A/N: I said something on twitter only some of you got, so I will repeat myself here. Sugar is not a villain in this story but she also isn't a hero. She is a flawed ally and her character is complex like Lauren's is. We all wanna protect Lauren, but what Sugar won't do is baby the bitch and go easy on her. Entiendes? Okay. Let's move on to the story.
-
*FLASHBACK*
Camila didn't know Lauren long, but she did really enjoy her company. Not only was Lauren hilarious, gentle, a sweetheart, protective, and intelligent, she was smoking hot. Every now and then whenever they saw each other throughout the day in passing or at the public library, Camila would catch herself drooling over Lauren and fantasising about her. The gang leader had a couple of interesting tattoos that just completed her body in all the right ways, her figure was to die for, and her eyes were so captivating and green...Camila didn't know how one could walk around looking that hot and not get fined for it. Only two days into getting to know each other and Lauren made the first move to kiss Camila; she wanted her so bad, she couldn't take not having her any longer.
Camila didn't question the kiss or whether they should be doing this or not. She didn't question Lauren's cuteness and immediate interest in her. She didn't think twice about Lauren buying her flowers or doodling little pictures of her all over every piece of paper that fell in her lap, or the way Lauren constantly wrote the name 'Candy' all over her skin then washed it off before anyone else could see it. Everything sort of just happened so fast. Camila was looking for something exciting, Lauren was more than that. Lauren was dangerous for her to want, which made her want her so much more. Camila let her atttaction to her win and didn't consider building a friendship before moving as fast as they did. In retrospect, that was their biggest mistake.
Movie night at a motel in Miami Springs was where it all took off and Camila got on the path to becoming a changed girl. Now initially they were only supposed to watch a movie and spend quality time together. Lauren didn't make a move that suggested they do more than watch a film, she merely gave Camila a few innocent kisses and cuddled with her on the bed.
"I'm not straight or anything, but I'd definitely do Johnny Depp. I hate that he's a pussy boy in this film, but his beauty makes up for it. You feel me?" Lauren ranted as she dug for popcorn and shoved it into her mouth. "I cannot stand that one ugly bitch, though. The only ugly puta in this shit. What's her name...Hatchet-Face? Dios mío, quiero sacarla de su miseria y matarla." (My God, I want to put her out of her misery and kill her.)
Camila giggled then side smirked at Lauren's heated remarks over the film 'Cry Baby'. She watched as the cast tongue kissed in the grass and got curious about what it'd be like if she took it further with Lauren. The movie was turning her on the way it shouldn't, and her eyes kept shifting from the film to Lauren's profile. And from Lauren's profile, her brown eyes would dart down to Lauren's bulge constantly though she was too flustered to stare longer than a millisecond. Should she just go for it? The carnal desire was too strong and the urge to experience what sex was like has been lingering since her first kiss with Thomas Elias behind her church. Surely this was Satan's work, otherwise Camila would be thinking clean and clearly.
To make matters worse, Lauren put her arm around Camila again and went in to steal a quick kiss. The gang leader smiled softly and murmured, "You enjoying the movie, mi reina?"
"Yeah," Camila said in a hushed voice. She rushed in and kissed Lauren before her head could turn again, then locked their lips together so Lauren could stay in place and pay attention to her. Judging by the way Lauren was kissing her, she wanted to be soft and keep things at a more innocent level. Camila said 'fuck that' and bit down on Lauren's lip, leaning her body into Lauren's some more.
As the kiss escalated, Camila worked up some courage and had her hand travel down south. She caressed Lauren's thick bulge over her black sweatpants then grabbed it, feeling it harden almost immediately. Lauren dropped Camila's lips and hesitated, then she pushed Camila back with her lips and tensed up as the younger Latina continued caressing her bulge.
"You want me to take my pants off so you can feel the real thing?" Lauren whispered by her ear. Camila nodded but Lauren could sense some reluctance from her part. "Are you afraid of me having a dick?"
"God makes no mistakes, Lauren. I'm not afraid of any of his creations no matter what they are," said Camila seriously. She waited for Lauren to pull down her pants to her ankles, leaving only her boxers on. Camila kinked an eyebrow as Lauren reached into the opening of her black boxers and whipped out eight inches of thick meat that didn't look too intimidating but didn't underwhelm her either. Camila gasped and her eyes widened. "Wow..."
"Like what you see?" Lauren smiled hopefully, holding it in her left hand. She stroked the underside casually before running her palm over the pink head that already had pre-cum leaking out of the slit.
"I do. Is that weird? I feel awkward just staring at it," Camila chuckled nervously and tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. "It's just...I've never seen one in person before. And I've never...um...touched one."
"It's okay," Lauren assured her. She was quiet for a moment as she trained her eyes on her cock and ran her fingers along its bulging veins. "Do you wanna touch me and see if you like it?"
"How do I do that?" Camila scooted closer.
Lauren smirked and tried not to laugh. She let go of herself and took Camila's hand in her own. She glanced into her eyes for reassurance then carried on when she got it. Lauren let Camila wrap her hand around her cock, smiling when she heard her gasp and fist her slowly on her own. Lauren twitched in her palm and nodded.
