“What’s a matter?” Lyric asked sarcastically. “Only used to attacking little girls?”
“I’m gonna fucking kill you, bitch!” the man growled.
“You’re gonna try,” Lyric said, her tone confident.
The man gave a yell of anger as he charged her again. Lyric stepped aside and punched him in the face as he passed her, but he surprised her by whirling around and grabbing her. She brought her knee up, catching him in the face and his hands dropped. She saw her gun, lying on the ground a foot away and dove for it, grabbing it as she hit the floor. She rolled, and saw that he was coming at her. She fired without a second’s hesitation. He fell to the floor dead.
Lyric climbed to her feet, panting, and holstered her gun. Cody ran to her and threw her arms around her. Lyric grabbed her up in a hug, as she heard sirens.
“Okay baby girl, okay… I got you… You’re okay…”
“Lyric you’re bleeding!” Cody cried as she saw the red spreading over the white tank top Lyric was wearing.
“It’s okay,” Lyric told her. “I’m okay.”
Officers came running into the room then, and Lyric held the side of her jacket up so they could see her badge.
An hour later, a bandaged and bruised Lyric climbed out of her car, with Cody running around the car to help her. Savanna came running out of the house, hugged Cody then looked at Lyric.
“Oh, honey…” she said, seeing the bloody shirt and the nasty bruise on her face.
“Oh, I’ve looked worse after a fight,” Lyric said, grinning.
“Don’t tell me that,” Savanna said, shaking her head.
The three of them went inside, the family reunited. Later after settling the rest of the house, Savanna went up to her room. She found Cody and Lyric asleep on her bed. She stood looking at her girls and thinking she had no idea what she’d do without these two blessed creatures in her life.
As she climbed into bed that night, Lyric kissed Savanna, thinking that things with their daughter were finally stabilizing. McKenna seemed to have a good effect on Cody.
“What do you think about taking a vacation?” Lyric asked Savanna.
Savanna looked back at her surprised. “A vacation?” she said. “I‘ve heard of those…” she said, her voice trailing off.
“Yeah, they’re those mythical things that people take occasionally to decompress…” Lyric said, grinning, and moving to lie on her back.
Savanna moved to lie next to her, putting her head on Lyric’s shoulder.
“You think we need to decompress?” Savanna asked.
“I think we need to blow ourselves up and start over,” Lyric said, shaking her head.
“That bad, huh?” Savanna asked.
“I don’t know about you babe, but I’m holding on by the skin of my teeth these days,” Lyric said.
Savanna moved to sit up to look down at her wife, as she searched Lyric’s eyes she suddenly started to see how tired Lyric looked.
“How have I missed this?” Savanna asked sounding suddenly devastated.
“We’ve both been holding on tight, babe…” Lyric said.
“We can go wherever you want,” Savanna said, her voice determined.
“Good,” Lyric said, nodding. “I’ll make arrangements.”
Cody had to go into the office the day after the meeting at the home. McKenna went with her since she really didn’t have much to do with no house to look after. She was hoping to get on as an intern with Savanna’s house, but hadn’t heard whether or not it was approved. Savanna had been more than willing to have McKenna at the home, knowing that the girl needed to keep up her internship or she’d be in danger of delaying her degree.
In the kitchen Cody poured coffee into a travel mug, and reached for cream in the refrigerator.
“Still wussing it up, huh?” Lyric asked, grinning as she walked into the kitchen. “Good morning,” she said to McKenna who stood on the other side of the counter watching Cody.
“Good morning,” McKenna said, smiling.
“Just because I can’t drink that mud you, grandpa and uncles drink doesn’t mean I’m a wuss,” Cody said, grinning.
“Tell yourself what ya need to,” Lyric said, chuckling as she moved to sit on a bar stool next to where McKenna was standing.
“Stop picking on her,” Savanna said, as she walked into the kitchen. “Good morning McKenna,” she said then, smiling at the girl.
“Hi,” McKenna replied.
