Page 41 of Shattered Silence Duet

Malishka: Oh.

Me: Do you mind me calling you that?

Malishka: Is it something you call all girls?

Me: Just you.

Malishka: Then I like it :)

Me: Yeah?

Malishka: Yeah. But are you ok, Atlas?

Me: Me? I’m fine.

Malishka: You don’t seem fine.

Me: Let me come pick you up. I’ll prove it.

Malishka: I wish.

Me: Do you?

Malishka: Yes, but I can’t. My mom doesn’t like me hanging out with boys.

Me: I’m not a boy.

Malishka: I’ve noticed.

Me: You’ve noticed me?

Malishka: I’d be impossible not to.

Me: You’re not afraid of me?

Malishka: Why would I be afraid of you?

Me: Because I’m big.

Malishka: My favorite chocolate bar is Mr. Big.

Me: So I’m your favorite?

Malishka: Oh, look at the time, gotta go!

I chuckle at her excuse to avoid answering my question, but it makes me like her even more. The more I get to know her, the more I liked. She is sweet and kind, yes, but she’s also funny and flirty. Whether she knows that or not was another thing altogether.

Gideon’s voice brings me back to the present. “So, Helen is moving around, pretending Mina is her son for some reason. Sometimes she’s been noted as having a husband or boyfriend, but we have no full names or photos to work with for the male. No men fitting the descriptions have ended up dead in similar ways, so we should see if we can find them and question them.”

“I’ve already got the local police forces on it. But we don’t have much to go on. There are too many, and they’re located too far apart for us to track them down ourselves,” Dom adds.

I nod. “Good.” We didn’t need to waste any time tracking down dead ends. I also don’t want to be too far from Mina. She seems to somehow be at the center of this. Not only that, but she has gotten under my skin in a way I can’t describe. I’ve only met her once, and I’m already itching to see her again. Thank fuck we got her a phone. Being able to have her text us helps ease the worry that something might happen while we aren’t watching. The ability to check in, especially over the weekend, was helping keep us all from driving over there, banging on the door, and demanding to see her.

My desire to be near her is strange. Not only because I barely know her, but because I had never felt this way before. I’m twenty-eight and have had a handful of hook ups over the years. But that’s all they ever were. I’m extremely picky when it comes to women and I’ve never been able to find someone I truly connect with.

Women see my large, tattooed covered body, hear my Russian accent and think I’ll make all their fantasies about being dominated come true. But I’m not a dom, not really. Dom lives up to his name, but for me, it’s a need to possess, to own. Although I’ve always known that’s what I’ve been looking for, I’ve never found it… until now.

The moment I saw Mina and her tear-stained cheeks as Jasper walked into our home carrying her in his arms, I knew she was the one. Call it soul mates, kindred spirits or love at first sight, whatever it was, our connection was strong. I was sure she felt it, too.