Part 29 (1/2)

Ca.s.s was taken back by Rox's reaction. ”Rox ... Its me ... Ca.s.s,” she replied, still reaching forward with her hand.

Rox and Nikki gasped at the same time. ”You can't be ... Ca.s.s is .... is...” Rox stammered, head darting side to side looking for an escape route. ”Ah ... this can't be happening .. it can't be,” she said, as she began to panic. Oh my G.o.d! Ca.s.s is a woman? A woman!? It can't be! her mind screamed.

Rox covered her hand with her mouth and started backing up against the door as Ca.s.s touched her palm to her cheek.

”Oh my G.o.d! No! Don't touch me!” Rox screamed, cringing visibly and brus.h.i.+ng Ca.s.s' hand away. ”Oh my G.o.d, oh my G.o.d...” she said again before turning tail and running back into the kitchen.

Ca.s.s looked at Jerri and Nikki in alarm.

”It leads to the beach ... if you love her, go after her,” Jerri suggested as she pointed to the door.

Ca.s.s headed for the door as Nikki looked at her wife. ”But ... but ... but ... Jer?” she said before starting after Ca.s.s.

”No, Nik ... let them be. This is bound to be a huge shock to Rox. Give them time. If they truly love each other, it won't matter,” Jerri said, holding on to Nikki's arm.

Rox felt a desperate sense of panic rise in her chest as she ran across the sand toward the surf. Oh my G.o.d, oh my G.o.d! she panted to herself, her head swimming with confusion as she peered over her shoulder to see if Ca.s.s had followed her. All of the sudden Rox felt like she hit a brick wall as she ran into a figure standing right in front of her ... a figure that stopped her dead in her tracks at the edge of the water. ”Chris!” she shouted despairingly.

”h.e.l.lo Roxanne. My, you have such nice color in your face today,” he said as he reached out and grabbed her by the throat.

”Chris!” she said again, grabbing onto his wrists as he lifted her off her feet by her neck. ”Pl ... please ... don't!”

”You've humiliated me, Roxanne. You and your girlfriends. They're going to die too ... right after I'm finished with you,” he threatened.

”No, Chr ... Chris ... please!” she cried again, trying desperate to take the pressure off her neck as her toes left the sand.

”Shut up, b.i.t.c.h!” he screamed. ”Don't tell me you didn't f.u.c.k them! I saw you kissing them! How could you?” he ranted as he closed his hands tighter around her neck.

”Rox! Rox!” came a voice from a several yards down the beach.

Chris looked beyond Roxanne's shoulder at the tall, dark haired woman running toward them, then looked back to Rox with raised eyebrows. ”Another new prospect, Rox? What's the matter ... two aren't enough for you?” he accused.

”Arghghhrhghh, Rox choked out, trying desperately to pull air into her lungs as she fought to remain conscious.

Ca.s.s stopped short when she realized the precarious situation Rox was in. ”Chris, put her down,” Ca.s.s warned. ”Put her down and walk away from her. I don't want to have to hurt you.”

Chris looked at Ca.s.s and laughed. ”You don't scare me, b.i.t.c.h. I don't know who the h.e.l.l you are, but if you know what's good for you, you'll walk away and forget what you've seen.”

”You son of a b.i.t.c.h!” Nikki screamed as she came running up behind Chris and jumped on his back. She had gone onto the back deck to watch the drama unfold between Ca.s.s and Rox, when she realized that Chris had made an appearance and was now threatening Roxanne's life. While Ca.s.s had him distracted, she ran off the deck and circled around behind them before Jerri could stop her. She managed to sneak up behind Chris and jump on his back where she was currently pummeling his head with her fists.

Chris dropped Rox into the sand and grabbed Nikki by the hair, bending over and depositing her in the sand next to the red head. Hauling back, he kicked her solidly in the ribs, in full view of Jerri who launched herself at him with a full body tackle, bringing them both to the ground. By the time he shook Jerri off and made it back to his feet, Ca.s.s had joined them and was faced off with him in a cla.s.sic Taekwondo stance.

Chris stood there and laughed at Ca.s.s. ”Am I supposed to be afraid of you, little girl?” he asked bitterly.

”Last time I looked, I wasn't exactly little,” Ca.s.s said as she hit Chris in the jaw with the heel of her foot, sending him cras.h.i.+ng into the surf. Jerri took the opportunity to pounce on him and bury her fists into his face several times before Ca.s.s finally pulled her off. Chris laid there in a pathetic heap as Ca.s.s and Jerri stood over him.

”d.a.m.n that felt good!” Jerri exclaimed, fists clenched by her sides. ”I've been wanting to do that for months!”

”Jerri, please see to Rox and Nikki ... I need to find something to tie this b.a.s.t.a.r.d up with until the police come,” Ca.s.s said.

