20. That’s My Price – Zoe
Chapter 20
That’s My Price
PLAYLIST: “THE WEIGHT OF LIES” BY THE AVETT brOTHERS
ZOE
Kat arrived with Alex just as Landon was loading me into the back of his SUV. I looked up at him, my eyes wide and pleading.
“Please, Landon.” My voice wavered, my usual confidence shredded to ribbons. “My assistant has been driving for days, and I haven’t seen Alex in just as long. I’ll go with you—I’ll cooperate. But I need to see them first. Just a couple of minutes, I swear.”
Landon blew out a sigh and nodded.
Landon crossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh, his badge catching the late afternoon sun. “Two minutes, Zoe. That’s all I’m giving you. Barton’s already breathing down my neck about treating you like a damn VIP.” He shook his head, muttering under his breath as he leaned against the SUV door. “I don’t know why I bother.”
I winced. “Because you’re a decent guy and a good cop, unlike Barton.”
“Just one question before I let you see your assistant and your dog, Zoe. Why didn’t you ask to see your father, too? I’d think you’d want to talk to him, considering the circumstances.”
Kat opened the driver’s side door of my car and Alex scrambled over her in his eagerness to get to me, letting loose a joyful bark, his white fur with blonde spots gleaming in the sun like an angel sent in dog form as he raced across the yard toward me.
The moment Alex’s sleek form bounded toward me, the chaos in my head quieted. His tail wagged furiously, his brown eyes glowing with love and loyalty. I sank to my knees, wrapping my arms around him as his tongue grazed my cheek. For a moment, the world melted away—it was just me and Alex, and everything felt right, even if it wasn’t.
“I do, but he’s furious with me right now, so I don’t think he wants to see me. I just need a second, I swear?—”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, sweetheart, and let me be the judge of what I want to do right now,” a familiar, gruff voice cut through the air, firm but brittle, like weathered oak about to splinter.
I froze, my heart lurching painfully in my chest. The weight of my father’s presence filled the space before I even turned to face him. The slow, deliberate crunch of his boots on the gravel sent a chill racing up my spine.
“Dad, I—” I couldn’t look at him yet. Instead, I clutched Alex’s collar as he strained against his leash, whining and wagging his tail, oblivious to the storm brewing between the humans around him.
“Save it,” he said, his tone softer now, but no less raw. “You think I don’t know how hard this is for you? Hell, Zoe, you think I don’t know why you’re really in this mess?” He stopped a few feet from me, his shoulders rigid, hands fisted at his sides.
I glanced up at him then, and the fury I’d braced for wasn’t there. Instead, his face was a map of emotions I wasn’t sure I wanted to read—fear, regret, a touch of pride he couldn’t quite hide.
“Dad…” My voice cracked, and I hated how small it sounded, how much it mirrored the helpless little girl I’d been once. “It’s not what it looks like.”
His brows knit together, the lines on his face deepening as his gaze darted to Landon, then back to me.
“Don’t tell me it’s not what it looks like. I know exactly what it looks like. And I know who’s pulling the strings.” He stepped closer, his voice low and fierce, meant only for me to hear. “This ain’t just about you, is it? It’s about me. About the choices I made when I thought I was protecting this family. I asked Mo Sheridan to keep his suspicions of foul play quiet ten years ago to protect you, because you and Missy had had fought over Roman that day and I was scared of how things would look for you and Roman if it was ruled as anything other than a suicide. Besides, Mo knew you, and he didn’t believe you were capable of murder, no matter how mad you were. That’s why he agreed when I asked him to keep the other evidence quiet.”
The air between us seemed to ripple, heavy with everything left unsaid between us over the past ten years. I opened my mouth, but no words came. What was there to say? He wasn’t wrong.
Alex nudged my hand, his soft whine pulling me out of the depths of my father’s gaze. His green eyes were just like mine, only older and stormy now, with the weight of everything we were facing. I ran my hands over Alex’s fur like it was the only thing grounding me.
