Mine To Protect (Mine- Romantic Suspense Book 6)

by Cynthia Eden

  “I’m sorry that I had to be the one to tell you the truth about Victor Monroe.” Now Tom sounded sympathetic. Was she supposed to buy that bull? He wasn’t sympathetic. He was like Luther—psychopathic.

  “You have to be more careful who you trust,” Tom added.

  She had to be more careful? Her vision seemed to go red as she stalked toward him. Fury drove her. A fury that left her ice cold.

  His smile widened as she approached. The fool looked so confident and smug. Time to change that. Time to change everything.

  “Victor doesn’t matter.” She could lie easily. After all, she was her father’s daughter. Zoe smiled at Tom. “Not at all.” Her right hand slid toward the top of her dress. The neckline dipped, exposing the upper curves of her breasts. Tom’s gaze followed the movement of her hands and his breath hitched faster.

  Men. So disgustingly predictable sometimes.

  She leaned closer to him. Her fingers skimmed inside the vee of her dress, reaching just under the bra that she wore and—

  In a flash, she’d pulled out the small knife that Victor had given to her. Her first present from him. A very handy gift. She shoved that knife right up against Tom’s throat. He instantly went still.

  “I am so sick and tired of being used,” she whispered to him.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I-I can understand that.”

  Her eyes turned to slits as she stared up at him. “Michelle Lane.”

  “I don’t—”

  She let the blade cut his skin. A fat drop of blood trickled down his neck. She wanted to show the guy she meant business.

  But…

  He laughed. “You aren’t going to kill me. We both know that. You may be Luther’s daughter, but you don’t have his…instincts, shall we say?”

  Why did people always underestimate her? “Don’t be too sure of that. Right now, it’s taking every bit of self-control I have not to slit your throat from ear to ear.”

  His laughter stopped. Maybe he believed her. Maybe he didn’t. If he pushed her more, they’d both find out whether or not she was bluffing. “You went to see Roy at the station. How did you become his lawyer?”

  “We have an…acquaintance in common.”

  “Michelle?”

  He didn’t speak.

  So the knife cut deeper.

  “You have her,” Zoe said. “You’re the one in charge here. The one using this big ass fancy office.”

  “I have come up in the world since we last met,” he allowed.

  “Is she alive?” Zoe had to know.

  “Move the knife, and I’ll tell you.”

  “Is she alive? Dammit, it’s just us in here! Why keep lying to me? Why keep—”

  “She’s alive,” Tom said. His face changed. Went cold. Sinister. “And she’ll stay that way, as long as you keep cooperating with me.”

  Ice spread from her belly to her lungs…to her heart.

  “If you want Michelle Lane back, well, you have to work a deal with me.”

  Disgusted, her lips curled at him. “Why is everyone all about deals these days?”

  His hand flew up and closed around her wrist. She tensed, locking down to make sure he couldn’t jerk her hand—and her knife—away from his throat.

  “What can I say?” Tom murmured. “I guess folks like a good deal.”

  Bastard.

  “You’re the only one who can do this particular job. Do it…and all the hits on you will vanish. The slate will be clean. Michelle will be released, and you won’t have to look over your shoulder any longer, always worried about the next attack.”

  He was so wrong. “There is no way for me to escape.”

  “I’ve been working both sides.” His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist. A sensual movement. She had a knife to his throat and the asshole was acting as if they were about to make out.

  In his freaking dreams.

  “You suspected that, though, didn’t you, sweetheart?” Tom murmured. “I saw the suspicion in your eyes when you saw me walk into this room.”

  “My father treated you like shit years ago. I didn’t buy that you were suddenly jumping to do his bidding again.”

  “No.” Again, he stroked her wrist, right over her racing pulse. “But he doesn’t understand how I feel about him. He thinks I’ll keep doing his dirty work forever, but times have changed. While he’s been locked up, I’ve had access to his contacts. I used them. I created my own empire.”

  “And you’re the new power in Vegas.”

