Gray Skies (WeHo Book 8)

by Sherryl Hancock

  Dakota canted her head at Cody. “She know all that?” she asked in a low voice.

  Cody nodded. “She knows all of it.”

  Dakota looked impressed. “Does she know I was your first?”

  Cody laughed. “No, I didn’t think to mention the chick that disappeared on me, go figure.”

  “Disappeared?” McKenna asked, her eyes on Dakota again.

  “Yeah,” Dakota answered for Cody, “and it doesn’t seem that she’s done to badly for herself.” Her eyes went from McKenna’s to Cody’s.

  Cody’s eyes narrowed slightly and McKenna felt her tense.

  “Babe, I’m gonna go inside, so you two can talk,” McKenna said, sensing that things needed to be said that didn’t need her as an audience.

  “Okay,” Cody said, leaning down to kiss her lips tenderly.

  McKenna glanced at Dakota again, her look quizzical, but she smiled and nodded to the other woman, then went back inside the bar.

  Dakota watched her go, then her eyes went back to Cody’s.

  “Nice…” she said, her look somewhat lascivious.

  She saw Cody tense and smirked. “Very possessive over that one, huh?” she asked as she moved to sit down again. “Not the smartest play,” she said, shaking her head.

  “It’s not a play, Dak,” Cody said, sighing as she sat down across from Dakota and pulled out a cigarette.

  Dakota leaned forward to light it for her.

  “Thanks,” Cody said, slouching back into the chair, assessing Dakota.

  “Whatcha lookin’ for Cody?” Dakota asked with a wry grin.

  Cody narrowed her eyes, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

  Dakota laughed, shaking her head. “You haven’t changed a bit, Cody, still doin’ that shit when you don’t want to talk about something…” she said, her look changing as she leaned forward, as if in confidentiality. “If you’re looking for my moral compass, I still don’t have one,” she said, her tone matter of fact, her eyes glittering with a combination of malice and amusement.

  Then she sat back, her look considering. “I see you got yourself a nice big one though,” she said, her lips curled in derision. “I hear you’re a cop now.”

  Cody looked surprised, but then grinned sardonically. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you kept tabs on me.”

  Dakota shrugged. “I always looked out for you Cody, when I could,” she said simply.

  Cody nodded, a grimace flickering across her face. “Who looked out for you?”

  Dakota gave a humorless laugh. “I did, babe.”

  Cody wet her lips, swallowing in sudden discomfort.

  Dakota noticed Cody’s discomfort and canted her head. “You feel guilty that you got a life, Cody?”

  Cody looked surprised.

  Dakota gave a snort of laughter. “You think I can’t still read you like a book?” she said, leaning forward to put her hand on Cody’s leg, her look intense. “Don’t feel guilty. I’m happy that things worked out for you.” She sat back, taking a drag off her cigarette. “You weren’t cut out for that life; it would have killed you early.”

  “What about you?” Cody asked, her tone haunted.

  “Still here, aren’t I?” Dakota said expansively, with a cavalier smile.

  Cody looked back at her, nodding, her look circumspect.

  “That’s always been your problem, Cody,” Dakota said her tone knowing. “You always felt way too much.” She moved to stand then, stretching as her eyes fell on the brunette again. Turning her head she looked at Cody, “’Scuse me,” she said with a wink.

  Cody watched as Dakota moved toward the brunette. She saw the girl look up at Dakota smiling. Dakota talked to her for a few minutes, leaning in a few times and whispering in her ear. A few minutes after that, Dakota took the girl’s hand and led her to the back area of the patio that was fairly private. Cody shook her head, she couldn’t fault Dakota; she had been just as bad with women before she’d met McKenna a few months before. Still, she felt like Dakota was running away from something and it bothered her to see it.

  Cody rejoined the group inside. McKenna immediately saw Cody’s melancholy look and got her a beer, then reached up to kiss her lips.

  “You okay?” McKenna asked, her eyes searching Cody’s.

  “Yeah,” Cody said, smiling softly at her, “just kind of a blast from the past, ya know?”

  McKenna nodded.

  Dakota was sitting back in her chair a half an hour later when Jazmine walked out onto the patio. Jazmine smiled at Dakota and walked over to her, leaning down to kiss her cheek and hug her.

