Stranger in my Ass-Chapter 239

Maxwell’s POV

Hours crawled by in that waiting room.

Olivia had been sitting beside me, her presence both comforting and torturous. Close enough to smell her perfume. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her body. Close enough to drive me slowly insane with want.

Then Gabriel had appeared, his hand extended toward her like a claim.

"Come on, Liv. Let’s get some coffee. You need to eat something."

And she’d gone with him. Of course she had.

I watched them walk away together - his hand on the small of her back, her leaning slightly into him - and felt something dark and possessive coil in my gut.

I didn’t blame him, though. If Olivia was my girlfriend, I wouldn’t let her sit with another man either. Especially not one she clearly had feelings for, whether she admitted it or not.

I tried not to watch them at the vending machines. Tried not to notice how Gabriel made her laugh, how she touched his arm when she spoke, how comfortable they looked together.

I was failing miserably.

Just when I thought I might actually lose my mind and do something stupid - like march over there and drag her back to my side - the doctor appeared.

"Family of Damien Wellington?"

Gabriel and Olivia returned immediately, while we all stood up.

"How is he?" I demanded.

"He’s stable. He’s awake now and ready for visitors." The doctor smiled. "But not all at once. We need to keep things calm. So we’ll start with his girlfriend." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Everyone looked around, confused.

Girlfriend?

Kennedy glanced at Kira, who shook her head quickly.

Gabriel looked at Olivia, who looked equally baffled.

"I wasn’t aware my brother had a girlfriend," I said slowly.

The doctor checked his clipboard. "He specifically asked for his girlfriend to come in first. Said..." he squinted at his notes, "said she’d know who she was."

More confused looks all around.

"Well, if there’s no girlfriend, you can go in, Mr. Wellington." The doctor gestured toward the room. "Just you for now. Fifteen minutes."

I moved forward, every movement pulling at my stitches, and made my way to Damien’s room.

He was propped up in bed, pale but alive, bandages wrapped around his torso. An IV dripped steadily into his arm. Monitors beeped a steady rhythm.

And he was smirking.

When he saw me walk in, one hand pressed to my side, moving like an old man, his smirk turned into laughter.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked, his voice rough but amused.

I rolled my eyes. "I was stabbed. Outside my hotel in Tokyo."

"You were stabbed?" Damien’s eyebrows shot up. "Or you stabbed yourself?"

"What? Why would I... shut up. I was stabbed for real. I’m not crazy enough to stab myself."

"Right." Damien drew out the word, his tone dripping with skepticism. "Because everything else you do is so sane and rational."

I eased myself into the chair beside his bed with a groan. "Says the man who got himself kidnapped and shot."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh yes, you do." I said with a gleam in my eyes. "Were you really kidnapped? Or did you just get bored with life and decided to plan your own kidnapping for excitement?"

He stared at me. "Are you serious right now?"

"I mean, it would be very on-brand for you."

"Maxwell..."

"Spontaneous, dramatic, unnecessarily complicated..."

"I did not plan my own kidnapping!"

"If you say so." I shifted slightly, wincing.

"Though if I had planned it, I would’ve done a much better job. Those idiots kidnapped me with my phone and all my tracking devices still on. Amateurs. The rescue happened way too fast. Zero stars, would not recommend."

Despite everything, I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "You’re actually insane."

"Says the man who allegedly got stabbed in a random robbery in one of the safest cities in the world."

"It wasn’t random! It was..." I stopped. "Okay, it was kind of random. Wrong place, wrong time."

"Convenient timing though." Damien’s expression turned more serious. "Both of us attacked on the same night in different countries. You’re thinking it too, aren’t you?"

"That someone’s targeting us?" I nodded. "Yeah. I’m thinking it."

"But who?"

"That’s the question."

We sat in silence for a moment, both of us thinking.

Then Damien broke it with: "Is she here?"

I didn’t need to ask who. "Yes."

"Is she okay? How does she look?"

"Like someone who just flew six hours in a panic after finding out her best friend was kidnapped." I paused. "Actually, she looks beautiful. She always looks beautiful. Even when she’s terrified and exhausted."

Damien’s smile was knowing. "You’ve got it bad."

"Says the man who specifically asked for his ’girlfriend’ to visit first." I leaned forward. "Speaking of which, who is this mysterious girlfriend the doctor mentioned?"

"None of your business."

"It’s absolutely my business. Kira is with Kennedy, and they’re obviously happy together. Don’t try to interfere."

Damien’s eyes flashed. "Olivia is with Gabriel. You shouldn’t interfere either."

"That’s different."

"How is it different?"

"Because..." I struggled to articulate it. "My situation with Olivia is complicated. There’s history. There’s... we have something real, even if she doesn’t remember it yet."

"And what do you think I have with Kira?" Damien shot back. "She’s been my bodyguard for a while now. I see her every day, I trust her with my life, watch her be brilliant and capable and..." He stopped himself. "That’s real too."

"But Kennedy..."

"But Gabriel..."