Savanna poured coffee into a mug for Lyric and handed it to with a kiss.
“See, this is coffee…” Lyric said, tipping the cup toward Cody.
“You say coffee, I say mud…” Cody said in a singsong voice, as she winked at McKenna.
“Wuss,” Lyric said still grinning.
“Crazy person,” Cody replied.
“Girls!” Savanna exclaimed rolling her eyes.
Lyric and Cody grinned at each other.
It was obvious to McKenna that this was a fairly routine morning for this family.
“Gotta go,” Cody said then as she picked up her gear bag and her coffee.
“Do more than drink coffee today, Cody!” Savanna called after her.
“Got it,” Cody said, leading McKenna out to the garage.
In the car, McKenna looked over at Cody. “What did she mean by that?”
Cody chewed at the inside of her cheek. “She meant I need to eat.”
“That’s a problem?” McKenna asked as Cody started the car and backed out of the garage.
Cody shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“And the thing about the coffee?” McKenna asked.
Cody grinned. “Taste it,” she said, gesturing to her coffee in the cup holder.
McKenna picked up Cody’s cup and took a sip coughing a moment later.
“Wow, that’s strong,” she said, blinking a couple of times.
“Yeah, and that’s with cream, Lyric takes it black.”
“Okay, I see what you mean there,” McKenna said, grimacing.
“She grew up on the stuff,” Cody said. “My grandad and uncles all drink it like that. They keep telling me that Lyric had it in her baby bottle.”
McKenna laughed, shaking her head. “CPS would have had a field day.”
“Oh that’s nothing,” Cody said. “Lyric was a bit of a hell-raiser from what I’ve been told.”
“So, you said your grandfather and uncles… They’re Lyric’s family?” McKenna asked.
“Yeah, Savanna just has her dad too.”
“You have all the moms,” McKenna said, winking.
Cody chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so,” she said smiling fondly.
“What about your other parents?” McKenna asked her tone gentler now.
Cody glanced over at her. “I don’t see them,” she said simply.
McKenna nodded. “So they are living then?”
Cody shrugged. “I assume so. I mean, I know my dad is dead, he died before I left. He was a drunk and got himself killed in a car accident.”
“Oh,” McKenna said, sensing that it was a turning point in Cody’s life, no matter how casually she mentioned it. “So then it’s just your mom?”
“My birth mother,” Cody corrected tightly. “And a little brother, till my mom remarried.”
McKenna noted the tension in Cody’s posture, and knew she was touching on a very sensitive topic. She did her best to proceed with caution.
“Was he the reason you left?” McKenna asked gently.
Cody didn’t answer at first, her lips curled in a sneer, then she nodded.
McKenna nodded too, knowing there was more there, but not wanting to push too hard.
They were both silent for a few minutes.
“He’s a Baptist preacher,” Cody said, her tone even. “And a child molester.”
McKenna winced. “Cody…” she said, her eyes reflecting the pain she was feeling for Cody.
Cody’s lips curled into a derisive grin. “Yeah, I know,” she said simpl
y.
Cody’s driving became much more erratic; she switched lanes quickly and passed within inches of other cars. McKenna knew that Cody was reacting to the conversation. She could easily see why Lyric got constant updates on her daughter’s driving from other officers.
Another thought occurred to her then, but she decided she’d better wait until they weren’t hurtling down the freeway to talk about that particular thought.
They got to the office a little while later, and Cody signed her in and led her to her office.
“You have your own office?” McKenna asked, looking surprised.
Cody chuckled. “Yeah, don’t be too impressed, it’s because I’m kind of noisy when I’m here. And it’s not really much of an office, more like an afterthought,” she said as she opened the door.
She was right; the room was small, like it had been converted from a closet. It was very neat, however. Cody gestured for her to precede her as she pulled folders and things out of the box that hung next to her door.
