Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
The night is still, but my mind is anything but. Somewhere out there, someone wants to hurt her. I won’t sleep until I remove that fucker from the planet. When the time comes, I won’t hesitate to take the killing blow.
“Monty,” she mumbles, opening her eyes. “You should get some rest.”
“I’ll rest when there are no more threats against you.”
“You can’t protect me if you’re exhausted.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“So fucking hardheaded.” She shifts, inching away, making room for me. “Sleep here.” She pats the empty spot. “Above the blankets. No touching. Promise me.”
“I promise.” I lie on my side, facing her with a fuzzy glow of warmth in my chest.
“I hurt you.” She meets my gaze, her eyes fierce. “I regret it, Monty. So much. The pain I’ve caused you, the torment of knowing I’m with them. God, I can’t believe you watched us.”
“Frankie…”
“Having sex with them under your roof was disrespectful and cruel. The justification I gave myself, my resentment, my distrust…I was so angry with you. But that ends now. As long as I live here, I won’t have sex with them. Not in your home.” She pulls in a breath. “I’ll still sleep with them at night. But that’s all we’ll do.”
The relief that washes over me is immediate, overwhelming. But with it comes a stab of doubt. Leo and Kody will never sleep beside her without fucking her.
I wouldn’t.
Except that’s precisely what I’m doing tonight.
Before I can formulate a response, the rhythm of her breathing slows, the grip of sleep finally taking hold.
I watch her, my heart aching with love and regret. So much has been lost, but so much still remains.
33
Monty
—
Amid the silken folds of the night, in the guest bedroom of my island mansion, I find a rare solace.
Breath by breath, Frankie inches closer to me in sleep, reaching, rolling, stripping away the separation between us, until finally, she settles into the heart space between my arms.
Her small, warm body seeks refuge on my chest, her hair spilling like molten copper around my ribs.
I lie perfectly still, every muscle held in a delicate balance of tension and reverence. The slightest movement could wake her, and the fragile connection we’ve rekindled would shatter.
The soft rhythm of her breath sings to my loneliness, soothing me in a way no one else can. For the first time in almost a year, I’m happy. Truly, deeply happy.
The love we once shared, a love I desperately hope to revive, feels close enough to touch. I refuse to sleep through a single second of it.
As dawn approaches, the room brightens, the Alaskan sunrise filtering through the heavy drapes. I need to rise. There’s much to be done. But for a few more stingy minutes, I remain still, reluctant to separate us.
If she wakes and finds herself in my arms, she’ll blame me for touching her, for breaking the boundaries of our relationship.
Holding my breath, I carefully extricate myself from beneath her featherlight frame. She stirs but doesn’t wake, her body curling into the space I vacate. I watch her for a moment longer, committing the sight of her to memory, then slip quietly from the room.
I dress quickly, my mind racing with the tasks of the day as I make my way to my office, where I feel most in control. Papers and reports from my consulting firm clutter the desk, including a proposal I’ve been sitting on for Leo. All of that will wait.
The first call is to my legal team, inquiring about Leo and Kody. As anticipated, the attorneys secured a deal for them, resulting in the charges being dropped. The victim, who will recover without permanent injury, decided against pursuing legal action after being threatened for assaulting Frankie.
Leo and Kody will be released this morning and can return to the island using Frankie’s cruiser.
I recline in the desk chair, a sigh escaping me as I imagine her joy at seeing them.
As long as I live here, I won’t have sex with them.
Her promise makes me that much happier to bring them home.
Turning my attention to her stalker, I call Wilson next. I insist that he handles the investigation personally, without the involvement of Sirena or anyone else from his firm.
He’s meticulous and trustworthy, a bulldog in his profession. And, unlike Sirena, he’s never tried to fuck me.
At first, he’s reluctant to take the case. The old bastard wants to retire and has started stepping away from day-to-day tasks. Same as me. But everyone has a price, and I eventually find his.
No one would turn down the money I’m offering.
Over a very lengthy phone call, I tell him everything—the details surrounding her abduction, Denver’s crimes, his death, a list of his known victims, including Wolfson, my father’s known enemies, the flight logs, and everyone on my household payroll and security team.