Special thanks to Kanga40 for her editing and patience on this piece, and to the three or four readers who requested we do it. We hope you enjoy.
***
Cassie Ross struggled to push her way through the heavy door as the full impact of the night's events began to sink in and overwhelm her. Someone brushed past her in a hurry, not even noticing that she had tears streaming down her face. Actually, that was just fine with Cassie. She hated for anyone to see her cry. Dammit, she hated being weak enough to cry in the first place.
Finally outside in the fresh air, she paused to gather herself, angrily wiping the tears from her face. She took a deep breath and decided what her next move should be. The flashing red lights of a nearby ambulance cast an eerie glow over Cassie's already strained face as she reached into her coat pocket and grabbed her cell phone. She hated to do this – god, how she hated to do this – but she really didn't have much choice.
With a steady hand, she managed to dial her sister's home number. "Cassie? Good lord, Cassie, what time is it?" Heather answered, obviously still half asleep. Then, "What's wrong? Are you OK?"
Squeezing her eyes shut, she admitted, "I'm at the hospital. Can you come pick me up?"
"What? Oh my god, what happened? Are you OK?"
Cassie had to relive everything over again as she explained it all to her younger sister. Getting the frantic phone call from her best friend; Rushing to Andrea's house to find her beaten and bruised so badly she was barely conscious; Calling 911 and the ambulance ride to the hospital; Calling Andi's parents to explain that Pete had finally beaten Andi badly enough to put her in the hospital. Then there was the drama of convincing Andi to press charges against her husband, and finally giving a statement to the police.
Cassie would have stayed the rest of the night with her best friend, but Andi's parents had arrived not too long ago. Mrs. Patterson encouraged Cassie to go home, get some rest and come back tomorrow. It would have been no big deal if she had her car with her, but it was still sitting in front of Andrea's house, with her purse and wallet still inside. She hadn't thought much about it when she pushed herself into the ambulance with a glare at the paramedics and the lie that she was Andrea's sister. Yeah, Heather always accused Cassie of being a bit too impulsive sometimes, and yeah, occasionally Cassie could see her point. Hindsight is a bitch sometimes.
Cassie found a bench near the entrance and waited for her sister to arrive. She buried her face in her hands and tried to not cry again. Poor Andi. They'd been friends since grade school. They'd survived everything together, and now this. The worst part was, Andi still loved the bastard who did it to her. She even thought she deserved it for some reason. He'd been hitting her for months, but never as badly as tonight. Cassie had argued and yelled and cried, but nothing could convince Andi that this wasn't love. If it was, Cassie wanted no part of it, not now, not ever.
"Shit, I'm never getting married," she whispered under her breath, shaking her head and glancing around. How many other women were in this hospital tonight because their husbands had loved them the same way Pete loved Andi? With a scornful laugh, she suspected too many. Way ... too ... damn ... many!
Hell, even Heather and Jake's marriage hadn't been a picnic. Cassie had really believed her little sister's marriage would be the one that proved to her that maybe, just maybe marriage could be a good thing. What had happened? Heather herself fucked things up, that's what. She'd cheated on Jake, but amazingly enough, they'd worked things out and gotten married again a few years ago. Cassie was glad they'd gotten back together, but she wasn't holding her breath it would last. She hoped it would – god, please let it last – but that big ole realist inside her just wouldn't let her totally believe. She supposed she would always be flawed that way.
Still, she couldn't help but smile when she thought of how Heather and Jake found their way back to each other, with the help of a little cupid named Cassie, of course. It was almost out of character for her, but then again, this had been Heather and Jake. The little sister Cassie adored and the brother-in-law she'd come to love like a real brother. After seeing her sister walk around like a shell of her former self, Cassie caved in and called Jake, oh, about a year after the divorce. After much thought and creativity, and with Cassie's help, Jake had decided to put himself up for bid at a charity bachelor auction. After that, it was just a matter of Cassie convincing Heather to go ...
The problem was, thinking of that night also meant thinking of Kevin. And thinking of Kevin was a dangerous thing ...
"Hey beautiful, need a ride?"
She glanced up, startled out of her daydream. "Jake?"
Her brother-in-law smiled wryly and nodded as he approached in a pair of scruffy old jeans. He'd obviously gotten dressed in a hurry, but he still looked as cute as a button. "We didn't have anyone to watch the kid. We weren't sure what the situation was with Pete, so I insisted on coming alone. You OK?"
She nodded, but seeing the look on her face, he ordered, "Come here, you."
Grateful for a hug, she let herself accept the gesture of comfort - something else she rarely did. Touching was okay if you were naked, hot and horny with the opposite sex, but anything else ... hell no. Cassie just wasn't a touchy-feely sorta person.
This, however, was different. Tonight, she really needed it.
"So, how is she?" Jake asked when she pulled away, needing her space again. Cassie shrugged. "A few broken ribs, fractured arm, broken jaw. Doctors say she'll be OK – eventually."
