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)
“You’re staying the night,” Monty confirms.
“I want them transferred in here with me.”
His jaw turns to stone. Oh, he doesn’t like that one bit.
Too bad.
“I want a lawyer.” I meet his furious gaze. “Not one of yours. I want someone who isn’t connected to you. A neutral party who will represent Kody, Leo, and me.”
“Frankie…”
“I’m not finished.” I pull in a steadying breath. “I assume detectives are working this case? I saw uniformed police officers here. I want one present when we talk.”
“My investigator—”
“Someone who doesn’t work for you.”
“Everyone works for me.” He stands, pushing back his shoulders, his posture unbending.
He’s seconds from yanking me away from Leo and Kody. They notice it, too, leaning forward and bracing for a fight.
Every scorned cell in my body wants to tell him I know about his affairs. But I must wait for a lawyer before we start hashing things out. I’m afraid I’ll let my emotions get the best of me and inadvertently say too much.
Like the fact that I murdered his brother.
“I don’t know what’s going on here.” Monty eyes my lovers, his nostrils flaring. When he returns to me, his expression softens. “I can only assume that the three of you escaped something unimaginable. I can’t begin to fathom what you’ve suffered. The thought is fucking killing me inside. I don’t want to know, but I need to know. I need every fucking detail. I’m here to help you, Frankie, in every capacity. You can trust me.”
Trust, once given freely, was crushed over the past nine months by revelations too monumental to grasp.
My need for truth, for clarity, overshadows his need to help me.
The path forward with Monty is uncertain. He’s too entangled in this, and I hate to admit it, but I need his power and money to smooth the transition for Leo and Kody.
But one thing is clear. Leo, Kody, and I must navigate it with eyes wide open, no matter what truths await us.
“Don’t ask for her trust.” Leo glares at him. “Your brother kidnapped her.”
“He kidnapped all of us.” I look into Monty’s eyes, so similar to Wolf’s. “A brother I didn’t know you had.”
“There’s a damn good reason I didn’t tell you. But I’ll tell you now. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Yeah, you will. But before we tell you anything, you will see to my demands.”
“Frankie.” His stance hardens, a wall of muscle against the siege of his own rage. “I’m not the bad guy.”
“What would you do in her position?” Leo tilts his bandaged head. “How would you advise her if you weren’t emotionally invested?”
Monty holds his stare, gritting his teeth. Then he releases a sharp breath. “I’ll make it happen.”
Leo strides to the door and opens it, wordlessly evicting Monty from the room.
Making him leave feels cruel. I loved him once when I thought he was a good man. Part of me still loves him. But it’s darkened by rage.
Because he’s not innocent. I saw the recording of him cheating. He hurt me far worse than I could ever hurt him.
Silence overtakes him as he flicks his gaze between us, his expression impenetrable.
When it lands on me, I stare right back, dizzy and exhausted, every inch of me hurting.
Maybe he sees that because instead of fighting me, his shoulders drop, and he strides from the room.
The second the hospital room door closes, it opens again.
“Go away!” I shout before the intruder comes into view.
A young male nurse rounds the corner, glowering at me before whipping his head toward Kody. “Sir, I need you to get off her bed and return to your room. Hospital policy doesn’t allow—”
“Any minute now, your manager will give you a change of plans.” Frankie clutches Kody’s wrist as if he intends to go somewhere. “Leo and Kody will stay in this room with me until we leave.”
“This is a private room for one patient.” The male steps toward Kody and abruptly stops at the sound of his threatening growl. “We can’t accommodate your request.”
“I did my residency here and know that this is the largest room in the hospital. Speak to Monty Novak about the new arrangements.”
He perks up at the mention of Monty’s name, which is really fucking irritating.
“I need to check your fluids.” He steps toward her.
“I already checked everything.” She waves a hand at the equipment. “All good here.”
He hesitates like he wants to say more.
I point at the door. “Give us five goddamn minutes alone, for fuck’s sake!”
“Leo…” She sighs and offers the nurse an exasperated grimace. “Look, we’ve been through some shit and survived injuries far worse than this. We’re not going to die in the next few minutes. Please, can you just give us a moment alone?”
The man shoots another glare in my direction. “I’ll find Mr. Novak.”
“Thank you,” Frankie says.
When the door clicks shut behind him, gravity realigns, pulling us irresistibly toward one another. Without speaking, Frankie, Kody, and I collide in a tangle of bodies on her bed, our tightly wound embrace a convergence of relief, love, and quiet fears that have been riding us since takeoff.