Inside the office there was two chairs and modular counters instead of a desk. There were more Linkin Park and other rock band posters on the walls. Law enforcement paraphernalia littered the room. There were things like a silhouette target with holes in the very center, there was a gray t-shirt that said “FUCK THE POLICE” in large blue letters, and then below it in smaller letters it said, “NO, REALLY I HEAR THEY’RE GREAT IN BED,” as well as cuffs and a baton on the wall. Then there was the windbreaker hanging on the back of Cody’s chair that had a large black patch with yellow letters that read “CALIFORNIA DOJ” and the word “POLICE” in larger letters below them. When Cody turned the chair, McKenna saw that there was a TRaCE badge on the other side. It was an interesting window into Cody’s other world and McKenna found herself fascinated.
The first thing Cody did was to connect her phone to her computer and turn her music on as the computer warmed up. McKenna watched as Cody read through items in the folder, signing off on some things, making notes on others, and tossing things into a box marked as “Out” as she finished with them. Her phone rang a few minutes later and McKenna got to hear what she considered Cody’s cop side once again.
“Falco,” she answered, then listened for a minute. “Wait, when did that come in? No, I thought that wasn’t going to be in till next week? Okay… right… Well, hell, BFS is getting faster on me…” She laughed out loud then. “No, I’m not fucking anyone in BFS currently, but thanks for asking,” she joked. “No, I can pick it up, I don’t want it getting lost… No, there was trace on it, but they couldn’t get a print, but there was a second option there… I got it, okay, yeah, he said that would work. Okay, good, thanks!” she said, then hung up a moment later.
“BFS?” McKenna queried.
“The Bureau of Forensic Services,” Cody explained. “They’re the nice people that helped me clear you,” she said, grinning.
“Oh,” McKenna said, nodding. “Maybe you should sleep with one of them to thank them for me,” she said, grinning as she winked at Cody.
Cody gave a short laugh, shaking her head at McKenna. “You’ve been hanging around me for too long already.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” McKenna said softly.
Cody looked back at her, seeing the sweet smile on her face. She quirked a grin, her eyes sparkling.
A while later there was a knock on Cody’s door.
“Come,” Cody said loudly to be heard over her music.
A young woman, with brown hair up in a messy ponytail, and a much-harried expression walked in, smiling at McKenna and glancing at Cody’s outbox.
“Hey Brenda,” Cody said, reaching over to pick up the items in her outbox and handing them to the woman.
“Look what the cat dragged in…” Brenda said, grinning at Cody.
“It happens,” Cody said, smiling. “Hey Brenda, this is McKenna. McKenna this is Brenda, she’s the poor soul here that has to try to keep people like me organized.”
“It’s not easy, let me tell ya!” Brenda said, rolling her eyes and smiling at McKenna.
McKenna smiled at the other woman, nodding her head. “I can imagine.”
“Oh, Cody, I was told to remind you to eat,” Brenda said.
“Let me guess…” Cody said sarcastically.
“You know I always do what Lyric tells me, honey,” Brenda said, winking. “Love that woman!”
“Well, love me more and her less, will ya?” Cody asked, rolling her eyes. “You work for our group, not hers…”
“And I’m loving you more by telling you to take care of yourself, Cody,” Brenda said, her tone mothering, although she didn’t seem old enough to be a mother.
“Blah, blah, blah…” Cody muttered, which got her a smack on the arm.
“Behave yourself!” Brenda said, winking at McKenna, then she turned and left with a final, “Eat Cody!” as the door closed.
McKenna looked back at Cody. “I guess this eating thing is a well-known problem with you?”
Cody looked at her for a long moment, then shrugged. “I never really ate much to begin with, but the Lithium kills my appetite completely.”
“Well, that’s not good,” McKenna said, her tone worried.
“Don’t you start…” Cody said her look narrowed.
“With as physical as you are, Cody, eating is kind of major…” McKenna said, her tone earnest.
“I do alright,” Cody said, her tone even as she turned back to her computer tapping at the keys quickly.
McKenna looked at Cody’s back, shaking her head. “Do you let anyone take care of you?”
