Page 214 of Stay Scared

Cade sees it from twenty feet away, and his expression hardens.

Mark feels the weight of that stare. “Oh, come on.”

“What?”

“I am literally preventing you from falling.”

“I can see that.”

“Does he?”

Cade starts toward us.

The officer beside him reaches for his arm.

Cade pulls free before the hand lands. “Do not touch me.”

Two more officers look over.

I straighten before this becomes another scene.

“Cade.”

He stops.

The officers fail to stop him.

My voice does.

His eyes sweep over me: bandaged hands, cut shirt, fresh dressing, Mark’s fingers still around my elbow.

“Let her go.”

Mark looks down at his hand, then at Cade. “She was falling.”

“I’m not now.”

Mark releases me.

Cade comes closer. The officer follows, clearly reconsidering every career choice that led here.

Cade stops within arm’s reach.

His hand lifts toward my face.

He catches himself.

The restraint lasts maybe half a second before his fingers close around my jaw, careful with the bruises and possessive everywhere else.

The officer shifts.

Cade ignores him.

“You scared the shit out of me.”

His thumb moves once beneath my cheek.

I should tell him to move his hand.