Hell Is Burning (44 page)

She glared at Emma. “He should have a wife who understands his place in society.” Reggie waved her arms around to indicate the house. “Just like my other son. Too bad he doesn’t listen either.”

“Oh, you must be seriously confused about all of this. Greyson didn't inherit this house and the money. I did. So technically, I deserve someone suited for me. I deserve the best and do you want to know who that is, Reggie?”

She stared at her, mouth open.

“Let me tell you. It’s Greyson. I’ve loved him from the second I met him, and
YES
, he has baggage.” Emma was referring to the woman before her. “I still said I’d marry him, and I’d do it all over again. What I will not do is let you come in here to insult my house, my décor, my food, my clothes, my hair, my life, or the people I love. If you can’t have manners, you can leave.”

She sputtered.

“You heard me. This is my house too, and I won’t let you play dictator. You will not make us all get drunk to numb your words, you will not tell my husband that he can’t smoke a cigar, and you absolutely will not dictate the use of my uterus. Mind your own damn business.”

“My son won’t let you talk to me this way.”

“Go ahead. Ask him. We’ll see where his heart lies, Reggie. You may be his mother, but I’m his wife. You were given his love from birth. I had to find him, earn it, and hold it. That makes me a hell of a lot more powerful than you. Learn it. Live it. Accept it.”

She stomped away.

Emma had enough. Instead of listening to the conversation, she went upstairs. Right now, she didn't want to deal with this. She had a dead friend, three bodies, and a killer that they didn't know much about.

Enough was enough.

She needed a break.

Outside, the men all cringed at the barbs being hurled back and forth. Greyson wanted to intervene, but his father wouldn’t let him. The women needed to get this off their chests.

Yet, he felt bad.

Even Dimitri looked uncomfortable.

Greyson closed his eyes. It was a matter of time before hurricane Reggie returned.

Steele patted Dante on the knee. “At least you don’t have to play interference anymore. Emma just blew the place up.”

Dante groaned. “This is bad. She’s going to be a million times worse. With my mother, if she doesn’t get her own way, she’s a dictator.”

“Dictators can be removed from power,” Dimitri stated. “You just need the right weapon to get rid of them.”

They all stared at him.

“I meant a woman who stands up for her family. You’re a lucky man, Greyson. You have a woman with backbone.”

Yeah, he supposed he did.

Christopher tried to reassure his sons. “I’ll take her to a hotel. I don’t want you to suffer. This is my fault. I tried to stall crossing the country. I was hoping she’d get bored and want to go home. Your mother is tough to gauge.”

Speaking of the devil…

As she approached, they all glanced over.

“I suppose everyone heard the way Emma was talking to me?”

Oh, they heard it all right.

“Where is she?” Greyson asked.

“I don’t know. She left.”

He was alarmed.

Immediately, Dimitri was out of his seat. “I’ll go look for her. You need to finish this. I’ll make sure Mrs. Croft is safe.”

That was the last thing Greyson wanted, but this mess was his to handle.

“Mom, what the hell did you do?” he asked, smashing out the pricy Cuban cigar.

Yeah, this night was nothing like he planned.

“Did you hear how she spoke to me?” Reggie said. “I liked Emma, but now I’m not so sure.”

He laughed sardonically. “Mom, she’s my wife. You don’t really get a say in how I feel about her. Since I live and sleep with her, my opinion kind of matters over yours.”

“So it’s true? You’d pick her over your own mother?” she asked.

“Reggie,” Christopher warned. “Don’t do it.”

The woman didn't listen. Instead, she kept digging the hole, making it worse.

“You’ll pick a woman you’ve known for a year over me? Look around. You deserve a better match. You should listen to your mother.”

He picked up his bourbon glass and drained it. That was his fourth, and he was going to have a bitch of a headache in the morning. It was a good thing Emma wasn’t here. When he drank, and there was a fight, he often lost his temper.

“You could do better. You should lose her. That’s all I’m saying.”

Dante gasped.

Steele’s mouth opened and closed. He knew better than to say anything. Greyson Croft was notoriously known for his temper. This woman had pushed him too far.

Emma was off limits.

She was his queen.

“Dad, in the morning, it’s best for you and mom leave. If Reggie can’t behave herself, she’s not permitted in Emma’s and my home.”

The woman looked like she was slapped. She opened her mouth, and her husband tried to get her to stop before it got worse.

“So she turned you against me. I was right. You need a better wife. I’ll help you find one.”

It was the last straw.

Greyson Croft erupted.

