Born Sinners

by Marlon McCaulsky

  “You know we can’t do this again.”

  “Why not? We can just keep this to ourselves and nobody has to know. Besides you know you can’t stop once you taste this.” Vanessa said as she licked his lips.

  Dwayne smirked, “So I guess the old man ain’t hitting it right huh?”

  “Not nearly as good as you.” She said as her tongue entered his mouth. Dwayne knew she was right. There was no way he could resist her.

  Damien made his way to Manhattan to the 24-hour parking lot where the black Jaguar was. He waited till about 6 p.m. for people to start leaving from across the street. There were no cops in the area, so he decided to go over and use the spare keys from the rental office to start the car. He got in, turned the key, and the engine smoothly turned over. He pulled out of the garage. This was simple, Damien thought as he drove down the street.

  Then he saw an NYPD patrol car pull out behind him, flashing its lights. “Shit!” He contemplated stepping on the gas, but decide to pull over anyway.

  Damien quickly put his Glock 19 in the glove compartment and locked it. He turned the engine off, sat back in his seat, and watched the patrolmen in his rearview mirror. One officer got out of his patrol car and slowly approached the driver side next to Damien with his hand on his gun. The other cop approached from the other side. Damien turned his head and looked at the cop to his left. His heart was pounding in chest.

  “Do you know why we stopped you?” the officer asked.

  “No, I don’t. Is there something wrong?”

  “You didn’t come to a complete stop at that stop sign back there. Let me see your licenses and registration?” Damien reached in his jacket and pulled out his wallet.

  “Slowly! Is this your car?” the other officer asked him.

  “No, it’s a rental car.” Damien said as he handed the officer his license and registration.

  The officer took it and handed it to the other officer, and he walked back to the patrol car and called it in.

  “So what are you doing in this car?” the officer asked him.

  “I work for Elite Rental Car, and I’m just picking up one of our cars that was abandoned in a 24 hour parking lot.”

  The officer looked at him suspiciously. “Sure you are. You mind if I search the car?”

  “Yeah, I do actually. Just give me my ticket so I can get going.” Damien flippantly said to him.

  “Watch your fucking mouth, boy.” The cop warned him.

  The hairs on the back of his neck rose. “Fuck you. I ain’t ya boy.”

  “Alright, you wanna act like that? Get out the car.” He demanded

  “What for?”

  The officer drew his gun. “Get out the car now! Keep your hands where I can see them!”

  Damien opened the door and got out of the car. Then the officer grabbed him, pushed him against the car, and put him in handcuffs.

  “This is some bullshit!”

  “Shut the hell up!” The other officer came back over with his gun in his hand.

  “Ted, search the car.” The officer started to frisk him as the other officer searched the car. He patted him down between his legs.

  “Don’t be sacred, that’s just my dick.” Damien said sarcastically as the officer frisks his legs.

  He shoved him down on the trunk. “Shut the fuck up.”

  “Yo Jack, the glove compartment is locked.” The officer in the car said to him.

  “Where’s the key, asshole?”

  “I don’t know.” The officer slammed Damien’s head against the trunk of the car.

  “Ted, check the trunk.” Damien’s heart sped up at what they would find.

  The officer opened the trunk and looked around, and saw nothing. Then he opened the compartment where the spare tire should be, and saw 30 bricks of cocaine in a black bag.

  “Check this out Jack. Looks like Johnson & Johnson are having a party in here.”

  “Well, looka here. I bet you didn’t know that was in there did ya, smart-ass?” The officer asked Damien.

  “Nope. I told you I was just returning our car to the lot. I don’t know shit about that.” Damien said calmly.

  “I’m sure you don’t. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney.” The officer read Damien his Miranda Rights, but all he could think about was who his first call would be to.

  Three hour later, Damien was sitting in the 28th Precinct in central booking. He made his one phone call, and was sitting in an interrogation room in front of a two-way mirror. The door opened, and Detective Anderson and Detective Lawrence walked into the room. Anderson was a black cop in his mid-thirties. He looked like he had been on both sides of the law and had dealt with men like Damien for years. Detective Lawrence was white and was in his late-forties. His was a real old-school dick whose demeanor reeked of that been-there-and-done-that arrogance.

  They were studying Damien’s body language, and he knew it. Damien remained calm and unconcerned as Detective Lawrence sat in the chair in front of him across the table.

  “You’re in a fucked up position, asshole. You know that right?” Detective Lawrence said to him, but Damien didn’t respond.

  “Of course he knows that. He knows we found 30 bricks of cocaine in the trunk of his car. He knows that’s automatically 15 years in federal prison for drug trafficking with the intent to sell,” Detective Anderson said.

  “I know you’re not that smart, Damien. You have quite a little juvenile history here so do yourself a favor and tell us all about Bobby Jones, a.k.a. Bishop.” Detective Lawrence said to him.

  “You do that and we can probably cut you a deal so you won’t end up being somebody’s bitch in prison. So tell us all about Bishop and your connection to Dwayne Smith.” Detective Anderson said.

  Damien remained silent as if he didn’t hear a word both of them had said. He looked at both of them, and then rolled his neck.

