Page 46 of Finding You
Maximus glanced around the room and folded his arms across his chest. “And where are my kids?”
“I’m really starting to think something is seriously wrong with you,” she said, not sure what to make of this strange conversation. “You know you’re not the father of my babies. So what type of game are you playing?”
“What type of game amIplaying?” He growled, looking at her as if she was the one who was crazy. “You know good and damn well the twins are mine!”
“Like hell they are!”
Raven’s head snapped toward the doorway, and there was Zion, looking like a ferocious tiger ready to pounce. His handsome face was a mask of fury, and Maximus was the target of his attention.
Oh crap.
Chapter Twenty-One
It was taking everything within Zion not to charge into the room and strangle the man who’d been yelling at Raven. Maximus Osbourne. Her ex. The asshole who must have a death wish considering how crazy he was talking.
Zion moved farther into the room but kept a little distance between him and the guy. He had spotted Maximus a few minutes ago in the hallway and recognized him immediately. Without telling Raven, Zion had done a preliminary search on the guy, wanting to learn a little about the man who was stupid enough to let Raven go.
She hadn’t said much about Maximus lately, but that didn’t mean the jerk wasn’t still harassing her. Now Zion had a feeling he knew why. Well, at least part of the reason why. Maximus was under the impression that the twins were his, but was it an act?
“Who the hell are you?” Maximus barked out, but Zion wasn’t sure he was buying the act. It was the way the guy eyed him, like he recognized him but was trying to play it off as if he didn’t.
Interesting.
“Who are you?” Zion asked, playing along. “Because I know you’re not my kids’ father.”
Outside of the low hum from the television hanging on the wall nearby, silence engulfed the room. Seconds ticked by with Zion staring Maximus down, wondering what the guy would say next.
He didn’t get a chance because Raven spoke up as she glared at her ex. Zion had seen her mad before, hell, he’d been on the receiving end of her anger more than once. But the fury radiating from her, the short distance across the room, could be seen as well as felt.
“That,” she said with force while pointing at Zion but glaring at Maximus, “is my kids’ father. You on the other hand are a low-down dirty liar, and I’m so glad I saw through your BS before it was too late. I can’t believe I ever cared anything about you because this sick game you’re playing is showing who you really are. A loser, and I’m beyond done with you.”
Raven shoved past him, heading to Zion, but Maximus grabbed her arm and tugged her back. “Well, I’m not done with you!”
Zion didn’t even feel himself move. He just saw red. One minute he was standing just inside the room. The next, he had Maximus’s arm twisted behind his back and his face slammed up against the wall.
Zion leaned close to the man’s ear. “If youeverput your hands on my woman again,” he said, ignoring the way Maximus twisted back and forth trying to break free of his hold, “I will break every bone in your body, starting with this arm.” Zion jerked the guy’s arm up a bit more, causing Maximus to cry out.
“Zion, please,” Raven said frantically, her hand on his lower back, tugging on his T-shirt. “Not here. Not now.”
The door burst open. “What’s going on in here?” a woman, probably a nurse, said. “Do I need to call security?”
Zion ignored the woman. All he could focus on was the asshole who’d dared to put his hands on Raven. She’d saidMaximus had never hurt her physically, but now Zion wondered if that was true. Either way, he needed to make sure this piece of shit understood she was off limits.
“Baby, please let him go,” Raven whispered, her words coming out in a rush.
Zion heard Christopher tell whoever the woman was that everything was under control, and a second later, the woman left.
Raven tugged on his shirt again. “Let him go. He’s not worth it.”
She was right. The last thing Zion needed was security showing up and hauling him off the premises. He jerked Maximus’s arm up a little more, getting pleasure out of hearing the man cry out in pain. Then Zion finally released him and took a step back.
Maximus whirled around quickly, a little unsteady on his feet, and almost bumped into Raven before righting himself. Then he charged toward Zion, but Zion was ready for him. All he needed was an excuse to knock the jerk out. He had a couple of inches on the guy and had no doubt he could take him.
“Maximus, enough!” Christopher’s booming voice seemed to reverberate around the room. “Knock it off now.”
“Come on,” Raven said, trying to push Zion toward the door, but he wasn’t ready to leave. Not before he figured out what Maximus was up to. He did, however, put some space between them and Raven’s ex.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but you’ve messed with the wrong man. I’m coming after your ass for physical assault,” Maximus ground through gritted teeth, his chest heaving as he moved closer to the side of his grandfather’s bed.
