33 - Monty
33
Monty
—
Amid the silken folds of the night, in the guest bedroom of my island mansion, I find a rare solace.
Breath by breath, Frankie inches closer to me in sleep, reaching, rolling, stripping away the separation between us, until finally, she settles into the heart space between my arms.
Her small, warm body seeks refuge on my chest, her hair spilling like molten copper around my ribs.
I lie perfectly still, every muscle held in a delicate balance of tension and reverence. The slightest movement could wake her, and the fragile connection we’ve rekindled would shatter.
The soft rhythm of her breath sings to my loneliness, soothing me in a way no one else can. For the first time in almost a year, I’m happy. Truly, deeply happy.
The love we once shared, a love I desperately hope to revive, feels close enough to touch. I refuse to sleep through a single second of it.
As dawn approaches, the room brightens, the Alaskan sunrise filtering through the heavy drapes. I need to rise. There’s much to be done. But for a few more stingy minutes, I remain still, reluctant to separate us.
If she wakes and finds herself in my arms, she’ll blame me for touching her, for breaking the boundaries of our relationship.
Holding my breath, I carefully extricate myself from beneath her featherlight frame. She stirs but doesn’t wake, her body curling into the space I vacate. I watch her for a moment longer, committing the sight of her to memory, then slip quietly from the room.
I dress quickly, my mind racing with the tasks of the day as I make my way to my office, where I feel most in control. Papers and reports from my consulting firm clutter the desk, including a proposal I’ve been sitting on for Leo. All of that will wait.
The first call is to my legal team, inquiring about Leo and Kody. As anticipated, the attorneys secured a deal for them, resulting in the charges being dropped. The victim, who will recover without permanent injury, decided against pursuing legal action after being threatened for assaulting Frankie.
Leo and Kody will be released this morning and can return to the island using Frankie’s cruiser.
I recline in the desk chair, a sigh escaping me as I imagine her joy at seeing them.
As long as I live here, I won’t have sex with them.
Her promise makes me that much happier to bring them home.
Turning my attention to her stalker, I call Wilson next. I insist that he handles the investigation personally, without the involvement of Sirena or anyone else from his firm.
He’s meticulous and trustworthy, a bulldog in his profession. And, unlike Sirena, he’s never tried to fuck me.
At first, he’s reluctant to take the case. The old bastard wants to retire and has started stepping away from day-to-day tasks. Same as me. But everyone has a price, and I eventually find his.
No one would turn down the money I’m offering.
Over a very lengthy phone call, I tell him everything—the details surrounding her abduction, Denver’s crimes, his death, a list of his known victims, including Wolfson, my father’s known enemies, the flight logs, and everyone on my household payroll and security team.
I answer every question he asks and leave no skeletons buried.
My father kept an accounting ledger throughout his life to keep track of his extensive criminal transactions. It includes bribes paid to law enforcement and politicians. Salaries paid to hitmen, enforcers, and accountants. And hush money paid to the families of Denver’s victims.
The entries were meticulously maintained, some of them in a coded format. I’ve tried to make sense of it, but the ledger is thick, and I’m not a forensics expert.
I want to create a list of suspects from this ledger, but it will take too long to sort through decades of entries.
Wilson assures me that he has a team that can scrub it. So I remove it from the safe behind the painting in my office and ship it off to him.
He also wants Frankie to compile a list of every colleague, friend, ex-boyfriend, and acquaintance she’s made through the years.
Everyone is a suspect.
By the time we hang up, he knows every dirty secret in my family.
It’s unnerving to trust someone with so much incriminating information, but I’ll tell him anything he wants to know if it will keep her safe.
The morning passes in a flurry of calls and emails, each a step toward restoring order and protecting my family. As I work, my thoughts drift back to her, to the warmth of her body against mine, to the hope that still burns in my chest.
When the legal team calls back, confirming that Leo and Kody have been released, I rise to my feet, stretching, muscles loosening with relief. Then I slip out of the office to deliver the news.
She’s still asleep when I return to the bedroom, her form a gentle rise beneath the covers. I stand in the doorway, watching her, my chest heavy with emotion.
I long to reach out, to hold her close and tell her that everything will be all right, that we’ll find our way back to each other. But I know that will take time.
And more groveling on my part.
