13 - Monty
13
Monty
—
Oliver delivers breakfast to Frankie and Kody while we discuss the safest location to do the exclusive. All four of us would be questioned by the media, so it’s crucial we get this right.
“We should hold the interviews here.” I motion at the main house. “That way, I can control the security and ensure we aren’t caught off guard.”
The conversation pauses as Oliver collects empty dishes from Leo and me and returns to the house.
When the door closes behind him, I reiterate the importance of discretion around the guards and household staff.
“We need to stay united and consistent with our story. No mention of our ties to Rurik Strakh. No mention of any crimes beyond the abductions. When they ask, you claim ignorance.”
“What about Frankie’s relationship with Kody and me?” Leo raises an eyebrow.
“That’s none of their business.”
“So we let them believe you’re still married?”
“We are still married.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Who I’m with and not with has no bearing on our abductions and captivity.” She rests her forearms on the table. “Our relationship status stays between the four of us. Let the world think what they want. Do not engage in those discussions.”
“The more controlled the environment, the better we can manage the narrative.” I meet the eyes of the bastards who are fucking my wife. “Is everyone in agreement?”
They nod, glowering.
Fuck them.
“What about the crate we had on the Turbo Beaver?” she asks. “Where are Wolf’s personal belongings?”
“Melanie is shipping everything here. Except the items that would be used as evidence if a homicide is reported.”
“You mean the bones.” Leo threads a hand through his hair.
“Yes.” I can’t help but think about Kaya’s death. When I glance at Kody, I see my sadness reflected in his eyes. “The media cannot get wind of it.” I pull out my phone. “I’ll message Melanie to get an update on the crate and the investigation.”
As I type out the message to the lawyer, I also send a quick text to Greyson. I need to make sure the attic is cleaned up.
I talked to him early this morning, so it’s probably already done. But when Leo goes snooping around up there, all evidence of my breakdown last night must be gone.
Seconds later, my phone buzzes with an all-clear from Greyson.
I breathe a silent sigh of relief. “The lawyer will get back to us soon.”
“What about the plane we saw in the hills?” Leo watches me, his eyes sharp and suspicious. “We built an SOS for it, but it never returned. Do you know anything about it?”
“It was mentioned in the journal, and I made the same assumption you did. Trophy hunters. But I didn’t see anything like that during my searches on the ground or in the air while looking for Frankie.”
“So you have no idea who it was?” His frown darkens with distrust.
“No, but we need to find out. With Denver’s threat and Rurik’s criminal history hanging over us, we can’t afford to leave any stone unturned.”
“Do you think someone was watching the cabin from the air?” She searches my expression.
“It’s possible.”
“If someone was watching us,” Kody says, “they know the cabin’s location. They could be a threat. They could be watching us now.”
All eyes fall on me.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I finish my coffee, thinking through our options. “I’ll have Sirena look into flight traffic during that time. Maybe we can identify the pilot.”
“Why Sirena?” She squints.
“She leads my investigative team.”
“And she’s the best?”
“She hasn’t failed me yet.”
“Oh, good. You should let her handle your other problem, too.”
“What other problem?” I lean forward, daring her to cross that line.
“You know…” She twists her lips. “Those urges that aren’t being satisfied.”
I lower my voice to a silken pitch. “Only one person can satisfy those urges.”
She grabs Leo’s arm, stopping him from lunging.
His unbridled fury blasts in my direction, and a snarl pitches from Kody, the sound vibrating with raw power.
I don’t look at them. My eyes are solely for my wife.
She lets out a slow, heavy sigh. “You’ll be waiting a long damn time.”
“Haven’t you heard? Waiting is my thing now. Every second without you is a second spent waiting for you. Even if you don’t want me in your life, you’re the constant in mine. Always here.” I tap my temple. “And here.” I touch my chest. “Doesn’t matter how long it takes. My feelings for you are timeless. I’ll wait forever.”
A harsh noise shoots from Leo’s lips.
She gives his arm a warning squeeze. “Monty, please, don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“Harder for whom? You or me?”
You , her eyes assert sadly.
She’s right. It would be so much easier to let her go and move on. I can have any woman I want.
But I already tried that.
Seven unsatisfying minutes with Aubrey was all the confirmation I needed.
Seven minutes that I’ll regret for the rest of my life.
There’s no walking away, letting go, or moving on from Frankie Novak. She’s it for me, and that’s a goddamn shame. Because earning back her heart after I stomped it to pieces? It’ll be the hardest thing I ever do.
“I hear you.” I edge closer. “But pushing through the hard shit is where we excel. I’m not backing down.”
Her stare shoves into mine, frustrated and intimate.
She’s so painfully gorgeous. Her knitted top and jeans fit her perfectly, accentuating every faint curve of her beautiful figure. Even in her anger, she possesses an effortless grace that hypnotizes.
When she looks away, something shifts in the air around her.
