Mine To Protect (Mine #6) (8 page)

“One of Luther’s ex-goons went after the guy’s daughter?” Percy asked in disbelief. “What did the guy want—Luther to send the full force of his power raining down on him?”

“I think,” Russell muttered, “he just wanted the two million. And he didn’t care that he was screwing over his ex-boss to get the money.”

Percy nodded, obviously buying that story.

I don’t agree.
Lauren straightened her shoulders—more than they were already straightened. “I did my research on Zoe Peters. Luther was hardly involved in her life at all. They’ve barely spoken since she became an adult. Why are you both so convinced that he’s going to keep cooperating if we protect her?”

“I’m convinced,” Percy said, his words clipped, “because Victor has an agreement with the guy.”

Lauren bit her lip. “But what if Luther is just jerking him around? Using Agent Monroe? Using all of us?”

But Russell was shaking his head. “No. Not happening. No one uses Victor.”

Perhaps, but… “We’re not talking about some petty criminal. We’re talking about a criminal mastermind.” She inched closer to Percy. “He had plants at the FBI. Agents who were working with him. Is it really such a stretch to think that he could be manipulating us all now? Redirecting our attention?”

“The bastard has been meeting with a new lawyer in the last few months,” Percy mumbled, rubbing his jaw. “We’ve known for a while that Luther thinks he’s getting his ass out of prison. We’ve been watching for an escape attempt, but it looks like the guy must think he has some legal leg room to use in order to garner himself a new trial.”

Russell stiffened. “You don’t seriously think any judge in his right mind would ever let that guy out?”

Percy suddenly looked very, very weary. “I think Luther Bates has plenty of tricks left up his sleeve. That’s why we need Victor to turn Zoe so badly. She
is
our last shot with him. Victor builds her trust, he gets her on our side and then we see just what damage she can really do to her father.”

Lauren glanced between the two men. “So you don’t think it’s possible that Luther Bates could be the man who sent Lawrence to kill Zoe? You don’t believe he could be the one who put out a hit on his daughter?”
Maybe he wanted to stop her from turning on him.

Percy’s gaze suddenly sharpened on her. “I think there are no limits to what Luther Bates will or will not do.”

Okay, that was—

“And I think the FBI’s main focus needs to be protecting Zoe. Turning Zoe.
Using her.
Before we lose her.”

That sounded so…cold.

“We can’t let Luther get ahead of us.” He tapped his chin, considering. “Okay, okay…this is what I want. Find out all you can about Luther’s new lawyer.”

The lawyer? He didn’t want them to try and discover whether or not Luther had taken out a hit on his own daughter?

But the assistant director had already turned away from her and glanced toward his computer. He typed quickly, opening a new screen as he said, “The fellow has some fancy ass name…Xavier Thomas Winters.”

“Tom,” Russell said, sounding a bit surprised.

“Yeah, well,” Percy grumbled, “I sure hope the asshole goes by Tom. Xavier is—”

But Russell had already surged toward the assistant director’s desk. “You said he was Luther’s
new
lawyer, but Vic told me…he said that, a few years ago, a lawyer named Tom worked for Luther. The guy wanted Zoe to marry him.”

Surprise rippled across Percy’s face. Then he frowned at his computer scene. “That the same fucking guy?”

Russell glanced at Lauren. His face was grim. “I think we need to find out that shit, right now.”

And I think we need to find out who the hell wants Zoe dead. Who is pulling all the strings?
But she was supposed to follow orders. Wasn’t that what a good agent did? So she said, “Any idea where this Xavier Winters is right now?”

Percy’s jaw hardened. “Yeah…He’s in Vegas.”

The desire she felt for Victor always surprised Zoe. It should be wrong to want someone so much, to need another person so completely.

When Victor’s lips touched hers, Zoe’s heart seemed to stutter for a moment in her chest. She opened her mouth to him, kissed him back with quick eagerness.

