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’m not sure what to make of it all, but it’s obvious Monty is trying to impress us, reassure us, or weaken us into complacency.
Frankie puts away more food than I’ve ever seen her eat. And her moans. The pure bliss on her face. The only time she looks this satisfied is during sex.
I can’t help it. Watching her eat makes me hard as a rock.
Of course, she knows. Sitting on my aching cock, she twists around to peek at me, her eyes wide and mouth full.
“Stop wriggling.” I swat her hip.
With a laugh, she presses a piece of steak against my lips and wriggles again.
“It’s so good,” she says around another bite of meat.
It really is. Best fucking meal I’ve ever had.
I feed her a forkful of potatoes, just to hear her moan again, which she does exquisitely.
Leo’s in his own world, caught in the thrall of so much food.
“Look at him.” I nibble on her neck. “Diving into this spread like he won a Willy Wonka golden ticket.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t turn into a blueberry or get mauled by squirrels.”
He stares at us with a straight face, his jaw working as he chews. “You know the moral of that story?”
“Greed is bad.” Her bright eyes stray to the chocolate fondue.
“Not as bad as denying you whatever you want.” I reach across the aisle and snatch a plate of dipped strawberries for her.
“The moral is…” He props an elbow on the table. “Billionaire CEOs can be crazy and diabolically cruel in ways the rest of us can’t.”
“And they can get away with murder.” My gut clenches.
“Exactly. We’re all in agreement we don’t trust Monty. Even if he plies us with meat and…” He devours a huge hunk of steak. “Fuck. This shit melts on my tongue.”
Leaning across the table, she dabs his beard with a napkin. “You were saying?”
“His island will give us a place to figure things out, but we can’t forget that behind that smile is a…”
“Murderous CEO in a top hat?” I lift a brow.
“I was going to say a man hellbent on reclaiming his wife.”
“That, too.” I squeeze her thigh.
“I love that you guys know that movie.” She picks at the uneaten strawberries on her plate.
“But?” I touch her chin, capturing her gaze.
“It doesn’t fit.” She shrugs. “I mean, I’m not defending Monty’s bad behavior. But he’s not a murderer.”
We don’t know that.
“He’s a wildcard.” I rest my chin on her shoulder. “He has motives. Don’t know if they align with ours.”
“We keep our eyes open and stay sharp.” Leo eyes Frankie’s dessert.
She pushes it toward him. “When we land, we have a lot to sort out.”
“First thing,” I say, “we get IDs. Can’t do much until we’re legal.”
“Yeah, and we need to learn how to drive.” Leo finishes off her strawberries. “Cars, boats, whatever gets us around.”
“Phones.” The word tastes strange in my mouth. “Gotta communicate in this world, right?”
“And we train.” His voice rises, that aggressive fire always near the surface. “Self-defense, survival in this urban jungle. Ain’t getting caught off guard.”
“All essential.” She leans forward, her earlier fear gone. “But therapy is our priority. We heal. Then we learn.”
I grunt, not at all interested in sharing my story with a stranger. Frankie won’t let this go, and her reasoning is sound. But the primal part of me, the part that’s guarded my survival for so long, resists.
The scowl on Leo’s face sums up our thoughts on the matter.
“You guys.” Impatience laces her tone. “Therapy is non-negotiable. I’ll look into the best options for you.” She sips her water. “I loved my therapist in Sitka.”
“Hold up.” Leo straightens. “You had a therapist?”
“Yep. When my mom died, I struggled. A lot. The sessions really helped. So I kept going after I was healed. Until…”
Until she was abducted.
The plane rocks gently, the motion sending a shudder through her.
“Here.” Leo stands. “Let’s buckle you in.”
“That’s okay.” She curls into me. “I’m good here. Kody can do my seat belt when we start the descent.”
“I should head back to the cockpit.” He studies her features. “Unless you want me to stay.”
“Go.” She surveys the table. “Should we send some of this food to Monty?”
“He said he’ll eat later.” He catches her hand and kisses her knuckles. “If you need me…”
“I know where to find you.”
As he heads to the front, Tanya returns to collect the dishes, asking if we need anything else.
“All set here.” Frankie pulls her feet up on my lap, settling in.
“We’ll touch down in about two hours. Press the button if you need me.”
As she strolls away, I recline the seat back, taking Frankie with me.
Our earlier conversations play in my head, everything we need to do, the plan forming. A checklist of survival in this new wilderness.
Sitka.
A fresh start on Monty’s island.
My chest clenches at the thought.