Page 46 of Accidental Theirs (Alpha Billionaire Daddies #6)

Chapter Forty-Two

DAMIEN

When we arrive at Carter Holdings, I just have a bad feeling.

“Something’s up.”

“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock,” Dominic says flatly. “The leak is here right now!”

“I know that, I mean... this feels different. More dangerous.”

Sebastian rolls his shoulders around. “I can handle a little danger.”

“Just... everybody relax, okay? Don’t rush up there.” I park.

What’s the first thing Sebastian and Dominic do? Pile out of my car like they’re jumping out of a damn clown car.

I sigh, shaking my head, and go after them, striding quickly to the hall of records.

My phone dings with the app going off, repeatedly trying to use the keycode.

I don’t know what to expect, who to expect, but when his face comes into view, I can barely believe it.

Roland .

“Hey guys,” he says, trying to appear normal. “Just needed to get in to get one file. Can I use your keycode?”

My brow furrows. “You’ve been given a new one. Why not use it?”

He fidgets. “Forgot it. Lost the card already.”

“You’re not that stupid, Roland.” I advance on him, but his jaw works, and he steps backward, putting a hand in his pocket and pulling out a handgun.

“Whoa, whoa,” Sebastian says calmly. “Why don’t we all just relax? Sit and talk this out.”

“Talk what out? You think I’m stealing from Carter Holdings, don’t you?”

“Nobody said that,” I say firmly, but Roland’s past listening, eyes wide.

Dominic comes around his side, and Roland’s not paying attention, but it’s dangerous, he could swing the gun that way at any time.

I very slowly put my hand to my lower back. I’d come to Carter Holdings not just prepared but packing.

I’m not really a gun person, but I bought the handgun for protection, and I have to say I’m glad I did.

I get my hand on the handle before Roland swings the gun toward me, and I put my hands back up.

“Calm down, Roland. We can talk about this.”

“You think I’m stealing, but what you don’t know is she owes me!”

We all stare at him.

“She owes you?” Dominic growls. “You sonofabitch, you?—”

“You weren’t here when Carter Holdings started. You left her. And Sebastian, you’re barely even part of this. Only Damien knows what I’m talking about.”

I blink. “Yes,” I say quickly, wanting to throw him off. “Yes, of course. I know exactly how hard Yvonne and Olivia struggled. ”

“So, you don’t blame me, then?” he asks almost hopefully. “You don’t blame me for taking a little off the top.”

“Sure, Roland, but why? If you needed the money, Olivia would have given it to you.”

He barks out a bitter laugh. “Olivia has five million dollars lying around? Not likely.”

“Five million.” Sebastian sounds incredulous. “How could you possibly need that much?”

“I bought a house,” he admits, huffing out a breath. “I bought a house with Dennis, and I need out of it. I can’t be tied to him forever. I borrowed enough for the down payment but now, they’re going to foreclose...”

“You did all this for a house?” Dominic’s voice is low and dangerous. “You hurt Olivia, put her in danger, for a fucking house?”

He steps closer to Roland, ignoring the gun.

“Dom, stop,” Sebastian warns, still holding his hands out. “Hear him out.”

“Oh, fuck that!” Dominic snaps.

“Both of you, stop.”

At my words, Roland slowly lowers the gun, and that’s my chance.

I pull the gun from my back and shoot, not even attempting to aim.

Roland cries out, the bullet making a small hole in his shoulder, blood staining his shirt red.

He fires a shot, and fire rips across my right bicep.

I barely notice it, though, rushing Roland and tackling him around the waist.

We go down, and I grunt as my knee slams against the floor.

I’ve got him pinned on his back while Sebastian calls the cops, and Dominic is staring at me as if shell-shocked.

“What? ”

“Your arm.”

I look down to see blood spilling down my arm, a big gash in my bicep.

“Well, fuck.”

Dominic switches with me to keep Roland down, even though he’s passed out, I don’t trust him.

The betrayal that Olivia is going to feel makes me so angry I can barely stand myself.

He and Marie were truly her only real friends except for us, and it’s awful what they’ve done to her.

“Of all people, why’d it have to be them?”

I nod, completely understanding Dominic. It’s probably the only thing we’ve ever seen eye to eye on.

Overall, spending time with Sebastian and Dominic has been... interesting. It’s almost like we’re calming down, accepting the situation... becoming... friends?

