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“You were?”

“Abused, yes. For many years. So, I get your hesitation, but you need to tell the police.”

“You don’t get shit! Look, I’m sorry about what happened to you, but I’m a man. Do you have any idea what my life would be like if my friends found out that…” Connor looked around. “Come in.”

Cass followed Rebecca in, trying not to look Connor in the eye. For some reason, she thought if he saw any kind of sympathy coming from her, he would take it as pity. The truth was, it wasn’t pity she felt, but anger that she hadn’t seen this before. She knew Rand and Connor. Went to their wedding. She never saw a damn thing. Was it because Connor was a man? Was she so “unjaded” as Aunt Wills suggested that she couldn’t imagine a man being abused by a woman?

“Real men don’t get abused by women. That’s what people are going to say.” Connor gestured to the couch, opting to sit in his recliner.

Rebecca sat down in the middle of the couch so she could be close to Cassidy. “When we told you of Miranda’s accusations, you were very clear that you never touched her.”

“Never.”

“She hit you, you’re bigger than her, and yet you never once hit her back. I’d say that’s a real man,” Cass suggested with sincerity.

“Do you think my male friends will say that?” Connor scoffed. “They’ll call me a fucking pussy. It’s not the same. There’s no sympathy for men who allow women to beat them.”

Annoyed with the term, Rebecca nearly pointed out just how tough a pussy could be. Try getting a baby out of a damn penis. But she refrained.

“Do you think it’s easy for women to admit they’re being abused?” Rebecca asked softly. “I was a strong, independent woman when I met my ex. I made the horrible mistake of getting involved with her despite my reservations. Then I was stuck. I couldn’t tell anyone. How in the hell could I face people and tell them what I had gotten myself into? There are so many reasons we don’t tell, Connor. There’s the fear of being hurt even more or not being believed. Then there’s the victim-shaming, the embarrassment, and in some cases, women have no other alternative than to stay. But when I look back, my biggest regret is that I didn’t open my mouth before it was too late.”

Connor sat up in his chair, elbows on his knees. “How’d you get out?”

“She died,” Rebecca answered simply.

“Did you…?”

“Kill her? No. She had a heart attack while beating me. We both almost lost our lives that night.” Funny how that was getting easier and easier to say. “Listen, I can see that you care for Miranda as well as your reputation. But at what cost?”

Connor looked at the floor, contemplating. “I know who you are, Mistress,” he said at length, still not looking at them. “After we had lunch together, Rand became convinced that you were manipulating Cass into being with you. It was all she ever talked about. She was obsessed.” He looked up finally, eyes locking with Cass’s. “Obsessed with you.”

“I gave her no reason to be, man. You gotta believe that. I love Rebecca. She’s it for me.”

“What about your past with Rand?”

“If she told you we slept together, she lied.” Cass went on to tell Connor the truth about what happened between her and Rand that night when they were teenagers, surprised when he laughed.

“To hear her tell it, you two had a torrid affair. It’s why I never really liked you.” He shook his head. “Anyway, she made it her mission to find out more about you, Rebecca. She would follow you. One day, she came home so excited that she found dirt on you. She followed you to the club, took pictures. Said she was going to go to Cass once she had evidence that people were going into your room.” He laughed mirthlessly. “Can you imagine her surprise when she saw Cass going in there?”

Rebecca glanced over at Cassidy. Well, that was one mystery solved.

Connor caught the exchange that told him there was more he didn’t know. It occurred to him then that he still had no idea why his wife was currently in jail instead of him. “Hang on, if Rand is running around accusing me of abuse, why is she the one in jail? Can’t possibly be for lying.”

“Vandalism,” Cass offered.

“Vandalism? My wife? I think you better start from the beginning.”

“I tried telling you before. Are you going to listen this time?”

“Cassidy,” Rebecca admonished softly.

“Sorry.” Cass inhaled and blew it out slowly. “Okay. Like I said before, Rand showed up at my house acting very strange. Yeah, she was hysterical, but also kinda off. She told me you were using your, um, lifestyle to abuse her. I gotta say, man, I couldn’t see you doing that, but what choice did I have than to believe her? It’s happened before.” Cass risked a quick look at Rebecca.

Connor nodded. He understood Cass wanting to believe her best friend. It wasn’t any secret that there was no love lost between the two of them, so who did he expect her to side with?

“How did you figure out she was lying?”

Another look passed between Cass and Rebecca. “She wouldn’t give me details when I tried to get her to open up about it. Then, she, uh…”