La Familia 2

by Paradise Gomez

  “Mouse, just get inside the damn car so we can go,” he hollered.

  “Don’t curse at me, nigga!”

  Tango sighed with frustration. The more they lingered in the street the more likely trouble would come their way, either from the gunmen searching for them or the cops coming to investigate the disturbance in the area.

  Mouse unwillingly got back in the car with him. Tango drove away, distancing himself from the area but the damage had already been done. Mouse sat with her arms folded across her chest and frowning a great deal. Her tears fell like water from melting ice. She wanted to hit him again, punch Tango in his face so hard he would have the taste of her knuckles in his mouth for a month. But she didn’t; she rode silently, pondering and nervous like hell. Who was this man, really? She loved him but there was still that awkward mystery about him. People don’t try and kill you for no reason. Once again she thought, was it his past finally catching up to him or did he fuck with the wrong people?

  When they arrived home, Mouse was all over him. She was ready to pack her bags, or pack his bags and throw him out. She was loud and so angry, the way she felt she could knock down mountains. Again, she wanted to punch him in the face. He had put her life in danger, and what if Eliza was with them, then what? She would never be able to forgive him or herself if anything happened to her daughter because of her incompetence. Tango had to explain himself. He couldn’t lie his way out of this one and no one wasn’t going anywhere until she got a reasonable explanation from him. So he went on to say that he owed a drug debt to someone large in the streets and they had some harsh words. Tango said it got physical between him and the drug dealer. Mouse didn’t believe him. She threatened to leave him.

  “Baby, I can fix this, believe me,” he sternly shouted.

  “Fuckin’ how?” Mouse retorted.

  “I know I fucked up, but give me a second chance. I’m tellin’ you the truth,” he exclaimed.

  Tango knew he couldn’t tell her the truth that he was a psychotic killer, murdering rival gang members in cold blood and being paid $5,000 a head. It would surely drive her away for good. He would do whatever to hide the truth from her, even lie when earlier in the restaurant he made a promise to never lie to her again. But he felt this was different; he was about to lose the best thing that ever happened to him. And he was ready to fight tooth and nail to keep his woman.

  They argued heatedly. Their spat went from room to room. Mouse couldn’t hold back her emotions and her hands; she repeatedly hit Tango from his chest to his face.

  “You so fuckin’ stupid! You so stupid, Tango. Oh my God!” she yelled.She wanted to hate him, but it was hard.

  Tango didn’t retaliate; he knew she was upset. He played defense and tried to block all of her outraged swings thrown at him. She was heavy-handed and had quick hands. Tango was surprised. She needed to vent, and if she used her hands in doing so, he didn’t care. He knew he was wrong. The shooting kept replaying over and over in Mouse’s head. She came so close to death. And the frightful feeling of her daughter almost becoming an orphan tonight it made her fume even more.

  “I want you to get the fuck out, Tango.” Mouse was crying.

  Tango didn’t budge. He didn’t plan on going anywhere. He was ready to fight for his relationship and fight in the streets. They weren’t going to get away with this. Tango gazed desperately at Mouse, his eyes pleading for another chance. He approached lightly; Mouse was ready to swing on him again.

  “I said get the fuck out!” she screamed madly.

  “Mouse, baby, I ain’t goin’ nowhere. I love you too much to let you go, baby. I do,” he proclaimed coolly. “You know I do.”

  He continued approaching her carefully like she was a rabid dog and he was the trainer trying to tame her. Mouse cried. Her fists stayed clenched. Every bone in her body said to let him go, but the way Tango stared at her, there was something in his eyes that hurt them both so much.

  Tango reached out to her; she recoiled from his touch. She didn’t want to be held or consoled. She wanted peace of mind.

  “Baby, I promise you, that life ain’t me anymore. I know I made a mistake. I know I fucked up. I got out, felt the pressure and went back to my old ways, and dabbled in that life again. But since you came into my world, I’m ready to give it all up, like I promised you in the restaurant. My life don’t mean shit if you and Eliza ain’t in it,” he strongly proclaimed.