  “Do you have any chairs with arm rests on them?”

  “What?” Detective Lawrence asked, baffled by Damien’s question.

  “Yeah, these metal folding chairs are killing my back,” Damien nonchalantly retorted.

  “I don’t believe this shit. Listen here, you little shithead mutha’fucka. You’re going to be buried under the prison if you don’t start talking!” Detective Lawrence irately snapped as he slapped him.

  Damien spat out blood, and then looked at Detective Lawrence and smiled.

  “You’re just a delivery boy for Bishop! You think he gives two shits about what happens to you? We don’t have to offer you any deal, but you’re not that important to us. Give us what we want and you can take some years off your sentence.” Detective Anderson got in his face and said.

  Then the door opened and a white man dressed in a gray three-button Hugo Boss business suit walked in.

  “If you have any more questions for my client, you should direct them to me.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Detective Anderson asked.

  “Victor Morgan of Morgan & Simmons Law Firm. I’m representing Mr. Ruffin, and here’s a court order for my client to be released.” Victor said as he handed them the paperwork and Damien smiled.

  Detective Lawrence snatched the paperwork and read it.

  “This is bullshit! We caught him in a stolen vehicle, trafficking 30 bricks of cocaine!”

  “No. You pulled over an employee of Elite Rental Cars, returning a recovered vehicle that was abandoned in a parking lot. Your officers racially profiled my client and illegally searched his vehicle without probable cause or a court-ordered search warrant. So if you don’t mind taking the handcuffs off now?” Victor arrogantly said.

  “What kind of shit is this? How can this scumbag afford a slick-talking worm like you?”

  “My retainer was paid for by Elite Rental Cars. They care about their employees. In the future, teach your officers about proper procedures when stopping somebody.” Victor said
to him.

  “Fuck you and fuck this piece of shit scumbag!” Lawrence growled, and then got up and stormed out of the room.

  “This isn’t over Damien.” Detective Anderson said as he uncuffed him.

  “It is tonight bitch.” Damien said as he got up and walked out with Victor.

  Damien smirked. “Long time no see Vic.”

  “Not long enough. You’re going to have to remain low-key for a few months. They’re going to be watching you now.”

  Five minutes later Damien walked out of the precinct and saw Dwayne sitting in a black Bentley coupe. Damien crossed the street and got in the car.

  “Looks like I called the right guy.”

  “Lucky for you that Bishop pulled a few strings. How’s Victor?” Dwayne asked him.

  “An asshole, but he’s good at his job. What do we do about the coke?”

  Dwayne pulled away in his car. “We chalk it up as a loss.”

  “They’re on to Bishop and you. What are we gonna do about that?”

  “Play the game better than them.” Dwayne said as he turned down the street.

  As they got closer to Damien’s apartment, Dwayne stopped at a bodega and got some Newport’s and Philly blunts. He got back in the car, and Damien spotted a black Suburban stopped down the street.

  “Hey, ain’t that ya nigga Remo’s truck?”

  “Yeah, it looks like it.” Dwayne confirmed.

  Then they saw Stacy leaning over and kissing Remo. Then she got out of the Suburban and walked toward their apartment.

  “Son of a bitch! I’m gonna kill that mutha’fucka.”

  “No you’re not.” Dwayne said firmly.

  “What the fuck are you talking about? That nigga is running up in my bitch and you think I ain’t gonna murk that nigga!”

  “That’s exactly what I think. You kill Remo then Big Mike is gonna wanna kill you.”

  “Fuck that nigga! I’ll blast him too!”

  “Nigga is you stupid? Number one, Big Mike is my nigga. Second of all, we can’t afford to go to war with Big Mike and them over some bitch. In case you just forgot you got 5-0 watching you now.” Dwayne said to him, but Damien wasn’t trying to hear him.

  “Listen, I know Remo. He’s just doing what any nigga would do if a bitch wanted to give him the pussy. Who you need to be mad at is that trifling bitch Stacy.” Dwayne enlightened him.

  “Oh, I’ma check her alright. You can believe that.” Damien said as he glared at her walking down the block.

  Dwayne shook his head, pulled off, did a U-turn and drove off.

  “Where the fuck are you going? My spot is that way.”

  “Nigga you ain’t going home tonight. You’ll fuck around and kill that bitch and ‘cause me even more trouble. You’re staying at my place tonight until you get a mutha’fuckin’ grip on your shit.”

  Dwayne was right. Damien would have killed her had he gone home. Despite all the other women Damien had messed with, he never thought Stacy would cheat on him too. Not after what he had been through with her. He knew Remo was deeper in the game than him, and now, not only did Stacy betray him, but his ego was bruised. She will have to learn a harsh lesson for that, Damien thought to himself.

  17

  I Used To Love Her

  March 1995

  It had been a week since Remo went to L.A. to work on some music and Stacy realized how much she really missed him. For the first time in her young life, she was in love. Remo was the first man to treat her like a lady instead of using her. Now that she had felt the real thing, there was no going back. As soon as he returned to New York, she was going to be with him. Her days of living in fear with Damien were coming to an end. Stacy was sitting at her desk at work, unable to concentrate on anything else but Remo. She called the number he gave her before he left.

