Mine To Protect (Mine #6)(64)
“Today, we are,” Archer said. “Victor sent us.”
Okay, that was good enough for him. Cain turned away from them and hurried toward the bed. Michelle was twisting and fighting her ropes and grunting frantically behind her gag. He yanked off her blindfold and saw her dark eyes flare. He pulled down her gag. “Michelle, it’s okay, you’re safe—”
“Zoe!” Michelle yelled the name.
“Zoe is going to be okay,” Drake said. “Victor is taking care of her.”
Cain yanked at the rope that bound her wrists. “You don’t—don’t understand.” Her body trembled. “He’s obsessed—he’s…he’s not letting her g-go…”
“Yes, he will.” The woman at Drake’s side spoke with certainty. “Because Victor isn’t going to give that bastard a choice.”
A tear leaked down Michelle’s cheek. “I think…I think he’ll kill her…before he lets her go again…He’ll kill Zoe…”
***
Zoe was safe. Zoe was alive.
Zoe is with me. Victor’s heart was still racing, fear still hollowing out his stomach, but Zoe was okay. He’d gotten to her. Stopped Tom. And Michelle should be safe. Jasmine and Drake would never let him down.
While Russell kept his gun pointed at Tom, Victor pulled out his phone. He pressed the buttons to connect him with Jasmine and while the phone rang, he waited, nervous as all hell. I need confirmation that Michelle is still alive.
“We’ve got her,” Jasmine said when she answered the call. “Michelle is safe, and just so you know, the FBI cavalry is storming the building right now.”
So Percy had finally decided to do the right thing. A little late to the party, but that was the assistant director’s normal style.
“But Vic…watch your ass up there, okay?” Worry thickened Jasmine’s voice. “Michelle is saying that Tom is freaking obsessed with Zoe. That he never got over her—that he’s been pulling all of these strings and setting everything up so that she had to come back to him.”
Victor’s gaze slid back to Tom. The guy didn’t look like a threat any longer. His shoulders were hunched. His body still.
“And if he’s spent all this time working toward the goal of getting her back,” Jasmine continued, her words rushing out, “then how will he react when you take her away?”
“I don’t give a shit how he reacts. There’s nothing he can do. Zoe is safe, and he’s about to spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
At Victor’s rough words, Tom’s head jerked up. Fury burned in his gaze.
“Thanks, Jazz,” Victor said. “I owe you.” He put the phone back in his pocket. Zoe was still beside him, still cradling her broken wrist. Fucking *.
And she was still…
Not looking me in the eye.
He’d deal with that. Deal with her—later. As soon as they were out of that building, he’d start fixing things with her. He’d beg. He’d plead. He’d move heaven and earth, but he would fix things. There was no alternative for him.
He needed her too much.
Russell had cuffed the guy. He shoved Tom forward and tossed a pleased glance at Victor. “Not too bad for our last case, huh, Victor?” Russell asked.
Not too bad, but not too good, either, because he’d screwed things so completely with Zoe.
“You can’t trust him,” Tom said, his attention focused on Zoe. “You know that, right? Don’t ever trust him. He’ll just keep betraying you. Just keep using you.”
“Shut the hell up,” Victor ordered.
But Tom continued, voice heating as he said, “He doesn’t care about you, Zoe. He never did. He’s been using you all along. Don’t fall into that trap again.”
“Shut up!” Victor’s roar blasted through the penthouse.
“He doesn’t care—”
“I know he doesn’t.” Zoe’s soft words cut right through Tom’s rage-filled rant. “I know.” And then she did finally look into Victor’s eyes. The sadness and pain he saw in her green stare ripped through him. “But at least he came back.” Her lips twisted in a sad smile. “So thank you for that Victor.”
“Zoe—”
But she’d already turned away from him. She stared at Tom and shook her head. “I don’t think prison will be kind to you. Luther…he has a lot of connections inside prison walls. When people realize you betrayed him, what do you think they’ll do to you in there?”
Tom paled. “No…”
“Maybe you should make a deal,” she said as she turned away and began walking toward the door. “You and Victor…you’re both good at deals.”
Victor felt those words pierce his heart.
Tom was watching her leave, a wistful, almost sad expression on his face. “Good-bye, my Zoe.”
“I was never yours.” She kept walking. “Never anyone’s. I’m my own person. So screw off.”
Tom’s gaze hardened.
She kept going.
Victor wanted to run after her. He had the feeling he’d be spending the rest of his life doing that. Rushing after her. Hadn’t that been their story all along? She slipped away. He found her.