CHAPTER 15
* * *
Riley sped down the road in Lara's jeep, she had loaned it to him so he could quickly go back to his home and gather anything he thought he might need while they were in hiding. When he parked the jeep on the gravel driveway, he saw instantly that his front door had been totally smashed in. He had been right; this had been the first place they had come to look for them. Thankfully, by the time they had arrived to finish both him and Lara off, they were safely inside Croft Manner.
With a deep sigh he climbed over the splintered door and walked into a scene of total chaos. All of his furniture was over turned; things had been ripped off of the walls and thrown all over the floor.
His once beautiful home was now a disaster. After looking quickly over the things in this room and deciding he didn't really need to take any of it (with exception of items from his overturned munitions cabinet), he headed into the bedroom.
He grabbed a few of the big canvas bags he kept in the corner and proceeded to shove all of the clothes he could find into them. The main bulk of the things were old t-shirts and faded jeans. Just as he was about to leave the bedroom, he had a thought and opened a second bag, placing it one the bed.
Suddenly the image of Lara sleeping there, the night he had saved her life filled his head. She had looked so fragile with the ugly bruise across her throat (which had now turned a pale purple with the scraps still showing). He remembered how easily it had been able to lift and carry her over a mile to his home.
A small smile played with his lips as he opened the cupboard doors. He took out a couple of pairs of black suite trousers, and a selection of shirts and placed them neatly in the bag along with a smart pair of shoes. He didn't want to always wear old clothes while he was sharing the rented house with Lara. She was a Lady for god's sake. He had to look presentable for her. Again he smiled to himself, if only his sister could see him now, she'd be laughing so much. He had never acted this way about a woman.
Quickly he dashed into the bathroom and grabbed his bottle of aftershave, toothbrush, toothpaste and a few razors and threw them into the bag too. He grabbed the straps of the two full bags in one hand and picked up the empty one in the other hand. He moved quickly to his munitions cabinet and pushed it over, emptying everything into the canvas bag. He slung it over his shoulder and jogged to the jeep with the other two bags in hand.
* * *
Lara had a total of six bags waiting by the door. She heard the jeep coming back to the front of the Manner up the gravel road. She quickly, shut her laptop, pushed it into the bag along with all the required hardware and slung the bag over her shoulder.
Riley had already taken 3 of her bags to the jeep and was coming back for the fourth when she came running down the stairs. He looked up at her, and smiled. She was wearing tight black trousers with and a fitted grey T- shirt; her hair was pulled back into a half pony-tail.
"Why do women always pack so many bags?" he asked as he lifted the fourth and fifth case. Lara grabbed the sixth and pouted, giving Riley the same look she always used on Winston. "Only three have my clothes!" Riley smiled at her as she made the puppy eyes at him. He had the urge to lean over and kiss her but restrained himself.
"Right" he said as they moved to the jeep "so if only three have clothes, what's with the others?" "Well, two of them have books and all of my information on the Vanderbelt commission, and one has my toys!" Riley raised his eyebrows at her as he took the bag from her hand to put it in the back of the jeep. "Toys?" She smiled and leaned closer to him, whispering the explanation in his ear "Guns!" "Ah" riley grinned at her "I have a toy bag too!" "You do? Aw how sweet!" She placed her Laptop bag in the back and jumped into the passenger seat, automatically assuming that he would want to drive, she was right, but she had surprised herself with the move she had made. If she was in one of her cars, she always liked to be the driver. She shrugged off the thought as Riley climbed behind the wheel.
"They totally trashed my place" Riley informed her as they left her home. Winston had left before they had that morning. Lara had given him a big hug and told him not to worry and to have fun with his family. He had looked regretful as she watched him leave. "You're kidding?" "No, they ripped everything off the walls, threw my furniture about and smashed my door in." "Riley, I'm so sorry, it was so beautiful before you took me there!" Lara felt guilty for dragging him into this "don't be silly Lara" Riley glanced in her direction and placed his hand lightly on her knee as he returned his eyes to the road. "It was only beautiful while you were there" Lara smiled "oh, that's a good one!" "isn't it just" Lara watched Riley's hand as he gently squeezed her knee. Normally, if a guy touched her like that, she'd have broken his wrist. But she liked it when Riley touched her that way. Slowly she moved her hand over his. She saw him look at her from the corner of her eye but she didn't make eye contact, only watched as her fingers tangled with his. She felt more comfortable with him than she did with anyone, Winston included. When Riley squeezed her hand, she brought her eyes to meet his. He smiled tenderly at her, and Lara couldn't help thinking that, even though they lives were being threatened, it wouldn't be so bad to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with Riley Jackson.
