A Gangster's Girl (12 page)

“C! Please, just get here. I need you now, C.”

I immediately hung up the phone and jumped up. My body ached all over as I struggled to get out of the bed. Underneath the terry cloth robe, I was naked. I couldn't remember how it happened, but I really didn't have the time to figure it out. I just assumed I must have fallen asleep in the tub and Donovan put me to bed.

“Donovan, wake up!” I shook him as he lay on the couch.

“Whattem?” he responded sleepily.

“We got to hurry. Something's wrong with Carmin. She's at Manhattan Hospital. She sounded really upset.”

We quickly hit the streets. We made it to the hospital in ten minutes. As soon as I walked through the sliding doors, I saw Carmin. Cobra was holding her as she cried uncontrollably.

“Nooooo!” She was screaming. Her body was trembling with pain. I walked over to her and she hugged me tight. “C! Why, C? Why?” She spoke the words forcefully.

“Why what, honey? What's going on?” I asked in a tone of motherly love.

“I can't live without her! I just can't.”

That's when it hit me.

“Is it Arizelli, Carm? What's wrong with her?”

“She's gone, C. She's gone.”

At that time, I had a full understanding. There was no need to say anything else. We just hugged as she cried.

When I returned home from New York, I had a continuous discomfort in my vagina. I thought it may be a yeast infection, but Monistat just wasn't giving me any relief. So, I called and made an emergency appointment with my gynecologist. When I walked in the busy office, I was seen right away.

“Right this way, Ms. Devereaux; exam room four. Get undressed from the waist down, please. The doctor will be right in,” the nurse ordered me.

I quickly got undressed and the doctor came in soon after. The exam was horrible. It was the worst feeling. I was glad when it was over.

“It looks like you have gonorrhea,” the doctor said as if it was second nature to say such things.

“I don't think that's possible, doctor. I'm in a monogamous relationship.”

“I'm most certain it's gonorrhea, Ms. Devereaux.”

Okay, maybe this bitch doesn't understand.
I thought as I tried to reiterate.

“As I said before, you can't be right.
In fact,
I was recently examined and there was no trace of an STD,” I lied.

“Well, maybe you don't recall when it happened and I am unable to pinpoint it, but either way, you have gonorrhea and it needs to be treated. You're more than welcome to have a second opinion if you prefer. Would you like to have an HIV test as well, ma'am?”

The nerve of this bitch!
“No thank you,” I said as I jumped off the table and snatched the prescription out of her hand. “What I would like is to get dressed now,” I said as I glared at her. She attempted to explain the course of treatment but I quickly interrupted her and again requested she leave so I could get dressed. This time she left without hesitation.

How in the hell did this happen?
I asked myself this question repeatedly on the way home. I thought of every possible scenario.
Maybe I got it the night I was at the club with no panties on. Maybe it was something in the bed at my dad's house, or maybe it was the hotel bed, tub, or robe.

Still, I knew that none of these could have been the cause. I had to have had sex with an infected person in order to get an STD. In the back of my mind, there was a possibility that was just too real. I just didn't want to face it.

Maybe it's from Vegas. Maybe he really is screwing that deputy. Or even worse, I could have been raped. Yeah, that's it. It had to be Donovan. Vegas would never do such a thing
.

My cell phone rang as I was driving. It was Donovan and I was quite pissed at him because of the realization that I'd come to face.

“What?” I yelled into the phone.

“Why dem princess raise ‘er voice so?”

“Fuck you, Donovan. I know what you did. You filthy, nasty, walking STD!”

“Whattem? Why dem so angry?”

I burst into tears as I envisioned how it happened.

“You . . . you raped me! You preyed on me when I was weak. You put something in my drink when I was in the tub. That's why I couldn't remember how I ended up with the robe on. That's why I had such a headache, and that's why my body ached so badly the next morning. You raped me! I hate you and I hope you die!”

“Dem princess fall asleep in da tub and me take dem out and wrap dem in dere robe. Me even sleep on dem couch and leave dem bed for da princess.” Donovan sounded sincere as he explained, but the suspicion was still there.

“Liar! You fucking liar! I hate you! Don't ever call me again!” I slammed the phone shut as I cried.

