Page 103 of Twisted in Obsession

Forgetting the letters momentarily by shoving them into a drawer, I pull out my phone.

Eight a.m.

By now, my cousin should be in her office, sorting out God knows what.

So, here goes nothing. I press the call button, patiently waiting for her to answer.

Olivia Viotto. Or used to be Viotto. A long time ago, she was one of us. Fighting on our side of things. Now, she’s made a life for herself. Good for her. She’s happy, playing wife, mother, and secret agent for the United States government’s best kept secret—Veritas.

The only way out of the Viotto Crime family is bloodshed and death. Technically, my cousin achieved that when an evil man slit her throat and lit her on fire. She died, getting a second chance at a normal life. No one in the family suspects she’s still alive. Well, only me and the guys.

“Jericho Viotto. As I live and fucking breathe,” she says into the phone with an extra chipper voice.

“Liv,” I say stoically, letting silence settle between us as I gather my thoughts.

“Did you call to bless me with your sunny disposition? Or…” she trails off with a chuckle, noises erupting on her end of the phone. Chatter and heels clicking. The sounds of an office coming to life.

“Don’t I always bless you with my personality?” I quip, sipping my whiskey.

She snorts. “Yeah, something like that. It’s been a while. Boys good? Uncle alive?” She hums the last part with venom.

I don’t blame her. The entirety of the Viotto bloodline starts with the five brothers running pieces of California. My father is the top dog in his sector. And her father. Well, he’s a different story altogether.

“Boys are good.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it. Arrow still holding on tight?” AKA, has he murdered anyone she needs to know about or concern her organization with?

I snort. “Something like that. He’s still himself.”

When I say I trust my cousin, I mean it. She’s been in this life, on our side, and then on theirs. She knows the situation and understands. Hell, all five of her husbands were once rivals that she somehow brought together.

“Wonderful. If his name ever crosses my desk, I’ll be sure to file it properly in file thirteen.”

I smile at her sentiment. “You were always too good to us.”

“And you always had my back. Now, what can I do for you, little cousin?” A door shuts on her end and the creak of a chair lets me know she’s finally made it to her office.

“How’s my tiny cousin?” I inquire, taking another sip. “Keeping you on your toes, I hope.”

She snorts again and huffs. “Nico is Nico. A hellion, toddling into his terrible ones. He sure keeps his fathers on their toes. Thank God. They need someone to keep them in line. Why not a one-year-old?”

“Good boy,” I murmur, sitting back in my chair. Silence bears down on us again. “I need extensive information on someone close to me.”

“Close to you? Oh, a background check? Isn’t that something Harrison could facilitate for you?”

Harrison Carlton. The Viotto Family lawyer, dabbling in PI work and hacking into anything he can get his grubby fingers on. I was hesitant to go to him, trying to get as much information on my own, considering my father owns him, and that’s where his loyalty lies. Not with me. But with the head of the family. Using him was a risk, but I desperately wanted information on Journey.

“Already has,” I grumble, running my brow. “It brought back the usual background check information. Old addresses. Current ones. Name. Birthday…”

“I know what background checks bring back,” she quips. “Who is it? And do I even want to know why?”

I rub my jaw. “The girl I’m promised to.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line. “They’re still practicing that barbaric tradition?” She swallows hard, no doubt memories leaking through.

“In most instances, I would have fought back. But in this case, I don’t mind.” I squeeze my eyes shut, taking in a deep breath.

“She must be someone special then.”

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