"Just hold it and give it a few tugs. But don't do it so hard, just feel me out and don't be scared to touch all of me. Te prometo, you're not doing anything wrong," Lauren sucked in her breath as Camila did what Lauren guided her to do. It was like it came naturally to the brunette, she focused hard and fisted Lauren's warm cock up and down and cupped her balls out of curiosity of what those felt like. "Fuck," Lauren tensed up.
"Is this okay?" Camila worried, returning to her previous tugging.
"Mami, I'm so turned on right now. Please tell me you wanna do more than just jerk me off," Lauren pleaded and thrusted her hips gently as Camila subconsciously went faster.
"I was actually kind of hoping we could have sex. Shocker, a Catholic girl not waiting until marriage, sue me. But I'm human and I have needs," Camila shrugged and Lauren chuckled quietly. "And I'm very curious. I wanna do this with you."
"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure sex before marriage for you guys is a sin."
"I'll ask for forgiveness," Camila purred as she went in and kissed her crush slowly again. Lauren reciprocated feverishly, their lips moving in sync. Camila lubricated her hands with the cum leaking from Lauren's tip then smeared it around the base before pumping up and down. Lauren moaned into her mouth, sending chills down her spine. Camila squeezed her legs together and felt her own juices soaking her panties as she throbbed for Lauren. This felt...really good.
"Mmm..." her moans were so light and honeyed, Camila wanted to hear her over and over. Lauren's thrusting hips became more frantic and her breathing more laboured. Relieving Camila from the ache she felt too, Lauren reached down between Camila's skirt and rubbed her sex over her damp panties roughly. Camila rolled her hips with want and gasped as Lauren slipped past her panties and moved her fingers around her entrance, creating a distinct mixing sound. "Fuck, you're wet. Fuck!"
"Is that a bad thing?" Camila stopped pumping and felt self conscious. She was making a lot of noise down there and assumed she wasn't supposed to.
"It's a great thing, mi reina. Drives me crazy though. I'm just imagining what it'd feel like fucking you while you're so wet like that, and it hurts," Lauren groaned. She took off her boxers and threw them on the floor, ready to get to work already and shoot her load somewhere. "I don't have a condom on me because I didn't think I needed it today. Can we still...?"
"Will I get pregnant?" Camila asked as she shyly took off her skirt and panties then her blouse.
"I won't come inside you. And I don't think I can get someone pregnant, but it never hurts to be safe when you can," Lauren shrugged. She bit and licked her lips while she admired Camila's semi-naked body beside her. The younger Latina sat on her ankles and leant over to go back to pumping Lauren's cock. "Shhhit."
"I think I'm ready now," Camila confessed. "But I'm nervous. I hear from the other girls that you bleed afterwards and that it hurts. Will that happen to me?"
"Haces muchas preguntas," Lauren pointed out with a chuckle. (You ask a lot of questions)
"Me gusta saber qué esperar. Quiero que esto se sienta bien por mí." (I like knowing what to expect. I want this to feel good for me.)
"It'll feel great. I'll go real slow, mami. I promise," Lauren pecked her lips. "If you want, you can just lie down and hold onto me. If it hurts, scratch as hard as you can."
"Let's do that then. Come on," Camila eagerly got on her back and moved higher up on the bed, lying her head on top of one of the many pillows. She kept her legs closed but Lauren shook her head and spread them open so she could fit in between them. Camila felt the tip graze her thigh as Lauren got comfortable and rested her forearm beside Camila's head while the other hand held her rock hard length. "I'm scared," Camila whispered.
"It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. Estas conmigo," Lauren cooed and nuzzled Camila's nose before she lightly kissed her lips. She calmed her down with her warm wet kisses and guided the head of her cock to where Camila's entrance was. Lauren rubbed the head up and down Camila's slit, warming her up for a bit before she locked their lips and pushed only the tip in. Lauren took her time and focused on Camila's body language to know what she was feeling. "Relaja tu cuerpo, baby," she whispered over her lips. Lauren kissed Camila again after she nodded and relaxed her body, making it easier for Lauren to get at least three inches in. (You're with me. Relax your body)
"Ow, ow, ow!" Camila whined and hissed from the pain of being stretched open. Her nails dug into Lauren's waist and her thighs started to hurt. Lauren gazed into her eyes and pulled out just a little. "Lo siento, you're just so big."
"It'll hurt for the first few seconds, but you have to relax your body and get used to the feeling once I'm all the way in. After that, you'll be fine," said Lauren. "You want me to try again?"
"Okay. Not too much," Camila told her and she nodded. Lauren pushed herself in at four inches and began thrusting as gently as she could, sliding in and out of Camila with her walls hugging her cock—making it harder to pull out. Camila panted and pushed through the pain, focusing on how good Lauren felt moving inside of her. She felt so full...it was frightening to allow someone to explore the most intimate part of her, but so exciting.
"Does that feel good?" asked Lauren.
