Page 37 of Chained to You (Dark Billionaires 6)

“You can come in, Andy.”

The door opened, and my brother walked in. “Hey, feeling better?”

I nodded. “That sleep was good. By the way, what time is it now?”

“It’s nearly six in the evening.”

I blinked in surprise. Shit! Had I been sleeping that long? I must have been quite tired, then.

I asked, “Am I late for my own homecoming party?”

Andy chuckled. “Nope. Take your time. I just wanted to see if you’re fine… I mean I’m leaving tomorrow morning, and…”

I turned my gaze to him and smiled. I knew he was worried about me and worked to alleviate his concern. “I’m fine, Andy. James is taking very good care of me. He was with me almost every night when I was in the hospital, which was very nice of him.”

He nodded. “I know that. I just can’t believe…”

“What?” I asked curiously.

He raked his fingers through his dark hair. “That somebody like him… would… Shit! I don’t know how to put it i

nto words, Mia, but you know what I mean. Anyway, I’m just happy that he loves you and takes good care of you, and…”

I came to him and gave him a hug. “And I’m so happy that Matt loves you and takes very good care of you, too. I’m relieved that there’s someone there for you other than me.”

He snorted. “Yeah, in his own weird way, he does care about me, doesn’t he?”

I thought there was a hint of doubt in Andy’s voice. Maybe my brother needed time to really trust Matt, which was fine, considering what he had been through.

When I moved back, he said, “I’ll leave you to get yourself ready. See you downstairs, then.”

I nodded, and he kissed me on the forehead. Then he was gone, leaving me alone to wonder why he was unconvinced of Matt’s feeling for him. I mean, I might not have that much experience when it came to the subject of romance, but I felt it in my gut that Matt truly loved Andy and really cared about him. The way the man showed that sentiment was different from most people. His tenderness was perhaps a bit rough around the edges, and he tended toward the controlling and possessive type. Matt was the type to bully the one he liked, after all.

I dismissed the thought of my brother and Matt from my mind and headed into the bathroom to shower. When I was done, dressed in a lovely loose, long-sleeved blouse and trousers, my makeup lightly done, since my bruised skin was still too sensitive, I headed out the door.

I found Savannah sitting on my bed, waiting for me.

“Hey,” I said. “Sorry, I think I might have overslept a little.”

Savannah chuckled. “No worries. I did that this morning as well. I was so tired.”

I nodded. Of course, her having found out about my kidnapping had really scared her, and the whole situation must have exhausted her. Now that I was safe and sound, everything had just kind of caught up to her. I didn’t miss the dark circles under her eyes, either.

I was so moved by the fact that she had been so good to me, especially since we had only been friends for a short time, that I gave her a tight hug again. “Thank you for coming all the way here and helping out.”

“It’s fine, Mia,” Savannah said. “You’re my friend, after all.”

I chuckled. “Yes, and I’d do the same for you. You know, be there for you. So if anything happened to you or if you need help, just tell me, all right?”

Savannah chuckled as she nodded in agreement. I must have looked so adamant. “All right. Thanks, Mia.”

A moment later, we left the bedroom together and headed downstairs. When we entered the living area, a loud cheer went up, and I chuckled in delight. Everyone was there: James, Aria, Scott, Eric, Matt, William, and of course, my brother Andy. Not to mention Ms. Lane the housekeeper as well as the cook and housemaids. Of course, there were Sammy and Alfie as well, barking loudly in greeting.

The night was a blur, with lots of laughter and drinking and food. I would say the welcome home party planned by Aria was indeed a success, and to be honest, I had never felt so happy and had so much fun in my life.

It was around half past eleven that evening when Aria, Savannah, and I were about to head upstairs to begin our girls-only slumber party in Aria’s bedroom.

Ms. Lane appeared at the door and announced, “Mr. Maxwell is here.”

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