Page 18 of Cutter's Hope

“You fuck him yet?”

I blinked, “Who Cutter?”

“No, the Pope! Uh, yeah, the Captain.”

“Why have you?”

“Once upon a time.”

“Interesting.” I pondered that.

“You going to answer the question?”

“Oh, no.”

She rolled her eyes exasperated, “No, you’re not going to answer or no, you haven’t fucked him?” she asked.

I gave her my trademark, sarcastic coy little smile and looked at her demurely through my lashes. She looked at me, eyes narrowed and tried to decide if I was fucking with her which I was, I smiled at her. I liked her, so I answered honestly.

“No,” I said.

She nodded thoughtfully, “My unsolicited advice, Darlin’?” I cocked my head to the side.

“Don’t. Cutter likes a challenge, to conquer, and once he’s done that? He loses interest, fast. I like you, you’re pretty badass and can hold your own with this pack of jokers. I would hate to see you doing the walk of shame out of town like all the others.”

I sighed and dug through my purse for my pack of gum. “I thought he wasn’t the love ‘em and leave ‘em type,” I said.

“That what he told you?” she asked. I unwrapped a stick of gum and just looked at her, shoving it past my lips, the cool minty flavor scrubbing the inside of my mouth clean.

She snorted, “It is, isn’t it? Well he wasn’texactly, lying. Cutter doesn’t lie. He just doesn’t tell the truth either.” I raised an eyebrow at that.

“He doesn’t ever love them, he just fucks them, then leaves them, or really just sends them on their way. Except for Li’l Bit. She got him but good,” she smiled and it held a flicker of savage glee that was quickly overtaken by lines of regret that morphed into a shadow of anger, all within like a three second span. It was actually kind of fascinating to watch.

“I sense there’s a story and a half there,” I said and tried to sound casual.

“You’d be right,” she said, but much to my disappointment didn’t expand on anything, instead she changed the subject. We spoke amicably the rest of the trip into town, but my wheels were turning. Mostly on Cutter’s reaction at the bowling alley. It was telling and it didn’t tell me anything I wanted to hear. I had a seriously sinking feeling and I really didn’t want what my gut was telling me to be true.

Hossler dropped me off where I was staying and waved through the open window of the beastly Land Rover.

“Beach party tonight, you should come! Just look for the bonfire!” she called and pulled around the circular drive and out onto the street. I stared after her thinking hard, before going up to my room. I showered and changed into some white shorts and a light, peach tank top made out of silk. The dress needed to be washed, the back smudged with dust from the wall Cutter had pressed me to in the bowling alley. I swept my long hair up into a tight bun and wrapped it in a hair tie before tucking my bangs across my forehead and behind one ear.

I was just finishing putting on my face when my phone started ringing. I looked at it. Unknown caller. I answered it anyways, “This is Hope…”

“Hey Sweetheart,” Cutter’s voice purred through the line.

“How’d you get this number?”

“I got my ways,” he said and I found myself nodding even though he couldn’t see it.

“Uh huh… So what happens now?” I asked.

“Hossler tell you about the bonfire?”

“Yeah.”

“Come see me,” he intoned.

“You going to feed me some more lies? A bunch of half-truths?” I asked. I didn’t want to aggravate him but I was tired of spinning my wheels in the soft sand of Ft. Royal, Florida. This wasn’t a game. This was my sister and I wanted her back.

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