Mine To Protect (Mine #6)(28)

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.”