“Okay, assholes, cops are coming.”

Maybe not exactly friends.

I look at him. “What about Olivia?”

“I’m right here.” She rushes past Dominic to get to me, putting her hand over my wound.

I wince. “Olivia, I’m okay.”

“You’re not okay. You’re bleeding! You’ve been shot!”

I laugh. “It’s just a graze. Don’t be so dramatic.”

She huffs. “Dramatic? You need to come with me.”

She drags me over to an empty ambulance.

Two cop cars and two ambulances had shown up, and they’re loading Roland into one.

She doesn’t even look over.

“Olivia, I’m so sorry?—”

“Don’t you dare apologize to me. You and the guys saved my business.”

“I don’t know about that... ”

“No, Damien, don’t you see? They’ll seize his accounts. Take whatever money he has, his house...”

It’s pretty ironic that the house he was fighting to lose will be the first to go, but I don’t say that.

It seems like salt in the wound, and despite her brave front, I know she’s hurting right now.

The paramedics descend on me, fiddling with the wound, making me cry out.

“That’s going to need stitches.” The paramedic wrinkles her nose. “Hop in the back.”

I groan.

Olivia climbs into the back with me. “I’ll ride with him.”

She holds tight to my hand as they take off.

“This isn’t necessary. I could have driven myself, saved a bill.”

“You’ve got the money.”

I laugh at her blunt words. “You really didn’t have to come with me. It’s just a scratch.”

“Scratches don’t need stitches.”

I don’t have anything to say to that, so I sit in silence as we head to the hospital.

They rush me inside when we arrive and a couple of hours later, they dope me up and stitch me up.

“Wow…” My head spins when they put the medication in my IV. “Can I get some of this to take home?”

Olivia laughs, and it’s good to hear.

I know what a rough go she’s had of it.

I just stare at her with heart eyes, the meds making me vulnerable.

She smiles. “What are you looking at?”

“The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

She snorts. “You are high.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t change your beauty.”

She flushes. “Stop. No, keep going. ”

I chuckle. “Always knew you liked the attention.”

Olivia bites her lip. “You don’t really think that, do you? That I’m playing you all just for the attention?”

I gape at her. “No, God, no. Nothing like that, Olivia. Please ignore me, I’ve had morphine.”

Everything feels slow and fast at the same time, somehow, and I’m afraid I'm going to say something I can’t take back.

Something like I love you.

She laughs. “I guess I can’t hold anything you say against you right now.”

“Please don’t.” I just stop talking so I don’t say something stupid.

After a while, she smirks, shifting in the seat next to the bed.

“So, you're just going to go silent, huh? What if I ask you questions?”

I wave my hand dismissively, feeling giddy from the medication. “You can ask me anything you want.”

Apparently, my vow of silence lasted about five minutes.

“You really grew up in foster care?”

“Yeah, I was off and on in the system from the time I was about six or seven.”

“Jesus.”

“It wasn’t all bad. Made a lot of friends.” In fact, I keep in touch with some of my foster brothers and sisters.

I think about contacting my blood relations, but I just don’t know if I want to relive that. I’m sure they don’t, either.

I figure my reaching out will be rejected, so I just won’t do it.

“How do you feel about me?”

I practically have to bite my tongue. “This is unfair.”

My voice sounds whiny, but I can’t help it.

She giggles. “Maybe so. ”

“I think you’re beautiful. Smart, funny, kind... you’re amazing, Olivia.”

The words come out anyway, even as I fight them back.

She looks at me with wide green eyes that are sparkling with tears. “You really mean that?”

“Of course, I do. Do you think I’d risk a bullet protecting your ex if I didn’t?”

“You were protecting Dominic?”

“I was protecting all of us. Protecting Carter Holdings.”

“My hero,” she breathes, something mischievous on her face.

She leans closer, pressing her mouth to mine.

I moan too loud into her mouth when she sticks her tongue in my mouth, and she pulls away, laughing.

I love the sound.

My eyelids droop shut, and she kisses my forehead, making me open them.

“I’ll take you home when they discharge you. Be your nurse.”

“Will you wear the little outfit?” I ask hopefully, and she snorts.

“Maybe. Be a good patient, and we’ll see.”

As my eyes close and oblivion takes me, I wonder if life will get any better than this.