Hell Is Burning (29 page)

Or cry.

Greyson sat on the other side of him.

“Oh shit! It’s bad. Really bad.”

Emma turned his face so his eyes could meet hers. “We searched Brynn’s desk, and we found papers you need to see. She was hiding them in her room. I guess she never thought anyone would dig through her things.”

He didn't get it. “Okay. Where are they? I can handle that.”

Greyson pulled them out.

The second Curtis saw the top part, he knew what they were. “She filed for divorce?” he asked, pulling free of Emma’s hand to pace the floor. “She filed?”

Oh, if that was the worst of it, they’d be fine. While it would have stung, it wasn’t going to be the sucker punch to his gut and ego.

“Yes, she did.”

“I don’t believe this. I’m such a fool. I really thought she loved me, but this isn't love. She had to hate me so much to do this behind my back. She could have just told me it was over.”

He pulled the papers from Emma’s hands and read the date on top.

It was the day before she died. She’d obviously seen a lawyer instead of being at work. This woman was full of lies.

“I can’t believe this.”

Greyson stood up and placed his hands on the man’s shoulders to stop him from pacing. “That’s not the worst of it, son. I need you to trust me, Curtis, like I’m going to trust you. I need the entire truth. Do you hear me?”

He didn't understand.

What was he talking about?

“What can I possibly not be truthful about? My wife was screwing around behind my back, and she filed for divorce. That’s the cold hard facts.”

“These papers are going to be served to you, and we had to tell you, Curtis,” Emma added. “We didn't want to see you get hurt when you were served with them in public.”

“I’m already hurt, and I’m very angry, so it’s a little too late for that.”

Well, the boy hadn’t seen anything yet.

“Read them,” Greyson stated. “Look at the reason she stated for the divorce.”

Curtis could barely see straight, but he managed to do exactly what Greyson instructed. As he saw it, first, he was shocked, then hurt, and finally horrified.

     
‘Cruel and inhumane treatment.’

He dropped them like they scorched his skin. In all his life, he’d never been more shocked than the last few days. His wife was dead, she was cheating on him, and now she was accusing him of abuse.

“Oh God!”

He backed up, placing his body against the wall before sliding to the floor. When he wrapped his arms around his legs, trying to protect himself from what he just saw, they both moved toward him.

“I have to ask this, Curtis, as your boss,” Greyson began. “Please forgive me, but I’m required since there’s an investigation.”

Curtis looked up, tears filling his eyes. “I never touched her. Not like that. If I did put my hands on her, it was never to hurt her. I loved Brynn. I was never violent or physical with my wife. You have to believe I’m not that kind of man.”

They did.

This was the Curtis they knew and loved. Not the one Brynn had tried to sully with lies. It was her character in question, not his.

Emma suspected that Brynn got some sleazy lawyer who specialized in quickie divorces. She’d seen this before. They went with mental abuse because it was damn hard to prove, and the person being accused would often just sign to get it over with.

Damn her!

“Did you ever call her names?” Emma asked, moving close to him.

“I called her crazy once. It was when I accused her of cheating on me. I told her
‘You’re crazy if you think I don’t know what’s going on’
, and the sad part was I didn't. I never saw the magnitude of this. It’s like looking at the tip of the iceberg. Beneath, there’s so much more.”

Emma explained what she thought had happened. “Maybe the lawyer pushed her into it.”

Greyson dropped to his knees next to his wife. “I believe you, and I’m going to make this go away.”

“How? Anyone who sees that will think that Special Agent Curtis Briggs is a wife beater. I was a caveman, yes. I was bossy, yes, but I never hurt her. I never touched her in anger. That’s not me. I’m not cruel.”

They were well aware.

Now that they’d found these, they were evidence. It pointed suspicion right back at Curtis. He may not be a murderer, but now everyone would think it was a possibility. His wife was going to divorce him, and then the next day she turns up dead.

Yeah, this was bad.

From the outside looking in, it appeared that she’d brought the papers home, he lost it, and being a Fed, with inside information, he set up her murder to match that of the serial killer’s.

She’d boned him even more with her death.

Curtis was sinking and fast. If this got out, his career was officially over.

Greyson pulled out his phone. “I know someone at the courthouse. I’ll get a favor pulled to get this taken care of for you. No one is going to know she filed, and no one is ever going to see this, Curtis. I promise. We’ll handle it.”

He couldn’t speak.

This was all so unbelievable.

Emma pulled him into her lap, so he could rest his head on her legs. “Go ahead, Greyson,” she said, trying to soothe the damaged man. “Bury this. I don’t care what it takes. If you have to throw down some cash, make it happen.”

“It’s done,” he said, heading out of the room.

She knew that her husband would break the law for his family, and she didn't care if it was wrong. This whole thing was a mess, and nothing more than convoluted lies from a dead woman.

