Page 129 of Are You Going to Love Me

By now, the handful of people Rico was with had scattered off, and Maximus was squatting over Rico’s slumped, bloodied body.

“You breathe in my lady’s direction, I’ll stomp your muhfuckin’ dome in.” Before standing upright, Maximus snatched Rico’s diamond chains from around his neck, the watch off his wrist, and took his shoes just for added effect. “I advise you to stay yo’ ass out of Trae Way because every time I see you, I'm whooping your bitch ass over and over again. Come to think of it. I got some homies who like puttin’ they hands on niggas the way you like to do women. You know, feelin’ them up and shit.”

“Fuck you, bitch.” Rico’s words were coupled with a bloody gnash of teeth.

“Oh?” Maximus mused before looking over his shoulder. “Keon, call Baby, tell him Rico Johnson interested in having a talk.”

Maximus, roaming to the sound check, left Rico on the curb, robbed of his dignity and leaking blood. Brody and Maximus traded the hat for the chains.

“What you gon’ do when you go to a Waves game?” Brody questioned for amusement.

Keon chuckled, knowing that this industry would never take Maximus’ grit. “After getting his ass beat like that, he’s probably better off shooting those bricks from the parking lot.”

Maximus sparked up. “No one touches lady. Ain’t no fuckin’ discussion.”

Brody and Keon yielded to Maximus and trailed him to rehearsal. It was clear that the sight of Rico and the recall of Eden’s trauma had turned Maximus into the ruthless nigga he kept tucked away behind his unbothered demeanor.

When it came to Eden and her safety, or his name – cool and unbothered, went out of the window. With that, Keon and Brody knew – along with the rest of the hired crew – that Maximus was on one and anything was liable to happen. Especially if anyone else said or did anything that didn’t align with the warning he’d put out.

“What’s going on?” Eden asked, as she stood in the mirror examining her dress and hips. “I got to get back in the gym.”

Maximus barely looked up from his phone. “Nah, don’t do that. You look good.”

Eden turned on the balls of her feet and faced him. Since he’d returned from rehearsal, he’d been weighted. Her feet traipsed to him, guided the phone from his grip, locked it, and sat on his lap. “Tell me what’s going on?”

Maximus flexed and released his knuckles. “I’m centering.”

Eden arched a perfectly filled brow.

Maximus relaxed underneath her, his hands finding her hips. “I guess you should know before someone else tells you. I beat the fuck out of Rico. And before you say something, I told you it was on sight with that nigga.”

Eden kissed his cheek. “I wasn’t going to say anything. Nothing but thank you. And since we’re putting people in their places, I’ll have you know that I spoke to Sydette today about sliding her inflated ass in your DMs. Let’s hope she understood what I so eloquently said.”

Maximus smirked amusedly. “Eloquently? Is that going to be the same report I get from Staysha or the security?”

“No one can give you a report because I followed her into the bathroom, locked us in, and waited until she came out of thestall. It was a Poppi move, I know it like the back of my hand. I told her there are a million other DMs for her to be in, and yours isn’t one. The next time, I might not be so nice.”

“Got dick and started acting like me.”

“They said that transfer of energy is something serious.” She repositioned herself. “Now, how can I help you center?”

Maximus looked up at her, all made up and put together. “Lemme just look at you. Hold you.”

Eden held his face securely and lovingly in her hands. He exhaled, she inhaled. Their eyes connected, bodies connected without sex, just intimacy.

“You know I’d go to war for you, E.”

“You know I'll slap these bitches for you,” she said with a smirk. He gave her a look. “Yes, I know. You ready to go? It’s your big night.”

“Give me five more minutes of stillness.”

She rested in his hold. “Take all the time you need, baby.”

“We going to this after party?”

I think it’ll be good for you to be in the mix just for a little bit. People need to see your face.”

He groaned and washed his hand down his face.

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