Page 9 of BillionHeir

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Chloe

“You can’t be serious,” I say, laughing as I look around the ‘pool house’ that is far bigger than any pool house I have ever seen. Its main function should be for changing and using the restroom, but this is clearly a guesthouse with the wrong name.

Liam, one of Maxwell's friends who came for the evening, laughs along with me. It turns out he is British as well, so we get along pretty easily. That was a welcome surprise after the challenges I have had with Maxwell so far.

“It was wild.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call this a ‘little place’,” I say, still assessing the building’s dimensions. “It has got to be four times the size of my apartment back in Boston.”

“Well, that may be, but it felt much smaller with all those drunk college students partying in here.”

“What did Maxwell’s parents think about this party?” I ask, thinking back to our conversation about them in the car.

“They were out of town for the weekend. That is why we threw the party in the first place. But they got suspicious and came home early, discovering the carnage for themselves. They dragged us out of bed and made us clean the entire place ourselves. Gave the staff the whole day off.”

I nod. “Good. It sounds like you boys deserved it.”

“Those were the days,” Liam says, sounding a little wistful.

“Not now?”

Liam’s eyes glaze over with a thoughtful look before he responds.

“Things have changed since then. We are still best mates. I would give my life for those two. But everything has become much more serious now that we are each busy with our own lives and careers. It is not the same as it was before. ”

“That is the way it goes, isn’t it? One minute you are young and carefree, and the next you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Liam looks over at me speculatively. Something in my voice must have given away how much I miss the simpler days of college when the whole world was in front of me filled with limitless opportunities.

“Everything okay?”

I give him a curious look. I don’t know this man from Adam, and he is asking me if everything is okay? I debate how much to say before finally just shaking my head.

“No, but it will all work out in the end, I suppose.”

He nods with an understanding look on his face before turning to look back toward the pool as the lights slowly blink on in the dusky sunset.

“Maybe,” he says, though the sentiment sounds a little hollow, as if he doesn’t quite believe it himself.

Silence falls between us as the last light of day fades below the horizon.

“We better get back. I need to check on Maxwell,” I say, finally.

“Right, of course,” he agrees quickly, falling into step next to me as we round the enormous pool and walk through the floor-to-ceiling pocket doors .

I still can’t believe that just this morning I had a normal job and a normal life.

Now, I am 2.5 million dollars richer, with more on the way, and caring for a man whose summer home puts some castles in Europe to shame.

The place is absolutely gargantuan, and I am actually a little worried that I might somehow get lost in the night.

I may have to start leaving breadcrumbs behind me.

We walk into the house to find Maxwell awake and talking to Tristan who arrived with Liam about an hour ago. I really shouldn’t have left him alone, but Liam was so insistent on giving me a tour of the grounds and Tristan assured me that Maxwell would be okay without me.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, assessing him with my eyes. He seems to be doing a little better now, but for a few minutes after we arrived, I was sure he needed to go back to rehab or the nearest hospital.

“Better after resting,” he says, putting on a brave face for his friends, no doubt.

I nod, comfortable with the white lie given the fact that he does look slightly better.

“We need to get you upstairs and into bed. I don’t want to have a repeat of what happened earlier.” I look over at Maxwell’s friends. “I would prefer if you guys could do the heavy lifting. He really is quite weak right now, and all this moving has tired him out considerably. ”

“No problem,” Tristan says, pushing up his sleeves in preparation.

I size up the two men, each towering over six feet tall with more than their fair share of muscles, and deem them fit enough for the job. They are far more suited to this than I could ever be. I am a good nurse, but when it comes to lifting something heavy, I am out of my league.

“Whatever you need,” Liam says, walking over to Maxwell’s side without an ounce of annoyance or frustration. It is clear that these men are very close.

“You ready for this, man?” Tristan asks Max who looks slightly paler at the thought of being manhandled all the way up the stairs.

He nods. “It is not like I have another option.”

“We got this, Max,” Liam says, reassuring his friend.

“Now,” I say, preparing to instruct them on the proper way to pick him up. “This needs to be done carefully. Use one arm to support his back, and one under his knees to support his legs.”

“Like a chair?” Tristan asks, frowning as he tries to envision what I am describing.

I hold my arms out, miming the position I want them to use. “Yes, exactly.”

“Oh, that will be easy,” Liam says, locking eyes with Tristan. “You ready? ”

“Let’s do this,” Tristan confirms.

“You know the way to his room?” I ask, confirming that the men know where they are going.

“Of course. You think we are new here?” Tristan asks confidently.

