Chapter Fourteen
By the time Cassie was finally able to relax, she was too exhausted to enjoy it.
Manny had some scrapes from rolling under the car, and he’d been hit by the gravel that had ricocheted away from Theo’s shots. Those wounds had needed to be debrided. Cassie had sustained a few injuries herself that she hadn’t really noticed at the time, mostly self-inflicted. Walls weren’t quite as easy to break through as it looked in TV, as she’d tried to explain to the nurse.
Was it ironic, that they were being treated in the same hospital as the man who’d tried to kill them? She’d asked the nurse that too, and been gently informed she was experiencing psychological shock.
Cassie would have argued, but instead she’d gone into a full-body sobbing fit for ten minutes.
Once their injuries had been treated, they’d had to speak to the police, though Tyron had let them be the ones to tell Aerope the full story, while he listened closely and took more notes. Aerope had asked only a few questions, more subdued than Cassie had ever seen her. Her husband’s murderer was a man she’d known for most of her adult life, a member of her extended family, and Arthur had been ultimately killed for such spiteful, petty reasons. But on the whole, Cassie thought, she’d taken it pretty well. When Manny had told Aerope about Chris and Julia, and the crime Theo had been so eager to conceal, she’d sat there for a long moment, and then said, “Oh, but Manny. We must find that poor boy.”
The news that Arthur hadn’t killed himself without explanation, that he hadn’t deliberately taken her sleeping pills and laid down in their bed to die… Perhaps knowing that had helped.
And Manny, who’d actually been shot at, was the calmest of all. They couldn’t go back to the house yet, so he’d booked a hotel, acquired pajamas for all three of them, and ordered hot tea, bacon and pancakes to be sent to their connected suites.
“Sugar for shock and comfort food for comfort,” he said, when Aerope wanted to know why they were eating breakfast for dinner.
And while Aerope and Cassie ate, Manny took on a task Cassie hadn’t even considered yet, and started calling various concerned parties and conveying the news before they could learn about it via the media. There was a brief moment where he had to hand his phone to Aerope so that she could order Augie not to drive up in the middle of the night, but otherwise he had everything handled.
Cassie steeled herself for a quick video chat with her family, but warned them beforehand that she could only handle a few minutes of discussion. Hecuba managed to drag the time out to twenty minutes, and then Manny said, off-screen, but loudly, “Cassie, I’m sorry, we need to answer a few more questions for the police.”
“Sorry, Mom, gotta go,” Cassie said, and cut the feed. She smiled gratefully at her boyfriend. “That was a bold-faced lie, Manfred.”
“You’re welcome, Cassandra.” He gestured towards the bathroom. “I ran you a bath.”
“Well, if I hadn’t already realized I loved you, that’d do it,” Cassie said, and tried to get off the bed. Her muscles protested viciously and she froze halfway up. “Ow. Why does everything hurt so much?”
Manny helped her off the bed. “You kicked through a wall, you badass.”
“I have regrets,” Cassie said, before honesty compelled her to add, “Not many, though.” Staying locked in that archive room another minute, not knowing what Theo was doing to Manny—that would have been even more painful. And she’d known that if she could just make it to a phone, she could get the police on their way.
“I regret making Mom put down the shotgun,” Manny said. It didn’t seem to be entirely a joke.
“Honestly, how are you being so chill about this? I’m about two seconds from screaming at any given moment.”
Manny shrugged. “It’s okay. You can be the strong one tomorrow. Tonight, let me take care of you.”
“Oh,” Cassie said, and stood still. That was it. She was so used to being the smart one, the practical, independent one who could solve other people’s problems. But she could trust Manny to do the same thing for her. She was stumbling right now, so he’d catch her. It was the easiest thing in the world. All she had to do was let him.
So she let him take her clothes off and ease her into the bath, let him scrub her aching limbs, and gently massage shampoo into her hair, working out the plaster dust that had caught in her curls. He talked as he worked, telling her that she’d done incredibly well in a terrible situation, that she’d probably saved both their lives by talking Theo into the new plan and calling the police. Cassie let him praise her for a while, and when that started to feel self-indulgent she asked him to talk about his nephew and nieces instead. He switched seamlessly into a story about Geni’s first soccer game.
