Page 155 of Did They Break You

Storm is there, grabbing her arm, disentangling her from me.

“Ow!” she screams, clutching at her arm, where he touched her, rounding on him as he drops his hand like she burned him. “Thathurt,Storm, what the hell?”

I blink, stepping away from the door as Chase watches everything with his beer in hand. “I’ll do much worse than that if you don’tget the fuck out.”

She glares at me, still holding her wrist. “He hurt me, Cort, what the?—”

I step closer to her, looking down as I get in her face. “I’ll fuck you up, Maya.Get out.”

She drops her arm by her side, and for the first time, I see something that reminds me of Remi in her eyes.

Fire.

“Yeah?” she asks, the word slurred, but she’s still staring right at me. “Like all those bruises you left on me before?” She steps closer, and my spine stiffens as I hear Brinklin suck in a breath behind me. “Those marks around my neck, remember that, when I came down to see you in the spring?”

I bite the inside of my cheek, narrowing my eyes. “The ones you wanted?”

She shakes her head, a smile pulling on her lips. “I didn’t,” she says, eyeliner smeared in the corner of one eye as she rubs a fist over it before she drops her hand. “I didn’t want it, Cort. You were sorough,”her chin wobbles with that word, but it’s so. Fucking.Fake.“You were so rough, and you hurt me, and I know what you like to watch.” Big fucking tears well in her eyes, and I see beyond her, Chase watching closely, a smirk on his face. “You were so, so rough, and you like to watch…rape, Cortland.” She steps closer, her lip poked out. “And I was scared of you. I took photos, you know?” She glances over her shoulder at Chase. “I took pictures, to make sure I was safe. And I really don’t wanna hurt you, Cort, but if you keep making us all look bad by fucking around with Remi… I might have to.” She glances down at the floor, still pouting.“For your own good.”

I want to drag my nails down my skin for ever trusting her.

I want to hurt myself.

Her.

Chase.

I know Maya isn’t stable, either, and she needs help too, but it’s not because of me, and she can’t hang lies over my head.

There’s a roaring in my brain, and I try to take a breath. I try to calm the fuck down.

“What would Tristan do without you, huh, Cort?” she asks with faux concern.

And when her eyes meet mine again, I lunge for her.

My hands are outstretched, ready to wrap around her throat, and I hear Chase say,“There you go, Cort,”just like he did that night when I was fucking Remi, at the same time I see a flash of light from the phone he pulls from his pocket. But before I can get to Maya, not even moving out of the way,wantingme to touch her, Brinklin and Storm both grab me, shoving me against the door, my head colliding with the wood.

Brinklin gets in my face as Storm turns to Maya.

“Don’t give her what she wants,” Brinklin says, bright green eyes focused on mine as I try to breathe beneath his hand pinning me to the door, a ringing sound in my ears.

Storm stalks toward Maya.

“You’re gonna get your clothes, Maya, and you’re gonna leave,” he says, and I see her backing up, because she’s scared of Storm. She always was.

Chase has put his phone away, and now he’s looking nervous too, because he didn’t get any of what he wanted, and he knows the entire fucking pack is pissed at him.

I want to see him bleed.

I want to break his fucking neck.

Maya wouldn’t do this on her own. I was wrong to go after her. It’shimwho needs to die.

I try to move from the door but Brinklin shoves me back again and I just slump against it, listening to Storm.

“And if you don’t,” he snarls, leaning down to get in Maya’s face,“I’ll strip your spine from your fucking back.”

CHAPTER

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