  “How are you?” Jazmine asked.

  “Alright and you?” Dakota said, smiling at the hot redhead.

  “I’m okay,” Jazmine said, nodding with a wistful smile on her face.

  Dakota caught the smile. “Sure about that?” she asked, her look pointed.

  Jazmine looked back at Dakota, seeing the flirt in her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure,” she assured the girl, giving her a sly look.

  It had been a week since Jazmine had started staying with Rayden. So far things had remained platonic, but friendly. She’d been careful not to push.

  “Is Cassandra here?” Jazmine asked, looking around.

  “She doesn’t come to places like this,” Dakota said.

  “Oh,” Jazmine said, nodding.

  She didn’t know much about Cassandra. She’d only met her through Natalia, who had met Cassandra when she’d been dancing professionally. Cassandra had been a supporter of the dance company Natalia had belonged to. Cassandra had recently heard about Natalia’s hugely successful dance class at the gym and had started discussing the idea of her own studio with her. Jazmine and Natalia had been talking about it for a few months, having met through their dance background. Jazmine was a dancer and had starred in a number of hip-hop and rap videos. She had a unique look that made her stand out from the crowd. She’d met Natalia when Natalia had choreographed a few of the videos she had been in. They’d hit it off right away. Jazmine was investing some of her own money in the project, her life savings in fact. She knew it was risky, but she also knew that she wanted to get out of doing videos and get into business. She needed more security so she wouldn’t get stuck with guys like Jeremy who thought they owned her.

  “She doesn’t mind you coming here?” Jazmine asked Dakota.

  Dakota looked back at Jazmine for a long moment, a slow grin spreading across her face. “I wouldn’t know,” she said.

  “Oh,” Jazmine said, surprised.

  Dakota chuckled, shaking her head. “She does her thing, I do mine.”

  Jazmine nodded. “Okay,” she said, her tone indicating that she wasn’t butting into their business.

  Jazmine saw Shenin Devereaux-Hancock then and wanted to talk to her. She glanced at Dakota. “Excuse me,” she said, smiling.

  “Any time,” Dakota said, her eyes alight with innuendo.

  Jazmine walked over to where Shenin stood at the bar.

  “You’re Shenin, Tyler’s wife?” Jazmine asked.

  Shenin turned around, glancing at the other redhead.

  “Yes,” she said curiously.

  “I’m Jazmine. I was hoping I could talk to you about Rayden.”

  Shenin gave a slow nod, now realizing who this woman was. She was the one that Rayden had rescued the week before and had then taken back to her place.

  The bartender handed Shenin her drink and Shenin tossed a twenty on the bar. She nodded her head to a table and Jazmine followed her over to it. Shenin sat down, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Jazmine sat down across from her.

  “So what did you want to talk about?” Shenin asked.

  “You and Tyler know her, right?” Jazmine asked.

  Rayden had mentioned that she’d known Tyler from D.C.

  Shenin nodded. “Yeah we know her.”

  “And you knew her wife too, right?” Jazmine asked, looking nervous.

  Shenin’s eyes narrowed sligh
tly. “Yeah, we knew Grayson too.”

  Jazmine blew her breath out. “Would you mind if I asked you some questions about her? I mean her wife.”

  “Did you ask Ray these questions?” Shenin asked, not wanting to talk out of turn.

  “I… I can’t…” Jazmine said, grimacing. “Every time I see her even think about her wife, it looks like it’s painful. I don’t want to ask her a bunch of questions that are only going to hurt her more.”

  Shenin nodded, understanding that concern. “How do you know Ray?” she asked then, having been curious since Tyler had told her about Jazmine yelling Rayden’s name that night in the office.

  Jazmine blew her breath out again. “I dated her way back when,” she said. “She really left a scar.”

  Shenin looked surprised by that statement. “How?”

  Jazmine and Rayden had been together for a month. It had been very casual and Jazmine had sensed that Rayden was keeping her at arm’s length. For her, however, she was completely into the dark-haired Navy SEAL and was willing to take anything Rayden gave her. It wasn’t something she was used to doing, since men tended to want to be with her. She was young, only eighteen, and that tended to make men very hot for her. Rayden didn’t seem to care, other than to ensure that she was indeed eighteen and legal.