Cassie floated on the sound of his voice as much as she did in the water, and felt the tension finally drain out of her.
“Hey,” Manny said quietly, sometime later, and she opened her eyes. The water had cooled, and he was supporting her head with his linked hands.
“I fell asleep,” she said, astounded, and Manny helped her out of the bath, and gave her painkillers and a glass of water. She managed to pull it together enough to climb into pajamas and brush her own teeth, and then she tumbled into bed and dropped into a deep and dreamless slumber.
She woke at some point in the night, confused and disoriented, and felt strong arms around her waist.
“You’re okay,” a voice she trusted murmured in her ear.
“I know,” Cassie said, and went back to sleep.
Around 10am, when it was clear Cassie would sleep as long as he let her, Manny went down to reception, meaning to thank them for the care they’d provided last night.
“Oh, good, Mr. Pelopson,” the concierge said. “This way, please.”
Manny was led to a storage room, ordinarily reserved for luggage. Instead, there was a table, covered in items. The Weeping Rock gossip network had evidently gone berserk.
The protocol for deaths was flowers and casseroles, and they’d been flooded with both when Arthur had died. Had been murdered, Manny internally amended. It would be a while before he could fully believe that. This time, it seemed that people weren’t quite sure what to do, but their instinctive generosity had led them towards making gestures anyway. There were flowers and fruit baskets, although no one had got as far as casseroles, or perhaps wasn’t sure if they’d be able to freeze them. There was a massive care package of toiletries and some clothes from Aerope’s library co-workers, another bag of clothes for Cassie from Steph, who was close enough to the same size, and notes and cards from people who had “heard the news.” Jacques had even left an enormous box of bon-bons, in Pie in the Sky’s distinctive packaging.
The concierge tactfully withdrew, while Manny tried not to tear up at the thoughtfulness, and then wondered how he’d get everything upstairs. Maybe he could borrow a luggage cart. He went back to the lobby to ask, and was there just in time to see the two women come striding through the door.
One of them looked very similar to Cassie, with the same pink cheeks, dark eyes, and generous proportions of her sister. Her hair was as dark and thick as Cassie’s, though she wore it in long, loose curls that flared behind her pink wool coat as she walked determined towards the desk. The other woman was a little younger, with the same exaggerated curves, but she was at least a foot taller. A real Amazon of a woman she had dark green streaks in her straight black hair, and Manny thought a fair amount of her bulk was probably muscle. She was wearing expensive athleisure wear, and a pair of snow boots that looked brand new.
They were both bearing down on the concierge with identical frowns.
Manny stepped forward. “Laodice and Polyxena?” he said.
“Yes,” said the pink one.
“It’s Xena,” said the tall one.
The women exchanged a look. “Are you Manny?” Laodice said. “Where’s Cassie?”
“Yes, and upstairs. Come on.” He nodded at the concierge, who appeared grateful for the intervention, and went up the elevator with them, trying not to feel intimidated. This wasn’t really how he’d planned to meet Cassie’s family. Although maybe it was what he deserved, given everything she’d dealt with at the hands of his.
Cassie was just waking up, bleary-eyed and pink with sleep, but the moment she saw her sisters she jumped out of bed and they all went down in a pile of hugs and tears. Manny backed out of the room and left them to it.
An hour later, Tyron turned up and firmly turned out the Troiadeses, except for Cassie, and sat down with her, Aerope, and Manny in the lounge area.
“There have been a few developments,” he said, eyes serious in his lean face. “We were able to corroborate your accounts from the physical evidence. Theo’s conscious. He’s admitted to killing Chris and Arthur—he could hardly do otherwise, having confessed to both of you—but he claims he was just trying to scare you two.”
“That’s a lie,” Manny said levelly. “He was planning to shoot both of us, and destroy the evidence with a fire.”
