My whole body started shaking uncontrollably. I could just imagine the chaos with the shooting and people dying in that dark underground parking lot. And what about the police? Why didn’t Andy go to the police in the first place?
But James’ reaction on that first day back at the motel when I’d suggested the police made me pause. Were the police not to be trusted? I had no doubt those powerful underground groups had the police under their thumbs, working secretly for them. Any eyewitness such as Andy would be dead in an instant, with full explanation such as an accident or suicide.
A shiver ran along my spine at that dark, disturbing thought.
“What about Matt?” I asked. “How does he come into play?”
Andy raised his eyes to mine and chuckled, a tint of a blush creeping across his cheeks. He licked his lips and said, “That casino those bastards lost the money in? That was this casino. It’s Mr. Maxwell’s and Matt’s place. They both own it, and Matt runs the place. When I found out that night what those bastards were doing, well, I was… I was livid. I came here and…” He chuckled sickly. “I came and made a big scene. I wanted to stop them. And I got detained by him.” He raised his eyes once again to Matt, and I thought I saw a blush on his cheeks again.
“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 quieted 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’ 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 a 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’ 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 Andy and me 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 James and me?
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 in my stomach. The thought of leaving didn’t sit well with 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.
MiaWhen 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 had 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 man’s 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 wal
MiaJames Maxwell is a bastard! That was what I was thinking right now as I tried to make myself sleep. Even though I was completely tired, even though it was way past one in the morning, I couldn’t sleep. I still couldn’t move an inch in his arms since he’d come into bed twenty minutes ago. I just couldn’t relax.I sighed, giving in. Then he relaxed, easing his hold on me, and somehow I managed to shift back a little. I noted his breathing was even and knew he must be fully asleep. Hence, gaining some space between us would be no big deal. Besides, my sleeping so close to him wasn’t very nice. Every nerve in my body was excited, jumping around and sparking about.It had all started with that wild fantasy of mine, of course, conjuring up images of the hot billionaire naked and under the shower, beads of water glistening on his smooth skin.I sighed and slowly opened my eyes to confirm my suspicion that he was indeed asleep. I noted his resting face, which was breathtakingly handsome.
MiaAs I stood staring at the door, waiting for it to open, I prayed Matt wasn’t around. I wanted to spend time with my brother alone, without that overbearing man watching our every move. We were siblings, for God’s sake. Why he behaved as though Andy belonged to him was beyond me.Or did Andy really belong to him in some way?A dreadful thought struck me, and my heart raced. Oh God! What if Andy was in some sort of contract with Matt like I was with James? My body shook, and a fearful groan escaped my lips.The door opened, and once I saw Andy, I flew into his arms and hugged him tight.Andy gasped in surprise. Once he realized it was me, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me.“I’m so glad you’re still here,” I said, my face snuggled against his shoulder.“Of course. I’m always here,” he said. “Why are you so freaked out?”I drew back. That was Andy all right. He always saw right through me.He led me into the room as I said, “I thought you might have gone out to work or somethi
MiaI was confused and looked down at myself. There was a dark bruise on my chest and lower, too, still covered by the shirt. Shit! I thought in dread. I knew this would happen. I knew Andy would react when he saw the bruises.Oh, when we had been living under Uncle Herbert’s reign, he’d seen enough bruises on me to last both our lives. That was why he’d vowed to protect me, whatever may come, even putting himself in the firing line. That was why he never wanted to see another bruise on me ever again.Andy undid the rest of the buttons and took the shirt off me. With only my bra on, he twisted me around to examine me closely. I was more than a little shocked by his aggressive treatment.“Andy! What the hell are you doing?”He growled. “How the hell did you get all these bruises?” he asked through gritted teeth.Well, what could I tell him? That I’d gotten those bite marks and bruises from James during our lovemaking sessions? No way!“Mia? Tell me who the fuck hurt you!” he demanded.
James“You know how hard it is to keep those bastards under control,” Matt said, rolling his eyes heavenward. “Fuck! The police are useless. Drugs and prostitution are booming in Las Vegas.”“All you need to do is keep our turf save,” James said. “Make them understand we’re not to be fucked with.”Matt laughed. “No need to worry.” He crossed one leg over the other. “It’s taken care of.”“How’s Andy going with the infiltration?” James asked, his eyes dark.“Good, I guess,” Matt said, shrugging. “Can’t we put him in another job? That boy’s too fucking tempting for most men.”James laughed. “Come on, Matt, you know how it works. We need someone like Andy. Someone with the good looks and the brain, who still looks innocent and gullible enough to be lured and fall into a trap. He’s smart enough to look after himself.”“James, I get it,” Matt muttered. “You don’t need to lecture me. He just worries me sometimes.”James wasn’t surprised by that. Matt was falling in love with Andy, and he did
James“Please, Mr. Maxwell. Sign a contract with me.”James raised a brow mockingly. “I did, remember? And look where that got us.”Andy’s face flamed red, but he wouldn’t give in. “Please, let my sister go. She’s been through enough.”James sighed in agitation. “Look, Andy, I understand you want to help your sister. But it’s too late. It was her decision.”Andy shook his head. “No, you don’t understand, Mr. Maxwell. You just don’t. Mia doesn’t deserve this. She—” He stopped short, frustrated.Matt watched with interest while James frowned in suspicion.“What?” James finally asked. “She doesn’t deserve this? Are you claiming I’m mistreating your sister?”Andy snapped, “Yes. That’s exactly what you’re doing, aren’t you? I saw the bruises.”James raised a brow. “It’s just sex play. You of all people should know that.”Andy looked sick. “I know it’s sex play,” he said quietly. “I’ve experienced it enough to know. But Mia… She can’t handle it. She’s been through enough. I can’t stand seei
MiaThere was definitely something wrong about James. I could feel it in my gut. Though his face was as stern and expressionless as ever, I could still sense something was amiss.Once again, I took a peek at him, and instantly my heart skipped a beat. Gazing at that handsome man and standing so close to him in the small space of the elevator did nothing to ease my fascination and craving for him. My foolishness of molesting him in his sleep last night did nothing to soothe the sudden urge of wanting him the moment I’d seen him at the door just moments ago. Even though I did vow to myself last night would be the very first and last time I’d do such an embarrassing and naughty thing.But it was quite nice to be naughty sometimes. The feelings of just letting go and doing whatever you desired most were wonderful. Apparently, making love to James while he was still deep in slumber was one of those things for me.Even right now, all I wanted to do was to kiss him and throw myself into his
MiaThe moment I heard that voice, my stomach fluttered with delight and my heart did a somersault. Clutching the dress even tighter against my chest, partly to hide my nakedness against the arrogant man who appeared without invitation and mostly because I was nervous around him, I turned to look at him. I tried my best to look pissed, but I didn’t know if I could manage that. I really just wanted to throw myself into his arms, naked and all.“What are you doing?” I asked, my throat dryer than it should be.“Checking on you,” he said, leaning against the doorframe and folding his arms across his chest as if he had all the time in the world.I frowned. “I’m half naked here,” I said. “It’s the female changing room. I suggest you leave before Rose calls security.”He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “She won’t.”He sounded confident in his statement, which irritated me. I bit my lip and said, “You’ll be sorry when you get an ear blasting from one of those guys.”He laughed and came into the s