  He inclined his head toward her, not seeming to care that when he moved, the knife cut even deeper into him.

  “I’ll be even more powerful once you do one simple task for me.”

  She was staring at a monster. “You’re the one who put the two million dollars on my head.”

  He shrugged.

  “You did it.”

  “Guilty.”

  Her fingers trembled with the effort of holding back. Cut his throat. Cut it. Maybe she was more like Luther than she’d realized.

  “I didn’t think you’d actually die, you know.” Now Tom sounded offended. “It was only two million, after all. The heavy hitters don’t really get involved in business like this—you know, with a guy like Luther Bates hanging in the background, poised for epic retaliation—unless it’s at least four million.”

  Insane bastard. “You put a hit on my life.”

  He gave a little shrug. “I moved the pieces on the chess board.”

  She could see herself killing him. In that moment, it would be so easy. One slice. Done. Sure, the blood would pour on her and he’d probably fight as he went down…

  The same way my mother had fought. The same way the blood had pumped from her. The same way…

  “You’ve gone so pale, sweetheart. I’m sorry, but, come on, at this point in your life, shouldn’t you just expect betrayals?” Then he twisted the wrist he’d been stroking. Hard and brutally and the bone snapped.

  She didn’t cry out, but the knife she’d held slipped from her fingers.

  “I had to put the hit on you. I didn’t know where you were hiding. I needed you to come out. To come back to me. It’s the same reason I took Michelle. You had to come to me…and you did.”

  “I could’ve died, asshole!” Her wrist throbbed. The pain was so intense that nausea rose within her and dizziness had her swaying. “If it weren’t for Victor—”

  “Ah. Dear Victor. He’s the man I knew would save you. After all, you are his weakness. I’d long suspected that, and it was so nice to get the confirmation from Roy. Roy would have told me anything—everything—of course, because the fool actually thinks I’m going to help him.” His head leaned toward her, right next to her ear, as if he were sharing a special secret when he whispered, “I’m not. I’m going to let him go to jail and I’ll let one of the prisoners kill him there. Just like I sent another prisoner to kill that fool who tried to shoot you in the alley.”

  “You sent that shooter!”

  “And I couldn’t risk him turning on me.” He spoke with no emotion. “Just so you know, I did include a bonus in the hit…a bonus that would be paid if you were brought in alive. See? I was doing my part to protect you, too.”

  What? That was insane.

  “I needed you back, Zoe.”

  “Why me?” Why was she so important?

  “Because, sweetheart, you’re the only one who can do this special job. The only one he won’t see coming.” His breath blew over the shell of her ear. “If you want Michelle back alive, if you want your life back—no hits, no enemies, nothing but you dancing your heart out on a glittering Vegas stage, my stage—then you just have to do one thing for me.”

  “What?”

  He eased back so that he could stare into her eyes. Then he smiled as he told her, “You have to kill Luther Bates.”

  ***

  Victor yanked open the side door of the van.

  “Hell, yes!” Russell said as his fist shot into the air. He had he
adphones on and was leaning over a computer. Lauren sat at his side, her eyes gleaming, and a wide smile on her face.

  “We just got the bastard,” Lauren whispered. “We got him!”

  Victor shook his head, not understanding.

  “Zoe activated her listening device as soon as she got close to Tom,” Russell said. “We recorded every single word that prick just said to her. We got his full confession. That bastard is going down.”

  She’d done it.

  “He’s the one who took Michelle,” Lauren said quickly, shoving back her hair. “He’s the one who put out the hit on Zoe. He’s the one who’s been doing it all.” She gave a quick, excited laugh. “Your plan worked freaking perfectly.”

  His plan? No, no, it hadn’t worked out so well. If it had worked out, he’d still be up there. He’d be keeping her safe. “Is she all right?” Victor asked and he heard the desperation in his own voice.

  “She’s still talking,” Russell assured him quickly. “That means she’s still alive. He’s going to keep her that way. The guy has a job for her.”

  “What job?”

