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)
I hadn’t considered the need for security on this excursion. Kody and I are so used to protecting her by ourselves. That’s our job. The thought of sharing that role grates even as I know it’s the right decision.
Back at the bridge, Monty explains the yacht’s controls to Kody and me. Frankie saunters off to the sun deck.
Then we’re off.
Kody and I take turns at the wheel while Monty directs us. There’s a lot to remember, but we learn quickly. Kody doesn’t say much beyond his usual grunting, but I see the smile in his eyes. He’s enjoying this as much as I am.
As we move farther from the shore, the vastness of the water spreads out before us. I saw the ocean from the plane when we flew in, but it was dark and distant. Down here, it looks bigger, breathtaking and deep, an endless ripple of blue beneath the cloudless sky.
Sometime later, she returns with a tray of champagne glasses filled with orange liquid.
“Mimosas.” She passes them out and sets the tray aside. “Champagne and orange juice.”
Monty raises his glass in a toast. “To family and new experiences.”
We all clink our glasses together, and Kody and I exchange a look.
This is a celebration, a moment of unity and shared purpose, even if undercurrents of tension and distrust remain.
The bubbly drink fizzes on my tongue, the taste sharp and sweet. I prefer Kody’s vodka.
She finishes her drink and looks at Monty. “When do you go back to the office?”
“I sold the Sitka office.”
“What? Why?”
“You know why, Frankie.”
Yeah, we all know. The night of her abduction, he stayed at that office instead of coming home and protecting her. I hope he chokes on his guilt for the rest of his miserable life.
“What about your company?” she asks. “You built it from the ground up. Please, tell me you’re not selling it.”
“I’m not. I hired more senior management, put strong executive officers in place, and delegated my responsibilities. I still own the entire enterprise and retain final approval on crucial decisions. When I’m needed, I’ll work from my office at home. But I stepped away from the day-to-day involvement to focus on my personal affairs.”
By personal affairs, he means her.
“I see.” She wets her lips. “Meanwhile, I’ll be doing the opposite.”
“What does that mean?” I go still.
“I’m returning to the hospital, Leo.”
“When? You’ve only had your freedom back for a week. Give yourself time to heal.”
“The quicker she returns to work,” Monty says, icy eyes fixed on her, “the sooner she doesn’t have to depend on me. Isn’t that right, darling?”
“I love my job.” She holds his stare. “I miss it. And you guys need more bonding time without me in the way.”
“Fuck that.” I dip toward her. “You’re not in the way.”
Monty studies her, his fingers tapping on the instrument panel. “When you return to work, you’ll have security shadowing you.”
“I figured.”
“We need to establish a safety plan, not just for reporters but for whoever else might be watching you.”
“I know.”
“That’s it?” I screw up my face. “It didn’t occur to you to discuss this with Kody and me?”
“Not everything needs to be a fight.”
“Not a fight. But how about a conversation? No more lone ranger mentality, remember? Every decision is made collectively with everyone’s agreement.”
She’s pushing this too soon. Kody and I can’t get jobs until we have IDs. That will take weeks.
Given the scowl on Kody’s face, he’s thinking the same thing.
“We’re not in the hills anymore where every decision is a matter of life or death.” She squares her shoulders. “Things are different now.”
I don’t want things to be different, not where she’s concerned.
Why is Monty agreeing with this so easily? He doesn’t strike me as the sort of man who gives into her every whim. Is it because he knows he has no leverage with her? Or does he know something that we don’t?
“I’m going to call Rhett.” She pulls her phone out of her bag and steps toward the door. “Maybe I can see him while we’re in town.”
With that, she breezes out of the bridge with her phone to her ear.
“That’s a bad idea,” I mutter.
“Which part?” Monty crosses his arms.
“All of it.”
“You have a lot to learn, kid.”
“Call me a kid one more time.” I lean into his space, bridging the gap with a seething exhale. “Go on, Uncle Monty. I dare you.”
“Enough.” Kody shoves my shoulder, breaking us apart. “Save it for the punching bag.”
I step back, letting the chill of the early April morning cool my temper.
“She’s stubborn.” Monty watches her through the window, tracking her movements across the bridge deck. “Her career has always been a point of contention. It’s a battle I lost when we married and one I certainly won’t win now.”
We drift into silence as the yacht cuts through the glass-like water. The engines hum beneath my feet, a distant, powerful purr reverberating through my bloodstream.