”Rox, you stay here with Ca.s.s. I'll take Nikki to the emergency room to have her ribs checked out,” Jerri suggested as Rox made a move to get into the backseat of Jerri's car.

”Jer....” Rox said pleadingly, not wanting to be left alone with Ca.s.s who was currently answering questions for the police. Chris was handcuffed securely in the back seat of the cruiser.

Jerri took Rox by the shoulders. ”Rox ... I know this is uncomfortable, but you have to deal with it. Just listen to your heart, okay?” she said leaning in and kissing the red head on the cheek before climbing into her car.

Nikki had already settled into the front pa.s.senger seat and was leaning against the door, her arms wrapped around her middle. Leaning down to poke her head in the window, Rox kissed Nikki lightly on the head and whispered, ”I'm sorry,” to her friend.

Nikki smiled gently and a.s.sured Rox that she'd be okay, promising to call later from home. Rox nodded and waved as Jerri backed out of the driveway and headed to the hospital. The police cruiser left moments later, leaving Rox and Ca.s.s standing in the driveway, an uncomfortable silence between them.

Rox watched the police cruiser as it drove out of sight, avoiding direct contact with Ca.s.s' eyes. She jumped when she felt Ca.s.s' hand on her upper arm. Ca.s.s pulled it away immediately.

”I ... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you,” she apologized.

Rox wrapped her arms around herself and nodded, dropping her chin to her chest. ”It's okay,” she said before adding, ”Maybe we should go inside.”

The pair moved into the house, the tension between them almost palatable. Rox did her best to keep a safe distance between them, wis.h.i.+ng beyond all hope that she was anywhere but alone with Ca.s.s right now.

Once inside, Rox's manners kicked in. ”Can I get you anything ... coffee, ice tea ...?” Rox offered politely as they stood awkwardly in the foyer.

Ca.s.s, this woman is Little Suzie Homemaker! Would you like some tea, kind sir? Enforcer mocked. Maybe this was a mistake? the alter ego suggested.

No, E. There's something else going on here ... I don't know what it is, but I intend to find out, Ca.s.s replied internally as she reached out and took Rox by the shoulders. ”Rox ...” she began.

Rox immediately shook her hands off, flapping her own arms in the air repeatedly. ”No! ... No, please, don't touch me!” she demanded as she moved away from Ca.s.s, crossing the room and wrapping her arms around herself once more.

Ca.s.s was thoroughly confused. This was not the woman she shared loving and intimate e-mails with. ”Rox, honey, talk to me. What's wrong?” Ca.s.s asked, her hands spread out in front of her in a pleading gesture.

Roxanne looked her in the face for the first time and was immediately stunned by the brilliant blue of the taller woman's eyes. Their eyes held each other's for several moments, threads of attraction spanning the physical distance between them. Threads that scared the h.e.l.l out of Rox.

”Rox ...?” Ca.s.s questioned once more.

”Ca.s.s ... you're a woman!” Rox finally answered.

Ca.s.s' brow immediately furrowed as she stood to her full height.

No s.h.i.+t Sherlock! So she finally noticed, huh? How the h.e.l.l could she possibly think you were anything BUT a woman? With knockers like yours, even a blind man could see! Ca.s.s this woman is a head case ... run while you still can! Enforcer encouraged.

Ca.s.s shook off the offending thoughts and took two steps toward Rox, who immediately backed up the same distance. Ca.s.s stopped short and stared at the pet.i.te red head. ”Rox ... I don't understand ... of course I'm a woman ... I a.s.sumed you knew ... I sent a picture!” she stammered, not fully understanding the implications of Rox's fears.

Rox's head snapped up as Ca.s.s mentioned the picture. Of course! she said to herself. She's the woman in the picture! I thought she was the man! Oh my G.o.d! Roxanne, you really f.u.c.ked up this time! ”Ca.s.s,” she said to the woman, ”I a.s.sumed the man in the picture was you ... I'm sorry,” she said as her eyes filled with tears. ”I'm so sorry.”

Ca.s.s placed her left hand on her hip and ma.s.saged her forehead with the other hand. Sighing deeply, she tried to think back to what she had told Rox about the picture. I'm attaching a scanned photo of myself and my co-pilot so you can see for yourself, she recalled. Closing her eyes, she dropped her chin to her chest and mentally kicked herself for not at least mentioning Brian's name when she referred to her co-pilot. Ca.s.s, you're such a screw up! No wonder she was confused! she scolded herself. G.o.d, how can I fix this?

”Rox,” Ca.s.s began, taking several steps toward the smaller woman before Rox stopped her once more. ”Rox, please let me touch you ... let me hold you,” she pleaded desperately. ”I promise not to hurt you,” she added.