All Chapters of THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

MIAI wake up with a smile on my face. I can’t even begin to imagine how perfect last night was. After the car, I was ready to block out all ghosts of Aaron but when he came knocking on my door, I knew it wasn’t going to work.Maybe I do like him.I sit up on the bed and notice the other side of the bed is empty. The clock says past twelve so I’m not surprised Aaron is already awake. The memory of his hands all over my body flashes through my mind and I groan as butterflies invade my stomach. The picture frame by the door shattered on the floor and I realized it happened last night. Just how desperate we were last night.The fact that Aaron was able to stop himself last night made my heart flutter. I was ready to give in last night but he just held me to sleep.My neck stings and I head to the bathroom to check it out. A gasp escapes my lips as I see the plethora of hickeys on my neck. My neck is all red. Some are hand marks and the rest are bite marks. I smile shyly at the thought. H

AARONI slam the car door a little harder than necessary. The sound echoes in the quiet street, but not as loud as the echo of Mia's voice in my head. The way she said my name, questioning, hurt. God, I shouldn't have been so cold, but I had to. I have to."Not now, Mia."The words are still burning on my tongue. The way her eyes clouded over, the way her bottom lip trembled... it's a memory I want to bury deep. I feel like a fucking monster. I saw the innocence, the genuine care in that face and I had to shut it down. I let her get too close. Way too close.Last night… Christ. It replays in my head like a loop. Her back pressed against the cold wall, my hands in her hair, the way she moaned my name. Then later, on the bed, the soft light catching the curve of her cheek, the way she looked when she came, almost angelic. Pure. That's the problem. Mia is too pure for this life. My life. I’m drowning in darkness, and I can’t afford to drag her down with me. Every touch, every kiss, it’s

MIAI stare at the canvas in front of me. My mind was completely detached from my body as I repeatedly applied red paint to the face of the woman I drew. “Miss Corvin’s involvement was premeditated, all the way from her hometown. Mr Lombardi would like you both to come to the main house soon.”The text I saw a few minutes ago flashes through my mind again and I drop the paintbrush with a sigh. Nat looks up at me and gives me a concerned look.“Did something happen?” She asks and I shake my head. I’m meant to be taking my mind off things by being here but it seems like the universe doesn’t want that for me. Instead, it only gets worse. “Mia, we have plans for later, remember?” Drew suddenly says and I quickly nod.“I’m sorry Nat. Can we do this another time?” I apologize and she smiles but I notice a tinge of sadness in her expression. She nods with a small smile and Drew and I quickly head out of the studio.“Drew, what’s going on?” I ask, fear evident in my tone.“I honestly have n

MIAI sit at my usual spot on the living room sofa, laptop balanced on my knees. The screen illuminates my face in the dimly lit room. I try to focus, to lose myself in the fictional world I’m creating on my laptop. At least I’m making progress unlike the previous nights. Tonight, the words refuse to flow easily. My mind is a tangled mess, a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts.Tomorrow, I have a date with Natalie. A friendship date. I cringe internally at the cheesiness of the term, but it’s the truth and it makes me happy. Movie in the afternoon, followed by lunch. It’s an apology, a peace offering for suddenly leaving the paint studio earlier. For once, I was happy about being out of Aaron’s radar then he sends Drew to watch me.The thought of hanging out with Nat brings a small, genuine smile to my face. Natalie is a good friend, a bright spot in my increasingly complicated life. What makes me like her even more is that she’s all natural. The tattoos and the artistic air around her make

MIAThe front door slams. Echoes reverberate through the house, shattering the fragile peace. I watch, frozen, as Aaron storms out, a gun glinting menacingly in his hand. A real gun. Here. In the living room. My breath hitches. Somewhere I’ve stayed most of my time here. Aaron rarely loses his composure when it comes to work, but right now there is something truly dangerous in his gaze. He looks completely primal like he’s going to annihilate the next person he sees.My mouth is still ajar in shock. He was just here, minutes ago, his lips on mine, my hands on my body and now he is running out of here. What could have happened? Who called him? What did they say? Did they even say anything to trigger him? Something in me knows that everything has gotten even more dangerous. I’m starting to see the reason why Aaron is keeping me at home. It’s for my good. No matter how suffocating I feel it is, my life is actually at stake.I sink onto the nearest chair, my legs suddenly weak. My head