The Hated Billionaire by Erica Frost

Chapter 25: Christina

People were shouting somewhere. That was the first thing that seeped into my awareness. I had somehow managed to fall asleep. I was lying on the floor, curled up, my coat pulled tight around me. I was only waking up and my mind came to alertness slowly. I looked around, trying to figure out exactly where I was in the room. It was not quite pitch dark yet, the window a square of pale blue, still pouring dusky light onto the floor. I focused on what had disturbed me. Human voices, raised in fear and anger.

I listened as they came down a hallway, their voices echoing.

“What the hell? How did anyone find us?”

“I don’t know! How the hell would I know?” Somebody shouted back. The two were just outside the door where I was, their booted feet coming towards me fast

I stood up. I sensed that things would not go well for me should they find me. I slid my feet out of my shoes – my toes were raw and aching from the high heels – and flattened myself against the wall.

“Get her out of here,” the first man to speak was shouting. I could hear his voice through the door, and the urgency in his tone made me sweat with fright. The door swung open.

“What should we do with her?” the second man demanded.

“What do you think? We need to get that money. Get hold of her father! Tell her father he has two hours.”

Two hours. No! I felt my heart almost stop beating. What was I going to do? I had two hours before somebody shot me.

I held my breath and shut my eyes, trying to disappear into the dark.

“Where the hell is she?” the second voice shouted. A flashlight beam – bright and harsh – washed across the space where, a few minutes ago, I had been lying fast asleep.

“How should I know?” the first man demanded. “Do you think she climbed through that window?” He laughed.

“No,” the second man said, sounding embarrassed.

“Well! Find her! Look, give me that flashlight.”

I heard a brief struggle, during which I tried to edge towards the door. If I could just get through, they wouldn’t be able to catch me.

“There she is! Who the hell left the door open!”

“Run! After her!”

I ran down the hallway. My feet hurt and every step was agonizing, but I didn’t have time to stop and think about it. I ran, screaming, to the end of the hallway. There was a door there and I burst through, raw terror making me scream again as I stopped. I was surrounded by people.

“Help!” I screamed. “Please! Help!”

The men in the room looked astonished and then one of them grabbed at me.

“How the hell did you get here? Who let you out? Shut her up, for crying out loud!” a man shouted at me. I waited for somebody to grab me; my body frozen to the spot with fear. But all of the men in the room had frozen too, listening to something.

At that moment, I heard footsteps in the corridor. I thought that my attackers from the other room had caught up with me, but then I looked up to see a big gray-haired man and another brown-haired guy with huge shoulders. They were standing in the doorway and one of them had a gun.

“Get your hands up!” he demanded. “All of you!”

I felt a flood of relief, and then my eyes fixed on another face that had appeared in the doorway. This face was long and slim and had big brown eyes that stared into mine, full of love and tenderness. He held out a hand to me. It was Brett Caden.

“Brett!” I shouted. I felt tears running down my cheeks. He was here! He’d come to save me! I had never imagined, in my wildest dreams, that would happen!

“Christina,” he said. He dropped to his knees, taking my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Brett,” I said. I couldn’t think of anything else to say. My tears were running down my cheeks, my heart aching with relief and happiness. All around us, people were shouting and swearing, and I could hear the gray-haired man trying to keep order, his gun still pointing at the three men in the room.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said.

I took his hand and we ran down the hallway together, just as a gun went off. I screamed, and Brett held me and we ran, blindly, down the hallway and then to the right and then, as we burst out into the cool air, I heard something I had not been expecting to hear. Police cars.

Blue lights flashed, and the sirens were loud and Brett held me against him, my face buried in his chest as he stroked my hair and held me tight.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, his words gentle as he repeated them, over and over. “It’s okay, we’re safe.”

I was crying, my poor body exhausted and my mind confused and afraid. What was happening to those men? Who were they? They had clearly come with Brett to save me, and now they were also in danger.

“The others,” I whispered.

“They’re okay,” he said gently, though I could see worry in his eyes too. “They’re coming out now.”

I let out a sigh of relief, then cried out joyfully as the two big men came out of the warehouse. I could see them in the light from the police cars, their shoulders slumped, their faces strained. One of the men had a hand pressed tight to his shoulder and I gasped, then Brett and I were walking over to join them.

“Hey, guys. What happened?” Brett asked gently.

“The police are in there now. One guy let off a round, but nobody got badly hit,” the dark-haired man said. He smiled at me. “Hey,” he greeted. “I’m Teagan.”

“Hi,” I said, turning to frown up at Brett.

“He’s my older brother,” Brett said.