That draws a chuckle out of Max who has been quietly watching us talk. I get the sense that he is usually the one calling the shots. But when it comes to his medical care, I am the expert. I appreciate that he is letting me take control here.

“Okay, easy now,” I say as they gingerly lift their friend off the couch. Maxwell grimaces but doesn’t complain. If his injuries are any indication, he is probably in a great deal of pain right now, especially after the long car ride. His self-control is impressive, I will give him that.

The two men slowly make their way to the stairs with Maxwell suspended between them.

They are lifting a fit, 6’ 2”, 200-pound man, and yet, neither of them looks like they are breaking a sweat.

In fact, they both have a Zen-like look of ease on their faces, as though lifting such weight is an everyday occurrence.

I don’t know what they do for a living, but I am sure it isn’t some kind of construction.

Clearly these men spend a lot of time in the gym, and though Maxwell has lost quite a bit of weight due to the accident, he is no slouch himself .

I follow them up the stairs closely, prepared to help if needed, but I don’t really know what I would do if these three men came tumbling down the stairs on top of me.

“You alright, bro?” Tristan asks as they make it to the large set of stairs that leads to the second floor.

“Wishing I would have taken that contractor up on the offer to put in an elevator,” he says, deadpan.

Everyone laughs.

“You never think you are going to need an elevator, until you need an elevator,” Maxwell continues as the men efficiently carry him up the stairs. I can tell that he is in a great deal of pain, but he is handling it like a champ and still managing to make a joke.

I never imagined him as much of a jokester when I met him at the rehab.

Actually, I thought he had a stick shoved so far up his arse that there was no way he could laugh about anything.

I am only now realizing how unfair that was.

He had just been through a traumatic experience.

It makes sense that he was lashing out at anything and everything that frightened him.

“Nearly there, now,” Liam says when they reach the top of the stairs without incident.

They carry him down the hallway, navigating through a set of double doors at the end, and then delicately set him down on the bed.

I came in earlier while Maxwell was sleeping on the couch and got the room prepared for him with what he had available. We still need some equipment, like a shower chair and potentially a walker, but I was told that his assistant ordered what I needed.

“Thank you,” I say to the men as they step back from the bed.

I take their place, pulling the covers over Maxwell and making sure he is settled in the oversized bed of the enormous room. I am starting to sense a theme in this place.

I give him his nightly medications and offer him a glass of water I filled earlier. Once I am sure that he is as settled in as he is going to get, I turn to his two friends.

“He needs his rest,” I say with my best stern voice. “He has had a long day.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Liam says, bringing two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute.

I pin him with a stern look before looking over at Maxwell. “I am just down the hall, but I will be back to check on you every few hours. Call me if you need me.”

He nods and I turn to leave. “Chloe?” he says, calling me back.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. Just . . . thank you.”

“You are welcome,” I answer immediately. “Now, don’t make me regret it. ”

I leave the men and go into the room next door.

I barely glanced in here earlier between checking on Maxwell and making sure his room was set up for him.

Now that I have time, I let my eyes wander, noting the touches of opulence and grandeur that my apartment back in Boston is severely lacking.

From the crown molding on the walls, to the thick heavy curtains, the whole place screams money.

If that wasn’t enough, the king-sized bed is covered in fancy, expensive linens, and the bathroom appears to be entirely marble.

I had better enjoy all of this while I am here, because even with the money that Maxwell is paying me, I will never have enough money for a place like this.

Since his friends are here to keep him occupied, I take the opportunity to draw myself a bath, watching as the fragrant oils from the counter mix with the steaming hot water pouring out of the faucet.

While I wait for the large tub to fill, I lock the door.

There are three hunky men on the other side of that wall, and I don’t want one of them barging in on me.

As I peel off my dirty scrubs, I have the errant thought that I won’t be needing this particular Sanctuary Springs set ever again.

I severed those ties today. Quitting mid-shift is the surest way to become unhirable.

When I woke up this morning all I could think about was the job offer I turned down.

And now I am spending the next several weeks in Maine working for one of the most difficult, not to mention richest, men on the planet.

The whiplash from the events of the last several hours has my head spinning.

Once the water in the tub reaches about half-way, I turn off the water and carefully step in. As I sink down into the bath, I finally feel my muscles start to relax.

I take a deep breath and slowly let it out as I try to process everything that has happened in the last twelve hours.

I begrudgingly accepted Maxwell Banks’ job offer to become his private nurse.

I quit my job and drove him hours away to what feels like a palace in the middle of nowhere.

Now I am here in a house with him and his two muscular best friends.

What have I gotten myself into?