  “How’d you get into that club that night?” Rayden asked her when she’d admitted to Rayden that she was only eighteen.

  “Fake ID,” Jazmine replied, shrugging.

  “Show me the real one,” Rayden said, her tone authoritative.

  “You don’t believe me?” Jazmine asked, secretly excited by Rayden’s commanding attitude.

  “Show me the real one,” Rayden said again, her tone unchanged, but her eyes narrowed this time.

  “Okay, okay, sheesh!” Jazmine said, reaching for her purse.

  She took out her ID, the real one, and handed it to Rayden who examined it at length.

  “Geeze, you a cop or what?” Jazmine asked, her tone chiding.

  Rayden pinned her with a look. “I’m not about to lose my career by fucking an underage girl, Jaz,” she said sharply.

  “Okay!” Jazmine exclaimed, surprised by Rayden’s anger.

  Finally, Rayden handed her back her ID.

  “Convinced now?” Jazmine asked.

  Rayden didn’t answer at first, her look saying she wanted to argue the point. Jazmine put aside her purse, dropping her ID inside. Then she moved to where Rayden sat on the couch and straddled her lap, putting her arms around Rayden’s neck.

  “I’m legal, Ray,” she said, her tone a cajoling whisper, “you can fuck me all you want…”

  Rayden looked back at her with narrowed eyes. “Don’t use that language.”

  “You did,” Jazmine replied.

  “I’m in the Navy,” Rayden said, her lips curling in derision, “they kick you out if you don’t talk like a sailor.”

  “Do they?” Jazmine asked, smiling.

  “Yeah,” Rayden said, as a slow smile started on her lips.

  “Can I say that you can make love to me all you want?” Jazmine asked then.

  Rayden chewed on the gum in her mouth, her look indicating she wasn’t fond of that term either.

  “Sex,” Jazmine said, “we can have sex, okay? I mean, seriously—”

  Her words were cut off by Rayden’s lips on hers. Minutes later she was crying out in her release and she didn’t care what they called what they did. All she knew was that Rayden Black Wolf excited her more than anyone ever had, and she wanted to hold on to the woman with both hands, legs, and feet, whatever it took.

  When Rayden stopped calling as often, Jazmine grew desperate. On a particularly bad day when she’d managed to get herself fired from her waitressing job because she’d had such a bad attitude with the customers, she broke down and called Rayden.

  “Yeah?” Rayden answered her phone.

  “Ray?” Jazmine queried, sniffling.

  “Jaz, what’s wrong?” Rayden asked, instantly alert.

  “I lost my job,” Jazmine said, picking at the linoleum on her kitchen floor with her nail.

  “Sorry, babe…” Rayden said. “What are you gonna do?”

  “I don’t know,” Jazmine said, fresh tears starting. “My rent is due next week, I don’t have it… I think he’s going to kick me out this time…”

  “I can lend you some money,” Rayden said.

  Jazmine didn’t answer, biting her lip on the other end of the line.

  “Jaz?” Rayden queried.

  Jazmine sighed. “This place is just too expensive for me, Ray, I can barely make it on my tips… I need to move anyway… Maybe I can find a cheaper place in the Heights or something…”

  “You can’t live down there, Jazmine,” Rayden said, her tone protective now.

  Jazmine closed her eyes, feeling that same thrill whenever Rayden became protective.

  “Why not?” she asked, knowing exactly why, but wanting Rayden to tell her anyway.

  “It’s not safe, Jaz, you know that, no, you gotta find another way,” she said, her tone deepening.

  “There isn’t another way, Ray,” Jazmine said, knowing she was being manipulative and hating herself for it, but she wanted Rayden so much…

  “Yes there is,” Rayden said, grimacing at her end of the line.

  “What?” Jazmine asked, holding her breath and hoping against hope.

  “You could come stay with me,” Rayden said, rolling her eyes at herself even as she said it.

  “You don’t want me to do that,” Jazmine said, being completely honest, because she knew it was true.