As I turn away, her husky voice tiptoes over my shoulder. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” I shift back, eager to rest my eyes on her again.
“Any news on Leo and Kody?”
“They’re on their way home.”
She closes her eyes, releasing a long, deep breath as if she was holding it all night. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
Thirty minutes later, I find myself standing on the dock beside her, the cool breeze off the water a welcome respite from the heat of the day.
When they arrive, I’ll lose her attention. All her energy will narrow on them. At least, that’s how it usually goes.
Except today feels different. Today, a sense of anticipation charges the air, a feeling that something is about to change.
When the boat finally arrives, I watch Leo and Kody disembark, their expressions weary but determined to move past their mistake.
Leo hugs her first. When he releases her into Kody’s arms, he approaches me.
“Thank you.” He maintains eye contact, a silent assertion of his sincerity. “I know you pulled strings and got us released early.”
“My attorneys—”
“You pay their wages. We fucked up, and you paid for it.”
“I helped you when you needed it. That’s what family does. But you already know that.” My eyes flit between him and Kody. “You do that for each other.”
“We would do it for you, too.” Kody paces toward me and claps me on the neck. “Thank you.”
His touch is a brand, a symbol of acceptance. I don’t hate it.
We make our way back to the estate. Oliver has prepared lunch, and we sit together, the conversation flowing easily despite the subject matter.
I update them on my decision to hire Wilson and tell them everything I discussed with him.
“You trust him?” She looks at me with those huge green eyes, making my pulse thrum.
“Yeah. I do.”
“Okay.” She pushes her empty plate away and stares at each of us. “We need to talk.”
“What is it?” I lean back in the chair, steeling myself.
“I know that all of you don’t like therapy, but you need it.” She holds up a finger. “Doyle doesn’t count. You’re not opening up to him. You’re threatening him. He gave me some referrals. For us to move forward, I want all three of you to see someone else. Someone you trust and respect.”
“We can work on our anger without confiding in a stranger.” Leo runs a hand through his hair.
“That’s not true.” She sets her jaw. “It’s not just your anger. It’s everything you’ve been through. Please. I want you to get help.”
“No.” Kody stands abruptly. “Instead of focusing on taming us into polished, trained men that you can take into public, how about we hunt down the motherfucker who’s stalking you?”
“I don’t want to tame you.” Her eyes flash. “I want to keep you out of jail.”
“Where did you sleep last night?”
“Upstairs.” She sits taller, holding his glare.
“Alone?”
“Monty slept beside me.” Her neck stiffens. “He didn’t touch me.”
He doesn’t spare me a glance. Turning on his heel, he storms out of the dining room, his gait silent through the house. The front door slams behind him, making her jump. His attitude pisses me off.
“I’m with Kody on this.” Leo’s two different colored eyes bore into her, then me. “When we need therapy, we’ll let you know.”
“Don’t pull away from me.” She reaches for his fist on the table.
He doesn’t move his hand. But he doesn’t unclench it, either. “Are you with us? Or him?” He tilts his head toward me.
“I’m in a relationship with you.” She grits her teeth. “But we’re all in this together.”
If she keeps her promise, she won’t be having sex with them.
“What about you?” she asks me. “Are you going to get help?”
I could lie and win some points with her. But she deserves the truth. “I’ll try.”
She sighs. “I guess that’s better than an outright no .”
“I’m going to check on Kody.” Leo starts to stand.
“I’ll do it.” I push away from the table and leave the room without waiting for a response.
Making a detour to my office, I grab a photo from my desk. Then I head outside in search of my sulky brother.
Brother.
He doesn’t trust me. Why should he? Our family history is a toxic bloodbath of pain and deceit.
But he’s still my brother, and I owe it to him to try.
“Stanley.” I approach one of the security guards. “Can you locate Kody?”
With a nod, he speaks to his team through his earpiece. Then he meets my eyes. “North shore, sir. The quiet side, by the rocks.”
“Thank you.”
Quiet side. We all need one of those, don’t we?
A few minutes later, I spot him at the water’s edge, a brooding silhouette against the endless expanse of gray-blue ocean.
He’s a dark figure, dangerous and unapproachable, much like our father. But there’s something different about Kody, a rawness, a depth of emotion that he hides beneath his hardened exterior.
