Hell Is Burning (18 page)

“Of course I’ll help out all I can,” he stated.

“What were you two working on?” Croft interjected, trying to get information from the man before Emma dropped the DNA/sex bomb.

“We were working on a drug sting. We had an alley staked out.”

“Brynn didn't show up to work last night?” Croft asked.

“She was off for a couple of days. We were going to switch off because of overtime constraints. She pulled long hours the last week, and I was up to bat.”

He looked nervous.

“Why are you sweating?” Emma asked.

The man shrugged. “Well, you just came to my house and told me that my partner is dead. That’s enough to rattle my cage. Wouldn’t you be stressed?” he asked, pointing at Greyson.

Emma was accustomed to cops. If this man thought he could turn this around, making her fall into his trap, he had another thing coming.

“Well, I’m shacked up with my partner, so I imagine that would freak me out a great deal. It’s a good thing you don’t have to worry about that. I mean…Brynn was married, so she was off the table. If not, you’d be on our radar as a suspect.”

He stared at her, but said nothing.

It was like he was trying to read her mind.

“Brynn was great. She worked hard, and she didn't mind taking one for the team.”

Oh, Emma bet. Apparently, the woman didn't mind taking a lot of things, and mostly from the man in front of them. It pissed her off that she was cheating on Curtis. That was a douchebag thing to do.

Greyson would have laughed if this wasn’t serious. The man was digging the hole, and his sexy detective was getting ready to slam the door shut. Really, she didn't even need him there. A lot had changed since Celestia.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Emma asked.

“We got off work two days ago around ten thirty. She drove, so she dropped me off here, and then said something about heading home.”

“And that’s the last time you saw her? Did she stay after dropping you off? I need a timeline.”

“Yes, she stayed maybe forty five minutes to talk and have a beer. You know…to decompress.”

Emma leaned forward. “Is that all?”

He stared at her. “Yes.”

“Well, then you have a problem. There’s someone running around with your DNA. She had sex before she was killed, so you were either just getting off with her, or you’re the killer.”

He swallowed. His face said it all.

“Want to tell us which one? Or did you loan your dick and testicles out for the night? I happen to have a boatload of sperm from the person boning Brynn Westmore-Briggs.”

He opened his mouth and then closed it. “I think I’d like my legal representation before I answer any more of your questions.”

Emma sat back. “Want to know why you vice cops are still in vice and not in homicide?” she asked. “If it were me with my hand caught in the partner cookie jar, I’d own it. I’d give it up because I know how damn bad this makes you look.”

He laughed. “Yeah, says the two of the most crooked cops in Vegas. You have your hands in plenty of jars.”

Greyson hated that he’d put his wife in this position. When they were trying to catch the corruptor, this had been his biggest fear. It made Emma’s life hard.

“I’m not under investigation.”

When the man opened his mouth, Greyson pointed at him. “If you think I’m so crooked, then you know opening your mouth to insult my wife will be a huge mistake. Who knows what I’ll do to you?”

It seemed to work.

“Listen. I didn't do anything wrong. Brynn was having a rough patch in her marriage, and I was there for her. One thing led to another and before we knew it, we were having sex. I own that, but I didn't kill her. I liked her.”

Greyson had to know. “She was married. You didn't think that ruining a marriage was an issue?”

He shrugged, and Croft wanted to kick his ass. There was nothing more sacred to him than a person’s vows. He respected his wife more than anything in the world. Greyson wouldn’t hurt Emma that way.

Ever.

“I didn't destroy it. From what she said, her husband did. He was a controlling asshole. He told her they had to move, she had to leave homicide, and he checked on her a million times a day. If you’re looking for the reason she was sleeping with me, maybe you should start there.”

Croft lifted a brow. That kind of sounded a lot like him. He’d gotten Emma to leave her sheriff position, he’d bought a condo without asking her, and he sent about twenty texts a day.

Well, shit.

Hopefully, she didn't see him that way or it would suck big time.

“Brynn was sick of it. She didn't want to feel like she was under some man’s thumb. What was next? He’d be telling her what to wear too.”

