Seeing Zev like this broke something inside me. I wasn’t sure if it was the shock of seeing him so vulnerable or the deep-rooted frustration I’d carried for days—the worry, the confusion—but something cracked, and a wave of emotions hit me all at once.
“Stop it!” I shouted, my voice trembling as I found my feet and rushed forward, not caring if I was making the worst decision of my life. My heart was pounding in my chest, and before I knew it, I was standing between Zev and the guards, throwing myself into their path.
“Get out of the way,” one of the guards growled, not even sparing me a second glance. His eyes were cold, uncaring, as if what they were doing to Zev was just another task for them.
“I said stop!” I screamed, pushing against one of them with all the strength I had, but he