  Russell and Lauren shared a long look. Lauren’s laughter was gone. “He wants Zoe to kill her father,” she said quietly.

  “Give me the fucking headphones.”

  Russell nearly threw them at Victor. He put them on and heard Zoe’s voice, seeming to flow right around him.

  ***

  “Kill…Luther?” Zoe laughed at Tom. “You must be out of your mind. He’s in a maximum security prison.”

  Tom wasn’t laughing. “That sweet little knife you just pulled out of your dress? You can smuggle one just like it into the prison. I’ll make sure the guards don’t search you too thoroughly. Luther will let you get close to him. Hell, pretend you’re giving the guy a hug. Then slice his throat open.”

  “No.”

  “Come on, Zoe…” Now his voice was low, wheedling. As if the jerk hadn’t just broken her wrist. “You know you want some payback. How fitting would it be…especially after what he did to your mom.”

  “Stop.” She didn’t want to hear this. She didn’t want the people listening to hear this. She just needed it all to stop.

  “You were there. I know you were. Luther told me…said it was the one part he regretted. Not killing her, of course, but that you saw it. He said you even tried to stop him. To save her.”

  She could feel her mother’s blood on her fingers. On her clothes.

  “He tells me things…because I’m his lawyer. Because he knows that I can’t do anything with the crimes he reports. Confidentiality and all that. Lawyer and client privilege.”

  “No.” Her chin notched up. “He tells you because you’re just as sick and twisted as he is and you don’t care what he’s done.”

  Tom’s face hardened. “I’m giving you the opportunity for payback. You should be thanking me.”

  Had he always been crazy?

  “Don’t you think it’s fitting that you be the one to take him out? And only you can do it. You can get close enough. He’s on guard with everyone else. Go in there, kill him…and get your life back.”

  “If I kill Luther, then I’ll be the one in prison! I’ll be rotting behind bars!”

  Tom snorted. “For killing Luther Bates? Hardly. I’ll be your lawyer,” he promised. “I’ll get you off. All I have to do is tell the jury about your mother. About the poor teenage girl who was found clinging to her mother’s dead body because she couldn’t let her mom go. The girl who has a history of mental and physical abuse at her father’s hands. They’ll pull jury nullification. No one will convict you, no matter what evidence is there. You will walk, I guarantee it.”

  ***

  Her mother. Dear God, her mother…Victor had suspected this truth, but hearing the story this way cut him up. He could barely breathe because he hurt so much…for her. All for her.

  Zoe had been through too much in her life. All that pain and she still smiled. Still looked for the good in the world. In people.

  In me.

  He wanted to take her far away from any pain and betrayal. He wanted to make sure that she was happy for the rest of her life. That she was always smiling. Always happy. Always…

  With me.

  But she probably wanted to get as far from him, as fast as she could.

  “We have the confession we needed.” He yanked off the head phones. He stood facing the van, his eyes on the other two agents. “Now we have to get her out of there.”

  “No.” The voice was sharp and it came from directly behind him. “No, Special Agent Monroe, that is not how this operation will go down.”

  Victor turned—very slowly—and came face-to-face with FBI Assistant Director Percy Chase. The guy wore a long trench coat and his shoulders hunched forward as he glared at Victor.

  “There is a police officer still missing! Or have you forgotten that?” Percy blasted at him. “If we move now, we may never see that woman again.”

  “I haven’t forgotten a damn thing, and if we move now,” Victor gritted right back, “we can force Tom to tell us where Michelle Lane is. We have the power and the fucking confession, thanks to Zoe. Now we need to do our part and get Zoe out of the Vine before she gets hurt.”

  When he’d left her in that elevator, he’d known that she would be able to get Tom’s confession. Zoe was smart and tough and strong. She humbled him with her goodness. She made him want to change the whole world for her. She made him—

  I love her.

  “Once we know where Michelle Lane is, then we move.” Percy was adamant. “Not a minute sooner. It’s not like Tom Winters is going to kill Zoe. I was listening, too.”

