Turning Tables (WeHo Book 3)

by Sherryl D. Hancock

  “Is she going after your assets?” John asked then.

  “Are you a lawyer?” Jericho asked jokingly.

  “As a matter of fact, I am,” John said, smiling.

  “Oh,” Jericho said simply, then she nodded, “She was, yeah.”

  “Where did you two get married?” John asked.

  “Virginia.”

  “What did her list of demands that look like?” he asked.

  Jericho picked up her phone, pulling up the document she’d received from Kelly’s lawyer and showed him.

  “Wow, that’s a helluva list,” John said.

  Jericho grinned, taking a drag off her cigarette.

  “Softail?” he asked.

  “The Harley in the garage,” Jericho answered, “it’s a custom job, so it’s worth about $50,000.”

  “Wow,” he said, widening his eyes, “Was it hers?”

  Jericho grinned, “No, it’s mine, but she probably figures since she gave it to me as a gift, she has a right to have it back.”

  “Technically a gift, no,” John said.

  “I didn’t say she was right, I’m just telling you how she probably justifies it to herself.”

  “Did she pay for it out of her own money, or with marital assets?”

  “She paid for it with my paycheck,” Jericho said.

  “Oh,” John said, looking surprised, “She didn’t work?”

  “Not the whole time she was married to me.” Jericho said.

  “Oh,” John said again, “That won’t work in your favor you know.”

  “I know.,” Jericho said.

  “And…” John said, “I hate to say it, but you dating Zoey isn’t probably the smartest thing you could do at this point, since Virginia isn’t a no-fault only state.”

  “I thought about that too,” Jericho said, But then again, the ex is cheating on me too, and hers started before I started seeing Zoey so…”

  “Aw, you know that for sure?” John asked.

  “I have it on good authority.” Jericho said mildly.

  “Good,” he said. “What about alimony?”

  “I don’t have a problem paying her something for five years,” Jericho said.

  “What did she ask for?” John asked, not remembering that part from the list.

  “Three thousand a month,” Jericho said with a shrug.

  “Can you afford that?” John asked looking surprised.

  Jericho grinned, “Yeah,” she said.

  “You make the kind of money?” John asked, realizing belatedly how rude that sounded, “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  Jericho chuckled, “It’s okay, if I’m going to be providing for your daughter, you have the right to ask. I clear about fifteen a month.”

  “Wow,” John said, “They pay good at that level, huh?”

  “Fairly,” Jericho said, grinning.

  “It sounds like you have things handled.” John said, nodding.

  Jericho nodded, smiling.

  Later that morning they went back to the hospital to see Zoey. She was being released that day. Jericho was relieved to be bringing her home.

  CHAPTER 8

  Catalina was laying on her stomach in bed, she was wearing the shorts and tank top she’d thrown on after her shower. Her blond hair was loose. She was asleep until she sensed someone in the room. Her hand moved to her nightstand as she looked over her shoulder. As usual, she averted the motion when she saw it was Jovina.

  “Always on guard,” Jovina commented.

  “Recent events are only making it more solid, not less,” Cat said, turning over to look at Jovina.

  “I didn’t even know you were here,” Jovina said, her tone mildly chiding.

  “Sorry,” Cat said, rubbing her eyes, “Just came home long enough to shower, laid down and apparently passed out.” She said with a grin as she moved to get up.

  “Don’t you think you should get some more sleep?” Jovina asked, “You haven’t been sleeping at all lately. And I don’t think you were fully recovered from the wounds…” Her voice trailed off as Cat’s chin came up.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Cat said her tone clipped.

  “I do worry,” Jovina said, “No one can go the way you’re going Catalina.”

  “You’d be surprised what I can do,” Cat said, her tone sharp.

  “I’m just trying to help,” Jovina said.

  “Well, don’t,” Cat snapped.

  Jovina looked back at her like she’d just been slapped. Cat turned to change her clothes, putting on jeans and a t-shirt, then sitting down to put on her tactical boots. She didn’t see the sad look in Jovina’s eyes, nor the nod Jovina made, like she was making an agreement with herself.

