Exposure (15 page)

As if sensing her confusion, Noah glanced
her way and carefully set the girl on her feet. With her back to
Raven, Aubrey took the penny from Max and held it up, examining
it.

With his gaze still on Raven, Noah cleared
his throat. "What do you say, Aubrey?"

"Thanks, Maxie. It's awesome."

Maxie
looked like he was biting the
inside of his cheek. "Very welcome, Miss Aubrey."

At that moment, Aubrey turned toward Raven.
The girl froze in place. Her face was pale with freckles sprinkled
over her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were a bright aqua blue, shades
lighter than Noah's, and she was very thin for her height. When she
turned to Noah, Raven's gaze lowered to her neck, where red,
twisted scars ran from her ear down until disappearing under the
nightgown. Her hand had the same scarring, indicating it covered
the whole arm.

Burn scars.

Noah smiled and wrapped his arm around the
girl's shoulders, dragging her to his side. "Aubrey, I'd like you
to meet Raven. Raven, this is my niece, Aubrey."

Niece.
But Noah had no siblings.

They stared at each other for a beat before
Raven realized she might be scaring her. "Hi, there! It's so nice
to finally meet you."

Aubrey looked up at Noah. "But you never
bring strangers." The words were once again slurred, and her
mannerisms indicated someone much younger than she looked.

Noah's expression was pained, but he kissed
her hair. "She's not a stranger, my love. She's very special, just
like you, and I'd like you to be friends."

Aubrey regarded her before she stepped out
from under Noah's arm and crushed Raven in a hug. "I like
friends."

"Me, too." She wrapped her arms around the
girl, careful not to squeeze too hard for fear she'd break her. She
smelled like baby powder, innocence. Typically, Raven wasn't fond
of touch, but something about the girl called to her.

Raven met Noah's gaze over Aubrey's
shoulder. Tenderness and apprehension filled his eyes. This moment
obviously meant a lot to him.

He rubbed his neck and nodded at Max. The
bodyguard stepped back outside and brought in their luggage, Aubrey
holding Raven in her death grip hug the whole while. Max moved past
them and into the hall, their bags in his hands.

Noah sighed. "Come on, my love. It's getting
late. How about we get Frances to whip you up a snack and then it's
off to bed."

She let go of Raven and turned to him. "But
you just got here."

He ran a hand down her soft waves. "We'll be
here all weekend. Lots of fun to be had."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart." He swallowed, glancing at
Raven and quickly away. "Scoot. We'll be down in a few minutes."
When they were alone in the room, he kept his gaze down. "She's
excited. Let's get her calmed down and we can talk."

After the five dollar tour, Raven could do
little more than gawk. The house had a library, solarium, indoor
pool, gym, and media room, all in addition to the observation deck
from which they'd arrived. The live-in caretakers, Frances and Jeff
Brisbin, were in their mid-sixties and regarded her with friendly
reserve. There was more security throughout the house, who never
engaged her outside of a nod.

The living room, den, and kitchen were all
front-facing, with floor to ceiling spectacular views of the lake,
spring, and forest. Massive wood beams in the slanted ceilings,
hardwood floors with decorative rugs, stone fireplaces with raw-cut
mantles…it was a decorator's dream. Even the candles and throw
pillows were tasteful, the kitchen a mix of slate and stainless
steel. The second and third floors weren't just bedrooms, but
suites, each one complete with its own bath, kitchenette, and
living room. The house was bigger than a freaking hotel!

Frances gave Aubrey a snack and dished out
some soup for her and Noah, since they never did get dinner. Though
Raven didn't have the stomach for food, she ate to be polite. While
she did, she watched Noah and Aubrey together from across the long
dining table big enough for a White House press conference. Aubrey
was a delightful, if not somewhat lonely child, who obviously loved
her uncle a great deal. In turn, Noah was crafty and funny around
her, illustrating none of his usual intensity.