  Unrelenting pressure stirred inside of Mouse. She heard him, but could she believe him? Her contemptuous gaze stay aimed at Tango. When he stepped closer, she took two steps back.

  “Why are you ruining this wonderful night for me?” she questioned sadly.

  “Baby, I didn’t ruin it; they did,” he chided.

  “I don’t know if can do this wit’ you, Tango.”

  “Baby, don’t say that, please don’t. Yes, you can. We a family, baby. You and me, we one, Mouse. I love you. You hear me? I fuckin’ love you,” Tango expressed with conviction.

  Mouse cried. It was hard to look at him. Tango dropped down on his knees and gazed up at her. He clasped his fingers together. He was pleading and begging. Without her, he felt useless.

  “Mouse, I love you. Marry me,” he loudly proclaimed.

  “What?”

  “I said marry me. Let’s just start over and be different. Let’s take that money and leave this city, all three of us. I’ll find a trade and do anything to keep you in my life. But I can’t lose you.”

  Was he serious? “And you think the people who tried to kill you are suddenly going to forget about you because you left town?”

  “I’m tryin’ here, baby. I’m gonna be that good man for you. I’m ready. I’m fuckin’ ready,” Tango said with some tears in his eyes.

  He was still on his knees with Mouse standing over him. She took a deep breath. What to do, what to think? $15,000 wasn’t much, but it could be a good start somewhere else. But she wondered if he would live that long or stay free even longer. With his seed inside of her, Mouse was dubious about him, but he made it feel so real and legit when he talked. He had so much passion inside of him when it came to loving her that it almost felt unprecedented in her life.

  Her mind told her to leave, but her heart was screaming to stay. The tears flow and the core of her soul didn’t know how to react. Tango was on his knees begging to marry her. All she could say was, “Yes.”

  She said yes, because she truly felt that things would get better with them. She said yes because she was definitely in love with him, and it may have sounded crazy, but she was ready to become his ride or die bitch, because he was definitely riding for her when she had nothing. She said yes, because she was already sucked in, her mind, body, and soul entangled like a knot around Tango.

  She said yes, because deep in her heart, she didn’t want to lose him and be alone again. It was a scary world out there and even scarier when you had to be in all by yourself.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Sammy

  I had to calm my man down somehow. He was angry and troubled. And I did it the best way I knew how to: being on my knees with his big black hard dick thrusting in and out of my mouth. I wanted to take his mind off the streets. Power had been really stressed lately and I could see everything that was happening, it was getting to him. The other day, another one of his promising lieutenants was killed in the South Bronx, gunned down by rivals. And now the streets were on fire, burning with law enforcement and joint task forces kicking in doors and making arrests, seizing his product and a few hundred thousand dollars of his money. The bloodshed, the violence, and the cops, it was impacting his business. He was losing money and losing men. The pressure had been set on high. And I was starting to see Power less and less because his priorities were toward his business and fierce retaliation on his enemies rather than being with me, when I needed him.

  I was going through my own trials and tribulations, but loving him and not being selfish, I put him first. Like any real bitch would do.
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  My head bobbed back and forth against him. His dick inside my mouth, pulsating with me having a strong desire to please him. He was naked and moaning from my lips tasting him. He gripped the back of my head, my long hair entangled between his fingers and he pushed my head forward. I was thinking about so many ways to make him cum. I was kissing on it, licking his tummy, sucking his dick, cupping and massaging his balls, hearing his moans, feeling his groin pulsating as I sucked him deep while rubbing his belly with one hand and his legs and balls with the other.

  The thought of tasting his cum made me hungry enough to swallow it. I wanted Power to come with a bang. I did him nice and slow, liking to take my time. I loved spending some extra attention to his mushroom tip, kissing it and licking on it, jerking him off all together. He pumped his dick into my mouth while on my knees staring up at him, deep throating his large cock and playing with his balls.

