The look on his face was terrifying. I had never seen him that angry or aggressive before, not even during one of our dom/sub moments. Before I knew it, I was being thrown into this basement.
“Lola.” I heard Arsen’s voice and jumped. I hadn’t even heard the door being unlocked and opened. I had been too caught up in writing.
“Yes?” I turned to him and spoke with a slight attitude.
“What have you got there?” he raised an eyebrow and tried to look at the computer screen behind me.
“Nothing of yours, don’t worry,” I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Fix your tone of voice, Lola. You’re lucky I didn’t kill you …yet” He smirked and walked towards me. He handed me two spiral notebooks and a box of pens. “One book has all of the jobs you will be doing for me while you’re here, and the other you can use as a journal when you get bored.”
I began to read through the book and saw that there was a list of groceries that I needed to pick up tomorrow. It also mentioned that I’d get the money tomorrow and the driver would be there at ten to pick me up. Something told me that he didn't really want to punish me. It was just something about the tasks that I had to do. I mean, was grocery shopping really a task you would give to someone you were holding hostage? I didn’t know. His intentions were beyond me.
"Before I go, come here.” He spoke in a very demanding voice.
I got up and walked over to him. He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him. Our noses were barely an inch apart and he flashed a smile that made my heart melt. It felt like everything around us stopped. One of his hands grabbed the back of my neck and he kissed me. He kissed me so hard that I stopped breathing. He pulled away and chuckled, licking his lips and walking out of the room in one swift movement. Hearing the lock on the door made me snap back into reality.
That kiss just proved that someone had put the idea to kidnap me in his mind. If he was angry enough to kidnap me all on his own, he wouldn't have come in here and kissed me like that. I brushed my fingers over my bottom lip because it had begun to tingle. I wasn’t sure what it was, but that kiss had felt magical. He had kissed me with so much love and passion within that three seconds that it was scary.
I didn’t even get to ask him why he kissed me. I sighed and saved the document on the computer. I let the music play while I opened the window and looked at the view. I was surprised that the window wasn’t nailed shut, but after looking down at the bush of thorns, I understood why. I sat on the window seat and pulled my knees to my chest.
I was bored out of my mind and had nothing better to do but watch the clouds go by and see what types of shapes they made. Besides the song playing, silence filled the air. The house, this area, the sky—it was all completely quiet. Though I had longed for this type of silence back on campus, I was starting to miss the various sounds that had surrounded me there. Being locked up, even if it had been only a couple of hours, made me miss school and my home.
I started to think about what my parents and siblings are doing at that very moment—probably playing board games or watching movies and having lunch. That’s something that I’d never missed out on and I would have given anything to be doing that with them in that moment. Actually, I would have given anything to take back my horrible actions. I wish I had never looked through Arsen’ emails.
Maybe I’d have a life to live.
Arsen
During the entire process of abducting Lola and holding her hostage, I could do nothing but keep her comfort first in my mind. The boys had wanted to keep her inside of some rough, cold building where she had very little water and food, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that to her. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had done that to her. With anyone else, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat and maybe even have taken their life without any thought put into it. With Lola, things were just different. They had to be different because something about her led me to believe that she was the one I’d been searching for years after my divorce.
I wanted to deny my strong attraction to her, but every time I did, my feelings just became stronger. I even had to take a deep breath before walking into her room. She doesn’t know that she’s my weakness. She’s not even a little aware of how hard I’ve tried to remain calm around her.
I went into her room, admiring her beauty from behind. I called her name and watched her jump. I hope I sent shivers down her spine. I had to brace myself for when she turned around. When I saw her face, I had to hold back a smile. She looked very well rested and sort of happy, but when her eyes met mine, her face cringed into a look of disgust. She was definitely upset with me.
I gave her the two spiral notebooks and pens I had for her. One of the books I gave her to write in when she was bored and the other was a list of things I needed her to do for me. I didn’t know if she noticed when she flipped through a couple of pages, but a couple of those tasks involved spending time with me for a couple of days—dinner dates, some trips to the mall, and outings to a couple of other places. Hopefully, those outings could lead to us having mutual feelings for each other, because at this moment it seemed like I had more feelings for her than she had for me.
Kissing her was a part of my plan. I wanted her to feel the feelings I had for her, because clearly being nice after kidnapping her wouldn’t work. As much as I wanted to take her right there on that bed, I couldn’t. I had to resist as much as possible.
I’d be lying if I said the thought of her curvy body wasn’t always in the back of my mind. It was. Each and every day, I imagined my hands moving up and down her smooth waist and pulling her body close to mine. I longed for her touch. It killed me inside that I couldn't have her the way I wanted. Why did she have to fuck up?
I shook my head angrily at the thought and continued on with my day. There was a meeting today with the guys and me. We were getting together to talk about what was new with the whole kidnapping situation and what was new with the cartel in general. This cartel was first put together by David and me, around the time we both became very money hungry. We were looking for ways to make more money, and David, being my best friend since childhood, was doing nothing but looking out for me when he suggested this idea. A drug cartel full of millionaires. Yes, I said it. A drug cartel full of millionaires.