  “I don’t want you living in the Heights, Jaz, I’ll worry about you all the time,” Rayden said, feeling the noose tighten around her neck a little more.

  “Maybe I’ll just live in my car,” Jazmine said then.

  “Sure, you are completely safe on the streets of LA in your car,” Rayden said, her tone snide. “Just pack your shit, I’ll come pick you up when I’m off today.”

  Just like that she was living with Rayden. It lasted six months, with some serious ups and downs. The final blow, however was dealt when Jazmine came home from work one day to find a note and an envelope.

  The note read: “Been deployed to the Middle East, don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Six months of rent in the envelope. Will contact you when I get settled. Ray”

  She didn’t see or hear from Rayden again.

  Jazmine told Shenin a condensed version of the story, leaving out the part where she’d emotionally blackmailed Rayden into letting her move in with her.

  Shenin was shocked by what Jazmine told her.

  “Wow, that’s not the Rayden I know,” she said, shaking her head.

  “What Rayden do you know?” Jazmine asked.

  “The one who was dedicated to her wife, who did everything in her power to make her wife happy, and who was completely inconsolable when Gray died,” Shenin said, her look apologetic, but honest.

  Jazmine nodded, looking sad. “It sounds like she was really in love with her. “I mean, I kind of knew that, just by the way Ray talked about her, what little she’s said anyway.”

  Shenin nodded. “I imagine it’s still really hard for her.”

  “How long has it been?” Jazmine asked gently.

  Shenin thought about it for a moment. “About a year now.”

  Jazmine shook her head. “It just doesn’t seem right, you know? That she finally committed to someone and God took her away.”

  “I don’t believe in God,” Shenin said. “I abandoned that fantasy years ago.”

  Jazmine looked back at Shenin for a long moment, sensing a lot of undercurrent there.

  “How long have you and Ty been married?”

  “Almost five years now,” Shenin said, smiling fondly. “I had to chase Ty down too, you know.”

  “You did?” Jazmine asked.

  “Oh yeah,” Shenin said, smiling cheekily. “I was straight, and Ty was just so incre
dible, and I wanted her more than anything.”

  “How did you finally get her?” Jazmine asked, curious.

  “Well, she got hurt, really badly over in Iraq, and I flew thirty hours from Alaska to get to her. When I had to leave three days later and she’d just awaken for the second time during that time, I told her I loved her too much to lose her. She showed up in Alaska, the base I was stationed at, about a month later. She’d finally given in and I was so happy…” Shenin’s voice trailed off as she saw Tyler walk out of the bar, looking around. “Speaking of the blue-eyed devil…” she said, smiling widely.

  Tyler walked over, nodding to Jazmine then turning her very blue eyes to her wife.

  “Enjoy that while you can,” Tyler said, nodding at the cigarette in Shenin’s hand.

  “I am,” Shenin replied, smiling. She looked at Jazmine. “We’re going to start trying for a baby here at the end of the month.”

  “Oh…” Jazmine said, smiling, “congratulations and good luck!”

  “Thanks,” Tyler said, smiling. “Jazmine, Natalia is looking for you. She said you need to come dance with her.”

  “Of course!” Jazmine said, shaking her head. “Thank you,” she said to Shenin.

  “No problem,” Shenin said, smiling as Jazmine made her way back inside.

  “What was she thanking you for?” Tyler asked, moving to sit in the chair Jazmine had vacated.

  “She was asking about Ray,” Shenin said, slipping her feet out of her sandals and putting them on Tyler’s lap.

  Tyler smiled at the movement, and slid her hands over Shenin’s calves, caressing them. “What she want to know about Ray?”

  “Well, she really wanted to know about Grayson,” Shenin said.

  “Why?” Tyler asked, her tone suspicious.

  “Relax, babe,” Shenin said, “she’s got a thing for Ray, they dated years ago, and she doesn’t seem to have gotten over it.”

  “So she was making sure Ray’s wife’s been dead long enough?” Tyler asked sharply.

  “Ty…” Shenin said, her tone chiding. “She thinks it’s awful that Ray finally committed to someone and that she was taken away from her. She seems like she really cares about Ray.”

  “And you’re thinking about playing matchmaker?” Tyler asked, frowning.