Stranger in my Ass-Chapter 244

Maxwell’s POV

I was pacing the room like a caged animal, trying to burn off the frustration coursing through my veins.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Each step sending a sharp reminder through my stitches that I should probably be lying down.

I didn’t care.

I hated this place. Hated the arrangement. Hated being in New Delhi when everything had been going perfectly in Tokyo. Things were finally progressing with Olivia. We’d agreed to be friends. We’d had that moment in my bedroom. She’d been warming up to me.

And then we came here, and now she was two doors away from me, sharing a room with Gabriel fucking Gregory.

Why did Damien have to get in trouble at this exact sensitive time?

I was so caught up in my internal rant that I completely forgot I wasn’t alone in the room.

"You know, if you don’t find somewhere to sit, you’re going to kill us both."

I turned around to find Damien watching me from his hospital bed. Yes. I’d come back here, instead of wallowing in my lonely room.

"Kill us both how?" I asked.

"You’re going to reopen your wounds," Damien said, wincing as he shifted slightly. "And you’re going to give me a concussion from watching you pace like a psycho."

I walked over to his bed and deliberately tapped him hard on his back - right where they’d bandaged his gunshot wound.

"OW! What the fu..."

"You shouldn’t be worrying about dying right now," I interrupted, leaning against the bed-frame. "Instead, worry about the fact that Kennedy and your supposed girlfriend are probably cooked up together right now having reunion sex."

Damien’s face went still.

"Kennedy is probably making love to her as we speak," I continued, watching his reaction with satisfaction. "Whispering tender words. Holding her close. Comforting her from the kidnapping trauma. Making sure she knows she’s safe. Loved. Protected."

I watched Damien’s face turn red. The muscles in his jaw popped. His entire body tensed like a coiled spring ready to snap.

He looked at me with absolutely dead eyes. "Shut up. That’s not what they’re doing."

I smiled. It was actually more fun teasing my brother with the obvious truth than dwelling on my own problems.

"You know that’s exactly what they’re doing. You once mentioned seeing them at a restaurant kissing, didn’t you? You also saw them here today. The way he held her. The way she clung to him." I paused. "Isn’t that why you arranged this whole New Delhi trip in the first place? To get her away from Kennedy?"

"Until you brought him here!" Damien’s voice rose. "This whole thing was supposed to be kept private! Just me and her! Why did you have to bring everyone including him?"

I smirked. "Are you sure you didn’t stage this kidnapping, Damien? Because the timing is suspiciously convenient."

"I told you, I didn’t!" He glared at me. "If I had staged it, you guys wouldn’t have heard about it at all. And I definitely wouldn’t have gotten shot in the process." He shifted, grimacing. "Why did you have to bring Kennedy to Tokyo in the first place?"

"Because he’s my friend. And a potential brother-in-law. I wanted him to help me talk to his sister."

Damien’s laugh was bitter. "You really think you’re going to marry Olivia?"

"I don’t think. I know."

"Even though she’s currently cuddled up with Gabriel in a hotel room right now?"

Something dark twisted in my chest. "They’re not doing anything. I’m absolutely sure of that."

"You can’t be too sure, Max."

I smiled, but it felt sharp. "I’m absolutely sure."

"God." Damien ran a hand over his face. "I feel like I already hate him. Kennedy. I don’t think we’re going to get along very well."

"You’ll both have to find a way to make it work. For my sake."

"What about Gabriel?" Damien asked. "Will you two ever go back to normal? You were best friends."

"Yes. When I finally marry Olivia, then we’ll make peace. He’ll understand. Eventually."

Damien shook his head, slumping back against his pillows. "I wish I had the same confidence you have."

"You can if you plan toward it."

"I don’t think I can win." His voice was quieter now, almost defeated. "Kira clearly loves him. Kennedy. She loves him."

"Yes," I acknowledged. "But she once loved you too. As Eddie. She fell for you first."

Damien looked at me in frustration. "Whose side are you even on? Me or Kennedy?"

"I’m rooting for whoever is capable of keeping Kira locked up and busy," I said honestly. "The woman doesn’t like me very much. I wouldn’t want her interfering in my business when Olivia finally learns the truth about me."

"Always a businessman, aren’t you?" Damien’s laugh was hollow. "All you care about is yourself."

"Yeah. You should learn to do that too. Try it and thank me later."

"What do you want anyway?" Damien reached out and deliberately pressed against my wounded side. "Aren’t you supposed to be resting? Is this stab wound even real? You don’t look like someone who was stabbed."

I slapped his hand away. "A stab wound is the least of my problems. And it’s because you’re wasting time in this hospital that Kira is finding solace in another man’s arms."

"STOP SAYING THAT, YOU BASTARD!" Damien’s voice rose to a yell.

"Exactly!" I pointed at him. "That’s how I want you to act. Like you’re strong. Not like a weakling who’s given up."

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to something more serious. "Now, what I want you to do is get up from this bed and go back to your life. Tell everyone you’re fine. That you’re grateful they came to check on you, but you’re ready to get back to work."

"You selfish demon."

"Yes. I need to get out of here and back to Tokyo. I won’t accomplish anything with Olivia if I’m stuck in New Delhi. And you won’t accomplish anything with Kira if Kennedy is here playing the devoted boyfriend."

Damien was quiet for a long moment, and I could see him processing, calculating.

Then he started pulling at the medical tape holding his IV in place. "You’re absolutely right."

"What are you doing?"

"What you told me to do." He yanked the needle out, pressing his thumb against the small wound. "I need to leave. I need to get back to my life. Back to being the Damien Wellington who doesn’t let anyone take what’s his."

"That’s more like it." I smiled, already heading toward the door. "I’ll call the nurse. Tell her we’re checking you out against medical advice."

"Max?"

I paused, looking back.

"Thank you. For being a terrible influence."

"That’s what brothers are for."