Page 85 of The Dark Obsession

“We need to go there ourselves. We need to find Benjamin and have the police turn up once we get out,” Rafael says to himself.

“Exactly. Look, if you leave now, I’ll drive up about ten minutes later and park around the corner. I’ll come on foot and call the police when I arrive,” Adriel rushes.

“No!” I burst. “I don’t want people. I don’t want either of you getting hurt for this. Just let me.” Tears flood my face before I even realise it, my voice breaking embarrassingly.

“Rosalie, we’re not leaving you, hun,” Adriel says.

Rafael’s face fills with angst. “Amor, I’ve had a plan but it does entail you going in on your own.” He struggles to swallow. “You’ll go in with no defences. You’ll cry that I’ve left you there. You’ll beg Dale to look after you, you need to be desperate for his forgiveness.”

My eyes drop to my feet, my courage disappearing as quickly as it came. My breath catches in my throat. “What if he—”

“I’ll be right behind you. Dale just won’t know it. All’s we need is for his guard to be dropped for a few minutes. I promise, I swear to you, I’ll not let him hurt you.”

Adriel stares between us both and nods. “That’s actually a great plan if Rose can sell it.”

Rafael and Adriel talk quickly as they review the plan.

I can’t focus. I can’t breathe. The bones inside my legs ache, my head pounds, and my fingers tingle. Terrified isn’t a word to describe how I feel. With a churning stomach, I clench Rafael’s hand and we run back up the stairs.

“I’m sorry.” He kisses my lips several times as we reach the front door. “I’m so sorry.”

I drag him to the side. “Rafael, I want to thank you.”

“Don’t—”

“Please let me say this.” Tears blind me, and I scrub them away, not wanting to miss a second. “I should never have involved you in this.”

“You didn’t—”

“Let me finish! My mother had just passed, and you were there for me—the only one there for me.” I put my arms around him. “And you’re protecting me now, Raf.” My voice turns into a squeak.

He clings onto me, his body vibrating around mine.

Adriel walks down the hallway, and I let Rafael go. “Thank you,” I say, pulling Adriel into a tight squeeze.

“You’ve made my brother happy, and for that, I thank you,” he whispers.

I step backwards from them and regard them together. I have to squint through my tears as the very muscular Rafael pulls Adriel’s thin frame into a bone-crushing hug. The difference between them is startling now that I watch them with weary eyes. Adriel’s face is warm, inviting, and handsome, unlike Rafael’s intimidating stature. Even his face, although beautiful, is stern and serious. They both move the same: smoothly, as if everything is well practised and done many times before.

“Let’s do this,” Rafael says, his arm around Adriel.

Adriel smiles, even though the bruises on his face look painfully swollen. Rafael nods, and returns the smile.

Rafael’s fingers wrap around my wrist and we run to the car through a sheet of rain.

Chapter 27

Iturn Rafael’s battered hand in mine as he pulls out of his driveway and into the dark, wet night. The rain is a constant mist over the already dark and dangerous winding country roads. “I’m sorry,” I mutter mindlessly.

“Rose, tell me what your favourite colour is.”

“What?”

His lips pull down. “Just, we’ve not had much chance to really get to know each other.”

“I like green,” I say, a lump in my throat. “What about you?”

“White.” His sad lips turn up at one corner.

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