Cutter's Lady by Candace Camp

Author:Candace Camp [Camp, Candace & Camp, Candace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clutch Books LLC
Published: 2020-10-04T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Though Cutter’s kiss was short and rather chaste, raw jealousy stabbed Leslie. Immediately she struggled to suppress it. It couldn’t be jealousy, she thought; she didn’t care about Cutter or his girlfriends. She was simply tired and disgruntled from the long, nerve-racking drive and still angry with Cutter for using her as a cover for his other, nefarious activities. Leslie wondered how the pretty, fresh-faced woman was involved. She didn’t look like someone to be embroiled in shady dealings.

The woman stepped back a little from Cutter, holding him at arm’s length to look at him. “Well, you seem none the worse for wear. You’re earlier than we expected.” She gave him another brief hug. “I’m so happy to see you. Every time you make this trip, I worry about you more. The army’s cracked down the past few weeks.”

“So I heard in La Luz.”

He certainly hadn’t heard it anytime she was along, Leslie thought irritably, and she wondered where he had been and what he had been doing all the time he had been out of her sight in the capital city.

Now the woman turned to Leslie and smiled. “I’m sorry. I get carried away when I see Cutter. I’m glad to see he’s brought us a visitor.”

Leslie forced a smile. Cutter looped an arm around the woman’s shoulders and led her over to Leslie. He was grinning like an idiot, Leslie couldn’t help but notice. “Sorry,” he said. “Mary, this is Leslie Harper. Leslie, this is Mary Kubiak.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Leslie extended a hand, and Mary shook it in a friendly manner. Given the way she ran up and hugged Cutter, Leslie wondered why Mary wasn’t jealous of her. Yet she seemed perfectly as ease, if a trifle puzzled.

“You’re a fellow American,” Mary noted.

“Yes.”

Mary cast a short, curious glance at Cutter, then returned to Leslie. “Did Cutter bring you here to show you Dolorosa?”

“Leslie doesn’t know anything about this place,” Cutter put in. “Though I’m sure you’ll be happy to tell her all about it.”

“Of course I would. That is, if you’re interested.” She looked inquiringly at Leslie.

“She’s just the type you like, darlin’,” Cutter went on jokingly to Mary, and made a rubbing motion with his fingers that indicated money. “Leslie’s rolling in it.”

“You’re awful.” Mary jabbed him playfully in the ribs. “Actually I’d rather have a reporter.” She looked hopefully at Leslie. “I don’t suppose you write for any news outlets, do you?”

Leslie frowned and shook her head. It hurt to hear Cutter talking about her to this woman, as if Leslie were a mark he’d found for Mary. Which was no doubt exactly what she was to him—someone to exploit for this woman, whom he obviously genuinely cared for. Somehow, the pain was greater than the anger she would have expected to feel.

Smiling, Mary reached out to take Leslie’s arm and, arms linked with both of them, walked Cutter and Leslie toward the long building, chatting as she went. “First of all, we’re going to put some food into you.

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