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)
“We’ll get through this.” Monty pulls me close, his arms banding around me in a protective embrace. “We’ll end him. I promise.”
Unless the stalker is Wolf.
Not all wounds bleed. Not all scars show. Some live beneath bones, cold and alone. In the chambers of frost, pain is my art.
Until we find his body, I’m not giving up on him.
41
Kodiak
—
Longing.
Fierce, protective longing rages inside me. I stand at the taffrail beside Leo as Kai navigates Monty’s yacht toward the island.
Toward Frankie.
Despite the midday heat, the arctic wilderness still clings to my bones. Another fruitless week spent searching for Wolf’s body and the cabin.
Frustration sinks in its claws, shredding vital organs. Every time we leave Frankie alone with Monty, the anger coils tighter.
A stalker on the loose, a human heart, a severed hand, more texts, and disturbing threats…enough is enough.
My eyes land on the dock as we approach. Two small yachts sit there, their polished surfaces reflecting the low Alaskan sun. They look brand new and expensive. Typical Monty.
I shift my gaze, and there she is.
My heart stirs from hibernation and starts to beat again.
Long red hair tangles around her shoulders, her petite frame dwarfed by the towering, imposing man at her side.
How will your date end? If you go to bed with the wolf, will the bear and the lion fuck the siren?
A hot dart of jealousy pierces my gut.
He took her on a date last night.
He took her on a fucking date.
Did he take her to bed after?
I understand why they went to dinner, the importance of the one-year mark. I’m even grateful he was there for her. She shouldn’t be alone. At the same time, I resent every moment he spends with her.
Her ban on sex makes it harder to stomach.
It’s been almost two months since we’ve been intimate. The distance isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, straining our bond like a thread pulled taut, ready to snap.
The yacht docks, and Leo and I disembark, our strides purposeful. She rushes toward us, and we envelop her in a crushing embrace, sandwiching her between our bodies.
Our relationship has become a cycle of farewells and hellos. The separations feel wrong, unnatural, like the gray zone between life and death.
But the reunions. Each time we meet again feels like I’m breathing for the first time.
“Missed you,” I murmur against her hair, inhaling her scent.
She smells like everything I miss. Warm skin. Ripe cherries. Sultry, sweet sex. Frankie.
“I’ve been so fucking worried.” Leo kisses her nose, her cheek, her lips. “Tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m okay.” She stares up at us, green eyes shimmering. “Now that you’re here. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“Welcome home.” Monty pats me on the shoulder. “We have much to discuss.”
He turns, heading back to the estate.
Security guards stand among the tall pine trees lining the path. Their numbers have doubled.
I lengthen my strides to catch up with him. “What’s with the yachts?”
He pauses, his jaw sharp enough to cut steel.
“They’re yours.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out two sets of keys. “Congratulations.” He hands a set to Leo. “You’re only one exam away from finishing flight school.” Pressing the other keyring into my palm, he briefly squeezes my hand. “Your distillery opens to the public next week. I wanted to celebrate your achievements.”
Leo and I exchange stunned looks.
“You’re kidding?” Voice gruff with disbelief, Leo stares back at the yachts.
“Not kidding. And there’s more. Each keyring has an extra set of keys. There are BMW GS motorcycles waiting for you in my garage in Sitka. Consider them part of the gift.”
The warmth in my face wars with the chill in my stomach. “We can’t accept this. It’s too much.”
“We haven’t earned it.” Leo tries to hand back the keys.
“You’ve worked your asses off.” Frankie sidles between us, pushing Leo’s hand back. “Don’t be rude. Giving you these gifts already makes Monty feel awkward.” Her lips twitch. “And dangerously in touch with his feelings. Just accept that he loves you.”
“Just take them.” Monty sighs, his expression pinched with annoyance.
Silence follows. The significance of his gesture, the search in the Arctic, the work that still needs finishing at the distillery, the strain on our relationship with Frankie, and the stalker—it’s all a powder keg waiting to explode.
“Thank you,” I finally say. “This means more than you know.”
Leo grips his nape, nodding, looking uncomfortable as fuck.
“You’re welcome.” Monty continues along the path and steps inside the entryway. “We’re waiting for the hand to be analyzed. The authorities are involved now, which will slow down the investigation. But I’m still moving forward with Wilson.”
“Wilson doesn’t have any updates for us.” Frankie lowers onto the couch, tucking her legs beneath her. “But Doyle Whitaker is missing. After our therapy session yesterday, he never returned to his house in Sitka.”
“He’s either the stalker,” Monty says.
“Or the victim.” She rubs her chest, her brow furrowing in thought. “The security team sweeps this place for cameras every day. Someone is watching and listening as if they know us. As if they’re one of us.” She meets my eyes. “Sirena could be involved. She knows about Wolf and the cabin.”