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)
“My love for her is not some petty jealousy.” I lean into the space between us. “It’s primal, clawing, and fucking ruthless. You get me?”
“It’s possessive and overbearing. That’s not good for either of you. Have you considered that your jealousy is rooted in fear? Fear of losing her?”
“That’s your fear, not mine.”
“What are you talking about?” His eyes widen, caught off guard.
“Don’t play dumb. I see the way you look at her. The way you touch her. How often do you jerk off to thoughts of my wife in your cold, empty bed at night?”
“My relationship with Frankie is strictly professional.”
“What’s your angle? To sow insidious seeds of doubt about our marriage, slowly tear us apart, then swoop in and fuck her?”
“This is not about me, and you’re already separated. I’m here to counsel you individually.”
“Stay away from her, Doyle.” My heart pounds. “Or you’ll find out just how far I’m willing to go to protect what’s mine.”
“Threats won’t solve anything.” He straightens, holding his ground. “You need to work through this, for your sake and Frankie’s.”
“We’re done here.” I rise to my feet. “I have better things to do than listen to your bullshit.”
“All right.” He stands as well, his expression resigned. “But remember, these sessions are for your benefit. I’ll be here if you need me. If you don’t want to talk to me, I can refer you to someone else.”
I turn away, facing the window, not bothering with a response or a farewell.
As his footsteps retreat down the hall, I listen for the security guard to escort him off the island. A moment later, Doyle steps onto the path outside, trailed by one of the guards toward the dock.
My thoughts turn to Frankie, Kody, and Leo. They’ve been in town for hours now. Sometimes they share dinner in a restaurant or stroll along the coast and don’t return until after dark.
Frankie has money saved, not enough to live on, but enough to eat out and fuel her cruiser. Her savings will run out before she returns to work. Will she come to me then? Let me support her in every way?
I can only hope.
The house feels empty without her. The echo of voices, the warmth of Frankie’s nearness, all missing. I find myself in the kitchen, staring at the untouched dinner that Oliver prepared for her. She should be here, not gallivanting around Sitka with Leo and Kody.
My phone buzzes, a call from Sirena.
“Yes?” I answer.
“Frankie and Kody are leaving the distillery, returning to the flight school to get Leo.”
“Reporters?”
“None.”
Our interviews aired last week, causing a commotion, but it has since died down. The vultures have moved on to more scandalizing stories.
“Dr. Whitaker is headed back to Sitka.” I stare out the kitchen window. “Keep an eye on him.”
“On it.”
“Any update on locating the cabin?”
“No.” Her soft sigh drifts through the connection. “My team has swept nearly twenty percent of those hills. There’s a lot of ground to cover. This would go faster if Leo or Kody joined them.”
I agree. They might recognize landmarks or something familiar. But they won’t leave Frankie, especially not to return to that cabin. I can’t blame them, but every day, our chances of recovering Wolfson’s body diminish.
“Keep searching.” I disconnect the call, my thoughts returning to Frankie.
The stalker remains unidentified. No messages or threats since the first one. I’m keeping Sirena out of that investigation. The only thing she knows beyond what we told the press is that I had a son in those hills. Everything else is on a need-to-know basis, and she doesn’t need to know about the depravity in my family.
Doyle’s words echo in my mind.
Our efforts to protect can become suffocating.
He doesn’t understand. No one does. Frankie is my world. I need to find a way to keep her safe without losing her.
And for that, I need to confront the darkness inside me.
28
Frankie
—
Leo and Kody sit with me at a corner table in a cozy restaurant with a clear view of the bustling dining area.
Kody’s fingers curl around mine on the table, his scarred hand rough but gentle like his eyes. Leo’s palm rests on my thigh, his thumb stroking, always restless. His rugged features soften as he looks at me, and Kody’s brooding intensity gives way to a tenderness that swells my chest.
We’re a tangle of broken souls, stitched together by shared pain and longing. Longing for one another. Longing for a future full of affection.
We already know what hell looks like. No more punishments are necessary.
Give us more of this—soft evenings, good food, and stolen kisses, sweet as dark cherries.
Leo and Kody are happy here. In Sitka. In this new life. Happier than I’ve ever seen them.
Despite the unsolved threat that’s been haunting us for two months.
Our security guards—Carl and Jasper—stand outside, watching us through the front windows while scrutinizing the locals and tourists inside and on the street. While I appreciate their constant vigilance, they make me anxious. We have no real privacy, no peace from the fear that seems to follow us everywhere.