“That I wanted to go home?”
“No, that you’ve been loved like this before. Zoe... I’m sorry.” Regret was a heavy weight in his voice.
Zoe kept her eyes on the plate. “For what? For keeping me in the dark?”
“For treating you as if you couldn’t handle knowing the truth. I should have known better. I do know better.”
Zoe glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His voice was mellow. His tone humble. It was the first time she’d ever heard Byron sound humbled.
“You’re amazing, smart and strong. You’ve taken care of Lilah without anyone’s help for thirteen years. You built a life for yourself with no one’s help. Instead of sulking about leaving Valtec, you’re helping Elaina and starting your own business. You were right. I’m too much like my dad. I think I’m protecting or helping when I’m not. I apologize. It won’t happen again.”
“I’m not going to break, Byron. I haven’t broken before.” She’d been down, and she’d been afraid, but she’d always fought to survive.
“I promise you I won’t make any decisions affecting you and Lilah without talking to you first.”
She turned to face him. “It’s not just about making decisions, Byron. It’s about trusting me. Thinking of me as being just as capable as you. Not thinking of me as a damsel in distress you need to save. I never should have run to you back then.” He’d thought she was capable before then. Respect, admiration and pride were the emotions typically reflected on Byron’s face when they’d worked together. The night she’d run to him she’d seen the pity in his eyes and knew he’d never look at her the same way again.
He slid closer. “I’m glad you did. Do you think I don’t realize how much you had to trust me to come to me when you needed help? I want you to trust me like that again.”
She read the rest of his wish in his eyes. He wanted her to love him. You’re scared and you’re angry and you think every guy is like my dad. Lilah’s words had haunted Zoe all the night before. She had looked for signs of Kendell in every man she met. Even Byron, who was the opposite of her ex. What would it feel like to trust someone completely? To relax and love without fear of manipulation?
“No more lies,” she said firmly. “No more secrets. Promise me.”
“I promise. No more secrets.”
His voice resonated with conviction. His gaze didn’t waver. His eyes begged for forgiveness. Zoe’s chest filled with emotion. With just a look he turned her insides into mush. She wanted to believe him. Even more, she wanted to trust the look in his eye. Wanted to trust her own response to him. Instinct tempted her to let go and love him, but fear held her back. She couldn’t trust her instincts. Not completely. Not so soon.
She nodded instead of speaking. With the feelings swirling around inside her she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t blurt how much she wanted Byron to really be the happily-ever-after she’d never believed in. Byron eased even closer until the scent of his cologne wrapped around her like a comforting hug. Her body leaned into his. Her midsection tightened and she sucked in shallow breaths.
“Zoe.” Byron whispered her name like a prayer. “I lo—”
Zoe lifted on her toes and kissed him softly. She didn’t want to hear declarations she couldn’t return. Didn’t want to think about a tomorrow that wasn’t promised. She still needed a plan. She still didn’t want to sign up for the role of senator’s perfect partner. Byron would love her and treat her like a queen, but the demands he’d place on her because of his position were another thing entirely. She’d been under the influence of one man; she wouldn’t do that again.
Byron’s hand gripped her waist. His head tilted at an angle and he pushed forward to deepen the kiss. Zoe pulled back before he could. If he kissed her the way she wanted him to she’d be lost. She couldn’t afford to be lost. Not right now. No matter how much her body ached for him or her sex screamed for his touch.
“Thank you,” she said. “For not giving in on Lilah, and for understanding where I’m coming from.”
With effort she didn’t know she had she pulled out of Byron’s embrace. “I need to get to work.” She cleared her throat. The hunger and acceptance in his eyes one of the biggest aphrodisiacs in existence. “We’ll talk more later.”
He licked his lips, maybe to get a lingering taste of her. The idea made her insides flip. “Later.” He nodded.
Zoe took a deep breath and walked out of the kitchen. She hurried down the hall and back up the stairs to her room. A part of her yearned for Byron to follow her. She knew she wouldn’t be able to pull away from him if he did. Another part of her was grateful he didn’t. Byron’s love would comfort and overwhelm her until once again she was following his lead and not noticing how much she’d lost of herself until it was too late.
* * *
“FOR THE LAST time, we are not inviting Lilah to the rally,” Byron said to his father.
They were in the upstairs family room getting ready to leave for the rally at the high school. Grant had been on Byron’s ass ever since he’d told him no. Not only did Byron agree with Zoe about keeping Lilah away from public events, but until they verified who was behind the emails and Zoe’s house fire he didn’t want to broadcast her whereabouts.
“Why not?” Lilah’s indignant voice came from the door.
Both Byron and Grant swerved around toward her. Grant’s eyes gleamed with potential. Byron’s stomach sank.
Byron spoke quickly before Grant could pounce. “It’s going to be a lot of people there. Your mom and I both agreed not to draw a lot of public attention your way. We wouldn’t be able to control the photos taken of you.”
“But if you let her come,” Grant countered, “she could talk about how you rescued her from the car. It’ll help you win the election.”
Grant’s words hit the target. Lilah’s eyes lit up. “I want to help you.”
Byron shook his head. “Lilah, no. You’re staying here and that’s that.”
