Gangsta

by Foye, K'wan

  "My niece tells me many things about you."

  "I hope they're good things?"

  "Some good, others not so good."

  "Well, miss Selina, I won't lie to you. I've made some poor choices in life, but your niece is trying to help me correct them."

  "Good answer. So, meester St. Louis, what are your plans for my baby?"

  "To make her as happy as possible."

  "Another good answer. She coach you on what to say to me?"

  "No, ma'am. I'm just speaking from the heart. I would never attempt to deceive some one as lovely and as wise as you. Even if I could, I wouldn't."

  "So far, so good." she said looking at Satin. "I'm just going to come right out and ask you, meester St. Louis, how do you feel about my niece?"

  The question caught Lou-loc off guard, but he didn't fluster or hesitate. "I love her, ma'am. I only want to do right by her, for as long as she allows me to."

  Selina studied Lou-loc for a long moment. She looked him dead in the eyes to see if there was any hint of a lie in what he was saying. In Lou-loc's eyes all she saw was sincerity.

  "Meester St. Louis," she said holding his hand in hers, "for a long time I've looked after this girl. I've watched her come from a tree climbing little girl, to a beautiful young lady. I am an old woman now, and I fear that my time is short in this world, but I no sad. I know that when I leave here, I will be with my lord and savior. I need you to promise do some ting for me."

  "Sure, if I can." he said sounding a little dumbfounded.

  "Take care of her." she said teary eyed. "Allow me to pass on to the kingdom of heaven knowing that my niece is in good hands. Promise me that you will try to do right, and treat her like the queen that she is?"

  "I promise." Lou-loc said sounding a little emotional himself.

  "You have my word." The three of them shared a warm hug and exchanged a few tears. Selina knew that Lou-loc would stay true to his word.

  As Satin and Lou-loc made to leave, Selina called her back.

  She pulled Satin to her and whispered into her ear. "You've made a fine choice, little one. The heart never lies. God bless you both."

  Satin left the hospital feeling pleased with herself and her man. To her, a blessing from her aunt was as good as a blessing from God. She was pleased that Selina hadn't mentioned Michael during their visit. She hadn't yet gotten around to telling Lou-loc about her affiliation with the rival gang. That was a week ago.

  ***

  Lou-loc and Satin spent a long time exploring each other in the shadows of scented candle light. It was as if it were the first time for both of them. Not just their first time with each other, but their first time with anyone. Lou-loc was very gentle with her.

  Each time his tongue stroked her skin, she felt her nerves come alive. He kissed and sucked his way from her eyelids down to her belly. When he got to her vagina, she felt like sparks were going to pop out of her scalp.

  At first he did it slow and sensual. He licked around her womanhood and grazed her clit with his tongue. When she tried to push his head down he pulled away and continued to tease her. Once he finally did start handling his business, she was in another world.

  The way his tongue worked its way in and out of her spot,

  she thought she was going to pass out. She began to see spots and blurs with every stroke. It was the first time a man had ever made her orgasm, let alone with his tongue. She was into it and didn't have any shame in her game about showing it.

  "Oh, that's it, baby!" she shouted. "That's that shit! Oh, you nasty nigga you!"

  After about twenty minutes and a few orgasms, it was time to return the favor. Satin wasn't as experienced as Lou-loc in oral pleasure, but she wasn't no slouch. The warmth from her mouth felt so good to Lou-loc that he wanted to cum prematurely, but being the type of nigga that he was, he wasn't going to let that happen. Her teeth scraped him a few times causing him to flinch, but she still satisfied him. He actually respected her more for not knowing how to give head. That showed that she had either never done it before or didn't have much practice. Unlike Martina, who was a pro.

  After a few moments of oral, Lou-loc decided that it was time for him to bust her out. He carried Satin to the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Lou-loc slipped on a rubber, and tried to penetrate her. Even with the lubrication from the con-dom, she was still too tight. He dropped down to his knees and began to lick her spot in an attempt to add more moisture to the mix. Once she was thoroughly lubricated, he eased his way inside of her.

