Heaven is Weeping (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 5)

by Morgan Kelley

  “I’m going in first,” Curtis said, struggling not to be sick. In his head, he was picturing all the horrible things that were likely happening to his wife. “If it’s dark, I’ll be able to navigate it better. I know my way around.”

  The tension wracked his body.

  God!

  He didn't think he would survive this.

  “Curtis, you have to stay calm,” Emma said.

  He exploded at her. “Calm! Brynn isn't answering her phone, we have some sicko who likely has her, and you think there’s a snowball’s chance I can be calm? Are you out of your mind?”

  Croft went to say something about his agent’s tone, but Emma put her hand on his arm.

  “I understand, Curtis. I know what you’re feeling.”

  He didn't care.

  “If she’s hurt or dead, I’ll never forgive you,” he stated, this time directing it at his boss. “You let her walk into a trap. I knew this was a horrible idea. You promised me it would be okay. I knew I shouldn’t let her do this. She’s my fucking wife, and I let her be handed over to a serial rapist and killer.”

  Greyson saw this one coming. This was exactly why he didn't want Emma bearing the brunt of something so painful. It wasn’t like he wasn’t feeling the same thing.

  He felt guilty.

  Horrible.

  Scared.

  Only, he couldn’t let the rage out. He had to run this assignment.

  Curtis couldn’t breathe. If he had been part of getting Brynn hurt, he wouldn’t forgive himself. How could he?

  Arriving at the apartment, they noticed the Denali sat there. Pulling their guns, the team raced toward the apartment. Curtis pulled his key and slowly opened the door. When he got it cracked open, he could hear the whimpers of pain punctuated by screams of agony.

  It was all it took.

  He raced toward the bedroom, gun up. When he entered, the rage exploded from him. All it took was seeing his wife tied to a bed with angry red welts covering her body. Some had broken the skin, making her bleed.

  Brynn saw him and started sobbing, immediately giving Keith the heads up that they weren’t alone.

  When he turned, his face said it all--he was going to kill someone.

  Curtis didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger and watched the man fall.

  Greyson was there within seconds.

  He knew it just went bad. Curtis never announced himself, and the man dead on the floor didn't have a weapon. His agent just killed a man without following proper protocol.

  Shit.

  Curtis holstered his weapon as he raced toward his wife. Pulling the leather straps off her wrists, he pulled her into his arms.

  She sobbed uncontrollably, as she clung to him.

  “I have you, Brynn. I’ve got you, baby,” he promised.

  Staring over at the team, he glared at Greyson Croft as if daring him to say anything.

  “Call an ambulance, Tessa,” Greyson stated, but before she could walk away, he said one last thing, “When Curtis came into this room, he announced himself, Keith Powell charged toward him, and he had no choice but to pull the trigger.”

  Neither woman spoke.

  They knew what Greyson Croft was doing.

  He was breaking the law to save the man before him.

  Emma moved closer to her partner. When she stepped over the dead man, she went to touch Brynn.

  “No! I meant what I said. This was it. We all know that the mighty Greyson Croft would never risk your life. Yet, he didn't think twice about risking my wife. We’re done. I have my family now. We’re going our separate ways.”

  Emma pulled her hand back, shocked at his outburst at her. Could he really be serious? They were dead to him that easily? After everything over the last year, she and Greyson were nothing but his past?

  “Curtis,” she began.

  “Shut up, Emma. Just shut the fuck up!”

  Greyson went to say something, but the man was too far lost in the rage at that moment. If he wasn’t feeling so damn guilty, he would have kicked Curtis’s ass for talking to Emma that way. It was just hard, since a piece of him believed he deserved the young man’s anger.

  Curtis picked Brynn up in his arms as he heard the ambulance coming.

  “I was wrong about you both. That’s not the kind of family we needed, or want.”

  With that, he stormed out of the room.

  Greyson Croft saw the tears in Emma’s eyes. He knew exactly what she was feeling.

  There was hurt.

  Betrayal.

  Guilt.

  This was why he spent his life alone all those years. When you let someone in, there was always that chance they would break your heart.

  Here was the proof.

  Emma crossed to him and couldn’t speak. Instead, she went against his body and held on. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered into his shirt. Yes, Brynn had gotten hurt, but they didn't do it on purpose. Surely, Curtis knew that. In that moment, Emma would have willingly traded places with her partner.

  She was family.

  Yet in that moment, everything had changed.

  Their family was ripped in half, all for the sake of finding a killer. It was a painful reminder that life could suck.

  “At least we got her back,” Croft said, “and found the killer. Keith Powell won’t be hurting anyone else.”

  While there should be some sort of peace, there was none.

  He knew that he’d lost a man he loved. His adopted brother was gone.

  Would time change that?

  He didn't know.

  All Greyson Croft was sure of was that each day from here on out was going to be a little less enjoyable. Powerful or not, losing part of his heart was a tough way to close a case.

  “Let’s go do the paperwork and go home,” he stated.

  Emma tried to be strong, but it was so hard. Curtis was like a son to her. She wanted to go to him, offer him reassurances, and love.