“We’ve charged him with attempted murder too,” Tyron assured him. “The precinct in the city that was handling the Chris Ipith homicide has reopened that case, and the local coroner is reexamining Arthur’s autopsy report with this new information in mind. Even if Theo recants, I think both of those charges will stick.” He steepled his fingers. “Now. Speaking of fires. Can any of you spread some light on why Theo’s house went up in flames in the early hours of this morning?”
Aerope gasped.
“What the hell?” Manny said.
“It was almost certainly arson,” Tyron said. “At the moment our working theory is that it was revenge for what he did to you and Arthur. Who did you tell last night?”
Manny began listing the names, and Tyron’s face grew gloomier as he realized the extent of the suspect list. “So it could have been almost anyone in town,” he said heavily.
“It wasn’t revenge,” Cassie said suddenly. “Or…it might have been, but there could be another possibility. He wasn’t just worried about being caught for murder, Manny, do you remember? He was upset that you’d been looking into the accounts.”
“He offered me money,” Manny said, with a start. “A lot of money, and he was cagey about how he’d gotten it.”
Tyron’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me,” he said, and they gave him all the details they remembered.
Tyron took careful notes. “Did he do much of the bookkeeping for the business?”
“Just the cellar door,” Manny said. “Could it be drugs? I wouldn’t think we do enough exports.”
“It could be a few things,” Tyron said, his voice neutral. “It’s definitely worth looking into. Thanks for your help. If you folks don’t mind staying here another night, we’ll be done with your place by tomorrow morning.”
“Of course, Tyron,” Aerope said. “Thank you.” She escorted him to the door, and then came back to stand in front of them, looking thoughtful. “Now, have you two worked out your next steps?”
“We haven’t really had time, Aerope,” Cassie said.
“Then there’s no time like the present. If it makes any difference to your planning, I don’t think I can go back to that house.”
“What?”
“I’m moving out, Manfred. I love you very much, but I don’t think we should live together. I’m going to stay in Beverley’s spare room for a little while, and then I’m going to get my own place in Weeping Rock. I’m sick of rattling around that big relic, and you’ll be better off living close to the business. Not to mention that Cassie will need a place to stay when she’s here.”
“Um,” Manny said. Aerope sounded very definite, but he wasn’t sure how she thought she was going to pay for all this. A part-time librarian’s salary wouldn’t buy a home in Weeping Rock, or even cover rent, unless she planned to sell the manor house. “Mother, were you hoping I could buy you out of the big house? Because I don’t really have the equity for that.”
“No,” Aerope said. “I’m going to use your father’s life insurance policy. He increased the coverage early last year, and that reset the clock on the suicide exclusion clause. The insurance company refused to pay out. But now that it’s murder, I should be in line for a tidy lump sum. I’m going to use half of it to buy a house, and I’m investing the other half in the carriage house project.” She fixed Manny with a steely eye. “No arguments, Manfred. And I will be expecting dividends.”
Manny felt as if she’d buffeted him around the head with a soft but heavy pillow. “Yes, ma’am,” he managed, and Aerope nodded, satisfied.
“Good,” she said, and took her coat off the hook. “I’m going to take your sisters to lunch, Cassie. You two should have a chance to talk.” And she turned on her heel and left, leaving a stunned silence echoing in the room behind her.
“Oh, man,” Cassie said, and started to laugh. “Did your mom just invite me to move in with you?”
Manny looked at her. “Would you?”
Cassie’s eyes went wide. “I—” she started, and then visibly gathered herself. “You know what, we cheated death last night, so fuck it. Yes. I’ll move in with you. Let’s jump over all the sensible steps and commit.”
“Are you sure?”
Cassie met his eyes. “I’m ready to take the risk if you are.”
“Yes,” Manny said. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life. “Let’s do it. You can go wherever your job takes you, and I’ll make a home for you to come back to.”
“Oh,” Cassie said, in that soft voice that always made his heart swell. “We should probably discuss all the practical matters. But I can’t help noticing that we’ve been left alone for a good hour, and we’ve got a real bed with no headroom restrictions in that room, so would you mind if we had sex right now and saved the practicalities for another day?”
