Page 189 of Heart of Frost and Scars

“Or the victim.” She rubs her chest, her brow furrowing in thought. “The security team sweeps this place for cameras every day. Someone is watching and listening as if they know us. As if they’re one of us.” She meets my eyes. “Sirena could be involved. She knows about Wolf and the cabin.”

“No one has told her about Denver or the stalker,” I say.

“What if she found the cabin long before you started helping her?” She squints at me. “She could’ve found Wolf, Denver, and that fillet knife.”

“How did she deliver those things last night while she was in Fairbanks with us?” Leo shakes his head.

“With help.” She shrugs. “The woman is resourceful. Is she still trying to fuck you?”

“Is he still trying to fuck you?” Leo thrusts a finger at Monty.

“Yes.” Monty leans against the wall, legs crossed at the ankles. “Trying and failing. None of this is helping. We can’t rule out Sirena. Her involvement doesn’t seem plausible, but we must consider every angle.”

Leo releases a snarling string of curses and paces the room.

“If we could just find that fucking cabin.” I slump onto the couch beside her. “It’s like it doesn’t exist.”

“We’ll find it,” Monty says with a confidence that I’ve come to admire. “When do you leave on the next scouting mission?”

“Not for a while. Leo needs to take his exam, and I have a distillery to open.”

“Once it’s open, finding time for anything else will be hard.” She reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers.

“I’ll make time.”

I can see it in her face. The doubt. I haven’t made time for her in weeks.

Once the distillery is running and the stalker is found, I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to her. I’ll give her the epilogue she wants.

With a lot of sex.

We spend the rest of the day scrutinizing the details of the investigation, looking for things we’ve missed, and ensuring we’re all on the same page.

That night, Leo and Monty slip away to discuss Monty’s proposal for the seaplane base.

Leo has decided to accept the offer. We’ve talked about it often over the past month, and he’s grown past his distrust for Monty.

So have I.

“Let’s go to bed.” I lift her from the couch and carry her up the stairs to the room she sleeps alone in more often than not.

She doesn’t try to wriggle free. Instead, she coils her arms around my shoulders and buries her face in my neck, telling me without words how much she missed me.

I don’t need to wonder how her date ended last night. She would never betray Leo and me.

After we undress and wash away the day’s stress, we turn off the light and climb under the covers.

“What are your plans tomorrow?” She drags her fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp.

“Going back to work.”

The renovations are finished, but I’m still putting the final touches on my handcrafted vodka recipes. I retained most of the staff from Tipsy Sailor, but there’s training to be done and so many little details to finalize.

I wish I could take her to work with me. She hasn’t seen the renovated space. But it’s too dangerous. I don’t want her to leave the island.

“I’m going back to work, too.” Her hand tightens in my hair.

“What?” I rear back.

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