  But she was pushed from his life. They were now dead to him.

  “Grey…” she began.

  “I know, honey. I know. I hate Las Vegas.”

  ~ Epilogue ~

  Two Days Later

  Friday

  After closing the case, they took a day off. While it was good to recharge, it didn't turn back the hands of time. Before long, it would be time to go back to work and face the next case. The day off allowed them to get their footing, but it still didn't ease the ache in his or Emma’s chests.

  Honestly, he felt betrayed.

  Two days later, the man who once called him friend and brother still wasn’t talking to him. Apparently, Curtis Briggs had meant what he said.

  It was over.

  Everything had changed.

  After cleaning up the mess with Keith Powell, he and Emma headed to the hospital to check on Brynn. When they arrived, Curtis was standing sentry at the door. It was as if he knew they’d show up eventually. Instead of allowing them entry to see the wounded woman, he, in no uncertain terms, told them to pound sand.

  While he was angry on the scene, it appeared to be growing in leaps and bounds. Curtis was out for blood--Croft blood.

  While Greyson wanted to school the boy, teaching him manners, Emma wouldn’t let him. Instead, with the grace she always had, she stopped him.

  Had they been alone, Greyson would have kicked his ass. He got the anger, guilt, and rage, but it was wrong to bite the hand which feeds you. They’d been there for Curtis, offered him a family and place to stay.

  Now, they were forgotten.

  Where he could let all of that go, he was forced to allow a man to dump it all over them. Yeah, they were the top of the food chain and responsible for the team, but Brynn was a cop. They all were. When you picked up that shield, you laid your life down to serve and protect.

  Curtis had forgotten that.

  When he charged into that room, it wasn’t to serve justice. It was to end Keith Powell’s life, in cold blood.

  Had t
he woman in that bed been any other victim, he knew Curtis wouldn’t have shot first and questioned it later. At that moment, he let the situation dictate his actions.

  That was dangerous.

  What was worse was Greyson covered for him. He’d told Tessa Brass to lie, and he’d done the same.

  To add insult to injury, Curtis was unwilling to let Emma see her partner. Granted, the man couldn’t hide her forever, but still.

  He was personally blaming her too.

  What he didn't get was that as the boss, he had a job to do. Emma did too. It sucked when someone got hurt, but that was the element of the beast.

  If you were a cop, you took a chance.

  When he heard their door open, he waited to see her enter their living room. When she walked in, Croft could tell that today was shitty for her too. Emma looked like she was beat down.

  “TGIF,” she muttered.

  Croft patted his knee, offering a perch. “I missed you, honey,” he stated.

  She dropped into his lap before resting her forehead against his. This was exactly what she needed to recharge after a very lonely day without her partner.

  “Is she still not talking to you?” he asked, the anger brewing in his gut.

  “I called her again, and Curtis wouldn’t let me talk to her. He told me to leave them alone. I don’t know if she hates me, or if he’s just keeping me away from her. I guess I’ll find out when she comes back to work. The captain said she’s off for the next month or so.”

  He wanted to punch Curtis in the face. Knowing that would only upset his woman, he tried to be optimistic.

  “He’ll calm down. Curtis is pretty level headed. Give him some time to get over this, and we’ll all be like we once were.”

  Okay, he didn't buy that bullshit at all.

  “I hope so. I just want to tell her I’m sorry,” Emma stated. “I wish I never brought up the plan. We would have found him without it. If I could just go back and change the past,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “I’d change a lot.”

  She’d lost Randall Mason and now her partner too.

  It had been a shitty week.

  “We’ll make it,” he said, kissing her softly on the lips. “I promise,” he said.

  Yet, the guilt was still there, and his sweet Emma was hurting over it.

  At the knock on his door, he called out, “Come in.”

  His brother rushed in looking worked up. “I need you to come with me right now. I just got a call from Steele, and he needs us.”

  Emma was up fast, Greyson right behind her. “What happened?” she asked.

  “All I know is he sent me a text telling me he was at home and that his life was over.”

  That didn't bode well.

  “We’ll get there,” Croft stated.

  As they raced down to the Navigator, they ignored the media as they got into the vehicle.

  “Call him,” Croft ordered. “Keep him on the phone.”

  He didn't know what was going on, but he feared for the man’s safety. He spent his days with the dead, and that had to take an emotional toll.

  It was hard not to fear the worst. They all hoped the man wasn’t threatening to hurt himself.

  “Steele isn't answering,” Dante said, getting more and more panicked.

  Emma drove like a maniac until she got to the man’s condo.

  This felt wrong.

  She’d just seen him that morning at the condominium as they all had coffee. Doctor Bentley had been smiling and fine.

  She hoped he was okay.

  Rushing the elevator, they rode up to the eighth floor. Once there, Dante unlocked the door and rushed in.

  There stood a shocked Steele, standing there with just a towel wrapped around his hips as he was drinking a beer.

  It was obvious why he didn't answer his phone.

  He’d been showering.

  “Um, is everything okay?” he asked, staring at the three people as if they were a few bricks short of a wall. “Is something wrong?”

  “I thought you were going to hurt yourself,” Dante blurted. “You said your life was over.”

