Epilogue
Two Days
Later
T he last two days had been rough. While the family was okay, and they were hellbent on getting revenge for Poppy, Dimitri was struggling. The whole rape weighed heavily on his shoulders, and he was carrying the guilt.
He wasn’t eating.
He wouldn’t leave the hospital.
Anyone who knew him saw through the fake smile he put on for Poppy and calm exterior. He was putting on a show for her and her alone.
Meanwhile, they all knew what was coming.
The family was bracing for it.
While Poppy was in the hospital, healing, Greyson was staying by his side. He was, after all, his brother. If he hurt, then Greyson would be there to make sure he was okay.
For now, they would regroup, help Poppy and Dimitri, and then go after the commissioner.
He was going to pay for this.
Maybe not today.
Maybe not tomorrow.
But he would pay.
As they were in the cafeteria, located in the hospital, Greyson knew Dimitri was inches from going over the edge. He’d made him come down with him, so he could get a coffee.
He was so close, that Greyson was worried for his emotional wellbeing. Dimitri’s sanity was in question.
One more thing, and he was going to lose it.
Natasha was murdered.
Sam was taken.
Poppy was raped and nearly killed.
The man was going to doubt his skills. He was going to wear the shame of his perceived failures, and it was causing hell in his life.
Greyson saw it coming.
He needed to head it off at the pass.
As they stood there, getting their coffee, they heard someone clear their throat.
When they both turned around, Jeffrey Raye was standing there, and he looked as smug as hell.
Greyson grabbed Dimitri’s arm.
“Well, Croft and Gideon. How nice to see you both,” he said, grinning. “I just came to see my detective. I was so worried about her recovery,” he said, laughing smugly.
“I’m going to kill him,” Dimitri said in Russian.
Oh, Greyson didn’t doubt it at all.
This man’s time was limited.
“What do you really want?” Greyson asked. “No one buys that you give a shit, especially since you led that crazy right to Detective Wayne. You caused this.”
He shrugged.
“Ahhh, and you have to prove it. That’s going to be an issue. You killed him. Tsk. Tsk.”
Greyson was going to make this man pay.
“Anyway, I came to also thank you for finding my wife’s body and clearing me. See, her life insurance company wouldn’t pay out because they didn’t have a body. In fact, they thought I had something to do with it.”
Greyson kept his face neutral.
“I am getting the check this week. It looks like I’m a millionaire. Thank God I had that big, fat life insurance policy on the slut. She paid off in the end.”
Greyson didn’t release Dimitri’s arm.
He knew better.
“Yeah, and?” Croft asked. “Do you want me to throw you a coming out party? I meant for getting rich—not for having a tiny dick or having to Viagra yourself up to fuck a hooker every Sunday.”
The man scowled.
“Yeah, we heard allllllll about it.”
He composed himself.
“I do know that I will work tirelessly to get you out of your position with the city,” Greyson added. “I will make sure you lose your job.”
The man laughed.
“Read the paper,” he said, smirking. “I’m wealthy now. I have bigger things on the horizon, like taking control of this city,” he stated. “Oh, and I’m sorry about your girlfriend,” he added mocking Dimitri. “I hope she doesn’t get sick from that rape. You know how the crazies are—or pregnant like her mother…”
Greyson had to full-on grab him before Dimitri killed him with his bare hands.
“You should go,” Greyson stated.
They were making a scene.
“Yeah, I should. Funny, I told Poppy that too. Between the two of us, she’s not safe here. You didn’t protect her, Mr. Gideon. Your security company sucks.”
He could feel Dimitri’s body go slack. This man was a fucking asshole to say that to him.
This.
Was.
War.
Greyson whistled, and Heath headed his way. Before he could reach them, the commissioner saluted and escaped.
“Let’s go back upstairs,” he said, leading Dimitri to the elevators. As he was walking, he pulled out his phone and searched the local news.
Inside the elevator, he rolled his eyes.
“Guess who retired?”
Dimitri glanced over.
“I don’t care. He’s dead.”
Heath patted him on the back.
“Mr. G, you can’t kill him. If he dies, you look guilty. You just tried to belt him one in the cafeteria. You gotta do this the right way.”
Oh, he was aware, but he’d go to jail to hurt the man. He’d sicced the crazy on Poppy, and it ended up getting her raped and hurt.
Jeffrey Raye was a dead man.
“Breathe,” Greyson said, as they exited the elevator carrying their coffees. “Go see Poppy. It’s okay.”
As they entered her room, her bed was empty.
Greyson looked around.
Uh, this was wrong. He was beginning to think that Raye wasn’t kidding. He’d said he’d told her to run.
Oh Jesus!
Please let him be bluffing!
“Mr. C, there’s a note.”
Dimitri grabbed it from the bedside table and opened it. The second he saw it, his heart skipped.
‘Dimitri,
I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t face this right now. I have to leave. I need to find some peace and get some space to think about my life. I will always love you, and I’ll never forget what we found. Be safe, don’t go after the commissioner. That’s exactly what he wants. Maybe we’ll meet again.
Thank you for saving me.
Poppy.’
He crumpled the note and threw it on the floor. Then, he strode from the room.
Greyson grabbed it and read it.
Yep.
This was about to be all kinds of bad.
It was coming.
“Find him,” he said to Heath. “I want you on him non-stop. If he tries to do anything stupid, stop him.”
“Like kill him?” Heath asked.
“No, but you have my permission to tranquilize him, knock his ass out, or lock him in a cage. Do NOT let him go after Raye. We need to think this through. He’s going to try and take this city, playing millionaire. I can’t let him do that.”
“This is a mess, boss.”
Oh, he was well aware.
How could this get any worse?
Oh, he knew.
Dimitri was going to go rogue.
Vegas was in trouble.
There was about to be ‘No Justice’.