Page 68 of Bratva's Intern

Panic surged through me. “What? What’s happening?”

“He’s having a seizure.” Nik’s tone was clipped but urgent. “Keep him from hitting anything and injuring himself, but don’t hold him down.”

My heartbeat pounded in my ears as Maxim’s body jerked violently, a strangled sound escaping his throat.

That was what the pills were for? Then why didn’t they work?

“Maxim—” My voice broke.

He wasn’t here.

He was trapped inside his body, completely helpless. And I-I didn’t know what the hell to do.

Panic slammed into me like a tidal wave.

Nik gritted his teeth and pressed down on the gas, weaving through traffic. “We’re taking him home. His doctor is on call if it’s a bad one. Can you keep time for me? If he isn’t out of it in five minutes, I’ll have to take him to the hospital.”

Maxim’s lips parted, a broken sound escaping. For the first time since I’d met Maxim Morozov, he looked vulnerable.

And that scared the hell out of me.

“Wren, focus!” Nik cried, and I fumbled for my phone.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

WREN

I’d never felt so useless in my life. I wanted to reach out to touch him. To hug him. But I was afraid of causing him any more pain. Did it hurt to have a seizure? He looked like he was in so much pain but, in a way, also disassociated from his body. As if Maxim was no longer in the car with me.

Maxim’s body stopped jerking. Three minutes and some seconds. But I didn’t feel any relief. Those had been the longest three minutes of my life. His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, his face was pale, and his fingers twitched sporadically in his lap.

I kept my hands close but didn’t touch him. My eyes never left his face in case he needed me. What the hell was I supposed to do? Did I talk to him? Try to wake him up? I had no idea what the protocol was for… forthis.

“Nik?” My voice was tight, barely above a whisper.

“I know it looks scary, but it wasn’t a bad one,” the bodyguard said. “He’ll come out of it soon. Just give him a minuteand try not to hover over him too much. Maxim won’t like that.”

Nik didn’t have to elaborate. Maxim wouldn’t enjoy that I saw him in this condition, but it was hardly my fault.

I swallowed hard, nodding at Nik’s words but not budging from Maxim’s side. I was still full of questions, full of worry. The silence in the car stretched, punctuated only by Maxim’s labored breaths and the quiet hum of the tires on the road. The noises seemed to wrap around us, pressuring me to do something or say something, but my throat was too tight.

I exhaled shakily, rubbing my hands over my knees to ground myself. This wasn’t about me. This was about being there for Maxim.

A small sound, barely audible, came from Maxim’s throat. I jerked toward him. His eyes fluttered, his head shifting slightly.

“Max… im?”

His breath stuttered, his fingers curling and uncurling. His eyelids lifted a fraction, and he stared back at me, unfocused with blown pupils. He blinked slowly like he was trying to piece together where he was.

“It’s okay,” I said quickly. “You’re okay.”

His forehead creased slightly, and he turned his head, taking in the interior of the car like he was seeing it for the first time. He closed his eyes and opened them as if processing the details of the car was overwhelming for him. He closed them again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What…?” His voice was rough, sluggish.

Seeing him like this tore at something inside me. He was always so in control, so decisive and unflappable. His being disoriented like this felt like peeking behind a forbidden curtain.

“You had a… seizure.” The words tasted foreign on my tongue. I didn’t even know if I was supposed to say them, but he needed to know, right?

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