The days were cold as December rolled in, so the girls and I decided to go on a little winter shopping spree. We hit every mall in the area. We started at Lynnhaven and ended at Patrick Henry, hitting every one in between. Since we had been together all day, we decided to go to the club later that night. We all rushed home to get dressed. The plan was to meet at the club around midnight.

I decided to wear one of my new outfits. I laid out my khaki cargo pants with the drawstring, my burgundy Gucci pumps with legwarmers, and a burgundy sweater that hung off one shoulder. I wore my hair in one ponytail to the right with huge, gold bamboo earrings and a tan Kangol hat. I looked in the mirror once I was fully dressed.

I laughed to myself as I looked at my gear. Just like
Flashdance.

“Hello.”

“Whattem, princess.”

Why in the hell is he calling me from a local number
? I wondered as I snapped on him.

“What do you want? I asked you to stop calling. What don't you understand about I hate you and I hope you die?”

“Me came to get dem princess back,” Donovan said persistently.

“Look, Donovan, I was never your girl, gal, or
dem princess
. So I would really appreciate it if you would leave me the hell alone. Okay?”

Click
. I hung up in his ear.

“Hello!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Why the hell are you yelling, C?” It was Tionna.

“Oh sorry, girl, I thought you were someone else.”

“Whatever. I'm ready, so come get me,” Tionna demanded.

“And who the hell said I was picking you up?”

“No one. It's understood. I'll be waiting. Blow when you're out front.”

“Good-bye,” I said before hanging up. Five minutes later, I was at Tionna's house, and she ran right out.

“What's up, bitch?” she said as she jumped in. She turned up Sean Paul to blast as we headed to reggae night at Club Cabana. The parking lot was full when we arrived.

That was of no concern to me since I would be utilizing the VIP parking.

“What's up, Mrs. Vegas? Pull right in there,” the dark, heavyset bouncer said, pointing to a parking spot right in front of the club. I could tell by the familiar rides that all of Vegas' boys were in the club.

Good thing I kept it classy tonight
, I thought as I parked the car. Vegas' boys were sure to tell if I had on my “fuck'em girl” dress.

We walked right in as the other girls stood in line shivering. Once inside, we headed straight to the bathroom where we met Mickie, Carmin, India and Asia. They were all touching up their hair and makeup. Once we finished the final touches, we headed out of the bathroom.

“Yo, C! What up, baby?” Vegas' older brother yelled.

“Hey, Snake. What's been up?”

“Same shit. You all right? You need anything?” he asked. Since Vegas' brothers had taken over the empire, things were lovely for them.

“I'm fine. Thanks for asking.”

“Well, at least let me buy you and your girls a drink,” Snake pleaded.

“Hell, yeah! I'll take a margarita. That's what I'm talking ‘bout.”

All my girls jumped at the opportunity for a free drink, shouting out their drink orders.

“Well, I see everyone is in agreement, so let's head to the bar,” Snake said as he slithered over there.

“Girl, he is fine. Hook a sistah up,” Mickie whispered in my ear as we trotted to the bar in a single file line like a group of kindergartners.

“Girl, we don't call him Snake for nothing,” I quickly responded, trying to give her fair warning.

“Pssshhhh . . . Nothing I can't handle.”

“Mickie, his name describes him perfectly. He is as slick as a snake. He charms women so well that they're blind to his venom. I've even heard stories of him screwing his girl, then while his girl slept, he went downstairs to screw her sister. If that's not the moves of a snake, I don't know what is.”

“Well, I'll be the first to break him. Are you gonna put me on or not?” Mickie pressed, still not shaken by my speech.

“Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you.”

I walked over to Snake as he was handing out the drinks.

“My girl, Mickie, wants to know what's up with you.”

“Oh yeah? Where she at?” he asked as he scanned all my friends with his shifty little eyes.

“She's the one with the big breasts, wearing red.”

He quickly spotted her and landed his eyes on her breasts as she walked forward.

“Daaammmnnn, baby. You're wearing that dress,” Snake said as he handed Mickie her drink.

“Oh, you like this?” she asked in her most seductive tone. Just looking at them made me sick.

“All right, y'all, I'm out. Do your thang.”

