Mine to Protect (Mine 6)

“You are blowing my plans to hell.” His words were angry, but his mouth was so careful on hers. “And I don’t even care.” He licked her lower lip. “I can’t stop…with you, I can’t.”

Was that good? Or bad? “Victor…”

His head lifted. “If you didn’t have a concussion, I would be fucking you as hard as I could right now.”

The concussion? What concussion? She felt fine, and it had been hours since he’d forced her to stop in at that hospital.

But he pulled away from her and stalked toward the window. He seemed to be staring so hard at the gleaming Vegas lights. “Sometimes, I hate my job.”

She rubbed her chilled arms. The chill had come from the coldness of his voice. “I thought you liked upholding the peace. Stopping the bad guys.” She tried to make her voice sound light, but Zoe knew she failed.

“Some bad guys…they get beneath your skin. They twist the world around them. If you’re not careful, they’ll twist you.”

The drumming of her heartbeat filled her ears. “You’re talking about Luther.”

He was still not looking at her. “He’s one of the coldest SOBs I’ve ever met.”

Her father was the coldest SOB she’d ever met. No doubt about it.

“We can’t ever let him get out of prison, Zoe. Help me make sure that doesn’t happen.”

She could barely breathe. The idea of her father, loose…

“How many people will he kill…” Victor continued, “once he’s on the street?”

Her gaze fell to the floor. Guilt cut through her, the way it always did when she thought of all the terrible things her father had done.

Like father, like daughter…

“There’s something else.”

But she didn’t want to hear anything else right then.

“More is at play in Vegas than we realize. More that involves you.” His footsteps padded toward her. His fingers curled under her chin, and he tilted her head back. His touch was so gentle as he gazed down at her. “Your ex, Tom Winters…”

“You told me he was in Vegas.” She tried to keep her voice even. “It’s not like we’re going to see him—”

“Yeah, I already have seen him.”

“What? When?”

“While I was questioning Roy, Tom arrived. Seems he’s Roy’s attorney, too.”

“No.” An automatic denial. Tom couldn’t be working for Luther and for Roy. There was no way coincidences like that happened.

It’s not a coincidence.

Victor’s gaze was solemn. “The players in this game are lining up.”

Not a game. Don’t call it that.

“And I don’t like what’s happening. I don’t like what I think could be coming.”

Luther Bates. Tom. Planning some kind of legal twist to get my father out of prison.

“We need to work together, Zoe. You said you trusted me—keep trusting me. I will help you get Michelle. I will stand by your side through whatever hell might come our way.”

He already had. He’d been risking his life for her, again and again.

“And I will protect you from the thing that you fear the most.”

She stared into his eyes. Zoe gazed deep and saw that he’d uncovered her darkest secret.

The thing she feared most in the whole world…

It was her father.

“Once Michelle is safe…” She exhaled a ragged breath. “I’ll do everything I can to help you keep my father in jail.” My father.

She saw the satisfaction flash across his face. But she wondered—did he have any idea just how much the deal would cost her?

***

Cops could be such pains in the ass. Xavier—Tom—Winters made sure to keep his casual smile in place as he left the station. Every eye in the place had been on him. What had they expected? That he’d slip up right there? It wasn’t amateur hour.

His driver was waiting at the curb, standing in front of that long, sleek ride as if he were waiting for a celebrity. That’s what I am now. Tom nodded to him as he climbed into the back. The door shut behind him and Tom started to reach for his phone, but then he stopped.

No need to check-in. He had this covered. Everything was moving along perfectly.

FBI Special Agent Victor Monroe was back in town, and that meant, of course…that Zoe Peters was close. The guy had her stashed someplace. That wouldn’t do. Zoe needed to come into the open.

The better for me to see. The better for me to touch.

Zoe didn’t understand just how many lives were on the line. The woman also didn’t get that she was being used. Coldly. Brilliantly.

That was Zoe’s problem, though. She didn’t have her father’s killer instinct. From what Tom could tell, she had no killer instinct. Zoe wanted to save the world, to atone for all of Luther’s sins.

Not happening.

His fingers tapped against his phone. There were plenty of ways he could handle the situation, but why not just go for the direct route?

FBI Special Agent Victor Monroe.

He was the direct route. Good thing Tom had already done plenty of research on Victor Monroe. That had been Luther’s primary directive to him.

Tear apart Monroe’s past. Find his every weak spot.

Then exploit the hell out of that weakness.

His eyes closed as he leaned back against the leather seat. After his little chat with Roy, he had a pretty good idea of exactly what Victor’s weakness might be. And Tom knew that he didn’t have to go out and hunt Victor and Zoe…

They’ll be coming to me.

***

“Zoe…” She turned at the low whisper of her name. She’d been waiting all day for Victor to work out the arrangements on their plan. He’d been calling in favors at the FBI, making sure that he took over jurisdiction in Vegas.

It was almost time to act. Michelle, please, hold on.

“I have something for you.” He stood in the doorway. Her bedroom. The suite had two bedrooms. This was the first time he’d walked into her room. He lifted up the box he held in his arms. Some fancy box with a high end store name written in script on the side.

She stared at that box as if it were a snake. “You got me a present?” She couldn’t remember the last time someone had done that, and she sure didn’t know how to act. “Victor?” She looked at his face.

And saw his shock. His pain.

He put the box down. Went to her. Took her hands in his. “You de

serve so much.”

Embarrassment flooded her cheeks. “It’s not a present. It’s for the-the case, right? I mean, I know, I—”

He kissed her. Deep. Hard. Hot.

She moaned into his mouth. Desire beat in her blood. When he started to pull back, she twisted her hands, holding onto him then. “Don’t be a tease.”

His eyes glittered down at her. “I’m not teasing.”

“It’s been twenty-four hours since I got the bump on the head.” Twenty-four long hours. “I am fine. And before anything else happens…” Another attack, their recuse attempt with Michelle…whatever hell might be waiting. “I want to be with you.”

A muscle jerked in his jaw.

“Don’t you want to be with me?”

“More than I want my next breath.”

Her breath caught. “That’s an awful lot,” she murmured. Her hands rose to curl around his shoulders. She pulled him closer. “I want a present.”

His eyelids flickered.

“I want you. I’m asking for you. Right now, give yourself to me, Victor. Totally.” She eased out a slow breath. “Because that’s the same way I’ll give myself to you.” No holding back, not for either of them.

She could see the desire in his eyes. Good.

She pulled off his shirt. Tossed it across the room. Then her hands went to the snap of his jeans. The hiss of his zipper seemed loud, and then she was pushing down the denim. He wasn’t wearing underwear and his cock—already heavy with arousal—sprang into her hands. She slipped to her knees before him.

“Zoe…”

And she took him into her mouth. Her tongue swiped over the head of his arousal. She licked him. She pumped. She loved the way he felt in her mouth. But, more, she loved the way he tasted. That sweet drop of—

With careful hands, he pulled her to her feet. Then he pushed her onto the bed. He stripped her, slowly, gently, even as the breath heaved from his lungs and the desire in his eyes blazed ever brighter.

She was naked before him. Her body completely open and he put his hands between her thighs, spreading her even more for him. Her breasts were aching, the nipples tight, and she was already wet for him. Ready.

Victor put his mouth on her. Her breath rushed out on a heavy moan when he started licking her. The man’s tongue…his lips…