Page 103 of The Ruthless and the Strong

Fuck. Did Sam have a death wish? Sam wasn’t small by any means, but Max had him beat in both bulk and height. And I knew Max was trained in jiu-jitsu.

“Ex-wife,” Max answered coolly.

“All right, that’s enough,” I said, moving between them. I looked at Sam, but he wasn’t focused on me, instead at the man he blamed for our failed marriage. I turned back to Max and pleaded with my eyes for him to go back in.

After a moment, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll go back in. But I’m leaving the door open. If I hear something I don’t like, I will be back. Okay?”

It was more than I could ask for. I nodded and said thank you when Sam let out a humorous laugh.

“Do you really think you need to protect Lizzie from me? What are you to her to offer her that kind of protection?”

I shook my head. “Sam, stop it. Just go back to your hotel and I will call you later, okay? If you want to see Hunter while you’re here, great. If not, I’ll let you cool off before we talk about this again.”

It was like I wasn’t even talking. He wasn’t even looking at me. His eyes never strayed from Max.

“Are you two fucking already?” Sam asked.

“Sam,” I gritted out. “I said that’s enough. Leave.”

He shook his head. “How long did you wait after you got here to fuck around with him? Huh? A day? Or maybe it was long before that. Maybe you have been fucking him while we were still married, yeah?”

“Enough,” Max said. He didn’t yell it, but I heard him loud and clear. Max wasn’t a man quick to anger, but I could tell he was getting there. Things were quickly getting out of control and I didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Just leave, Sam!” I yelled.

He ignored me. “Why would I want to see Hunter? When he probably spends most of his time with him anyway. Give it a few years and Hunter will call him Dad. That’s what you wanted? Isn’t it? For me to be out of the picture so you can enact the perfect little family with the man you’ve been fucking with behind my back?”

Suddenly, strong arms moved around my waist and pulled me back. Then Max got between me and Sam, and everything happened so fast after that. Max punched Sam in the face. Sam staggered back a bit, but he didn’t fall, which told me Max didn’t use his full strength. Even still, blood spurted out his nose.

Max pointed at Sam and he said coldly, “You’re going to leave. And you’re not going to come back until you have your emotions under control.”

With that, he walked away, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and headed us back to his house. I looked back to see Sam watching us, betrayal in his eyes, before he picked up the divorce papers he’d dropped when Max hit him, and walked to his car. We got in the house before Sam even drove off, and then Max closed the door behind him.

I took him in for a moment. Then two.

Then I broke down and completely lost it.

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