Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
My hands shake. My chest aches. I try to focus on breathing—deep, even breaths—hoping to quell the panic.
“The first time I laid eyes on you, Frankie, was in a hospital,” Denver purrs. “But it was long before Monty entered your life. I happened upon you during your residency days in Anchorage. You sparked something in me then, but my plate was too full to pursue you properly. For years, I watched you though, tracked your journey to Sitka.”
“He never told me that,” I whisper.
He leans back, a calculated casualness to his posture. “Your meeting with Montgomery wasn’t serendipitous. I orchestrated that.” He winks, turning my lungs to ice. “And now, if you’re watching this, you’ve found the plane’s instructions and are poised to reenter the world I saved you from.” His next words slither through the room like a serpent. “Remember, with civilization comes danger. Not all admirers are as upfront as I was. There’s another, lurking, yearning for you in a way far darker than my own affection.” His voice turns somber, deadly serious. “Mark my words, they are meant to guide and to forewarn. Look around you. Is your admirer there now? Watching? You were safe with me in the hills. Out here, no hills can save you.” His gaze sweeps the room as if he could see through the walls, through time itself. “I could reveal the identity of this lethal hunter, but such answers must be earned. So I leave you with the riddle that may save your life. Not all wounds bleed. Not all scars show. Some live beneath bones, cold and alone. In the chambers of frost, pain is my art. I’m the silent ache, the shadow that lingers, the present from your past, the knife in your heart. Who am I?”
The video ends abruptly, leaving a haunting silence in its wake.
“No.” My heart pounds fiercely, his razored words scraping at my mind. “No, no, no! Why can’t he just leave us alone? Even from the grave, he torments us.”
Kody pulls me onto his lap, holding me against his chest. He’s so quiet, so still, his thoughts undoubtedly racing through the implications of what we’ve just heard.
“This is bullshit.” Leo can’t contain his fury as he bursts from the couch and paces back and forth. “He just wants us to live in fear. He can’t accept anything else.”
Monty remains the epitome of composure, but his eyes are sharp, analytical. He’s already moving past the shock, thinking several steps ahead. “We have to consider every possibility. Denver was many things, not least of which was cunning. We can’t dismiss this as mere posthumous theatrics.”
“It’s another game.” I shake my head, partly in disbelief, partly in an attempt to clear the fog of fear. “He wants us to be scared, to jump at shadows. He can’t stand the thought of us living freely, without him pulling the strings.”
Monty’s gaze meets mine, unyielding. “Whether it’s a game or not, we can’t afford to take chances. Frankie, you know what he was capable of. We all do.” He turns to address Kody and Leo. “Since you two are new to this world, the situation is even more dangerous. You can’t protect her when you don’t even understand your surroundings. You need time, a safe place to adjust.” He lifts his chin, his gaze unshakable. “You’re coming to Sitka, to my island, all of you. There’s a guest house there, separate from the main residence but close enough for safety. I’ll install a new security system, hire a security team. It’s remote, private. It’ll give you both the space to adapt and transition, and it’ll keep Frankie safe while we scour this video, figure out what the riddle means, and how deep Denver’s plans go.”
Leo stops pacing, the cords in his neck strung tight. Kody remains silent, his expression unreadable, but the slight nod indicates his agreement, albeit begrudging.
Moving to Monty’s island, returning to a place steeped in memories and complicated emotions…it’s a terrible idea.
But the logic is undeniable. We need safety, time, and resources—things only Monty can provide right now.
Fuck.
“All right.” I slide off Kody’s lap and gulp down the rest of my bourbon. “We’ll go to Sitka. We’ll take this time to heal, to learn, and to prepare. But Monty…” I’m caught in his direct gaze. “I’m not going there as your wife. And we’re not your dependents.”
Monty nods, a trace of relief in his expression. “We’re family.”