  He had only gotten it about halfway in when she began to whimper and cry. "You want me to stop?" he asked concerned.

  "You better not." she said seriously. "You don't know how long I've been waiting on this. Just keep going, I'll be alright." So, keep going he did. It felt like it had been quite sometime since anyone had been inside Satin, and Lou-loc loved her tight-ness. He stroked her slowly and with care at first, but once they had gotten into a rhythm, she begged him to give it to her harder. Lou-loc was only too happy to accommodate her.

  They went at it for a good forty minutes before Lou-loc reached his climax. After a brief intermission they were at it again. This time, they both went at it like wild animals with each one trying to out savage the other. Satin tore chunks of flesh from his back and arms while he plowed into her like a man possessed. Six position changes and an hour later, they lay in each other's arms, and reflected on the lovemaking they had just shared.

  It was strange for Lou-loc. For the first time in his life, he felt content. The burdens of the set weren't hounding him, he wasn't looking over his shoulder, and nobody was dying. Even if only for the few moments in the arms of this beautiful women, he was free.

  Satin, was so different from, Martina. Martina was ghetto and out spoken, while, Satin was poised and cultured. The two women were like night and day. Each one had her own special qualities, but, Satin added more to the mix.

  With, Lou-loc and Martina, it was fucking. No love making, just the two of them going at it with an animal like lust. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but Lou-loc was a hopeless romantic who craved more from a woman.

  Satin was a different case. She was like a delicate flower, who he had to handle accordingly. At times she seemed so pure and naive, that he almost felt like he was doing something wrong by sleeping with her. Satin was one of those women who seemed so dependent, but at the same time could stand on her own. She was different and this only further intrigued the young O.G.

  "What ya thinking about?" Satin asked looking up at Lou-loc.

  "Life." he said smiling. The way Satin made him feel was something he'd been searching for most of his life. It was like this brown goddess was the piece he was missing. It felt so good that he wished it could go on forever. But why couldn't it?

  Since he'd been old enough to bang, Lou-loc had been put-

  ting in work for the set. He avenged his father's death a dozen times over, and amassed a fair amount of paper. With the money he had put up, and his investments, he was good. Why not lay up with this bad ass bitch and live?

  Lou-loc had a good run in the game, but time was getting short. All his niggaz was getting laid, or getting numbers. Look at Gutter? It pained Lou-loc to think of his ace all tore up and shit, but he had to face the reality of the life he was living. He and Gutter had come up under the same codes, doing the same shit. Lou-loc might have killed a few more people, but Gutter wasn't no saint. He had much blood on his hands.

  The situation could've been reversed and that could've been Lou-loc with all those tubes running in and out of him. Satin coming to him was like God had taken a chance and was giving one of His fallen angels a second shot at life. Hell, if that was the case, Lou-loc had no intention on wasting it. He was going to take it and run with it.

  "Satin," he said stroking her forehead, "I been...you know, thinking about what you said?"

  "And?" she asked.

  "Well, I ain't gonna lie, you asking me to marry you w
as some weird shit, ya know? I don't mean, weird in a bad way. I mean, it caught me off guard."

  "Yea," she said getting up, "I played myself, right?"

  "Nah," he protested, pulling her back down, "it ain't like that. But are you sure that this is what you want?"

  "Listen boo," she said in a serious tone, "life is too short to be pondering over things your heart is already telling you is right. You the one, baby. I don't mean to sound thirsty or like I'm desperate, but that's just how it is. I got a Jones for you, St. Louis Alexander, and I know you got one for me, so why fight it?"

  "Damn," he said nodding his head, "that was straight forward and confident. You deep, girl." "Lou-loc, you know how I'm living, ain't no shame in my game. You're somebody I can build something with. You ain't some simple ass corner nigga still trying to hustle up that Benz.

  You got yo shit together just like me. You and me could be serious together, as lovers and as partners. But you gotta understand, I can't get wit no street nigga. I know you gonna be you, but lets do it the right way. Ya feel me?" Lou-loc just sat back and smirked. This was a side of Satin that he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet. She was a bull when it came to something she wanted. It was an asset to her numerous other qualities. This was definitely someone he could be with.

