of this is her fault. Nick. Sal. None of it.”
“ If you say so.” Drew didn’t look convinced. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Frankie. Hell, I’m proud of what she did. Just seems funny to me…she takes your gun and all….”
“ If she wanted to pin Nick’s murder on me she could have waited a day. He was dead either way.” I rubbed my chin, considering Drew’s words. “Besides Frankie went there to help Mickey, not kill Nick.”
“ Huh, “ he said. “That ain’t what I heard.”
“What’d you hear, Drew?” My eyes burned into his.
“ Nick had some dirt on her. Nasty pictures,” he said quietly. No fucking way. Frankie wasn’t the type. Drew continued, “I’m just saying trusting her is a dangerous game. She’s one hell of an actress that’s for sure.”
“ Listen up.” I thumped him on the back of his head. “I’ve known Frankie since she was six-years-old. I see through her bullshit just like I see through yours.” I stood, throwing down a couple bucks on the bar. “She’s the least of our worries.”
“Hiya sugar.” A stunning, shorthaired blonde in a fitted pink sundress strutted toward me. I tripped over a bar stool and would have landed on my ass if not for the blonde’s quick reflexes. She grabbed my arm, teetered on her heels, while I caught my balance.
“Frankie?” My eyes gave her a once over, shocked at the difference between the smart-assed redhead I knew and this blond-haired trophy wife standing in front of me, seemingly without a care in her golden world. What the fuck was going on?
“Guess you didn’t see this one coming?” Drew chuckled, rising to his feet behind me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” My fist clenched. “What did you do to yourself?” Frankie’s hair was bleached blonde and cut into a short bob, not to mention, styled to perfection. Heavy makeup covered the bruises on her face. Bruises Nick had put there. Some of my shock dissipated, replaced again with white-hot rage at Nick.
“ Those two lovely ladies chauffeured me here. I wouldn’t want to miss my flight to the Islands.” She gestured to Clair and Zoë who stood a few feet away. Zoë gave me a small finger wave. Frankie’s voice sounded rich, sophisticated, and cold. I hated it. I took a step toward her. She stood her ground, flashing me a wicked smile.
I rubbed a hand along my jaw, debating my next move. Manhandling her in the middle of an airport full of cops didn’t seem like the best of plans, even if my fingers itched to do just that. “What the fuck is this about, Frankie?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Call me Bev,” she whispered.
The words sent a shiver of dread along my skin. “Clair?” I looked to her for help.
“ What can I say?” Clair smiled back, and then quickly sobered under my glare. “Frankie’s a much better actress. Besides, if she’s with you, she’s safe.”
“I t’s true.” Another Judas in the form of Neil poked his head from behind Clair. “I love Clair, but her talents lie elsewhere. We need a Bev,” he motioned to Frankie, “and now we’ve got one.”
“No.”
“Ian, be reasonable—,” Frankie started.
“NO!”
“You need me—,” she tried again.
M y temper rose to a dangerous level, but before I could unleash my fury the loudspeaker boomed, “Now boarding flight 686, non-stop to Grand Cayman.”
“What’s it going to be?” Frankie asked.
If I said no, the whole thing was off. Shit. “Get on the fucking plane.”
“You won’t regret this.”
“I already do.”
Chapter 22
I gripped the armrest as the small plane shook with turbulence. We were flying thousands of feet above the ocean. I could see the bright blue reflection of sun against water. Frankie reached for my hand, squeezing it. “Want a drink? I’m buying.”
As mad as I was I couldn’t help but smile. Drew’s words floated through my head, and I gave a small laugh. He was so wrong. Frankie would never fuck me over. “No. I
“ If you say so.” Drew didn’t look convinced. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Frankie. Hell, I’m proud of what she did. Just seems funny to me…she takes your gun and all….”
“ If she wanted to pin Nick’s murder on me she could have waited a day. He was dead either way.” I rubbed my chin, considering Drew’s words. “Besides Frankie went there to help Mickey, not kill Nick.”
“ Huh, “ he said. “That ain’t what I heard.”
“What’d you hear, Drew?” My eyes burned into his.
“ Nick had some dirt on her. Nasty pictures,” he said quietly. No fucking way. Frankie wasn’t the type. Drew continued, “I’m just saying trusting her is a dangerous game. She’s one hell of an actress that’s for sure.”
“ Listen up.” I thumped him on the back of his head. “I’ve known Frankie since she was six-years-old. I see through her bullshit just like I see through yours.” I stood, throwing down a couple bucks on the bar. “She’s the least of our worries.”
“Hiya sugar.” A stunning, shorthaired blonde in a fitted pink sundress strutted toward me. I tripped over a bar stool and would have landed on my ass if not for the blonde’s quick reflexes. She grabbed my arm, teetered on her heels, while I caught my balance.
“Frankie?” My eyes gave her a once over, shocked at the difference between the smart-assed redhead I knew and this blond-haired trophy wife standing in front of me, seemingly without a care in her golden world. What the fuck was going on?
“Guess you didn’t see this one coming?” Drew chuckled, rising to his feet behind me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” My fist clenched. “What did you do to yourself?” Frankie’s hair was bleached blonde and cut into a short bob, not to mention, styled to perfection. Heavy makeup covered the bruises on her face. Bruises Nick had put there. Some of my shock dissipated, replaced again with white-hot rage at Nick.
“ Those two lovely ladies chauffeured me here. I wouldn’t want to miss my flight to the Islands.” She gestured to Clair and Zoë who stood a few feet away. Zoë gave me a small finger wave. Frankie’s voice sounded rich, sophisticated, and cold. I hated it. I took a step toward her. She stood her ground, flashing me a wicked smile.
I rubbed a hand along my jaw, debating my next move. Manhandling her in the middle of an airport full of cops didn’t seem like the best of plans, even if my fingers itched to do just that. “What the fuck is this about, Frankie?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Call me Bev,” she whispered.
The words sent a shiver of dread along my skin. “Clair?” I looked to her for help.
“ What can I say?” Clair smiled back, and then quickly sobered under my glare. “Frankie’s a much better actress. Besides, if she’s with you, she’s safe.”
“I t’s true.” Another Judas in the form of Neil poked his head from behind Clair. “I love Clair, but her talents lie elsewhere. We need a Bev,” he motioned to Frankie, “and now we’ve got one.”
“No.”
“Ian, be reasonable—,” Frankie started.
“NO!”
“You need me—,” she tried again.
M y temper rose to a dangerous level, but before I could unleash my fury the loudspeaker boomed, “Now boarding flight 686, non-stop to Grand Cayman.”
“What’s it going to be?” Frankie asked.
If I said no, the whole thing was off. Shit. “Get on the fucking plane.”
“You won’t regret this.”
“I already do.”
Chapter 22
I gripped the armrest as the small plane shook with turbulence. We were flying thousands of feet above the ocean. I could see the bright blue reflection of sun against water. Frankie reached for my hand, squeezing it. “Want a drink? I’m buying.”
As mad as I was I couldn’t help but smile. Drew’s words floated through my head, and I gave a small laugh. He was so wrong. Frankie would never fuck me over. “No. I
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