We stared at each other, and then simultaneously slumped in our respective positions.

I let my head fall back against the chair, staring at the ceiling. "We’re idiots."

"Massive idiots," Damien agreed.

"Pining after women who are dating other men."

"Good men, too. That’s the worst part. Kennedy and Gabriel are actually decent guys. More stable than we crazy bastards."

"I hate that."

"Me too."

Another silence, this one more contemplative.

"Max?" Damien’s voice was quieter now.

"Yeah?"

"If we didn’t plan our attacks - and I genuinely didn’t, before you ask again - then who did?"

I sat up, meeting his eyes. "I don’t know."

"This is too serious to be a coincidence. You know that, right? Two brothers, two attacks, same night, different countries?"

"I know."

"So someone’s coming after us. After the family."

The thought had been circling my mind since Kennedy first suggested it on the plane. "Yeah."

"We can’t let it slide." Damien’s voice hardened despite his weakness. "This could be a warning. What if they come after the people we love next?"

That got my attention. My entire body went rigid. "What?"

"Think about it. They attacked us. What if next time they go after Olivia? Or Kira? Or Kennedy? Or even Alex and Gabriel?" Damien’s jaw clenched. "We need to find out who’s doing this and stop them before anyone else gets hurt."

The thought of someone hurting Olivia - targeting her because of me - made my blood run cold.

"Agreed." I stood up carefully. "I’ll start looking into it. Security footage from my attack, your kidnapping details, any connections between the two."

"I’ll do the same. Well, I’ll do it from this hospital bed until they let me out." Damien’s expression turned calculating. "We should also reach out to our contacts. See if anyone’s heard chatter about moves against the Wellington family."

"What about Uncle Bernard?"

Damien’s eyebrows rose. "Bernard? What about him?"

"Kennedy suggested he might be involved."

"Bernard?" Damien actually laughed, then winced and pressed a hand to his bandages. "Ow. Don’t make me laugh. Bernard couldn’t hurt a fly. That’s why he ran away to Asia with his Chinese bride - couldn’t handle the family craziness."

"People change."

"Not that much." Damien shook his head. "Besides, we haven’t heard from him in over a decade. If he wanted to hurt us, he’s had plenty of time."

"Still. We should at least try to locate him. Rule him out."

"Fine. But I’m telling you, it’s not Bernard." Damien’s eyes drifted toward the door. "How long has it been?"

"About ten minutes."

"The doctor said fifteen minutes."

"He did."

"So I have five more minutes."

"To do what?"

"To convince you to send her in." Damien’s smile was almost pleading. "Come on, Max. Let me see her. Just for a few minutes."

"Kira?"

"Who else?"

"Damien, she’s with Kennedy..."

"I know! I know she’s with Kennedy. I’m not trying to steal her away. I just..." He ran a hand over his face. "I got shot protecting her. She was there when it happened. She probably thinks it’s her fault. I need to tell her it’s not."

I studied my brother’s face. Saw the genuine concern there. The fear beneath the bravado.

"You love her," I said quietly.

"I..." Damien started to protest, then stopped. "Yeah. I do. Have for a while now."

"Does she know?"

"That I love her? No. That I know she’s a woman? I told her during the kidnapping, but..." He sighed. "It’s complicated."

"Isn’t it always?"

"Says the man in love with his fake assistant who’s actually a woman pretending to be a man while dating his best friend."

I had to laugh at that, even though it hurt. "Fair point."

"So we’re both idiots in love with women we can’t have."

"Looks like it."

"Great. Fantastic. This is just fantastic."

The doctor knocked on the door. "Time’s up, Mr. Wellington. Your brother needs rest."

I stood, grimacing as my stitches pulled. "I’ll send her in."

"Thank you."

"But Damien?" I paused at the door. "Don’t do anything stupid."

"Me? Stupid?" His grin was pure mischief. "Never."

"I’m serious. Kennedy’s a good guy. Don’t mess with his relationship just because you’re feeling emotional after a near-death experience."

"Same goes for you with Gabriel."

I left the room and found Kira sitting between Kennedy and Gabriel, her hands twisted in her lap.

"He wants to see you," I said to her. "Just you. He says it’s important."

Kennedy’s expression tightened, but he nodded. "Go ahead."

Kira stood, her eyes meeting mine for a moment. I tried to convey a message: Be careful. Don’t hurt Kennedy. But also... my brother needs you.

I didn’t know if she got it.

But she walked into that room, and I watched Kennedy’s face as the door closed behind her.

He looked like a man watching something slip away from him.

I knew that feeling.

I sat down next to Olivia.

"How is he?" she asked.

"Awake. Sarcastic. Himself." I paused. "He’s going to be okay."

"Good. That’s good."

She leaned her head on my shoulder, probably not even thinking about it, just seeking comfort.

And I sat there, not moving, barely breathing, savoring the contact.

Gabriel watched from across the room, his expression unreadable.

Kennedy stared at Damien’s door like he could see through it.

And I thought: This is a mess. We’re all a complete mess.

But at least we were a mess together.