Croft started to get worried. When they were home, he was always asking Emma to wear something he’d picked out. He dressed her the way he liked.

Oh, holy hell.

Was he that big of an asshole too?

Did Emma see him that way?

“She didn't want to be with him anymore. In fact, she’d filed for divorce. Brynn was moving on. Yes, I slept with a married woman, but I didn't hurt her. So, you can shove your whole theory that I destroyed a marriage up your ass. I was just someone to lean on when she was worried.”

Emma didn't buy that.

He helped destroy a marriage, and it pissed her off. While Curtis was trying to save it, Brynn had already emotionally and physically checked out. She’d warned the woman not to hurt Curtis, and she’d still done it.

This whole thing sucked.

It put her in the middle, and Emma knew who she was going to side with.

“Again, I don’t think you two should judge. You’re both filthy rich, and that kind of money taints people. Look at the criminals we hunt down--the drug dealers, the pimps, and the other scum. They want the money, and when they get it, they all turn bad.”

Emma didn't go there. If she did, she’d punch him in the face. Her husband was sterling, and they were trying to clean up this shithole town. It had cost them their reputations. This man didn't deserve to judge them.

He didn't have a clue.

No one did.

Half the people in the city thought they were on the take, but they were wrong, and she was going to prove it to the whole damn population if it was the last thing she did.

“We’ll see you in interview, Detective. Have a good day.”

As they headed out, Greyson dropped his arm around her shoulders. “If it’s any consolation, my money was on you,” he stated.

She didn't say anything.

Once in the car, he looked over at her.

“Am I that bad?”

“What?” she asked, looking at him like he’d lost his mind. “What the heck are you talking about, Greyson?”

Then it hit her.

“Wait, are you talking about Curtis or Brynn? Are you talking about infidelity?”

She looked panicked.

“NO! Wait! I was talking about how big of a caveman I am. I wouldn’t cheat on you, Emma. Not in a million years. I found my other half.”

“Well, you’re definitely a caveman.”

That didn't make him feel any better.

“I dragged you out here, I made you take this job, and you dress for me all the time. Just this morning I picked out your sexy girly things. If I’m just like Curtis, what’s stopping you from leaving me when you’re sick of it?”

This was his biggest fear.

One day, his wife would wake up and decide that she didn't want to do this anymore, and he would be alone.

“Grey.”

“I can change if that’s what it takes. I can’t lose you, Emma. You’re my heart.”

She took his hand in hers. “If you do change a single thing about you, I’ll be pissed. I happen to love you just the way you are, Greyson. I love how caring and gentle you are. When we left Celestia, it was nice knowing that my husband had a job that mattered. I’m married to a very powerful man, and with that comes great responsibility.”

He stared at her.

“I don’t only dress for you, Grey. I like getting dressed up, and I also do it because the freaking media is all over us. If I go out without makeup or my hair in a simple ponytail, I’ll be all over the news.”

He watched her for any sign of a lie, but there was only truth in her eyes.

Immediately, he relaxed.

“I dress up for me too. I love when you check me out. It’s a wife thing. There’s nothing sexier than when my husband is staring at me with that look on his face. I want your attention, and if that means letting you pick out a slutty pair of shoes, so be it. I’m easy.”

“I don’t want you to think I don’t value your opinion, Emma. You’re more than a sex object to me.”

“Greyson Croft, I’m well aware. Yes, you picked out Sky Villa, but I was the one who opted to keep Terrace Glen. I wanted to make it over, and I wanted it to be our home. You didn't say no to me. If you were a control freak, you would have put your foot down and vetoed the entire thing.”

She had a point.

“Curtis made all those choices out of anger and spite, and sadly, he’s paying for it. What were your motives?”

He didn't have to think about it. “I wanted you to be proud of me, and that’s why I took the job. I wanted to be able to provide for my woman and show you that I could do something huge for us.”

“Okay, that’s totally caveman, but oh so hot. The big feathered Croft bird has made me one sweet nest.”

