Page 67 of Burn Protocol

“You are the one who told Salisar. Do you have any idea what you have fucking done?”

Torres frowns at me and shakes his head in disbelief. He moves to push past me, but I put my palm against his chest and shove him hard. He stumbles back a few paces, and stares at me with dark eyes.

“Gonzales, what the actual fuck?”

“You know, it’s one thing to fuck with me, Torres. I know you despise me and the feeling is absolutely mutual. But to go for her?” My voice cracks at the last word as I think of Maya’s hurt. “That’s low, even for a scumbag like you.”

“Get a grip, woman. You are loco.”

He spits the word and tries to push past me again.

“And she isn’t exactly innocent, either.”

The way he tilts his chin when he speaks about Maya makes me snarl. His eyes widen slightly at the sight and he tries to step back. Too late. My fist makes contact with the corner of his mouth and his head snaps to the side. My knuckles scrape the sharp edges of his teeth and immediately start to bleed again, but this time I ignore it.

“Don’t you dare to speak about her like that,” I pant.

Torres looks up at me with something other than shock in his eyes. Surprise, awe, I don’t even know. All I know is that when I move forward toward him, a strong arm pulls me back and slams me into the wall.

“Enough!”

Rivera’s voice booms over the parking lot as he presses his hand against my shoulder to pin me in place.

“That is quite enough now, Elena. Pull yourself together and go home. And you,” he glances back over his shoulder to Torres. “Get your ass inside.”

Torres wipes his mouth with the back of his hand while muttering something about crazy bitches before stepping inside. I stare at the man who was my rookie only mere months ago. And he stares right back at me. Not with disapproval, anger, or judgment, but with something softer. Care.

“We know you’re hurting right now, Elena,” his voice soft and warm, “but you can’t go around hitting people in the parking lot. That’s not you, lieutenant. That’s not you.”

He smacks my shoulder gently, but the worry in his eyes doesn’t disappear.

“I’ll talk to Torres, you just get yourself home. Okay, boss?”

I nod and watch him as he walks back inside. I press my back harder against the cold wall, lean my head against it, and close my eyes. A shiver runs through my body, now that the adrenaline is wearing off. I haven’t had such a terrible day since… since I lost Cruz. There is only one place I want to go to right now. And it isn’t home.

The knock on my door makes my pulse stop for a single beat. I glance at the clock on the wall and inhale sharply. Everything in me wants to run toward it, toward her. But then what? Will we pretend this never happened? I don’t think I can do that. To go back to pretending there is nothing between us. Not when every fiber in my body longs for her.

“Maya, please?”

Her muffled voice cuts through me like a blade and I feel the tears well up immediately. I dig my nails into my calves and press my face against my knees. Why can’t this all just go away?

When I hear the rattling at the door, I snap my head up. I am just in time to see Elena push it open, holding the key I only gave her yesterday. For that one moment. And didn’t even bother to ask for it back because…

“Get out.”

My throat is so raw that my voice comes out low and raspy. It startles her, stopping her in her tracks. Good.

“Maya…”

I shake my head, my body trembling now. There is nothing she can say or do to make this pain go away. And I can’t even blame her for that. I always knew her career would come first. She didn’t make a secret of that. Hell, she didn’t even make a secret of not liking me in the first place. How could I have been so stupid to think she would choose me? That I would at least be a consideration rather than a clear dismissal?

“Don’t,” I hiss.

“That’s not fair…”

“Not fair? Elena, you pretended as if I was nothing. Nobody. You didn’t even look at me. Don’t talk to me about fair.”

I mean to scream the words, but they come out eerily calm instead. Elena’s face crumples and she brings her fist to her chest as if I just stabbed her.