  “I think I’m going to head up to San Francisco this afternoon,” Jovina said.

  Cat nodded, not looking up.

  “And I think when this case is done,” Jovina said, her tone cool now, “You and I should just go our separate ways. You can go back to San Diego or whatever…”

  Cat’s head snapped up at that statement, “What?” she asked.

  Jovina shook her head “It’s not working, Cat,” she said, her tone reasoning, “I’m apparently not what you need, and frankly you’re not what I need either, not like this.”

  Cat looked dumbfounded. “Jovi–” she began, but Jovina cut her off shaking her head.

  “It’s okay,” Jovina said, “You don’t need to try and explain again. I get it, you have a tough job, but I can’t take any more of this,” she said, gesturing between them, “You push me away and it hurts. It’s like that song you like so much, I don’t want to pay for the things I’ve never done. Elizabeth hurt you, I get it, but you’re pushing me away and I can’t keep coming back for more.”

  Cat closed her eyes, dropping her head and shaking it.

  “And I’ve become the Devil herself…” Cat said, her tone sad.

  “What?” Jovina asked, not sure what Cat meant by that, or even if she’d just heard her correctly.

  Cat looked up at her, “I’ve become the bitch I never wanted to be,” she said.

  “You’re not a bitch,” Jovina said, “And you’re not the devil either. You just have a lot of issues you’re dealing with. I love you, but I just can’t take anymore right now.”

  “You what?” Cat said her tone querulous.

  Jovina gave her a narrowed look, “You know what I said,” she told her, “And I really didn’t mean to say it, but–”

  Jovina was stunned when Cat stood up and as she did, pressed her lips to hers, her hands sliding around her waist to pull her closer. Jovina put her hands on Cat’s shoulders to steady herself, even as Cat deepened the kiss. Jovina moaned against Cat’s lips, it had been weeks since they’d been together, and her body was screaming. Within minutes, they were making love and both crying out in their release.

  Afterwards Cat lay over her, both of then breathing heavily. She moved to Jovina’s side, kissing her shoulder as she did, her hand still caressing Jovina’s skin.

  “Babe, I’m sorry,” Cat said, her tone soft, “I was treating you like shit and you didn’t deserve that,” she touched Jovina’s cheek as she looked into her eyes, “I don’t want you go to San Francisco today, please stay.”

  Jovina smiled softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears, “Okay.”

  “And I promise you I’m going to do better at this, okay?” Cat said, “I don’t want to leave LA when this case is over, I want to stay here, and I want to stay here with you. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Jovina said, tears spilling over.

  Cat brushed the tears away with her thumb. “I can do better, I promise you that.”

  “Oh honey,” Jovina said, moving to kiss Cat’s forehead, “I know that, it was just getting so hard…”

  “I know, I’m sorry. I got so used to shoving her away from me, that I forgot that I can’t do that if I really don’t want someone to leave. I knew she wouldn’t, but you will and I know that now. And that’s the last thing I want.”
Cat said, her words tumbling out in a rush. “I love you, Jovi” Cat said then, and Jovina was sure she’d never heard anything so wonderful in her whole life.

  “That’s exactly what I needed to hear,” Jovina said, smiling brightly.

  “Now you can say it back,” Cat said, grinning as she narrowed her eyes.

  “I love you Catalina,” Jovina said, smiling.

  “Good,” Cat said, “Let’s see if I can manage to keep it that way.”

  “I don’t suppose you’re going to get anymore sleep…” Jovina said then.

  “Ugh!” Cat said, grinning, “I will, I promise, just not right now.”

  Jovina drew in a breath and blew it out nodding. “Okay, but will you promise me that you will do everything you can to come home tonight and get some sleep?”

  “I can promise you that,” Cat said, smiling. “How about you come back with me and that way you can keep an eye on me.”

  “I like that idea,” Jovina said, smiling.

  “Thought you might,” Cat said, grinning.

