Page 37 of Cutter

“You have your hands full. Did she see the light?”

“She had no choice. I made her see it. How long will that peace last? Time will tell.” Cutter shrugged. “Plus, Emily’s previous so-called Caregiver hurt her badly. The guy was an asshole, so she’s skittish and wary.”

“Are you sure about this? Sounds complicated.”

“Yeah, it’s complicated,” Cutter said. “But she’s also beautiful, sweet and sexy, and smart as a whip. I’m not leaving her. Emily fits me, man. She makes me smile. She belongs with me, and I’m not walking, no matter how difficult or stubborn she gets. I’m her Daddy.”

Blade chuckled. “Well, there’s the determined Dominant speaking. You’ll get a handle on the situation.”

“It’ll take a while. There’s lots to discuss and learn from each other. I want her to submit willingly, not have to browbeat her into it. I also don’t want to become her emotional crutch.” Cutter shook his head. “Tonight, she wanted me to stay for sex, but it was too much too soon. She’s not there yet.”

“I understand,” Blade said. “It’s tricky with Littles and Middles. Jumping into bed right away could hurt the relationship instead of helping. Their needs aren’t the same as adults. You’re better off taking it slow. Figure out her age. She could be a young Middle, and that’s way different from an older teen. If you have questions, I’ll help you as much as I can. I’m friends with a couple of guys like me who’ve married Littles.” Blade sighed. “I tell you, Littles are demanding and a constant challenge, but they’re so worth the effort. Being a Daddy will show you things about yourself you didn’t know at all. It’s quitea trip. I wouldn’t fucking change what I have with Cel for all the money in the world. I mean it.”

“I know you do, and I appreciate the offer. Something tells me I’ll be bugging you all the time.”

“At the beginning, you will.” Blade pushed from the banister and walked to the steps. “Ready to go home?”

“Yep. I promised Emily I’d call when I got home,” he said, following his friend down the steps.

Cutter laughed under his breath when Blade pulled out his bike. The ride home was going to be different. He couldn’t remember the last time he rode on the back seat of a bike, if ever.

Emily settled against her propped pillows, holding the Chaos file she’d taken home in one hand and her laptop computer open on her thighs. Under different circumstances, she wouldn’t remove a file from the office, but this was her baby, and the complete privacy her apartment offered couldn’t be denied. After a lot of back and forth with the captain, he’d agreed.

She penciled short notes on the document’s margin with the names of the Oquendo men at the saloon. Later, she would add the information to her computer program and the physical report. First, she wanted to run a quick facial recognition search. Cross-referencing her information with the government’s official records gave her a measure of certainty. After her brief visual of the Oquendo men and the names Cutter confirmed, she was convinced they were on the right track with these guys. The connection between the Chaos and the Oquendo cartel was right there. Only, keeping accurate records and documents was a must. The one surprising detail was the rankings. Rulo was low in the hierarchy, probably a bodyguard, because Chema wasa regional lieutenant. That he exposed himself so openly in the United States still mystified her.

Satisfied with her findings, she continued clicking down into the rabbit hole when her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Immediately, her heart skipped a beat, and she pushed aside cartels and criminal elements. Keeping his promise, Cutter was calling. One brownie point for him.

“Are you home?”

“Yes, kitten. Blade brought me back.”

“Blade?”

“Nails has put a tail on me.”

“Oh, no.”

“Don’t worry. Blade has cooked up a good plan. I left the truck in the clubhouse on purpose. From now on, I’ll ride around town on my bike, same as always. But if I want to see you, I’ll switch at the clubhouse from the bike to the truck.”

“Won’t they see when you leave?”

“The clubhouse has a side exit no outsider knows about. It leads through a residential area. I’ll go out that way.”

“I’m impressed.”

Cutter laughed, and her belly fluttered with delight. She loved hearing his deep voice and laughter.

“Thank Blade. He’s the one who came up with the idea.”

“I’ll do that when I see him.”

“Is everything okay? Ready for bed, kitten?”

“Almost. I’m going over some notes.”

“Don’t stay up too late. You’re still recovering.”

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