He smiled. Emma always had a way of calming him. It was just more proof that he chose right. She was the woman for him.

“Why else did you do it all, Grey?”

“That’s easy. I knew you could be a detective again. I watched you find the killers in Celestia, and you were damn good at your job. When it came down to it, you saved my life. I didn't doubt that you had it in you. You put it all together, Emma, and that was what mattered. You have a brain and skill. Not all cops are born with that.”

“That doesn’t sound like selfish reasons to me.”

He was feeling a little better.

“And what about picking out my clothes, Grey?” she asked.

“I like seeing you in pretty dresses. A part of me hopes that it’ll chase away some of the ugliness we see each day, but a part of it turns me on. There’s nothing sexier than you barefoot, wearing some sexy number and in my lap.”

“So, it’s not to control me?”

He laughed. “No, it’s because it gets me off. I’m easy too.”

She leaned over to kiss him. “Well then, Director Croft, it appears you answered your own questions. You do what you do because you want me safe, proud of you, and in your lap. None of that sounds like the reasons Curtis locked Brynn away. All of that has built our relationship to what it is. It didn't tear it down at the foundation.”

He could breathe again, but he wasn’t surprised. His wife had this ability from the start. She saw him.

She saw all of him.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Emma. Whenever I feel out of control, you’re there.”

She understood.

Emma felt the same.

“I think I can focus on work now.”

“I’m glad. We should check in with the team. Maybe they’ve dug something up.”

Greyson agreed. “I love you, Emma.”

There was no doubt that she felt the exact same way. “I love you too, my cave-Croft.”

He was so very thankful for that.

Chapter Five

Sky Villa

When he woke from the deep empty sleep he was groggy and confused. For a few minutes, he had to think about where he was, and what had happened. Until that fog of medicated sleep cleared, he actually thought it was all a dream.

Only, when he looked down at his hand, there was the reminder. He was still wearing his wedding ring.

It made him sick.

Curtis wanted to puke, but he knew he couldn’t. He’d had his hours of self-pity, and now he had to start doing something that involved his brain.

He needed to think.

He needed to work.

He had to find Brynn’s killer. He at least owed her that.  Curtis had to believe that if she had lived, they could have fixed their marriage. They couldn’t have been so far gone that she wouldn’t have given him a shot. She loved him. He had to believe that. If she didn’t, he was lost. That tiny hope was all that kept him alive inside.

So, he was going to get to work. She would have done it for him if their roles were reversed, and he was going to man up and get justice for his woman.

Enough pity party.

He was going to be a man.

After showering, he headed out to the living room to talk to the people who saved him last night. He owed them a huge thank you.

Only, when he got out there, it wasn’t Emma and Greyson waiting for him. It was Dante.

That irritated him.

“Where are they?”

“Working the case. They asked me to keep you company when you woke up,” Dante said, leaning back on the couch. It was hard not to notice that the man looked like hell. Generally, Curtis Briggs was a ray of sarcastic sunshine.

“Oh…okay.”

“Have a seat. We can talk if you’re in the mood,” Dante offered. This was a little uncomfortable. Things between them had never been sunny and great. Well, not at first. There was jealousy over Greyson, and then when Curtis bailed, Dante knew he hurt his big brother. That made him want to pound the Fed into the ground.

“Sure.”

Curtis joined him, and the man beside him got ready to close his laptop.

“What were you working on?” he asked, trying to forget his life.

“I’m managing Emma and Greyson’s businesses. They can’t do it while keeping their jobs. You’ve missed a lot the last two months. Randall Mason dumped a whole bunch of shit on them.”

“All bad?”

“No. They’re loaded, but with that much money comes a lot of responsibility.”

Curtis tried to focus, but he felt bad. He’d bailed on the people who loved him. It was something he hoped he could take back one day. He needed their forgiveness. “Yeah, I heard Emma inherited his holdings. They’re the talk of the whole town.”

“Yeah, she got it all. I find it funny that my brother, a man so hell bent on being the provider, is now married to one of the wealthiest women in the world.”

