CHAPTER 10
Lara looked over at Riley as they bound the larger man to a sturdy chair placed in the middle of the room. When she had seen him put his arm around the shoulders of the man who had tried to take her life, she had felt sick and betrayed. It had reminded her of how little she knew this man. The only things she knew for sure were his name, that he had lost his sister, and that he obviously had some kind of combat training. She had been at his home for only four and a half hours, and in that time she had become comfortable with him. This attack had reminded her of how careful she had to be. She had no idea who was working for Vanderbelt and right now, everyone was a suspect. even the man who had saved her life. She had let her guard down, almost enjoying being looked after. The arrival of their current 'guest' had snapped her back to her senses and her shields had once again gone up.
Riley caught the way she looked at him as she attempted to decide whether she could trust him or not.
"Lara?" he turned to face her as he finished tightening the knot behind the mans back. Lara's eyes narrowed as she looked at him, her lips pressed tightly together, she was silent. "Lara, what's wrong?" for a long moment, there was no reply; she just looked at him.
"Nothing," she said finally in a very slow, steady voice "everything's fine"
"For some strange reason, I don't quite buy that!" Riley didn't like the way she was inspecting him. Then it hit him, he remembered the move he had made to catch the now unconscious intruder off guard. After what had happened to Lara earlier that night he couldn't blame her for being cautious. He smiled softly "you don't trust me do you Lara?"
She was quiet as she looked away from him back at the man in the seat.
"I don't know"
"You're bleeding again" he lifted his hand to a cut on her neck and brushed away part of the crimson smear. "No matter what you think of me right now Lara, you must trust me to some extent. You didn't even flinch just now"
Lara smiled at him then, "well, you did save my life.. And you did a great job with my back.oh, and you loaned me these" she tugged at the baggy clothes she was wearing.
"I know what that must have looked like to you." Riley said grabbing the bull by the horns "it was the only thing I could think of to catch him off guard. Guys his size can present problems sometimes."
"Even with your training?"
"Ha, yeah even with my.. hey wait, how did u know ..?"
"Oh come on Riley, its obvious! Especially after that show just now"
Riley laughed "yeah, I guess so huh"
Lara smiled, again feeling at more ease with him, but her barriers didn't drop as she smiled at him.
"So," she said after taking a deep breath "do we know him?"
"Unfortunately, we do" Riley sighed and smacked the man in the face to wake him up. The guy grunted and started to move a little.
"Hey!" Riley hit him again "hey, wakie wakie."
The man opened his eyes and looked straight at Riley.
Riley stayed close to his face, hating the man with every fiber of his being. his voice was cold as ice when he spoke to him.
"Hello Gibson. Sleep well?"
Lara looked over at Riley as they bound the larger man to a sturdy chair placed in the middle of the room. When she had seen him put his arm around the shoulders of the man who had tried to take her life, she had felt sick and betrayed. It had reminded her of how little she knew this man. The only things she knew for sure were his name, that he had lost his sister, and that he obviously had some kind of combat training. She had been at his home for only four and a half hours, and in that time she had become comfortable with him. This attack had reminded her of how careful she had to be. She had no idea who was working for Vanderbelt and right now, everyone was a suspect. even the man who had saved her life. She had let her guard down, almost enjoying being looked after. The arrival of their current 'guest' had snapped her back to her senses and her shields had once again gone up.
Riley caught the way she looked at him as she attempted to decide whether she could trust him or not.
"Lara?" he turned to face her as he finished tightening the knot behind the mans back. Lara's eyes narrowed as she looked at him, her lips pressed tightly together, she was silent. "Lara, what's wrong?" for a long moment, there was no reply; she just looked at him.
"Nothing," she said finally in a very slow, steady voice "everything's fine"
"For some strange reason, I don't quite buy that!" Riley didn't like the way she was inspecting him. Then it hit him, he remembered the move he had made to catch the now unconscious intruder off guard. After what had happened to Lara earlier that night he couldn't blame her for being cautious. He smiled softly "you don't trust me do you Lara?"
She was quiet as she looked away from him back at the man in the seat.
"I don't know"
"You're bleeding again" he lifted his hand to a cut on her neck and brushed away part of the crimson smear. "No matter what you think of me right now Lara, you must trust me to some extent. You didn't even flinch just now"
Lara smiled at him then, "well, you did save my life.. And you did a great job with my back.oh, and you loaned me these" she tugged at the baggy clothes she was wearing.
"I know what that must have looked like to you." Riley said grabbing the bull by the horns "it was the only thing I could think of to catch him off guard. Guys his size can present problems sometimes."
"Even with your training?"
"Ha, yeah even with my.. hey wait, how did u know ..?"
"Oh come on Riley, its obvious! Especially after that show just now"
Riley laughed "yeah, I guess so huh"
Lara smiled, again feeling at more ease with him, but her barriers didn't drop as she smiled at him.
"So," she said after taking a deep breath "do we know him?"
"Unfortunately, we do" Riley sighed and smacked the man in the face to wake him up. The guy grunted and started to move a little.
"Hey!" Riley hit him again "hey, wakie wakie."
The man opened his eyes and looked straight at Riley.
Riley stayed close to his face, hating the man with every fiber of his being. his voice was cold as ice when he spoke to him.
"Hello Gibson. Sleep well?"