“She was busy being depressed,” Sable said, her features clouded with derision.
Cat said nothing, only sitting back and signaling the bartender for three shots.
“Over Elizabeth?” Melanie asked, knowing her daughter well enough to know she was avoiding the topic.
Cat said nothing, her face impassive. Melanie looked at Sable, who nodded, glancing at Cat.
Melanie took a deep breath, expelling it loudly as the waiter brought over the shots of tequila. Melanie picked up one shot and held it up.
“Well, here’s to saving the day,” Melanie said, smiling at Sable.
Sable picked up her shot, holding it up to Melanie’s. Cat picked hers up and drank it, signaling for another. Sable and Melanie exchanged a knowing look, then drank their shots.
In the end, Cat drank, while Melanie and Sable chatted. At one point, Cat got up to dance to a song that she liked. The song was Savage Garden’s “Tears of Pearls.” There were other people on the floor, but Cat had a presence that had people watching her. She wasn’t paying any attention; she was singing the words of the song.
The song itself was about how love could leave you bare, empty and crying. The bridge had Sable out of her seat and striding to Cat. When she reached Cat, she slid one arm around her waist from behind, brushing Cat’s hair aside with her other hand. Leaning down, she kissed Cat’s neck, moving with her during the rest of the song.
The DJ was kind enough to put on a slow song after that. Unfortunately, he’d grabbed one that hit far too close to home for both of them. The song was “You Won’t Be Mine” by Matchbox Twenty. It talked about the damage a relationship had caused.
Sable found herself holding Cat closer, even when she felt the tears on her skin, Cat’s tears. She caressed Cat’s back, wanting so badly to take away the sadness that caused Cat’s pain but knowing it was impossible. It gave her a sense of hopelessness—she wanted so much to heal all of Cat’s hurts, and she couldn’t do it. It was something Cat had to do for herself. Sable didn’t know how much of it she could take, however. It hurt to be second best sometimes. Especially for a woman who was used to being desired by millions. Yet this one little girl, she couldn’t make love her. Why was that?
Melanie watched, as everyone else in the bar did. She knew that her daughter was in turmoil. Catalina took things into herself very deeply. Her daughter was not one to cry about injustices or betrayals. Cat was one to do something about it, and when she did, she put it behind her. This didn’t seem to be happening. Melanie suspected that her feelings for Elizabeth Endicott had been very deep, and she’d allowed herself to trust the girl. So what had happened? Melanie had to know.
When Cat went to the bathroom a little while later, Melanie asked Sable if she knew.
Sable was more than happy to fill Melanie in, as well as tell her what she thought of Elizabeth Endicott as a person.
“She really seemed to be in love with Cat, though,” Melanie said, not understanding how Elizabeth could betray Cat the way she had.
“Well,” Sable said, “if that’s Elizabeth’s idea of love, then I think that child has some growing up to do.”
Melanie nodded, agreeing with Sable on that.
Sable and Melanie were only seven years apart in age. Sable was forty and Melanie was forty-seven. Sable frequently referred to Elizabeth as a child. Cat had commented that Elizabeth was only a little younger than Cat was at thirty. Sable’s reply was, “It’s all about maturity, babygirl, and that child doesn’t have any.”
“So you’re performing at the Pride parade?” Melanie asked, purposely changing the subject as she saw Cat heading for the table.
Sable picked up the cue. “Yeah, tomorrow night.”
Cat narrowed her eyes at her mother, knowing that she was covering.
“How long ago did this show get booked?” Cat asked, as if just joining the conversation.
“About three months ago, I think,” Sable said. “But I’m almost always here for the parade. Why?”
Cat looked at her mother again. “Nice try, Mother. You would have known about Sable being here long before now.”
“Why do you say that?” Melanie asked, knowing she was caught.
“Because you’re one of her biggest fans, and you know whenever she’s going to be in California at all. Remember you called me and begged me to get you tickets to her San Diego show while I was in college? And when I forgot, you wouldn’t speak to me for a month.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it was a whole month.”