Curtis stole the soda sitting on the table. The booze from last night made him dehydrated, and he could use the hit of caffeine.

“How wealthy are we talking?”

“Billions.”

He started choking.

Dante pounded him on the back. “Are you okay?”

He stared at the man like he was crazy. “Did you just say billions?”

Dante pointed to the screen to show him. “Here are their liquid assets, here’s the value of all the shows, and here’s the property value and revenue. If you look at the bottom, you’ll see the payroll out for the month, and then the income from all the assets in.”

Curtis stared. “Holy shit!”

“I know. It’s a scary number. It keeps growing,” stated Dante.

“They own a freaking casino?” he asked.

Dante laughed. “Yeah, and the kicker is, Dominic Marianna has been trying to buy it for two years. He was just about ready to finalize the deal, and Greyson pulled the plug. Marianna wasted about a million dollars trying to get it. He was going to do a full renovation and had the crews on standby.”

“Shit!”

“Yeah, Greyson likes screwing with the man. It’s a dangerous game, but Dominic can’t do shit. Emma and Greyson are so well protected now that he’s out of his league.”

“Where are they with the case?” he asked, trying to catch Dante off balance. There was no doubt in his mind that if Greyson had sicced Dante on him to babysit that he’d know what was going on with the case.

“Investigating.”

“That’s all you have?”

Dante watched him with the cool Croft eyes. “Yep.”

“Bullshit. You’re his right hand man now--my replacement. You know everything that’s going on with these cases. He’s your freaking brother.”

Curtis was right. He did know. It didn't mean he was going to blab and screw his brother over. That would never happen.

Not in a million years.

“Please? She was my wife.”

Dante leaned back on the couch and crossed his leg over the other one. “You know I can’t tell you, Curtis. You need to take a step back from this one.”

“I can’t. My wife…”

He patted him on the arm. “They will get you justice. You have to let them do their jobs, Curtis.”

“So, you really are my freaking babysitter.”

“Yup. Be glad it’s me. If my mother was here, she’d be doing the job, and that would make you crazy. I know when she’s around, I want to kill my…”

He shut up and fast.

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean that.”

Curtis couldn’t deal with this. If he was going to be stuck inside for days, he needed to do something or he was going to lose his mind.

“Are you hungry?” Dante offered.

“Yeah, I am. Can you get some Chinese?” he asked, the plan formulating in his mind.

“They don’t deliver.”

“I’ll go get it,” Curtis offered.

“No, I will. You go take a swim. I’ll walk over and pick it up when it’s ready. It’s only around the corner.”

Curtis was good with that. What he really needed was to get out of there, and that was how he was going to do it. “I’ll go get changed,” he offered.

“Great.”

Once in the hallway, he snuck into Emma and Greyson’s room. He knew his boss kept a spare tablet on the dresser in case he needed to work at night. Sneaking around in their home was wrong, but he was desperate.

He hoped if they found out they’d forgive him.

Grabbing it, Curtis snuck back to his room and locked the door. Once there, he sat on the floor and got to work. Was he ashamed of himself?

Yes.

Was he going to stop?

No.

He had every right to know what happened to his wife, and he planned on finding out. Since no one would tell him, he was going to hack the FBI and do it the hard way. Pulling up Greyson’s email, which was already logged into, he began searching. There he found the autopsies from Steele Bentley. As he tried to open them, they were passcoded for his eyes only.

Well, if he was in for a penny, he was in for a pound. So much for their friendship because when Greyson found out what he had done…

Curtis entered Emma’s birthdate.

They opened and popped up on the screen for his viewing.

Quickly, he scrolled through the other women’s autopsies, seeing how they were killed. His stomach rolled, knowing his wife had died the same way. Just as he was about to open Brynn’s, there was a knock on the door.

“Yeah?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

“Are you going to go swimming?” Dante asked. “The Chinese is ready for pick up.”

Curtis stared down at his watch. “I didn't bring a swimsuit. I’m going to just lay down. I have a hangover. Get me when you’re back and we’ll have lunch.”

“Sure thing, man. I’ll get you some aspirin too.”

