CHAPTER 7
Lara leaned back against the sofa, only to sit up straight as the cuts on her back protested against her action. Riley remembered then that he had been planning to help her with them. He stood up and held a hand out to her "come on, let's get those seen to"
Lara took his hand and he helped her up. He then moved into the bedroom and hunted through the cupboard for his first aid kit. He laid the small wooden box open on the table in the corner of the room. Lara was standing beside him when he turned and motioned for her to turn her back to him. She did so and gripped the towel to her chest as he loosened it. The back of the towel now dipped, exposing her all the way to her lower back. Riley gently applied disinfectant to each of the cuts. A few of the wounds were deep so he used the surgical glue to close them up.
As he worked tenderly at her wounds Lara explained what she thought had happened.
"When he hired me, all he gave me was a sketch and a location. He said that he wanted me to retrieve the artefact and return it to him."
Riley's fingertips tingled as they brushed against her bare back as he sealed another gash. "Wait" he interrupted "is this guy, the one you told me about before? The one that always likes to touch you up?" Lara laughed at that statement. She had forgotten she had mentioned that.
"Yes, that's the one"
"Ah, and does this guy have a name?"
"Vanderbelt"
"You're kidding me" Riley stopped dead in his tracks and took a stepped to Lara's side so he could see her face "Gerrard Vanderbelt?"
Lara turned to him with surprise "yes, do you know him?"
"Ha!" Riley slammed the first aid box shut with a resounding smack. Lara eyed him carefully, wondering why he had become so upset at the mention of Vanderbelt.
"Riley?" she pulled the towel back into place and followed him with her eyes. "How do you know Vanderbelt?"
"Well I don't so much know him, but I definitely know the name. Have you met his charming son yet?"
"I didn't even know he had a son"
"Oh yeah he does. Although he's been banged up for a while"
"Really? How do you know that?"
Riley turned to face her, his eyes were cold and his stance was rigid and uncomfortable. "I know that because Gibson Vanderbelt was sent to jail for the rape and murder of my sister!"
Lara leaned back against the sofa, only to sit up straight as the cuts on her back protested against her action. Riley remembered then that he had been planning to help her with them. He stood up and held a hand out to her "come on, let's get those seen to"
Lara took his hand and he helped her up. He then moved into the bedroom and hunted through the cupboard for his first aid kit. He laid the small wooden box open on the table in the corner of the room. Lara was standing beside him when he turned and motioned for her to turn her back to him. She did so and gripped the towel to her chest as he loosened it. The back of the towel now dipped, exposing her all the way to her lower back. Riley gently applied disinfectant to each of the cuts. A few of the wounds were deep so he used the surgical glue to close them up.
As he worked tenderly at her wounds Lara explained what she thought had happened.
"When he hired me, all he gave me was a sketch and a location. He said that he wanted me to retrieve the artefact and return it to him."
Riley's fingertips tingled as they brushed against her bare back as he sealed another gash. "Wait" he interrupted "is this guy, the one you told me about before? The one that always likes to touch you up?" Lara laughed at that statement. She had forgotten she had mentioned that.
"Yes, that's the one"
"Ah, and does this guy have a name?"
"Vanderbelt"
"You're kidding me" Riley stopped dead in his tracks and took a stepped to Lara's side so he could see her face "Gerrard Vanderbelt?"
Lara turned to him with surprise "yes, do you know him?"
"Ha!" Riley slammed the first aid box shut with a resounding smack. Lara eyed him carefully, wondering why he had become so upset at the mention of Vanderbelt.
"Riley?" she pulled the towel back into place and followed him with her eyes. "How do you know Vanderbelt?"
"Well I don't so much know him, but I definitely know the name. Have you met his charming son yet?"
"I didn't even know he had a son"
"Oh yeah he does. Although he's been banged up for a while"
"Really? How do you know that?"
Riley turned to face her, his eyes were cold and his stance was rigid and uncomfortable. "I know that because Gibson Vanderbelt was sent to jail for the rape and murder of my sister!"