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)
We just stare at her, neither of us moving.
Other than Frankie, our experience with such overt displays of attraction and sensuality is nonexistent.
The hospital has been a parade of faces, many of them kind and pretty in their own right, but none have struck us quite like this woman. Her beauty is undeniable, unsettling in its potency.
She reminds me of Gretchen, only softer, seemingly less sinister.
After a beat of awkwardness, she retracts her hand, resting it on her ample chest. “I lead the investigative team working for Monty Novak.”
“What do you want?” My snarl ricochets through the room, aggressive and unwelcoming.
Her smile widens. “I wanted to introduce myself to the two feral men who have caused quite a stir in this town. The gossip appears to be true.”
My muscles instinctively tense under her invasive gaze. “What gossip?”
Long, black hair cascades over her shoulders and curves between her breasts like a dark river cutting through a gorge.
I tear my eyes away, only to find my brother staring at the same thing.
“Word on the street is that two insanely attractive, ferocious men barely escaped the Alaskan bush with their lives.” A sparkle dances in her eyes. “Understatement of the year.” She fans herself. “As for the ferocious part…well, the bruises on Monty’s face attest to that. Evidently, living off the land turns men into…” Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips. “Real men.”
She winks unapologetically as if seduction is her nature, her very essence.
I know Kody and I are different. We’re shaped by the raw, unforgiving, lawless wilderness. It’ll take us time to adapt to this world with its unfamiliar rules.
As Frankie’s absence in the shower stretches on, I grapple with how to deal with this woman. She doesn’t appear to be a threat. But I sense she came here for more than to satisfy her curiosity.
“Whatever this is…” I cross my arms. “We’re not interested.”
“Don’t worry, I’m here strictly on professional grounds. Though, I must admit, working with you both will be a delicious bonus.”
“Working with us?” I exchange a quick glance with Kody, unsure where this is headed.
“There’s an ongoing investigation that I need your help with.” Sirena’s gaze sweeps the room, pausing momentarily on the closed bathroom door. “I would like to meet Frankie and have a quick conversation with her as well.”
I step into her line of sight, blocking her access to the door. “If this has to do with the plane crash…”
“No, it’s—”
The bathroom door opens.
Frankie steps out, towel-drying her hair, and I’m caught in a moment of breathless wonder.
The rippling wet glow of her hair captures the very essence of fire, each strand alive with its own flame.
Her eyes widen at the new presence in the room. Vibrant green eyes that have seen and experienced things that would make most people curl up and die.
As she steps forward, squaring up the other woman, I’m struck by the undeniable truth of it.
Frankie isn’t just beautiful. She’s fire incarnate. In her light, everything and everyone pales in comparison.
Sirena can’t hold a match to her.
“Sirena Fisher.” The woman shakes Frankie’s hand and smiles. “I was just getting to know your gorgeous companions.”
Again, Sirena’s eyes linger too long on Kody and me, inviting a silent conversation in the spaces between words.
“Is that right?” Frankie sets the towel aside and arches an accusing brow at us, her cheeks flushed from the shower.
Why do I feel a stab of guilt? I don’t know the rules here, especially not the rules of women.
“I work for your husband.” Sirena leans against the edge of a nearby table.
I sense a shift in Frankie’s demeanor, the straightening of her stance, the tiny lift of her chin, and the hard glint in her eyes as she stares at the other woman, probing, assessing, distrusting.
“Are you fucking him?” Her tone is cool and direct, demanding honesty.
The inquiry catches me off guard. Why would she care if Sirena is fucking her ex? Is she jealous?
Jealousy implies unresolved feelings.
Anger spikes through me.
Beside me, Kody might snap his molars from how hard he grinds his jaw.
“Forgive me.” Frankie backs down. “I’ve been away from society too long. I don’t usually attack people I just met.”
“You attack them after you get to know them?”
“Exactly.”
“Good to know.” Sirena grins and dips her head, meeting Frankie’s much shorter height. “The answer is no. I haven’t been intimate with your husband.”
There’s more she’s not saying. I can feel it.
I watch the exchange closely, trying to parse Frankie’s motivations. When she glances at Kody and me, her expression holds a depth of emotion I can’t quite decipher. A trace of relief maybe? But it’s shadowed by lingering skepticism.
“When you disappeared,” Sirena says, “Monty hired the investigative firm I work for. I have been at his side for nine months and know every detail of the case except the contents of your journal.” She hardens her voice. “Whatever he read in that book affected him deeply.”