Mine to Have (Mine #5)(35)

“Ah,” Jasmine murmured, a wealth of understanding in that word. “Now I understand.”

No, she didn’t. Because he didn’t even understand. He glanced back at her. She’d returned to Drake’s side. Their fingers linked together.

“I guess you have to figure out,” Drake murmured, obviously sharing some kind of weird psychic-connection with his new bride, “if she’s the kind that you want to fight for or the kind that you let go.” He looked down at Jasmine. “Because I sure as hell could never let you go.”

No, the guy hadn’t been able to walk away. He’d done anything, everything, for Jasmine.

Because he loved her.

“I don’t love Elizabeth,” he said. The words came out hollow. “How could I love someone I just met?” She’d made him happy, yes, given him incredible pleasure. Driven him to distraction. Had him wanting to fight the world to protect her but—

“She’s better off without me,” he muttered.

“Ah, Sax,” Jasmine sighed his name. “You know I can always tell when you lie.”

***

“Am I under arrest?” Elizabeth asked softly.

The man across from her shook his head.

Her breath came out in a low rush. “Then is there a particular reason why you’ve been holding me here for the last day?” Because it sure felt like an arrest to her. When she’d finally broken out of her stupor and tried to surge into that hospital after Saxon, she’d found cops on their way to get her. Three uniformed men had closed in, and they’d taken her from that hospital, even though she’d fought them.

Maybe punched one in the jaw.

She’d just…wanted to see Saxon. To make sure he was all right. So she’d gotten a little out of control. Keeping her locked up after that little episode had hardly been necessary.

“This isn’t legal.” They hadn’t put her in a cell. Instead, they’d given her an office to crash in. Made sure she had plenty of food. Access to a bathroom. But she hadn’t been able to leave.

Because she had a guard wherever she went.

“I know my rights,” Elizabeth continued when the young cop before her just kept staring back into her eyes. “I want to go home.” Back to the place where this nightmare had started. It seemed like a lifetime ago—she’d been heading to her apartment when those goons had grabbed her. She’d fought, lost her shoes, and found herself thrown into the back of their vehicle. They’d put a hood over her head and tied her up. When that hood had finally come off, she’d found a gun pointing at her.

I was in The Blade then. Saxon came in the door and asked for an hour with me.

“How is Saxon?” Elizabeth whispered.

He opened his mouth to speak.

And that was the same instant that the door to that little office opened.

Her gaze immediately swung to the left, and when she saw Victor standing there, Elizabeth surged to her feet. She was across the room in an instant, and her hands fisted around his shirt. “Saxon! Is Saxon all right?”

Victor’s gaze cut toward the cop. “Take a break.”

The guy hesitated. “But I’m her shift guard—”

“And I’m here now,” Victor pointed out, his voice carrying a lethal softness, “so take a fucking break.”

The cop’s Adam’s apple bobbed and he hurried for the door.

Elizabeth kept her death grip on Victor’s shirt. The agent looked tired, with deep shadows under his eyes. His hair was mussed, and tension was evident on the lines that bracketed his mouth. “He’s not dead,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t you say that he is.”

The door shut behind the cop. Victor looked down at Elizabeth’s hands. Carefully, his fingers curled around hers, and he slowly pushed her back a bit. “I’m sorry you were held here, but when I found out that I had a turncoat on my own team, I couldn’t take chances.”

“Saxon.” Why wasn’t he just answering her?

His jaw hardened. “Saxon Black won’t be working your case any longer.”

“Is he alive?” Because she’d had to wash his blood off her fingers. Had to watch it slide down the drain in that little bathroom down the hall. Then she’d cried. Cried until she’d thought her whole body would break.

He risked his life for me. A stranger…who gave up everything.

Victor’s gaze cut toward the wall on the right. There was an observation mirror there. One that threw their own reflections back at them, but let other cops view them from the other side. She’d seen plenty of those one-way mirrors on TV shows. She knew the deal.

“I don’t care who is watching,” Elizabeth said. “I have to know.”

Victor brought his mouth close to her ear. His lips brushed against her as he breathed, “He survived, but he’s dead to you…and everyone else.”

Happiness surged through her at that one word…survived. A choking sob burst from her, but then…

He’s dead to you…and everyone else.

She didn’t understand. Her head turned. Her gaze held Victor’s. “Why?” His words weren’t making sense to her, not at all.

But Victor stepped back.

Her hands wrapped around her stomach as a strange, scared tension seemed to course through her veins.