Chained to You (Dark Billionaires 1, 2)

"Oh. I thought he was torturing you that night when we talked. I was so worried."

Andy blinked and his blush intensified, which confused me. "No, he wasn't. He was... We were... He helped me. I mean, if it weren't for him, I would have been dead that night."

"So he was there as well?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, he was following me. Apparently, he was suspicious, and he knew I had a contract with Mr. Maxwell. He thought I was going to run away or commit suicide or something."

"I don't trust him, though," I said, eyeing Matt from the distance.

He chuckled. "He gets on my nerves, too. But really, Mia, I'll be dead without him. That man knows how it works, this type of business. He's a pro. Thanks to him, I'm still breathing. I owe him that much."

He sounded absolute about that, so I quit pestering him about the subject.

"And what about you? Matt didn't tell me anything about you and Mr. Maxwell," he said, his eyes on me.

I blushed and licked my lip as I gazed at my own hands. They were trembling, and I wondered why. I sighed and then said, "I made a contract with him."

I peeked up and saw Andy frowning darkly. "What for?"

I licked my lower lip again and said, "For the two million."

He just stared at me as if I were stupid. Well, maybe I was.

"Wait? What? Mia? What the fuck?"

He had raised his voice at me, and I glared at him, upset. He must have seen how pissed I was at his rude remark and quietened down.

"Mia," he said. "You signed a contract with him? For my two million?"

I mutely nodded.

"Why?"

"Because you're my brother, that's why," I said, staring at him, tears brewing in my eyes. "What else could I do?" My voice was shaking. I couldn't help it. I was very emotional where Andy was concerned.

His body quaked, and he growled in frustration. Suddenly, he sobbed, "I'm sorry, Mia. I'm so stupid. I'm so useless." He pulled me into his arms and held me tight, like he always held me after we were beaten up by Uncle Herbert or after he'd been sexually abused by that disgusting man.

"I'm going to make everything right again," he said into my hair. "I'm so sorry, Mia. I promise I'll make everything right again."

My heart ached at his words. How was he going to make things right again? It was too late now. I'd already signed the contract, and it wasn't going to end for five more years.

"Is everything all right?" James's voice drifted to me. I noted his concern, and it made me wonder if he was worried about me. The thought pleased me, which was odd, because I shouldn't really care at all whether he cared about me or not. I was just his mistress after all.

I raised my head and saw the man standing before me, watching me intensely. Matt wasn't far behind him, and his eyes were on Andy's. He had a deep frown on his face, and within those gray irises, there was spark of protectiveness. For Andy?

Andy drew himself back and turned to look over his shoulders. "Mr. Maxwell, thanks for bringing my sister to see me."

A smirk appeared across James's face. "You've made your sister cry," he said bluntly. "It's the first time I've seen her cry like this."

I blushed at the comment and wiped my tears with my hands, trying my best to look presentable. Then I said, "Can Andy come with us? Is he allowed to stay with us at the apartment? He and I can share a room."

The moment I uttered that statement, I regretted it. I knew there was no way James would ever allow my brother to come along and stay with me in his apartment. Then I thought it was probably a good idea to rent a motel or something. Just as instantly, however, the reminder of the Mexican and the Albanian crossed my mind. The two groups, and perhaps more, wanted both me and Andy dead after all.

"Andy is staying here with me," Matt stated with a no-nonsense tone.

I thought it was probably for the best since Andy did mention Matt had the ability and power to protect him, that he was a pro at this type of business. There was also the fact that I had seen the protectiveness over Andy within Matt's eyes, which put me at ease. At least Andy had another person who really cared about him, and that pleased me very much. Hence, I nodded in agreement.

"Mia," Andy said, looking at me, "how long are you here?"

"A week," I said without thinking. "I fly back on Thursday."

"That's only four more days," he said. "I have to figure a way to settle everything before you go."

The moment he said that, I suddenly realized I really did have to fly back home in four days' time. And what of the contract between me and James?

