Maya's POV
I stared at him through blurred vision, my chest heaving. What could he possibly promise me that would make any of this better?
"What do you want to promise?" My voice came out hoarse.
Kieran's jaw tightened, his blue eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.
"From this moment on, I'll be your protector." His voice was steady. "Anyone who tries to hurt you will have to go through me first."
I blinked, fresh tears burning the corners of my eyes. "Why would you do that?"
"Because I was wrong." He ran a hand through his hair. "I treated you like s**t from the start, and everyone else followed my lead. That ends now. I'll treat you…. like my younger brother. I'll look out for you."
Younger brother.
Something inside me deflated. Of course that's all I c