Curtis listened to Dante’s footsteps as he walked away, and only when the coast was clear did he open Brynn’s autopsy report.

He started reading, and tears filled his eyes. He saw how she died, and how she’d suffered. Granted, he knew it was going to be bad, but this was horrible.

When he scrolled down the page, something else caught his eye. He had to read it twice.

There was evidence of sex.

She was raped?

Then he saw that there was a DNA report attached. That meant they knew who hurt her. Curtis pulled it up and scanned the file.

Immediately, his heart dropped.

She wasn’t raped at all. It had been completely consensual.

All along, he’d been right.

His wife had been cheating on him, and with her partner in vice. This couldn’t be happening. All hope that he had clung to that his marriage would have been saved if Brynn had lived washed away.

She didn't love him. She couldn’t have if she’d violated his trust and their marriage vows.

Curtis was so angry.

He couldn’t believe that his Brynn had betrayed him like this. Yes, he suspected it, but there was always a chance that he was wrong. Now it was there for the world to see. She’d made a mockery of their union.

Curtis glanced at his watch.

He had to move fast.

If he was going to settle this, there could be no wasting time. Dante would be back soon, and then the hounds would be on his trail.

Pulling on his shoes, he left the tablet on his bed. He had the man’s address, and he was going to swing by and see him.

By see him, he meant kick his ass for destroying his marriage and touching his wife. There could be no other choice. When you screwed with a man’s wife, literally, you ended up paying for it.

That was the code he lived by.

Yes, he was a caveman, but his wife was a cheater. Someone had to pay. Her partner was going to regret dipping his stick in a married woman.

Curtis had nothing to lose.

It had already been stripped from him.

When he peeked out into the family room, no one was there. So, he made his break for it. The entire way down in the elevator, he hoped that when the doors opened, Dante wouldn’t be standing there.

If he was, he’d have to level him too. He’d feel bad, but sometimes, you just had to take things into your own hands, and this was one of them.

No one was stopping him.

Not God and not Greyson Croft.

He’d been wronged, and now he had to face the man who ruined his marriage. Now everyone knew that Brynn had been cheating on him, and he had to save face.

He had a little justice to get for himself.

He was done feeling bad about their marriage falling apart. Curtis knew why it was happening, and this man was the reason.

He’d gotten Brynn killed.

There was no doubt in his mind.

Payback was on its way.

             
         
* * *
  Croft & Croft  * * *

Captain Ford didn't like jumping through hoops. He thought it was asinine and childish, but he was willing to play the game to buy his detectives some time. He owed it to Brynn Westmore-Briggs, and he owed it to Emma Croft.

Justice would be served, and it would come out of homicide and their house.

He’d already briefed the commissioner, and offered up Croft’s bribe. For now, it was working, and he was grateful for that. Money spoke, and fortunately, the commissioner liked it funding his officers’ charity.

That didn't mean it was going to be all sunshine and roses. He was still going to have to go in hard, stand his ground, and play the game. In vice, there would be some big time ass kissing. This was far from written in stone. Vice’s captain could fight them every step of the way.

Fortunately, Chris had an ace in the hole.

There were days he wished he’d stayed commissioner, and this was one of them. He could just snap his fingers and get what he wanted.

Now he had to work for it.

The second he entered the bullpen, there were groans and comments hissed in hushed tones. It was probably a good thing that Emma and Greyson didn't take this one. If he was getting shit, they would have gotten it ten times worse.

Their reputations preceded them.

As he approached, weaving his way through the throngs of occupied desks, Captain Gary Sherwood materialized from his office, and he didn't look happy.

“What’s going on, Ford? Did you feel like slumming in vice? It’s not like you homicide dicks to roll into our house for a little visit. I’d offer you some coffee, but my men and I don’t kiss ass.”

Yeah, this was one hell of a day. It was time to do the job.

Instead of being intimidated, Chris refused to lower his voice. “You know damn well why I’m here, since you already put in your request to get the case yanked to your house and out of mine. That was a cheap move, Sherwood, and you know it.”