Hell Is Burning (13 page)

It was a crapshoot, but he was willing to risk it.

“I don’t know how to be alone. My grandmother is gone now, you and Emma are out of my reach, and now Brynn is dead. No one can love me. I’m not worthy of it. Look at my own mother.”

“I’m here, son. I came for you. Just come home with me, Curtis. If you still think we aren’t here for you in the morning, I’ll let you walk away, but for tonight, come home.”

He stared at the man. “I don’t have a home. I don’t deserve one.”

“Yes, you do. We kept your bedroom the same, and the box of comic books is on the dresser. It’s been waiting for you to come back. Emma wants you to come home. We’ve missed you.”

He reached for the gun, hoping the man wouldn’t do anything stupid.

When he didn't, he relaxed.

“I’ll help you, and so will Emma. We can get you through this if you just lean on us.”

“Please,” he whispered, tears filling his eyes. “I can’t sleep here. I can’t be here. The ghost of my marriage haunts me here.”

The man started crying.

Greyson dropped to his knees and tucked the gun into the back of his pants. Instead of saying anything, he pulled the young agent into his embrace. “I have you, Curtis. I have you.”

Greyson held him until the storm passed. As his tears slowed, Croft knew what to do. “We’re going home.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Shhhhh. It’s okay. I have you. Let’s go pack your bags. You’re going to leave here, and tomorrow, I’ll take care of everything.”

Curtis didn't argue.

His head hurt.

His heart ached.

His whole being needed to feel something other than emptiness. “Please forgive me,” he whispered.

Greyson had weeks ago. Silently, he threw the man’s clothes into a suitcase. “Do you want to take anything of Brynn’s with you?” he asked, looking around.

“Her stuff is in her room. I don’t want it with me.”

That spoke volumes to Greyson. It didn't take a seasoned investigator to see that they had separate rooms. That was likely why Curtis never noticed she was missing.

It was a clear indicator to the state of his marriage.

“Just get me out of here,” he whispered.

He could do that.

As they closed the door, Greyson made a silent promise. He would get Curtis through this, no matter what.

He owed him that much.

When they got back to Sky Villa, Dante and Steele opted to grab showers and get to bed. They knew where Greyson had gone, and they wanted to give Curtis some privacy if he did return home. When they headed off to Dante’s room, Emma found herself pacing the floor.

She was worried.

No, she was frantic. So many visuals filled her head. If her husband was right, someone could have gotten hurt.

It had been over an hour, and she didn't know where Greyson could be. How long could it take to find the man and bring him home?

Unless…

There it was again.

That fear was making her sick.

When she heard the footfalls down the hallway, and the key in the lock, she waited for them.

When Curtis walked in red eyed, sniffling, and looking like hell, she wanted to weep for him. It had been two months since she’d seen him. He’d lost weight, his hair was growing out, and he looked like he’d lost his best friend in the entire world.

In a way, he had--until now.

“Curtis,” she said, opening her arms to him.

“Oh, Mom,” he muttered, going to her. The second she hugged him, the floodgates burst, and every emotion that was welled up had begun to break free again. “She’s gone.”

Emma led him to the couch. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’re here. We have you.”

With that, Curtis Briggs mourned.

      
              
* * *
  Croft & Croft  * * *

Curtis wept for hours.

At one point, he ended up with his head on Emma’s lap with her running her fingers through his hair. It was something so motherly, that it helped soothed him.

Eventually, he fell asleep.

As Greyson sat in the arm chair, drinking his bourbon, he watched over them like a hawk. The baby bird was back in the nest, and there was going to have to be a lot of repairs done to his life.

He was broken.

As Emma sat there humming, Greyson thought it was a shame. While they’d opted not to have kids, she would have made a damn good mother. Just look at their adult child.

“We’ll fix him,” she promised.

Greyson wasn’t one hundred percent sure that was going to be possible. If he lost Emma, there wasn’t any amount of love or glue that would have put him back together again.

“Have faith,” she said.

He knew the only way he going to heal was to hit rock bottom. “Emma, they were sleeping in separate rooms.”

She looked up at him. “Oh!”

See? Even she knew that was a bad thing.

“He didn't know she was missing because they worked opposite shifts and bedded down apart. I don’t think that was because of work, either.”

Emma knew where he was heading with this. “But Steele said she was having sex with someone. In fact, it was right before she was taken.”

He nodded. “Once he finds this out, he’s going to die inside even more.”

She knew it. “Curtis needs to bottom out, and we’ll fix him. I know we can do it. We have to.”

Greyson leaned back and sipped his drink. He only wished he could be as positive as his wife. Suddenly, he was very thankful his team was locking down all the files for his eyes only. The last thing he needed was to break Curtis even more.

He was already a mess.

“Maybe the semen is from the killer. He knocked Brynn out, and then he could have raped her. She might have been out cold.”

He hoped she was right. Greyson knew the killer wouldn’t likely redress her. Brynn was wearing layers, and that would have been a pain in the ass.

No, this was going to be bad.

He could feel it in his gut.

      
                         
* * *
  Croft & Croft  * * *

Wednesday

Pre-Dawn

When the nightmare tore him from sleep, he sat up from the couch with a shout. Immediately, Emma’s arms were back around him, pulling him against her side. At first, Curtis didn't know where he was, and then he remembered it all.