  He stared at him. “I just got fired. I meant my life as an ME was over. I’m not suicidal. I’m unemployed.”

  There was an audible sigh of relief from the three of them.

  “I’m sorry. I just got scared,” Dante said, hugging the man. “When I got that text, I really assumed the worst.”

  “It’s good to know that the three of you think I’m ready to go over the edge at any second. Is my sanity really that much in doubt?” Steele teased.

  “You’re probably the sanest of us all,” Croft admitted. “That says a lot considering what you do for a living.”

  Steele grinned. “You kill them, I chill them.”

  Croft found his brother’s partner funny. “So they say.”

  This was just what Emma needed. She began laughing at their antics. “I swear if I don’t drop dead this week of a heart attack, I’m going to live forever. Is it too much to ask for a simple night with the family?”

  Croft was with her on that.

  “What happened to get you fired?” inquired Dante. It just didn't seem possible. Steele was the easiest person to be around, and he was professional at work.

  “I was called in for my evaluation and let go. Apparently, they think I leaked information to the FBI on the Patty Stout case. I was accused of breeching protocols. They’ve opted to hire someone else. My contract is not being renewed.”

  Dante was outraged. “We can fight this. You can’t give up! They can’t accuse you of this! Do they have proof?”

  “They really don’t need to have proof, Dante.”

  “Why? Everyone is innocent until proven guilty!” he blurted, getting more and more angry as the conversation progressed.

  Steele laughed at the situation. “I’m guilty as sin. I did pass the information off, and I can’t really fight it without lying my ass off. Besides, I saw this coming.”

  The younger Croft looked at his brother for confirmation. “Really?”

  “Yes, Steele leaked it to me, and I know that no one other than Emma, and now you, know the truth. I plan on taking this to the grave.” It wasn’t lost on him that rules were being broken all around him, and he wasn’t stopping it.

  That had to say something. He just wasn’t sure what it was.

  Steele spoke up, “If it’s okay with all of you, I’m going to get dressed. Standing here, being half-naked in front of Emma just feels wrong. I feel about as naked as one of my morgue guests.”

  She laughed at his modesty. “Yeah, that’s the oddest part of all this--me seeing you shirtless.”

  When he was gone, Dante faced his brother. “You have to do something. He helped you find that killer. We can’t let his career get tanked over that.” Dante had another fear. If Steele couldn’t find a new job as a ME in Vegas, he’d likely pack it all up and leave. While he would follow the man wherever he went, he didn't want to leave Emma or Greyson. He knew that they were being tracked as prey to some homicidal maniac. They were family. He couldn’t leave them.

  He wouldn’t.

  Greyson heard the man. He had one option and got to work on it. Pulling out his phone, he played with some numbers. If there was a way to make it happen, he’d pull it off. After all, he owed the man. Steele saved his ass, and Greyson Croft always paid his debts.

  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when Steele reemerged, he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

  Dante tried to reassure him, going to his side to drop his arm around his waist, linking them together. “We have this, babe.”

  What could Steele do? “I guess it’s good I’m sitting on some family wealth,” he stated. “I don’t need to work for a while. I can think it out and go from there. I’m sure somewhere there’s an ME close to retiring.”

  Yeah, this was what Dante was worried about. Glancing over at his brother, he hoped the man could figure something out.
/>
  “I have an idea,” Greyson said, handing him his phone.

  “What’s this?” he asked, looking at the number.

  “I think you’ll find it to be a satisfactory number. It’s also what I can offer you as staff FBI medical examiner. If you want the position, it’s all yours.”

  He stared at him.

  “Really?”

  “We really need an on staff ME, and since the city is getting a new one, I’d rather play with a team I trust. For all I know, the new ME will be some cranky old biddy who wants to ride my ass.”

  He had a point.

  “So, this is really a job offer?”

  “Hey, far be it for me to tell you to stop playing in rotting intestines. If you want to be an ME, it’s all yours.”

  Dante hugged his brother. “I love you!”

  Croft laughed, knowing the sentiment was mutual.

  As soon as he set him free, Steele did the same thing. “Thank you, Greyson.”

  He laughed. “It’s Grey, and you’re welcome. You start in two weeks. I have to do the paperwork and bump some staff.”

  When he released the man, Emma was laughing.

  “What are you finding so funny, kitten?” Croft asked, grinning at her.

  “You hugging your brother’s lover. That just cracks me up. There’s so much testosterone in this room, I want to giggle uncontrollably.”

  The men were amused.

  “I’d rather hug you,” he said, moving toward her. When Dante and Steele joined in, they closed her in the center.

  “I love you all,” Emma said, still feeling the ache in her heart, but with the love of these men, she might just get through.

  “We’ll survive Vegas,” Croft said, hoping this time he wasn’t wrong.

  “We’re tough,” stated Dante.

  “This family is more than that,” Emma stated.

  Greyson dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “We’re indestructible.”

  Now, if he only really believed that. Their armor was wearing thin, and he feared it was only a matter of time before someone found a way to penetrate it.

  For now, Greyson Croft hoped he could hold back what was coming for them all.