Darkness Past

by Sherryl Hancock

  Darkness Past

  A WeHo Story

  Sherryl D. Hancock

  Copyright © Sherryl D. Hancock 2020

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Vulpine Press in the United Kingdom in 2020

  ISBN: 978-1-83919-051-3

  Cover by Claire Wood

  Cover photo credit: Tirzah D. Hancock

  www.vulpine-press.com

  Also in the WeHo series:

  When Love Wins

  When Angels Fall

  Break in the Storm

  Turning Tables

  Marking Time

  Jet Blue

  Water Under the Bridge

  Vendetta

  Gray Skies

  Everything to Everyone

  Lightning Strykes

  In Plain Sight

  Quid Pro Qup

  For the Telling

  Between Heaven and Hell

  Taking Chances

  Prologue

  Kashena Windwalker-Marshal sat in her car, a 1996 Chevy Impala. She did her best to breathe, even though the vision was still running through her head. It occurred to her that they were becoming almost painful now in their clarity. It made sense to her now, all the whispering there’d been in the tribe about her grandmother’s “head pain.”

  Her mother, Ashani, a full-blood Ojibwa Indian, had always believed her daughter had received the gift of “sight” from her grandmother. Kashena had been getting “visions” since she was ten. At first they’d seemed like dreams, but she was awake when they happened. She’d see a car accident happen in her mind, then she’d see the accident hours later as she walked home from school. A boy had been missing in the town they were in; Kashena had told her father, a lance corporal with the Marines, that the boy was in a big tube. The boy had been found dead in a drainage pipe. Lance Corporal Timothy Marshal had quickly gotten himself and his family transferred out of that town.

  Timothy did not understand or want to know about his daughter’s “sight.” Ashani was told never to talk to anyone about it. She was told to encourage Kashena to keep quiet about it as well. Timothy knew what could happen if Kashena was pegged as some kind of freak for her “gift.” Kashena grew up in town after town as the family moved. She became withdrawn, fearing people’s disdain for her Indian heritage. More often than not, Kashena would avoid contact with people before they’d ever had a chance to even get to know her.

  As she grew up, Kashena, who had once been an overly tall, tow-headed child, turned into quite a beauty. She had the dark blond hair of her father’s Norwegian side, and the deep blue eyes for which she’d been given her name by her grandmother. Kashena meant “She with the stars in her eyes.” She also had the strong jawline and high cheekbones of her Indian heritage. By the time Kashena was fifteen, she was already five foot seven tall, two inches taller than her mother. She was also strong and lean from many hours spent running up and down whatever beach they were stationed near.

  They’d been relocated to a San Diego naval base. Kashena had gone off on her own, walking along the beach, her cutoff jean shorts light against her darkly tanned legs. The black tank top she wore skimmed her lean torso, exposing a slight amount of tanned flat stomach. Around her neck was a silver chain with a silver pendant suspended from it, a symbol of the Three Fires, a union of the three tribes of the Great Lakes. It was a pendant her grandmother had given her; she always wore it. Her feet were bare, her long blond hair in a braid down her back.

  She’d met another girl that day, sitting alone on the beach. The girl, an older Mexican named Marta, greeted Kashena warmly. Kashena had walked over, smiling shyly at the girl. Marta had invited Kashena to sit and watch the sunset with her. After that they’d become fast friends. And although Kashena’s family only stayed in San Diego for six months, she learned something very important about herself in that time. She did not like boys—she preferred girls. Marta had been her first sexual experience, and it set her on a path she never wavered from. She hid the fact from her mother and father for years. Until she herself joined the Navy and became a Marine two years later, then a second lieutenant and platoon leader two years after that.

  Only when she felt confident that she could fight her father, if it came to that, did she tell them that she was a lesbian. Her mother was speechless. Timothy was furious. He hit his daughter for the first time in her life. And she hit him back, then left the house. She didn’t return to see her family for another four years, when her grandmother died. Things were strained then, but Timothy was fully aware he had no say in what his daughter did or what sex she preferred.

  There was a moment of hope when she came home for the funeral, since she brought with her a man. Captain Sebastian Bach, an Airborne Ranger for the Army. He was an extremely handsome man with blond hair and eyes the color of a stormy green ocean. But Kashena had assured her parents that she and Sebastian were only friends. Sebastian did the same. Things were only slightly less strained then, but it was apparent that Kashena had her own mind about things, and wouldn’t be dissuaded.

  Chapter 1

  Kana Sorbinno lay on her bed. She wore her usual gray sweat pants and black tank top. Her long hair was spread out on the pillow. One arm was thrown up over her head; the other rested on her ever flat stomach. She’d worked long and hard on the body she had now, so different from the body of her youth. Gone was the fat that used to make her feel ugly and horrible. She’d hated the way she looked for years—finally she’d changed it. Every hour she could dedicate to weight training and cardio workouts, she’d done. Now her body was toned, muscular, and perfect. Her five-foot-ten-inch frame was lean and strong. Her dark skin glowed with health; her black hair was shiny and thick. She was a sight to behold.