Each and every one of us had worked our way up to an outstanding amount of money coming in daily because of our jobs and also this cartel. If anyone found out about this, we wouldn’t lose much money because we already had a lot saved up, but we could ruin our reputations within our careers. Not to mention, we could do a lot of time in jail. That was why the boys were so anxious to get rid of Lola, but I really didn’t think that she would be the one to take down our entire cartel.
If she really wanted to sabotage us, she would have acted quickly. There were no messages or emails on her phone and laptop about the situation, so I doubt that she even had a plan to expose us in the first place. The guys made it seem as if she was working with the enemy and they knew the easiest way to get inside of my house was by using a young, pretty girl.
That logic didn't make sense, simply because of the fact that Lola was playing extremely hard to get. If the enemy sent her over to get any information from me, then I would have had sex with her the first day we met. She wouldn't have hesitated to spend the night at my place either. The guys really kept coming up with these outrageous theories about her, but she was just a normal girl who got caught being very nosey.
"Hey, what's up guys?!" I greeted the guys as I walked into our clubhouse. Similarly to the meeting from last week, the guys sat in a group behind the table and I stood in front of it. They greeted me back with various ‘hey's’ and ‘what's up's.’
“So, what’s up with the chick, boss?” David sat up in his chair.
“Yeah, boss. Did you get the job done?” Pete spoke.
“What do you mean did I get the job done?" I cocked an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for a response. "The
re was never a job to begin with."
"Did you kill the girl?!" one of the other members yelled.
"No, I didn't kill her," I spoke.
"She knows too much, boss," Pete added.
"Look! I told you idiots that she only knows that the drug cartel exists and that I killed that woman's husband. That's it. She literally knows nothing else," I spat angrily. How dare they question me about killing her when that was never the plan in the first place.
Silence filled the void air between us as the guys looked at me, taken aback by my reaction. I paced back and forth for a few seconds to blow off some steam. I couldn't handle the thought of Lola actually being dead, especially because of me.
“What’s the update on the missing packages?” I sighed and took a seat. Someone handed me a beer and I took a quick swig.
“We have the names and location. We were going to send a few of our best men out to get them tonight.” Pete took a swig of his beer and looked directly at me.
I nodded. “Let’s get their things ready.”
“Yes, sir,” they all said in unison, with the exception of David. I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking really hard about something. He wasn’t paying much attention to anything that was going on around him.
“You two,” I pointed to the two guys in the back. “Get the bags, and the rest of you get the guns ready”
I sat back in my chair and watched as everyone left the room. Again, all but David. I grabbed a cigar from the box on the table and lit it.
“You really like this girl, huh?” David chuckled, looking up at me.
“I do.” I took a drag from the cigar and blew out the smoke in his direction. I kept a straight face. “Why are you asking me this?
“Why else would you spare her life, Arsen?”
“She’s the one, David. I’m so serious when I say this.” I took a deep breath and brushed my hair back with my free hand.
“How are you so sure?” His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “She’s a little college girl.”
“No, David. She’s a grown woman, and I know she’s the one because Lola makes me feel the same way she did. Maybe even a little better.”
“Damn,” he laughed slightly. “You really are feeling this girl. Now I know why you lashed out. I’m surprised that you even went through with the kidnapping plan if your feelings for her are that strong.”
“That’s the thing, man. I’m torn between loving her and killing her.” I shook my head. “I don’t think I could bring myself to do it, but the thought seems tempting. I couldn’t live with her being dead, but I could definitely live without the fear of falling madly in love again. You get what I’m saying?”
“I understand man.” He sighed. “It’s just going to take time, all right? Don’t stress yourself out.”
I flashed the slight smile and put out my cigar. What I really needed right now was some rest. I hadn’t slept much for the past few days, so I was just running off of multiple cups of coffee. I said my goodbyes to David, telling him to pass the message along to the rest of the team, and left.
The drive back home was shorter than I expected and I was thankful for that. Immediately after making it inside of the house, I quickly walked to my room. I wasted no time taking off my clothes and hopping into the shower. The warm water kissed my skin and I swear it felt like heaven on Earth. I found myself humming along to the song that was playing softly when I entered Lola's room earlier. It made me think of how beautiful the shower would have been if I were to share it with her.
My mind started to fill up with the thought of her. Whenever I tried to think of something different, it just brought me back to her. She reminded me of the sunset. How it's so warm but so vibrant, and it could make your whole day better just by looking at it. She was like caffeine in the morning. As much as you had been warned to stay away from it, it was addicting and you needed it to get through the day. She stood tall like a sunflower, beautiful and bright. The perfect combination.
Who would have suspected that I, Arsen Lockhart, would ever find love again? Now, I just had to figure out if she loved me back.
Lola
I woke up yet again, but this time to a purple and orange sunset. I didn’t even know that I had fallen asleep. It was like they were waiting for me to wake up, because the moment I sat up in bed, there was a knock on the door.