  Jovina had stopped going to the office with Cat after the incident in the basement where she’d been hurt. Cat hadn’t asked about it, and since they’d determined that the case was about Jericho, they didn’t need to worry as much about partners, so she’d left it alone.

  They were back in the office an hour later. Jericho was in the office when they got there, and she was talking to the group. She’d just wrapped up when she said something in Farsi, some saying they had. Cat stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

  “What did you just say?” Cat asked.

  “Uh,” Jericho stammered, “I said Pedaram dar oomad” Jericho repeated, “It’s a Farsi saying, it basically means… well, good job.”

  “Farsi?” Cat said, an odd look on her face.

  “Yes, it’s what Persians and Iranians speak in my country…” Jericho said, looking at Cat like she was losing her mind.

  “That’s what it was!” Cat said, “That’s what he was speaking!”

  “Who?” Jericho asked.

  “The guy that cut me,” Cat said, “He was speaking Farsi!”

  “Do you remember what he said?” Jericho said, “I mean how it was pronounced?”

  “I remember a word like jend..something.”

  “Jendeh?” Jericho said, pronouncing the word with her accent.

  “Yeah! Exactly! There was another word though.”

  “Well, jendeh means whore,” Jericho said. “Can you remember anything about the other word?”

  “Something… like fat.”

  “Was that the beginning of the word?” Jericho asked.

  “No, there was something before it… Wait…I remember thinking it was Spanish because it was like Que, but… like cheese, Queso... and then fat and then that other word.” Cat said, grimacing, “does that make any sense?”

  Jericho narrowed her eyes as her mind raced. “Was it kesafat jendeh?” she asked, her accent thick.

  Cat’s head went back, as she sucked in her breath, “Exactly!” she exclaimed.

  Jericho closed her eyes and looked almost sick for a moment, then she looked over at Kashena.

  “A ring?” she queried, “Like a wedding band…” she said, “Son of a fucking bitch! It’s not possible…” she said shaking her head.

  “What! Tell us!” Cat said, even as Zoey moved to Jericho’s side, touching her arm.

  “Abdi,” Jericho said, her face a mask of disbelief, blowing her breath out as she moved to sit down on the table behind her, “He was a man in Tehran, I was betrothed to him, he was from a good influential family in Iran, and my father thought if I just got married I wouldn’t be gay anymore.” She blew her breath out as the implications came crashing in on her… “Damnit! I came out to break the betrothal off once and for all, he was furious and I seriously shamed his family and him. He called me a kesafat jendeh, it basically means a dirty piece of shit whore…”

  “Okay, we have a name to run, what was his last name?” Catalina asked, looking over at Devin.

  “Farzan,” Jericho supplied, even though her hands were now shaking. It was occurring to her that her impudence in her youth was now catching up to her. People were dead because of it, because of her.

  That night, she’d gone to bed early. Zoey had stayed up talking to her parents and catching up.

  “We really like Jericho,” Marie said to Zoey.

  “I’m glad,” Zoey said, smiling at her mother, “Because I plan to be with her for good.”

  “It seems to be her plan as well,” John said, smiling. “She’s different from the women you were seeing before though, isn’t she?”

  “Oh yes,” Zoey said, nodding, “She’s very different, but in a really good way.”

  “What do you mean?” Marie asked.

  “I mean, that she is very relationship oriented, she’s not a casual dater, when she gets into a relationship she does it with intent.”

  “Intent?” John echoed curiously.

  “Yeah, dad, she doesn’t just get involved with someone then sees how they are, she gets involved with someone that she wants to be with. I feel very fortunate to be that someone.”

  “Well you have value too, young lady,” Marie said, “Don’t you forget that.”

  “I don’t, and Jericho wouldn’t let me.” Zoey said, “She always tells me how much she values me. Believe me, mom, it’s a two way street here. She gives as good as she gets.”

  John and Marie nodded, pleased to hear what their daughter was saying. It was an adjustment for them that their daughter planned to be with a woman the rest of her life, but they just wanted her to be happy, and she very much appeared to be that.