“At least a month,” Cat said.
“You’re exaggerating.”
“And you’re covering your ass,” Cat countered, then looked at Sable. “She asked you what happened with Bet, right?”
Sable didn’t say anything, shooting Melanie a glance.
“Well, it was obvious you weren’t going to tell me,” Melanie said, her tone hurt.
“Because I didn’t want to relive it to tell you, Mother,” Cat said sharply.
“So,” Sable said, putting her hand on Cat’s hand, “now she knows and you didn’t have to relive it.”
Cat looked at Sable, her expression displeased. Sable removed her hand. Turning to the bartender, she ordered another shot. The evening was over shortly thereafter. Cat dropped Sable off at the hotel, telling her that she was going for a drive. Sable didn’t look happy about it, but nodded and walked inside. Cat gunned the powerful motor and headed for the Wharf, where she’d spent a lot of time as a child. It was cold that evening, but Cat didn’t even care. She pulled on the beige leather jacket Sable had insisted on buying her.
Walking along the Wharf and smoking, Cat did her best to clear her head. So many thoughts kept crowding in regardless. She knew she was being unfair to Sable, but the fact of the matter was her heart was shut down. Elizabeth had held it in her hands and thrown it away. It was instinct for Cat to protect it now. How could she let herself fall for a world-famous rock star anyway? she reasoned with herself. She’d be yesterday’s news before the end of the year. What was the point in that?
Still, Sable was doing literally everything she could think of to try and help Cat get over Elizabeth. It was so hard not to love a person who tried so damned hard. On top of that, the one trying was the Sable Sands, who, in truth, could have had any woman she wanted.
How stupid am I? Cat wondered. Here’s this beautiful, worldly, brilliant artist of a woman begging to save me from depression and heartache, and I’m pushing her away with both hands.
Walking back to the Cayenne, Cat felt guilt weighing heavy on her. Sable had bought her so much, and although Cat had appreciated it, she’d fought her all the way. It made her seem ungrateful, whereas she simply didn’t want Sable wasting good money on her. Why? So Cat could continue pining for something that no longer existed? How fair was that?
Cat climbed into the Cayenne, starting the engine with a roar. She intended to go back to the hotel and make it up to Sable. She parked in underground parking and took the elevator up to the street. She walked to the hotel, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she entered the lobby.
Elizabeth felt her stomach quivering as she waited for Catalina. She’d found out where she and Sable were staying in San Francisco and had made a point of flying straight there. At the hotel, she’d called the front desk and asked to be transferred to the room—fortunately Sable Sands didn’t bother with fake names when checking in. Sable had informed her, in a very snide tone, that Cat wasn’t there, and that she shouldn’t have come. Elizabeth had decided to wait for Cat in the lobby; she didn’t care how long it took. She was pacing back and forth, glancing at the glass doors every time they opened, then suddenly she saw Cat.
“Catalina…” Elizabeth began, but suddenly realized that she had no idea what else to say.
She watched Cat stop and look over at her, disbelief on her face, then Cat shook her head and turned around to walk back out of the hotel. Elizabeth panicked, running after her.
“Cat, wait! Please!” she yelled, running to catch up to the other woman, but Catalina didn’t stop—she just kept walking. Elizabeth noticed a man walking toward Catalina. He appeared to be staring right at her and seemed menacing to Elizabeth somehow. She was about to call out to warn Catalina, who hadn’t looked up to see the man approaching her, but someone grabbed Elizabeth from behind. Elizabeth’s first thought was that it was security for the hotel. She screamed in frustration. Catalina turned around, and Elizabeth saw the other man shove her. Elizabeth screamed again, this time in fear. The man who held her was moving her toward a waiting van. Suddenly there was a cloth in front of her mouth and nose. She tried to yank her head away, but the man held it to her face with a great deal of force. She became lightheaded immediately; fear overtook her, just before the darkness encompassed her and she passed out.
“Why didn’t you grab the other one?” the driver snapped at his companion, who was taping Elizabeth’s hands together in case she woke up before they got back to the hideout.
