The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(25)

Baxter trembled as they moved slowly, but he didn’t bolt, which Carlise was grateful for. By the time they were done, the dog’s hideaway was a lot more protected. “I should’ve thought about doing this three days ago,” Carlise said sadly as she stood by the cabin door with Riggs.

Baxter was busy scrunching the new blanket, turning in tight circles as he attempted to make his nest as perfect as his doggy paws could make it.

“What you did was perfect,” Riggs told her. “Come on, let’s get inside and I’ll make us some tea to warm up.”

Carlise was more than ready to go inside. It was damn cold. As soon as they entered the cabin, Riggs went over to the fireplace and added a log before coming back to the door and taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coatrack.

His cheeks were flushed red, and Carlise didn’t give it a thought before stepping toward him and placing a hand on his forehead. “You feel a little warm,” she noted.

Riggs shrugged. “I think I still have a slight fever, but it’s nothing like before. I’ll be okay.”

“Maybe I should make the tea,” Carlise suggested.

“I’ve got it. Go sit on the couch and get warm. It’ll take a bit for the water to boil.”

“But you’ll sit and relax once it does?” she asked.

He looked at her for a long moment before nodding. “Yeah.”

“Okay.”

It seemed to her that he wanted to say something more, but he simply gestured to the couch with his head before turning to the kitchen.

After the last three days, it felt weird for Carlise to simply sit there while Riggs waited on her, but now that they’d taken care of Baxter, and Riggs was on the mend, she realized just how tired she was. She’d slept here and there over the last few days, but never deeply. She’d jerked awake with every unfamiliar noise and anytime Riggs moved restlessly in his sleep.

She hadn’t admitted it to herself at the time, but she’d been terrified that he’d die on her.

She dozed off while waiting for Riggs to return with the tea.

When she felt something touch her shoulder, her knee-jerk reaction kicked in. She ducked and rolled off the couch at the same time, covering her head with her arms, protecting herself from the blows she was sure would come.

When nothing happened after a long minute, she tilted her head and looked up, only to find Riggs sitting on the couch, frowning in concern.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. You’re safe here, Carlise. I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry I touched you without permission, but I swear I’d never do anything to cause you pain. If I gave you any other impression, I’m so sorry.”

Embarrassed by her over-the-top reaction, Carlise took a deep breath and moved to her knees, then stood and moved back to the couch. She sat next to Riggs and shrugged a little sheepishly. “No, I’m sorry. I mean, you did startle me, but I know you won’t hurt me. You’ve had chances to do so already, and we both know I wouldn’t be strong enough to stop you.”

“You obviously don’t know that, if your reaction was any indication,” Riggs said in a heavy tone.

Carlise reached out and put a hand on his knee. She didn’t like that he thought she was scared of him. She truly wasn’t. Even though he was essentially a stranger, deep down, she knew he’d never hurt her. She wasn’t sure how she knew . . . she just did.

“My mom was in an abusive relationship for years,” she blurted. “We had to watch everything we did or said around my dad, for fear of him turning on us. She took the brunt of his anger for a long time, but when I got a little older, he turned on me too. He often came into my room and woke me up by hitting me. My reaction just now was instinctual. I’m sorry.”

Riggs’s jaw ticced as he stared at her.

For some reason, maybe in an attempt to calm him, Carlise went on. “I vowed never to stay with a man who hit me. I didn’t want to be like my mom. She’s a good woman, but she wasn’t strong enough to leave him until it was almost too late. He eventually hurt her so badly that she was in the hospital for weeks. Finally, with my urging—or begging, really—she got up the courage to say enough was enough.

“Then, in my last relationship . . . Well, I thought Tommy was a good man. That he loved me. Until he showed his true colors. I left that very day.”

Riggs took a deep breath, putting his hand atop hers on his knee. “I swear on my honor, I will never hit you. I will never belittle you. Never make you feel as if you can’t trust me. I may not have known you for long, but it’s clear to me that you’re an amazing person, Carlise. Strong. I already said it, but I’ll say it again—not many people would’ve done what you did. Would’ve helped me like you did. Would’ve had the inner fortitude to make it through that storm.”

Carlise wasn’t sure what to say. She simply stared at him.

“I want to know why you were out there, Carlise. Why you were lost in my backyard. What’s put that wary look in your eyes. Why, with every howl of the wind, you look as if someone’s going to storm in here and hurt you . . . despite being nowhere near Cleveland.”

Shit. She was right. This man didn’t miss much.

“But now’s not the time. I feel as if I’ve known you forever, but in actuality it’s only been a few hours since I’ve been conscious enough to know where I am and what’s going on.” He grinned slightly. “And you don’t trust me yet. I can wait until you do. I want you to talk to me, to let me help you, but I want you to want that too. Not just tell me what’s going on in your life because you feel as if you have no choice. So for now, how about we warm up, and we talk about less threatening stuff?”