“Thank you,” Sierra whispered, her eyes shining with tears again.
Kashena nodded. “You’re okay now.”
“But if you hadn’t been there…” Sierra began, her tone becoming hysterical again.
“Shhh,” Kashena said, putting her hand up to brush the tears off Sierra’s cheek. “It’s okay.”
Sierra shook her head, her lips trembling as she looked like she was going to cry again.
Kashena did the only thing she could think of. Leaning down, she kissed the other girl.
As their lips met, Sierra tensed momentarily. Their lips parted for a second, as Kashena sensed Sierra’s hesitation, but then she kissed her again, and this time there was no hesitation. Kashena pulled her closer, deepening the kiss as she heard Sierra sigh. Sierra’s hands came up to touch Kashena’s face tentatively. Kashena buried her hands in Sierra’s long jet-black hair. Things were very definitely heating up when they heard a voice right outside the door, a woman talking to someone else, calling “Goodnight.” Kashena broke the kiss, standing up and straightening her clothes before the girl could even open the door.
“Sierra I just had—oh!” the girl at the door exclaimed, seeing Kashena standing there.
Sierra turned around, looking at Sally, her roommate, and seeing that she was still staring at the staunch-looking Marine standing in their dorm room. They’d had conversations about Kashena Marshal a couple of times. Sierra had talked to Sally about her. And here she was, standing in their dorm room. Sally glanced at Sierra, who stood up, her glance at the Marine furtive.
“Sally,” Sierra said, her voice shaky, “this is Kashena Marshal. Kashena, this is Sally, my roommate.”
Kashena inclined her head to Sally. “Nice to meet you, Sally Sierra’s roommate,” she said wryly.
“I, uh, yeah, you too,” Sally said, sounding surprised.
Kashena turned to Sierra, giving the other girl a slight bow. “You’re in good hands now, so I’ll take my leave, ma’am,” she said, her tone formal.
Sierra looked up at her, her mouth open to say something. Kashena shook her head slightly, telling her silently not to say anything, her eyes sparkling with amusement. With that, she walked past Sierra to the door that Sally still stood in front of. Sally stared up at Kashena open-mouthed as well. Kashena canted her head to the other girl, then her eyes went to the door behind Sally.
“Oh!” Sally exclaimed, moving away from the door so Kashena could get out.
Kashena quirked a grin as she opened the door. She spared a glance for Sierra, who was still looking shell-shocked. White teeth in a sardonic smile, then Kashena was gone. Sierra stood staring at the closed door for a full minute, unable to believe what had just happened. Kashena had kissed her. That in itself had been shocking, but more shocking still, she’d liked it.
Kana took Sierra to pick up her son at the sitter’s, then took her home. Her son, Colby, asked Kana a million and one questions all the way home.
“Are you really a police officer?” he asked first, his dark eyes wide.
“Yes,” Kana said, smiling.
“Can I see your badge?”
“Sure,” Kana said, unclipping her badge from her belt and handing it to him in the back seat.
“What’s a Special Agent in Charge?” he asked, touching the lettering on the badge.
“Special Agent in Charge means I work too hard and no one likes the decisions I make,” Kana said, glancing at Sierra with a grin.
“It also means that she’s the boss,” Sierra added.
“I thought that other lady was your boss,” Colby said. “The one with red hair.”
“Midnight Chevalier is my boss,” Sierra said. “But Kana is Midnight’s bodyguard, and the boss over all the other security officers that work for the department.”
“You’re a bodyguard?” Colby asked, his eyes wide again.
Kana nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Cool…” Colby said.
Sierra laughed; Kana chuckled. Kana got them to the house and went inside with them. She spent the evening there. Sierra made them dinner, asking Kana to join them. Kana accepted graciously. After dinner, Kana walked around the perimeter of the house, checking windows and doors from the outside. She also checked the connections for the security system to make sure there were no breaks.
At nine o’clock, Sierra put Colby to bed, then walked back into the living room. Kana was on her cell phone, hanging up just as Sierra walked back into the room.
