When she saw the card her suspicion was confirmed, it had the name Tiara on it, which was his pet name for her. That was something she hated.
She bent down to pick up the bouquet, and when she did, her door creaked open. Her body straightened with a snap. When she was upright, she saw Niko stepping around her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Do you always leave your front door open?”
“No, I don’t… I didn’t…”
“Stay here.” The command and authority in his voice removed any and all room for argument.
Niko stepped inside the darkened cabin. He sensed that there was no immediate threat of danger, but he wasn’t taking any chances. The first thing he noted when he walked in was how neat everything was.
The tiny cabin was like a well-organized nest, with every inch of space utilized to create a cozy and feminine atmosphere. The kitchenette was a mini-oasis, complete with a tiny stove and sink, while the twin bed was neatly made with crisp sheets and fluffy pillows. There was a small closet tucked away in the corner. The bathroom was clean and efficient, with a compact shower stall, toilet, and porcelain pedestal sink.
Moving through the space meant constant awareness of surfaces, the cool laminate of the kitchenette counter within reach, the bathroom's cramped dimensions forcing him to pull his elbows in, everything designed for someone smaller. His shoulder nearly brushed the kitchenette cabinets as he moved past the bed where the quilted fabric caught on his jeans. Thebathroom doorframe was narrow enough that he had to angle his body to step through it.
He closed the closet door, and when he did, several papers fell off the nightstand. He picked them up and saw they were overdue bills from Golden Years. Overdue bills? Niko knew the settlement that Tiana received from the divorce. Everyone knew. It made headlines because they hadn’t had a prenup, and Brock’s PR team spun things, making it out that Tiana was a gold digger, but that backfired on him. Big time. Niko heard from a reliable source, Jessie, that Tiana was more than willing to go through mediation, and all she asked for was the vehicle she’d bought with her own money, a trust that one of his relatives, an aunt who had apparently taken a shine to her, had left her, and medical insurance for five years. Brock wasn’t willing to give her that and insisted on taking her to court. In doing so, the judge tipped the scalessignificantlyin her favor after declaring drastically unequal future earning potential due to Tiana supporting Brock’s career during the marriage and him being the sole provider and prohibiting her from being employed, and also found him guilty of misappropriation of funds when he attempted to hide his assets. On top of giving her half of everything he’d earned during their ten years together and alimony, he also awarded her an extra five million for emotional distress, basically because Brock was such an asshole.
It was a bloodbath of a divorce for Brock, but Tiana came out of it a very rich woman, which was why Niko was so confused as to how she could be living like she was. Overdue bills. No vehicle. Cup O’ Noodles stacked in her cupboards.
She clearly wasn’t spending that money on herself. Where had that money gone? Her business was modest. Had she bought the entire building her studio was in? Did she make unwise investments?
Despite not knowing Tiana at all really, he couldn’t imagine her being irresponsible with that amount of cash, so where had it all gone?
He heard the floorboards creak and turned to see Tiana stepping inside.
“It’s clear,” he told her as he set the envelopes down.
She glanced down at the doorknob and turned it. He could see that she was thinking the same thing he was, why was her door open when they got there? They both knew the answer, Brock. He’d been inside the cabin recently. Niko could smell his cologne in the air.
“I think you should come stay with me,” Niko suggested without running it past his brain. That seemed to be happening a lot when Tiana was around. He was usually impulsive when it came to fights, not women.
“What?” Tiana’s head spun to look at him. Her eyes doubled to the size of half dollars. “No!”
Wow. That’s the first time a woman hasn’t wanted to come home with him, and she was adamant.
“You don’t have heat here.”
“Yes, I do.” She pointed at the tiny cast iron, wood burning stove in the corner of the room.
“It’s going to be in the low twenties tonight.”
Her shoulder shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
Niko recognized the stubborn glint in her eye. His sister Frankie had one that was nearly identical. He was not going to get her to change her mind unless he changed his tactic. “There are four bedrooms, and it will just be while Brock is in town.” He looked down at the lock that had clearly not kept Brock out. “He was in here. I know he was.”
She bit the inside of her lip. “I can call Eric and let him know.”
Eric Maguire was the police chief and a friend of Niko’s. He and AJ hung out with Eric’s little sisters Amy and Nikki a lot whenever they were in Hope Falls. Nikki was outgoing and sociable, and Amy was quiet, reserved, and always reading. She and AJ always had their noses in books while he and Nikki were riding bikes, jumping in the river, catching bullfrogs, or doorbell ditching.
“Yes, you should definitely let Eric know that he broke in, but that’s not going to help if he shows up again.”
“I don’t think he will?—”
“How long have you lived here?”
“A few months.”