She didn’t like playing games. Didn’t like pretending. Life was so short. What was the point in pretending?

She wanted Victor. Wanted him with a hot lust that she hadn’t felt for others. Oh, sure, she’d been attracted to other men. She’d found pleasure with them. Tom had been a good lover but…

Victor is different. Everything is different with him.

When she’d seen him and Jasmine standing so close together, when Zoe had heard Jasmine say that she loved Victor…

I wanted to attack her.
Not a normal reaction. She’d never felt jealousy before. Envy, yes, definitely. She’d envied the lives that others had. Envied their easy happiness.

But she’d never been jealous, not until she’d heard Jasmine speak so easily of love with Victor. Not until she’d seen…

Emotion, in his eyes. No shadows. No guarded expression. He cared for Jasmine. It was right there for me to see.

And Zoe had wanted Victor to look at her that way, too.

He licked her lower lip. His tongue thrust into her mouth as he tasted her. The glass was cold behind her back, and he was so incredibly hot. She could feel the hard length of his arousal pressed against her.

Her nipples were tight, aching.
Just from a kiss.

His head lifted. His gleaming eyes met hers.

He still held her wrists captive. Still seemed to surround her with his heat and power. She stared at him, a thousand thoughts flying through her head.

Wrong man.

Wrong place.

Wrong life.

He was so wrong for her, in so many ways. But he was also the only man that had ever felt right. He’d saved her, again and again. Killed for her.

Was it any wonder that she was falling in love with him? “Victor…”

He kissed her again. A quick, hot, open-mouthed kiss.

This desire isn’t natural.
Maybe…maybe the attraction for him was due to some kind of weird hero issue that she had. When your father was a villain, maybe you rebelled against him and that rebellion took the form of attaching to the good guys.

Victor had saved her life—at least twice, maybe three times—but she’d started to lose count. Perhaps that was why she wanted him so much.

Or maybe…

He nibbled on her lower lip.

Maybe it’s because he’s…Victor.

And she really wanted to just give in to her need. To make love with him, right then, right there but… “Let me go.”

He stiffened against her.

Then he instantly freed her hands and stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice stilted. “I didn’t mean—”

“I’m not staying here tonight.”

“What?”

“I’m sure Drake has a really wonderful team of security agents. Top notch, truly. But Michelle is my friend. I know her. I know the places she’d go to hang out. The places she’d go to hide.
I
have to search for her. I can’t just stay in this place, be in the lap of luxury with you, while she’s out there…” It wouldn’t be right. She’d come to Vegas before, looking for Michelle, but Zoe had been dragged back into hiding before she could find her friend.

No one will stop me this time.

“I want to stay with you.” That was the absolute truth. “I want to make love to you and tell the rest of the world to just fuck off, but Michelle…”

His expression said he understood. “She isn’t the rest of the world.”

She’s my friend. And I’m afraid too much time has already passed.
Far too long. A woman shouldn’t vanish so completely, but Michelle had.

“I can’t stay here, with you, while she could be out there…”
Say it.
“Dead.” Because that was what she feared the most. “I’ll keep a low profile.” It was the middle of the night—not like she was prancing around the city in the middle of broad daylight. “But I have to go out. I can’t let more time pass.”

He nodded. “Then I guess it’s time for us to go.” Victor turned and headed for the door. He put his holster back on, secured the weapon, and reached for his jacket.

She just stood there. “No arguments?”

“I don’t go back on deals that I made. Remember that, will you?”

Zoe hurried toward him. “Victor, I need you to know—”

He turned toward her, but as soon as she stared into his eyes, her words tumbled to a halt.

“What? What is it you want me to know?”

Zoe swallowed. “Thank you.”

“For what?” He smiled. She loved his smile. She just wished she could see it more often.

“For being a man I can trust.”

His smile faltered. “No, Zoe…”

She leaned onto her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” she said again.

