Page 28 of Twisted Obsession

Chapter

Fourteen

ROISIN

I’ve barely had a chance to come to terms with my new self-revelation before everything changes again.

When Dominic returns with breakfast the next morning, he’s oddly withdrawn, like he’s pulled some kind of barrier into place between us, and he’s no longer the sexy, attentive lover I’ve come to know over the past few days.

I’m contemplating how to best ask what’s wrong when he puts me out of my misery and tells me himself. “You’re going home today,” he says, shortly.

I drop my fork and it clatters onto my plate as I jolt and whip my head up to look at him.

I should be glad, but all I can think is how Dominic is being ripped away from me.

“I…” No words come. What is there to say anyway?

Dominic is all business, his tone verging on cold. “Get dressed and get your things together. You have time for a shower. “

“Dominic?” His name trembles on my lips in an almost inaudible whisper.

He shakes his head. “I have to leave. Mika will be back to escort you.”

Then he’s at the door, about to leave me without so much as a goodbye, even after everything we’ve shared.

“Dominic!” Climbing off the bed, I call out to him, my voice is stronger this time, and he pauses in the doorway, turning to look at me, his expression conflicted.

Two strides, and he’s by my side, pulling me against him, his lips searing mine in a burning kiss that turns unexpectedly gentle before he presses his forehead against mine. “I’ll try to arrange it so I can accompany you to the rendezvous, but I can’t promise.”

Then he’s gone, and all I can do is wait.

I stand there, frozen, staring at the closed door where Dominic just disappeared. My mind races, trying to process everything that just happened. Going home? Today? After a week of captivity, the possibility of Stockholm Syndrome, and a sexual awakening, I'm suddenly being thrust back into the real world.

My legs feel weak, and I sink down onto the edge of the bed. I should be ecstatic about finally being freed, but all I can think about is Dominic. His abrupt change in demeanor, the coldness in his voice, and the way he so easily pulled away, putting a world of distance between us.

Then, the conflicted look in his eyes before that searing final kiss.

I wonder which is true, but even that is pointless. There’s nothing left for the two of us. No future. No happy ever after.

I doubt he even wants that. After all, I’m just a captive who propositioned him, like countless other women undoubtedly have. He’s had his fun. Now, it’s time to move on. I just wish it was that easy for me. When I asked Dominic to honor my freedom to choose a consensual sexual encounter, I never imagined I’d end up feeling like this.

I hear voices in the hallway, and for a brief moment, hope sparks that Dominic is coming back to me, but I recognize Tina’s voice and try to stuff down the disappointment as I force myself to move. With trembling hands, I gather my few belongings and stuff them into the bag I arrived with. Everything feels surreal, like I'm moving through a dream. Or maybe waking up from one. The hot water of the shower does little to clear my head or calm my nerves.

As I dress in the clothes I arrived in, which have been freshly laundered, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I look different somehow—my eyes seem older, wiser perhaps. Or just sadder. I barely recognize the woman staring back at me.

Time passes in a haze as I wait, perched on the edge of the bed, my small bag clutched in my lap. I keep replaying Dominic's words, his kisses, searching for some hidden meaning or promise. But there's nothing there except the cold reality that this short, but very significant chapter of my life is ending.

The door opens and Mika enters, his usual stoic expression in place on a face that’s too fine-boned to be called handsome, though I’d never dare call him pretty within earshot. "It's time," he says simply.

I nod, not trusting my voice, and follow him out into the hallway. As we walk, I try to memorize every detail—the texture of the walls, the pattern of the carpet, the play of light through the windows. The smells, the sounds, anything to hold onto Dominic for just a little longer.

We descend in an elevator and emerge into an underground parking garage. A sleek black car waits, the engine idling. My heart leaps when I see a tall figure standing beside it, but it's not Dominic—just another nameless guard.

A horrible thought occurs to me as my freedom awaits. “Did my brothers negotiate this?”

“No, Vito instigated a swap.”

I suck in a breath. Of course, my life for Maricela’s. My blood runs cold; everything I’ve come to know about Vito, the Viper, Rossi sitting like a ball of lead in my gut.

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