“I’ve got this, Dad,” I murmured, more for myself than for him. “I just need?—”
He crouched down in front of me, his knees creaking like old hinges, and laid a heavy hand on my shoulder. His touch was warm and solid, grounding me in a way that was as painful as it was comforting. His green eyes bored into mine, stormy with worry and regret.
“Don’t tell me you’ve got this, kid,” he said, his voice low, almost reverent. “I see that look in your eyes, the same one your mama used to get when she thought she had to fight the whole world alone.”
He wasn’t wrong. I was my mother’s daughter in every way that mattered, and sometimes, it felt like I’d inherited all of her best and worst traits. Stubbornness. Pride. A desperate need to protect the people I loved, even at my own expense.
His words sliced through me, and I looked away, blinking rapidly.
“I’m not fighting the world,” I said, but the words felt hollow, even to me. “I’m just… cleaning up a mess.”
“Not just yours, though, is it?” He leaned closer, his voice a whisper now. “You think I don’t see Roman’s hand in this? Missy’s too, much as I hate to say it. Or the ghosts of decisions I made that I’ll never forgive myself for?” His grip on my shoulder tightened. “Zoe, you don’t have to carry this. Not alone.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of his gaze pressing against my chest, making it hard to breathe. My fingers curled into Alex’s fur, clinging to him like a lifeline.
“But I do have to go do whatever I can to get my husband back, Daddy.” My voice cracked, but I powered through it, forcing the words past the tightness in my throat. “Because I can’t live without him. I won’t.”
The weight of the truth settled over both of us. My father’s hand tightened on my shoulder, his expression softening, the fear in his eyes giving way to something deeper—understanding.
Alex shifted closer, his warm body pressed against my side, his soft whine a reminder of the unconditional love he always offered. I buried my fingers in his fur, taking comfort in his steady presence as my father’s grip anchored me from the other side.
Kat approached cautiously, her sharp eyes flicking between me, Dad, Landon, and Alex. She stopped just short of the SUV, arms crossed, the weight of her gaze finally landing on me.
“Boss, you want to tell me what kind of mess you’ve stepped in this time?”
I managed a shaky laugh, more bitterness than humor, and shrugged. “The short version? I’m in deep shit. The long version’s going to have to wait—Landon’s got questions, and I’ve got answers to give him before this situation spirals any further out of control than it already is.”
I reached down and helped Dad to his feet. He cleared his throat. “If your assistant will give me a ride, we’ll follow you down there. Landon might have questions for me, too, before it’s all said and done.”
“Dad, you’re sick. You don’t have to do this,” I said, my voice low, almost pleading.
“Sick or not, Zoe, I’m still your father. If there’s something I can do to help, I’m damn well going to do it.” He paused, his jaw tightening. “I’ll bring the nurse along if it makes you feel better, but don’t think for a second I’m sitting this one out.”
“What about Alex?” I asked, my hand instinctively tightening on his leash.
Dad’s expression softened for a moment. “We’ll make sure he’s taken care of. That boy from Alabama—Rick—he’s good with animals. He’ll see to it Alex’s fed and watered until we get back.”
I sent Kat down to the barn to get Rick and she returned with him in tow. He arched a brow at Landon’s sheriff’s department SUV, but didn’t ask.
Alex’s docked tail vibrated against my leg, oblivious to the swirl of chaos around him. I crouched down, ruffling his fur one last time, before passing his leash to Rick.
He reached out and took it, no questions asked. That was one of my favorite things about him. He always stepped up in a pinch, and he didn’t waste time with unnecessary questions.
“I have some things I have to do, so you’re in charge of Alex while I’m gone,” I said quietly. “He’ll need a walk before dinner.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take good care of him, don’t you worry.” Rick nodded, reaching down and ruffling Alex’s ears with easy affection.
Landon cleared his throat and rapped his knuckles on the hood of the SUV. “Time to go, Zoe.”