“Dinner.” I heard Ms. Rose speak through the door. I smiled slightly, but not for long.
When the door opened, Ms. Rose wasn’t alone. She walked in with a huge tray and Arsen followed swiftly behind her. I guess I wasn’t eating dinner alone. I looked down at my hands and played with my fingers while Ms. Rose sat the food in front of me. I whispered a small thank you and she whispered back for me to stay strong.
I looked up only enough to see the food and Arsen's body as he took a seat on the bed. We were having grilled chicken and broccoli for dinner. I picked up my plate, placing it on my lap, and began to eat in silence. I didn’t know how to feel, but I knew I wasn’t necessarily in the mood to speak with Arsen right now. Especially after that kiss.
“It’s a nice night, huh?” He broke the silence. I saw him take small bites of his food while waiting for my response.
I just stayed silent, not sure of how I should reply. I took another bite of my food and sat my plate to the side. I wiped my mouth with a napkin and turned away from Arsen. I went to sit on the window seat and watched the sky turn black. I heard him muffle a stiff laugh and sit his plate down on the serving tray. Then he set the tray on the dresser.
“Lola, can you talk to me please?” he asked. The sound of his feet tapping against the hardwood floor as he got closer to me made me anxious. “Why didn’t you finish your dinner?”
“Not hungry,” I replied simply, watching the sun almost go into hiding.
“Why are you acting like this? Is it something that I’ve done?” His tone of voice was dripping with concern and confusion. He took a seat beside me and I could feel his eyes burning holes into the side of my face.
“How do you actually feel about me, Arsen? Why’d you kiss me, then leave me here locked up without an explanation? Am I part of some type of sick game you’re playing?” Tears began burning my eyes, waiting to fall out, but I forced them back. “Why are you doing all of this?”
“I’m not sure why I’m doing this … but I don’t want you to ever think that I’m playing you or whatever. I actually care about you.” He tried to take my hand, but I quickly pulled it away. I didn’t want to touch him right now.
“How do you feel about me, Arsen?” I asked again. I finally turned to face him and looked him directly in the eyes.
“I …I can’t put it into words, but I know that I can show you”
“Great.” I forced out a laugh. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
He kissed me. Just leaned in and kissed me, but this time, I didn’t kiss back. I stood up and walked away from him, shaking my head.
“No, Arsen. You don’t get to just kiss me and leave again.”
“But Lola—“ He started, but I quickly interrupted.
“If you don’t mind, I would really like to be alone right now”
He sighed and left the room. I heard the lock click and for some reason, it was annoyingly loud. I just wasn't quite sure how to feel at the moment. I’d had the opportunity to express my feelings for him. Better yet, he’d had the opportunity to express his feelings to me, but I guess he just wasn't ready yet.
What was crazy about the whole thing was the fact that he was a writer. It really shouldn't be that hard for him to put his feelings into words. Me being a writer as well, it was very easy for me to explain myself. I guessed it was just different for everyone.
I really needed to separate myself from him. I couldn’t pinpoint this exact feeling but it was very overwhelming. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of my own emotions and I was too far away to swim back to shore. This was what I called the visionary aspect of
a writer's mind. I had these moments where I actually envisioned my thoughts and my imagination became so vivid that it felt real.
The color blue surrounded me, but it surrounded me in various shades. Both warm and cool tones captured my soul in a way they hadn’t before. Blue sky, blue clouds, and blue waves. There was fog everywhere and the air was clammy. My hair stuck to my arms like feeding leeches.
It was not salty ocean water that I was floating in. I was washing away in my own tears. I took a look up and the clouds looked like question marks. They had this gold glow that rested around the edges of their shape like they were hiding the answer to all this confusion from me.
The sky turned a peachy orange color as my body washed up onto a black sand beach. After seconds of coughing up water, I started to catch my breath. The sun peeked through the clouds letting me know that even though things may have seemed solely negative at the moment, things were going to be okay. Left in the sand were the footprints of another human being who was now vacant. I wondered if they were on the same trail of vivid emotions.
I was just trying to find my way through this warped reality but I knew that it would take a while. It was already taking me a while to process the thought of Arsen not feeling the same as I did, but what if he didn’t feel anything for me at all? What if this was just a simple scam for him to have his way with me and still end up killing me in the end. I didn’t know. I didn’t think he wanted to kill me, but with him, I never knew his true intentions until he acted upon them.
Why did I feel like the only one who didn’t have the answers? Why must I be the one lost at sea?
My questions almost never had answers to them and I wished I knew why. It had almost always seemed like the answers to my questions would only come in the form of a conclusion to my overall problem, which was very annoying because the situation could last for years and I would be confused all the way up until the very end, when things were solved. I threw myself onto the bed and pulled the blanket over me. It felt like I was a child again.
When I was younger, I would always crawl into bed and lay under my blankets as a way to solve my problems. It was the place that made me feel safe and that was why, for the longest period of time, my room was my sacred place. Being alone in there made it so easy to be one with my thoughts.
His Beautiful Revenge: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Page 56