Forbidden Fruit (12 page)

"Yeah, she's just so miserable Mira. I hate goin' to see her 'cause she used to be so beautiful. Now she look so much older than she is," I shook my head sadly. "I guess it ain't fair since I go see daddy, but it hurt worst to see her like that."

"You have to look past that Yanna. She need you and Maya."

"Yeah, I know. I'm goin' to see her soon," I sighed. "Let me finish doin' your hair. Let's not talk about her right now."

A cute, petite red bone walked by and he stared at her round butt. "Damn," he said under his breath. Suddenly Yanna popped into his head and he turned away. It was tempting as hell, but he couldn't hurt his girl anymore. "I gotta be faithful," he reminded himself out loud.

Ace finally made it down to greet his boy. "What the deal man?" Ace asked pounding Ablo up.

"Ain't shit man. How you?" Ablo asked handing him the blunt.

"Mmm, man I just got rid of Princess ass. Ever since I banged it out that night after the club she been on a nigga dick hard."

"Princess be on a lotta niggas’ dicks Ace. You ain't sprung are you man?" Ablo teased.

"C'mon nigga. I know what that is. Shit, that freak got some good ass pussy though. For real. Her sex is serious man. I can't deny that. It's hard to believe that Yanna and Princess cousins. They so fuckin' different," Ace said flicking ashes from the blunt.

"Word, word. There go Mont and Mel right there. We gotta hit the blocks up man 'cause the cops been on our ass. Business ain't been movin' like it s'posed to for the past two weeks and shit. We gotta meet up at the spot and come up wit' a plan tomorrow night. My baby girl wanna go on a cruise, so I need to feed my pockets. Know what I'm sayin?" Ablo asked.

"Nope. I mean, like what? The only thing she said was that when ya'll was beefin' Maya was smokin' and drinkin' a lot," Ablo said and shrugged his shoulders. "Other than that she ain't said shit."

"She been actin' real nervous and shit. Like she guilty about sumthin. I love her man, but I wish she would get her shit together. Ever since she had Lex she been different man. That's why I stay gone yo'. She get on my nerves, but I love my seed. I love my girl too, but she drive me to cheat on her ass."

Diablo looked at Mel and smiled. "Chill man, that shit goin' be a'ight. Look, Maya's young man. Maybe she stressed and shit. You wouldn't understand how it feel to be a new full time mom. And at her age. That's one thing us niggas will never understand. Shake it off nigga. Maya's a sweet girl. She smart too. It ain't shit to worry 'bout. You need to focus on gettin' this paper so you can spoil your seed," Diablo advised his young protégé'. He'd taken him under his wing when he was thirteen years old. That was ten years ago. Diablo hadn't had any children yet. Yanna had gotten pregnant twice. The first time she had an abortion. It was her decision. Diablo didn't agree with abortion. The second time she miscarried after a fight she'd gotten into with one of Diablo's bitches. She was almost two months pregnant, but didn't know. Diablo felt real guilty about that one.

"No doubt man, thanks," Mel said. He really respected Ablo's opinion, because although he ran one of Atlanta's toughest drug gangs, he was still humble. He wasn't always all hard and gangsta. He knew how to put his gangsta mentality aside depending on the situation.

"Anytime young buck. Let's be out," Ablo said leading Mel back to where Ace and Mont were standing.

Chapter 6

"You know that I love you," I told Ablo on the phone. He was in Florida for the weekend with Mont, Mel, Ace, Juan, and B-Boy. He claimed they were handling some business with some big time connect. I was making sure the soldiers were on point. The Queen Bitch was running things.

Damien was barking loud as hell and I couldn't hear anything Diablo was saying. When I realized that it wasn't going to stop anytime soon I got up to see why he was tripping. "Lemme see what your crazy ass dog barkin' for," I told Diablo over the noise. "Shut the fuck up Damien.” He looked at me with his pretty brown eyes and my heart melted. I had bought him for Diablo when he was eight weeks old. I loved him like he was my child, and he loved me too. I named him Damien because he was black with a shiny coat. Damien was the Omen's name. 'Dressed in all black like the Omen', get it?

A knock at the door snapped me back to the present. "Somebody's at the door," I told Ablo. "That's why he was barkin'."

"See who it is," Ablo said.

I looked through the peephole. It was some white man with a suit on. "It's some white dude in a fuckin' suit," I whispered walking back to the living room. Diablo kept right on barking at the door. I was not opening the door for a strange cracker.

"I 'on know. That might be a DT or something. He'll go away," he said.

"What the hell you do Ablo? Why a DT here?" It wasn't like I was surprised, but Ablo was usually more careful and discreet with his shit.

"It ain't nuthin' ma. Just let Dame bark until the mufucka go away. Chill, a'ight," he said calmly.

"You all calm and shit 'cause your ass ain't here. I think he gone though 'cause Damien stopped barkin' and I don't hear no knockin'."

"Word, word. So what you doin' tonight?"

"I don't know papi. Me and the girls will probably go get some drinks, or blaze a lil' sumthin'. You know how we do. Don't worry. I ain't tryin' to replace you. Whatever you do, don't let that dick of yours get you in trouble," I warned him. Although I'd said it in a playful way I meant what I said.

