Chained to You (Dark Billionaires 3, 4)

"Damn! I was hoping it'd be more challenging," Tory commented, placing his gun back into his jacket.

Matt wasn't listening to the complaints of his friends. He headed to the door, and James followed. Tory and William glanced at each other, nodded, and followed the other two.

James and Matt came into a corridor, and the men started kicking down every door, hoping to find Andy.

William finally did, the last one in the building that led them to the basement. Matt rushed down, shouting Andy's name. James wasn't far behind when suddenly he heard, "Fuck!" Followed by: "Andy! Andy!"

James came into the basement to find Matt hugging Andy tightly. Andy looked like a gorgeous corpse, his body weak and lifeless. It looked like the boy couldn't move an inch, and he was barely breathing. Fuck. He was severely injured, his clothes torn and his body wounded with countless signs of inhuman torture.

When the brutally beaten Andy finally managed to rise his face up a little to look around him, as if to see what was going on, James felt a lump form in his throat and a sickening feeling erupted within his being.

Sunken, lifeless brown eyes gaze at him without recognition. Dishevel, dirty black hair hung over that gorgeous face that was now ruined beyond imagination with cuts, bruises, swelling, and bleedings.

Fuck! In that moment, the picture of Andy in such a piteous, lifeless state snatched James's breath away--in a fucking bad way. The boy looked so similar to his sister that he had thought Andy had been Mia, and he felt sick. So fucking sick inside. Once he had regained his sense, rage erupted within his beings and a surge of protectiveness for Mia and those she loved returned hot in his blood anew. Immediately, he wanted to return to the hotel to make sure Mia was okay.

Fuck! He wanted to see her face, to hug her tight against him, to feel her soft, warm body against him, and smell her frangipani scent that had so intrigued him since he had first met her. Fuck, but he wanted to kiss her. Not the passionate, wild kiss before he took her but that gentle, tender kiss that told him she was fine. That she hadn't been taken hostage and ruthlessly beaten. That her life wasn't on the line.

"We should get going," he said urgently to Matt.

Matt, still hugging Andy tight in his arms, nodded. He said, his voice trembling and edgy, "Yeah." He lift Andy up in his arms, and they headed back up.

Chapter 5

Mia

Despite the fact James had told me to return to sleep, I simply couldn't. My eyes were wide open as I laid there, staring up at the ceiling, my mind on my brother.

Have they found Andy yet? I wondered contritely. Was Andy okay? Was he wounded?

Questions after questions kept echoing in my head, demanding for answers I couldn't offer.

It was seven-thirty in the morning when I decided to get out of bed and do something about my hunger. I quickly ordered room service, and while I waited for my breakfast to turn up, I showered to clear my head. Once I was finished and dressed in a new dress James had bought for me from Fleur, I headed into the living area and waited some more. My mind was still on Andy, James, and Matt when the knock came at the door. I had entirely forgotten about breakfast.

I hastily went to open the door and found a maid there rolling in the trolley filled with delicious sustenance. She left again after asking me if I wanted anything else.

Alone, I sat and ate because it was something I could do to take my mind off my brother. I was pretty sure I'd go insane a few hours later when the door opened and James walked in.

My heart leaped with hope, and I immediately rushed over to him. My eyes were bright and large with expectation when I asked, "Andy?"

Even though he had been out during the majority of the night and had not slept for more than a few hours, he still looked damn handsome with his dark hair now just a little dishevel but still stylish like usual, his eyes dark with an intense fury that was hard not to notice, and his face a black mask. He looked like a man who had just returned from the kill, which if indeed he had found Andy, then he had been doing the killing.

James cupped my face as he stared hard at me, as though he was drinking in my features, marveling at them. He seemed lost for a moment as he gazed at me, which confused me.

I was eager and needed to know if he had found my brother, and so I broke the silence once again. "James? My brother?"

Slowly, a smile appeared across his lips. He leaned toward me and gave me a kiss. It was that light brush between our lips that was both warm and promising, making my heart glow with delight.