Lilah’s eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. She looked like a miniature Zoe ready for battle. “This is because of my mom, isn’t it? She doesn’t like you doing things for me, so she doesn’t want me to go.”
“We both agreed on this,” Byron said.
“Only because she’s scared. She thinks my dad is going to show up and try to hurt her again. Tell her it’s not true. You said it yourself the emails had stopped. Once she understands it was just a prank and that my dad isn’t going to come back, she’ll ease up.”
Lilah’s words knocked the air from Byron’s lungs. You left us unprotected. He should have told Zoe the truth. If he had then Lilah would understand why they wanted her away from large crowds and out of the public eye. He had created a false sense of security.
“It’s not that easy, Lilah,” he said. He’d talk to Zoe and find out when she wanted to reveal the truth to Lilah. Dominic was getting close to finding out the person behind the emails, which would hopefully get them closer to the person who’d set the fire.
“It is that easy,” Lilah said, stomping a foot. “I’m not a little kid. I want to help you win.”
“Not like this,” he argued.
Grant crossed the room and placed a hand on Lilah’s shoulders. “She’s making a good point, Byron. The people at the rally want to see her and Wesley.”
“Wesley is going?” Lilah looked up at Grant. “So this rally is about you rescuing us?”
Byron pointed at Lilah. “I didn’t rescue you.” He pointed at Grant. “And will you stop twisting things around?”
Byron glared at his father. He hoped his dad understood the silent warning. Don’t use her in our fight. Grant raised his hand and went over to the wet bar. Rile everyone up then retreat and let the dust settle. That was the Grant Robidoux way.
Byron turned back to Lilah. Dealing with her was easier. “You’re not going. End of discussion.
You’re going to stay here and watch the rally on television. When it’s over, me and your mom will come and talk about how we’ll move forward. Okay?”
Lilah rolled her eyes before turning and stomping out of the room. What the hell? Byron gaped at the empty doorway. Stunned by his first display of teenage anger from Lilah.
“Let her go,” Grant said. “She reminds me of Elaina. Probably shouldn’t let her hang out with her auntie so much. Give her a little bit of time and she’ll cool off.”
Byron crossed the room to his dad. “You shouldn’t have tried to manipulate her like that. She doesn’t need to come.”
“I don’t see why not. You have her standing next to you looking up with the hero worship that shines from her eyes and I guarantee you’ll win the election.”
“It’s about more than winning right now,” Byron said through clenched teeth.
Grant set his highball glass down with a thud. “Excuse me? What is more important than winning? We’ve been involved in state politics for years. Now we have a good chance of influencing national politics, and you want to hold back because of some foolish feelings you have to Lilah’s mother.”
Byron rubbed at the headache starting in his forehead. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Then you better start talking,” Grant said.
Zoe walked into the room then. She pointed over her shoulder. “What’s wrong with Lilah? She’s been giving me the cold shoulder for the last few days, but that anger wasn’t directed at me.”
Byron momentarily forgot what he was thinking about. Zoe looked beautiful in a forest green short-sleeved suit. The pants fit her long legs and full curves perfectly. Her thick hair was free from the braids and twists she typically wore and framed her face like a curly cloud.
“She’s mad at Byron,” Grant answered.
Zoe’s eyebrow lifted. “I didn’t think that was possible.”
Until that moment Byron hadn’t, either. “I told her she couldn’t go to the rally.”
Zoe frowned and came farther into the room. “She knows she can’t go.”
Byron glared at his father. “Someone gave her the idea that if she went, she’d be helping me win.”
Zoe sucked in a breath. “No. Why would you tell her that? She might do something rash.”
Grant waved them off. “Will you two quit acting like that girl is a baby? She’s thirteen and knows better than to get in a car with strangers. She’ll be fine.”
Zoe marched over to Grant. Anger flashed bright in her eyes. “Not when there is someone out there threatening her life and mine.”
Grant laughed. “You’re almost as dramatic as him.”
Byron stared at his father. “She’s not being dramatic.”
Grant’s dark eyes jumped to Zoe then back to Byron. The smile slowly fell from his face. “What are you talking about?”
Byron looked at Zoe. How much they revealed to his father was up to her. Zoe took a deep breath. “Tell him.”
“Tell me what?” Grant asked.
“Someone has been sending threatening emails to Zoe,” Byron said. “They said she’s going to pay for the lies she told. We also think they’re behind her house fire. Possibly even my car accident.”
Grant’s eyes widened. “Someone tried to kill you?” His tone was measured but rage threaded through his voice. His hands balled into fists on the bar.
“We don’t know if the accident is related,” Byron said. “But Dominic found evidence that someone tampered with the video just before Zoe’s house caught fire. Her neighbor thought she saw someone at Zoe’s place. It doesn’t make sense that an electrical fire would start the way it did unless there was tampering.”
Grant’s face hardened. His sharp gaze snapped to Zoe. “Is it your ex?”
Zoe raised her shoulders. “We don’t know. He’s not supposed to be released for another month.”
Grant pushed away from the bar. He paced to the window and back. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Grant snapped.
“Because it wasn’t for you,” Byron said. “I wanted to be sure.”
