Home / Mafia / THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA / A Web Of Deceit

Share

A Web Of Deceit

Author: Janina peters
last update Last Updated: 2025-05-17 16:58:52

AARON’S POV

My men outside see me approaching and they all scamper away. My blood is boiling and I know someone’s blood is about to be spilled. I enter the warehouse and see John holding a man against the wall. He notices my presence and lets him go. My eyes move to the exhibit in the middle of the room. The body on the chair still looks alive but it’s impossible with the gaping hole in her head. I feel my pulse thrum and my vision glazes.

“So someone walked in here and killed our one solid link and nobody saw the perpetrator?” I ask in a low tone. My men look at each other nervously and I chuckle. “Who’s in charge of looking after her?” I ask and John pushes the man he was strangling earlier forward.

Without thinking twice, I cock my gun and shoot his two legs. He lets out a blood curdling scream and I notice the other men move backwards, except John. “And the security footage?” John steps forward with a laptop in his hands. It only shows a man in black enter the warehouse and pull a trigger without any conversation.

“That’s all it captured sir.” John says.

“Who was meant to keep an eye on the camera?” I ask again, cocking the gun. A man runs towards me, his whole body trembling.

“Sir, I’ve already tried zooming in on the camera. I promise I..”

“Where were you when the man came in?” I ask cooly and he begins to stutter. “Thought as much.” I shoot his left shoulder, a bit of his blood splatter on me. 

I throw the gun to the ground and walk out of the warehouse with John right behind me. “I questioned her this morning before heading to the office sir. I believe she knew she was going to die.” He says. “She just said we should find red hair and protect her because she will be next.”

I freeze in my steps. He has to be joking. “What do you mean she will be next?” John chokes when he sees the look on my face. I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me I look murderous.

“Apparently Jules is aware of their secret and I think they suspect that she told Red something that night so they’re after her.” He explains. “Sir, what if she really knows something and-”

“Leave Mia to me. Go through the surrounding security cameras. The assailant wouldn’t have appeared from thin air.” I instruct before entering my car. 

I’m the only one who decides what happens to a certain red haired girl. Innocent or not.

My phone rings and I see it’s Drew calling.

“Sir, she got the job.”

I feel my lip twitch. 

So those videos she was watching paid off.

“Good to know. Escort her home. I have things to take care of.” I say before hanging up. I feel a bit lighthearted all of a sudden. Even though I instructed Drew to do everything possible to make sure she passes the exam, the oral interview was a gamble. My mind flashes back to the look of anger on her face when I told her about the sudden interview. The way it turned red in anger was meant to be intimidating but she looked like a child who was told that they couldn’t go out to play.

My phone rings again, this time it’s my secretary. I sigh and take a deep breath. It has to be bad news.

“Gina.” 

“Sir, we got inside information that Radar Group is considering pulling out following the last article Laser published.” She says in her robotic, nasal voice that annoyed me.

“Set a meeting with the CEO this afternoon. I’ll talk with him and get me a change of clothes.” I say then hang up. Whoever it is that’s sending threats to me has a link with the person spreading the information in Laser and so help me God if I get my hands on them.

***

It’s midnight by the time I walk into the house. What I did not expect to see is Mia sitting cross legged in the living room, squinting at her laptop screen. She is putting on another set of my old clothes and I wonder where Stella stores them.  

I contemplate going upstairs but she looks up from the screen and gives me a big smile before clearing her throat, the smile dropping instantly.

“You’re back.” She says casually. 

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” I ask, referring to whatever she is working on that’s making her stay up. She furrows her brows before looking down at her laptop.

“I’m trying to work on my book. I don’t know how busy I’ll be in the future,” She explains, “or if I’ll see the future.” She mumbles the last part but I hear it clearly. I give her one last look before heading up stairs. 

I end up taking a quick shower and heading to my mini office to review a number of documents. It takes quite some time and before I know it, it’s almost 2am. I shut my laptop down and head downstairs to get a glass of water. 

Mia is half asleep, staring blankly at the screen in front of her. I slowly make my way behind her to see what she has been working on but I end up just seeing one sentence on the screen. 

Don’t tell me this is all she has written for hours.

I clear my throat loudly and she jumps. She wipes her eyes and let out a big yawn. 

“I should go to bed.” She says softly, shutting down her laptop and gathering the papers on the floor.

I head to the kitchen to pour myself the glass of water I came for. Mia drags her feet to the stairs but she pauses.

“Mr Lombardi?” I almost choke on water with the way my name softly rolls off her lips. It has to be the stress getting to my head. “I’m starting work tomorrow and I have no idea what I should do to catch the person you’re looking for.” Her lips are bent in a frown.

“It’s your first day. Just study your environment.” I say, rinsing my glass. I glance at her and see her nod slowly, her eyes almost shut from being sleepy. I consider escorting her up the stairs but I get ahold of myself.

Maybe I also need to go to bed before my thoughts betray me.

“And be careful over there.” I warn. John’s words come back to me. If she knows anything then we need to keep her safe till we get the information.

“Says the man that threatened to kill me. How ironic.” She says softly, a small giggle escapes her mouth. I had to close my eyes and take deep breaths. Every action she takes seems to send me into a frenzy and I need to put a stop to it.

“I can’t let you die before getting my revenge on the anonymous source.” I walk towards the stairs where Mia is still standing.

“So you need me.” She states with a proud smile on her face. I give her a surprised look. For someone who looks like a ginger kitten hugging her laptop to her chest, she sure has a lot to say.

I walk closer to her and she takes a step back before hitting the banister. I lean towards her and I hear her take a sharp breath. “Don’t push my buttons, Kitten. Go to bed.” I step back only to see her face bright red. All signs of being sleepy leave her face and she nods quickly and runs up the stairs.