The other girls hit the dance floor. I stood near the floor as I sipped my drink. I refused to walk on the floor and be called out by the DJ.

“No drinks on the dance floor,” the DJ was constantly yelling. I would laugh as I saw the culprits trying to play it off and dance their way off the floor.

“Whattem, princess?” I heard Donovan's voice as he squeezed my arm.
What the fuck is he doing here in VA?
I wondered.

“Donovan, you're hurting me. Please let me go.”

“Come wit' me,” he demanded as he pulled on my arm.

“Okay. Just let me go. I don't want to make a scene.”

We both headed out of the club. I tried to make eye contact with Mickie and Snake as I was leaving the club, but they didn't even notice. I could see Snake fondling Mickie with his hand up her dress. Just as I was hitting the door, Martinez was entering.

Thank God. With his big ass mouth, he'll be sure to tell Snake I left the club
. He was my only savior, so I had to get his attention.

“Martinez!” I yelled as I was leaving.

“What up, baby girl? You out already?” he asked, looking back and forth between Donovan and me.

“Yeah, the girls are in there, though. I don't feel well. I just need some fresh air.”

“A'ight. Holla back, mami,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders and walked inside the club.

The cold winter air hit my body as I walked toward my car.

“Why dem act so angry to me?” Donovan asked.

“I know what you did, Donovan, and I hate you for it, so please just leave me the fuck alone.”

Donovan's eyes became fiery with anger as he grabbed me by my throat.

“What da blood clot? Dem go nowhere, muddaskunk.”

Tears rolled down my face. I spoke to him calmly as I unlocked the Mace on my key chain.

“Please, Donovan, let me go. We can work this out,” I pleaded before pressing the trigger on my Mace.

“Aaaaaauuuuugh! Bitch!” Donovan screamed as I emptied the can in his face.

“I hate you, and for the last time, I hope you die, you Rasta bastard. Now who's the muddaskunk?”

I jumped in my car and skidded off. I had never been so afraid in my life. I never thought I would need that Mace, but it had certainly come in handy.

The next morning, Vegas called bright and early. “How you doing, baby?” he asked in a strange voice.

“I'm fine, boo. How are you?”

“I'm good. How was the club last night?”

I knew the word would get to him pretty quickly since all his boys were there.

“It was all right. Don't worry, baby. I represented well.”

“Oh, I'm not worried about that. Anybody fuck with you? Any disrespect?”

Should I tell him or not? He may already know and is just testing me
. I had to think quickly.

“Why you ask that?”

“C, answer me. Did anyone fuck with you?” His voice was starting to get edgy. I knew Vegas was vexed, and there was no time for playing. I had to come with the truth.

“Yeah, baby. But I took care of it.”

“What you mean you took care of it? Is this nigga still breathing?” Vegas was clearly not happy with my response.

“Of course. You know I didn't kill him.”

“My point exactly. So, you ain't take care of shit. Next time, don't let me have to ask you when some shit like that go down. That needs to be the first thing out your mouth. Now stay the fuck out of sight for a while.”

Click! Vegas hung up in my ear.

Things were definitely getting out of hand.

The next few days were quiet. I was surprised I hadn't received any harassing calls from Donovan. Just as Vegas requested, I stayed out of sight. His brothers were handling things for me at the laundromats while I enjoyed the relaxation. Each day I would practice my shadow boxing then relax in the Jacuzzi. My nights were spent reading in front of the fireplace or watching a movie in the theater room. This was the first time I actually had a chance to enjoy the amenities of our home.

“C! Open the damn gate. It's cold as shit out here,” Mickie yelled through the intercom. I buzzed her in.

“Giiiirrrrllllll, that Snake is something else,” she said as she handed me the stack of newspapers that were collecting at my gate. I began to go through them as she rambled on.

“He sexed me so good last night.”

Umph, must run in the family,
I thought as I reminisced about all the times Vegas made sweet love to me.

“Girl, I think I'm whipped. He kissed and caressed every inch of my body. He took his time and pleased me in every way. It was like he was truly in love with me. It felt like we were making love. My pussy is getting wet just thinking about it.”

“Oh my God!” I yelled as I dropped the paper.

“What girl?” What's wrong?”