Page 60 of Hunter

“Hi, Tia,” Steff greets her with a warm smile, her earlier hardness replaced with affection.

“Hi, sweetie. Can you please give me and Maxim a few minutes?” Sophia’s mom asks, her gaze sharp and calculating as Steff moves to leave. The door shuts softly behind her, and suddenly, the weight of the room seems to double.

Sophia’s mom sits in Steff’s place, her shoulders squared, her eyes narrowing at me.

If I’m being honest with myself, I knew this conversation was inevitable with the way she’d been glaring at me earlier, especially in the restaurant.

“Lovely home you have,” I say, trying to break the thick tension in the air.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Maxim.” She leans forward, elbows on the table. “I don’t want you anywhere near my daughter.”

Straight to the point. My respect for her grows—now I know where Sophia gets her strength. She’s a force to be reckoned with.

“That’s not your choice to make,” I reply evenly. “Sophia is an adult. She can make her own decisions.”

“She doesn’t have a choice in this when she clearly doesn’t know who’s sleeping in her bed,” she snaps. The words strike hard, and I feel my jaw tighten. “The Sophia I raised wouldn’t date a criminal,” she adds, her voice dripping with disdain.

I hide the satisfaction rising in my chest. I knew it. I recognized the look she gave me—she knew who I was from the start. Her furtive glances, the subtle tension in her eyes—she recognized me before I even had a chance.

“That’s a big accusation to make, Ms. Perez,” I reply, my voice cold despite the heat building inside me.

“Cut the crap, Maxim.” She slams her palms on the table, her anger flaring before she catches herself. The tension in the air thickens, and she exhales deeply, visibly trying to regain control.

I can see the pain behind her eyes, and it tugs at my heart in a way I wasn’t prepared for. The weight of the fear she must have carried, knowing what her husband was involved in—and knowing that now, she must face me. She’s afraid, but I understand. I can see it: this woman lost her husband, the love of her life, and now, all she has left are her daughters. Of course, she’s going to fight to protect Sophia.

I force myself to stay calm, even as my anger boils over the thought of losing Sophia. I won’t let anything or anyone tear us apart. Not now. Not ever.

“You don’t need to insult me by pretending we don’t know exactly who you are,” she adds, her voice low and dangerous.

“Who do you think I am, Ms. Perez?” I ask, keeping my voice steady. She can hate me, insult me, and try to push me away, but none of it will work. She stopped being responsible for Sophia a long time ago. Sophia is mine now, and I will protect her at all costs.

“You are the biggest scum on Earth, living your life like you’re God, jury, and executioner all in one. One day—mark my words—one day, you’ll get what’s coming to you.” Her words are sharp, venomous. The hatred spills from her lips, coating the air around us. I’ve been called worse, and it rolls off me.

“Sophia is too good to be with someone like you,” she adds, her voice dripping with disdain.

I lean forward, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I’ve been getting what’s been coming to me since the day I was born into this fucked-up world. No matter what you say or do, it will be futile. Sophia is my salvation, a reward for having to deal with the life I was forced into. No one gets to choose their parents, and no one—not you, not anyone—will damage that.”

Her eyes soften slightly, and I know I’ve struck a chord. “I’m not going anywhere, Ms. Perez. So I suggest you put aside whatever you think you know about me and my life and continue to pretend we get along—for Sophia’s sake. So she doesn’t get hurt.”

Her eyes narrow, and her face flushes with frustration. “She will get over it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I reply, my voice low but firm. “Sophia loves me just as much as I love her.”

“Love is a fickle emotion, Maxim. One day, it feels all-consuming, and the next, it’s gone.”

“You know that more than anyone, don’t you?” Her eyes widen at my words, and she glances around quickly to see if anyone overheard. But when she looks back at me, I can see thesweat beading on her brow, her face drained of color. The truth hits her harder than I expected.

“She doesn’t belong in your world,” she says with a sigh, her voice tinged with defeat. I know she’s ignoring my earlier comment, probably because it struck too deeply. It was a low blow, but I need this conversation to end.

Where the hell is Sophia?

I glance at my watch—over thirty minutes since she went to the bathroom. My heart starts to pound. Worry claws at my throat, tightening with each passing second. What’s taking her so long? I need to find her.

I stand up abruptly, the anxiety making it impossible to stay seated any longer. “I respect your willingness to confront a criminal, as you called me, to protect your daughter. But do not mistake my lack of rebuttal for anything less than the love I have for Sophia. I will not hurt her by disrespecting you, but I will not always be so lenient. You have your issues with me, and I have my issues with you.”

Her eyes widen in disbelief. She’s shocked I would have any issues with her. Well, I do—many. But mostly, it’s about her other daughter. “I’ve put those aside for Sophia’s sake. I think you should do the same.”

With a final push of my chair, I turn and walk toward the house, her eyes sending daggers with her gaze.

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