Rhett must've still been half-asleep; he was still too lost in his own thoughts and still trying to clear the haze from his mind when the other man walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The sudden contact and appearance of someone else knocked him out of his own head--he almost jumped out of his skin as well as yelping in surprise, though this time not nearly with as much fear in his voice.
Reflexively he reached to grab the stranger's hand, his immediate coherent thought was that someone was trying to hurt him, and the tired, fuzzy expression on his face hardened into an intense glare when he looked into his eyes.