The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins like a toxic current.
I reached out, my hand hovering near her shoulder, desperate to pull her closer, to check for bruises I might have missed.
"Maya," I breathed, my voice thick and jagged. "Did he hurt you? Who the hell was that guy? If he laid a finger on you, I swear to God--"
I didn't get to finish. Maya didn't collapse into my arms. She didn't thank me. Instead, she recoiled as if my touch were a brand. She stepped back, her chin tilting upward, her eyes flashing with a cold, crystalline fury.
"I don't need you to protect me, Cole," she said. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that pinned me to the spot. "I don’t need a knight in a leather jacket, and I certainly don't need you making a scene like you own the gr