A deep furrow etches itself into her brow. She removes a hair-tie from her wrist, her movements sluggish. As if gathering her thick mane of hair requires immense effort. As if invisible chains burden her arms as she secures those red tresses in a high ponytail.
The action exposes her delicate neck, and that’s when I see them.
Hickeys.
They cover every inch of her nape.
She runs her fingers over them, ensuring I don’t miss a single bite.
My jealousy is instantaneous—a dark, seething beast climbing the rungs of my rib cage.
Burning heat surges through my veins, my vision narrowing on those maddening marks on her skin.
The world around me fades, leaving only a crimson haze of possessive rage.
My hands curl into fists, knuckles turning white, as I scan her body, guessing what lies beneath her clothes.
“Where else did they mark you?” I spit the words like shards of ice, cutting through the tense silence. “Tell me where!”
“None of your business.” She glares at me, defiant.
I glance over at Leo and Kody, sensing the violence brewing between us. Leo’s eyes flash with a feral intensity that mirrors my own. Kody, ever the calm one, shifts forward, his gaze unyielding.
Refocusing on Frankie, I drop my voice to a menacing whisper. “Everything about you is my business. They’re touching you, fucking you, and marking what’s mine.”
Her eyes go wide, but she holds her ground. “Goddammit. I’m not yours. You have no right to—”
“You think I don’t see the way you look at me? The way you try to provoke me?” I reach out but stop myself from touching her, my hand hovering inches from her neck. “These marks are a challenge. A test of my patience. A punishment for my mistakes.”
“They have nothing to do with you.”
“You showed them to me, darling.” I sit back, my pulse jagged and bloodthirsty, each exhale a strike against the air. “I told you I would wait forever, and that terrifies you. So you exposed your neck, hoping to provoke my jealousy and turn me into a liar.”
“I need you to understand.” Her expression softens, but her voice remains firm. “While you are waiting alone , I will not be. Listen to me, Monty. This jealousy…it’s going to destroy you. I’ve been here one day, and it’s already happening.”
“I’m not destroyed.” I grind my molars, my gaze falling to her neck. “Seeing those marks feels like a knife in my soul, but I’m still breathing. I bleed, and I breathe to protect you.”
“You can’t protect me from everything. You have to let me live my life.”
I nod slowly, the jealousy inside me still raging but well hidden. “Just…be careful. And know that I’m always watching. Always ready to fight for you.”
“I don’t need another savior.”
“You have one anyway. When you need me, I’ll be there. I’ll fucking show up with every muscle of my beating heart.”
Her lips twitch.
“What?” I narrow my eyes.
“The heart has just one muscle. The myocardium.”
My chest expels a huff of surprise.
Christ, her brain is sexy as fuck.
“The marks weren’t meant to hurt you.” Kody meets my eyes, his voice quiet but firm. “We love her.”
“I know.” I roll back my shoulders, freeing the tension, and shift my attention to her untouched breakfast. “Your food is getting cold. Eat.”
She exchanges glances with Leo and Kody, who watch her with the same intense obsession that I do.
Fucking Strakh men. We’re cut from the same controlling cloth.
“Look at us.” She forks up a bite of eggs. “Conversing like adults. There’s hope for us yet.”
Kody grunts.
Leo looks like he wants to pee on her.
I fantasize about dumping their bodies in the Sitka Sound.
She wraps her sexy lips around the fork, closes her eyes, and moans.
I go still, my groin tightening at the sound. Leo and Kody don’t move, either, which reignites my anger.
Her eyes widen, recognizing our reactions and zeroing in on me.
“Oh no.” She sets down her fork. “I didn’t mean…Shit. I can’t do this. Me being here…It’s too much.”
“It’s not.”
It is.
She’s under my skin, in my head, and infecting my bloodstream. She’s everywhere, all around me, yet completely out of reach. The agony is too much.
But it’s my pain to bear.
“You’re safe here.” I keep my face relaxed, my voice soft. “You’re safe with me. In your heart, I know you know that. Even when your anger makes you forget.”
“Safe?” Leo huffs. “You hurt her—”
“Leo.” She touches his arm without breaking eye contact with me. “Let him finish.”
Our gazes clash like midnight thunder, and fuck me straight to hell. I crave her.
I hunger for every beat, drip, and whisper of her pure, unfiltered goddess essence. I want to devour her soul with my kisses until she remembers the depth of my love and adoration. She’s captivating and introspective, a treasure far beyond what any man could ever deserve.
And so fucking strong.
She’s been abducted, drugged, raped, starved, frozen, drowned, cheated on, and attacked by wild animals. She lost her baby, watched her friend commit suicide, and survived a plane crash. And here she sits, with her chin held high, radiating a raw, sensual, feminine power that no amount of fear or trauma can diminish.
With each passing day, she’ll heal a little more and break another shackle. But she doesn’t have to do it alone.