* * *
Landon’s eyes never left mine, the quiet intensity of his stare a reminder that he’d played this game far too many times before. His hands rested lightly on the cold metal table, his posture relaxed, almost casual, as if he had all the time in the world.
“Talk to me, Zoe,” he said, his tone calm but laced with an edge that told me he wasn’t here to play nice.
I leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, crossing my arms over my chest in a futile attempt to shield myself from the weight of his scrutiny. My jaw tightened, and I had to force myself to keep my voice steady.
“These claims about Roman and me firebombing the evidence repository are complete bullshit, Landon. We were at home together all night long. We live in the same house as my father and his live-in nurse. They can confirm our whereabouts for the entire night. She gets up every three or four hours to check on him.”
Landon tilted his head slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. “And I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word for it, Zoe. You’ve been in sticky situations before, and you’re good at making things look… neat.”
His voice was mild, but the implication was sharp enough to draw blood, especially since I considered us to be friends, up to this point.
I sat up straighter, my fingers tightening into fists on the table. “What are you trying to say, Landon? That I’d risk my father’s health, my home, and everything else to set fire to a goddamn evidence repository? For what reason? What could I possibly gain?”
His gaze didn’t waver, but his hands moved, lacing together as he leaned forward. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out. Roman’s been tangled up in some shady business before. And you… you’ve got a knack for sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Heat rose in my chest, and I struggled to keep it from reaching my voice. “Roman has nothing to do with this, and neither do I. We’re being set up, and you know it. If you’re here to pin this on us instead of doing your job, then go ahead. But I’ll fight you every step of the way.”
Landon’s expression didn’t shift, but there was something in his eyes—doubt? Frustration? Sympathy?—that made my stomach twist. He sat back, the chair creaking under his weight, and let out a slow breath.
Landon’s gaze didn’t falter, but his voice dropped to a measured tone, like he was trying to steady the air between us.
“Look, Zoe, I’m not saying you did it. But there are people out there who want to see you fall. And Roman? He’s got enemies, even if he’s not talking about them. This isn’t just about you anymore—it’s bigger than that.” He paused, leaning forward, his words a quiet challenge. “Help me help you.”
I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt, heat rising in my chest. “Don’t tell me you’re buying into Barton’s horseshit ideas about Roman and me somehow being involved in Missy’s murder.”
Landon leaned back, his face a mask of impassive calm, the kind that only pissed me off more. “If you weren’t, then why did your dad feel the need to ask the former sheriff to cover up the evidence that pointed to foul play instead of suicide?”
The words hit like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of my lungs. My fingers curled into fists on the table as I stared at him, trying to mask the crack in my composure. “I don’t fucking know, Landon. A parent’s instinct to protect his kid, just in case? From what Dad told me, he never believed that I had anything to do with her death, but he was afraid of how things would look for me and Roman because of how things played out that day. But I didn’t kill Missy, and neither did Roman.”
“Then help me prove it.” His voice softened, but the weight of his words stayed sharp. “You’re going to have to give me more than that, Zoe. You’re going to have to give me something concrete. Start by telling me about that day.”
My nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting grounding me as my heart raced. I locked eyes with him, my voice steady but low, every word deliberate. “Let Roman go, and I’ll tell you everything. Every goddamn thing I know about that day—including a secret I’ve been keeping for the past ten years. But I’ll only tell you on one condition.”
Landon tilted his head, watching me carefully. “And what’s that?”
“Roman walks out of here a free man. He didn’t burn anything, and you know it. Confirm his alibi for the firebombing of the evidence repository, release him, let me see him walk out of here, and then I’ll give you everything I’ve got.”
Landon’s lips pressed into a thin line, his fingers lacing together on the table. “You’re asking me to take a hell of a gamble, Zoe.”
“I’m not asking.” I leaned forward, my voice as sharp as broken glass. “I’m telling you. You want the truth? That’s my price.”