More questions than answers pushed around in
her skull, shoving for space and attention. He had a girl--a niece
supposedly--hidden away in the middle of nowhere, who had burn
scars on her arm. Though the girl seemed educated, she was socially
awkward. Bodyguards were everywhere, milling about. The house had a
security system that could trump NASA. There was a panic room, for
goodness sake!

After an hour, Noah sensed her growing
unease and bid everyone a goodnight, claiming they'd tuck Aubrey in
for the evening. Raven didn't know whether to be relieved or
worried she'd finally get her answers.

Just who the hell was Noah Caldwell?

***

W
ith Raven leaning
against the doorframe, Noah pulled a blanket up to Aubrey's chin
and leaned over the bed to kiss her forehead, reassuring her he'd
be there come morning. Her blonde hair spread out over the pillow,
her blue eyes sleepy, he had to resist not rubbing the ache in his
chest. His whole adult life had been about protecting this precious
little girl, when he'd barely been of adult age himself.

And she needed her sleep. "I love you." He
rose and headed for the door.

"Love you more. Does she like coloring?"
Aubrey asked through a yawn.

Noah lifted his brows, pleased Aubrey was
sending out feelers for Raven. In no time, they'd be past the
awkward phase and Aubrey would love her to no end. That's how she
rolled. Her trust was never-ending. "Raven's a master colorer."

Aubrey laughed. "That's not a real
word."

Raven smiled, exhaustion in her features. "I
don't know about master, but I can hold my own. How about we get
right on that after breakfast tomorrow?"

Leaving Aubrey to her slumber, he and Raven
worked their way through the second floor suites where Aubrey's
caretakers slept, as well as the security team. They climbed the
stairs to the third floor and to his suite on the far end of the
house.

Just as she'd done since arriving, Raven
took in her surroundings quietly. He'd designed and built this
house from the ground up, carefully selecting everything from the
region to the light fixtures. He wondered if she liked it. Somehow,
that was important to him. He wasn't expecting how it would make
him feel having her here. So right, so…perfect.

She crossed the polished bare hardwood
floors of the living room, decorated in plush brown leather
furniture and rustic tables, to stand by the glass wall facing the
lake. Moonlight bathed her face in ethereal wonder. In the
distance, the Northern Lights flashed and danced across the sky.
His fingers itched for his camera, but he didn't think she'd
appreciate that at the moment.

He dug in his pocket and extracted a small
box. Walking over to stand behind her, he held it out to her. "Your
Valentine's present."

She craned her neck to look at him, pretty
brown eyes wide. "You didn't have to do that. I…we…"

"We were supposed to be finished. I know,
but I can't seem to quit you." He brushed his knuckles down her
cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. The need to
strip her down and bury himself inside her was fierce, but he had a
lot of explaining to do and he wasn't sure she wouldn't still leave
him afterward. "Open it. To warn you, I've never bought a
Valentine's gift before."

She smiled. "Never got one before, so my
expectations are low." She flipped the lid of the velvet box and
drew in a sharp gasp. "Oh, it's lovely."

Reaching around her, he pulled the small
ruby heart from the box and slid the chain through his fingers.
Raven was simple sophistication and not flash, so he had to refrain
from buying the largest rock he could find. "There's just something
about you and the color red that makes my blood roar." Unclasping
the chain, he brought it to her throat and fastened it behind her
neck. It rested perfectly above the swell of her breasts.

She fingered the charm. "I love it. Thank
you."

He wrapped one arm around her from behind,
tugging her flush against him. Dipping his head, he used his other
hand to sweep her hair off her shoulder and kissed her neck.
"You're welcome. Feel free to wear that, and only that, to bed
later."

Laughing, she turned in his arms. "Done."
She stroked his chest over his white shirt, her smile faltering.
"Noah…"

He exhaled and dropped his forehead to hers.
"Come sit down. I'll answer all your questions."

She nodded and took a spot on the couch,
leaving his arms unbearably empty. She was expecting him to sit
next to her by the expectant expression, but he couldn't sit down
to do this. Frankly, it wasn't a story he'd told in years, for so
long it would seem as if it were someone else's life if not for
Aubrey.