  "Ma, you make a lot of sense." said Lou-loc. "These streets put age on you quick. I ain't even twenty four yet, and I done been through enough shit to last me two lifetimes. Maybe it is time to give the streets a rest?"

  "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Lou-loc. This shit is for the birds. Baby, write ya books and be the star you supposed to be.

  I've read your work, and I know you can do it." Satin's words of encouragement gave a boost to his ego. Not only had she taken the time to read the work he'd given her, but she liked it. Martina had never had time to read his work, let alone critique it. There was something special about this woman. Even though her peoples were from the other side of the color line, he decided to get over it, and accept her.

  "Satin, I want to give you something." he said reaching into his knapsack. He handed her a purple velvet box. When she opened the box, she was enthralled with the crater sized diamond.

  "Lou-loc," she squealed, "this is so beautiful. When did you...hold up. I know you ain't trying to pass nothing off to me that you bought for that other bitch you was with?"

  "Nah," he lied, "that's just something I bought a while back.

  I always said I was going to save it for the day I met someone

  special enough to have it. Low and behold, here you go." It was a little white lie that he told her, but technically, it wasn't that far from the truth. True enough, he had bought the stone for Martina, but she had never actually owned it. Shit, she'd never even seen it.

  "That was sweet of you," she said hugging him, "I'll cherish it."

  "Just think of it like this," he said while putting their two rings side by side, "we gonna jump the broom, but not no time soon, we gotta get it together first. But these rings will be a symbol of our devotion to each other. When I get my affairs in order I'm gonna cop you a rock so big, that you'll need a wheel barrow to carry it around."

  "You're silly." she said kissing him on the cheek.

  "Now, I got some moves to make, Satin. I'll come by to check on you tomorrow."

  "Lou-loc, don't go?" she pleaded.

  "Baby, you know I gotta handle business. I gotta get my affairs in order so we can do us. Within the next few days, we gonna put some distance between us and this shit hole."

  "You serious, Lou-loc?"

  "Am I serious? Baby, let me tell you how serious I am. When you wake up tomorrow, you go on down and tell your landlord that you'll be moving out soon. I'm gonna float you the bread to pay off your last months rent, so you shouldn't have no static wit the old bird."

  "Baby, if you ready to pull up, we can leave tonight." she said eagerly.

  "Nah, honey." he waved her off. "We gonna do it right. Take care of your crib and your gig. Within a week, if even that long, we outta here, straight gangsta." As Lou-loc headed for the door, Satin stopped him short.

  "Lou-loc," she called out, "I want you to promise me something?"

  "Anything, boo. What is it?"

  "Promise me that we'll always be together? Baby, if I put my feelings into this like I want to, I wanna know that it's something solid, and not just a fling?"

  "Baby," he said pulling her close, "you're the rainbow at the end of a storm. I wanna wake up and see your baby doll face next to me in the morning for a lot of years to come. You will forever be my heart, mami. In this life or the next."

  "Then promise me, Lou-loc. Tell me that you'll never leave me, and I'm not a fool for loving you?"

  "Satin, honey, that's a bona fide guarantee. Now, I gots to raise up and get right.' She didn't want him to go, but she knew a man had to be a man, so she kissed him good night and let him go. She loved the shit out of Lou-loc. Her biggest fear was that the streets would take him away from her before they really had a chance to appreciate each other. She had always been psychic about things like that.

  CHAPTER 18

  The penthouse of the 'Golden Arms' apartment building off of central park west was about as plush as they came. The deco-rator, who was imported from France, laid it out to look like a Chinese palace. The walls were decorated with various art works from around the world. They were only prints, but it still gave the apartment an eccentric feel. As opposed to curtains, the windows were all fitted with bamboo shutters.

  Expensive furniture filled every room of the apartment. Even the toilet was hand crafted to certain specifications. A red carpet ran from the front door to the living room, giving those who entered, the feeling of being a celebrity. The owner liked to stroke his ego that way. This was the domain of Michael Angelino, a.k.a. El Diablo.

