Page 111 of Symphony for Lies

My knees nearly buckled. His disoriented eyes blinked open, and I took in his state. He was wearing the same clothes as the last day I saw him.Hisforehead was bloody, his lips were covered with duct tape, and his arms were bound behind the chair, the rope digging into his wrists.

I couldn’t breathe. For a split second, I felt like the entire world collapsed.

But when I heard noises from the hall, a sudden adrenaline rush flooded my body, bringing me back to reality.

“Zane.” My voice was barely a whisper as I peeled the tape from his mouth.

He gasped, sucking in air like a drowning man. “Amelia?” he asked hoarsely.His lips parted in a slow, weary smirk. “I must be dreaming.” The words were slurred.

“You’re not dreaming. I’m here.”

His tired gaze traced my face. “Damn. You look hot as fuck right now. This is really turning me on.”

I gaped, torn between relief and disbelief.Then I headbutted him. Not hard enough to actually hurt him, but enough to snap him out of his dazed state.

He blinked, stunned.

“I’m getting you out of here, fool,” I murmured, working quickly to untie his wrists.

Zane winced, rolling his sore shoulders the moment he was free. “Fuck, my back is killing me.”

Instinctively, I reached for him to help, but he recovered faster than I expected.

He was looking at me. Really looking at me.

I swallowed.

“How the hell could you do something so reckless?”

“What?”

“How could you just storm in here? All alone? Without backup?”

Oh.

Zane was definitely back to his usual self.

“I—”

“Fuck, Amelia!”

I shoved the gun at him, scowling. “I came here to save your ass. Maybe a ‘thank you’ would be more appropriate than scolding me.”

He didn’t respond.In one smooth motion, he snatched the gun from my hands, gripped my waist, and threw me over his shoulder.

“Hey!” I kicked my legs in protest.

“We’re getting the fuck out of here. Now!” His voice was rough, authoritative, and absolute. “After that, I’m going to show you just how grateful I am.”

A wave of heat ran down my body at the promise in his words.

“Zane, you’re injured! You can’t just—”

“Oh, I can’t?” His grip on me tightened as if he got a rush of new energy.“I’m carrying my woman out of this fucking building. So just relax, okay?”

My woman?

I forgot how to breathe.

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