They had to take care of their own. Vegas was about to swallow Curtis Briggs alive, and he’d come there because of them.

“She hated me, Emma. That’s the only reason she’d do this. She had to hate me.”

She shushed him as she tried to ease his heart. “We love you, Curtis.”

“I said such terrible things to you both, and here you are saving me. I don’t deserve you in my life. I’m horrible. I betrayed people who love me for someone who clearly didn't. I can’t believe I let sex make me into this shell of a human being.”

She wiped his cheeks with the hem of her shirt. “Curtis. We will fix this, and you need to let that go. We don’t hate you. We love you.”

“I have no one. I’m all alone in this world, and all I wanted was someone who’d be mine. That’s all, Emma. I rushed into this, fixed that mess, only to get shitfaced drunk and make a much worse mistake. When I took my ring back, I should have walked away. I knew it then, but I was so desperate to be loved…”

She understood. “This is all my fault.”

He stared up at her. “How? This isn't about you.”

“When you took her back, I was worried. In fact, so was Greyson. He wanted to tell you not to do it, but you looked so happy. I should have let him. I just wanted you to be happy, Curtis.”

“I’ll never be happy again. There’s a hole where my heart used to be. I’ll never love again, Emma. I can’t. It hurts too much when you get knocked off your feet.”

She hoped that wasn’t the case.

He was young.

There was still plenty of time to find ‘the one’. Look at her and Greyson. They didn't find each other until later in life.

“You’ll love again, Curtis. She may not be the one, but with each time you put it out there, you’ll get stronger.”

“I’m not strong enough to do this again and again.”

“You are with us. We’ll hold you up. I promise.”

He pulled away. “I want to sleep. I need to escape this. I really need to forget for a while. Can I have one of those sedatives?”

She got up to get one from his bathroom. When she handed him one, he gulped it down without water. “You should go.”

She hugged him. “I love you, Curtis.”

He didn't reply.

“Do you want dinner? I’ll make you something to eat.” she asked. “Curtis?”

Instead of answering, he crawled onto his bed and placed the pillow over his head. When he curled into the fetal position, her heart broke.

When Emma touched him, he jerked away.

“I want to be alone. Go away. Please.”

Her heart ached for him.

When she closed the door, Greyson was still on the phone. In the kitchen, she put all the food away.

“Is he okay?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“What can we do?” he asked.

“Is that issue taken care of now?” Emma asked. “Did she file them?”

“They were filed, but they’re being pulled. I’ll owe someone a favor, but it was worth it. I can’t believe she broke him like that. That boy couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Emma couldn’t believe it either.

“You were right. This was my fault.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Greyson stopped her. “I let him see that being a caveman was fun. I dragged him into this mess.”

She shook her head. “It was right for us. Curtis can’t be you, and Brynn couldn’t be me. They had to be themselves, and together, they didn't fit. You were meant to be my cave-Croft.”

He took a sip of his warm beer. “This sucks.”

“I want to fix this.”

“How?”

“I think I have a way, but you’re going to call me crazy,” she stated. “I was researching it after Randall Mason died, and at the time I thought it was funny…but now it might work for him and us.”

“I’d never do that.”

She told him what she was thinking. The entire time, he didn't say a word.

“Emma, that is crazy. The three of us?”

“See? I told you.”

He kissed her. “We’re out of options, so let’s try it. What can we possibly lose?”

“Curtis.”

He hoped that didn't happen. He genuinely liked the man.

No.

He loved him like a brother.

Chapter Eight 

Midnight Friday Morning

Even with a sedative, he couldn’t sleep. Curtis’s mind was spinning, and he didn't know what to do. A part of him wanted to believe Emma and Greyson, but the rest of him wanted to run.

To where?

He didn't know.

His life was over, and there was no way he could build it back up. He wasn’t strong enough, and Curtis knew it. He wasn’t Greyson Croft, strong, determined, and a warrior. No, he was the exact opposite.

Curtis Briggs was a broken soul, and now he needed a place to hide. He still had his grandmother’s house, the home where she raised him. He could go there and hide out until his bank account dwindled. Then he could find a job doing something. It was obvious that his time in the FBI would be coming to a close. If the news of this divorce got out, the second people saw it, he’d be judged.

Brynn had screwed him seven days past Sunday.

Quietly, he made up his mind. He was going to leave. He had to. There was no way he could dump this mess on Emma and Greyson’s laps. They deserved more, and he knew there was so much on their plates as it was. This was his problem, and he chose to leave.

Yes, he was a coward, but that’s how he was raised. His grandmother always told him turn the other cheek, and he was. Brynn was dead to him, but the people he loved would need to be protected too.

It was the least he could do.