“I’d love to. Though I might be too sore for anything too athletic.”
Cassie took her shirt off and breathed deeply. She was wearing the red silk bra.
“I’ll heal later,” Manny said, and grabbed her hand, tugging her off the couch. She flowed laughing into his arms, the perfect fit, and he caught his breath, stunned by just how lucky he’d gotten.
He spun her towards their bedroom, the movement turning into an impromptu waltz step, and she laughed again as he turned her under his arm, her free hand flying out as she twirled.
“Admit it,” he said, tugging her back into his embrace. “I got you with my first dance.”
Cassie smiled up at him. “Nah, that was pure lust. I fell for you when you fed me.”
“Copy that,” he said, and walked her backwards to the bed, kissing her until they tumbled down together. Getting rid of the rest of their clothes involved a fair amount of wriggling and laughter, not to mention the occasional gasp or sharp exhale as they teased each other.
Manny groped for a condom and slid it on, while Cassie drew her nails lightly down his chest. “Wait, is this our first time doing missionary?” she asked. “Does that attempt where you kept banging your head count?”
“It doesn’t,” he said firmly, and settled himself between her thighs, teasing the entrance of her pussy with the blunt head of his cock.
“You can do better than that,” Cassie told him, and he eased into her, taking his revenge with the slow tease of his stroke.
She clenched tight around him, not yet fully open, and he took his time, moving at the same torturous pace, until she softened and melted, and he could sheathe his entire cock inside her. He was panting with the effort of control, his balls drawing up tight and hard.
Cassie’s eyes had gone glassy, her glorious mouth open and soft, and he leaned down and took it, sliding his tongue between her lips. She moaned, and his hips stuttered at the sound.
“I love you,” he said urgently, and her focus sharpened.
“I love you too,” she said, and shoved at his shoulder. “My turn.”
He rolled with her, the tangle of limbs resolving itself with her straddling him. His cock was still buried in her, even deeper now, and she rocked forward, her hips rolling in a movement that made him thrust up in helpless response. He couldn’t move very far, pinned down as he was, and Cassie’s smile turned wicked as she realized it.
“Give me your hand,” she told him, and he willingly obeyed, watching as she brought it to her mouth and curled her tongue around his first two fingers. She slid the hand between their bodies and positioned his fingertips exactly where she wanted them, to either side of her clit.
Manny pressed, and was rewarded with Cassie’s gasp. Then she narrowed her eyes, braced herself on her spread knees, and started bouncing on his cock in earnest. Manny gripped the bed with his spare hand and held on for dear life as she drove down onto him, again and again. He could feel the swell and slide of her clit between his fingers, increasingly slippery as her arousal intensified. She let out a choked cry, her face contorted, and froze on top of him, her pussy clenching around his cock in quivering pulses that went on and on.
When she finally collapsed on his chest, panting wildly, he put his arms around her and rolled them again. “My turn,” he whispered, and as she cried out, partly in pleasure, partly in disbelief, he fucked her through the lingering tremors of that orgasm and right into the next one, until her pleading pulled him over the edge.
He came so hard he nearly blacked out, and when he revived, he was lying in Cassie’s arms, exhausted, and breathless, and full of joy.
And sore. Definitely sore.
“That might not have been too smart,” he said, easing out of her and wincing with the motion, as a number of abused muscles, no longer drowned out by endorphins, shouted their displeasure at him.
“Probably not,” Cassie said cheerfully. “My thighs are pretty mad at me right now. Worth it, though.”
“Definitely worth it,” Manny said, and rolled onto his back. There were a number of things he was uncertain about, like whether the carriage house project would work out, or if they could save Tantalus. He still had questions about where Theo had got all that money, or why his house had been burned down. But the woman snuggling into his chest wasn’t the source of any of those uncertainties. He stroked her curls, vastly content. “This is it, isn’t it?” he asked. “It’s you and me from now on.”
“Yes,” Cassie said, and kissed him soundly. “I can tell. You’re my future.”