The people he’d hurt had come for him.

They had him safe in their home.

Greyson approached with a bottle of water and three aspirin in his hand. “Take these, son. You’re going to have a headache from the booze.”

Curtis didn't hesitate. Instead, he willingly swallowed them, and then chugged the water.

“Bad dream?” Emma asked.

He nodded. “Morgue.”

That said it all. They both understood. Neither would ever forget having to look down at Brynn like that. In fact, Emma would never forget the crime scene.

It was forever burned into her mind.

“You and Greyson should get some sleep. I’ll be okay,” he offered.

“We’re fine, Curtis,” Croft replied, taking his seat again. “You can rest. We’ve got you.”

“I can’t. I need to say something.”

Emma held his hand as he struggled to find the words. It was making it hard, especially since he’d hurt them. Now they were being kind.

He was an asshole.

“I’m sorry about hurting you. I was so angry, and I didn't know how to handle almost losing her. I took it out on you, and I was wrong. I lashed out at you two when I had no right.”

Emma kissed him on the cheek. “We aren’t mad. You’re forgiven, Curtis.”

He looked up at his boss. “I’m…”

“You’re forgiven, Curtis. When Emma was kidnapped, I was hard to be around. I get it. You were hurting, and you took it out on us. I don’t hate you. Family doesn’t turn their back on you when you’re down. They hold out their hand and lift you back up.”

He was aware, but he didn't do any of that. “I don’t deserve your kindness.”

“Sure you do,” Emma said, brushing a curl from his forehead.

“My marriage was falling apart. Brynn and I were broken. I don’t think it was fixable.”

They knew he needed to purge. The tears were done. Now it would be about navigating through the mire of pain.

“If you want to talk about it, Curtis, we’re here to listen,” Emma offered. “We won’t judge you.” While she said the words, deep down, she was still an investigator. If he was forthcoming, maybe they wouldn’t have to beat him down in interrogation.

“We had separate rooms, we stopped being intimate, and we were on the verge of breaking up.”

They watched him.

“I know I’m the likeliest suspect, and I don’t have an alibi for last night. I’ll do whatever it is to clear myself, but I need you to know what was going on in my life. I just don’t want the world to know I was a failure.”

“You’re not a failure, Curtis,” Emma reassured. She’d like to say that she didn't see this one coming, but she did. Brynn had been myopically focused on one thing.

Captain bars.

She wanted them more than anything, and when they turned up married, Emma feared they wouldn’t make it. Now Curtis was going to be broken hearted like she predicted.

“We’re listening,” Croft stated.

“It all started when I forced her to leave Homicide. I didn't want her by you, Emma, and I’m sorry. I knew that day it was the first brick in the wall between us. Brynn told me that she didn't want to be with a caveman, and when she was abducted, I lost it. I really started stressing everything. I feared it was going to happen again, and it did.”

Greyson glanced over at his wife. She was listening, and he couldn’t help but be grateful she tolerated his overbearing attitude. It saved his ass many a time.

“I made us move. I forced her out of her job. I did everything she asked me not to do, and I used the abduction as my only reason why.”

He looked hesitant.

“Curtis, we’re investigating. You have to tell us everything. You can’t leave anything out. It’s not going to help you in the long run. You know that.”

He understood.

“I accused her of some pretty horrible things.”

“Like?”

“She and I stopped fooling around. It was like a cold, wet blanket was tossed on her libido. I even went as far as to accuse her of cheating.”

“Why?” Greyson asked. It was funny that his old partner had suspected it, and it was likely true. If your gut tells you it’s happening, chances are it is.

“Well, other than the no sex, she started wearing sexy girly things under her clothes--only I was sleeping in a separate room. When she’d come home, it was right into the shower, and a few times I could have sworn I heard her talking to someone on the phone from her locked door.”

Emma didn't say anything. It all sounded like she was cheating, and Curtis didn't know about the DNA found in Brynn. Hopefully, he never would.

“When did you last have sex?” she asked.

He looked at her curiously, but he still answered. “It was over a month ago. It was right after we moved into the new place. When I’d initiate, she’d tell me she was tired or had a headache. That’s code for something bad, isn't it?”

Greyson nodded.

Yeah, bad was an understatement.

Shit!

Curtis couldn’t get a break. This was going to wound him on some deep level. Not only did he lose his wife, he was going to take a shot to his ego.

“After that, we had a fight, and she kicked me out of the bedroom. I went willingly. That was my big mistake. At night, after she’d get home from work, she’d lock the door. If I tried to get in, I wasn’t allowed.”

Emma patted his hand.

“I wish I could redo everything. I’d start with how I behaved with you both, and then undo the idiotic behavior I had with her. She warned me about being a caveman, and I didn't listen.”

“Curtis, you have to be who you are,” Emma began. “Brynn might not have been a good fit, that’s all. If a woman tries to change you, she’s not the one. Look at Greyson. He’s the king of Neanderthals, but I love him for it. Brynn was wrong.”

Greyson could see his wife trying to soften the blow of what was coming. Once the man found it all out, he’d get the second sucker punch.