Mine to Protect (Mine 6)

“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.

And this time, I beg her to forgive me.

“I’ve got this joker,” Russell said, his voice sympathetic. “Do what you need to do, Vic.”

But, once more, Victor’s gaze jerked toward Tom. There was still sadness on his face, but something else was there, too.

Triumph?

Why would the guy be all triumphant now? Michelle was alive. He was cuffed. What the hell did Tom have to be celebrating? Not a single thing unless…

How will he react when you take her away? Jasmine’s words played in his mind again. Frowning, he said, “You put all of those hits on Zoe.”

Tom just kept staring after her.

“She could have died at any time. If I hadn’t been there, she would be dead.”

Tom’s gaze finally slid toward him. “Too bad you aren’t there now, huh, Special Agent?”

What?

Triumph blazed like insanity in Tom’s eyes.

Then Victor understood. This isn’t over. Victor ran for the door, bellowing Zoe’s name.

She was standing in front of the elevator, her head bowed. At his shout, she jerked and looked up at him. “I don’t have the stupid keycard. I can’t get it to open.”

Fuck the keycard. “Tom has a hit on you!”

Her lips twisted. “He only wanted to get me to the hotel. It’s over.”

It’s not. Victor pushed faster, determined to get to her. And he yanked at his holster, pulling out his gun. “Zoe!”

“It’s. Over.”

The elevator doors dinged.

Someone had just come up to the penthouse.

“Zoe!”

The doors opened and gunfire thundered. Her body flew back and Victor saw the blood—Zoe’s blood. The guard came out of the elevator. Samuel. The jerk he’d fought earlier. The guy came out, with his gun still raised because Zoe was still alive.

“Boss said…you don’t leave,” the guard growled. “You never leave him. Extra pay for that…”

And Victor knew that Tom had never intended to let Zoe escape that hotel. When she’d walked inside…

Either she’d be Tom’s or she’d be dead.

“No!” Victor fired, again and again and the guard was the one to jerk back as the bullets hit him. They flew into his chest, sank into his heart and the bastard fell, slamming back into the elevator.

Victor rushed to Zoe. She had her hands on her stomach and the blood was pumping out, soaking her fingers. She stared up at him, her face slack with shock even as her eyes filled with fear. “Vic…tor?”

“You’re okay.” There wasn’t any other option. “Do you hear me? You’re okay.” He put his hands on her wound.

Russell rushed out, hauling Tom with him. “Victor!”

“It hurts,” Zoe whispered. “More than when Luther shot me…”

More than when…Fuck. “Look at me, Zoe!” Because her eyes had sagged shut. Her body had slumped against the wall. “Look at me!”

Her eyelids flickered as she looked up at him.

“You should have stayed with me,” Tom called, voice so cold. “Then you would have been safe. I told you, Zoe, the special agent wasn’t really the good guy. If he had been, you wouldn’t be dying right now.”

Victor ignored him. He stared at Zoe. Gorgeous, strong, perfect Zoe. “You’re okay.”

Her lips trembled. “I’m…not…”

Russell was on his phone, calling for help. Demanding that paramedics get to the penthouse right away.

“You just…you have to get stitched up.” Her blood soaked his hands now. Zoe’s blood is on me. I should have kept her safe. Should have seen this threat coming. “Then you’ll be as good as—”

“Love…you…”

“What?”

“Now…l-lie…to me…”

“Zoe—”

“Lie to me…” Tears leaked from her eyes. “Say…you care. Say—”

“Zoe, I love you!” The words ripped from him. “Do you hear me? I love you. I’ve been in love with you for so long—hell, even before the first time you ditched your guards and escaped. I love you.”

Her eyes were closing again. “Good…liar…”

“No!” He couldn’t just watch her die. He picked her up in his arms, held her tight and raced into the elevator. He kicked the guard’s body out of his way so that the damn doors would shut. “I’m not lying.” He pressed the button for the lobby. “I love you. Love you so much that I’ve been a blind idiot. You are my world, Zoe.” The doors closed. The elevator shot down to the lobby. “You are everything that matters to me, and you are okay.”

Her face had bleached of all color. “Such…liar…”

“Baby…” It wasn’t a lie. The love he felt for her was ripping him apart. Tearing, destroying, killing…

As surely as the bullet was killing her.

No! I can’t lose her! I won’t. “Fight, Zoe. Stay alive. Stay strong. Stay with me.”

The elevator doors opened. He ran into the lobby and saw—

The assistant director. Lauren Ward. Cain. Jasmine. Drake. Other agents. Uniformed cops. They all stared at him i

n shock. “An ambulance!” Victor yelled at them. “Get me an ambulance!” Because…

She’s not okay. Zoe is dying. I can’t let her die.

Please, God, don’t let her die.

He ran for the big, shining doors that led out of the Vine. Jasmine was with him, racing at his side. The others just gaped. Pity was in their eyes.

As if…as if Zoe was already gone.

She was limp in his arms, but she wasn’t gone. Not yet. Not Zoe.

“I love you,” he whispered again.

But Zoe didn’t respond.

“I love you.” He would say it a thousand times. A million. He needed her to understand. She wasn’t just a case. She was Zoe. She had his heart. She had his soul. She owned every single part of him.

He heard the shriek of an ambulance’s siren.

“I love you,” Victor whispered again. He stood there, Zoe in his arms, her body too still, and he felt tears on his own cheeks. “Don’t leave, baby. Stay. I’ll give you anything you want…just stay.”

The ambulance roared to a stop in front of him. The attendants rushed out. They took Zoe from him.

“Victor…” Jasmine reached for his arm. “Victor, I am so sorry.”

He climbed into the ambulance. The EMTs were frantically working on Zoe. She wasn’t responding. “I love you,” he told her again.

Someone slammed the doors shut.

“I love you,” Victor whispered to Zoe.

Chapter Eighteen

Five days later…

Victor Monroe stared through the thick jail bars, his gaze on his prey—Xavier Thomas Winters. The lawyer wore a garish orange prisoner uniform, stubble lined his jaw, and the nose that Victor had broken—it was still swollen and twisted.

Not so perfect now, are you?

But the guy was smiling. That smug-ass smile that Victor hated.

“How’s my Zoe doing?” Tom asked him.

Victor didn’t blink.

Tom’s fingers curled around the bars. “The story I’ve heard is that she didn’t even make it to the hospital. She died on the way there.” His lips twisted. “Such a shame. Why didn’t you protect her better, Special Agent Monroe?”

“I’m not a special agent any longer.”