Page 58 of Deceit & Desire

ZOE

I steppedout of the station into the cool evening air, the tension still coiled tight in my chest. The sky was streaked with fading light, but all I could focus on was the group waiting for me by my car.

Roman stood apart from the others, his arms crossed, his body tense like a spring ready to snap. My father, Kat, and Miss Smith were clustered near the car, their gazes snapping to me as soon as I emerged.

Roman was the first to move, closing the distance between us with long, deliberate strides. His face was tight with frustration, his eyes stormy as they locked onto mine.

“What the hell were you thinking, Zoe?” he snapped, his voice low but sharp. “You put your ass on the line for me. Do you even realize how dangerous that was?”

I stopped short, the force of his anger almost making me flinch, but I stood my ground. “Of course I do. But you’re my husband, Roman. I love you. There’ll never be a time when I won’t do everything in my power to protect you.”

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, he just stared at me, his hands flexing at his sides like he wanted to reach for me but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.

“You can’t just—” He broke off, shaking his head. “Damn it, Zoe. What if they had found something? What if they’d decided you were the one to pin this on?”

“They didn’t,” I said firmly. “And they won’t. I told Landon the truth, and now he has to investigate it. He doesn’t have enough to hold either of us, Roman. That’s what matters right now.”

Roman dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “You shouldn’t have had to do that for me. I should have been the one protecting you.”

“You have been,” I whispered, stepping closer. “You always have. But this isn’t about who protects who, Roman. It’s about us standing together. And that’s what I’m doing.”

For a moment, his anger wavered, replaced by something softer, something raw. He reached for me then, his hand settling on my arm, his touch grounding me.

“I don’t deserve you,” he murmured, almost too quiet to hear.

“Yes, you do,” I said firmly, covering his hand with mine. “And we’re going to get through this. Together.”

“Together,” he echoed, his voice stronger this time.

A throat cleared behind us, and we both turned to see my father watching, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. “I hate to interrupt, but maybe we should get out of here before Barton decides he’s got more questions.”

Kat smirked, leaning casually against the car. “Smart idea. Barton’s probably already stewing about having to let you both go. No sense sticking around to tempt fate.”

Roman let out a quiet laugh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “We don’t know each other well yet, Kat, but I agree with you.”

We climbed into the car, the silence heavy but not suffocating. My father sat in the passenger seat, his jaw tight, while Roman and I took the back. Kat slid into the driver’s seat, casting a quick glance at me in the rearview mirror.

“You’ve got a hell of a team behind you, boss,” she said, her voice lighter than I expected. “You’re going to figure this out. I know you will. And we’ll help you.”

I managed a faint smile, though the weight of everything still pressed down on me. “Thanks, Kat.”

As the car pulled away from the station, I leaned into Roman’s side, his warmth steadying me. For the first time in what felt like hours, I let myself breathe.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. But for now, we were free. And we’d fight the next battle together.

The road back to the ranch stretched ahead of us, the rhythmic hum of the tires on asphalt filling the tense silence in the car. My mind was already spinning, racing through everything Landon had said, everything we knew—or didn’t know—about Missy’s death.

I turned to the others, my voice breaking the quiet. “Barton’s going to come for us harder than ever after this. He’s convinced we’re guilty, and if he can’t find the evidence to prove it, he’ll settle for burying us under circumstantial bullshit.”

Roman tensed beside me, his arms crossed, his jaw tight. “And what the hell are we supposed to do about that? If the cops haven’t cracked this case in ten years, what makes you think we can?”

I met his gaze, steady and unflinching. “Because we don’t have a choice. If we don’t figure this out, Barton’s going to twist everything against us until we can’t breathe. It’s up to us to solve this mystery ourselves.”

Roman’s scowl deepened, his voice low and sharp. “Just how the fuck are we gonna do that if the cops, with all their resources, can’t?”

“We’re going to have to work smarter than them,” I said simply, my voice firm. “And we’re going to have to split up.”

His head snapped toward me, his glare cutting through the dim light of the car. “I hate the sound of that.”

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