Page 53 of In the Cover of Darkness

Unknown:filthy slut

Unknown:HE CAN'T SAVE YOU

Unknown:I'll gut him too

Unknown:I'll kill him to break you

Unknown:I'm going to enjoy breaking you all over again

Unknown:Just know that the last voice you hear, the last face you will see you filthy fucking cunt will be mine, and you will drown in your own blood like your friend did before I let you go.

“What have you pressed? Why is it beeping like that?”

“No, baby. You don't need to see these, okay. Sleep and we will take care of it in the morning.”

“It's him, isn't it? They are from him,” her voice breaking as she weeps into my chest until it's wet and she falls to sleep, exhaustion taking her over as I try to plot our next move in finding Trevor.

Chapter 37 - Mila

It's been a few weeks since we held a funeral for Phil. I think almost all the townsfolk showed up, and we had the biggest block party to celebrate his life, practically taking over the whole Main Street. There was loud music, dancing, laughter and crying. I can't help but blame myself. If I had never come here then Trevor would not have followed me, and Phil would still be alive. Dante is letting me grieve and continues to watch me, but he also gives me the space I'm craving right now.

I haven't asked for my phone back since that night and have no plans to either. Nova contacts me through either Ace or Dante, and we continue to discuss the spring festival which is happening next weekend. It has been a blessing in that it's giving me something to focus on, but also makes me a little nervous to be surrounded by so many people.

Anytime Ace and Dante are together, they instantly stop talking when I get close to them. They won't tell me what they're discussing, only that they're working on a plan and don't want to worry me. I realise they're doing this for my benefit but it onlyserves to make me feel like complete shit. When has anybody walked in a room, to have people instantly stop talking, made anyone feel good about themselves? One small silver lining is that the days are warmer and I spend most of my time out on the porch swing with the dogs, making my way through all the books Dante got me. I'm currently on number 73 and I think I'm going to purchase in bulk again, only this time through Pages, so Nova gets the book sale and the author gets a bit more profit.

Muffled voices bring me out of my daydream and I realise I can hear Ace and Dante talking from the window I left open slightly to let a little breeze through the house. I try to subtly slide off the porch swing so they don't notice me, and crawl so I'm sitting underneath the window, their voices a lot clearer now.

“I told you I don't want her to be bait,'' Dante growls. “For fuck's sake Ace, she’s been through enough.”

“I know but it's the most logical place for him to try and do something. He's not been anywhere near the house so that leaves the Spring Festival. He could be planning to be a fucking customer of theirs, D. He could be in the crowd and we would never know.”

“I'm not leaving her side when we’re there so he can try all he likes. I'll kill him before he gets close to her, I don't care how many people watch it happen. Unless there is concrete evidence that we've got him elsewhere then I'm not leaving her alone.”

“Alright, but I'm going to bring Porter up to speed so we have another set of eyes.”

“What's his background anyway? He clearly has military experience, you can spot it coming off him a mile away.”

One of them makes a loud sigh and I can hear the banging sounds of cupboards opening and closing.

“Only me and the sheriff know this so don't do or say anything different. I mean it Dante, don't do anything when I tell you this. Despite what you will think, he's a decent guy. We all have a past, D. We know that more than most.”

“Who the fuck is he, Ace?” Dante snaps.

“He changed his name when he came here several years ago. You might know him as the son of Dmitri Sokolov.”

“He’s Bratva? What the fuck is the Russian mafia doing in Hidden Valley?”

“He's not in that world anymore, he's out,” Ace says, as I crawl back to where I was sitting. I'm speechless.

Trevor is going to try and target me at the Spring Festival and Porter was in the Russian mafia. What the fuck is happening in this town? It's turning into an epicentre for the morally grey. Not that I think Dante falls into that area but he's still a mercenary, Ace too, and those are not what I would consider traditionally good jobs. Now, Porter’s in the mafia, so that's three men in this town who I know, that I can say with almost certainty have killed people. I should be freaking out over all of this, that nothing is ever as it seems. I've escaped one psycho man and jumped right into bed with another. But I don't feel that way at all. I still feel safe with Dante and Ace. They have never tried to hurt me in any way. In fact, they have bent over backward time and time again to help me, so if Porter has the skills to help them, helpme, then I'll keep his secret if it keeps everyone safe.

Chapter 38 - Dante

The day of the Spring Festival is finally here, and I'm on edge. I've been waiting and waiting for it to happen because everything suggests Trevor will try and do something to get Mila. We think he will try and contact her again, or make an appearance to spook her because it's a good place for him to get lost in the chaos of the crowd. I'll be spending every moment by Mila's side. I don't care where she goes or what she needs to do, she won't be alone for any of it. I don't think I got any sleep last night thinking of the many things that could happen, but Ace will be watching from a few stalls over and Porter's stall is almost directly across from them.

It's weird knowing who Porter's family is, but I went with Ace when he brought him up to speed, and he knows I know he'sVdovets, The Widow-maker. We seemed to have this mutual respect for each other, so as long as he doesn’t hurt my family, I won’t break his legs. Not that it would be easy, seeing he was the deadliest mafia enforcer to exist before he simply disappeared one day. Occasionally I heard rumours of his suspected kills happening in different parts of the world, but you can never be too sure with the number of copycat killers out there. One thingis for sure, if youdidspend a night with the Widow-maker, you wouldn't live to see a new day. His calling card was he tortured his victims until they died, then he would remove their eyes and position the bodies so they would face the sunrise. No matter where in the world his victims met their maker, they would always be facing the sunrise. It's something I will have to ask him about one day. When all of this is over I will owe him a favour for his help with protecting Mila and no matter what he needs Iwillhelp him until we are even again.

Reluctantly, I uncurl myself from Mila who remains blissfully asleep against me. I need to get ready and grab a few small pieces from Ace’s armoury, just in case anything should happen. Turning the shower in the ensuite on, I quickly brush my teeth before taking my place under the almost too hot water. Letting it wash over me like a baptism before the sins I'm about to commit. I’ve only been standing under the water a few minutes before I notice movement from the corner of my eye. I must have woken Mila up after all, and I start to quickly wash myself so she can do what she needs to without me being in the way. I've tried to give her space to grieve during the day but at night, when we're alone in bed my willpower breaks and I need her pressed against me.

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