Mine To Protect (Mine #6)(57)

Insane bastard. “You put a hit on my life.”

He gave a little shrug. “I moved the pieces on the chess board.”

She could see herself killing him. In that moment, it would be so easy. One slice. Done. Sure, the blood would pour on her and he’d probably fight as he went down…

The same way my mother had fought. The same way the blood had pumped from her. The same way…

“You’ve gone so pale, sweetheart. I’m sorry, but, come on, at this point in your life, shouldn’t you just expect betrayals?” Then he twisted the wrist he’d been stroking. Hard and brutally and the bone snapped.

She didn’t cry out, but the knife she’d held slipped from her fingers.

“I had to put the hit on you. I didn’t know where you were hiding. I needed you to come out. To come back to me. It’s the same reason I took Michelle. You had to come to me…and you did.”

“I could’ve died, *!” Her wrist throbbed. The pain was so intense that nausea rose within her and dizziness had her swaying. “If it weren’t for Victor—”

“Ah. Dear Victor. He’s the man I knew would save you. After all, you are his weakness. I’d long suspected that, and it was so nice to get the confirmation from Roy. Roy would have told me anything—everything—of course, because the fool actually thinks I’m going to help him.” His head leaned toward her, right next to her ear, as if he were sharing a special secret when he whispered, “I’m not. I’m going to let him go to jail and I’ll let one of the prisoners kill him there. Just like I sent another prisoner to kill that fool who tried to shoot you in the alley.”

“You sent that shooter!”

“And I couldn’t risk him turning on me.” He spoke with no emotion. “Just so you know, I did include a bonus in the hit…a bonus that would be paid if you were brought in alive. See? I was doing my part to protect you, too.”

What? That was insane.

“I needed you back, Zoe.”

“Why me?” Why was she so important?

“Because, sweetheart, you’re the only one who can do this special job. The only one he won’t see coming.” His breath blew over the shell of her ear. “If you want Michelle back alive, if you want your life back—no hits, no enemies, nothing but you dancing your heart out on a glittering Vegas stage, my stage—then you just have to do one thing for me.”

“What?”

He eased back so that he could stare into her eyes. Then he smiled as he told her, “You have to kill Luther Bates.”

***

Victor yanked open the side door of the van.

“Hell, yes!” Russell said as his fist shot into the air. He had headphones on and was leaning over a computer. Lauren sat at his side, her eyes gleaming, and a wide smile on her face.

“We just got the bastard,” Lauren whispered. “We got him!”

Victor shook his head, not understanding.

“Zoe activated her listening device as soon as she got close to Tom,” Russell said. “We recorded every single word that prick just said to her. We got his full confession. That bastard is going down.”

She’d done it.

“He’s the one who took Michelle,” Lauren said quickly, shoving back her hair. “He’s the one who put out the hit on Zoe. He’s the one who’s been doing it all.” She gave a quick, excited laugh. “Your plan worked freaking perfectly.”

His plan? No, no, it hadn’t worked out so well. If it had worked out, he’d still be up there. He’d be keeping her safe. “Is she all right?” Victor asked and he heard the desperation in his own voice.

“She’s still talking,” Russell assured him quickly. “That means she’s still alive. He’s going to keep her that way. The guy has a job for her.”

“What job?”

Russell and Lauren shared a long look. Lauren’s laughter was gone. “He wants Zoe to kill her father,” she said quietly.

“Give me the f*cking headphones.”

Russell nearly threw them at Victor. He put them on and heard Zoe’s voice, seeming to flow right around him.

***

“Kill…Luther?” Zoe laughed at Tom. “You must be out of your mind. He’s in a maximum security prison.”

Tom wasn’t laughing. “That sweet little knife you just pulled out of your dress? You can smuggle one just like it into the prison. I’ll make sure the guards don’t search you too thoroughly. Luther will let you get close to him. Hell, pretend you’re giving the guy a hug. Then slice his throat open.”

“No.”

“Come on, Zoe…” Now his voice was low, wheedling. As if the jerk hadn’t just broken her wrist. “You know you want some payback. How fitting would it be…especially after what he did to your mom.”

“Stop.” She didn’t want to hear this. She didn’t want the people listening to hear this. She just needed it all to stop.

“You were there. I know you were. Luther told me…said it was the one part he regretted. Not killing her, of course, but that you saw it. He said you even tried to stop him. To save her.”

She could feel her mother’s blood on her fingers. On her clothes.