The glass in his hand was thrown. It slammed against the brick wall of the outdoor fireplace, shattering in a million pieces. “You will do no such thing! You will not come into my home and disparage my wife. It won’t happen ever again. Do you hear me, Reggie?”

She was silent and obviously stunned.

“Son.”

“No, Dad, she’s crossed a line. This conversation is done. Emma didn't turn me against you, Reggie,” he said, dropping her name to prove he was finished with this. “You did. You’re not welcome here. It’s a good thing we don’t have kids because you wouldn’t see them from this point out. I’m only the man I am because of her. No other woman, in her right mind, would tolerate what I’ve put her through. I’m now considered one of the dirtiest, crooked, law breaking men in this city. I’ve sullied my name to clean up this shit hole, and not once has Emma blamed me for tarnishing her badge. Every day, she gets comments, stares, and fellow cops berating her because of me. If anything, she should find a better man. She tolerates my messes, you included.”

Reggie crossed her arms.

“She let her own reputation get dragged through the mud. Not to mention, I have someone trying to destroy me, and she’s the one wearing the target. She doesn’t deserve me? I don’t deserve her.”

“Greyson.”

“I’ve killed so many people, broken so many laws, and sold my soul to this job. She’s the only thing in my life that’s good. She’s better than me, and I know it. She plays mediator when you call because I really just want to tell you off. You burned your last bridge to me, Reggie. Emma wasn’t the enemy. She was your only ally. I’m a grown man, and I don’t need you telling me to not smoke, stop drinking, or how to do my job. You raised us, and I am thankful that I had a good mom, but this isn't her anymore. She would love Emma and Steele because we do. She wouldn’t be a bitch in her son’s home.”

At the word, she looked like she was slapped.

“If you can’t be respectful to my wife, and my brother’s boyfriend, you can leave. Unless the next words out of your mouth are ‘I’m sorry’, I don’t want to hear them.”

Croft spoke to his father, “I’ll get you two flights back to Pennsylvania for tomorrow. This was a bad idea. I’ll miss you, Dad, but this will never work.”

Greyson left to find Emma, hoping she didn't leave the house. They had a killer, and she was a target. If his mother just cost Emma her life, he’d never forgive her.

Never.

When he was gone, Dante stood.

“You too?” she asked. “You always did idolize him.”

“I’m sorry, Reggie, but Greyson is right. If you loved us unconditionally, you’d love the people we chose. I love Steele. I’m going to marry him one day. If we have kids, you’re not going to be part of that. I won’t let you impart your anger on them. You’ve changed, and not for the good.”

“Dante.”

“Bitter doesn’t do you justice,” he stated, taking Steele’s hand as he led him back into the house. “I love you, Dad,” he stated, glancing back over his shoulder. “Thank you for not making this more miserable.”

Then he glanced at his mother.

“I wish I could say the same to you. Emma was right. I choose my partner, and my brother, over the woman who gave me life. That’s sad…for you.”

With that, they were gone.

Christopher put out his cigar and didn't say a word. This was all his fault. For many years, he let Reggie be the boss, and that monster got out of control.

He’d created this.

She was bossy.

Hard spoken.

And stubborn.

“Well?” she said, looking at him.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Reggie. What you just did was shitty. Emma is a lovely girl, and you can tell she’s devoted to Greyson. All his life, he only wanted someone who would see him and never betray him. Emma is that woman. She stood up to you, and that takes courage. It’s obvious that he chose well. You’re too angry to see it.”

“I guess we’re leaving tomorrow.”

He sipped the last of his drink.

“You’re leaving. I’m going to stay and visit with my sons. I’ll see you back in Pennsylvania after Christmas. You crossed a line, Reggie. I don’t know how many years I have left, and I won’t spend them ostracized from my boys because you can’t hold your tongue. If we have grandkids, I want to see them. I served my country, I worked hard as a cop, and I deserve to enjoy my retirement. I suggest you listen to your sons and do the right thing. You owe them all an apology.”

She stared after him.

He couldn’t be serious.

Could he?

Chapter Thirteen 
             

He really needed this walk.

It was helping him clear his head. As Curtis made his way through the garden, which Greyson had created for Emma, he began to feel calmer.

All day, his life seemed turbulently tossed around, and it was nice to be able to take a deep breath.

Staring up at the stars, he admired the view. He had to admit that since Greyson and Emma mentioned adopting him, there was significantly less pain.

In fact, the anger was slowly leaving.

Brynn betrayed him, and he’d never be able to forgive her. She’d lied, cheated, and stole away his future. For that, he was going to carry some rage, but now there was hope. He lived with his family in this amazing place, and one day, maybe he could let it go.

Maybe he could move on.

