Page 143 of The Dark Obsession

The person I wished for so desperately as a child is now standing right in front of me.

His hair the exact dark shade as Tyson’s, but their eyes couldn’t be more different.

There’s nothing emotionless about him.

Beneath the gaze of rich caramel, something unhinged is brewing beneath his easy-going façade.

That’s a stark contrast.

Intricate tattoos cover every inch of skin that I can see, some even running up his skull where the sides of his hair have been shaved off, leaving only the slicked back strands on top.

The dangerously sharp jaw and broad, muscled frame that towers over everyone else making me wonder whether all the Corso men are built like this.

“Hey, baby sis.” Raffaele winks as he spots me stumbling down the stairs, holding onto the banister like my life depends on it.

The other men have poured in, systematically searching every room as I skip the last two steps, throwing myself at him.

He huffs out a breath as our bodies collide. I don’t know what compels me, but I hold onto him tightly like we’ve know each other all our lives.

Then, Rafe’s arms are wrapping around me, squeezing me in a bear hug.

Why does the man smell like he came straight from a stable?

He pulls back too soon, keeping his hands on my shoulders to steady me.

“Don't worry, I’ve got it covered. The cocky bastard is hard to kill, trust me on that.” He grins with confidence I don’t possess. Referring to Tyson and I want to laugh and cry at the same time.

“T-the guards?” I finally choke out.

“Dead.”

I nod, letting myself be guided into the kitchen where one of his men finishes binding my mother to the dining room chair with zip ties. Thick duct tape plastered over her lips while she screams incoherently, fighting the restraints.

This is exactly what Tyson went through an hour ago, if not much worse. So forgive me if I don’t feel too guilty about it.

“Do you have your father’s number?” Raffaele’s voice tears my gaze away from her.

“N-no,” I don’t have my phone and never thought to learn the numbers by heart when I’ve always been at home anyway. “But she does.” I turn back to my mother.

“Get it.” Rafe nods towards the man standing behind him, his features a bit lighter than my brother’s.

He’s impossibly taller and somewhat slimmer than Raffaele, but it’s the haunted look in his eyes that puts me off. Like he doesn’t quite see me when he looks my way.

“This is Nestore. He’s the guy for all things technology.” Raffaele introduces the man who simply dips his chin in my direction before walking away.

“You mean a hacker?” I lift an eyebrow as I watch him set up a laptop on the kitchen island.

“You could say that.” My brother retorts.

There’s something off about him that I can’t pinpoint, but if he can find Tyson, he can be deathincarnate for all I care.

“Nestore can track your father’s phone. But we can only do that as long as you keep him on the line.” Raffaele explains, handing me my mother’s phone that has been connected to their devices.

“I’m gonna need you to stall, Malory. Can you do that?” He searches my face with caution.

“Yeah… anything.” I fumble to dial my father.

My foot tapping nervously against the hardwood floor as I listen to it ringing for the third time.

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