won’t get to see a child born into this family. I’ve just about had enough. I can’t sit here and pretend.”
Emma stood.
Greyson was about to handle it, but she was the one who held up her hand and stopped him.
That alone said it all. Emma generally let her husband handle his mother. She simply didn’t have the energy to deal with her.
Well, now, it was on.
“Reggie, you don’t get to decide what ANY of us do in our lives. That seems to be what evades you. Your sons are grown men. They get to make their own paths.”
“Clearly, my opinion doesn’t matter. If it did, and someone listened to me, this family wouldn’t be a mess.”
There were gasps around the table.
They all knew where that was aimed at, or rather who.
“Let’s call it what it is,” she said, standing. “You came into my son’s life, and he went from a decent career as an FBI agent to one of taking bribes, being a dirty cop, and now running the mob in this city.”
Greyson went to correct her and protect his wife, but she had other plans. Again, she stopped him.
“Let her finish, Grey.”
Oh, this was going to get bad. Dante was signaling his father with a finger across his throat. Christopher Croft was trying to stop his wife.
Only, she wasn’t having it.
“Do you know how embarrassing that is for me? I have people who stare at me, who ask me what happened, and I have ex-friends who treat me as if I’ve done something. It’s not right. Where did I go wrong?”
“You made me gay,” Dante said, having heard enough. “I hate women because of you, Mom.”
She pointed at him. “Don’t you sass me. I raised you better than this. I don’t know how Emma’s parents raised her, but you were taught not to be disrespectful.”
“I wouldn’t bring my parents into this,” she said, warning the woman. “They raised two cops, and I’ve NEVER broken the law. I stand for justice. Their parenting isn’t in question. Maybe you should look a little closer to home as to why your boys left that side of the country.”
The woman went red.
“You are classless and have no manners,” Reggie shot back. “My son could have done better with a homeless person.”
There were more gasps.
Greyson tried to get a hold of this train wreck. It was his brother’s day, and his mother was ruining it.
Only, Emma wasn’t done.
“And you’re forgetting your own manners,” Emma stated. “This is NOT your home, and this is NOT your family. It’s mine. If Dante and Steele don’t want to have kids, that’s on them. If they want to adopt twenty, you still wouldn’t be happy. It’s not all about you, Reggie. It’s really not, and you clearly don’t see it. That’s the biggest issue here. Not my class, not the way I’ve loved your son and dedicated my life to him. I can learn class. You can’t learn maternal instincts. You have them…OR you don’t.”
Jesus.
It was about to erupt.
“It is about me, Emma. These are my boys. Since you don’t want to have children, you’ll never get that. You won’t be a mother and see how they’ve disappointed me.”
Emma headed her way.
“They are not a disappointment, Reggie, and you’re too cold to see that. Dante runs our financial ventures, and he’s a smart business man. Greyson is trying to save this city. We quit our jobs because the police and FBI were corrupt. We fight every day to save women from sex crimes, children from abuse, and victims who no one would speak for otherwise. We are fighting for this city.”
Greyson was getting irritated. His wife was pregnant, and she didn’t need this shit.
“Emma, don’t bother. She’ll never see it,” Dante said. “All she’s worried about is what people think of her. Ever since I came out to her and my father, she’s more worried about who I stick my dick in than loving us.”
“I have to worry. My one son is a criminal, and my other one is GAY! Do you know how bad that makes me look as a mother? I didn’t fail. You both did.”
And there it was.
Underneath it all, she was angry about that more than anything.
Emma sympathized with her father-in-law, who was trying to shut his wife up. It was clear she had too much wine, and it had loosened her tongue.
Truest things were said in jest and anger, and Reggie was a bubbling cauldron of bitchiness.
“You have no clue what a family is. This is a joke. You took a bunch of misfits and shoved them under one roof. You have no clue.”
Emma had enough.
She could take shots at her, but not the people she loved. “You need to get your things and get out. You will not speak to our family like that. You have no right.”
