Page 6 of Cutter's Hope

“You’ve done your homework,” he said quietly and the mock friendliness of a moment before crystallized and snapped into something much more real. We weren’t playing anymore. Good. Faith wasn’t a game to me, she was my sister and I needed to know what happened. Dead or alive, I had to find her.

“No doubt you’ve done yours too,” I said.

“No doubt about that, Sweetheart,” he winked at me and there was a lull in the conversation.

“How do you know her?”

“Why are you looking for her?”

“I asked first.”

“Uh huh,” he dropped his arms and buried his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hitching once in that thoughtful sort of physical expression people so often do but are completely unaware of. He chewed the inside of his cheek and stared off into space for a few heartbeats before shuffling into the coffee place. He picked up his drink off the counter and shuffled right on back out. It did not go unnoticed by me that he didn’t pay and the girls behind the counter paid it no mind.

I wasn’t really surprised, I’d been around law enforcement enough to know how this worked. Small town like this? The MC probably had more clout than the local P.D. I decided to test the theory some as Cutter drew up even with me after retrieving his drink.

“Let me guess, they pay you protection money or you have some other kind of racket going on with them?” I asked. Cutter grinned and goddamn it was disarming. I’m pretty sure if I’d been wearing any, my panties would have gone up in flames.

“Ha! What kind of thing you think we got going around here? Never mind, don’t answer that,” he stepped off the curb with me as I made my way up the street, the skirt of my summer dress swishing with each step. Okay, fine,maybeI put just enough swing into my hips to make it sway. It had the desired effect though. I stopped on the opposite side of the street and turned to look at him and most definitely caught him checking me out.

“Whatdoyou have going on around here?” I asked, since he opened the door, I would walk right through, thank you very much.

“You show me yours I’ll show you mine, Sweetheart,” his voice dipped low, for my ears alone and it was one hell of a sexy sound. He compounded the sexy by stepping just inside my personal space, I looked up defiant and he looked down the few scant inches separating us. His eyes flicked from my eyes to my lips and Ialmostwanted him to go there. Goddamnthis guy was sex on a stick and it had really been too fucking long.

Hardcore attraction aside, I was always one to push my limits and to take things up a notch when challenged. I stepped just that liiiiiiittle bit closer and tipped my head backjust so, so that our lipsalmost, almost,touched. I curled the edges ofmylips into a heated, nasty little smile, and said, “I don’t give it up on the first date.”

I meant it to be a joke, a smart assed little remark because let’s face it, dry sarcastic humor and smartassery has always been my thing, but Cutter… fuck if he didn’t give me as good as he got.

The bastard smiled as if he’d won a fucking prize or something and touched the tip of his nose to the tip of mine rubbing out an adorable little Eskimo kiss. With a wink he said, “Fair enough, Sweetheart. What’re we doing?”

My brain went out to lunch without me for a second while the tip of my nose tingled from the contact, his warm, solid, energy pouring over me in a rush at our proximity, right along with the masculine scent of whatever cologne he wore. I blinked. Fuck, he got me… I wasn’t one to go back on anything I’d said when confronted with it, even if I had said it in jest. Backpedaling hadn’t, and would never be, my thing and now as a result I was at a disadvantage. I had somehow just put myself on a date with the president of a known illegal enterprise. This wasnotgoing to look stellar as a footnote on my resume but…Faith.

Fine, okay, I could let him have this if it got me closer to him opening up about what he knew about the bitch who was last seen with my sister. I took a half step back out of his personal space and his smile widened.

“Your town, why don’t you tell me? What’re we doing?” I conceded defeat for this round and kicked the shit out of myself mentally. He held out his elbow all gentlemanly like and I scoffed but looped my arm through it.

“How about a nice walk on the beach? Get to know each other some?” I looked out towards the water. I’d just run my ass off on the beach this morning, but sure. Sounded like a plan.

“Alright,” I assented and we set off at a leisurely pace in that direction sipping on our frothy blended coffees as they melted in their ecofriendly plastic cups.

4

Cutter…

Oh boy, she was a hard ass, and did I ever love a chase! I held out my arm and she hesitated, she was even prettier up close under the cloudy skies, which were still a hell of a lot brighter than the dim interior of The Plank. She finally looped her left arm through my right and I led us at a leisurely stroll across the street and towards the water. I have to admit that I lost myself a bit in her damn good looks and my mouth got away from me.

“So what brings you to our fair town of Ft. Royal?” I asked. She dug into her purse and shoved the picture of the girl from the Sacred Hearts’ Lake Run at me again.

“This girl, you seen her?” she looked at me pointedly and it wasn’t friendly.

“Nope, I already answered that.” I smiled grandly and she shoved the picture back in her purse, switching her drink back to her right hand and taking a sip.

“Well I already answered yours,” she said tartly. The sass on this woman was out of this world, but I could tell, she would skate the line if not skate right over it into disrespect, which could either be problematic, or could lead to some really fun times.

“So tell me something I don’t know, Sweetheart,” I kept my smile on my face even though I let my tone carry some bite. She looked up at me and her dark eyes flashed emotion like lightning over the water, though what emotion specifically? I couldn’t tell you. She was quick to get her shit under control. I liked that. Solid. Different, and not entirely unrefreshing. I felt a little guilty for that last thought, a pair of pained green eyes flashing out from my memory, but I quickly buried it. I wanted to know more about the enchanting creature in front of me. I already knew all there was about a woman I loved but could never have.

“I don’t know what you already know, so how about you ask a question and I’ll answer it.” Hope’s voice rattled me loose from my pattern of thought and I smiled and nodded.

“Alright, where you from then?” I asked.

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