  “Hey ma,” Remo answered, and it brought a smile to her face.

  “Hey baby, how are you?”

  “Yo, this is crazy Stacy. I love it out here. The sun is always shining, the beach is right here, and the weed is the best shit I’ve ever had.” Remo said laughing.

  “That’s good.”

  Remo could hear the sadness in her voice. “The only thing I’m missing is you baby. You should be out here with me in a bikini, showing these broads how a Harlem dime rocks it.”

  Stacy smiled and then said, “I don’t wanna hurt any of them broad’s feelings.”

  “But on the real Stacy…I’m thinking about moving out here full time.”

  Stacy was shocked to hear that. “Really?”

  “Yeah, I’m tired of New York. I’ve been there all my life and I wanna try something new. How about you? Are you ready to try something new?”

  Stacy sat stunned at a loss of words for a few seconds. “Yeah. You want me to move out there with you?”

  “Yeah, why not? What’s really keeping you in New York? Damien?”

  “Hell no.” She answered firmly. “Nothings keeping me here, if you really want me then I’ll be there. When are you coming back?”

  “I should be back in two weeks. So just get your stuff together and I’ll come and get you.” Remo said to her.

  Stacy talked with Remo for a few more minutes about moving to L.A., but then had to get back to work. Larissa walked by her and saw a big smile on her face.

  “You must have just got done talking to Remo right?” Larissa asked her.

  “Yeah, how did you know?”

  Larissa rolled her eyes. “Please, this is the first time I’ve seen you smile or look happy since he left town.”

  “I guess I didn’t have anything to smile about. I’ve got something to tell you.”

  Her eyes grew large like saucers. “What? Don’t tell me your pregnant girl.”

  Stacy shook her head. “No. Well…Remo was just saying to me that he loves L.A., and he wants me to move out there with him.”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  “Yeah.”

  Larissa sat down on Stacy’s desk. “Are you going to do it?”

  “Yeah, I am. There’s nothing keeping me here.”

  “Nothing other than a crazy ass boyfriend you have at home. You think Damien is just gonna let you get up and leave him like that?”

  “He won’t even know when I go. Remo is coming back in two weeks and I’ll go to work one morning and just won’t come back. I’m gonna miss you though.”

  “Miss me?” Larissa sucked her teeth. “Shit, I’m gonna be out there in California staying with you so much, you’re gonna get sick of me!”

  Once you start you just can’t stop. Pussy is like crack in many ways. Both are illegal to sell but easy to find. Both have a short-lived euphoria, and an intense craving for more develops. Sooner or later, both of them can kill you. Even knowing all of this, Dwayne still couldn’t resist sexing Vanessa. Creeping with her behind Bishop’s back was like getting high on the boss’s supply. Vanessa was in Dwayne’s bedroom getting hit doggy-style like a jackhammer. Dwayne was a beast when it came to fucking Vanessa, and she was his prey. Vanessa bit on the pillow to keep from screaming in ecstasy from the pleasure she was receiving. Dwayne gripped her hips as he thrust in and out of her love box until finally he withdrew and came on her ass. Exhausted, Dwayne collapsed next to Vanessa in bed. She smiled and looked at him.

  “Damn, my pussy feels so good. You gonna have me walking with a limp with that big dick of yours.” Vanessa crooned.

  “Oh lawd! Damn girl!” Dwayne said as he tried to regain his composure.

  Vanessa got up and walked to the bathroom to clean herself up. She came back and got back in bed with Dwayne.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  She smiled and caressed his still hard manhood. “Same reason you are. ‘Cause we want each other.”

  “But there ain’t nothing I got that Bishop can’t give you.”

  “He can buy me anything I want, but he can’t give me pleasure. Not the way you do. I’ve wanted you from the first time I saw you. I’ll tell y
ou something else, Bishop is intimidated by you.”

  “Ha! What makes you say that?”

  Vanessa climbed on top of Dwayne and slid his hardness back into her wet box. “Everybody can see it, but you’re young and ambitious. You’re the one running the streets. You’re the one that’s making The Blue Angel the hottest club in Harlem. That’s why he calls you Future King all the time. He knows you’re coming for his spot. To me, you’re already king in more ways then he’ll ever be.”

  It had been a long day for Stacy at work so when she got home she decided to take a shower and go right to bed. She didn’t know where Damien was, and quite frankly, she didn’t care. He stayed out all night long a few days ago. She figured he was with this K girl he had been creeping with. She didn’t care, ‘cause she had Remo on the side too. He’d barely said three words to her all week, but she didn’t care. Her thoughts were on Remo. She slept peacefully in bed knowing that she would soon be with Remo in L.A., and away from Damien. It was warm tonight as she slept in their queen size bed. She only slept in her panties with the satin sheets half off of her. She opened her eyes and saw Damien standing at the side of the bed staring at her.

  “Damien…Shit, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?”

  He stood over her with a menacing glare in his eyes. “Let me ask you something, Stacy. Do you love me?”