Ablo laughed. "I hear you baby. When I get back we gotta talk about sumthin' important. Don't worry. It's sumthin' good."

"A'ight. What time ya'll headin' back Sunday? I miss you baby," I whined. Ablo loved when I made him feel wanted. It was his nature to want to take care of me. He had a need to feel wanted.

"I miss you too, but you know why I'm down here. It ain't just for fun baby. I'm handlin' some business so I can keep you tight. You hear me?" He asked.

"You not just doin' it for me Ablo. You gotta eat too," I reminded him. "You was doin' what you do before you met me."

"Yeah, I know that shit, but I can't get comfortable and slip up. I'm makin' big moves for our future lil' mama. When we have our seeds I wanna have everythin' right. I don't wanna do the same shit forever. You gotta give me a son so he can handle this shit when I'm too old," he said.

I wasn't too comfortable with the thought of having children. I honestly didn't think I was mother material. I'd always feared that I would fuck up like my parents. I wasn't selfish enough to bring children into a fucked up lifestyle. I was comfortable with my life, but I knew for myself that kids didn't deserve to be forced into a life of crime. That's what had happened to me and Diablo. I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

"And I'm not as young as you," he cut me off. "I love you and I wanna have some kids by you. It's natural to want a family wit' the woman you want to marry."

Tears stung my eyes, but I was silent. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to make Ablo happy, but having children was out of the question for me. There was no way I was having some little gangsta ass kids. Hell no.

"Look Ablo. I don't wanna make you feel like I don't wanna be the mother of your kids. I do...one day...but not right now. You ain't but twenty eight years old. Shit, you're a man. You can make babies for a long ass time. I'm still young, so I have a long time too. Baby, please try to understand," I begged.

"I'll see you when I get home," he said.

"I love you," I said hoping that he'd return my words of affection.

"Yeah, me too," he said and hung up. I held the phone in my hand, stunned that he'd ended our conversation that way. Diablo felt that having children made him a man. To him it completed the circle. He wanted a son to carry on his father's legacy. I didn't feel that I could consent to that. I just didn't want any kids.

The phone rang again and I answered it happy that it was Ablo calling me back. I was so convinced that it was him that I didn't even bother looking at the caller ID.

"Hello," I said.

"What up Yanna. I know that Ablo outta town, but you need to get in touch wit' him. He ain't answerin' his cell," a young man said on the other end. The voice was not familiar to me. I didn't know which one of the Cue Boys it was, but it had to be one of Ablo's boys if he had my number.

"Who this?" I asked just in case it wasn't a Cue Boy.

"Sorry. This Reco. Look, call Blo and tell him that it's goin' down out here. Six of our corner boys was robbed at gun point. A couple hours after that some niggas ran up in one of the trap houses. It had to be the Knights 'cause one of the niggas spray painted the letter L on the block and that's their leader name. Tell Blo it's on and he need to get his ass up here," Reco said and hung up the phone.

I decided not to tell Ablo right away. I could handle El's fine ass myself. I wasn't planning on seducing him. I wasn't that crazy. I was just going to go and talk to him. He wouldn't do anything to me. His beef was wit' Ablo. Besides, I'd peeped how he looked at me when I saw him. I'd only seen him a few times and every time I did I caught him staring at me. Maybe he was just in lust because I was Diablo's girl. Maybe not. I would go to him and ask that he stay away from Cue territory for the sake of the almighty dollar. They all had to make money, so why not do the shit in peace? Maybe he'd listen to a woman.

I jumped up and grabbed some money and stuck Diablo's small .22 in my jeans. It was small enough not to show in my fitting Sergio’s. I jumped in Diablo's silver E class Mercedes and cruised slowly through the thick midafternoon traffic. It would take about twenty minutes to get to El's crib.

* * *

I pulled up to the apartment complex that El lived in and parked in the guest space beside his black Escalade. I knew where he lived because Ablo had pointed it out to me one day when we passed by. I got out of the car and walked up to his townhouse. I knocked softly and waited. Nobody answered so I rang the doorbell. I heard footsteps and then the door opened with the chain on it.

"What?" A male voice asked.

"Uh, El. We need to talk," I said.

The door opened and I could see that it was indeed El who'd answered it. He looked at me and then his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Yeah, a'ight you Ablo's girl. What the fuck is this? Your man ain't fuckin' you right?" He laughed. "What? That nigga dick small or sumthin'?"

He was obnoxious, but fine as hell. His cocoa brown skin, deep dimples, sexy bedroom eyes, and thick lips resembled the sexy L.L. Cool J. He was even built like him. His broad chest and tight abs showed through his wife beater. I sighed at the sight of him. 'Damn,' I said to myself.

"Uh no, that ain't why I'm here. Are you alone?" I asked peeking over his shoulder.

He looked at me and chuckled. "You nosey as hell ain't you? What's goin' on? If your nigga knew you was here what would he do?" El smiled as he thought about it. "Cause if you was my girl, wit' your fine, sexy ass, I'd have you barefoot and pregnant as hell. Wouldn't let you outta my sight."