Spence stood, then helped Zoe to her feet. They walked out of the cabin and into the darkness of the surrounding mountains. Even though Davies was dead and she was by his side, the sour taste of fear churned in his belly. He’d come so close to losing her.
As they headed toward his car, he shone his phone flashlight on the ground in front of them, clutching Zoe’s hand tightly -- as much to reassure himself that she was with him as to help her over the rough terrain.
Once they’d rounded the curve and were out of sight of the cabin, Spence wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. Pressed her close, because he needed the reassurance of her heart beating against his chest.
“I was so afraid I’d lost you, Zoe,” he said, drawing a shuddering breath. “So afraid that Davies would kill you once he realized you wouldn’t capitulate to him. I’m sorry. It was my job to keep you safe, and I failed. When you needed me most, I wasn’t able to save you.”
Zoe struggled to free herself from his arms, then cupped his face in her hands. “It wasn’t your fault,” she said, staring into his eyes as if willing him to believe her. “There were too many people crowding the stage. Not enough room to maneuver. And even then, you came damn close to stopping Ethan. You made it to the car.” She leaned back and smiled at him. “But the important thing? You saved me. You got to me before Ethan could hurt me in any way. So I consider this a successful bodyguarding stint.”
“The hell it is,” Spence said, trying to keep the growl out of his voice. “Davies got his hands on you. Drove three hours away from Seattle with you. Hurt your wrists.” He brought first one wrist to his mouth and kissed it, then the other. “And came too damn close to doing a lot worse than leaving scars on your wrists.”
“But he didn’t,” Zoe said. “Because of you. And because of that ring and app my brilliant sister created. Focus on the good stuff, Spence. Because it ended well. I’m safe. You’re safe. Ethan…”
Her face clouded and she looked away.
“Davies made a choice,” Spence said quietly. “I yelled and yelled, begging him to stop. Screamed that he was running toward a cliff. I leaped for him and tried to knock him down, but he never even slowed down. I’m not sure if he was scared, disoriented or realized that you weren’t on board with his big plans. But he could have stopped at any time. And if he had, he’d still be alive right now.”
She cupped his face, touched his cheek. “You’re right. It’s no one’s fault but Ethan’s that he died. He made all the choices that led up to tonight. All those choices led him to the Cascade Mountains and that tiny cabin. I hate that he died, but he would have hated to go into another facility. Another treatment center.” She sighed. “He had so much potential when we were teens. I was the best coder in our class, but he wasn’t far behind me.” She swiped the back of her hand over her eyes. “I think… I think he chose to die to stop his pain.” She closed her eyes and leaned into Spence, and tears fell on his chest. “The way he said I needed to be with him? That we needed to be together always? I think he’d already decided to take his own life. It’s such a waste.”
“It is,” Spence said, reaching for her hand. “Let’s get out of here. Do you want to stay somewhere here tonight, or do you want to drive back to Seattle?”
“I’d rather go back to Seattle. To my condo.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He slid his hand down her arm and took her hand. “Are you hungry? Should we find a restaurant first?”
“Let’s do that,” she said. “Start getting back to normal.”
Spence gazed down at Zoe’s face, a face he’d feared he’d never see again. “Normal sounds pretty damn good right now.”