The Cutler Brothers Series
| Excerpt |
Book One - Cade
Cade closed his notebook and slipped it into the
inside pocket of his suit jacket. “We’ll look into it,
Ms. Barnett, and get back to you,” he said, getting to
his feet.
Riley did the same, her frown deepening. “How are
you going to look into it? Will you be posting
Marshals outside my apartment building then?” She
really hoped so; she hadn’t slept well the past
couple of nights.
He inclined his head. “If we determine that you’re
in danger, then you’ll be given protection,” he told
her. “But I don’t think you have anything to be
concerned about. As I said, a lot of people own black
SUV’s.”
Riley stared at him in disbelief. Did she have to end
Cade closed his notebook and slipped it into the
inside pocket of his suit jacket. “We’ll look into it,
Ms. Barnett, and get back to you,” he said, getting to
his feet.
Riley did the same, her frown deepening. “How are
you going to look into it? Will you be posting
Marshals outside my apartment building then?” She
really hoped so; she hadn’t slept well the past
couple of nights.
He inclined his head. “If we determine that you’re
in danger, then you’ll be given protection,” he told
her. “But I don’t think you have anything to be
concerned about. As I said, a lot of people own black
SUV’s.”
Riley stared at him in disbelief. Did she have to end
up at the bottom of some river somewhere before they believed her? She opened her mouth to
argue, but Cade Cutler was already walking toward the door.
Annoyed, she followed after him. “How will you know if there really is a threat from the SUV if
there’s no one here to see it?” she persisted.
In the small entryway, he turned to give her a placating smile. “Like I said, we’ll look into it.”
She folded her arms to glare at him. “You’re not going to do a damn thing, are you?” she said
sharply. “Now that you people have already gotten my testimony, you couldn’t care less about
what happens to me.”
His jaw tightened. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, ignoring what she’d just said as he turned to
leave. He was just reaching for the doorknob when the greeting cards on the table along the
wall caught his eye.
Riley watched in confusion as he picked one up and read it, and then did the same to another
and another. But before she could ask what he was doing, he turned to fix her with a hard look.
“What the hell are these?” he demanded, holding up the cards.
Her brow furrowed. “Birthday cards,” she said, her tone implying that it should have been
obvious to him.
“I can see that!” he growled. “But this one’s from your mother! And these,” he added, gesturing
with the others, “are from the rest of your family!"
She shrugged. “Duh! Who do you think sends birthday cards?”
His eyes narrowing, Cade tossed the stack of birthday cards back onto the table and strode
toward her. “How about, duh, you’re in the Witness Protection Program! Which means that you’
re not supposed to tell anyone where you are. That includes your family! You’re so worried
about your identity being compromised, and here you are broadcasting it to the world!”
Ignoring the implied insult, Riley lifted her chin to glare up at him. “My mother would never
tell anyone where I am,” she told him coldly. “And neither would any of my sisters.”
His brows drew together. “Really? How reassuring,” he scoffed. “What about the people that
might be snooping through your family’s mail to find out where you are? Have you thought
about that?”
She frowned at the words, wondering if that could be true, but then told herself it was
ridiculous. Nobody, not even Albert Donatti, the main mobster she had testified against, would
bother with digging through the mail just to find her. Besides, even if he had, her family had
addressed the envelopes to her new name.
Riley gave Cade another shrug. “That would be impossible because my mom and my sisters
didn’t put my real name on the envelope,” she said. “I’m not stupid, you know!”
“That’s debatable,” he retorted. “So, how many relatives does your family have that live across
the country?”
She gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?”
He held up the card from her mother. “It doesn’t matter what the name on the envelope says,”
he told her. “The card says Happy Birthday to My Daughter on the front. I think people will
figure out that it’s you.”
Before she could say anything, he added, “I’m going to have to call my boss and let him know
about this.”
“Good,” she muttered. “Because I want to talk to him, too. That way I can tell him that you don’
t know what the hell you’re doing, and that he needs to send someone out here who does!”
At her words, Cade paused in the act of reaching into his pocket for his cell phone, his eyes
narrowing. “Okay, that does it!” he growled.
