me the note, I slide it into my back pocket. Then he swings his hand and the light shines over the painting. “Do you want to take that now?”
I mull it over for a moment before thinking better of it. Bending down, I place it back inside the dresser and cover it up. “I don’t think so. I’d rather keep it here for now. At least until all of this is over.”
He nods then takes my hand, which shakes the closer we get to the front of the storage unit. When we get to the door, he stops and holds me close to his chest.
“I’m just being cautious, but when we go out there, you can’t give anything away. Not that we found it. Not that you’re freaked out.”
I swallow down my worry and nod, clutching his shirt as I inhale then exhale slowly. “I can do that. Do you really think we’re being watched?”
“I have no idea. Probably not, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
I gulp. “Sorry?”
“Just an expression, baby. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I promise.”
“Okay. Let’s get this over with,” I tell him.
Sunshine fills the unit when he raises the door and we step outside. I muster up an indifferent expression. I have the urge to dart my eyes around, looking or anything or anyone out of place, but I don’t give in to it. My eyes are planted on the rental car, and as Rafe closes the unit and locks it, I go straight to the car and get inside, letting out a deep breath. He jogs across the lot and gets in beside me, leaning over and giving me a kiss. A smile crosses my lips.
“So, what’s next?” he asks, peering at me.
“What do you say we go back to the hotel? Between the house and this, I’m mentally exhausted. Drained. Not to mention I wouldn’t even know where to go next.”
“Back to the city it is,” he says and pulls out of the lot.
The farther we get away, the more the nerves fade away. My gaze settles out the window, the sounds of the radio filling the silence in the car.
He glances over at me. “You going to open it?” he asks.
The paper is practically burning a hole in my pocket.
“As soon as we get back to the hotel,” I tell him.
He nods and turns the music up. We’re both lost in our thoughts as we drive back to the city.
I can’t help but wonder…
Just what in the hell has my father gotten me involved in?
By the time we’re back in the hotel room, my curiosity has grown exponentially. I don’t know why I want to be in the privacy of our room when I open the paper. Perhaps it’s because I’m unsure of what it’ll say or how I’ll react, and even though it burned a hole in the back of my pocket, I was way too anxious to read it in public.
It’s currently sitting in the middle of the bed, folded in half from when I put it in my pocket. The paper looks worn and faded, and I wonder how long it was behind the painting.
“Look, Brie, you don’t have to do this now. Why don’t we go out, get something to eat? Breathe some fresh air and forget about all of this for a little while. When we get back, maybe then you can open it,” he says from across the room.
I shake my head and, with trembling fingers, gingerly pick up the piece of paper. “No, it’s okay. I can do this.”
My heart sinks when my eyes fall on the first three words.
My sweet Brie.
My hand covers my mouth as a small gasp escapes me. Rafe’s on the bed in a flash, sitting behind me and pulling me against his chest. He takes my hand from my mouth and wraps it around his, his strong fingers entwining with mine.
“I’m right here, baby. It’s okay.”
I nod. Then, with a shaky voice, I start reading out loud.
My sweet Brie,
As I write this, I can close my eyes and picture you rolling your own at me. That day you came home from school and informed us that you’d no longer respond to Brie, everything started to change. You weren’t Daddy’s little girl anymore, and I hated it. I was torn. You were blossoming, growing into your beauty, just like your mother. I wanted to watch you grow, to watch you thrive. I wanted to lock you in your room and