Silent Desires (Shattered Silence Duet Book 1)
Silent Desires: Chapter 27

I spin my pocketknife in my hand as I stare at the wall. On it is a large map covered in pins of the locations of every murder we think is connected to this case. On the left is a timeline with pictures and details of the victims pinned to it. We’ve also marked out Helen’s identities. Ben was only able to track her identity back to three personas, but it’s enough to know she is definitely hiding something or running from something, and they, sort of, match up with the murders. The dates and towns aren’t all exact, but they are close enough to be more than a coincidence.

But as I stand there staring at it, my mind drifts to the text conversation I had earlier today with the girl I can’t get out of my head.

Malishka: Good morning Atlas. Sorry I didn’t text when I got home. Are you mad?

Me: Never.

Malishka: Are you sure?

Me: I could never be mad at you. I just worry.

Malishka: Why?

Me: Because I care, Malishka.

Malishka: What does Malishka mean?

Me: It’s a russian term, it means baby girl.

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 replace 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 replace 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.

The strange thing was, I was pretty sure all seven of us were feeling it, and I wasn’t sure how to bring it up to them yet.

“This all paints a good picture for it being Helen. But we need actual evidence besides fake IDs,” Dom says, bringing my mind back to our current conversation.

I realize that nobody is even considering the fact that the killer could be Mina anymore. She’s too young for the earlier murders, but she could be helping in some way, except we just know… she isn’t.

“What’s Helen’s connection to the victims being high school girls? Why them? They’re being sexually assaulted—she must have a motive for doing that,” Tucker asks as he paces the room.

“Maybe she was assaulted when she was young?” Jasper asks.

“Maybe. Or someone close to her was, and she takes it out on others,” Gideon suggests.

I feel the air thicken as we realize the teenage girl who is closest to her.

“You think Mina was assaulted, so her mom is taking it out on others?” Max asks with obvious worry in his voice.

“It would explain why she is so overprotective of Mina,” Gideon adds. “Why she doesn’t want her talking to boys and why she wants her to stay under the radar.”

“Fuck,” Jasper says, running his hands through his hair as he paces back and forth. Fuck indeed. The thought of someone having assaulted her as a child made me sick to my stomach. I hate to admit the theory does explain her demeanor.

“No, it doesn’t fit,” Tucker adds firmly, and we all turn to him. “First of all, there’s the fact that most of the victims were reported to be dating a male in college. And secondly, if Helen was the killer, and wanted people to pay for something that happened to Mina, she wouldn’t target girls who look like her.”

I consider that. “You’re right. I suppose there could be a male helping Helen do the murders, but their target wouldn’t be girls who look like Mina. It’s more likely that they are running from someone who is targeting Mina.”

“A stalker,” Dom adds.

Everyone is silent as we consider the possible theories. The stalker one makes a lot more sense than it being Helen. But it means, either way, that Mina is in a lot of danger.

“But why wouldn’t Helen move again, now there have been several reported murders in town?” Ben asks, staring at her fake IDs.

“It might not be that easy to up and move, maybe she’s already in the process of getting new IDs and a place to live,” Gideon suggests with a frown.

“I still don’t know why she’s enrolled Mina in school now, but never before,” Max says.

“We don’t know that for a fact, she might have been in school before and we just can’t replace the evidence,” Ben points out.

“I don’t like any of these options,” I mutter, crossing my arms in frustration. “They all point to Mina being at the center of this whole thing, whether she knows it or not.”

“Me either,” Dom adds. “Our only option is to keep her close.”