So, he began packing his bag. No one would miss him. There was no one to look for him. His life was empty. He was truly alone in the world.

It was time to head out. As he grabbed the few things he had there, he stared around the room.

The memories there had been wonderful. He still remembered the last Christmas they shared, and the comic books that they gave him.

He was at peace then. Nothing was able to touch his happiness until this mess happened. Who knew getting married would be the end of your life?

Now, he was lost.

His heart hurt so bad, that he didn't think he could face another day of seeing life blossom around him while his own existence decayed away.

It was painful.

It was horrible.

It was his reality.

Let’s face it. If he stayed, he’d only end up destroying everything he once loved. As a baby, his mother ditched him, and this was probably why. He was bad then, and he was worse now.

He couldn’t blame her anymore.

He wouldn’t blame anyone.

Curtis saw what she saw. As he stood, staring into the mirror, there was no love there. From the wavy brown hair to the dead blue eyes, he was empty.

His wife made him a shell of a man, and he was free from it all.

He needed to escape.

Creeping out of the room, he headed down the hall. Curtis desperately wanted to go into their bedroom to kiss Emma goodbye. She’d been more of a mother to him than his real one, and he was grateful.

Yet, he couldn’t.

If she saw him leaving, she’d try and stop him, and he’d stay. Because he loved her, he’d be weak enough to let her talk him out of it.

Then there was the man.

Greyson Croft was his idol. He’d wanted to be like him from the start, and even broken from Brynn’s betrayal, he still wanted to emulate his hero. Saying goodbye to him would be hard. He loved him too.

Forcing his feet to move, Curtis walked silently into the living room. It was time to go, and he couldn’t stay any longer. He didn't belong in this family. He wasn’t really a part of it.

He wasn’t a part of anything anymore. Curtis was an outsider looking in.

And it sucked.

“Going somewhere, son?” Greyson asked from the dark room.

Curtis actually jumped. “Jesus!”

Greyson stood and turned on the light. “Leaving in the middle of the night?”

He couldn’t look the man in the eye. “Yes.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t belong here.”

“What gave you that impression? I think we pretty clearly stated that we did want you here. This is your home.”

Curtis wanted to squirm. That was just a power Greyson had over people. It was that steely silver gaze.

It could melt the hardest of men.

“I don’t want to be here out of pity. You and Emma are doing it because no one else in this world wants me, Grey. I’m not stupid. You have no obligation to take care of me. I’m a grown man, and I need to be responsible for myself.”

Greyson was angry.

This man, who they loved, was about to hurt Emma. The second she got up and found he was gone, it would break her heart. It would also divide her focus, and possibly get her killed. They had enough on their plates.

“Pity? Is that what you think this is?” he asked, moving around the couch to face him.

“Yes.”

“You’re an idiot.”

Curtis glanced up at him. Immediately, he could see that he was angry. “Look.”

He moved toward him, lowering his voice. “No, you look. Enough is enough. We aren’t taking care of you out of pity, Curtis. It’s called love. Emma and I love you like you’re our own. There’s not pity there. She cried herself to sleep, thinking this is her fault, and now you’re bolting. That’s just wrong.”

He was surprised. “Why is this her fault? Emma never hurt me. She’s sweet, kind, and…”

“And you love her? Well, so do I. She’s going to be damaged by this, and frankly, so will I.”

“Grey.”

“No, listen to me. I’m not going to ever have kids. I never wanted them. I love my job, I love my woman, and I love you. When you came into my life, some wide eyed agent, you were a pain in my ass.”

He didn't say anything.

“You were also a gift. Not all children are born to their parents. Some are dropped into their laps. You, son, were that gift. We fell in love with our family, and we don’t want it destroyed. You’re about to make a big mistake.”

Curtis opened his mouth.

“Zip it. If you’re going to act like a petulant child, sneaking away into the night, you’re going to be treated like one.”

He was shocked. “I just lost my wife.”

Again, Croft moved closer, dropping his voice to dangerously low levels. He saved that anger for people who were threatening his happiness, like now.

“Yes, you did, and it sucks. Now, put on your big girl panties, and fight for what you have in your life. You man up and fight for your family. You fight for us!”

He opened and then closed his mouth.

“Be angry. Be mad, but don’t run with your tail between your legs. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life. You’ll look back and always wonder what you could have had if you fought for it. This whole thing blows. I get that. I’d be broken too, but this isn't Curtis Briggs. You get knocked down, and I know you get back up. I taught you better than that.”

“This isn't about you.”

“The hell it isn't! You’re part of us. I go to bat for the people I love. When you killed that man who hurt Brynn, I buried it. I lied for you and risked my career. Next to my wife, my career is my pride and joy. So, ask yourself why I’d do it.”

He stared at him.