I head towards my room with a stray smile on my face. It’s probably the stress I got to relieve that caused it, nothing else. My phone vibrated and

the small peace of mind I had vanished.

Mother: Stop being childish. Come home.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "Safe Heaven"

    MIAI walk out of the interrogation room, the bright lights of the police station still buzzing in my ears. The air outside feels heavy, thick with the unspoken questions that linger even after I’ve given my statement. My voice still feels raw from repeating the revised version of events, the one where Aaron doesn't exist in Mabel’s entire kidnapping. Every word I choose is calculated. I try to keep the rescue story straight to avoid implicating Aaron. They ask about the kidnappers, their motive, and the precise details of how Mabel was recovered. I invented a story about a random phone call that threatened me and made me travel back immediately. I explained that I arrived at the scene and saw them already on the ground. I describe the call, the men, anything to deflect from the real, dangerous complexity of it all. My heart pounds with each fabrication, but my face remains impassive. The police look at me with a mixture of sympathy and suspicion, but they have no real evidence to co

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    The Truth We Didn't Tell

    MIA“Mabel!” The name tears from my throat, a ragged whisper and a desperate shout all at once. She looks up, her eyes wide. A gasp, a small, fragile sound, escapes her as she sees me. In a flash, she’s running towards me away from Trina. Her little legs pump, a blur of motion, and then she’s in my arms.I drop to my knees, crushing her against me. My arms wrap around her so tightly I feel her small ribs press against my chest. “Are you alright? Are you hurt, baby?” My voice is raw, thick with unshed tears. I pull back just enough to search her face, my fingers tracing the soft curve of her cheek, checking for any bruise, any sign of trauma.Mabel nods, timidly at first, then more confidently. “Yes, Mia. I’m okay now.” Her voice is small, but steady. That simple affirmation is a lifeline tossed to my drowning soul. A shiver of profound gratitude runs through me, so intense it almost buckles my knees.I hold her closer again, burying my face in her hair. The world feels like it just e

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    A Bribe!

    TRINAThe words echo in my head: You handle Mabel. Aaron's voice is firm, leaving no room for argument. I hate Mia, her relationship or whatever with Aaron makes my blood boil but Mabel... Mabel is innocent. A child caught in a web of adult sins.I peel away from Aaron and Drew in the black SUV and head towards the storehouse. The address for Mabel screams trap, but I don't care. Aaron needs me to do this, and he knows I will do anything to get blood on my hands. Two goons stand guard outside the only visible entrance, leaning against the wall, looking bored. One yawns, the other scratches his belly. "This is bullshit," one of them complains. "Stuck babysitting a brat. What's the big deal? And she talks a lot, man."My blood boils. They have no idea who they are dealing with. I pull my silver Glock 19 from its holster, checking the silencer. The metal is cold against my skin, and it makes me shiver in pleasure. I creep closer, using the shadows as my ally. A steady breath, a focused

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    Knees to Dust, Hands to Flame

    MIAThe warehouse air hangs thick with the scent of dust and fear. I watch as his face twists into something I can only describe as pure shock. His jaw slackens. His eyes, seconds ago filled with a cold triumph, now dart around like a trapped bird. Aaron and Drew stand framed in the doorway, silhouettes against the dim light, looking like dark angels of vengeance in a heroic movie.My abductor barely breathes. His hand, shaking slightly, clutches the document I gave him – the very document that was supposed to secure my freedom, or at least Mabel’s. He holds it tight to his chest, as if it’s a shield against the inevitable. His head shakes slowly, a desperate denial, as his gaze sweeps the expansive warehouse, searching, always searching, for an escape route that isn't there. Suddenly, the warehouse is no longer quiet. A flurry of movement erupts from the deeper shadows. Shouts echo, heavy boots pound against concrete. More goons, probably rush in. They must have heard the gunshot. T

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "Tread Soft, You Walk on Fire"

    AARONI grip the steering wheel, knuckles white as I slam the pedal to the metal. The Texas highway blurs into a grey streak outside the window. Drew's location is burned into my memory. He'd sent them a few minutes ago with a short text: "They brought her here."Rage, cold and sharp, coils in my gut. They think they can touch what's mine? They think they can just snatch Mia and her sister like they're some fucking prize? They have another thing coming.I know Drew is just waiting for the orders. I’m even surprised he didn’t act on impulse and barge into the place already. My car slowly comes to a stop.I spot Drew’s black SUV parked on the road ahead. He's leaning against the hood, arms crossed, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. The sun glints off his perfectly styled hair, a stark contrast to the grim determination churning inside me. As I pull up, Drew pushes himself off the car and saunters over, the grin widening as he climbs into the passenger seat. "Took you long enough, bo

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    The Warehouse Gospel

    MIAThe car rumbles to a halt. My heart, a frantic hummingbird, beats against my ribs. A rough hand yanks the blindfold from my eyes. The sudden rush of light makes me blink, disoriented, but I force my gaze to remain steady. I need to look confident, even though every cell in my body screams in terror.My bag is still clutched in my lap, miraculously intact. Inside, the carefully compiled documents on Aaron rest, a heavy secret. A chilling thought flickers: why didn't they just take the papers? Why abduct me from the taxi in broad daylight merely to escort me here? It makes no sense. There is no time to dwell on that thought. A firm grip on my arm propels me forward. I stumble slightly, regaining my footing. The air outside is cool, metallic, smelling faintly of dust and something acrid – probably chemicals from the industrial area we must be in. My eyes scan the bleak landscape; it’s an unknown warehouse. Knowing Texas we’ll, the government probably doesn’t know it even exists.The

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status