Raine flits around the room. I can see as she touches a box, then a stack of paintings, that she’s mentally arranging the collection. “This is amazing. I can’t wait to watch them get the rest installed in the morning.”
My eyes land on her. But I’m done. We need to tell herthe truth. We’ve never all been in agreement about a candidate. And this is the longest we’ve gone before doing the ceremony. She needs to know everything—or almost everything.
“Raine...” My heart beats harder with her name. “We need to talk.”
30
RAINE
“We need to talk”is never, and I mean never, a good phrase. A teacher says it, you’re flunking. Your parents say it, they’re getting a divorce. Your boss says it and... I’m getting fired. I’m. Getting. Fired.
“What is that look?” Evander asks.
“Nothing...” When I was seven, I admitted to breaking a window. A window I didn’t even break. My dad’s putter flew out of the bag when he took it out of the trunk, and it smashed into the glass. I had parked my bike in front of it without noticing it was already broken. I stewed over it for a week.
I have a face I make when I’m guilty. Or think I’m guilty. I’ve tried to get rid of it, but it’s apparently permanent, so I know what Evander sees. “Nothing?” I repeat.
“Let’s sit down.” Evander takes my hand and leads me over to the desk chair in the alcove.
I sit under the sunny painting with the mushrooms andthe amazing mountains. At least I’m going to be fired in a nice setting. I’ll have to get some pictures of this painting, NDA be damned. I want to know who painted it. And why it’s here in a room full of masterpieces by well-known artists.
“I’m getting canned?” I ask.
“Fuck, no. No... no, no... That’s not what I mean, Raine. Damn, it’s happened. I’ve been around Kieren long enough to turn into him. I’m sorry, love. No, quite the opposite. This is fantastic.” He waves his hands at the large room behind us. “Honestly, I can’t believe we’ve waited this long to do something with our art. What you’re doing is superb. Thank you.” He reaches for my hand but stops short. “And how you handled Kieren? Chef’s kiss. Although he’s going through some shit. But it’s good for him to be reminded that he’s not always the one in charge. Well done.”
That makes me feel better, but still... what would we need to talk about? “So... what is this about?”
The door in the main room jerks open. “Evander,” Roark says, his tone deep.
I want to flatten myself against the wall. This is about what happened in the car. Then Roark moves and Kieren appears from behind the wall of dark-haired male. He’s not small, but anyone compared to Roark...
“I’m sorry. I know you said tomorrow... I wanted to see the— Whoa. This is amazing,” Kieren says.
“I didn’t do much. It’s the installers, not me.” I cross my arms over my chest. I want to stand, but Evander’s knees are inches from mine, so I’d be standing against him.
“I’d love to see what you’ve done so—” Kieren stops and stares at the painting above my computer.
I look from him to the painting that’s holding his attention. “What do you know about this artist?”
“Um, nothing. I... That painting was here when the three of us moved in. It used to hang in the?—”
“—hallway,” Evander says.
Roark’s frowning. Kieren and Evander are lying. I have no idea why. Why would I care where it was hanging?
“It’s interesting. I like it. The mountains are so realistic. But then the mushrooms in the valley are so whimsical, it’s like I expect to find a gnome walking through the mushrooms.”
“Gnome.” Evander slaps his leg. “You have a really good imagination. That’s funny—gnomes.”
Now Roark’s scowling.
“I don’t know everything, do I?” I ask Roark.
There’s a grunt from him. “There’s lots of interesting things hidden in the universe, Duchess.”
“Gnomes?” I stare up at the painting. “Really? I...” My hands are clasped over my upper thigh. Part of me wants to show them my tattoo. But that’s not really something you just whip out and show your bosses. It’s not exactly in the most demure location. “I love gnomes. My grandmother had this book of drawings that I spent hours looking at... gnomes. That would be cool.”
“Fucking cun—” Roark mumbles under his breath.