It’s easier, somehow, to think of him as my brother, despite the fact that he’s tangled up with Frankie. Maybe because I see in him a reflection of my younger self, struggling to find a place in a world that’s been nothing but cruel.
His stance is as unyielding as the rocks around him, his eyes fixed on the horizon, lost in an internal battle.
He doesn’t turn as I approach, though I know he’s aware of my presence. For a while, we stand in silence, the only sounds the rhythmic lapping of waves and the distant cries of gulls.
I’m about to speak, but words seem inadequate. Instead, I reach into my pocket and pull out the photograph.
The edges are worn, the image faded, but the girl in it is vivid.
“This is for you.” I hold the photo out to him. “It’s the only picture I have of your mother. I thought you should have it.”
Kaya was sixteen in the photo, beautiful, with a wild, untamed look in her gaze. Just like Kody.
He takes the photo, his fingers brushing against mine. As he studies it, his expression empties, but I see the quick light of emotion in his eyes. Sadness, anger, a longing for a past he never got to experience.
“I never knew her.” His finger traces the lines of her face, the only connection he has left of her. “Denver took that from me.”
“I know. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for everything.”
He remains silent, his gaze fixed on the photo. I see the tension in his shoulders, the unspoken distrust. It’s not just about Frankie. It’s everything—our fractured family, the years of captivity, the scars both seen and unseen.
“I never knew how to be a brother.” I slide my hands in my pockets and stare out at the waves. “Denver and I…it was always a battle. He thrived on hurting people, and I ran away instead of facing it. We were never really brothers. But with you…I want it to be different.”
“Why?” Kody finally turns his head, his black eyes locking onto mine.
“Because we’ve been through some shit, and maybe together, we can find a way out. We’re both stubborn bastards. We both have walls. Maybe it’s time to start tearing them down. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m willing to try if you are.”
“You think a few words can earn my trust?” He grunts, a harsh sound.
“No. Words alone can’t. But actions can.” I pick up a smooth rock and send it skipping across the surface of the water. “We want the same thing. Let’s hunt down the piece of shit who’s terrorizing her.”
He looks at me, really looks at me, for the first time. There’s a glimmer in his gaze, a crack in the armor he’s built around himself. “You hired an investigator.”
“Yes. I hired one when Frankie went missing, too. Didn’t stop me from doing my own hunting.”
“And when we find this stalker?”
“No cops. No laws.” I edge closer, pushing against the intensity of his surly expression. “We’ll kill them.”
We stand in silence again, the photograph a fragile bridge between us. Kody’s eyes soften, just a fraction, but it’s enough. It’s a beginning.
A sharp ring breaks the moment. I pull my phone from my pocket, the name on the screen sending a chill down my spine.
I answer on speaker. “Carl?”
“Mr. Novak,” the security guard says. “We have a situation at the house. A package was delivered with the groceries. You need to see this.”
Kody and I exchange a glance as a jolt of adrenaline hits me. We lurch into motion, the dread between us growing as our footsteps pound against the gravel path.
In the kitchen, Carl stands next to a plain, brown box on the stainless-steel counter, the top already opened.
“I didn’t order that.” Oliver stands off to the side, his hand clutched to his throat and eyes wide with shock. “I found it with the delivery.”
Panic surges.
“Where’s Frankie?” I spin, searching for her.
“Here.” She steps in behind me with Leo at her back. Her forehead knits as she takes in the scene. “What’s wrong?”
“Sir.” Carl steps forward, concern etched on his face. “This is…delicate.” He glances at Frankie.
Too delicate for Frankie? That’s almost laughable. The horror she experienced in the past year would bring Carl to his knees. If anyone can handle it, she can.
“What’s in it?” My insides knot as I reach for the box.
“Don’t touch it without gloves.” Carl offers me a pair. “Fingerprints.”
Alarm bells ring in my head as I slide on the latex and glance at Kody. His gaze narrows, studying the package. It’s unmarked, with no labels or identifiers. Just an ordinary box.
“All right.” My heart thunders in my ears. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
I open the box carefully, peeling back the flaps. Inside, packed in dry ice, is a plastic bag. I wave my hand, the cold vapor swirling around my fingers as I reach in and lift the bag covered in frost.
“What is it?” Leo asks, his voice tense.
