Mine to Protect (Mine 6)

Percy’s gaze suddenly sharpened on her. “I think there are no limits to what Luther Bates will or will not do.”

Okay, that was—

“And I think the FBI’s main focus needs to be protecting Zoe. Turning Zoe. Using her. Before we lose her.”

That sounded so…cold.

“We can’t let Luther get ahead of us.” He tapped his chin, considering. “Okay, okay…this is what I want. Find out all you can about Luther’s new lawyer.”

The lawyer? He didn’t want them to try and discover whether or not Luther had taken out a hit on his own daughter?

But the assistant director had already turned away from her and glanced toward his computer. He typed quickly, opening a new screen as he said, “The fellow has some fancy ass name…Xavier Thomas Winters.”

“Tom,” Russell said, sounding a bit surprised.

“Yeah, well,” Percy grumbled, “I sure hope the asshole goes by Tom. Xavier is—”

But Russell had already surged toward the assistant director’s desk. “You said he was Luther’s new lawyer, but Vic told me…he said that, a few years ago, a lawyer named Tom worked for Luther. The guy wanted Zoe to marry him.”

Surprise rippled across Percy’s face. Then he frowned at his computer scene. “That the same fucking guy?”

Russell glanced at Lauren. His face was grim. “I think we need to find out that shit, right now.”

And I think we need to find out who the hell wants Zoe dead. Who is pulling all the strings? But she was supposed to follow orders. Wasn’t that what a good agent did? So she said, “Any idea where this Xavier Winters is right now?”

Percy’s jaw hardened. “Yeah…He’s in Vegas.”

Chapter Eight

The desire she felt for Victor always surprised Zoe. It should be wrong to want someone so much, to need another person so completely.

When Victor’s lips touched hers, Zoe’s heart seemed to stutter for a moment in her chest. She opened her mouth to him, kissed him back with quick eagerness.

She didn’t like playing games. Didn’t like pretending. Life was so short. What was the point in pretending?

She wanted Victor. Wanted him with a hot lust that she hadn’t felt for others. Oh, sure, she’d been attracted to other men. She’d found pleasure with them. Tom had been a good lover but…

Victor is different. Everything is different with him.

When she’d seen him and Jasmine standing so close together, when Zoe had heard Jasmine say that she loved Victor…

I wanted to attack her. Not a normal reaction. She’d never felt jealousy before. Envy, yes, definitely. She’d envied the lives that others had. Envied their easy happiness.

But she’d never been jealous, not until she’d heard Jasmine speak so easily of love with Victor. Not until she’d seen…

Emotion, in his eyes. No shadows. No guarded expression. He cared for Jasmine. It was right there for me to see.

And Zoe had wanted Victor to look at her that way, too.

He licked her lower lip. His tongue thrust into her mouth as he tasted her. The glass was cold behind her back, and he was so incredibly hot. She could feel the hard length of his arousal pressed against her.

Her nipples were tight, aching. Just from a kiss.

His head lifted. His gleaming eyes met hers.

He still held her wrists captive. Still seemed to surround her with his heat and power. She stared at him, a thousand thoughts flying through her head.

Wrong man.

Wrong place.

Wrong life.

He was so wrong for her, in so many ways. But he was also the only man that had ever felt right. He’d saved her, again and again. Killed for her.

Was it any wonder that she was falling in love with him? “Victor…”

He kissed her again. A quick, hot, open-mouthed kiss.

This desire isn’t natural. Maybe…maybe the attraction for him was due to some kind of weird hero issue that she had. When your father was a villain, maybe you rebelled against him and that rebellion took the form of attaching to the good guys.

Victor had saved her life—at least twice, maybe three times—but she’d started to lose count. Perhaps that was why she wanted him so much.

Or maybe…

He nibbled on her lower lip.

Maybe it’s because he’s…Victor.

And she really wanted to just give in to her need. To make love with him, right then, right there but… “Let me go.”

He stiffened against her.

Then he instantly freed her hands and stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice stilted. “I didn’t mean—”

“I’m not staying here tonight.”

“What?”

“I’m sure Drake has a really wonderful team of security agents. Top notch, truly. But Michelle is my friend. I know her. I know the places she’d go to hang out. The places she’d go to hide. I have to search for her. I can’t just stay in this place, be in the lap of luxury with you, while she’s out there…” It wouldn’t be right. She’d come to Vegas before, looking for Michelle, but Zoe had been dragged back into hiding before she could find her friend.

No one will stop me this time.

“I want to stay with you.” That was the absolute truth. “I want to make love to you and tell the rest of the world to just fuck off, but Michelle…”

His expression said he understood. “She isn’t the rest of the world.”

r />   She’s my friend. And I’m afraid too much time has already passed. Far too long. A woman shouldn’t vanish so completely, but Michelle had.

“I can’t stay here, with you, while she could be out there…” Say it. “Dead.” Because that was what she feared the most. “I’ll keep a low profile.” It was the middle of the night—not like she was prancing around the city in the middle of broad daylight. “But I have to go out. I can’t let more time pass.”

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.”