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She cleared her throat, as if embarrassed by her frantic call. “I’m not usually so emotional.”
“You said you found something belonging to Nat?” he reminded her.
“Yes.” She gave a jerky nod. “I was going through my old school stuff. I hadn’t touched it since I came back to the States, I had no idea they’d packed a few of Nat’s things in my suitcase.”
“Is that what bothered you?”
“No. Well . . .” She grimaced, turning to pick up the object she’d been carrying when she entered the office. “Not entirely.”
Sensing she was still upset, Niko gestured toward the hidden door across the room. “Let’s discuss this somewhere more private.”
He waited for her nod of agreement before he moved to touch the wooden panel that slid silently open. Together they stepped into the long, open space that had once been the boardroom. Niko had stripped away the heavy wood furniture and dark carpeting, instead filling it with a sleek couch that pulled out to a king-size bed and several matching chairs that all faced the long line of windows. There was a small kitchenette in one corner, and an attached bathroom with a shower.
Rayne smiled as she glanced around. “Nice.”
“I work late too often not to have someplace to crash.”
“Nat said you were being groomed to take over the family business.”
It was true. As the oldest son, he’d been expected to step into his father’s shoes. When he was young he’d occasionally resented that he didn’t have any choice in his future. But after Nat’s death he’d been eager to shoulder the responsibility. He’d failed his sister; he wasn’t going to fail the rest of his family.
“For better or worse,” he murmured.
“I’d say better.” Her roaming gaze at last reached the two framed paintings on the far wall. They both depicted Death Valley, but one was smeared with soft pinks and violets of dawn and the other had the harsh yellows and oranges of midday. “Oh. You have some of my work.”
He stepped beside her, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo. “I have two more at my condo.”
She appeared oddly flustered. “I had no idea.”
He smiled down at her, watching the blush stain her cheeks. “I’ve admired your art since we were sixteen years old.”
Their gazes locked, and Niko wondered if she was recalling the moment they’d met. Niko had felt an instant explosion of excitement that had never happened again. Her blush deepened before she was giving a sharp shake of her head and shoving the object she was carrying into his hands.
“This belonged to Nat.”
Niko forced himself to glance down at the wooden box. A sharp pain sliced through him. “I remember. I gave it to her when she went to St. Cecilia’s.” He ran his fingers over the polished top. “Thank you for bringing it to me.”
“It has some of her prized possessions inside,” she told him. “As well as a few pictures.”
“Of course.” Nat had been five when their dad had bought her a camera for her birthday. From that moment on, she’d never gone anywhere without one in her hands.
Rayne reached into the front pocket of her jeans, her face paling as she pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper.
“It also had this.”
“What is it?” Setting the box on a low coffee table, Niko reached for the paper, smoothing it between his fingers. Then, more curious than alarmed, he read the brief note. His breath abruptly hissed through his clenched teeth. “Shit.”
“It was hidden between the photos,” Rayne told him.
“I knew it.” He jerked his head up to meet Rayne’s wary gaze, a combustible combination of emotions detonating through him. “I knew Nat would never have killed herself.”
Salzburg, Austria
Then
The day of her graduation had started off as one of those rare, perfect mornings. The sky was a brilliant blue and the air was perfumed with wildflowers. Rayne had gone into Salzburg with her mother to shop for a new dress, and they’d managed to spend their time together without the usual strain of pretending they weren’t virtual strangers. Probably because Mark had chosen to remain at the hotel. They’d even stopped to share a cup of hot chocolate before heading back to St. Cecilia’s.
Rayne had been bubbling with a sense of anticipation at the knowledge she would soon be graduating and on her way to art school as she’d walked along the familiar path that led to the dormitory.