“Everything I have is yours.” I search her face. “My energy, my presence, my heart—all of it exists for you, to support you and keep you safe.”
“She has what she needs.” Kody’s neck turns red. “She has us.”
The impulse to lash out at him slams my teeth together.
She doesn’t deserve my rage. She deserves the things that are the hardest to give.
Like my humility.
That’s what I owe her.
Even though it hurts, even though it feels like I’m swallowing glass.
“She needs all of us.” The words come out hoarse, strained, like they’re being dragged out of me against my will.
My pride takes a hit, a sharp sting that burns in my gut.
I hate admitting it, hate the vulnerability it exposes. But I can’t deny it. She does need all of us. And despite the resentment, there’s a stronger force at play. My love for her, my commitment to see her through this, no matter the cost.
As her stunned silence pressurizes the air, I stare into her eyes, letting her see the depth of my devotion. “I’m here in whatever capacity you require. Whatever you need. Name it, and it’s yours.”
She sits back, lips parted. Then she blinks.
“Okay. I need you to accept them.” She tilts her head at Leo and Kody. “ Really accept them.”
Leo starts to interrupt, and she holds up a finger, stopping him.
I frown, my resistance flaring.
“Family isn’t about control or cruelty.” She softens her tone. “It’s not about tearing each other down or causing pain. Family is about love and support. It’s about being there for each other, no matter what. It’s about caring for one another, lifting each other up, and creating a safe space where everyone can grow and thrive.”
Her words hit me hard, and I find myself torn. She’s asking me to love the men in her bed.
I don’t know how to love anyone. Except her.
“They need a healthy family dynamic, and so do you.” She sits taller. “One that’s filled with kindness, respect, and understanding. You should be able to rely on each other, trust that you have each other’s best interests at heart. When someone falls, the others are there to pick them up. When someone succeeds, the others celebrate with them. It’s about being a team, working together through thick and thin.”
“I’m not the right person for that. My family was—”
“ They are your family.” She points at their glaring faces. “Embrace them. Build something better together. It won’t be easy. It’ll take time and patience, but dammit, Monty, you built a fucking global enterprise from the ground up. I know you can create a home where everyone feels valued and loved. I want that for you. For all three of you.”
“What about you?”
“Did you move my things from your bedroom? Your closet? Your bathroom?”
I press my lips together and blow out through my nose.
“Monty.” She sighs. “Let me go.”
“Can’t do that, Frankie.”
“You returned my phone.” She gestures at the device on the table. “Thank you for that. Now I need you to sell my wedding rings.”
“What?” My fists clench. “Fuck no.”
“I want a divorce.”
“Never.” The objection rips from me like flayed skin, making me roar in pain.
“You must.” Her shoulders slump. “It’s over.”
“No. Anything but that.” My ears ring. My lungs collapse. I bend forward, my body folding in on itself. “Anything else. Anything.”
“Okay, okay.” Her hands hover around me, reaching but not touching. “Shhh. It’s okay.”
Touch me. Please, put me out of my misery and fucking touch me.
“Will you guys give us a minute?” she asks quietly.
“Absolutely not.” Leo scowls.
“Then behave.” A beat of silence passes between them before she scoots her chair closer to me. “Monty. Look at me.” She tentatively places a hand beneath my chin, lifting it. “Please.”
The touch is light, but it sizzles through my nerve endings and electrocutes my blood like a goddamn thunderbolt.
I let the exquisite warmth of her fingers guide my face upward. Then I fall. I fall right into her gaze, knowing she sees the devastation in mine.
“I can’t.” I clasp her wrist, lowering her hand from my jaw to my chest. “I won’t survive it.”
A low, comforting hum slips past her lips, a sound of shared solace.
“What happened last night?” She presses closer, giving me her full attention. “Did you sleep?”
“I took the yacht out.”
“You got drunk.” Her nostrils pulse as if scenting it on me. “And broke a wall.”
“Not in that order.”
“Okay.” She presses her palm against my chest, directly over my heart. “You said anything else. Anything but a divorce.”
“Anything.”
“Get help.”
“Help?” My hand twitches around hers.
“Therapy. Talk to someone. You need counseling. We all do.”
“Fine.”
“No, not fine. You have to want this, to want to get better. That means sharing your feelings and opening up.”
“I’ll try.” I release a shaky breath. “For you, I’ll try.”
“Starting immediately. Like this week.”
“All right.”
“Thank you.” She inhales sharply. “One more thing.”
“I’m listening.”
Her nails dig into my shirt, fisting the starched fabric. “Don’t fucking hurt me again.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’ll prove you wrong.”
“I hope you do.” She untangles our hands and leans back, regarding me.
Gratitude. Relief. Hope. It’s all there in her striking eyes, the change of her breath, the drop of her shoulders, and the chambers of her heart inviting me in.
Fucking finally.
Let this be a lesson to you, little girl. Never invite a monster into your heart. Because it renders you powerless.