  Palani Ryker thoroughly enjoyed that sight too. She’d just arrived back from a two-week photo shoot. She’d missed Kana like crazy the entire time. They’d talked on the phone every night, and a few times during the day as well, but it wasn’t enough. Walking into the room that afternoon and seeing Kana lying on the bed, she was thrilled. She’d expected Kana to be at work, but apparently she’d taken the day off.

  Palani put her bags down, kicking off her shoes. Walking over to the bed, she lay down next to Kana. Kana was awake instantly, her arm dropping around Palani’s shoulders, pulling her closer. Their lips found each other’s, and they kissed for a few minutes. Their hands touched, arms intertwined, bodies pressed together.

  “I missed you so much,” Palani murmured against Kana’s lips.

  “Yeah?” Kana queried. “Show me…” she said, kissing her again.

  A while later, they lay together, their bodies still intertwined and glistening with a fine sheen of sweat.

  “Mmm,” Kana murmured. “I guess you did miss me,” she said, grinning as she pressed her lips against Palani’s bare shoulder.

  “You know I did,” Palani replied, sighing happily.

  “Mm-hmm…”

  They lay together quietly for a while. Kana’s hand smoothed over Palani’s perfect skin, a number of shades lighter than her own. She could never get over how beautiful Palani was. A swimsuit model, Palani was the epitome of Hawaiian beauty, with her high-cheekboned face and wide-set dark eyes fringed with thick dark lashes. Her skin was perfect; her lips were lush, inviting. Her ha
ir was long, dark, and silky, with brown highlights. Her body—tiny, sexy, curvy, on show in the tiniest bikinis in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated—was the kind men dreamed about.

  Kana thoroughly enjoyed the fact that men fantasized about her girlfriend, her fiancée. They could have their fantasies—none of them could have her. Palani was totally in love with Kana, and Kana with her. They’d met when Palani was married. It had been apparent from the moment they met that they were meant for each other.

  Over two years before, when Kana had been shot, near fatally, it had been Palani’s voice that had brought Kana back from the brink of death. Kana honestly felt that Palani’s voice had saved her. All Palani knew was that she was so happy to be with Kana again. In the time before Kana had been shot, a misunderstanding had broken them up. They’d been apart for over a year—it had been a lifetime for both of them.

  “Oh,” Kana said tiredly, as Palani snuggled closer in her embrace, “your parents called. They want you to call them.”

  Palani scowled. “I don’t want to call them back,” she said stubbornly.

  “Why not?” Kana asked, surprised.

  Palani sighed. “They’re just going to ask me for a date again, and I’m running out of things to tell them.”

  “So give them a date,” Kana said in a confused voice.

  They’d decided to have a commitment ceremony. Palani had felt the need to be bound to Kana so that circumstances couldn’t tear them apart again.

  Palani looked up at Kana in confusion.

  “But, Kana, we haven’t talked about a date. I was waiting for you…” Palani said, trailing off as Kana grimaced.

  “Babe,” Kana said, her voice chagrined, “when we talked about it originally, you were going to plan it. I just figured you were waiting… Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” Kana said, seeing that she was shocking her girlfriend profoundly.

  Palani shook her head, looking relieved and bewildered at the same time.

  “When we talked about it before, you talked about doing it on the beach,” Kana said, shrugging. “I figured you were waiting for the right time.”

  “I was waiting for you to tell me to go ahead with planning it,” Palani said plaintively.

  “Why didn’t you ask me about it, babe?” Kana asked, reaching out to touch Palani’s cheek, wanting to smooth away the worry she’d seen there.

  Palani lowered her eyes. “I thought that maybe you’d changed your mind…” she said softly.

  “Oh, honey, no,” Kana said, lifting Palani’s face with a finger under her chin. “I love you. I don’t want anyone else, just you.”

  Palani bit her lip, her eyes shining in the semi-darkness of the room. “Are you sure you don’t want to help me plan it though?” she asked. “It’s your day too.”

  Kana shrugged. “As long as you don’t expect me to wear anything disgusting—”

  “Like a dress,” Palani put in with a grin.

  “Like a dress,” Kana said, as if continuing her original sentence, “then it’s all yours.”

  “I’d still like your input,” Palani persevered.

  “Okay. Give me options, I’ll tell you what I like, alright?”

  “Okay,” Palani said, smiling brilliantly. “I’ll get all our choices together, then you can see what you like. Since you’re so much busier than me these days.”

  “Not for long,” Kana said. “The more photos you do, the more they’re going to want you again.”

  “I hope,” Palani said.

  Palani had been out of the modeling scene the entire time she and Kana had been apart. She hadn’t felt beautiful without Kana at her side. Now she was re-entering the industry, trying to get known again. It didn’t take long for people to forget about you in the modeling world. Fortunately, Palani Ryker was known for being the most easygoing, easy-to-work-with talent around.

  It had become known around the business that Palani had come out. She’d been very publicly at Kana’s side during her recovery from the gunshot that had almost killed her. Instead of hurting her career, it seemed to have enhanced it a great deal.

