“What did she do?”
“She threatened me,” he said. His body tensing in remembered anger, his eyes hardening right along with it.
“Threatened you? How?”
He shook his head, returning from some far away memory. “Doesn’t matter. None of it does. The only thing that matters now, Lacie, is that you are here with me, where you belong. And I’m going to take care of you. I’m going to show you, once and for all, that I am the right man for you.”
Her swift and sudden intake of breath was loud in the silence of the cabin, fighting the panic rising within her. She needed to be calm and rational. She needed to keep Craig calm and rational. He had been through so much. He was just confused. No one could be expected to go through as much as he did and emerge totally unscathed. He might think he loved her, but he was probably just projecting his feelings to someone familiar, to someone he felt comfortable with. And when they returned to Pine Ridge, she would help him seek the help he needed to work through it.
“Craig, we need to go home. Now.”
He stared at her for a long time, so long that she was forced to release the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Finally he shook his head, looking disappointed. “No, I’m sorry, Lace. I can’t do that.”
She decided to play upon his sympathy, appeal to his protective nature. “But I need help. I need to go to a hospital. You’re the only one who can help me, Craig. Please.”
“You are right about that, Lacie,” he said quietly. “I am all you need.”
He turned his back to her, rearranging some items on the tray he’d carried in earlier.
“You can’t keep me here,” she said bravely.
Craig’s shoulders slumped a little before he set them with renewed determination. He stirred her glass of juice and turned slowly. “Yes, actually, I can.”
The cold hard reality of the situation hit her like a truck. She wasn’t exactly sure of their location, but she could guess that they weren’t in close proximity to any neighbors. Even hale and hearty she’d think twice about trying to leave on her own. She was not a rugged survivalist by any means, but in her current state, striking out solo would be tantamount to suicide. She wasn’t even sure she was capable of getting out of bed on her own. How was she going to find her way home from a fishing cabin in the wilderness? Were they even still in Pennsylvania? Vague recollections of Craig mentioning fishing trips up in New York came back to her.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because,” he said, returning to sit down beside her, handing her the juice. “You need me, baby.” He pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. “And I’m going to take care of you, just like I always have.”
Lacie raised the glass to her lips, sipping at the juice. It helped a little with the incredible lump currently sitting in her throat.
“Corinne is going to be worried sick,” she said, trying for reason. “You have to let me call and let her know I’m okay.”
He smiled enigmatically, interlacing her fingers with his. “I’ve taken care of it, Lacie.”
“How?”
He shook his head, then brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. “I’ll take care of everything, baby. You just need to rest and get better. And then you’ll see.”
Chapter Seventeen
“It said what?” Shane asked carefully, certain that he had heard incorrectly.
Corinne bit her lip. “It said she was okay, not to worry. That.... that things were just happening too fast and she just needed some time to think.”
“Time to think about what?” he snapped, making her flinch.
Ian shot Shane a warning glance and moved out from behind the bar to sit next to Corinne. “What time did the text come through?” he asked gently.
“Um...” she thumbed a few keys on her cell. “Four a.m.”
“That was eight hours ago,” Shane said, his voice growing even quieter.
Corinne’s eyes filled with moisture as she looked from Shane to Ian and back again. “I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear it. I had it charging... I must have slept through it...”
“It’s okay, Corinne,” Ian said, shooting Shane another withering glance. Shane understood why. Lacie’s sister looked like she hadn’t slept in days; she should not be made to feel guilty for most likely passing out under the exhaustion and strain.
Shane knew this, but he wasn’t thinking clearly. The only thing on his mind was Lacie, getting her back safe and sound. If anyone should be able to relate to that, it was Ian; he’d been through his own personal hell.
“May I?” Ian asked. He held out his hand and Corinne placed her cell phone into it. Ian’s fingers moved faster than he could follow. After mere seconds he blew out a breath. “The call source was blocked. My guess is it was sent from a throw-away. But I might be able to trace it back through the towers based on the time frame. Probably not to a specific location, but enough to narrow down the area.”