Jake swore under his breath. "Bastard. Where is he? I hope the police have him rotting in a cell already."
"He wasn't there when I got to their house. The police said they're putting out a warrant for him, but if they can't find him tonight, it could be as late as Monday when he shows up for work before they get him," she explained, grateful when they reached his car so she was able to sit down again. Damn, she was tired. She sighed. "I need to go pick up my car. It's at their house."
She saw Jake's jaw clench tightly as he put the key in the ignition. "Then I suppose it's a good thing I came and not Heather. Maybe we'll get lucky. If he's home we can take turns beating the hell out of the creep."
Cassie smiled, liking the idea and liking Jake even more for saying it. Heather really had lucked out, she thought. Too bad Jake didn't have a twin, or an available brother she could sink her hooks into.
Of course, as her conscience reminded her, he did have an eligible best friend – Kevin. At least, last she knew, he was still eligible. For all Cassie really knew, Kevin could be married by now, or living with someone. She had to close her eyes at the sharp little sting that particular thought gave her. She really needed to see a shrink, she told herself. What? She didn't want Kevin, but she didn't want anyone else to have him? What the hell is that all about? Besides, it was a few years since they'd had their little fling. He probably didn't even remember her name by now.
Man, she wished she had a cigarette. She'd given it up a couple of years ago though. Nasty habit. She'd taken up yoga instead. Yeah, as if being able to wrap your legs around your neck could give you the buzz same as nicotine. What the hell had she been thinking, she mused, a tad crankily. Damn Kevin. She always got cranky when she thought about him. Not to mention all the rest of this shit she'd had to deal with tonight.
Laying her head against the window beside her, she closed her eyes and let herself remember, the way she sometimes did when she was feeling down and lonely, exactly what had happened the night she met Kevin Cooper.
***
"What the--!" Cassie hissed under her breath, momentarily fumbling with the envelope of money in one hand when she got her first look at the "ugly as sin" friend Jake had begged her to put out of his misery. She was to do this by bidding on him during the Valentine's bachelor auction Jake himself was participating in. "'Ugly as sin' my ass," Cassie breathed as she eyed the man on stage.
She listened to the auctioneer boast his assets – " ex-Marine, manages a sporting supply company and sidelines as an adventures tour guide". Cassie took a casual peek to see how much money was in the envelope. Jake had given it to her and said to use it all since it was going to charity. She pursed her lips and blew a silent whistle, estimating there was still close to two thousand left, even after what Heather had taken out to bid on Jake. From the sound of things, Cassie might need that much – if she decided to bid, that is.
As soon as the auctioneer had started the bidding, the women in the audience swarmed the stage like sharks. "Impressive", Cassie thought. Not even five minutes had gone by, and – what was his name, Kevin? – had already surpassed Jake's price. Well, she supposed, he was better looking than Jake in a 'Ken doll' sort of way. His dark hair was close-cropped, military-style, and he had the face of one of those guys you often saw on the cover of romance novels. Nice build. Muscular, but lean, she guessed from her distance. Nice package, sure, but what about the inside? Then again, he obviously had a sense of humor. He was playing up to the crowd, spinning around, lowering his jacket with a teasing look over his shoulder, and doing a little dance across the stage.
The guy was smiling and lapping up the attention and, once or twice, she could have sworn he looked her way. Cassie began to wonder if he and Jake had planned this. Was the poor dear expecting her to jump in with his friend's money and spare him from a fate worse than death, lest he be bought by an old hag with no front teeth? Was it all a setup? Hmmm, yes, she suspected it was, now that she thought about it.
Cassie didn't consider herself beautiful – in fact, there were far more attractive women in this room tonight – but she did consider herself a step above the trashy-looking bleached blonde currently trying so hard to win this ex-Marine. Cassie came here tonight to help get Heather and Jake together, but now that she was here, and having seen so many hot guys up for grabs, she was feeling a bit ... well, horny. She hadn't gotten laid in probably a year and she figured she was about due.
Cassie could really have fun with this, she decided, already enjoying watching this Kevin guy sweat a little. She gave only a smile and a friendly little wave in reply to his increasingly desperate looks in her direction. She made a point of tapping the envelope full of cash against her knee so he could see it, yet she made no move to make a bid.
Four hundred and fifty dollars. Five hundred! The bidding continued as Cassie continued her flirtatious will-I-or-won't-I stare down with Jake's handsome friend. Once or twice, she pretended to yawn and look away bored, but every time she returned her gaze his way, he was watching her. He was smiling – he had a great smile, she decided – and looked as if he couldn't wait to get her alone so he could – strangle her? He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she had to laugh. Ah, why the hell not? After bidding got close to eight hundred dollars, Cassie got a real thrill from finally, casually calling out, "Seventeen hundred dollars," in a voice that suggested they could take it or leave it and it wouldn't matter either way to her.