  Of course, he fucking was. That had been one of the reasons Victor hadn’t wanted the truth about Elizabeth to leak. He’d known Percy was out there on surveillance watch, too. There had been far too many ears listening.

  “He needs Zoe,” Percy said. “He won’t kill her.”

  “If she doesn’t do what he wants, then Tom will hurt her. He could be hurting her right now.” He couldn’t stand the thought. “Shit, the man took out a hit on her! Doesn’t that tell you he isn’t exactly sane? If he’s pushed, if he gets angry with her, he’ll spiral out of control. Zoe—”

  “Can survive a little pain.” Percy waved his hand dismissively. “This case is huge. It will go down in the books—make my career and yours. You hear what I’m saying? When we do this…the right way…you can have any job at the Bureau that you want. We’re going to have Tom Winters for all the crimes he committed, and we’ll have a new murder to pin on Luther Bates. Bates will tell us everything we need to know about the crime syndicate in the East. We will destroy them all.”

  There was silence from behind Victor. He could feel Russell and Lauren watching him.

  “And all of that…” Percy murmured. “All of that can’t really be measured against a bit of pain that one woman might experience for a just a little while, now, can it?”

  Victor studied the assistant director. Tall, thin, balding. An arrogant, cold bastard.

  “Tell me what you want,” Percy continued, swallowing a bit nervously as the silence stretched and Victor kept glaring at him. “Name your title, tell me the job, just tell me what you want because you have more than earned everything—”

  “I want Zoe.”

  Percy’s face hardened. The streetlight overhead glared down on him. “She’ll be fine, once we’ve finished the case. When we know where Michelle Lane is being kept, when we have the police officer in custody, then you can take Zoe back into protective custody.” He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “Though I’m thinking that it will be time for us to turn her over to Witness Protection. She gives us what we want on Bates, and then we set her up in a nice house somewhere in the country.”

  “I’m not giving her up.” Cold, lethal words.

  “She’s just a case,” Percy responded flatly. “You, of all people, should know that personal involvement is never a good idea
. I have to say, I’m mighty disappointed in you. Here I am, offering you the world and you—”

  “She is my world.” And she didn’t know it.

  A long, black limo turned onto the street. When he saw that limo, Luther knew that Drake and Jasmine had arrived. Talk about fast back-up. Drake had told him they were close, but Victor hadn’t realized just how soon they’d be on the scene.

  “Get your head in the game, Agent,” Percy snapped. “Stop thinking with your dick.”

  Victor stepped toe-to-toe with the bastard. “This is my last case. I’ve been planning a career change for a while now.”

  Percy’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  “I’m going private. My brother-in-law and I…we’ll be doing some ventures together.” He gave the assistant director a cold smile. “So consider this my notice, asshole. I’m done with you and your shit. And if you ever say anything that so much as feels a little negative in regard to Zoe again, I will beat the ever loving shit out of you. FBI or no FBI.”

  “B-but—but—”

  “Now, I’m going in the Vine, and I’m getting Zoe out. I’m doing that shit, either with your support or without it.” He narrowed his eyes on Percy. “You’re a dumbass who hasn’t been in the field in over ten years. You don’t know when a situation is about to go super nova, but I do, and I won’t risk her.”

  Percy puffed out his chest. “I won’t allow a single other agent to follow you in there—”

  “This agent will be following him in,” Russell announced as he jumped out of the van. “Because Victor Monroe has never steered me wrong. I’ll cover his back.”

  Percy sucked in a sharp, stunned breath.

  “I’ve been meaning to say,” Victor murmured to Russell. “I could sure use you in my new business venture.”

  “We’ll talk about my split soon enough,” Russell assured him. “Count on it.”

  Victor nodded. It was good to have the right friends at your side.

  Drake and Jasmine were closing in. Russell was ready to go. And Percy…

  “Get the fuck out of my way,” Victor barked at the guy.

  The assistant director stumbled back.

  ***

  Lauren knew she had just been witness to a scene that would become legendary at the FBI. Victor and Russell had just handed the assistant director his own ass.