Before he could reply, his phone started ringing. She felt the vibration against her. Victor swore and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out the phone, then swore one more time when he saw the caller’s name. But he put the phone to his ear and answered, saying, “Russell, shit, we haven’t been in town long, but I was going to check in with you—” He turned away from her.

Her hands twisted together as she stood there, waiting.

“Who?” Victor barked. “Xavier what?”

Xavier.
Her stomach knotted. That was a name she hadn’t heard in a very long time. Though, he’d never really enjoyed going by that name. He’d preferred…

“Tom.”

Her head snapped up and she found herself staring into Victor’s gleaming gaze. As he looked directly at her, Victor said, “Xavier Thomas Winters.”

She flinched.

“Yes,” his voice had gone cold. “I do believe that’s him.”

Zoe wrapped her arms around her body.

“And the dead hitman? You got a name on him, too? You figure out why he was so familiar?”

Michelle needs you. Get the hell out of here.

She forced her legs to move as she hurried toward the door.

But Victor just moved to the side, blocking her path.

“Thanks for the intel, Russell. I’ll call you later and we’ll talk more.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Your former lover—the guy who wanted to marry you—”

“I already told you about Tom.”

“You
didn’t
tell me he was still working for Luther.”

Shock ripped through her. “That’s because I didn’t think he was! The agreement—it was supposed to be a package deal. Luther told us that.” Bitterness rose, threatening to choke her.

“Well, then I guess your father lied.”

As if it would be the first time.

“Russell says that Luther’s new lawyer—Xavier Thomas Winters—has been visiting him an awful lot in the last few months.”

Chill bumps rose on her arms. “I need to start searching for Michelle.” Once more, she tried to move around him, but he just side-stepped, going with her.

“He’s here, Zoe.”

She blinked.

“Russell said Tom is in town. He’s in Vegas.
You’re
in Vegas. Isn’t that one hell of a coincidence?”

Uh, yes, it was. Only his voice was hard and his eyes were cold. “What are you implying?”

“We’d taken you off the radar. We’d made you vanish. Then you convince me to break all the rules and get you back to Vegas. When
he’s
here. A guy working with your father and—”

Wild laughter escaped her. “You think I’m setting you up? That this is some—some what? Some game? Some big ruse so that I could come out of hiding and go away with Tom?”

His eyes glittered.

“No!” She was pretty much yelling and she didn’t care. “No, I’m not lying to you. I’m not betraying you. I haven’t seen Tom since that day—the day I said he could have me and we could walk away from Luther, together.
He could have me.
But I wasn’t enough.” Humiliation burned through her at that stark confession. “He didn’t want me. He just wanted power.” She swiped her hand over her cheek. “Now get the hell out of my way. Because I have a job to do.”

She didn’t think he was moving. She was about to push that guy out of her way—

“There’s something else you need to know.” He hesitated.
Still in my way.
“The hitman has been ID’d. He’s a guy who used to be on your father’s payroll.”

“What?”

“Russell thinks the fellow went freelance after Bates went to prison.”

Okay, yes, she could buy that.

“Or…or maybe…”

She stiffened.
Maybe he’s still working for Luther?
“You said Luther wanted you to keep me safe. So it doesn’t make any sense that he’d hire someone to kill me.” Zoe shook her head. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone turned on Luther. Not the first time, not the last.”

“Zoe—”

“
Michelle.
” She nearly shouted the name at him. “She’s what I have to focus on right now, got it?” She already felt like she was ripping apart. “I can’t—I can’t do anything else. I can’t think about Luther or the hitman or
anything else
. I need to find her. Now either get out of my way or come with me.”

Without another word, Victor turned away from her. He opened the door. Held that door while she marched out.

He didn’t speak to her again, not until they were inside the elevator and heading down to the lobby. Then Victor said, “Tom was a damn fool.”

Her breath left her in a fast gasp.

“Any man in his right mind would have chosen you…
You are enough. You are more than enough.
” His hands fisted at his sides. “He should have known you were everything.”