“If you want me to stay tonight, I can,” Kana said.
“I wouldn’t want you to have to do that,” Sierra said. “I know you have someone you want to get home to,” she said with a soft smile.
“Palani’s gotten used to sleeping without me there,” Kana said.
“Yes, but that’s when you’re protecting the AG, not for someone like me.”
“Sierra,” Kana said, her face serious, “Midnight wants to ensure you feel safe. If that means me staying here tonight, I will, okay?”
Sierra nodded. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate your help, I really do. But I think we’ll be fine tonight.”
Kana assessed her for a long moment. Finally she nodded.
“Okay,” she said, pulling out her cell phone again and dialing a number.
Sierra could only hear Kana’s end of the conversation, but she listened intently.
“Kashena, it’s Kana… I’m fine, thanks… Look, I have a new assignment for you… Well, I need you to handle some personal security… right… It’s for our Chief Deputy Attorney General, Sierra Youngblood,” she said, her eyes trailing over to Sierra.
Sierra silently held her breath, wondering if Kashena would remember her name, if nothing else. Nothing in Kana’s look told her Kashena had said anything to indicate recognition. Sierra was surprised to feel disappointment at that fact.
“Well, I need you to take over first thing tomorrow,” Kana was saying. “Chief DAG Youngblood has a conference to attend back down in Los Angeles next week, and I’d like you to coordinate with her on that… Great, thanks, Kashena… No problem. I’ll talk to you sometime tomorrow.”
Kana hung up.
“Special Agent Supervisor Marshal will meet with you sometime in the morning to coordinate your next trip and set some guidelines for your protection, okay?”
“Okay,” Sierra said, hiding her nagging disappointment well.
Kana left a little while later, after once again cautioning Sierra not to open the door to anyone and to make sure that the alarm system was on when she went to bed and when she left in the morning. Sierra assured Kana she would.
That night, lying in her bed, Sierra couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, wondering if Kashena would recognize her in person. The idea that the woman who’d thrown her emotions into such turmoil so many years ago was now going to be protecting her sent her mind in a hundred different directions. Was it good that she didn’t remember her? Maybe it was better; otherwise there might be a lot of mutual unease that would just make life more stressful for both of them. It was a good thing. By the time she woke up the next morning, Sierra had convinced herself that she hoped Kashena wouldn’t remember or recognize her.
Three hours later, sitting in her corner office on the sixteenth floor, Sierra felt her heart stop as Kashena walked in. She looked the same, but different. She wasn’t wearing the uniform she’d worn all the time in college. She was dressed nicely in stylish black slacks, low black heels, a rich plum-colored blouse tucked into her slacks, and a black jacket over it. On her hip she wore a fairly nasty-looking gun, and there was a gold badge, similar to Kana’s, clipped to her belt. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, much as it had been years before. There was also no recognition in her deep blue eyes. Once again Sierra found herself disappointed. Squashing that emotion, she smiled at Kashena.
“Chief DAG Youngblood,” Kashena said, striding forward and extending her hand to Sierra. “I’m Special Agent Supervisor Kashena Marshal. SAC Sorbinno assi
gned me to you for protection. It’s a pleasure, ma’am.”
Sierra took Kashena’s hand, shaking it firmly. Kashena’s look was direct, but without a hint of recognition in her eyes whatsoever.
“I—” Sierra stammered. “Thank you, Agent Marshal. I appreciate your time.”
Kashena nodded as Sierra gestured for her to sit down in the chair in front of her desk.
“I’d like to go over your schedule,” Kashena said, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a notebook and pen.
Sierra sat down behind her desk, still trying to decide how she felt about Kashena not recognizing her. They went over her schedule for the next morning, and then Kashena left, promising to be back at five to pick her up and take her home. After Kashena left, Sierra did everything she could to avoid thinking of Kashena. This was not going to be easy at all.
