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)
I scoff, not even trying to hide my distrust. “Shedding a few tears doesn’t make him trustworthy. He lied to you, cheated on you, and let you get kidnapped by his own damn brother.”
“He wasn’t involved in the kidnapping.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have proof?”
“It’s a feeling in my gut.”
I don’t know if she’s right. My instincts tell me not to trust him. “He should’ve been there to protect you.”
“We can argue about this, Leo, but it doesn’t change the fact that we need him.”
“No, we fucking don’t.”
She huffs and looks at Kody.
“He thinks you belong to him.” A vein pulses in his forehead.
“I don’t care what he thinks.” Her chest rises with a deep breath. “Here’s the reality. We have no money, nowhere to live, no way to pay for all these medical bills, no jobs. You two don’t have IDs, birth records, or proof of citizenship to get jobs, and let’s not forget…” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “I killed Denver.”
“It was self-defense.” I feel my face heating, my temper flaring.
“Was it? He was in a cage, and I murdered him in cold-blood.”
“He was holding you captive.”
“From his cage? This isn’t an open-and-shut case. I did what I had to do, but I’ll have to prove that.”
“That’s why we’re getting a lawyer.”
“One of the many reasons. Oh, and we’ll need money for that, too. I have some savings, a little bit stashed away, if it’s still there. But it’s not enough.” Her shoulders slump, the bruises darkening around her eyes.
Is she hurting as badly as I am under all the bandages? I feel like I’ve been trampled by a thousand angry moose.
“Come here.” I carefully gather her against my chest and share a look with Kody.
He needs rest, too. We all do.
“I know Monty made some unforgivable mistakes.” She lifts her arm, letting Kody untangle her IV tubes. “But we might need his help. He’s the most powerful man in the state of Alaska. He can make most, if not all our problems disappear with the snap of his fingers. And, whether we like it or not, he’s the only family we have left.”
I catch myself chewing the inside of my cheek, using pain as a distraction from the turmoil roiling inside me.
I’m not afraid of Montgomery Strakh or her history with him. Fear doesn’t enter the equation. It’s not about being fearless, either. It’s about what matters. Frankie and Kody, they’re my world. Everything else—the unfamiliarity, the discomfort, the rules of society—it’s just background noise. I would navigate worse, endure anything, to make sure they’re safe.
I guess that means I’ll endure her ex.
She trails a finger along the old wound on my abdomen. “Did the medical staff ask about your scars?”
“Yeah.” I rest my chin on her head. “They asked a lot of questions. I didn’t tell them shit.”
“Same.” Kody yawns.
I wonder how he’s doing with all this. When uncomfortable, he tends to withdraw into himself, making it difficult to read his thoughts.
Monty might be his father. That’s enough to take in alone without all the bright lights, loud noises, and people.
How am I related to them? Monty claims he didn’t know my mother.
Someone drew my blood, so the hospital has my DNA. With access to medical technology, Kody and I can finally confirm Denver’s allegations of our blood relation.
“This is just a transition period.” I pull back enough to look at them, to see the determination and love reflected back at me. “We have a whole new life to start.”
“Together.” She gives me a tired half-smile. “With or without Monty’s help, that doesn’t change.”
Kody’s right about Monty. The man stares at her with an unnerving sense of ownership. That’s going to be a problem.
“We’ll have to figure out how to deal with him.” My eyes connect with Kody’s. “On our terms. We protect each other, first and foremost.”
Kody cocks his head. “Someone’s coming.”
“Okay, let them examine you, take X-rays, and do whatever else needs to be done.” She reaches for both our hands. “But don’t tell them anything about Hoss until we talk to the lawyer.”
I slide out of the bed, and Kody stands beside me, forming a united front as the door swings open.
People flood the hospital room, pushing two additional beds into the already cramped space, screeching the wheels across the floor. Nurses, a blur of scrubs and focused expressions, follow close behind, orchestrating the transformation.
Leo intervenes, demanding that Frankie’s bed goes in between ours. Of course, he’s right, but they argue with him for a few minutes before giving in.
The buzz of conversations, ringing machines, and artificial air blowing from the vents merges into a dissonance that I struggle to filter.
As the room changes and settles into its new configuration, I instinctively keep Frankie in my line of sight, ensuring her safety against the unknowns that swarm around us.