Chapter Twenty-Four
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C assie set her phone down on her bed, sucking in a deep, shaky breath. Rob was out. A month ago. They’d let him out early without alerting her.
It can’t be him.
Rob was a lot of things. Charming. Good looking—at least on the surface. Charismatic.
And also selfish. Insecure. Damaged. Corrupt.
But she couldn’t imagine him having the balls to do all of this to her. Not that she doubted he would want to. But risking going back to prison just to get back at her? That alone was a stretch, even before the planning and logistics needed to orchestrate the shooting.
She thought back to those few, terrifying minutes that were seared into her brain. Had any of the shooters resembled Rob?
She hadn’t had enough time to get a good, hard look at any of them, and even then, they’d all been wearing masks. “How could he have pulled all this off,” she murmured to herself, feeling queasy. Rob might hate her for what she’d done, but to plan and organize that shooting?
She scrubbed a hand over her face, guts congealed and her mind working overtime. Her first instinct was to call Tristan.
No. That was stupid and selfish, especially after yesterday. Leaning on him now would be cruel. There was nothing he could do to help her right now anyway, except to distract her, and there was only one way that would end.
Them naked and all over each other.
She dragged a hand through her hair, trying to figure out what the hell to do next.
She’d done enough damage to the people she cared about here.
Had dragged Tristan into her mess, had nearly gotten Bristol arrested because of it.
She didn’t want Tristan, Bristol or her mom pulled any deeper into this and wind up being collateral damage.
This whole situation was also seriously affecting her job and reputation within CPS. They’d been good to her. Gone above and beyond to help and protect her, try to shield her from all of this.
Now her toxic personal past was directly impacting everyone around her.
She felt like her life was crumbling under her feet.
Everything she’d built here was slipping away.
People were talking. The town was small, and in spite of what Ivy said, everyone at CPS must be getting tired of the bullshit and drama by now.
Even Tristan, no matter how much he seemed to care about her. He and his family had already been through way too much to get to today. She didn’t want to bring them any more danger.
“Think, Cass. Slow down and think .”
But there was only one solution she could find.
It seemed so unfair that she had to leave the place she’d come to love so much. Where the hell was she supposed to go if she left? And the thought of leaving Bristol gutted her. Bristol...and Tristan.
A sharp pain speared deep under her ribs. She winced, wrapped her arms around herself.
She was so deep in her misery she jumped when her doorbell pealed. Inwardly she groaned, considered ignoring whoever it was. When it rang again, she got up, was just leaving her room when she heard the front door unlocking.
“Honey? It’s just me.”
Her mother.
Cassie summoned the last of her inner strength. She didn’t want her to worry more. “Hi, Mom.”
Her mom stopped on the rug in the entryway, her gaze sweeping over her. “What’s wrong?” A demand, not a question.
Okay, so she was apparently shit at hiding her feelings. Her smile fell. She felt so alone. So lost. “It... There’ve been some developments in the investigation.”
Her mom frowned. “What is it? They can’t charge you with possessing drugs. That’s insane, and you said they caught the guy planting them on camera—”
“It’s not that. Well, it’s related to that.” She sighed, gestured to the couch.
Her mom perched on one end of it, watching her. She was about to turn seventy but looked a decade younger with her always elegant appearance, her neatly styled silver hair a striking contrast to her deep brown eyes. Eyes that were locked on Cassie in concern. “Go on.”
“They think it’s someone I testified against in Vegas.”
Her mother’s eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown. “A police officer?”
Cassie nodded. Wondered how much to say.
Her mom’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “There’s something more you’re not telling me.”
She drew a deep breath. Let it out slowly. “They’re thinking it could be my ex.”
“Rob?”
She nodded, feeling sick with shame. How could she ever have loved him?
“No.” Her mom’s eyes widened. “He’s in prison.”
“Not anymore, apparently.”
“Is he here?” Her jaw flexed, dark eyes flashing fire. “In the area?”
“They don’t know. They’re still trying to find him.”
Her mom got up and started pacing, rage pouring off her in tangible waves. “That bastard. That fucking bastard , coming after you—”
“Mom. Please sit. You’re making me even more anxious.”
She immediately stopped, gathered herself, and came back over to sit down again. Huffed out a hard breath. “I hate him.”