***
In Los Angeles, Kana and Palani had agreed to attend a party to celebrate the release of their story in Cosmo. It was being held at the trendy W Hotel. They’d invited their friends from Kana’s law enforcement family, also known as “the Gang,” to the party. As Kana made her way back to the table that the Gang had taken over, she caught a few looks from people. She merely looked right back at them, raising a dark eyebrow in question. She sat down next to Palani and handed her a glass of wine, as well as handing her friend Cat a beer, then took a drink of her own beer.
“Tough crowd,” Kana said, grinning.
“They probably recognize you,” Palani said.
“Huh?” Kana asked.
“Cosmo, K. You two are kind of the point of the party…” Cat put in, leaning past Palani.
“Oh, shit,” Kana said out loud, causing a few people to turn and stare.
Cat laughed. “It’s a bitch being famous, isn’t it?”
“Fuck you,” Kana growled quietly.
Cat only smiled.
“Stop instigating,” Elizabeth told her girlfriend in a whisper.
“Why?” Cat asked. “I’m having fun.”
“All we need is for Kana to cause a scene,” Elizabeth whispered.
The party had many of fashion’s elite in attendance, as well as a number of people from England that Elizabeth happened to know
“Like the Gang isn’t causing that anyway,” Cat replied.
Elizabeth sighed. She felt uncomfortable being around people from London again. It was too close to home, and there were still so many people that didn’t know about her current relationship with another woman. Oddly, the girl who loved to shock people was afraid to do just that now. She knew people were whispering, and it made her want to leave. She hadn’t been sure about this party in the first place, knowing people she’d known back in England would be there, but everyone was going, and Midnight herself had called her. Rick was her uncle, her mother’s brother. Midnight had always been Elizabeth’s favorite aunt, so when Midnight asked, Elizabeth couldn’t say no. So here she was, wishing she was somewhere else.
Cat sensed that Elizabeth was uncomfortable, and she knew exactly why. It bothered her that Elizabeth was embarrassed to be seen with her. It also irritated her. She’d tried to tell Elizabeth that being openly gay wasn’t always going to be easy. Things had gone easy for them with Elizabeth’s mother, Deborah, who’d been accepting of the relationship. So had Midnight and Rick, only wanting to see the ever wayward Elizabeth settled and happy. But Elizabeth wasn’t settled. She was restless and it was affecting her relationship with Cat.
They’d gotten together a little over two years ago. A previously very heterosexual Elizabeth had been drawn to Cat. Catalina Roché was a narcotics officer who worked under Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, Dave Dibbins. They worked for San Diego Police Department, the department Midnight was formally the chief of, before she’d become Attorney General. Cat had been the one to get Elizabeth off the cocaine that had started ruling her life. It had been Cat who had helped her through withdrawals and befriended her to help keep her clean. Cat had also been the one to support her when she’d wanted to start a restaurant and bar.
Elizabeth’s restaurant, Catalina’s, was becoming very successful, as was the bar/nightclub, Cat’s Bet. While she was thrilled that she was a success at her very first business venture, Elizabeth was becoming increasingly stifled by day-to-day details. She’d always been a free spirit, moving from one place to the next, one party to the next, and suddenly she was living with someone, running a business, and becoming, in her mind, sedate and boring.
Dawn was just breaking when the party broke up. The Gang retired to the rooms the magazine had reserved for them. Cat prowled around the room she and Elizabeth had. She was too keyed up to sleep. The room they were in was incredible, with backlighting behind glass mosaic mirrors, a sculptured headboard in muted gold, and marble vanities in the bathroom. It was just beautiful.
“This place is incredible,” Cat said, glancing at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was lying on the bed, looking wholly uninterested.
“Guess this isn’t a big deal for you, huh?” Cat asked, sitting on the damask-covered bed.
“I grew up in places like this,” Elizabeth said.
Cat narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing something.
“So you’re bored,” she said.
“What?” Elizabeth said, shocked.
Cat tilted her head to the side. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re bored.”
“It’s one night in a hotel, Catalina,” Elizabeth said tiredly.