I looked up at the man in question and instantly regretted it. I'd never seen such a dark scowl from that handsome man. He looked like he wanted to murder someone, and that someone was probably me. I'd entirely forgotten to tell him that my annual leave ended in a week, and...

Oh God! The whole thing was such a mess and a total headache.

Matt said, "That's enough for now."

I was sure he was directing that statement to Andy, and my brother nodded in agreement. He stood, and I did, too.

At the door, I hugged Andy tightly again. He kissed me on the forehead and said, "I promise to sort everything out before you leave. Everything is going to be okay."

I looked up at him, and oddly enough, I felt this sickening feeling within my stomach. The thought of leaving didn't sit well within me because that meant I'd be leaving Andy behind.

I nodded at my brother and then headed out the door. Andy promised to come around to see me tomorrow, if time allowed. I knew exactly what he meant. It translated to if Matt allowed.

Such a control freak, I thought sourly.

Matt had no rights over my brother, and I'd have to talk to James about that. Another item to add to the list of things I had to talk to James about. Not to mention, of course, the fact that I'd be returning to Mystic Spring soon. Then I wondered how our relationship was going to work out if I left, if we were to live in separate states, all the way across the country.

* * * * *

CHAPTER 30

Mia

When the elevator door dinged open, I slowly stepped in. James wasn't far behind and stood close to me when it shut again. He pushed the button and the lift ascended.

My whole body was still tense from the meeting with Andy as my mind wandered off about the whole situation. Ever since our parents had passed away, neither of our lives had ever turned out the way we expected. This whole story of him leaving our small town of Mystic Spring in New Hampshire to come all the way to the West Coast, first to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas, to find fortune and freedom, to live the American dream, was nothing but that--a dream. Reality, it seemed, was a bitch, killing a young's man dream of having a better future, both for himself and his sister.

I suddenly felt the warmth of a body against me, and strong, powerful arms wrapped around my slender shoulders. Those inviting, dependable arms lured me into a comfortable embrace. I couldn't resist and leaned against that hard, muscular wall of warmth and looked up. Beautiful Prussian-blue eyes watched me intensely.

"You look tired," James said. Was there a hint of worry within his voice? Or was it just my imagination?

I nodded. "Yes," I said, tightening my arms about his.

After the meeting with my brother, I suddenly felt very exhausted--emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Ever since that day a couple months back when I had received that phone call from Andy telling me he had screwed up, I was worried. Of course, he'd never really told me what he'd done, and that had only made me all the more anxious because Andy had always been a good boy. He'd never done anything stupid or reckless before.

When I'd received that particular email from James a couple days after that, the billionaire who was now holding me in his arms, I felt as though my world had shattered right before my eyes. Andy was the only person in the world whom I loved and cherished with all my heart after the death of our parents. I couldn't lose him. I couldn't let him get into troub

le like that.

I had been worried sick about the problem, trying to figure out a way to help Andy. I couldn't sleep at night, and I couldn't work properly. Then a few days later, I'd decided the only way to get that debt sorted out was to grab the bull by the horns and ride with it. Thus, I'd requested two weeks annual leave from the restaurant and spent some of my savings to fly over to Los Angeles to negotiate with the billionaire.

Yes, I hadn't been able to settle until I'd made that ultimate decision. After all, what could be the worst possible outcome other than Andy and I get put into jail?

The elevator door dinged open again, and James led me out into the corridor. Here, I gazed around me in marvel at the expensive decor and furnishing, very much like the floor where Matt resided.

James walked ahead toward one of the three doors to the left and then slipped out a key card. The door opened in an instant.

"Come on," he said.

I hesitantly stepped over the threshold of my supposedly new home for the night. Inside, there was a lavish living area with attached kitchenette. Everything here was made for luxury: expensive sofas and chairs, coffee table, LCD TV, chandelier, soft lighting, and marble countertop and stainless steel in the kitchen. I took a peek through the ajar door that led to the next room--the bedroom with ensuite bath. What I glimpsed there was nothing short of expensive taste and luxury.

James went to the refrigerator in the kitchenette and got himself a bottle of water. I, on the other hand, headed into the bedroom to take a better look at my sleeping quarters.