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)
“You’re not going back there,” Kody growls, spearing me with a threatening glare.
“We’ll go to Sitka then.” I pull on my coat, my voice as steady as I can make it. “We don’t have a choice.”
She gives a slight nod, her eyes glistening. I reach toward the back seat, gripping her free hand, finding her fingers ice cold.
She’s fucking shaking.
Something else is wrong. My gaze flies to Kody.
He directs his eyes to the plane.
The plane…
Fuck.
“You’re not ready to fly again.” I close my hand around hers, trying to warm it. “That’s what this is about?”
“It’s fine.” She blinks rapidly. “I’m fine.”
“Bullshit.” I stroke my thumb across her knuckles. “Don’t lie to me.”
“It’s everything. All of it. I’m trying to be brave. I swear. It’s just a lot all at once.” She clings to my grip, her gaze pleading. “I haven’t even processed Denver’s video or what Monty’s role might be in it. Right now, I can’t think past the immediate danger, which is boarding that plane after…after…watching you and Kody get ripped away in the cockpit and the sound of twisting metal, the terror—”
“Shh.” Kody pulls her onto his lap. “We won’t fly. We’ll find another way.”
“No.” She scrambles off him and slides across the back seat, putting her arm out. “If you two can fly, I can, too. I won’t let fear control me. I’m just acknowledging it, okay? Let me voice it. Let me face it.”
Kody’s nostrils pulse.
Maybe the plane crash should’ve affected me more, but I don’t remember much of it. I recall Kody’s calming voice in the headset, the blinding whiteout of the blizzard, then…nothing.
“What about you?” I ask him.
“I don’t fear the plane.”
No, I suppose he’s more worried about Monty and his plans for Frankie. Same as me.
“Come here.” I reach for her.
She scoots forward, leaning between the front seats until our arms entangle and our foreheads connect. My lips find hers on instinct, my breath guiding hers, slow, steady, and together.
“How does he already have a plane waiting here?” I slide our noses together.
“Money.” She sighs. “He has chauffeurs and pilots everywhere. Someone brought his plane here, and someone else will drive this car away when we leave.”
“Back to Sitka?”
“If he owns it.” She shrugs. “It’s probably a rental.”
“How do you not know?”
“He owns a lot of shit. I never cared about that.”
“But you care now.”
“What do you want from me, Leo?” She pulls back, separating us.
“I don’t want you to be dependent on him.”
“I’m not. I have my own money saved, but it’s not enough to support all three of us. I can’t help you the way he can. Whether you like it or not, he’s your family, and he’s willing to assist—”
“At what cost?”
“He’s coming.” She watches him exit the plane, rushing her words. “Let’s say he is taking advantage of our situation for some malicious purpose. If this is a trap, we’ll set a trap right back and use him in the process.”
“Keep your enemies close,” I grumble. “Your logic is terrifying.”
“Fear has never stopped us before, and we’re going in with our eyes wide open. Are you afraid to exploit him and the help he’s offering?”
“Not if you promise to remain with Kody or me at all times.”
“I promise. If we do this, we do it together. I’m in if you guys are. Decide.”
Kody’s our hunter, the silent predator. His watchful strength and feral intuition, honed by a lifetime of survival, reassures me, even as I grapple with my swirling doubts about what lies ahead.
Frankie’s our healer. Her intelligence and medical skills saved us more times than I can count, and now she faces an even greater challenge. We need her to keep us intact through the psychological scars we bear. Her ability to see the best in us, to push us toward healing even when it’s the last thing we think we need, is more critical than ever.
I’m the brawler, the fucking enforcer. In the wild, my boiling temper and leadership often made the difference between life and death. Here, I need to find better ways to channel my protective fire. Not just against physical threats, but against the psychological, insidious dangers that might sneak up on us.
Our strengths complement one another, creating a force of solidarity. Whatever happens, we’ll face it as a team, a partnership forged in blood, survival, and unbreakable love.
A renewed sense of purpose cements itself inside me. We’re not just survivors of the past. We’re warriors for our forever.
“We need to keep our senses sharp and learn fast.” I look at Kody.
“Together.” He takes her hand.
“Together.” I shake off my unease and open the door.
2
Leonid
—
My protective instincts leap into overdrive as Kody and Frankie join me on the tarmac, their faces grim.
The chilly air nips my skin, but it’s a familiar cold, one I’ve battled all my life. Right now, it’s the only thing I relate to amid the sights and sounds of our surroundings.