Page 40 of Twisted Obsession

I nod, not trusting my voice. She doesn't believe me—I can see it in her eyes—but she doesn't press further. Instead, she says, “I bought you a gift.” She presses a distinctive, pink-striped gift bag into my hand, but gives an imperceptible shake of her head when I go to look in it. “It’s for at home,” she says with a wink. “In private.” She waggles her eyebrows, and I laugh as I wonder what goodies the Victoria’s Secret bag holds. Not that I have anyone to wear sexy underwear for.

Nope—not thinking that. It’s not like that qualification stopped me from indulging in sexy underwear in the past. I’ve really got to get past this idea that I’m not complete without Dominic.

Thankfully, Emylyah links her arm through mine, pulling me out of my head and providing silent support as we continue shopping.

My peace of mind doesn’t last for long. As we exit the boutique, I feel exposed again. The bustling street seems full of potential threats. My eyes dart from face to face, searching for any sign of danger. Or for him. I'm not even sure which.

The paranoia has gotten the better of me, a bout of nausea surging up and gripping me by the throat, so I beg off lunch, the thought of food threatening to make me spill my guts. Literally.

I say goodbye to Emylyah at her own car, parked right next to Liam’s, and give her a tight hug. “Call me,” she says, squeezing me back, and I nod, trying to dredge up a convincing smile.

I want to confide in her so much. I desperately need someone to talk to. There really isn’t anyone else I can tell. Even a therapist is out of the question, since there’s never going to be a time when I have the privacy to be frank about what occurred. And the complexity of my feelings for Dominic, the enduring confusion about whether any of it is real or simply some kind of residual Stockholm Syndrome, has me about ready to pull my hair out. It’s like he’s hijacked my consciousness, haunting my waking hours as well as my dreams, where he monopolizes my subconscious with phantom lovemaking that feels oh so very real… until I wake up alone and longing for him.

Back at home in my room, I turn to the gift from Emylyah in an attempt to occupy my mind with something other than obsessing over Dominic Romano. My fingers close over satin and lace, and I pull out a demure white but sexy as hell teddy. And all I can think is whether Dominic would like it. I never got the chance to dress up for him.

Well shit. That distraction didn’t work.

Then I realize the bag isn’t empty. Pushing aside the tissue paper, I find two plain white boxes and wonder if my wicked friend has added a vibrator and some lube to cheer me up. I wouldn’t put it past her.

I grin, opening the first box, shaking out the contents, but open my eyes wide in shock when what I recognize as a burner phone falls onto my bed. Staring at it for a long moment, my fingers absently move to the second box which contains a device I don’t recognize along with a note.

I know your brothers have you locked down, but I’m always here for you. Use this phone if you ever need to talk in private—I mean properly private. The other device is a jammer. It’ll prevent anyone overhearing, just in case the walls have ears.

Tears prickle behind my eyes. My awesome best friend has thought of everything.

I check through the instructions she’s included for the jammer, so I know exactly what to do when the time comes. Then I tap out a message on the burner saying I’ll call her at 9pm, which I know is her usual bath and pamper time.

Inevitably, my mind turns back to Dominic. The paper he gave me with his number on it has been haunting me, and without giving myself time to second guess my actions, I grab it and input the number into the burner phone along with Lyah’s, before hiding everything in my underwear drawer.

Time seems to crawl by at a snail’s pace. I eat dinner with my brothers, doing my best to put on the kind of show they expect from me, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t aware of thespeculative glances they throw my way every so often. I excuse myself as soon as I possibly can afterward.

Once back in my room, I pace nervously, checking the time every few minutes. At 8:55, I retrieve the burner phone and jammer from their hiding spot, my heart racing. I set up the jammer as Emylyah instructed, then settle on my bed, phone clutched tightly in my hand.

At precisely 9:00, I dial Lyah's number, holding my breath as it rings.

"Roisin?" Her familiar voice floods me with relief.

"Lyah," I whisper, emotion threatening to choke me. "Thank you for this. I... Janey Mack, you have no idea how much I need to talk frankly to someone. Toyou.”

"Of course I do. You’re my best friend. I could see you were struggling, no matter how much you tried putting on a brave face. And I knew your brothers would have you locked down after what happened. But I'm here now, so tell me everything and get it off your chest.”

The floodgates open, and words pour out of me in a torrent. I tell her about the kidnapping, about the Viper, and how terrified I was that he’d take something precious from me that I would never recover from. I confide how Dominic rescued me, about the intense connection we shared, and how I propositioned him.

I even confess how he turned me down for what he truly believed was my own good, and how he was finally convinced. My voice trembles as I describe our passionate encounters, the way he made me feel both safe and exhilarated.

“I’m impressed,” Emylyah comments, and I can hear the truth of that in her voice. “If he can turn down a beautiful woman like you offering herself on a platter, and do so for such honorable reasons, then that makes him a good man, in my book.”

"But now," I say, fighting back tears, "now I don't know what to do. I want to see him so much… but what would happen if I did? My brothers would never understand. They see Dominic as the enemy. And maybe... maybe they're right. I mean, he's part of LCN, isn't he? But God, Lyah, the way he looked at me, the way he touched me... it felt so real."

I hear Emylyah take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "Roisin, I don’t know all the answers. But I can tell you this: what you're feeling is valid. Don't let anyone, not even your brothers, make you doubt that."

Her words wash over me, soothing some of the turmoil in my mind. "But what if it's just Stockholm Syndrome or something? What if I'm just confused because he saved me?"

"Do you really believe that?" Lyah's voice is gentle but probing. "Roisin, you're one of the strongest, most level-headed people I know. I don't think you'd fall for someone just because they rescued you. Even if you did offer him your virginity.”

I close my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "I... I don't know. It's all so complicated. And I know it’s impossible. If either of us approaches the other, it’ll cause a shitstorm. Dominic is likely to be killed if Ciaran or Cal get wind of it, and it’s not like I can set up a secret rendezvous to see if this obsession I have for him is something real, or all in my mind. Even if he’s open to such a thing—which I highly doubt, because I’m sure he has a healthy self-preservation philosophy.”

“Except he did give you his phone number,” Lyah reminds me.

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