“He and I have that in common.”
I try not to smile at his words, but fall short. I chew on my lip nervously. “Listen. Tonight was a lot, and I’m sure it's probably a lot for you. I understand if you want to change your mind and you want to leave.”
Dante moves Binx off his lap, meowing in protest, but that doesn’t stop Dante from crossing the room to me. “I’m not going anywhere, angel. You need me right now, and if I left my mother would rise from the grave and haunt me.”
“Your mom died?” I ask a bit too eagerly. Dante only nods. “Sorry. I only asked because both of my parents died when I was seventeen. Drunk Driver.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that. Do you know what happened?”
I nod, slumping into the couch, and Dante follows, sitting beside me. “The police chief said it was a freak accident. My parents were driving back home from a friend's house when a car on the opposite side of the interstate, traveling over a hundred miles per hour, hit an embankment, sending them over the guardrails and directly into my parents.They died on impact. I was sleeping at a friend's house when it happened, and was woken up with cops at the door at 3 am, telling me I was parentless, and that CPS was there to take me away.”
Dante’s silent for a second before saying, “My dad was never in the picture. I knew who he was, but he was in and out of prison my entire childhood until he died in prison when I was a teen. My mom raised me until she was murdered when I was thirteen.”
I gasp. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Our neighbor murdered her. He never gave a reason. The evidence was lacking, but I knew he did it. He waited until I was at school, when I wasn’t there to protect her.” Dante clenches his fist, and I put my hand on his arm, rubbing my thumb on his forearm to let him know I get it.
“I’m so sorry. That must have been hard, never getting closure.”
“I grieved like any child, but it wasn’t all terrible. My best friend Alex, from school, told his parents what happened, and they fostered me until they could adopt me. Life had given me a second chance after the horrible hand I was dealt. I owe everything I am today to Vin and Martha. I wouldn’t be here without them.” I smile a sad smile. This is supposed to be my second chance, but I guess the universe has other plans. Dante notices my shift, capturing my chin, and tilting my face up to look at him. “I promise I will ensure your apartment is top-notch safe before I leave tomorrow.”
I nod, but I know the truth. I will never be safe. Not while I’m running from my past. “If you want to shower, the hot water should be back by now. Towels are in the bathroom in the corner cabinet.”
Dante nods and heads to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Binx joins me on the couch, his loud purring filling the silence. I sit there, petting him until my eyes grow heavy, and the last thought on my mind is the knife gleaming in the glow of the TV.
Dante
Ishut the door behind me and run my finger through my hair, gripping so tight I think I’ve ripped a few chunks out. Luna has a fuckin’ stalker.
Someone whoisn’tme and intends to harm her.
“Fuck,” I swear, exhaling, trying to keep the darkness that haunts me from taking control of the situation.
Luna needs you to keep her safe. She’s defenseless and lives alone. You won’t be able to save her just like you couldn’t save your mom.
Kill them.
Kill them all for her.
Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.KILL.
I strip off my clothes and quickly get in the shower, letting the icy water run over my face to drown out the darkness.
Do you want Luna to end up murdered? They’ve already proven to be unstable enough to enter her home uninvited. You know it’s only a matter of time before they take it even further. You should know this, given your profession.
My profession.
I told Luna I work in cybersecurity, but in reality, I’m a freelance contract killer, hired by bad people on the dark web to do bad things to those they hate. Anyone with a pretty penny can put out a call on the dark web, and people like me put in a bid for the job.
It’s like eBay, but for murderers.
Once you’re in contact with them after outbidding everyone, they’ll give you all the details you need to know to complete the hit, making easy money.
Given that Luna’s apartment is untouched, it suggests to me that this is someone who’s been hired. Not a single item in her home was stolen—no clothes or anything that might satisfy the needs of an obsessed person. Luna was the sole target, and the intruder was after her.
This isn’t a stalker; this was an unsuccessful hit.
The darkness is right.