  “Ugh. Ooooh, ugh, ugh, shit. Suck my dick like that, baby, it feels so good. Ummm, shit.”

  I played with his head with my tongue and I felt his dick spasm inside my mouth. He was about to come soon and I was ready for him. My thick, full lips slid on his dick like they were on ice. I could feel it. He was about to release that stream of white liquid. He needed to bust that good nut. After a few more sucks and licks, he freed himself inside my mouth and I didn’t hesitate to swallow his semen and having some of it dribble out. I could feel his hot cum sliding down between my breasts and swimming inside my mouth. He shuddered from the intense orgasm he experienced and his cum had a very strong flavor and it was definitely an acquired taste.

  “Ooooh, I definitely needed that, baby,” he said to me like I just gave him a deep tissue massage.

  I stood up and wiped my mouth. I was happy that he was pleased. Now I needed my own release, and I wasn’t talking about sex. The minute he came, got what he needed, like on timing, there was someone at the door, knocking with a sense of urgency. He was always busy; his phone was constantly ringing or someone was coming by the place to talk to Power. He got up from my good sex to see who was at the door, while I removed a cigarette from my pack and walked to the window. The city was lit up in the night. It was a temperate evening and I just leaned against the glass like I was despondent. I inhaled the nicotine. I heard a man in the other room and while they were discussing something important, I was thinking about my own problems. I’d got another threatening letter from Rico the other day and he was calling me collect on a regular. The man was a fucking nuisance in my life. He just refused to see anybody happy if it wasn’t him or if I wasn’t with him. I also got another visit from Detectives English and McGowan. They wanted to ask me some more questions about Macky’s death. I continued lying to them, keeping cool, but it was obvious that with Rico still alive this secret wasn’t going to go away. So I had to do something about him.

  I pulled on the Newport and gazed out the window like I was in a daze. I continued to hear Power and one of his goons talking in the next room. I overhead the man say, “Yo, we on that nigga. It’s definitely Tango, that bitch nigga. C-Lo saw the nigga lingering around the club the other night before, in the dark, looking suspect, before one our niggas was killed.”

  “That nigga from the club the other night, he ain’t got yet?” Power said.

  “He gonna get got, boss.”

  Why were they talking about Tango? I knew something was going on.

  I suspiciously eased out the bedroom to listen to more of what he had to say. Power was behind his bar making himself and his friend a drink.

  His soldier went on to say, “It’s definitely him. He the OG fresh outta prison and we got his friend, Sheldon, to give the nigga up, you know, wit’ a little persuasion on my end, boss. We almost killed that nigga tryin’ to get him to talk.”

  “We got what we want, so I want him dead,” said Power.

  “Got you; but one problem?” said the thug.

  “What fuckin’ problem, Mike?”

  “He ain’t been around lately. He like, went underground.”

  “What you mean he ain’t been around! The nigga ain’t invisible, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So find the muthafucka and take care of him,” Power shouted.

  “Ayyite.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stayed hidden from his view. Why did he want Mouse’s man killed?

  What did Tango get himself into? And why did my man have a hard on for his murder? I didn’t know Tango at all but he was making my friend very happy and it was so good to see her happy. It was so good that we both had someone in our lives we cared for and who loved us. Now, Power wanted to snatch that away from my friend.

  What the fuck? I thought.

  When Mike made his exit from the apartment, I hurried back into the bedroom. I went by the window and looked out of it, pretending I was standing there all along. Power walked into the room with a charged attitude. He lit a cigar and said to me, “Yo, I gotta make a run and take care of some business.”

  “Now?” I replied with some attitude.

  “Sammy, let’s not start this shit again. You know I’m a busy man,” he returned.

  “You get yours and then right out the door, huh.”

  He put on his pants and shirt, ignoring my statement. The nigga was hard to deal with sometimes, for real. When he was completely dressed, he looked my way and asked, “What’s up wit’ ya friend, Mouse? Have you spoken to her lately?”