Rubbing his neck, he figured starting at the
beginning was best. He could only wish he wasn't throwing ten years
of friendship and one month of sweet bliss out the window.

N
oah swallowed and
turned away from Raven, facing the window and the view, but not
truly seeing it. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to
prepare himself for what rehashing his past was going to do to him,
to her.

"My mother had a daughter through a previous
marriage when she met my dad. Fresh on the political circuit, they
got married quickly and had me. Melissa was eight years older than
me and spent a lot of time with her dad, so we weren't exactly
close. Neither of us harbored any resentment, there was just such a
big age gap."

Pressing his palm to the frame, he leaned
into his hand and hung his head. "She married Mario Francesco when
I was ten, and none of us had any idea he was a legal aid for
Rizzoli. My father was part of the Democratic Party and went up
against Rizzoli in a few elections. Mario found out about misused
campaign funds, but that was the tip of the iceberg. When the feds
dug deeper, they found money laundering and drug pushing out of New
Jersey. We didn't see a lot of Melissa during those years, either
because the family wouldn't let her or it was some misguided way to
keep us safe. They'd had a son, Jonathon, but he barely recognized
us."

Forcing himself to look at her, he turned
and checked her reaction.

Pale but calm, she nodded slowly. "Go
on."

Nervous energy skimmed under his skin, so he
paced. "The summer before my senior year of high school, she got
pregnant with Aubrey. Jonathon was five. The feds were coming close
to gathering enough evidence for an arrest on Rizzoli. Mario was
turning over particulars to avoid prosecution which, of course,
Rizzoli didn't know."

Bone tired, he crossed the room and sat on
the table in front of her. The ingrained part of him needing her
near was pacified by the move. "My father was concerned enough to
have me looking into colleges as far from the east coast as
possible. That's how I settled in Alaska." He swallowed hard, his
gut churning.

As if sensing the story was about to take an
ugly turn, she closed her warm fingers over his hands. "Do you need
a minute?"

He shook his head. He'd had nothing but
minutes, endless agonizing minutes that accumulated into years.
Better just to spit it out fast. "The summer after graduation,
Rizzoli found out what Mario was up to and had Mario and Melissa's
house burned down to the ground. With them inside."

She gasped, fingers tightening over his. Her
eyes welled. "Noah."

Waving away her sympathy, he got up to stand
by the window again. The pressure in his chest expanded, the vise
around his throat cinching. The fucking worst part was coming. "Two
days after the funeral, I got a call from the FBI asking to meet.
Turned out, a neighbor of Melissa's saw the house burning and
called the fire department before running into the blaze. He wasn't
able to save the others, but he got Aubrey out."

He paused, but there was no way to garner
composure for the rest. He let himself break for the first time in
a decade. "She had second degree burns on the left side of her
body. She was only eight months old and couldn't escape the crib."
His voice cracked. Tears blurred his eyes, falling hot and heavy on
his frozen cheeks. His chest cracked open.

Raven came up beside him, her eyes wet.
Smoothing her hand down his arm, she linked their fingers. She
moved in front of him, not wiping away the tears or offering pithy
condolences. None of those things helped one fucking bit. But he
was grateful, so damn grateful, she was here.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand
and looked over her shoulder, still hearing Aubrey's cries of pain
in his head. "A month later, when she was stable enough, they
transferred her in secret to a hospital in Anchorage. While she was
recovering, I used my inheritance and the money from her life
insurance to build this house, with everything a little girl could
ever need. My parents never knew she survived, and it killed me not
to tell them, watching them grieve with no hope. But I had to keep
her safe."

His gaze slid to Raven's. Held. "I hired the
Brisbins to be her caretakers, who were down on their luck and
could never have children. She has a tutor who lives on site four
days a week, a team of security that never leaves." He shook his
head. "And I started college like nothing had happened, visiting
once a month on the pretense of mountain climbing or fishing." He
swallowed. "For ten years."

She cupped his jaw with both hands, soothing
away some of the ache with just her touch. "What about your
parents? They died, what, two years later?"