Page 67 of Deceit & Desire

As he disappeared into the night, I knelt beside Zoe again, brushing her hair back gently. Her breathing was shallow, her face still too pale, but she’d pulled off what she set out to do.

“You’re the bravest person I know,” I murmured. “Now you just have to wake up.”

Miss Smith was already moving before I could say anything, her hands steady as she worked over Zoe. She tilted Zoe’s head gently to open her airway, her voice calm but clipped as she muttered instructions to herself.

“Her breathing is shallow, but her pulse is holding,” she said, more to herself than to me. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small vial and an ammonia inhalant. “Stay back for a second. Let me handle this.”

I obeyed, stepping back but never taking my eyes off Zoe. The barn felt like it was holding its breath with me as Miss Smith passed the ammonia under Zoe’s nose.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Miss Smith coaxed, her tone softer now. “You’re not done here yet.”

Zoe’s body jerked faintly, her head shifting against the hay. Then her eyelids fluttered, and she let out a soft, raspy gasp. Relief hit me like a freight train, and I dropped to my knees beside her as Miss Smith helped prop her up slightly.

“Easy,” Miss Smith said, her hand on Zoe’s shoulder to steady her. “Breathe slowly, in and out. That’s it.”

Zoe’s gaze was unfocused at first, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Then her green eyes locked on me, wide with confusion and fear.

“Roman?” she rasped, her voice barely audible.

“I’m here,” I said, my voice breaking. “You’re okay.”

She tried to sit up, but Miss Smith pressed a firm hand to her shoulder. “Stay still for a minute. You need to catch your breath.”

Zoe nodded faintly, her eyes darting between us. “What… happened?”

“You don’t remember?” I asked gently.

She frowned, her hand moving instinctively to her neck, where faint red marks were visible. Her face paled as the memory seemed to rush back.

“Cody,” she whispered. “He… he tried to…”

“Shh,” I said quickly, taking her hand in mine. “We know. You got it all on video, Zoe. You were amazing. But—” My voice caught as I leaned closer, my grip on her hand tightening. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. Do you hear me? Ever.”

Her lips quirked in the faintest ghost of a smile, even as tears welled in her eyes. “You were scared?”

“Damn right I was fucking terrified,” I said, my voice rough. “You had me thinking—” I stopped, shaking my head. “Doesn’t matter. You’re okay now, that’s what matters.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her voice shaky.

“Don’t be sorry,” I said firmly. “Just… don’t do it again.”

Miss Smith cleared her throat, drawing both our attention. “She’ll be okay for now, but I want her checked out at the hospital,” she said, her tone all business again. “She’s lucky her airway wasn’t fully compromised. Any longer, and this could’ve gone another way.”

That hit harder than I wanted to admit, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “We’ll get her there,” I said.

Zoe squeezed my hand weakly, her gaze locking with mine. “Roman… I had to. He killed Missy and tried to frame us for it. I couldn’t just let him get away with it.”

My chest tightened, but I nodded. “I know. And you did it. You got him to confess, Zoe. You did good.” I paused, my voice softening. “But next time, we do this together. Got it?”

She nodded faintly, her eyelids fluttering like she was fighting to stay awake.

Zoe’s breathing had evened out, and the faintest hint of color was returning to her cheeks. She was still too pale, still too weak, but she was awake—and that was enough for now. I couldn’t stop holding her hand, couldn’t let go of the reassurance that she was still here with me.

Rick’s voice broke the moment.

“Glad to see you awake, troublemaker,” he said from behind me, his tone quieter than usual.

I turned to find him standing a few steps inside the barn, looking like he’d been through hell and back. He wasn’t even trying to hide how relieved he was, though. His shoulders sagged, and his usual easy smirk was replaced with something softer.

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