Page 142 of Are You Going to Love Me

“Big Rod’s. Okay,” she grumbled, taking the next exit to the neighborhood spot.

She no longer cared that he was handling business. She’d told him about half-truths and holding things back from her. She’d told him about the trauma her mother caused her. He knew and didn’t say a word about it to her. It was causing her overthinking to spin a web of false narratives.

Forget the security he had tailing her. Forget Trae Way being hot and Mama’s pending threats of putting her back on the pole if she didn’t pay up. Hurt fueled her, and anger ignited the flame. In record time, she pulled up to Big Rod’s and double-parked beside his truck. Her SUV still running.

Anyone watching could see her fuming as she stomped into the building. “This is what we doing now?”

Very rarely did her voice raise, but the heightened state she was in both emotionally and physically had her out of character. Ready to fight, she waited for Maximus to turn around. Brody turned first.

“Oh, she mad as fuck,” he grumbled, walking away and finding a booth to slide into.

“You can feel that shit radiate,” Keon huffed, moving away.

Maximus looked down, pinning her with a warning glare. “Not here.”

He attempted to lead her to the back, but she snatched away. “I don’t give a fuck about where we are. You knew! I told you how I felt about that bitch, and you knew! You didn’t say shit to me?! I got to find out on a blog post that not only were you signed to that bitch, but she’s been around all this time!”

“Eden,” Maximus gritted. “Stop.”

Eden’s emotional state didn’t even allow her to realize that she’d walked into the middle of some shit he was trying to keep far away from her.

“You can’t be here. Go home and we’ll talk about it when I get there.”

“Home? I’m not doing that shit. I’m not waiting around for y’all to keep fuckin’ lying to me.”

“For the record, E, I've never lied to you,” Brody spoke up, peeping the scene. “Let’s circle back to this.”

Eden was zeroed in on Maximus. She couldn’t care less what Brody was saying.

“Eden!” Maximus groaned. “Not fuckin’ here, not fuckin’ now.”

“Then when?”

“When I get home. Take your ass back to the car and go.” He pointed over her head. Her walking out the front door was no longer an option. If Eden had been paying attention, she would’ve noticed that Big Rod’s was too empty for the middle of the day. None of his staff was present, and Trae Way Gangstas were posted on every corner. She was in the middle of hood politics with an attitude that had to take a back seat.

Maximus, with no time to soothe this, grabbed her by the arm and nudged her to the back hall. “I don’t have the fuckin’ time to do this shit with you right now. Don’t say shit and get in the fuckin’ office. Don’t come out until I come get you.”

“Maximus. What’s up, nigga,” Augustus’ voice sounded off.

Both Keon and Brody popped to their feet.

“I heard you were looking for me,” Augustus continued, his mocking accompanied by three wayward shots.

One bullet shot through the tile next to Eden’s head, one through Maximus’ shoulder as he turned to shield Eden, and the other grazing the side of Brody’s face as he jumped in front of Maximus and fired back.

Augustus, realizing Maximus came prepared to take him out, fled the scene. Before he arrived, Maximus had made it clear that Gus was his to take out if he so chose.

“Max!” Eden screamed, holding on to him as he grunted.

“Fuuuck!”

“5-O!” Keon shouted. “We got to get the fuck out of here.”

“You’re hit, Max. You’re hit,” Eden scrambled to put pressure on his bleeding shoulder.

“Eden, get him to the hospital. It was a drive by, and you don’t know shit, you understand me?” Keon shouted, moving them toward the door in the chaos of armed gang members fleeing the scene.

Keon fishtailed out of the parking lot behind Brody, who was speeding off with Maximus bleeding in the back seat. Eden had her sweatshirt off, pressing it against his shoulder. Tears streamed down her face as she peered down at Maximus with regret. It was quickly zapped by his gnash of frustration.

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