Reggie stood. “You will not tell me what to do. They are my sons, and you don’t run this family.”
Emma stood her ground.
It was about time.
“I do run this family. They are MINE. I don’t care if you think they are misfits. They are my heart and soul, and I will NOT have you talking bad about them. Leave my home, or I will kick you out and you won’t like that.”
Reggie did the unthinkable.
She slapped Emma.
Greyson was up, and Dimitri wasn’t far behind. Along with all the other men.
Greyson reached her first. “You just hit my wife!”
“She deserved it. I’m your mother. I shouldn’t be talked to this way! You need to choose, Greyson. This isn’t working.”
He stared at her.
“You’re right. I have to choose. I pick my wife and the misfits. At least I know they love us for us. You need to leave, Reggie. I’m sorry, but you’re not welcome here anymore. This is Emma’s home, and mine, and you won’t behave like a child in it.”
Christopher Croft grabbed his wife’s arm. “Reggie! What the hell have you done!”
“How hard is it to be a man and give your mother a grandchild?”
He’d had enough.
His manhood wasn’t in question. He’d tolerated a lot for his mother, and he was officially done.
This was it.
“For your information, REGGIE, had you let Emma finish her toast and gift, you were getting the next one. We had something for you too.”
“What? Are you going to tell me you want to change your sex and be a woman now?”
He glared at her.
He couldn’t wait to drop the bomb.
“Emma is two months pregnant. We were giving you a grandchild.”
“Surprise,” Curtis shouted.
Katerina put her hand over his mouth. “Meds. Ignore him.”
Reggie looked shocked.
“What?”
“You heard me. Only, your behavior has proven one thing to me. You are NOT fit to be a grandmother, and now, you’ll never see our child.”
She was stunned. “Greyson.”
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“No. Goodbye, Reggie. Now you can go back to Philly, and you can tell all of your friends you kicked us out of your life because you’re disappointed in us. You can lie and pretend we are the bad ones. We’re good with knowing the truth. Your secret is safe with us. You’re the one who has issues—not us. Emma was right, you don’t know how to be a mother. She could school you on a bad day.”
She slapped him too.
Emma gasped.
The whole table gasped.
Dimitri moved closer to flank his friend and family. He was only waiting for the word.
Instead, Greyson said nothing.
If he did, it wouldn’t be pretty. When his temper was under control, he finally spoke, “Dante, get their things. Dimitri, escort them out. They are no longer welcome here. Reggie is leaving.”
He faced his dad. “I’m sorry,” he said. “For our wedding, come alone or don’t come, Dad. She’s crossed a line. Yes, Dante is gay, and I’m the mob in Vegas. It’s better this way.”
His father took a crying Reggie by the arm.
He led her away.
Emma touched his cheek. “Are you okay?” she asked, running her fingers over the red mark.
“I’m okay. Are you?” he asked, doing the same.
“She didn’t hit me hard. She really gave it to you.”
Steele closed his eyes. “Of course this is going to happen the night I meet my brother, right?”
Ben laughed. “This is the best dinner I’ve ever had. When there’s chick fighting, it’s always fun. You can’t buy tickets to this kind of entertainment. It’s like dinner theater. Send in the acrobats!”
Everyone there loved the man for that alone.
Steele hugged him.
“I swear our family isn’t normally like this. Reggie, she’s…difficult,” Steele offered. “Normally, it’s pretty peaceful here.”
“And that peace will continue now that she’s gone,” Greyson said, taking a seat. Emma held his hand as he dropped a kiss to her knuckles.
“We should eat,” she said. “I’m sorry dinner was ruined,” she said, wiping her eyes.
Greyson soothed her. “She’s gone. We’ll be fine. I’m sorry she hit you.”
That wasn’t the point. Emma would take a million slaps to protect her family.
Wedding of Our Dreams: Dante & Steele (Croft Family Mob Series Book 0) Page 10