“He only paid us to grab her,” came the reply. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not handing out freebies!”
The driver laughed as they sped off down the street. He cast a quick glance at the blonde lying on the sidewalk, but shrugged as he continued on.
***
Elizabeth woke up in a darkened room. She could see that the sun was coming up outside the shaded windows. Looking around her, she realized she was in a regular-looking bedroom, a bit bare bones, but there was a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a lamp. Her head was aching—she suspected it was from the foul-smelling cloth they’d shoved under her nose that had knocked her out. Moving slowly to sit up, she saw the door to the room open. She stared down the man who walked in and looked her over.
“Ms. Endicott, glad to see you’re awake,” the man said politely.
“Will you be equally grateful when my aunt puts you in jail?” Elizabeth asked in a superior tone.
“If she’s still alive,” he said smoothly.
“What?” Elizabeth asked, her composure gone suddenly. “What have you done?”
“Merely put into motion a plan to pull the great state of California back from the brink of poverty and depravity, a condition your aunt has seen fit to throw it into.”
“Depravity?” Elizabeth queried.
“I’m sure you know all about that,” he said, his tone darkening, “considering your own situation.”
“You know nothing about me,” Elizabeth said sharply.
“Don’t I?” he asked in a condescending voice. “You sleep with women, isn’t that true? The one you were chasing after when we arrived. The piece of garbage who herself should be dead right now.”
“Cat?” Elizabeth asked, terrified now. “What have you done, you bastard?”
He merely looked back at her, his eyes cold.
“It was you,” she said tonelessly. “You were the one that abducted her in San Diego, weren’t you?”
“Had her abducted,” he corrected. “If I’d done it myself, she’d be dead now like she was supposed to be.”
Elizabeth jumped off the bed, bent on hitting him for what he’d just said. His longer reach got her first. He slammed his fist into her face, knocking her down.
“You bastard!” she screamed, moving back from him, but her eyes shooting venomous sparks at him.
“Here I was, going to give you a chance to repent your sins,” he said, his tone completely reasonable again.
Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed again and gave him a suspicious look. “Repent what sins?”
“The disgusting habit you have of sleeping with members of your own sex,” he spat viciously.
“I’ve slept with one woman, halfwit,” Elizabeth said, her anger coming to bear again.
“That is why I feel you may have done so in a show of poor judgment,” he said, taking the tone of a scholar. “It is my feeling that people should be given an opportunity to repent their sins before they meet their maker.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened at what he said, but then narrowed again.
“What is it you want to hear?” she asked.
“That you repent the sin of defiling yourself with that woman,” he said, making the word “woman” sound like a curse.
“I happen to be in love with that woman,” Elizabeth said, drawing herself up. “Does that count for anything?” Her voice was sarcastic on the last.
“Maybe she needs a chance to remember what men were like,” a man’s voice said from the doorway.
Elizabeth looked to the doorway, her eyes widening as she cringed inwardly. The man speaking was huge. He had the look of a criminal. His eyes, however, were all over her, his gaze lustful. Elizabeth did her best to look brave, but inside she was terrified. She looked to the man she’d been talking to, hoping he wouldn’t want this. Certainly what the big man was suggesting was a “sin” too.
“Perhaps you’re right,” the first man said.
Elizabeth gasped in horror, moving back on the bed, getting as far away from the big man in the doorway as she could.
“You have one last chance. Repent now,” the first man said.
Elizabeth looked from him to the man in the doorway, then back at him. Something inside her screamed to agree to anything the man said, but her heart wouldn’t allow it.
“No,” Elizabeth said, staring directly back at him.
The man simply inclined his head as if she’d just given him a drink order. Then he turned and walked out of the room. The big man walked in, and behind him walked in two more men, almost as big as he was.
Elizabeth’s screams could be heard throughout the big house. Finally she quieted, but no one noticed. No one heard.
