Mine To Protect (Mine #6)(23)

Their fight had gone on too long. And in the end, they’d both still been on their feet, staggering.

Everyone else had left. He and Saxon had been about to collapse, then Jasmine had appeared. She’d patched them up. Kept them both alive.

And the three of them…for a long time, it was the three of us against the world.

But Jasmine was with Drake now. And Saxon…the guy had cut ties with the FBI and moved out to California…where he was currently settled with his new wife.

A wife who had some very, very personal ties to Zoe. I can’t tell her about those ties.

More secrets. More lies. Because that’s our thing.

Victor’s gaze darted around that darkened limo. Traveling via the private jet had definitely saved them a whole lot of time. Now the big goal would be to keep Zoe out of the spotlight. He cleared his throat and said, “The fewer folks who know Zoe is in Vegas, the better it is for her.”

“It’s pretty easy to disappear in Sin City,” Jasmine murmured. “I’ve certainly done that a time or two myself.”

Zoe leaned forward, her shoulder sliding against Victor’s arm. “That’s why we’re here, actually. One of my friends has disappeared. I came out to find her before but…” He felt her gaze land on him. “Someone cut that search sort.”

“Because I was trying to save your sweet ass,” he said, too aware that his voice had become a rough growl.

Drake gave a low laugh. “So…what? Something changed for you? You’re not worried about her sweet ass any longer?”

Drake could be such a bastard. If the guy didn’t make Jasmine so ridiculously happy…I would totally kick his ass.

“We have a deal,” Zoe said, her voice soft but carrying easily in the back of that limo. “Victor promised to help me find her.”

Drake’s fingers tapped against his knee. “I’ve had some experience with Victor and his…deals.”

Was the guy still furious over their past? So Victor had lied to Drake. Betrayed him. Let that shit go, man.

“Victor helps you…” Drake mused. “But what does Victor get out of that deal? What’s in it for him?”

I made her promise me anything. Would she admit that? No, no, Victor didn’t think she’d reveal—

“That part is between us.” Again, her voice was still soft. “But I know I can count on Victor. He hasn’t let me down. In fact, he’s the reason I’m still alive.”

Jasmine was silent. A dangerous sign. Jazz was definitely not the silent type.

“Give me the name of the missing woman,” Drake said. “I’ll get my security team to start running down leads. If you’re trying to stay out of the spotlight, let them do most of the recon work while you take refuge in my hotel. Trust me, you’ll be safe there.”

“No offense,” Zoe said. “But trust isn’t going to enter the equation for me.”

“I trust him,” Victor told her. And he did. It wasn’t like he would have let the guy marry Jasmine otherwise. Drake Archer was ruthless, demanding, and dangerous, but he was also one of the good guys.

Semi-good, anyway.

“I trust him,” Victor repeated, lowering his voice, wanting Zoe to know that he wasn’t leading her into any kind of trap.

But I am. Sonofabitch, I am.

“Tell me the missing woman’s name,” Drake said.

Zoe hesitated. The car kept eating up the distance as it headed toward those bright Vegas lights. “Michelle,” she finally said. “Michelle Lane.”





Chapter Seven


Drake took them to a private entrance at the hotel. There were definite perks involved when you arrived with the hotel’s owner. A private entrance, a private elevator. A quick trip to a reserved suite on the top floor that kept them away from prying eyes.

Drake opened the door to the suite and escorted Zoe inside. Victor started to follow them, but Jasmine reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“What in the hell are you doing with Zoe Peters?”

Ah. Right. Figured that Jasmine would recognize her, even though he’d only let Zoe give her first name during the big introduction moment. Considering that Jazz had worked plenty of undercover assignments, she would have definitely been circulating with folks who knew Zoe…and her father, Luther Bates.

“I’m keeping her alive,” he said, turning to stare down into her eyes.

“Bull. You’re using her.”

Now he was the one to turn his hand and grab her wrist. He pulled her away from the door. “What the hell?” His words were whispered. “Zoe might hear you!” Because she hadn’t been whispering.

“Good. Maybe the woman needs to hear me.” Jasmine jerked her hand free of him and glared—and no one could glare quite like her. Her eyes went all icy on him. “You do this. I’ve seen you do this crap in the field. You get all focused on the FBI and what it wants and you forget that real people are paying the price. Real people are getting hurt—”

“I’m helping her!”

She gave a hard shake of her head. “Victor, sell this story to someone who hasn’t known you as long as I have. Let me guess…you told her that the two of you were a team? That you’d help her to find her missing friend?”