  El Diablo paced back and forth over his plush living room carpet, while Cisco looked on and smiled.

  "Michael," Cisco crooned, "you're going to upset your ulcer if you don't calm down."

  "Calm down?" Diablo snapped. "You announce to me that my sister is seeing one of the men I'm trying to have assassinated, and you

  do so in front of those fucking apes on the council. Now you tell me, Cisco, how the fuck am I supposed to calm down?" Cisco leaned back in the recliner and lit a cigarette. He knew he couldn't overplay his hand for fear of ruining every- thing. He had to nudge El Diablo. LC Blood would be his, but he had to be patient.

  "Michael," he said exhaling a cloud of smoke, "I did things the way I did for your benefit. For one, if I had told you in private, would you have taken me seriously? I told you at the council because I knew that would help you to realize the serious-ness of the situation. For two, I wanted all of those fucking "egg plants" to respect our gangsta.

  "The streets are watching. Not only are they watching, but they're talking. Some of our cousins, for lack of a better choice of words, feel that since you haven't been on the scene for awhile, that you might've gone soft?"

  "Soft?" El Diablo asked in disbelief. "I have never been weak. El Diablo has paid his dues. There is much blood on my hands, Cisco."

  "Oh, it's not to me that you have anything to prove. It's these fucking street rabbles that are trying to tarnish your good name.

  Then you got this meat ball ass nigga from the other side sporting your sister. What kind of shit is that, Michael? You've got to intervene on this one, boss man. If you let this slide, then it's only a matter of time before you have these fucking tar babies lining up to challenge your authority." Cisco sat back and let his words sink in. By the way El Diablo was pacing and pulling at his mustache, Cisco knew his speech was starting to take affect. Everything was working out nicely.

  "You're right, Cisco. This will not go unpunished. When El Diablo allows his own family to become Judas, he is no longer fit to lead."

  "Just what I was thinking." Cisco mumbled under his breath.

  "I suggest this, Michael. Give me a day or so to c
onfer with my contact. I'll take care of this Lou-loc, but you need to be the one to talk to Satin. We gonna work this shit out, Michael, we just gotta go about it right, you feel me?"

  "Yes, Cisco. We have to do it the right way. I'll try reasoning first. If that doesn't work I'll blow his fucking brains out and put my foot knee deep in Satin's ass. That's what I'll do."

  "Bueno," Cisco said standing, "that's the El Diablo I know.

  Let me get out of here and on my job. I'll be in touch soon, Michael. LC for life!!!"

  As Cisco made his way to the elevator, he had to fight back the smile that was forming on his lips. Things were working out better than he had originally planned. Soon, Lou-loc would be dead, El Diablo would either be dead or in a cell, and he would be the leader of LC Blood once again. Cisco promised himself that once he was returned to power, Satin would pay for trying to give him her ass to kiss. This he was sure of.

  ***

  Lou-loc dipped in and out of traffic feeling himself. He was on top of the world. He had some paper, a bad bitch and a plan. In his mind, he was good and no one could bring him down, or so he thought.

  The first call was to his crooked ass financial planner. He informed her that New York was no longer going to be his resi-dence, and that he would be needing some cash to travel with.

  She assured him that he would be receiving the cash within twenty four hours, and the necessary paper work would be taken care of. The next call was to Pop Top, telling him that there would be an emergency meeting of the set leaders taking place in that night. Top kept asking him what the deal was, but Lou-loc wouldn't give. He knew a lot of the home boys wouldn't be too happy about him getting out, but fuck it. If niggaz really felt that strongly about it, they could see him in the streets. It's not like he was abandoning them, he was just retiring while retirement was still an option.

  The hardest part would be saying goodbye to Gutter and Sharell. They were the only family he had on the east coast, so the bond between the three was strong. Sharell had always tried to tell Lou-loc about Martina, but he wouldn't listen. It was too late to change things. Might as well man up, and keep stepping.