Cody stopped typing and turned her head to the side in an indirect backward glance. “Is that what you’re trying to do?”
“It’s what I’d like to do,” McKenna said wistfully.
Cody turned around giving McKenna a suspicious look.
“Why?” she asked sharply. She didn’t trust people saying they wanted to take care of her.
“It’s part of loving you, Cody,” McKenna said, her look indicating that she thought Cody would know that. “It’s making sure you’re happy and healthy and okay.”
Cody looked like she was trying to assimilate what McKenna was saying and not really grasping it fully.
“You’ve had people take care of you, Cody,” McKenna said. “At the very least Lyric and Savanna.”
“You mean the only ones who have,” Cody said, her tone mild, her eyes looking down at a spot on the rug.
“What about your friends?” McKenna asked.
Cody shrugged looking complacent.
McKenna narrowed her eyes. “You don’t let people take care of you,” she said, answering her own question from before.
“Only people who signed up to do that,” Cody said, her tone matter-of-fact.
“Meaning Lyric and Savanna,” McKenna said.
Cody nodded.
“And you don’t think anyone else should have to?”
“I don’t want anyone else to,” Cody said.
“Why?” McKenna asked.
Cody looked back at her for a long moment, trying to decide what to say.
“Just say it, Cody…” McKenna said. “Don’t scrub it for me, just say it.”
An amused smile played at Cody’s lips at McKenna’s phrase, then she shrugged again. “I don’t want anyone to take care of me, because I don’t want to count on it.”
“Because if you count on it…” McKenna began, her voice trailing off as she looked back at Cody pointedly.
“Just another down,” Cody said, her tone cynical.
“Down?” McKenna asked, recognizing the term that people with depression tended to use to describe the lows in their moods.
Cody looked back at McKenna thinking, Really? McKenna knew exactly what she meant.
“So you won’t let anyone take care of you, because you think that they’ll stop at some point.”
“Doesn’t everybody?” Cody asked. “I mean, eventually, right?” she added her look se
rious.
“Not necessarily,” McKenna said. “I mean, sure it happens that people drift out of your life, but you can’t spend your life in a vacuum Cody.”
“I do alright,” Cody said again.
Cody turned back to her computer again, and McKenna sensed that the conversation was over. It bothered her that Cody was so closed off when it came to people in her life. Whereas she’d been open with her, she now started to feel what others probably felt with Cody a lot. It spoke to the deep-seated issues that Cody had. She had major trust issues, though from the sounds of what Cody had told her so far, she had good reason for them.
McKenna knew that Cody needed consistency in her life, and someone who would stick around. Other than Lyric and Savanna, who Cody felt had ‘signed up’ to stick around, no one else had. It seemed to McKenna, however that Cody did the pushing away before a person could walk away. That would make it tough for anyone to stay around if Cody refused to have you around. McKenna just hoped that Cody would let her stay long enough to make a difference.
A few nights later, after another day spent at the office, Cody got a text message. At a red light she read the message, her brows furrowing as she set the phone down.
“What?” McKenna asked, seeing the look on Cody’s face. “Who was it?”
“It’s Rosa…” Cody said, looking pensive.
“From the group home?” McKenna asked.
“Yeah,” Cody said, nodding. “She said she wants to meet me to talk about something.”
“Which is what you told them to do, right?” McKenna asked, not understanding Cody’s hesitation.
“Yeah…” Cody said. She clearly had reservations about it that McKenna didn’t understand.
“You don’t want to meet with her,” McKenna said, her look perplexed. “Why?”
“Remember how she lampooned me for ‘fucking’ you?” Cody asked.
“Yeah,” McKenna nodded.
“Well, I’m thinking she was pissed because I wouldn’t fuck her,” Cody said, her tone matter-of-fact.
“She wanted you to…” McKenna said, her voice trailing off instead of using the word Cody was using.
“Oh yeah,” Cody said, her mouth set in a hard line. “On a number of occasions and in various states of undress.”
Vendetta (WeHo Book 7) Page 16