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The silhouettes of the guards bleed into the dark backdrop. One stands at the bow, scanning the water. Another patrols the decks, his steps methodical and silent.
Even though I know they won’t protect us from Monty, I’m glad they’re here so I can focus on Frankie.
As I watch her sleep, my resolve hardens. Whoever is behind this, whatever their motives, they will not win.
They will not break us.
I brush her hair from her face, exposing her serene expression, soft in sleep. The turmoil she endured while I was in town makes me fuming mad. I’ll do anything to keep her safe, to shield her from the horrors that haunt her.
At last, the sound of advancing footsteps breaks the quiet. I recognize Kody’s gait, deliberately heavy so that I hear him.
She shifts in my arms but doesn’t wake as he enters the cabin. He stalks directly to her and drags his nose along her scalp, inhaling deeply, smelling her. Then those black eyes ensnare mine, probing, questioning, sensing something’s wrong.
Standing behind him, Monty watches our interaction, his expression unreadable.
I hold the air in my lungs as I carefully set her on the couch, trying not to wake her. But she stirs anyway, lifting her head.
“Kody.” Her cheeks rise with an unguarded smile of relief.
As I hand him her phone, I keep my attention on Monty’s reaction. His brow furrows deeply, confusion carving across his face.
We wait while Kody reads the messages, his features darkening. He returns the phone to her, his eyes churning with primal dominance.
The sight of his quiet rage calms me.
“What’s wrong?” Monty asks, his voice flat.
“She received threatening messages from an unknown number.” I hold Monty’s assertive gaze. “Let me see your phone.”
“No.” He gestures for her device. “Show me.”
I hold out a hand. “Your phone first.”
His eyes flash dangerously. No brotherly love there. Only shivery, insulted, self-righteous outrage. Then he blinks, and it clears away, replaced by rankled exhaustion.
“Monty.” She sits up, her voice husky. “When I asked you if you were hiding anything from me, do you remember what you said?”
“Yes.” He grits his teeth.
“What did you say?”
“If you ask, I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you anything you want.”
“I’m asking.” She nods at his pocket, where he keeps his phone. “This is how you earn my trust.”
After a tense moment, he sighs. “If I wanted to send you threatening messages, I would use an online service that allows texting with a fake sender ID. The same way cybercriminals change the sender ID to impersonate friends, family, and legitimate companies. If I were your unknown number, it wouldn’t show in my sent or deleted texts. The evidence wouldn’t appear on my phone at all because I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“Then you won’t mind me poking around,” I say.
Oh, he definitely minds.
His lips flatten in a seething line, holding back all the ways he wants to tell me off. Then he looks at her. His face softens, and he reluctantly hands over his phone.
I scroll through his most recent messages. Texts from Sirena about media sightings in town—or lack thereof. Another text states she heard we were at Tipsy Sailor, and she’s on her way inside. Other messages go back and forth with various colleagues and assistants, nagging him to sign off on documents and reschedule meetings that he missed. Then there’s a conversation with a guy about flight school.
I hold that one to his face, lifting my brow in question.
“It was just an inquiry.” His nostrils flare. “If you’re not interested…”