When he moved back, he took my hand. "He's find."

His words made my body sing with delight. "Really? You've found him?"

He nodded in response. So many emotions erupted within me then. One of those emotions was relief. It swept through me like the wave of a calm ocean. I was so happy I couldn't help myself and rushed up. I wrapped my arms round him a tightly.

"Oh, James, thank you so much," I said, tears in my eyes. "You don't know how much this means to me."

As I buried my face against his thick, muscular chest, sobbing and chuckling at the same time, I felt James patting my head, comforting me.

When I finally moved back, I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, knowing I must look horrible.

James shook his head. "Sometimes I truly forget how young you are," he said softly, wiping tears off my cheek with his large thumb.

I bit my lip, wondering if he was disappointed in me for being so young and naive. For being so inexperience in his world. I would imagine the only type of woman suitable for him would be the sexy bombshell type who oozed confidence and money. The type of woman who clearly wasn't me. I was only his mistress. The one he kept locked in his bedroom in secret. The one he would never be proud of and show off to his family and circle of friends.

The thought sadden me, but I didn't have time to think about that now. My brother was more important than my sad circumstance.

I flicked my mind to Andy and raised my face to James.

"Andy? Where is he now?" I asked.

"At the hospital," he said.

I paled immediately at his reply. If Andy was at the hospital, it could only mean one thing. He was hurt. Gravely.

My stomach knotted in dread. I raised my eyes to James, wanting to ask him so badly what my brother's condition was.

"Is... is he okay?" I asked, my voice shaking. No, wait. James said Andy was okay, so it couldn't be that bad. But I needed to make sure. "Is he hurt badly?"

James said, "He's fine."

It was then I knew James's and my interpretation of 'fine' were different. My fine meant totally healthy, no cuts and no bruises. As in everyday fine. James's fine probably meant a few bones broken, cuts, and bruises but will live.

"I want to go and see him now," I said.

He nodded.

Without hesitation, I rushed into the bedroom, grabbed my bag and was back in a flash. "Let's go."

>   James chuckled at my eagerness. He obliged without protest despite the fact that he had just returned from saving my brother's life--tired, worn-out, and probably hungry. He took me by the hand and led me out the door.

Some half an hour later, we were in a hospital. James took me to the eight floor where I assumed the intensive care unit was. He then led me into a private patient room, and the moment I saw Andy, I gasped. Oh Andy. His handsome face was all black and blue with bruises and cuts, and his torso and arms were all bandaged up.

A gasp escaped my lips as I stood there, staring at my brother in sick disbelief. Who? Who could have done this to my brother? How cruel!

To think that Andy was already this damaged when James and Matt found him within hours. Would he have even lived at all if they hadn't found him in such short notice?

Suddenly, rage erupted within me. Oh, how I wanted to hurt the person who had hurt my brother. The emotion was so overwhelming I felt like choking.

I stood there rooted to the spot at the door as I watch Andy painfully opening his eyes, probably for the first time since he had been admitted in the hospital. My brother was gazing at me, at first without really seeing, as though he was in confusion. I couldn't blame him. He was probably pumped with morphine and dazed and sore from the beating. Then when he recognized me, I saw the darkness within those beautiful brown eyes of his, and knew he didn't want me to see him like this. He looked pained the moment he recognized me. His condition reminded us of the many times he had been beaten up by Uncle Herbert.

"Andy," I said softly, my voice weak.

I felt James hands about my shoulders, as encouragement for me to move forward. Empowered, I did, my gait slow and weak.

Once near the side of the bed, I couldn't help myself and collapsed on Andy, tears in my eyes. I hugged him tight in my arms as I buried my face against his bandages chest.

"Andy! You're okay. You're safe." I sobbed. "Oh, I'm so happy you're safe."

With my face against his chest, I felt his body shook with emotion.

"Mia," he whispered. "I'm sorry I worried you. I'm so sorry."

I raised my head, tears in my eyes. "No. It's not your fault. It's not your fault," I said, shaking my head. "You know that. I'm just so glad to see you safe and sound."