“He only just told me,” Zoe said. She didn’t sound angry anymore, but Byron heard the exasperation in her voice.
“What is the plan?” Grant asked.
Byron answered. “Increased security. We’ve already started that. Along with surveillance. Dominic thinks he’ll have the person behind the emails within the week. If we can prove it’s Kendell or someone related to him, then we’ll go from there.”
“What will you do?” Grant asked.
“Go to the police,” Zoe answered.
Byron and Grant met each other’s gazes. Byron saw the same calculation in his dad’s eyes that went through his head. “There’s no guarantee the police will do anything,” Byron said.
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Zoe asked incredulously. “Ask him nicely to stop?”
Byron’s shoulders stiffened. “I won’t ask nicely.”
Her lips parted and she leaned back. He meant it. He would do whatever he needed to make sure Kendell, and anyone related to him, understood Zoe and Lilah were off-limits. He’d tried to stay on the right side of the law all his life, but he wasn’t naive. He knew Dominic and his father had other means of dealing with bad situations. Byron wouldn’t blink an eye about blurring the line between right and wrong to keep her safe.
Before she could reply Elaina, India and Travis walked in. Roy followed behind them. Roy took in the family and rubbed his hands together. The excitement of another campaign event adding an extra bounce to his step.
“All right, are we ready to go rack up some votes?” Roy asked in his cheery voice.
Grant walked over to Byron and placed a hand on his shoulder. Byron met his father’s gaze. Grant squeezed and nodded. “We look out for family.” Grant looked at Zoe. “Since the start of this we agreed you’re family. We’ll work this out.”
He let Byron go and faced Roy. “Let’s do this. I’ll go down and tell Sandra to keep an extra close eye on Lilah while we’re gone.”
Zoe’s eyes were still wide. She moved to Byron. “Byron—”
He looked past her at the rest of the family. “Let’s get out of here before we’re late.”
Uneasy looks passed between his siblings and best friend, but they didn’t question the tension in the room. They turned and followed Grant out. Byron moved to go with them.
Zoe placed her hand on his arm to stop him. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid because of this.”
Byron covered her hand with his. “I promise you I will do what I have to if it means protecting you and Lilah.”
“Not if it means risking your integrity,” she said. “Byron, you’ve always fought to do things the right way. You’re better than him.”
Byron brushed his hand across her cheek. “Some things are worth fighting for. Even if it means fighting dirty.”
Because he couldn’t help himself, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. He wanted desperately to pull her body close to his. Kiss her deeply. Tell her he loved her. Zoe sighed softly. Her full lips parting slightly against his.
They hadn’t slept together since he’d told her about the emails. He wasn’t sure where they stood with each other. What would happen after the campaign and if she still wanted the relationship they’d tentatively started. He had a sinking feeling Zoe didn’t plan to be with him after the election. He’d lost her when he’d lied to her. The least he could do is make sure wherever she ended up after she walked out of his life again that she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder and worry about Kendell again.
He pulled back instead of kissing her deeply. The confusion in her dark eyes wasn’t something he could clear up. He couldn’t make her love him. She’d have to decide that for herself. “Let’s go,” he said before stepping away and walki
ng to the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ZOE LISTENED AS Byron finished his speech at the campaign rally. Once again he’d wowed the crowd. His enthusiasm and dedication to improving things if elected were both refreshing and intoxicating. She knew Byron believed in everything he said. He was a good guy who wanted to help people and would be devoted to serving everyone in his district.
He was also willing to go against his own principles in order to keep her safe. The thought made her stomach churn and her chest swell. He was a good guy who would fight dirty if he needed to. She was drawn to his ruthless side, even if she didn’t want him risking his future to fight her fight.
Elaina bumped her shoulder with Zoe’s. “You all right?”
Zoe smiled and nodded. “Yes. He’s doing great.”
“He always does great,” Elaina said as if the possibility of Byron not doing great was silly. “But something is different. What happened before we came into the room?”
Byron raised a hand and ended his speech with his catchphrase. “The time is now!”
The crowd clapped, cheered and chanted back the words. Banners waved, signs were held up and a few people wiped tears from their eyes. Zoe ignored Elaina’s words and applauded along with the rest of the crowd. Wesley, whose broken arm was still in a cast, walked over to Byron. Byron clasped Wesley’s free hand and raised them up. The fervor of the supporters increased.
Grant was wrong. They didn’t need Lilah there for people to view Byron as a hero. Not once did Byron talk about helping Wesley out of the car, but people knew what happened. Some signs and posters included pictures of Byron on the side of the road assisting Wesley after the accident, or Byron with a superhero cape around his shoulders.
“He’s their hero,” Elaina said, sounding a bit overwhelmed by the response to her brother.
“He is,” Zoe said, though the words were bittersweet.
Byron was good at being the hero. She didn’t like why he’d kept the threat against her and Lilah a secret, but she also understood. She also believed after seeing her reaction he wouldn’t keep information from her again. The regret in his eyes and the apology on his lips weren’t like the apologies she’d gotten from Kendell. Superficial ones only provided to try and appease her rather than acknowledge fault.
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