Cruz clenched his teeth against the wave of anger as it washed through him. He sucked in cooler air as he struggled to rein in his temper. He hadn’t recognized the man, possibly because the man’s expressions through the ski mask the night before and the grimace of pain he wore today when Cruz had gotten a good look at him were vastly different. But he could understand why Lyn had recognized the grin. And he wanted to wipe the guy from the face of the earth for putting that kind of fear into her with just one expression.
“I’ll update the police.” Forte’s cool helped anchor him. “You go on and wash up or Sophie will have all our heads for not showing up to dinner.”
His heartbeat pounded in his ears, but he focused on Lyn. “They’ll handle it for now. Let me take care of you.”
Not going to think about his words too much. It was what he meant, so he said it.
The cabin he’d put her in late last night wasn’t far. Its proximity to the main building and kennels was the reason he’d given it to her in the first place.
When she fumbled at her pockets for the key, he reached up behind the lamp fixture high above the door and pulled out the spare. Once he had the door open, he kept an eye on Atlas. The dog didn’t signal that he detected any humans.
In fact, Atlas had simply walked along with Lyn calm as you please, as if he hadn’t broken training and gone after a man not so long ago.
They entered the cabin and he flipped on the light, then nudged her toward the kitchen.
Once he had her there, he turned on the brighter kitchen lighting and turned to her. “Let me get a look at your wrist.”
She held both hands out to him, palms up.
“Don’t strain your shoulder.” He tucked her left arm back in its sling. As gently as he could, he touched the angry red abrasion around her right wrist.
“He didn’t mean to do it.”
“He had other things on his mind.” Cruz agreed. She must’ve tried to hold Atlas when the dog had lunged after the intruder. Atlas had literally ripped the leash off her wrist. “Any sharp pain when I do this?”
He bent her hand at the wrist, carefully testing the range of motion.
She shook her head. “I don’t think anything is broken. Only lost a couple of layers of skin is all.”
“Well, let’s make sure it heals up quickly.” He put a hand on either side of her waist and hoisted her up—hiding a grin as she squeaked—and sat her on the kitchen counter. First of all, he liked her sound effects. Wondered what others she might have. Second, she didn’t flinch at his touch. A good sign she was recovering from the previous night’s scare even better than she might notice herself.
Atlas gave a short bark.
“Af.” Cruz watched as the dog’s ears came forward, considering. Then he lay down on his belly, head up, watching.
Dog definitely had a thing for Miss Lyn Jones. And wow had Atlas woken up. The difference between yesterday and right now was night and day.
Cruz shook his head.
“I’m sorry.” Lyn shifted on the counter.
“No. Not you.” He turned and pulled a go bag from under the sink. A quick rummage inside and he pulled out one of his personal med kits.
“What is that? How do you know where things are?” Lyn craned her neck to see around him. “Is every cabin stocked like this?”
“No.” Setting the kit on the counter beside her, he opened it up and pulled out a few supplies.
“Then how do you know where everything is?”
“This was my cabin.”
She paused. “Oh, um.”
He waved a hand toward the rest of the cabin. “It was more secure, so I put you here and I moved out to the guest cabin closer to the edge of the property.”
“But you had to move all your stuff?” She sounded uncomfortable.
“Not really. I don’t keep much aside from essentials.” He realized he was starting to scowl, but it wasn’t because she was making him angry. Why was it that the woman could be attacked twice in less than twenty-four hours, hurt both times, and worried about him having to move his stuff? “It really is okay. I prefer to be farther away from the main house anyway. Too many guests on the property once the basic obedience classes get started.”
“Okay.” She was chewing on her lower lip, still concerned.
Saying more would only make her think on it harder so he decided to drop the topic. Nice to know she did care about putting others out of their way. He’d have done it regardless, all things considered. But it made it better to not be taken for granted.
“We’re going to clean your wrist and get the blood flowing a little. Then I’ll get some antibiotic ointment on it.”
She didn’t comment. Her dubious frown made him smile though.
“Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“You’re not going to tell me it’s not going to hurt, are you?” She narrowed her eyes.
He shrugged. “It’s not gonna tickle exactly.”
“Joyful.” She held out her wrist to him.
It took less time to clean her wrist under cool running water in the sink than it had to patch up Atlas. Her skin was delicate, smooth and silken to touch. If her wrist was this soft, he couldn’t help but wonder about other, more tender places.
Nope. Keep on task, he ordered himself. He patted the area dry and spread the antibiotic cream over the abrasion as gently as he could.