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 saw him?” Frankie clasps her hands against her stomach, trying to hide her tremor.
“Yes. He destroyed his hotel suite, punched the hotel manager, and has been, needless to say…unapproachable.” Her eyes thin. “Piecing together what I know about Denver Strakh, I can’t fathom what the three of you have survived. But Monty knows. He lived it through your words. I saw the trauma in his eyes this morning. You showed him a darkness that will forever stain his soul, and he chose not to look away.”
Frankie’s chin trembles as she nods.
“He’s smoothing over the mess he made at the hotel.” Sirena pushes off the table and paces to the window. “When he shows up here, I imagine he’ll have everything put back to order, including his composure. But he’s not okay.”
“You care about him.”
“Very much. But my affection for him is not reciprocated.” Pursing her lips, she peers at Frankie through a thick veil of lashes. “I propositioned your husband over and over for months. There isn’t a man I can’t get, but Monty is impenetrable. He thought you left him. He was heartbreakingly lonely, and I still couldn’t seal the deal. Not even for a night. He is infuriatingly smitten with you.”
Shadows cling to Frankie’s furious glare, fed by the dark fire in her eyes. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Before I agreed to work with him, I investigated him. I know he had an affair with his office manager six weeks after you left, and he let her go immediately after the indiscretion. I pegged him as a cheater and expected him to pursue me. Most men do.” When she smiles, it’s tight around the corners. “I assumed a lot of things about him, and most of them were wrong. That never happens. In my profession, I’ve encountered every shade of character. Clients hire me to investigate other clients. Everyone is suspicious. Over the years, I learned to read people, and let’s just say…very few surprise me.” She pulls in a breath. “I’m telling you this because I see what’s going on here.” Her eyes dart over Kody and me. “They’re beautiful and protective. Can’t say I blame you.”
“You don’t know us,” I growl.
“Perhaps.” Sirena returns to Frankie. “But I do know that Monty will burn down the world for you. I watched him do it for months. His company, his life, his health—he scorched it all to the ground in his search for you. If you let him go, it will destroy him. There will be nothing left. He’s a good man, and those are so hard to find.”
“Are you finished?” Frankie crosses her arms.
“Don’t be angry with me. I wanted to clear the air because…” She fingers her long hair. “I’ll be sticking around for a while.” She turns to me and Kody. “Monty tasked me with finding his son.”
My breath dies. Kody goes still, and Frankie presses a hand to her throat.
“He said Wolfson fell into a gorge.” Sirena’s expression softens. “His body was never recovered. That’s all I know. He said I should ask you for the details…when you’re ready to give them.”
The lawyer confirmed that Wolf’s things were salvaged from the plane crash. The hard case protected his saxophone, and Frankie had packed his drawings and other keepsakes in dry bags. Everything survived.
Except him.
“We don’t know the cabin’s location.” My heart hammers. “But we can describe the landscape, the river…”
“And you can go with me when I begin the search.” She holds up her hands. “I know. It’s too much, too soon. That’s okay. I’m working on another investigation for him in the meantime.”
“What other investigation?” Frankie tilts her head.
“Oh, just some things he found on Kodiak Island. I’ll let Monty tell you about that.”
“Tell her about what?” Monty enters the room with a stride that exudes authority, his finely tailored suit and imposing scowl eclipsing the bruises I left on his face.
“I was just explaining the depth of my loyalty and dedication to you.” She winks at him.
He hisses through his teeth and jabs a finger at the door.
“That’s my cue to leave.” Her eyes gleam as she swivels back to us. “I look forward to working with you two.” To Frankie, she says, “It’s a pleasure to finally put a face to the name that’s haunted me for months. You’re just as lovely as I expected.”
Frankie pinches her lips, her gaze writhing with distrust.
“Alrighty then.” She sashays past Monty, wriggling her fingers at him. “I’ll be in touch, handsome.”
When the door closes behind her, Monty searches Frankie’s face. “Did she upset you?”
“No.” She steals a look at Kody, then turns her scrutiny to me, sifting through our expressions for something. “Your investigator is a beautiful woman.”
She says this to Monty while still looking at Kody and me. Her fingers twitch at her sides, and a brief flicker of possessiveness crosses her features. A quick glance away, followed by a deep breath, reveals her struggle.