As he moved around some rosebushes, he felt like he was being watched. As he scanned the area, he never looked above him at the trellis.

When he turned his head, there was a face beside him, only upside down.

“Jesus!” he blurted, going for his gun.

Katerina laughed. “I’m sorry, Agent. I was out patrolling, and I didn't want to scare you, but you stopped right where I was.”

He looked up to see her hanging by bent knees from the flower arbor. “What are you doing up there?”

It was hard to miss that her face was right beside his, and her hair hung down in a long braid.

“I like to hide in plain sight. No one looks at the top of the flower trellis. You looked inside, but not above. I love the element of surprise.”

He shook his head. “Okay.”

“Can you help me down?” she asked. “I don’t want to destroy the pretty flowers.”

He put away his sidearm and turned to help her flip down from the flowers. She was dressed like a cat burglar, and he couldn’t help but check her out. The snug black leather left nothing to the imagination.

Thank God for that.

While she was small, compact, and looked more like a gymnast, he struggled with the idea that she was a security expert.

“What were you doing out here?” Katerina asked, moving to face him in the moonlight. “It’s dangerous out here.”

He shrugged. “I needed to think.”

“About your wife and her death?”

“You’re very pushy, do you know that?”

Katerina grinned. “I’m Russian. That’s one of our fondest character traits. Well, that and I can hold my vodka.”

He stared at her.

“You should laugh more,” she offered. “You’re handsome when you smile.”

“How would you know?”

“I’ve seen your badge.”

He stared at her. Then it hit him. “Give it back,” he stated.

Katerina began laughing. “You’re no fun.” But she handed it to him.

Curtis took it back. “You have to stop picking my pockets. Why are you trying so hard?”

She thought about it. “You’ve had a hard life, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I can relate. I know I can’t make it better, or bring your wife back, but I can try and make you smile. Laughter heals. It’s a lesson I learned a long time ago.”

“Honestly, I don’t want her back.”

Then he realized what he just said.

Katerina watched him with calm aqua eyes.

“That must have sounded horrible,” Curtis admitted. “I didn't mean…” Now he was stammering. Why was he saying anything to her?

“She hurt you?”

He laughed “Yeah.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Moving into the arbor, Curtis sat. “I don’t know if I should. It doesn’t seem to help. It only makes me angry.”

She understood. “When I was younger, I was hurt really bad,” she began, knowing that if she wanted information, she had to give some in exchange. She’d been lost like him at one time.

“The scars on your back?”

She nodded. “My dad was a violent drunk. He would beat both me and Dimitri almost every night. He has the same wounds. Then one day, my brother was drafted into the military, so he went off to war, and I was stuck there alone. It was hard. I was his only target.”

Curtis stared down at her. “I’m sorry.”

“I am too. They were hard years. I don’t know how I got through them. When a child is abused, you’d be amazed how many people turn a blind eye. My father was in the KGB, and no one dared go against him. They would die.”

“What about your mother?”

“She had us, and then left the day after I was born. She abandoned both of her kids to a man who didn't know love. It was brutal.”

He understood. “My mom did the same thing after she had me.”

“I’m truly sorry, Agent Briggs. I know the wound that leaves on your heart.”

When she touched his chest, there was the telltale thump in response. If she noticed, she never let on.

“What happened after your brother left?” he asked, trying to distract her, and himself from what was brewing in his gut.

“My dad enjoyed hurting me. It was a sick game to him. I look like my mother, and he enjoyed making her suffer by proxy.”

Curtis stared into her eyes. There was so much emotion there, even when her voice held none.

“What happened? How did you get away?”

“One day, when I thought I couldn’t hang on anymore, and I was ready to end my life, someone saved me.”

“Your brother came back?”

She nodded. “We started a new life. We defected and came here. Since then, we’ve been on our own.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I wouldn’t change a second of it.”

He was surprised. “Why not?”

She smiled at him. “It put me on the right path. This is where I’m supposed to be. It’s the same for you. You’re meant to be here. Right now, it hurts, but it won’t forever. Follow the path. I bet it leads to happiness.”

He didn't say anything. How could he? He was honestly beginning to believe what she said. Maybe fate was driving this bus for a reason. He diverged off the path, and he was placed back on it with a tragedy.

When they heard footsteps, she stood.

“I have to go. Dimitri has laid down the law about being anywhere near you.”

He opened his mouth to stop her, but he didn't get a chance.

Katerina went for it.

She crashed against him, trapping him between the roses and her body. The kiss exploded around him. Everything seemed brighter, better, and different. Her hands slid into his hair as she controlled the mating of mouths.

