Later, with Baxter snuggled into a mound of blankets in front of the fireplace, his belly full, Chappy sat on the couch with his arm around Carlise. She’d snuggled into him and opened a paperback book from his shelf. They’d been reading like that, cuddled up together under another fluffy blanket, for at least an hour.
It was taking all of Chappy’s self-control not to rip the book out of her hands and throw her down on the cushions to have his wicked way with her. But Bob had been right—he needed to tell her about the cameras.
“I have to tell you something,” Chappy blurted.
She closed her book and looked up at him. “It sounds serious,” she said, her brow furrowed.
“It’s not. I mean, I don’t think it’s a big deal . . . but you might.”
“What is it?”
“I have cameras,” he said bluntly. “For protection.”
Carlise nodded. “That’s probably smart. This cabin isn’t exactly on the beaten path, and if someone wanted to break in, it’s not as if any neighbors would see and call the police.”
“Exactly. There’s nothing here that I’d care too much about if it was stolen. When I’m not here, I don’t leave any firearms or anything else that could be used to hurt someone else. But I don’t like the thought of someone in my space. This cabin is a refuge for me, and if someone were to break in, I would want to know about it.”
“I can understand that.”
“The thing is . . . the cameras aren’t just outside. They’re in here too.” Chappy held his breath as he waited for Carlise to freak out. He could see her processing what he’d just said.
She bit her lip.
“They aren’t connected to any service or anything, just an app on my phone. I’m the only one who can access them. I’ve set up a ton of security protocols, so the likelihood of someone hacking in and watching the footage is slim to none. The app holds recordings for thirty days before they’re deleted.” He was speaking fast, but he wanted her to know that he wasn’t hoarding hundreds of hours of videos or anything.
“Bob said I needed to tell you. That I’d be a dick if I didn’t. So I’m letting you know.”
She lifted her chin at that. “You aren’t a dick,” she said.
Chappy huffed out a breath. “That’s all you have to say?” he asked. “I tell you that your every move for the last week, except when you were in the bathroom, is on video and you’re more concerned about my friend calling me names?”
“Well . . . first, I’m not that surprised about the cameras. You did tell me that you’re protective. I assumed that meant protective about your stuff as well as your friends. If I’m completely honest, I’m not thrilled about being on film. But I trust you, Riggs. If you say that no one will see it but you, I believe you.”
Chappy could only stare at her for a long moment. How the hell had he gotten so lucky?
“Where are they?” she asked, looking around the room.
“One’s there,” he said, pointing to the corner across from them. “And the other’s in the corner of the kitchen, pointing into the room.”
She turned to meet his gaze once more. “Did you watch the ones from when you were sick?”
He wouldn’t lie to her, though he didn’t go into detail about how he was able to download them in order to watch. “I scanned through them. But it was more to make sure I didn’t hurt you in any way than to spy on you.”
“I didn’t take anything. Or look through your stuff.”
“I know.” They stared at each other for a long moment. “I’ll turn them off for the rest of the time you’re here,” he told her, surprising himself with the offer.
She studied him for a moment, then said, “You have them for a reason. To make you feel safe. I’m assuming your need for them is related to what happened to you.”
As usual, her insight was dead on. He shrugged. “Being held captive took away my trust in humankind for a long time. I didn’t trust anyone. The other drivers on the road, people I passed on the street, the hikers along the AT. It ate at me. I wondered who might be out to get me, what they’d take from me. Our captors stole the security I’d always took for granted. I hate them for that,” he admitted quietly.
“Don’t turn them off,” she said firmly.
“What?”
“Leave them on. I’d never want to do anything to make you feel like you did when you were a POW.”