  “Why you worrying about her for?” I asked.

  “I was just asking; don’t take it any other way.”

  He looked at me and I looked right back. I knew why he was asking, but I played naïve. Something severe was brewing.

  “We’ll talk when I get back,” he said, throwing on his jacket.

  When he left, I felt the shit was about to hit the fan, and I never been so nervous in my life. I didn’t know if I should warn Mouse that her man was in danger. Was it my business to get into? I thought about calling her to get some information from her. And when I did, her phone was going straight to voicemail. I hung up, feeling frustrated. Someone was about to have a very bad day, and with my relationship with Mouse getting better, Tango was in the mix of something with my man and I knew that when push came to shove, I would have to choose: either have my friendship with Mouse or my loving relationship with Power.

  Part of me said, Why couldn’t Tango stay locked up?

  I had to go to him for help. Even though I knew he was plotting to kill Mouse’s man, Tango, I needed Power to help me deal with Rico. He was the only one who had the connections to have a man killed inside prison. For that to happen, I had to be honest with him and tell him everything. I came to him in my best lingerie: a bright red short lace baby doll with the open crotch thong. It had the fingerless, lace-edged gloves with ribbon restraints.

  He was in his living room, smoking his cigar and counting money.

  “Baby, can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked in my sweetest voice.

  He stopped counting money and looked my way. When he saw what I had on, his eyes widened with delight. “Damn,” he uttered first. Then added, “Of course, baby, what you need?” He patted his lap indicating that he wanted me to take a seat on it. I did.

  Power placed his arms around me and held me affectionately. “You look so good baby, I might fuck around and get you pregnant tonight,” he joked, or at least I thought he was joking.

  He noticed the troubled look on my face and read that I had a problem. He stopped being facetious and began serious. “You got a problem wit’ someone?”

  “A matter of fact, I do,” I said.

  “Who, and I’ll take care of it.”

  I was glad to hear that. I took a deep breath and said, “It’s Rico.”

  “Ya baby father?”

  I nodded.

  “Ain’t he locked up?”

  “He is, but he’s blackmailing me,” I told him.

  “Blackmailing you? How?”

  Now the last thin
g I wanted to do was tell him about the murder I committed, and then it was an extra person who knew my secret; the less who knew, the better. But how could I exactly explain it to him without implicating myself? Power would want to know everything. He wasn’t just going to accept the half truth of my story.

  He was waiting for me to explain myself. This was going to be hard. But I had to do something. With every passing day, Rico was becoming more of a threat to me. I haven’t gone to visit him in weeks and I never wrote him back and denied his collect calls. I was pushing the envelope the more I ignored him. He wasn’t going to tolerate it for too long. Expressing myself to Power, it was going to be daring, or just stupid, but I had to take some risk. If he loved me the way he always proclaimed, then my confession to him would not hinder me and he wouldn’t forsake me.

  “I killed a man last year,” I confessed.

  I could tell the way he looked at me; the news came as a shock to him or he thought I was lying. He replied with, “You bodied a nigga, fo’ real?”

  “With Rico’s help,” I said.

  I had his undivided attention. I went on to tell him everything, about Macky trying to rape and beat me last year. I told him how Rico and I linked up, talked about Mouse briefly, and how I used to hustle for Rico. I kept talking and talking like I was in an interrogation room and coming clean to the detectives. But I didn’t tell Power about the detectives who came to visit me. I was too afraid to let him know about any of that. The last thing I wanted him to think was that I was a snitch. I needed him to trust me fully. I went on to explain how Rico was blackmailing me and why. If I wanted Power’s help, then I had to be exactly honest with him.

  I went on to say that he was the only man who could help me because he had the effectiveness to arrange a hit out on Rico. Power had muthafuckas everywhere ready to do his dirty work, and for the right price, anyone could get got, no matter where. And I strongly needed Rico permanently out of my life. I planted in his mind that Rico wasn’t just a threat to me but everyone else.