  “Speaking of photos…” Palani said, her grin impish.

  “Uh-oh.” Kana narrowed her eyes. “What?”

  “I got a rather interesting call while I was on location,” Palani said, her tone light, but her eyes watching Kana closely.

  “And what was this call about?”

  “Well,” Palani said, “this magazine wants to do a story on us.”

  “Us?” Kana echoed.

  “Yes, you and me.”

  “Why?” Kana asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

  “They read about your being shot, and my re-emergence into the modeling field. They want to tell our story, how we got together and all that. There’s also going to be a top-notch photographer doing the pictures…”

  “Pictures?” Kana asked, her tone still not warming.

  “Yes,” Palani said, knowing all the while that Kana would have reservations about the idea. “She’s really a great photographer. She captures emotion in her pictures exquisitely.”

  Kana looked unimpressed. “Well, I’m not a model, so they’ll have to leave me out of this.”

  “Kana…” Palani wheedled, “they want us both. It’s our story, and they want us to tell it.”

  “What’s to tell?” Kana asked. “We met, we got together and fell in love. No different than anyone else.”

  “That’s not true, and you know it,” Palani said scornfully. “My situation was perhaps a bit common, but for me to get involved with a peace officer, and all the things we went through to be together… Then to break up like we did, and get back together under the circumstances we did, Kana…”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want them sensationalizing my getting shot to sell magazines, babe,” Kana said calmly. “I think I sold enough papers for the nation when all that was happening. No need to dredge it up again.”

  “But Kana,” Palani said, “don’t you think it’s important?”

  “Important?” Kana looked perplexed. “What’s important?”

  “Telling our story, showing people how two women can be in love, how gender doesn’t matter. It might reach some young woman, or young man, who is wrestling with the idea of being gay. Maybe our story will show them that no matter who you are, or what you do, it’s okay to be who you are, what you are, and feel how you feel.”

  Kana looked back at Palani for a long moment, seeing that this was indeed important to her.

  “You really feel like it’ll make a difference?”

  “I think it would, yes,” Palani said. “It’s a big magazine, very high in readership.”

  “What magazine?” Kana asked.

  “Cosmopolitan.”

  Kana stared back at her, shocked. She’d expected it to be an alternative lifestyle periodical, not some mainstream magazine.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No,” Palani said.

  Kana thought about the idea for a few minutes, while Palani watched.

  “I’d have to talk to Midnight,” Kana said, finally. “I don’t want any bad publicity for her from this.”

  Palani nodded, understanding that Kana would protect Midnight Chevalier at all costs. It was her job, after all.

  “How long do you have before you give them an answer?” Kana asked.

  “Two weeks.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to Midnight,” Kana said. “But I’m warning you, I’m not playing any games with these people.”

  “I know,” Palani said. “I’ll make sure we have final say on what is printed, both pictures and text.”

  Kana realized that Palani did indeed want to do this. Kana didn’t like the idea of her face being out there with people pinning the word “lesbian” to it. She’d always been discreet about her sexual preference, feeling that it wasn’t anyone’s business but her own and whoever she was involved with. Unfortunately, when she’d been shot, Midnight Chevalier, a friend for over twenty years
and the Chief of Police of San Diego PD where Kana worked, was running for Attorney General.

  Midnight’s competitor in the race, a low-life greasy politician type, had dredged up the fact that Midnight was at Kana’s bedside. Allegations of Midnight being gay and being Kana’s lover surfaced. Midnight had squashed the rumors with a press conference. In that press conference, Midnight Chevalier had stated that while she wasn’t gay, Kana was a very close friend and a twenty-year veteran of the police department and therefore deserved the press’s respect, rather than condescension.

  Kana agreed with Palani that this article could indeed be important to people who might be confused about their sexuality. She just wasn’t sure she wanted to become some spokeswoman for gay activism.

  A week later, Kana was driving the Lincoln Navigator she drove as a bodyguard for Midnight. Tiny was in the passenger seat, and Midnight was in the center of the back seat. They were just leaving the garage when Kana finally got up the nerve to ask Midnight about the story.

  “Midnight, I have something I need to talk to you about,” Kana began.

  Midnight glanced up from the papers she was reading, sensing her old friend’s hesitation. It wasn’t like Kana at all.

  “What’s up, K?” she asked.

  “There’s this thing,” Kana said, trying to think of a way to put it. “It’s something Palani wants to do.”

  Midnight said nothing, her glance skipping to Tiny, who was looking over at Kana. He merely raised an eyebrow.

  Kana took a deep breath and plunged ahead.

  “It’s a magazine article, on Palani and me. They want to write about how we met and all that…”

  “Okay…” Midnight said, her tone leading.

  “Well, I’m just worried about how that’s going to look.” Kana grimaced.

  It went against her grain to appear embarrassed by her sexuality, but she also knew that in working as Midnight’s bodyguard she was more closely scrutinized by the public. Midnight had worked hard to get where she was; Kana had no intention of ruining that for her.