I stared. Now that I knew, I could see a faint resemblance between the two – they both had brown eyes and glossy brown hair, but Teagan’s face was broad and homely, though he had the same shaped eyes as his brother, and when he smiled the grin was similar.

“I’m pleased to meet you. Christina Bradfield.”

“This is Matthew. Grayson, as he likes to be called. He’s been shot, but it’s not serious.”

“Oh!” I gasped. “Oh, good,” I added, as Mr. Grayson held out a hand – the other was still pressed firmly to his shoulder.

“Good to meet you, Ms. Bradfield.”

I shook his hand, and Brett gently turned Mr. Grayson to face the police-cars. “Grayson, you need someone to see to that arm,” he said.

“Not…bad,” Grayson said, but I could see his teeth were gritted and that it had taken all of his energy to greet me. Brett and I walked with him to the police-cars, where a police officer greeted us.

“Hi. Sergeant Brownlow. Are you injured, sir?”

“Yes. I am. I’m ex-captain Grayson. Got a shot in the arm. Could you have a look?”

“Sure,” she said.

We left them to it. Brett walked back with me around the corner of the building. I was limping and he stopped, looking down at me worriedly.

“What happened?” He asked, his voice tight with concern. He took my hands, looking into my eyes with worry. “What happened to your leg?”

“Nothing,” I said. “My feet…they’re really painful, and I can’t…”

“Christina!” he gasped, his voice full of love and frustration. “You have no shoes! Come on. Let’s get you back to the car. The others will join us. You need to get to a doctor.”

“I’m fine, Brett,” I said softly. “Really. All I want is to get home.”

“Okay,” he said tenderly. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up, my legs over his one arm, my head resting on his other arm. I felt myself melt against him, and the whole world seemed to shrink until it consisted of just us, my head resting on his shoulder, his arms holding me tight. I could smell the scent of him – leather and cologne. I shut my eyes and felt the faint sway and wobble as he carried me across uneven ground.

“We’ll just wait for the others, and then I’ll take you home,” he promised, setting me down on the back seat. His eyes were gentle on mine and he held my hand in his own. I felt my own eyes droop sleepily as I rested my head on the rest.

I heard him get into the front seat, and I felt suddenly so sleepy – too sleepy to even lift my head up.

A moment or two later, I woke to hear people getting into the car. The doors slammed and Brett spoke in a low voice.

“Christina’s asleep in the back. Try not to wake her.”

“Yes, Brett.”

I tried to sit up, but I was too sleepy and I curled up on the seat, letting the slow rise and fall of the car over the bumpy road soothe me to sleep.

When I next woke, we were pulling up on the roadside. I blinked sleepily. The streetlight shone in brightly through the window and I could vaguely recognize the tall building opposite, the way the street-sign was just across from us.

“We’re at my apartment?”

“Yes,” Brett’s voice said from close to me. He was facing me from the driver’s seat, neck bent to be able to see me. His hand took mine. “I’ll take you upstairs.”

“Where is Teagan?” I asked.

Brett smiled. “I dropped him off at his home. Grayson’s gone to get his wound checked, but I reckon he’ll be fine. He was very much okay.”

“Good,” I said. I was so sleepy! I woke as Brett got out and opened my door, reaching to lift me up.

“I can walk,” I whispered faintly.

“No, you can’t, Miss Bradfield,” he said gently. “I am going to carry you upstairs now.”

I didn’t argue, just lay in his arms as he shut the door and carried me across towards the apartment block. Luckily, my keys were in my blazer pocket and I passed them to him. He unlocked the door and carried me into the lift. I kept my eyes shut. The bright light stung and I buried my face in his shoulder.

I opened my eyes as Brett put me down, very gently, on the couch. He bent down and kissed my cheek, my heart melting at the tenderness of it.

“I’m going to get some bandages for your feet,” he said. “You are sure you’re okay?” His eyes scanned mine worriedly and I held his hand between mine.

“I’m fine,” I assured him. I knew he was worried that somebody had hurt me.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll go and get those bandages.”

“In the cabinet…” I murmured, hearing his footsteps going off towards my bedroom. I woke to feel his hands on my feet, cool and soothing as he gently massaged them. My body relaxed, the tension instantly giving way to a tender relief as his touch sent a wash of feeling through my system.

“Brett, you don’t have to do that,” I said, grinning at him as he gently pressed my feet, relaxing the pain and bruises from their aching toes.

“Shh,” he said, and grinned back. “Let me take care of you. I know you like being in charge, but just relax and let me help for once.”

I smiled and felt all the fear and worry inside me melt into warm, intense feelings and a sudden longing to be held.

He seemed to sense it too, because he bent down and pressed his lips to my forehead and gently lifted me and carried me to my bedroom.