***
The next morning in San Diego, Kana, Tiny, and Midnight were headed for the airport. Midnight was on her way to San Francisco for the Pride parade. They had no idea what had transpired the night before. When they reached the terminal, Kana stood in line with Midnight to check them in; Tiny stood to the side with their bags, keeping an eye on things and the people around them, ever watchful. Kana looked at their tickets, making sure she had everything together. She always endeavored to make Midnight’s travel as easy as possible, so ensuring they had their tickets, IDs, and gun letters ready was paramount.
“Couldn’t get Sinclair’s plane for this one, huh?” Kana asked.
“He’s using it,” Midnight said with a grin. “He and Randy went to Tahoe for the weekend.”
“Lucky them,” Kana said, grinning too, thinking she’d love to be in Tahoe with Palani at this point.
The incident with Cat had forced Midnight to postpone many of her trips—they were now rushing to catch up. They’d been traveling almost constantly since then. Kana had been sure Midnight would cancel appearing at Pride, simply due to lack of time. But once again, her boss had surprised her and staunchly refused to cancel. “I need to do this,” Midnight had said simply. Kana had felt a swell of appreciation that Midnight wanted to support the LGBT community in such an open way. No one would have blamed her for canceling, and yet she still wouldn’t. It said a lot to Kana.
“We’ll get some time off soon,” Midnight was saying, pulling Kana out of her thoughts.
“I know,” Kana said, as her cell phone rang. Pulling out her phone, she answered, “Sorbinno.”
“Kana, it’s Rick! What happened? How the hell did someone get past you and Tiny? How did this happen? How could you let her get shot?” He’d said it so quickly that it took a second for Kana to catch up. She held up her hand as if to physically forestall the verbal onslaught.
“Rick, Rick, hold up, what are you talking about? She’s right here, she’s fine… Here,” she said, handing Midnight her cell phone.
Midnight looked perplexed. Kana shrugged, having no idea what was going on. She looked over at Tiny and saw he was watching them. They both went on high alert though, as if telepathically discussing it. Something was happening—they just didn’t know what
.
“Rick?” Midnight said into the phone. She listened for a response, and it was obvious to Kana that Midnight was as confused as she. “What?” Midnight asked, clearly befuddled. “Wait, Rick, I can’t hear you. Hold on…” she said as she stepped around the poles that blocked off the lines for check-in. Kana watched as Midnight started walking toward the glass doors that led outside the terminal.
Just then the line moved and Kana was at the front. “Go get her,” she said to Tiny, but he was already strolling behind Midnight, keeping a slight distance to give her some privacy.
Kana turned back and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Then she saw someone reach up in front of her face. Something wet hit her eyes, even as she was pulling her gun and yelling for Tiny.
As she turned to look toward the front of the terminal, her vision blurred, she heard what she was sure was squealing tires and… were those gunshots? Oh God! was all she had time to think as she tried to move to get to Midnight and Tiny, but suddenly she was falling, and her vision was darkening. No… was the last thing she thought before she was unconscious.
***
Cat woke slowly, her head aching wildly, her mind in a fog. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sable hovering over her, a worried look on her face.
“Cat?” Sable queried softly.
“Where?” Cat asked, glancing around her.
“You’re at the hospital,” Sable said, putting her hand on Cat’s shoulder to keep her from sitting up. “Just relax, you’re okay.”
“No.” Cat shook her head. Something was nagging at her. “Wait…” she said, holding up her hand. “Fuck! Elizabeth!” she exclaimed, sitting up and instantly sorry she did. “Oh…” She lay back down.
“You have to stay down!” Sable told her. “You fell—you hit your head, hard.”
“No,” Cat said, shaking her head again. “Someone knocked me down, and… shit! Where’s my weapon?”
“You had it in your hand when we found you,” Sable said. “Jake took it back to the hotel.”
“I need to get out of here,” Cat said, her voice strong, as she sat up slowly this time. Glancing down, she saw that she wore a hospital gown. “I need my clothes, I need my gun. Where’s my cell phone?”
Darkness Past Page 26
