Mine to Have (Mine #5)(46)

“Working on it,” Victor replied, voice grim. “I need a little more time.”

He glanced over his shoulder. The door to his office was still shut. “You talked to Luther.”

As far as Saxon was concerned, it would be easier to just kill Luther Bates and move the hell on, but Victor hadn’t been sure the hit on Elizabeth would actually be canceled by the guy’s death. Not if the money for the job was being held in an account someplace.

“He’s offered me a deal. I just need a little more time, and your lady will be cleared.”

Your lady. Yes, Saxon thought of Elizabeth as his now. Was that wrong? He’d bled for her, been ready to kill for her…and, after all the dark years he’d spent undercover, didn’t he deserve a chance to have something? Someone? Elizabeth stirred emotion to life within him. She made him wonder what it would be like to have a wife, a partner in life. He wasn’t going to just let some bastard destroy her. “I think we should have gone with my method.”

“You can’t just walk into a federal prison and kill a man!”

Saxon sighed. “Didn’t Luther just kill a man in there? Some unlucky bastard named Titus Rowe?” He’d read about that, when he’d been digging into Luther’s life and trying to find anything that they could use against the guy in order to force him to back away from Elizabeth and cancel that hit.

“He killed him, and I think I know why.” Victor’s words came a bit faster. “There’s a woman missing, her name is Zoe Peters, and, from what I can tell, she vanished the day before Luther took the shiv to Titus Rowe’s throat.”

His fingers tightened around the phone.

“Luther said if I find the woman, if I bring him proof of life, then he’ll call off the hit on Elizabeth.”

“And you believe him?” Saxon was calling BS. “Vic, you can’t trust a guy like him. You know that.”

“I know I don’t have a lot of options, and I know that I am doing this. You’ve been through hell for me over the years. Now it’s my turn to pay you back.”

Victor didn’t get it. Saxon had done all of that undercover work because Vic was family—a link that went deeper than blood ever could. He’d wanted to protect his family. “If you need me, I’m there.”

“No.” Vic’s denial was immediate. “You’re out, you’re safe with that shiny new life of yours. A life that includes Elizabeth now. Keep her safe, and I’ll cover this end.” Static crackled over the line. “I will find Zoe Peters.”

Saxon knew that Victor tried to never make a promise that he couldn’t keep.

The line went dead. For a moment, Saxon didn’t move. He stared out at the land before him. The sun was setting, the sky a mix of red and gold. The scene looked like something out of a fancy painting.

And it’s all mine.

He’d saved every penny over the years and sank a fortune into this place. That fortune had come to him the hard way. He hadn’t just worked for the FBI in the last fifteen years. He’d risked his life more times than he could count, and when you were dealing in life or death situations, the pay-out could be serious. So he’d taken that pay-out, then doubled, tripled his money during his days in Vegas. And when the vineyard had come open, when he’d realized what he could do with a little winery out here…

A slice of heaven, after hell.

He’d wanted this place for so long.

Saxon turned and strode for the door.

But now he actually wanted something—someone else—more.

When he opened the door, he saw that Vanessa was collecting her bag and preparing to leave for the day. She paused when she saw him.

“Mr. Laurent?”

Another fake name. Maybe one day, he’d get used to it. “I’m looking for Ms. Meadows,” he said.

Vanessa’s eyes widened and she smiled a little. “She’s in the tasting room.”

He immediately turned toward the left. “Thank you.”

“I, um, didn’t realize that the two of you were…an item.”

Saxon stilled.

“Oh, gosh, that was too personal, wasn’t it?” Vanessa blurted. “I crossed a line, I’m so sorry. Sometimes, I just don’t think before I—”

He glanced back at her. “You have nothing to be sorry about.” We’re definitely an item.

Her tremulous smile came again. “Th-thank you.”

After giving her a little nod, he strode down the hallway. He hadn’t confirmed or denied that he was involved with Elizabeth. He was trying to play the gentleman for her, and yelling to everyone that they were lovers—well, that probably wasn’t the most gentlemanly move ever.

And it had sure as shit been hard to keep up that gentlemanly front when Sloan Quest had been edging so close to Elizabeth. Sure, the guy knew PR and he was an expert when it came to the wine business, but Saxon had wanted to shove the man across the room.

Saxon reached the tasting room. He paused a moment and took in a deep breath. Don’t jump the woman. Keep some control.

He pushed open the door.

Wood gleamed all around the tasting room. Heavy, tall wine racks. Small, sputtering candles set the scene. He’d ordered those candles, earlier, when he’d wanted to toast with his new staff.