At first he didn't kiss her, but then she won him over. It felt right, and he went with it.

As quickly as it started, it ended. Katerina ran her fingers over his cheek. The tenderness caught him off guard.

When he turned to look toward the sound of approaching footsteps, he heard the arbor shake.

She was gone.

“Have you seen Mrs. Croft?” Dimitri asked, looking around.

From his peripheral, he could see Katerina hanging upside down in the roses. She was tucked behind a bush and just out of her brother’s view. “Uh, no. I was just admiring the garden.”

He seemed to buy that.

“Be careful out here, Agent. You never know what kind of trouble lurks.”

Yeah, he was well aware.

With that, he was gone.

“I told you--no one ever looks up,” she whispered.

He could feel her breath on his neck, and there was the lingering taste of cinnamon from her gum. Before he could speak, she was gone.

Only the tinkle of her laughter remained behind.

Curtis touched his lips, unsure how he was supposed to feel. Then he smiled.

Maybe Katerina was right.

Things might get better.

He began to have hope.

       
                       
* * *
  Croft & Croft  * * *

Desert

After Dark

When the car pulled up, he was ready.

He pushed open the passenger’s door so his boss could get in. He could see the big bag of money, and he was excited. He may have failed, but at least he was going to be rich.

This gig was well worth it.

Maybe there would be more work. There could never be enough money for him to be happy. He wanted to take Vegas by storm.

“Thanks for meeting me out here. I want to hide the car out here. Maybe you can give me a lift back into town?”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. I have some spare time. I was getting ready for tomorrow’s charity event.”

He grinned as his boss closed the car door. “Is that for me?”

When he pointed at the bag, his answer was met with laughter. “Yes, it’s your payment.”

“Great. Pass it over.”

“First, I have a few questions.”

“Uh…okay.”

“Are you up for another job?”

“What’s the pay?”

There was quiet contemplation. “Double this one, but you have to do it right. There can be no slip ups.”

He was game with that.

“What do you need done?”

“I need a decoy. Do you think you can do that?”

He grinned. “Hell yeah! I've always wanted to act. That’s why I came out here. What do I have to do?”

“Well,” the corruptor began, reaching into the bag to pull out a silenced gun, “the only thing you need to do is play dead.”

With that, the trigger was pulled, and his head exploded from the back. The entry wound dripped a single drop of blood down the bridge of his nose.

“Good help is so hard to find. Now you’ll play the most important part in your life. The one of victim.”

With that, the killer headed out. There were plans to make for tomorrow night. It was going to be all about watching the Crofts, and trying to find the next weakest point.

Then someone would die.

This time, no one would be hired to do it.

It was time to take matters into capable hands.

Ruthless ones.

       
                    
* * *
  Croft & Croft  * * *

When he finally found his wife, she was in their closet picking out her clothes for the next day. The rest of her things had been moved there, and some new things that he’d picked out for her too.

At first, Greyson didn't think she heard him approach. When he touched her arm, he fully expected to surprise her. Instead, she didn't even flinch.

Emma kept her back to him as she spoke. “I’m sorry I said all those things to your mother. I didn't mean for them to come out. When she alluded that I wasn’t good enough for you, I got angry.”

“Emma.”

“No, Greyson, I shouldn’t have been rude. It’s just that’s my big fear. You’re the director of the FBI and I’m just…me.”

Emma wished she brought more to the table, but she couldn’t be anyone else than who she was. She was a detective, and her job was to wade through the things no one else had the stomach to deal with.

“I never thought you weren’t good enough for me, Emma. In fact, the opposite is true.”

She turned, and when she opened her mouth, he cut her off.

“I’m hard to love. I have secrets, and I’m older than you. Let’s face it. If you and I were in a bar, trying to pick people up, you’d score. I’d get a few numbers, but once they saw the real me, it’d be over.”

“Greyson Thaddeus Croft!”

He touched her cheek. “I’m the one who should say I’m sorry. My mother was rude, and you didn't deserve that. I told them to leave.”

“Grey.”

“No. I’m not allowing anyone to come into our home to disrespect you. It’s not happening. Today, you threw yourself over me to save me. That’s love, Emma. That’s the woman I want. It’s you with all your feistiness, and not some debutant who will bore me to tears. I want a tough, strong woman who is in control of her life.”

She moved closer. “I don’t want you fighting with your mother. For you, I’d swallow my pride and apologize to her. I’ll take the higher road for you, Grey.”

This was more proof.

Even though Reggie had insulted her, Emma was willing to take it for the man she loved. If that wasn’t the perfect wife, he didn't know the definition of one.