“And I’m not willing to risk turning you over to a monster who will extract the information he needs and then torture you to death!” he said brutally. “He’ll do it, Mattie. Not only because he enjoys it, but because he knows it will be a way to get back at me for sleeping with Monique.”
He stared at her, his eyes furious and intense. For the first time Mattie realized he was not simply afraid. He was terrified. Not for himself, but for her. Unable to keep herself from it, she reached for him.
“I’m afraid, too, Cutter.”
“Then listen to me. Trust me on this.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
He pulled her against him, held her tight. “Let me keep you safe.”
But when he pulled her closer, the dynamics of the situation changed. Mattie knew the moment was about to spiral out of control. There was too much intensity. Too many emotions. All of it about to explode. Before she could draw away, his mouth found hers. He tasted of desperation and fear. She returned his kiss, letting her own emotions take control.
He made love to her like there was no tomorrow. For Mattie there wasn’t. All they had was this small, precious moment in time. She knew it was fleeting. She reveled in it, clung to it.
Because first chance she got she was going to walk away and stop The Jaguar herself.
Chapter Thirteen
Cutter waited until she was asleep before rising. He shut the bedroom door and went into the living room. With a heavy heart he picked up the phone.
Martin Wolfe answered on the first ring. “Where the hell are you?”
“In a safe place.”
“Do you have Mattie Logan?”
“I’ve got her.”
“Where are you? I’ll have a couple of agents pick her up.”
Cutter hesitated. “Martin, something isn’t right about this case.”
“What are you talking about?” Wolfe asked cautiously.
“I’m talking about Mattie Logan.”
“What about her?”
“I think someone else may be involved.”
“Cutter, you’re making me very uneasy.”
“She didn’t do it.”
Wolfe made a rude sound. “Stop right there.”
“The person who sold the EDNA plans to The Jaguar is still out there.”
“And you know this how?”
Cutter knew what the other man would think. Hating it that he would be partially right. “We were holed up for a couple a days under difficult circumstances. The information she gave me is credible.”
“You believe her.”
“Yes.”
A sigh hissed over the line. “Tell me you did not cross a line with her.”
Now it was Cutter’s turn to remain silent.
“Oh, for God’s sake! You slept with her?”
Another long, uncomfortable silence.
Wolfe cursed. “You were the one operative I figured I could count on to do this right!”
“I brought her in.”
“What you brought in is a potential lawsuit against the agency. For God’s sake, Sean, she could make all sorts of claims against you. It could affect a case that took federal prosecutors months to put together.”
“She won’t.”
Wolfe laughed, but it was a cynical sound. “The shrink warned me you weren’t ready to go back into the field. I should have listened.”
“She didn’t do it, Martin. I’m going to prove it.”
“Let the judicial system take care of Logan. I want you to concentrate on bringing in The Jaguar. This is the closest we’ve been to him since…”
“Since he nearly tortured me to death,” Cutter finished brutally.
“He needs to be stopped.”
“I’ll get him.”
“You could use Logan to smoke him out.”
“No.”
“That bastard needs her. He’s not going to kill her.”
“I’m not going to put a civilian in that kind of danger.”
“She put herself in danger.”
Cutter scrubbed a hand over his jaw, aware that he hadn’t shaved for two days. “I’ll think of something else,” he said.
“She’s your best bet and you know it,” Wolfe said.
“She’s been through enough.”
Wolfe swore. “Where are you?”
Knowing if he wanted to keep Mattie safe, he didn’t have a choice but to send her back, Cutter closed his eyes, hating what he had to do. “I’m at the Chateau Maurier in Silver Lake. In Alberta.”
“I can have two U.S. Marshalls there in a couple of hours.”
“What about jurisdiction?”
“You know I can take care of any jurisdiction or extradition problem with one phone call.” Wolfe paused. “Two hours, Sean.”
“I’ll be here,” Cutter said and disconnected.
MATTIE STOOD at the bedroom door and listened as Cutter gave the man on the other end of the phone line their location. She couldn’t believe he was going to turn her over to the authorities after everything they’d been through. Was he doing it because he cared for her and wanted to keep her safe as he claimed? Or had she been a fool and let him use her in the worse possible way a man could use a woman?