Page 19 of A Taste Of Darkness

I was going to die today.

I pressed my eyes shut and held my dog as tightly in my arms as her wheelchair allowed. I told myself it was going to be alright, even when I wasn’t convinced of it.

Even as I felt a presence beside me, I still didn’t open my eyes. All I managed to force out was, “Please don’t hurt my dog.”

Even if I were to die tonight, Soup didn’t deserve it. She was only two. She had at least ten more years ahead of her. She might’ve been disabled, but she was still a lovable dog. Soup deserved to live, even if I died.

“Cuore mio,” the same voice that previously threatened to shoot said softly.

I knew that nickname.

In a second, my eyes ripped open, and I jumped into Milo’s arms like I’d known him all my life. “Milo,” I let out shakily.

My arms closed tighter around his neck as I finally realized that I was safe. Milo might’ve not been Kai, but oddly enough, I knew he was here to protect me.

“You’re safe now, Sterlie,” he told me as his arms wrapped around my body. I didn’t expect Milo to hug me back, but I was glad he did. His presence alone told me I was safe, but being in his arms was… God, it was like a fort. The safest place in the whole world. At least for now. “They’re gone.”

“Are they?”

He nodded. “My security took them to Tartarus to find out why they were… what exactly were they doing?”

A relieved sigh drew from my lungs as I pulled back from Milo’s arms. “Watching me,” I told him. “All week long.” My eyes fell to my dog. “So many of them.”

“Do you know why?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know any of them. I haven’t done anything to anyone. Flora thinks they know about the robbery weeks ago, and now they’re watching me to find the best day to strike again. But I think a few of them even followed me to Kai’s place after work. What if they’ll show up at my place tonight? What if they’re planning to kill me? God, my father probably did something fucked up again and dragged me into this and now they’re planning to ki?—”

Milo laid his hands on my shoulders. “Sterlie, breathe.”

Surprisingly, I listened. With Milo’s assistance, I took a deep breath and tried my very best to calm down. It didn’t work.

“I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t dare get near Kai, so you’re safe there,” Milo said.

Probably. “Or these are Kai’s people and that’s his way of wanting to get rid of me. He doesn’t like me very much.”

“They’re not Kai’s people. And before Kai lays a hand on you, or tells anyone to do so, Flora would chop off his dick.”

Right. “Sorry,” I said, meeting his eyes again. So dark, so dreamy. “This is my first time being alive; it’s really scary.”

Milo laughed, though he quickly stopped himself and tried to cover it up by clearing his throat. “Yes, very scary.”

“This isn’t funny. I’m being serious. For all I know, these people are trying to kill me.”

His head cocked, but Milo stayed silent for a while. I could tell he wanted to speak but something stopped him.

“You can’t deny this is strange,” I ended up saying in an attempt to help him speak.

Once again, Milo stayed silent but this time to look at his phone. The screen lit up his face as he read a message. I never really noticed how handsome Milo was.

Sure, I knew he looked good, but I never allowed myself to look. After all, he was my sister’s best friend. And a murderer. A very rich, very good-looking murderer. A kind-hearted, doing-this-for-justice kind of murderer.

“No, it definitely is,” Milo eventually said. “I don’t think these guys are here for you, though.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? They’re watching me.”

He nodded. “Yes, they’re watching.”

“Me,” I added.

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