“Me too.” And her mother didn’t even know what he’d actually done. It was enough that he’d hurt her baby girl.
“The people at your office are aware?”
“Yes.” Walker would know by now. He would tell Ryder and Callum. Maybe Tristan after that? She cringed at the thought.
“Shouldn’t they be giving you protection?”
“I’m sure they’ll talk to me—”
“What about your friend you work with all the time? Tristan. He would look out for you, wouldn’t he?”
Cassie went silent. Opened her mouth to say something. Closed it. Yes, he would look out for her. But at what cost to them both?
Her mom started to frown again, then paused. “Ohhh, is he... He’s more than a friend.”
Shit. Her face flushed hot. “He’s...”
“It’s clear you think a lot of him. Bristol says he’s really handsome and that he has a twin. An identical twin? And you’ve always made him seem like he’s a good person.”
“He is.” One of the best she’d ever known. But she’d thought that of Rob, too. And now he might be out there looking for a way to end her.
“Then why the but?”
“It’s really complicated and confusing.”
“Why? Because you work together?”
“Yes, and...other stuff.” Personal stuff she didn’t want to get into. Things she was too ashamed to tell her.
A beat of silence passed while her mom studied her. “You mean things from your past. Because deep down, you don’t trust yourself when it comes to romantic relationships.”
Cassie looked at her in surprise. Didn’t answer. Didn’t know what the hell to say, caught off guard by her mother’s unnerving and completely unexpected insight.
She sighed. “I’ll take partial responsibility for that.”
Okay, what? Who was this person, and what had she done with her mother?
Her mom shook her head at her. “Cassie. It’s no secret that you and I have both made not-so-healthy decisions with men in the past. And that we both tolerated lots of things we shouldn’t have while we were with them.
The truth is, you probably chose that sort of man because of your dad walking out on us.
..and also probably because you saw me stay with toxic partners for all those years. ”
Ho-lyyyyy shit. She barely kept her mouth from falling open. She never—literally never— thought she would hear those words from her mother. “Maybe,” she allowed, feeling uncomfortable.
“Don’t look so shocked. You don’t think I’ve worried about you repeating the cycle because of my poor example?
” Her mom continued, apparently on a roll now.
“But dammit, Cass, it doesn’t have to be like that for you anymore.
You and I are both survivors, and it is possible to learn from mistakes and change things for the better.
Look at me now, married to a kind, responsible, and financially sound man who adores me and treats me right and loves you like you’re his own.
If I can change and find that after four decades of horrible relationships, then you can too. ”
Cassie continued to stare at her, still stunned. But then a grin tugged at the edge of her mouth and grew until her teeth were showing. Her day had turned to shit the instant she’d heard about Rob, but this... This was incredible.
“What?” her mom said.
She shook her head. In wonder. In awe. “Thank you for saying all that. I’m really proud of the person you’ve become. And you’re right. I can make changes. I have changed.”
Her mom sniffed and picked at an imaginary piece of fluff from her crisp black slacks. “I am right sometimes.”
“Yes, you are.” She grinned again.
Her mom raised her eyebrows, giving her an impatient look. “Well, what are you waiting for? Call him. Tristan,” she added for clarification, then settled back into the cushions and flapped her hands at her expectantly. “Go ahead.”
Yeah, okay. Maybe she would.
But this wasn’t a conversation she was having in front of her mother.
She got up and went to her room as she dialed his number, aware of a strange little flutter deep in her stomach, the rush of her pulse in her ears. The nerves pricking the pit of her stomach, warning her not to do this, that something terrible would happen if she let him in any further.
She ignored that voice, shut the door, and sat on the edge of her bed while the phone rang.
“This is Tristan,” his deep voice answered. “Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP.”
“Hey, it’s...me.” She cleared her throat, irrationally disappointed that he hadn’t picked up. “I just heard from Ivy. Can you come over to talk? There are some things I need to tell you.”
She ended the call and lowered her phone to her lap with a sigh, a sudden wave of exhaustion hitting her. This whole thing was surreal. If Rob were here, would he have the guts to come after her himself? Or would he try to keep his hands and nose clean by using others to do his dirty work?
Either way, she would be ready.