“I don’t mean the hotel, Bet,” Cat said, her eyes searching Elizabeth’s.
“Catalina…” Elizabeth said, her voice placating.
Cat shook her head. “Never mind,” she said, standing up and putting her tennis shoes on. She’d already changed into sweats and a T-shirt.
“Where are you going?” Elizabeth asked, worried suddenly.
Cat picked up her cigarettes, her lighter, and her jacket. “I need some air.”
With that she walked out of the room.
Down in the outside café space, Cat sat down, ordering a drink as she pulled a cigarette out of her pack.
“But miss, it’s six a.m.,” the waiter said, shocked.
Cat looked back at the man, a cigarette hanging from her lips. “And I care because…?”
The waiter hurried away, and a minute later set a drink down in front of her. Cat reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a twenty, tossing it on his tray. She sat smoking and drinking her drink. Even without makeup and in sweat pants, she looked good. Kana noticed that as she walked toward her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” Kana asked as she sat down at the bar next to Cat.
“Aren’t you?” Cat asked, grinning.
“Needed to smoke,” Kana said.
“Me too,” Cat replied, holding up her pack.
Kana suspected it was more than that. She’d sensed an undercurrent between Cat and Elizabeth the entire trip. Kana shook out a cigarette and lit up.
“Can I get you something, miss?” the waiter asked.
“Coffee and Baileys,” Kana said.
The waiter didn’t bother reminding Kana that it was 6 a.m. Cat winked at him.
“So what’s really up?” Kana asked once she had her coffee.
Cat sighed, shaking her head. “Got me,” she said.
“But there is something wrong, isn’t there?” Kana asked.
Cat took a long drag of her cigarette. Blowing out smoke, she nodded. “But I’m goddamned if I know what it is for sure.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I think Elizabeth is embarrassed to be gay now.”
Kana nodded. “Well, you have to realize that we’re suddenly around a lot of people she knows.”
“I know,” Cat said, “but Jesus…”
“Maybe she needs time to get used to the idea,” Kana suggested.
“K, we’ve been together two years already. I think that’s plenty of time, don’t you?”
“Cat, she didn’t grow up arou
nd the same kind of people we did. They have different ways of thinking, and the last thing they are is open minded.”
Cat took another long drag of her cigarette, not looking happy.
“Give her a chance,” Kana said. “She might come around yet.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Cat asked sourly.
Kana didn’t answer, only looking pained. Finally she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Cat. I wish I could help.”
“It’s okay,” Cat said. “I always land on my feet.”
Kana knew that for a fact. She and Cat had been a couple a while back. Unfortunately, Kana had still been deeply in love with Palani, so Cat had taken the brunt of the rejection every time Kana felt heartsick. In the end, it had been Cat who had stepped aside so Palani could have Kana back. Kana still felt she owed Cat for that. Cat didn’t feel that Kana owed her anything. Life was a gamble—you took a chance and sometimes you won, other times you lost. Being with Kana had, however, made Cat crave a long-term relationship. Whereas her previous relationships had been short lived, she wanted something that would last.
“Well, I better get back to my girl,” Kana said after she’d finished her coffee.
Cat smiled. “So when are you two getting married?”
Kana smiled. “Whenever Palani can get it planned.”
“Ah,” Cat said. “I am getting an invitation, I hope.”
“Of course,” Kana said, standing. “Don’t stay down here too long.”
“Yes, dear,” Cat said, grinning sardonically.
Kana walked away, glancing back as Cat ordered another drink. Kana headed up to her and Palani’s room on the fifth floor. As soon as she got inside she went to the phone.
“What’s wrong?” Palani asked as Kana called the front desk and asked for Catalina Roché’s room.
Kana just shook her head.
Elizabeth answered on the third ring.
“Your girlfriend is downstairs drinking at six in the morning,” Kana said. “I think you need to get down there and talk to her.”
Elizabeth was silent for a few seconds. Breathing a sigh, she said a soft “Okay.”
Kana hung up.
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