I squint, trying to make sense of the shape within the bag. It’s not immediately clear, just an ominous, unidentifiable object. Cold seeps through the plastic, chilling my fingertips, coming from something.
Something that turns my stomach.
I set the bag on the counter and use a knife to carefully slit the plastic, the icy vapor hissing as it escapes. The contents shift, revealing a glistening, dark red mass.
My lungs collapse as I realize what I’m looking at.
“It’s a heart.” Frankie steps forward, her face pale as her medical training takes over. “A human heart.”
A shudder runs through me, and my throat works, swallowing repeatedly against the rising bile.
I reach back into the box, my fingers brushing against something else. Another plastic bag, but this one contains a photo.
Pulling it out, I stare at the haunting picture, my blood running cold.
A man lies on the icy shore of a river, the rugged, frozen landscape around him stark and unforgiving. His hair is dark and tousled, his body, though pallid and lifeless, retains the tall, lean build of the Strakh family line.
What seals the identity beyond doubt is the blood-stained coat he’s wearing. A coat I gifted to Frankie years ago. The one he borrowed from her the day he jumped off the cliff.
“No.” She chokes, covering her mouth and shaking her head. “No, no, no!”
The image is clear enough to see the tear in the fabric where the rocks must have shredded it during his fall. But with the coat zipped closed, it’s impossible to know the condition of his body beneath and whether it still contains a heart.
His face, though partially obscured by snow and ice, is undeniably Wolfson’s, his shockingly familiar features passed down from me.
“Someone took this picture,” I rasp. “Someone who wasn’t Wolf.”
“Someone cut out his heart,” she whispers.
I go numb, the world around me fading to a dull hum.
My son.
The pain is too much, threatening to consume me, but I force myself to stay present, to be the anchor for my family.
Frankie staggers back, her face contorted in agony as she lets out a guttural cry.
“What the fuck?” Leo’s furious roar crashes against me, his body curving into attack mode.
Kody stands frozen, the photo of his mother still clutched in his hand, forgotten.
“It can’t be him. It can’t be.” She crumples against Leo, tears streaming down her face, her anguish more than I can bear.
I want to comfort them, to tell them it’s a joke, a misunderstanding, but the evidence is undeniable. I remain frozen, unable to process the horror before me. My heart feels like it’s being crushed in a vise.
“This…this isn’t real.” Leo wraps his arms around her, his voice breaking. “Maybe it’s a fake. Someone could’ve created it to fuck with us.”
“I’ll have the photo analyzed,” I say, monotone. “We’ll confirm its authenticity.”
“Who would do this?” Her breath comes in ragged gasps, the sight of her tears a knife to my soul. “Who would be so cruel?”
Kody’s reaction is the most heartbreaking. He stares at the photo of Wolf, his face contorted in pain, yet no tears come. His sadness is too deep, too profound to channel outward.
“You killed Denver wearing that coat.” I point to the blood stains that cover the chest area. “Do you remember where the splatter concentrated?”
“No. I…” She studies the image. “I shot him and beat him with a pipe. The coat was ruined. That’s why Wolf made me take his.” Her voice breaks. “We argued about it.”
“We’ll figure it out. A DNA test will confirm it.” I lift the photo closer to my face.
“Monty…” Her body shakes with sobs, her green eyes flooded with tears. “There’s writing on the back.”
A fist closes around my airway as I flip over the photo and read aloud. “To Frankie. I have outlasted all desire. My dreams and I have grown apart. My grief alone is left entire. The gleanings of an empty heart.” My breath stumbles. “Another Pushkin quote.”
“Why?” Leo snarls. “What the fuck does it mean?”
I don’t have an answer. All I know is that the fragile threads holding us together are unraveling, and it’s up to me to stop us from falling apart.
But how do I protect my family from a ghost? From a past that refuses to stay buried?
“Carl.” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay composed as I look at the security guard. “Find out where this package came from. Check the delivery records. I want to know every detail. Oliver, go with him. Give him a list of your suppliers and contacts.”
As they spring into action, I turn to Kody.
The bond we began to forge by the shore is now tempered in fire, our shared grief a new kind of brotherhood. We’ll find the answers. We’ll face this darkness together.
“No cops.” Kody’s eyes meet mine, and the wall between us cracks. “It’s time to hunt.”