“Go ahead. Why would Greyson freaking Croft sully his career if he didn't care about you? What? No answer?”

Curtis didn't have one. He didn't get how they could still love him after he turned on them.

He’d betrayed his family for a woman who destroyed his heart. He’d made a choice because of his libido and not his brain.

This is where it got him.

“Grey, I’ve been knocked down too many times. I’m too broken to get back up. Don’t you get that? I can’t do it. I’m not like you.”

He was sick of the pity party.

Enough was enough.

“And I haven’t been in your position? I had to kill people for a living. I had to stare down a scope at them and end their lives. I took them out in front of their wives, children, and family. You think getting up from that is easy? You think remaking myself was a fucking pleasure cruise?”

Curtis wanted to believe.

“Fine. Not enough? Let’s talk about the woman in the other room. She was nearly raped and watched her brother die in her arms. She was alone for so long, and finally fought hard enough to hang in there until I could get there--until you could get there. She had it tough, but she kept on fighting. Emma didn't quit, I didn't quit, but you’re running because some woman broke your heart. Wake up, son. It’s called life.”

“It’s more than that. I have no one. I wake up and know that there’s no one in the world who loves me. My family is dead. My mother is likely in a grave somewhere, and my grandmother is gone. My blood is dead. What’s so damn hard to understand about that?”

He pointed at the couch. “Sit.”

When he didn't move, Greyson growled. “I will make you, and I can promise you it will hurt. I’m mad enough to put my hands on you.”

Curtis dropped his bag. “Fine.”

Greyson sat across from him in a chair. “You’re not alone. You have us. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“You’re not really responsible for me.”

It was time to drop the bomb. Curtis was going to be his problem for the rest of his life.

They were making it final.

“Starting tomorrow, I will be responsible for you. Emma and I are adopting you.”

He stared at him like he was a lunatic. “What? You realize I’m a grown man, right? I’m quite a few years past adolescence.”

He ignored his sarcasm.

“You need a family, and we have billions of dollars that someone needs to inherit one day. We want a family, and so do you. So, we’re adopting you.”

He didn't know what to say. “That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, so I said to Emma when she suggested it earlier, but she was right.”

Curtis stopped laughing. “She suggested it?”

“Yes. She loves you. You’re like the child we won’t ever have, and you trying to sneak out of the house at this time of night is proof of it. We skipped diapers and went right to hormonally crazy.”

“Wait. You’re really serious? You two want to adopt me.” It should have been the dumbest thing he’d ever heard, but instead it offered Curtis some peace.

He laughed. “Would I be up all night waiting for you to make a break for it if I wasn’t dead serious? Son, I’m over forty. I’m worn down. I need my sleep.”

“Can you legally adopt adults?”

“Yes. I already spoke to our attorney, and he’s drawing up the papers. We can adopt whoever we want. It’s up to you, but as far as the world will be concerned, you’re ours.”

He didn't know what to say. “So, you’re adopting me because….”

Greyson opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Emma spoke from the hallway, “We’re doing it because we love you, Curtis.”

Both men turned at the sound of her voice.

“Yes, I’m awake, and I’ve been watching you two the entire time.”

“Emma,” Curtis said.

She entered the room and went to Greyson. When he opened his arms, she sat in his lap. Immediately, she was calmer. After seeing Curtis with his bag packed, she was worried.

“We’re adopting you. You can keep your name or you can change it--whatever you want. As soon as those papers arrive, you’re our family. It’s sealed in stone, and it’s unbreakable. If anything happens to us, you’re the man of the family. The kingdom is yours.”

He didn't know what to think.

“You want a family, right?” she stated.

“Well, yeah.”

“We want you. When you call me mom, it makes my heart happy. When I see you and Greyson together, it feels right. We won’t have kids, Curtis, because we weren’t meant to. You were meant to be part of our family. This all happened to get us to this point. Fate is a bitch, but sometimes, she knows best.”

“I can’t believe you’re going to adopt an adult. This is absolutely nutty.”

“Is that a no? Are you telling me that you don’t want to be part of our family?” she asked. “If that’s the case, I understand. We helped break you by not stepping in when Brynn ran you over, so I don’t blame you if you hate us.”

“Wow. You got the guilt thing down just like a mother. Is there a handbook?”

“I’m a fast learner. When you love someone, you do whatever it takes. You loved Brynn, right?”

“Yes. I did. I don’t anymore. That’s dead in me.”

“You did what it took. She didn't reciprocate that love. That’s not on you. That’s on her. I’m done watching you beat yourself down over this. I’m stepping in and taking care of the men in my life.”

“Emma.”

“Did you love her with all your heart? Can you sit there and tell me that she was your soulmate?”

Greyson watched his wife work. She was handling this better than he had.

“Emma.”