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.”
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.”
Zoe wrapped her arms around her body.
“And the dead hitman? You got a name on him, too? You figure out why he was so familiar?”
Michelle needs you. Get the hell out of here.
She forced her legs to move as she hurried toward the door.
But Victor just moved to the side, blocking her path.
“Thanks for the intel, Russell. I’ll call you later and we’ll talk more.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Your former lover—the guy who wanted to marry you—”
“I already told you about Tom.”
“You
didn’t
tell me he was still working for Luther.”
Shock ripped through her. “That’s because I didn’t think he was! The agreement—it was supposed to be a package deal. Luther told us that.” Bitterness rose, threatening to choke her.
“Well, then I guess your father lied.”
As if it would be the first time.
“Russell says that Luther’s new lawyer—Xavier Thomas Winters—has been visiting him an awful lot in the last few months.”
Chill bumps rose on her arms. “I need to start searching for Michelle.” Once more, she tried to move around him, but he just side-stepped, going with her.
“He’s here, Zoe.”
She blinked.
“Russell said Tom is in town. He’s in Vegas.
You’re
in Vegas. Isn’t that one hell of a coincidence?”
Uh, yes, it was. Only his voice was hard and his eyes were cold. “What are you implying?”
“We’d taken you off the radar. We’d made you vanish. Then you convince me to break all the rules and get you back to Vegas. When
he’s
here. A guy working with your father and—”
Wild laughter escaped her. “You think I’m
His expression said he understood. “She isn’t the rest of the world.”
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.”
Zoe wrapped her arms around her body.
“And the dead hitman? You got a name on him, too? You figure out why he was so familiar?”
Michelle needs you. Get the hell out of here.
She forced her legs to move as she hurried toward the door.
But Victor just moved to the side, blocking her path.
“Thanks for the intel, Russell. I’ll call you later and we’ll talk more.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket. “Your former lover—the guy who wanted to marry you—”
“I already told you about Tom.”
“You
didn’t
tell me he was still working for Luther.”
Shock ripped through her. “That’s because I didn’t think he was! The agreement—it was supposed to be a package deal. Luther told us that.” Bitterness rose, threatening to choke her.
“Well, then I guess your father lied.”
As if it would be the first time.
“Russell says that Luther’s new lawyer—Xavier Thomas Winters—has been visiting him an awful lot in the last few months.”
Chill bumps rose on her arms. “I need to start searching for Michelle.” Once more, she tried to move around him, but he just side-stepped, going with her.
“He’s here, Zoe.”
She blinked.
“Russell said Tom is in town. He’s in Vegas.
You’re
in Vegas. Isn’t that one hell of a coincidence?”
Uh, yes, it was. Only his voice was hard and his eyes were cold. “What are you implying?”
“We’d taken you off the radar. We’d made you vanish. Then you convince me to break all the rules and get you back to Vegas. When
he’s
here. A guy working with your father and—”
Wild laughter escaped her. “You think I’m
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