* * *
Riley sped down the road in Lara's jeep, she had loaned it to him so he could quickly go back to his home and gather anything he thought he might need while they were in hiding. When he parked the jeep on the gravel driveway, he saw instantly that his front door had been totally smashed in. He had been right; this had been the first place they had come to look for them. Thankfully, by the time they had arrived to finish both him and Lara off, they were safely inside Croft Manner.
With a deep sigh he climbed over the splintered door and walked into a scene of total chaos. All of his furniture was over turned; things had been ripped off of the walls and thrown all over the floor.
His once beautiful home was now a disaster. After looking quickly over the things in this room and deciding he didn't really need to take any of it (with exception of items from his overturned munitions cabinet), he headed into the bedroom.
He grabbed a few of the big canvas bags he kept in the corner and proceeded to shove all of the clothes he could find into them. The main bulk of the things were old t-shirts and faded jeans. Just as he was about to leave the bedroom, he had a thought and opened a second bag, placing it one the bed.
Suddenly the image of Lara sleeping there, the night he had saved her life filled his head. She had looked so fragile with the ugly bruise across her throat (which had now turned a pale purple with the scraps still showing). He remembered how easily it had been able to lift and carry her over a mile to his home.
A small smile played with his lips as he opened the cupboard doors. He took out a couple of pairs of black suite trousers, and a selection of shirts and placed them neatly in the bag along with a smart pair of shoes. He didn't want to always wear old clothes while he was sharing the rented house with Lara. She was a Lady for god's sake. He had to look presentable for her. Again he smiled to himself, if only his sister could see him now, she'd be laughing so much. He had never acted this way about a woman.
Quickly he dashed into the bathroom and grabbed his bottle of aftershave, toothbrush, toothpaste and a few razors and threw them into the bag too. He grabbed the straps of the two full bags in one hand and picked up the empty one in the other hand. He moved quickly to his munitions cabinet and pushed it over, emptying everything into the canvas bag. He slung it over his shoulder and jogged to the jeep with the other two bags in hand.
* * *
Lara had a total of six bags waiting by the door. She heard the jeep coming back to the front of the Manner up the gravel road. She quickly, shut her laptop, pushed it into the bag along with all the required hardware and slung the bag over her shoulder.
Riley had already taken 3 of her bags to the jeep and was coming back for the fourth when she came running down the stairs. He looked up at her, and smiled. She was wearing tight black trousers with and a fitted grey T- shirt; her hair was pulled back into a half pony-tail.
"Why do women always pack so many bags?" he asked as he lifted the fourth and fifth case. Lara grabbed the sixth and pouted, giving Riley the same look she always used on Winston. "Only three have my clothes!" Riley smiled at her as she made the puppy eyes at him. He had the urge to lean over and kiss her but restrained himself.
"Right" he said as they moved to the jeep "so if only three have clothes, what's with the others?" "Well, two of them have books and all of my information on the Vanderbelt commission, and one has my toys!" Riley raised his eyebrows at her as he took the bag from her hand to put it in the back of the jeep. "Toys?" She smiled and leaned closer to him, whispering the explanation in his ear "Guns!" "Ah" riley grinned at her "I have a toy bag too!" "You do? Aw how sweet!" She placed her Laptop bag in the back and jumped into the passenger seat, automatically assuming that he would want to drive, she was right, but she had surprised herself with the move she had made. If she was in one of her cars, she always liked to be the driver. She shrugged off the thought as Riley climbed behind the wheel.
"They totally trashed my place" Riley informed her as they left her home. Winston had left before they had that morning. Lara had given him a big hug and told him not to worry and to have fun with his family. He had looked regretful as she watched him leave. "You're kidding?" "No, they ripped everything off the walls, threw my furniture about and smashed my door in." "Riley, I'm so sorry, it was so beautiful before you took me there!" Lara felt guilty for dragging him into this "don't be silly Lara" Riley glanced in her direction and placed his hand lightly on her knee as he returned his eyes to the road. "It was only beautiful while you were there" Lara smiled "oh, that's a good one!" "isn't it just" Lara watched Riley's hand as he gently squeezed her knee. Normally, if a guy touched her like that, she'd have broken his wrist. But she liked it when Riley touched her that way. Slowly she moved her hand over his. She saw him look at her from the corner of her eye but she didn't make eye contact, only watched as her fingers tangled with his. She felt more comfortable with him than she did with anyone, Winston included. When Riley squeezed her hand, she brought her eyes to meet his. He smiled tenderly at her, and Lara couldn't help thinking that, even though they lives were being threatened, it wouldn't be so bad to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with Riley Jackson.