The ache in her chest eased, just a little bit. The ache eased, but the fear—her new companion—stayed.

***

Getting into Michelle Lane’s apartment wasn’t hard. It also wasn’t exactly a legal entrance or search, but Victor figured desperate times…

Desperate times mean I break more rules for Zoe.

When they’d been in Drake’s hotel and tears had glistened in Zoe’s eyes as she’d said that she hadn’t been enough, when he’d heard the pain in her voice…
I wanted to hunt down Xavier Thomas Winters and beat the guy’s ass.

Only Victor was supposed to be the good guy. The guy who didn’t use his fists to get some much needed vengeance for Zoe.

“It looks as if she hasn’t been here in weeks,” Zoe said, spinning around in the middle of the little den. “There’s dust everywhere. Michelle is a neat freak. Like, obsessively neat. No way would she be letting the place get this way if she’d been here recently.”

Not a surprise. They’d already known the woman had vanished from the radar, but Victor had wanted to search Michelle’s place just in case there might have been some clues there. Signs of a struggle. Notes about travel plans…clothes that were packed indicating she’d left
willingly.

But…

There’s nothing. No broken furniture. No overturned chairs. All of her clothes are still hanging in the closet, precisely in place.

In fact, other than the dust, the whole place was…perfect. Too perfect.

He slowly turned around, studying all the walls. No photos. He opened a few drawers. Some were bare. Some had only the fewest of items—a screwdriver, matches. “Your friend…” he murmured. “She’s not exactly the sentimental type, is she?”

“What do you mean?”

He shut the drawer he’d opened. “No family pics. No mementos from trips.”

Zoe glanced at the walls. The empty walls. Then back at him. She rubbed her forehead. “I guess I never noticed. Is that…odd? That she doesn’t have things like that?”

It was certainly interesting.

“I never had them,” she murmured, rubbing her head a bit harder. “After my mom…died, it wasn’t like I wanted to put up pictures of Luther. And I don’t have any other family members.”

Fuck, yeah, baby, you do.
Guilt twisted in his gut.

“I guess I never noticed Michelle didn’t have pictures because I didn’t, either. Seemed normal to me.” Her hand fell to her side. “She didn’t talk about her family to me, either. She didn’t ask me about mine and I didn’t ask about hers. I was just—glad to not have to lie to someone new, I guess.” She swallowed. “I should have asked. If I’d known more about her family, I could have contacted them. Could have found out if—”

“No next of kin was listed on her rental application.”

“What?”

He rolled his shoulders back. “I did some digging a while back when you first went looking for her. I got access to her rental application.” He’d pulled—or rather, yanked hard—on some strings he had. “She didn’t have a next of kin listed. It seems that her parents died when she was younger.”

“So we’re the only ones looking for her?”

Maybe…

He headed toward the refrigerator. He opened it, expecting to have the scent of old milk hit him. Food gone bad. But—

The fridge was empty.

His head tilted. Michelle’s clothes were still in her closet, her apartment—other than the dust—was completely clean. He shut the fridge door and strode toward her garbage can.

Empty.
Very interesting. “She left willingly.”

“What?” Zoe’s voice rose, almost breaking. “How do you know that?”

He faced her. “Because your neat freak friend didn’t want the food going bad in her fridge. She took it all out. Didn’t just toss it in her garbage but probably walked it down to the dumpster.”

Her gaze darted to the fridge. “Maybe someone else did that…maybe the person who took her—”

“Damn unlikely. The abductor would just be focused on cleaning up any obvious signs of a struggle. He wouldn’t give a shit about milk congealing in the fridge.”

Excitement flashed on her face. “Michelle would care about that. It would drive her crazy.”

“That’s why she got rid of it. She knew she wasn’t coming back here for a while. She ditched the food, emptied out her garbage, and just left the things that didn’t matter.”

Now Zoe surged toward him. “Her
clothes
are here. Are you really saying those don’t matter?”

Actually…
maybe.