Page 49 of Finding You

Zion had told her a little about the guys who were former military but now owned a high-end personal security firm. They provided personal security to the rich and famous, as well as offered security for large events, and they even had a division that installed state-of-the-art alarm systems.

Raven straightened and glanced out the window as they entered a gorgeous neighborhood.

“I thought we were heading to his office. This looks like a residential neighborhood.”

It looked like a new community with houses so huge they were probably considered mansions. Most sat behind tall wrought-iron gates on massive lots, and each one was as stunning as the next. What she liked most was that they were all different and unique with lush landscaping surrounding them.

“Wiz wanted us to come to his home office since technically he’s off work today.”

“These homes look like something out of a magazine.”

“Yeah, he’s been living out here a couple of years now. He and Malik were some of the first to build homes in this area. I haven’t been to Malik’s house, but knowing him, it’s probably even bigger than Wiz’s.”

With it being a beautiful spring day and Sunday, there were quite a few people working in their yards, washing cars, and kids out riding their bikes. It was a perfect day for taking it easy, and after this meeting, Raven was going to try that.

“I have a question for you that Wiz is probably going to ask too.”

“And what’s that?”

“Besides you and the babies, do you have anything else that Maximus might want?”

Raven frowned as she tried to think of what she could possibly have that Maximus would want. When they’d dated, she’d always been concerned that he was out of her league. She’d been an administrative manager at his company, while he’d own that business and numerous others. The guy had more money, cars, houses, and a host of other stuff than he needed. While all she had was a meager savings and her SUV.

“Nothing I can think of. Why do you ask?”

“Because men like Maximus are typically driven by money, greed, and power. With money probably being at the top of the list in this case.”

Raven chuckled. “Well, he can’t be after me for that. Compared to him, I don’t have any.” She sobered. “I think it’s his pride. He’s not used to people saying no to him, especially women. I think this is his way of making my life a living hell because I bruised his ego by breaking up with him. He said as much the day I told him that our relationship wasn’t working for me. He looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Like he couldn’t fathom anyone breaking up with him. He said no one walks away from him, and if I did, it would be my loss.”

“What happened when you did walk away?”

She gave a slight shrug. “Not much. He let me go at first, then he started calling, asking if I’d like to go to lunch or dinner. Saying that he missed me. When that didn’t work, he sent gifts that I promptly sent back. Things with him didn’t start getting weird until he found out I was pregnant. We’d been broken up for at least six months at that point. He knew the babies weren’t his, but he started coming back around, acting as if they were.”

“What happened when he’d come around?”

“He’d want to do stuff for me. I’ll admit, the first few months of my pregnancy were hell. Sometimes I didn’t have the energy to tell him to get lost. I didn’t feel well, and I was getting my business up and going. It was just a tough time.

“Maximus would bring soup by, have groceries delivered, he even hired a cook for me at one point. That’s when I recognized he was trying to get back into my life.

“I told him I appreciated all he’d done for me, but it had to stop. We weren’t getting back together. Once I got past morning sickness, I threw myself into work. I wanted to stack as much money as I could before the babies were born. He didn’t come around as much but still sent gifts, which I sent back, but he eventually backed off… some.”

“What about when the babies were born?”

Raven glanced out the driver’s side window just as Zion pulled up to an iron gate. While she watched him punch in a code, she answered his question.

“He tried to come back around. He sent a ton of stuff for the babies, but I didn’t keep any of it. I knew how controlling he could be, and I didn’t want to give him a foothold into my life again.”

Zion nodded. “This stunt he’s trying to pull might be about hurt feelings and you pushing him out of your life, but…”

When he didn’t continue, Raven prompted, “But what?”

“But I don’t think that’s it. My gut tells me there’s something else at play. I just don’t know what. We’ll figure it out.”

Raven nodded and released a slow breath as Zion parked in the circular drive behind a truck even bigger than his. “I hope so,” she said. “Because I want Maximus out of my life once and for all.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Raven is beautiful, and she seems like a sweetheart,” Wiz said as they re-entered his office, closing the door behind them. “And the babies bring back memories of when my twins were that small.”

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