A twig snapped somewhere in the trees in the direction from which Riley had come, and she jerked upright, her eyes taking on that frantic look again.
"He's s-still out there."
Daniel pulled her close, gently cradling her in his arms. He shot Robert a look that said you'd-better-take-care-of-this-guy-once-and-for-all-before-I-do.
"Where's Ainsworth, Ri?" Robert's hand hovered over his gun.
"He was several yards behind me." She stared at the blood on her hands. "I-I stabbed him."
"Good." Daniel couldn't help the outburst. He was glad Riley had the courage to defend herself and managed to inflict a little pain on her attacker.
"Is he armed?" Robert asked.
"No, I don't think so."
"Don't let her out of your sight." Riley's brother gave him a hard look then took off into the trees.
Daniel's heart rate finally settled down as Riley buried her face against his chest. He cupped the back of her head. "Where are you hurt, Pockets?"
"I'm...I'm not injured," she whispered into his shirt.
Daniel didn't miss the way she changed his words. She may not be hurt physically, but he doubted she could say the same about her mental and emotional state.
"Are you sure?" He pressed his cheek to her temple. "Did he— Did he ra—" Bile filled his mouth, and he couldn't say the word that made his stomach churn.
"No."
Oh, thank you, Lord!
It wouldn't have affected how he felt about her, but that kind of trauma could take Riley years to overcome.
A shout came from the woods, followed by scuffling noises and more shouting.
Daniel and Riley both froze, listening intently.
"On your feet, Ainsworth!" Robert's voice carried clearly through the trees. "You've racked up quite the list of felonies today. Don't even think Daddy's money and influence is going to get you off this time."
Daniel continued to hold Riley right there in the middle of the road, waiting for Robert to bring Riley's attacker into view. Powerful emotions built in his chest, stealing his breath again, anger and contempt, disgust and hatred.
Did Robert have more than one set of handcuffs? He'd need them after he dragged Daniel off Ainsworth.
"Daniel," Robert's voice again came from the trees. "I don't want Riley to have to face this jerk again. Take her down the road about fifty yards to that path that cuts over to the south side of the lake. My family's cabin is only about a quarter of a mile away. I need to call for backup to help process Ainsworth's house. Then I'll tell Jake to bring my mom to come meet you guys at the cabin."
A flash of disappointment shot through Daniel, but it was probably best that he not face Ainsworth today. "Okay."
Without speaking, he and Riley turned and walked down the road. He kept an arm around her shoulders, and thankfully, she stayed close to his side. A deep-seated need to comfort her filled him, but her quiet, stoic expression told him she either didn't need comforting or she didn't want him to be the one to do it. He feared it was the latter.
They made the trek along the algae and pine scented trail in silence. Daniel kept wishing she would talk to him, but Riley had a lot of processing to do, so he stayed quiet, waiting until she was ready. When they finally reached the cabin, Riley pulled away from him and huddled in the corner of the sofa, her arms wrapped around her knees.
He recalled how the two of them snuggled on that very sofa only a few weeks ago, watching a movie. The woman who fell asleep in his arms that afternoon looked so very different from the frightened victim who sat there now.
Daniel sat near her yet was careful to give her the space she seemed to need. "What can I do for you, Pockets?"
"Nothing." She shook her head, then rubbed her forehead with trembling fingers. "Did you know the Ainsworth's cabin was so close to ours? Did we know Collin when we were kids?"
Daniel's eyes widened.
Did we?