Riley braced herself for another one of his snide comments, and was totally surprised when
Cade grabbed her by the arm and marched her over to the couch instead.
“What are you...?” she began as he sat down, but the rest of what she’d been going to say came
out in a rush of air as he gave her arm a quick tug that sent her tumbling headlong over his
knee.
Riley was so stunned that she simply lay there draped over his lap as she tried to catch her
breath. When she finally came to her senses a moment later, it was to push herself upright, but
a strong hand on her back held her down. What the hell was he doing?
Outraged, she turned to glare over her shoulder at him, only to let out a startled gasp when
she felt his hand come down hard on her jean-clad bottom. Oh my God, the brute was
spanking her!
argue, but Cade Cutler was already walking toward the door.
Annoyed, she followed after him. “How will you know if there really is a threat from the SUV if
there’s no one here to see it?” she persisted.
In the small entryway, he turned to give her a placating smile. “Like I said, we’ll look into it.”
She folded her arms to glare at him. “You’re not going to do a damn thing, are you?” she said
sharply. “Now that you people have already gotten my testimony, you couldn’t care less about
what happens to me.”
His jaw tightened. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, ignoring what she’d just said as he turned to
leave. He was just reaching for the doorknob when the greeting cards on the table along the
wall caught his eye.
Riley watched in confusion as he picked one up and read it, and then did the same to another
and another. But before she could ask what he was doing, he turned to fix her with a hard look.
“What the hell are these?” he demanded, holding up the cards.
Her brow furrowed. “Birthday cards,” she said, her tone implying that it should have been
obvious to him.
“I can see that!” he growled. “But this one’s from your mother! And these,” he added, gesturing
with the others, “are from the rest of your family!"
She shrugged. “Duh! Who do you think sends birthday cards?”
His eyes narrowing, Cade tossed the stack of birthday cards back onto the table and strode
toward her. “How about, duh, you’re in the Witness Protection Program! Which means that you’
re not supposed to tell anyone where you are. That includes your family! You’re so worried
about your identity being compromised, and here you are broadcasting it to the world!”
Ignoring the implied insult, Riley lifted her chin to glare up at him. “My mother would never
tell anyone where I am,” she told him coldly. “And neither would any of my sisters.”
His brows drew together. “Really? How reassuring,” he scoffed. “What about the people that
might be snooping through your family’s mail to find out where you are? Have you thought
about that?”
She frowned at the words, wondering if that could be true, but then told herself it was
ridiculous. Nobody, not even Albert Donatti, the main mobster she had testified against, would
bother with digging through the mail just to find her. Besides, even if he had, her family had
addressed the envelopes to her new name.
Riley gave Cade another shrug. “That would be impossible because my mom and my sisters
didn’t put my real name on the envelope,” she said. “I’m not stupid, you know!”
“That’s debatable,” he retorted. “So, how many relatives does your family have that live across
the country?”
She gave him a confused look. “What are you talking about?”
He held up the card from her mother. “It doesn’t matter what the name on the envelope says,”
he told her. “The card says Happy Birthday to My Daughter on the front. I think people will
figure out that it’s you.”
Before she could say anything, he added, “I’m going to have to call my boss and let him know
about this.”
“Good,” she muttered. “Because I want to talk to him, too. That way I can tell him that you don’
t know what the hell you’re doing, and that he needs to send someone out here who does!”
At her words, Cade paused in the act of reaching into his pocket for his cell phone, his eyes
narrowing. “Okay, that does it!” he growled.
Riley braced herself for another one of his snide comments, and was totally surprised when
Cade grabbed her by the arm and marched her over to the couch instead.
“What are you...?” she began as he sat down, but the rest of what she’d been going to say came
out in a rush of air as he gave her arm a quick tug that sent her tumbling headlong over his
knee.
Riley was so stunned that she simply lay there draped over his lap as she tried to catch her
breath. When she finally came to her senses a moment later, it was to push herself upright, but
a strong hand on her back held her down. What the hell was he doing?
Outraged, she turned to glare over her shoulder at him, only to let out a startled gasp when
she felt his hand come down hard on her jean-clad bottom. Oh my God, the brute was
spanking her!
© Paige Tyler and ABCD Webmasters, 2007
