setting you up? That this is some—some what? Some game? Some big ruse so that I could come out of hiding and go away with Tom?”
His eyes glittered.
“No!” She was pretty much yelling and she didn’t care. “No, I’m not lying to you. I’m not betraying you. I haven’t seen Tom since that day—the day I said he could have me and we could walk away from Luther, together.
He could have me.
But I wasn’t enough.” Humiliation burned through her at that stark confession. “He didn’t want me. He just wanted power.” She swiped her hand over her cheek. “Now get the hell out of my way. Because I have a job to do.”
She didn’t think he was moving. She was about to push that guy out of her way—
“There’s something else you need to know.” He hesitated.
Still in my way.
“The hitman has been ID’d. He’s a guy who used to be on your father’s payroll.”
“What?”
“Russell thinks the fellow went freelance after Bates went to prison.”
Okay, yes, she could buy that.
“Or…or maybe…”
She stiffened.
Maybe he’s still working for Luther?
“You said Luther wanted you to keep me safe. So it doesn’t make any sense that he’d hire someone to kill me.” Zoe shook her head. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone turned on Luther. Not the first time, not the last.”
“Zoe—”
“
Michelle.
” She nearly shouted the name at him. “She’s what I have to focus on right now, got it?” She already felt like she was ripping apart. “I can’t—I can’t do anything else. I can’t think about Luther or the hitman or
anything else
. I need to find her. Now either get out of my way or come with me.”
Without another word, Victor turned away from her. He opened the door. Held that door while she marched out.
He didn’t speak to her again, not until they were inside the elevator and heading down to the lobby. Then Victor said, “Tom was a damn fool.”
Her breath left her in a fast gasp.
“Any man in his right mind would have chosen you…
You are enough. You are more than enough.
” His hands fisted at his sides. “He should have known you were everything.”
The ache in her chest eased, just a little bit. The ache eased, but the fear—her new companion—stayed.
***
Getting into Michelle Lane’s apartment wasn’t hard. It also wasn’t exactly a legal entrance or search, but Victor figured desperate times…
Desperate times mean I break more rules for Zoe.
When they’d been in Drake’s hotel and tears had glistened in Zoe’s eyes as she’d said that she hadn’t been enough, when he’d heard the pain in her voice…
I wanted to hunt down Xavier Thomas Winters and beat the guy’s ass.
Only Victor was supposed to be the good guy. The guy who didn’t use his fists to get some much needed vengeance for Zoe.
“It looks as if she hasn’t been here in weeks,” Zoe said, spinning around in the middle of the little den. “There’s dust everywhere. Michelle is a neat freak. Like, obsessively neat. No way would she be letting the place get this way if she’d been here recently.”
Not a surprise. They’d already known the woman had vanished from the radar, but Victor had wanted to search Michelle’s place just in case there might have been some clues there. Signs of a struggle. Notes about travel plans…clothes that were packed indicating she’d left
willingly.
But…
There’s nothing. No broken furniture. No overturned chairs. All of her clothes are still hanging in the closet, precisely in place.
In fact, other than the dust, the whole place was…perfect. Too perfect.
He slowly turned around, studying all the walls. No photos. He opened a few drawers. Some were bare. Some had only the fewest of items—a screwdriver, matches. “Your friend…” he murmured. “She’s not exactly the sentimental type, is she?”
“What do you mean?”
He shut the drawer he’d opened. “No family pics. No mementos from trips.”
Zoe glanced at the walls.
His eyes glittered.
“No!” She was pretty much yelling and she didn’t care. “No, I’m not lying to you. I’m not betraying you. I haven’t seen Tom since that day—the day I said he could have me and we could walk away from Luther, together.
He could have me.
But I wasn’t enough.” Humiliation burned through her at that stark confession. “He didn’t want me. He just wanted power.” She swiped her hand over her cheek. “Now get the hell out of my way. Because I have a job to do.”
She didn’t think he was moving. She was about to push that guy out of her way—
“There’s something else you need to know.” He hesitated.
Still in my way.
“The hitman has been ID’d. He’s a guy who used to be on your father’s payroll.”
“What?”
“Russell thinks the fellow went freelance after Bates went to prison.”
Okay, yes, she could buy that.
“Or…or maybe…”
She stiffened.
Maybe he’s still working for Luther?
“You said Luther wanted you to keep me safe. So it doesn’t make any sense that he’d hire someone to kill me.” Zoe shook her head. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone turned on Luther. Not the first time, not the last.”
“Zoe—”
“
Michelle.
” She nearly shouted the name at him. “She’s what I have to focus on right now, got it?” She already felt like she was ripping apart. “I can’t—I can’t do anything else. I can’t think about Luther or the hitman or
anything else
. I need to find her. Now either get out of my way or come with me.”
Without another word, Victor turned away from her. He opened the door. Held that door while she marched out.
He didn’t speak to her again, not until they were inside the elevator and heading down to the lobby. Then Victor said, “Tom was a damn fool.”
Her breath left her in a fast gasp.
“Any man in his right mind would have chosen you…
You are enough. You are more than enough.
” His hands fisted at his sides. “He should have known you were everything.”
The ache in her chest eased, just a little bit. The ache eased, but the fear—her new companion—stayed.
***
Getting into Michelle Lane’s apartment wasn’t hard. It also wasn’t exactly a legal entrance or search, but Victor figured desperate times…
Desperate times mean I break more rules for Zoe.
When they’d been in Drake’s hotel and tears had glistened in Zoe’s eyes as she’d said that she hadn’t been enough, when he’d heard the pain in her voice…
I wanted to hunt down Xavier Thomas Winters and beat the guy’s ass.
Only Victor was supposed to be the good guy. The guy who didn’t use his fists to get some much needed vengeance for Zoe.
“It looks as if she hasn’t been here in weeks,” Zoe said, spinning around in the middle of the little den. “There’s dust everywhere. Michelle is a neat freak. Like, obsessively neat. No way would she be letting the place get this way if she’d been here recently.”
Not a surprise. They’d already known the woman had vanished from the radar, but Victor had wanted to search Michelle’s place just in case there might have been some clues there. Signs of a struggle. Notes about travel plans…clothes that were packed indicating she’d left
willingly.
But…
There’s nothing. No broken furniture. No overturned chairs. All of her clothes are still hanging in the closet, precisely in place.
In fact, other than the dust, the whole place was…perfect. Too perfect.
He slowly turned around, studying all the walls. No photos. He opened a few drawers. Some were bare. Some had only the fewest of items—a screwdriver, matches. “Your friend…” he murmured. “She’s not exactly the sentimental type, is she?”
“What do you mean?”
He shut the drawer he’d opened. “No family pics. No mementos from trips.”
Zoe glanced at the walls.
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