  When Zoey climbed into bed a couple of hours later, she saw that Jericho was awake. One arm was thrown up over her head and she was staring up at the ceiling deep in thought. Her eyes moved to Zoey as she got into bed next to her.

  “Have you slept at all?” Zoey asked.

  “Tried,” Jericho said, “Didn’t happen.”

  Zoey levered herself up on her elbow, looking down at Jericho.

  “What are you thinking?” Zoey asked, her eyes searching Jericho’s face in the semi-darkness of the room. Jericho let out a loud sigh, “I’m thinking that people are dead because of me.” She said simply.

  “Jericho, people are dead because Abdi Farzan is a nut!” Zoey exclaimed.

  Jericho couldn’t help but smile at her vehemence, but then shrugged, “I could have done things differently, but my pride wouldn’t let me.”

  Zoey looked back at this woman who she loved so much and couldn’t fathom her being any different than she was.

  “Jericho, I’m sure you didn’t ask your father to betroth you to that guy, right?”

  “Right,” Jericho answered.

  “So, it wasn’t something that you’d agreed to, and then changed your mind.”

  “No, I actually argued with my father for days on end about it,” Jericho said.

  “Okay, so you can’t really be held responsible for taking a stand and backing out of the betrothal.” Zoey said.

  “Yeah, that’s true,” Jericho said, “but I can be held responsible about the way I did it.”

  “Oh my God, Jericho, how could you know that this guy would be crazy enough to come after you years later?”

  “I don’t know, Iranian’s are pretty big on getting revenge for loss of face in the community.”

  “Okay, so how often do men who’ve been broken up with go to the lengths he’s gone to?”

  “Well…” Jericho said, making a face.

  “Exactly!” Zoey said, “It takes someone highly unstable to do what he’s done. He’s not rational and you wouldn’t know that now, let alone when you were much younger with no experience in this kind of thing.”

  Jericho drew in a breath, blowing it out slowly as she looked back at Zoey. “Bound and determined to make me feel better, aren’t you?”

  “Bound and determined not to let you beat
yourself up about this, yes.” Zoey responded.

  Jericho simply looked back at her for a long moment, then moved to kiss her lips softly.

  “You win,” she said, smiling, “Thank you.”

  “Happy to help,” Zoey said, winking at her.

  Jericho chuckled, pulling her closer to kiss her again. Zoey’s soft moan had Jericho deepening the kiss, and Zoey grasping at her arms desperately. Within minutes they were making love and while Zoey did her best to be quiet, she didn’t quite succeed.

  In the other room, Marie heard the sounds and grinned at John who’d just come into the room from the bathroom.

  “Sounds like our daughter has scored herself a stud,” Marie said, winking at her husband.

  “What?” John asked, his face shocked, “Are you listening to them?” he asked, giving his wife a scolding look.

  “Couldn’t help it, that’s the thing,” Marie said, undaunted by her husband’s chastening, “And if she makes our daughter that happy, I love her to death!” she said, emphasizing the word “that”.

  “Shame on you!” John said, starting to grin at his wife.

  They both chuckled.

  John and Marie left the next day to go home. Jericho and Zoey dropped them off at the airport, and then headed to the office. Nothing had been found on Abdi Farzan, but Cat told Jericho that Devin had facial recognition software running on every camera she could gain access to in the Los Angeles area.

  Things between Cat and Jovina had greatly improved since their conversation. Cat had become more aware of her attitudes and responses. Jovina had started making a comment whenever Cat snapped at her, or was being particularly difficult other times she didn’t need to say a word.

  One afternoon, Cat had spent the day reviewing airport records, attempting to figure out when Abdi Farzan had entered the country. By the end of the day her back and neck were hurting, she stood from her desk, stretching and gasping as her muscles protested.

  Jovina had looked up from the laptop she was working on across the room.

  “Are you okay?” Jovina had asked.

  “Just capital,” Cat had shot back her tone short.