"Yes. Give me more, baby," Camila ran her hands around Lauren's back then caressed her ass, nudging Lauren to go deeper.
The gang leader carefully eased all the way in, burying herself to the hilt. She paused to better accommodate Camila then resumed her slow thrusting to start out. Camila moaned and bucked her hips, matching Lauren's steady tempo. The bed rocked as their bodies did, back and forth...back and forth. Lauren got confident and attached her lips to Camila's neck, kissing her sensitive spots that made her wetter than she already was. Soon enough, Camila was crying out Lauren's name as the green eyed girl pounded her fast and rough. Lauren sat up and held onto Camila's hips before thrusting like a jackhammer, their skins slapping together and their loud moans mixing in with each other.
"Fuck me, Lauren. Oh yeah, that feels amazing," Camila sighed softly and squealed once the older girl hit her sweet spot. Camila bucked her hips wildly and arched her back, bridging her body off the bed as Lauren manipulated Camila's hips to move up and down. "Fuck me, baby..."
Spurred on by Camila's words, Lauren rolled her body and delivered long and deep strokes that made Camila's toes curl and her moans increase in volume and pitch. She worked up a pretty good sweat trying to hold off a little longer and get Camila to come. Lauren cursed under her breath and collapsed on top of Camila's body, holding her close with no space between them as she pulsated and twitched inside of her. Camila kept Lauren in with her legs locked around her lower back, not wanting her to pull out anytime soon. That was a problem because Lauren was so ready to give up and release her load.
"Not so shy anymore, no? All of a sudden you're a fucking pro," Lauren growled by her ear and nibbled gently on her earlobe. Camila moaned and rolled her eyes shut, smiling from the pleasurable sensation.
"And addicted. If this is what sex with you feels like, I don't want us to ever stop having it—oooohhh," Camila dragged out and felt herself beginning to come. "Esoooo, Laurennn. Oh my God, I think I'm gonna come," Camila hugged Lauren's body and fucked her back with desperate hips.
"Already, mami?"
"Please," she begged. "Don't stop, baby."
"What was that?" Lauren slapped Camila's thigh and grabbed it, remaining consistent in the way that she fucked the Cuban-Mexican.
"Pleaase. Please, Lauren," Camila whined. "Don't stop..."
"Otra vez," Lauren demanded breathlessly, on the verge of coming.
"Please..."
-
"Please," Candy found herself subconsciously rocking her hips with the familiar sensation of an orgasm washing over her. She was slowly waking up from a dream she shouldn't be having. When she realised the context of that dream, her eyes flew open and her hips stopped rocking. Candy felt the aftershocks and cursed up a storm, hating her body and mind's betrayal—screaming because she knew she missed those secret hookups.
"What the fuck!!??" Candy thrashed around in her bed, throwing a mini tantrum. Look at her: all hot and bothered and craving dick like Jesus craved to be taken off that crucifix. Holy shit, that dream and recollection alone was enough for the whole damn religious community she was still a part of to crucify her.
She checked the alarm clock beside her bed and sighed deeply. 11:55am. She overslept again. It dawned on her a couple of seconds later that today was Tuesday, July 25th...Joel's birthday. Candy knew how big of a deal it was to her boyfriend; he talked about it nonstop and stressed the importance of getting older because more opportunities and life lessons would present themselves. He thought turning older was also one step closer to God, and it filled him with joy to think about. Joel loved to celebrate life, including his own. Candy started out excited to do the same up until she shot Lauren and changed into a completely different person.
Luca was throwing him a party but she wasn't planning on going. In fact, Candy was ready to do whatever she wanted now. Perhaps some more training in fighting and using her guns, maybe a day out with Dinah, or a visit down south to relax at the beach. If she found a girl or boy to fuck, that'd be even better. Oh, wait...she was in a relationship. Gee, when was that gonna end?
Candy breezed through her typical morning routine by showering, brushing her teeth, and doing her hair after putting on some fresh clothes; all white juicy couture tracksuit, blue kicks on her feet, and her wavy hair draped down her shoulders and back with her bangs neatly combed over her forehead. Candy already knew Luca was going to give her shit for her outfit and make her change into a more classier, expensive look. All she had to do was switch the white colour to maroon or black and she'd become a Los Carnales member in his eyes. When she arrived downstairs for a late breakfast, those judging pairs of eyes from fellow cartel members and Luca himself was waiting for her.
"Buenos dias," said Luca, having himself a cold glass of orange juice and a plate of scrambled eggs with a stack of fluffy pancakes at the long dining table. He'd been up hours ago but he liked to eat breakfast a little late so he wouldn't get a stomach ache. (Good morning)
"Buenos dias, hermano. Qué hay para desayunar?" asked Candy as she took her seat across from him and two guys reading the paper with half eaten muffins and strips of bacon on their plates. (Good morning, brother. What's for breakfast?)
"Qué quieres?" (What do you want?)
"Huevos y panqueques funfetti." (Eggs and funfetti pancakes.)
Luca snickered as he rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly. He leant back and opened his mouth to project his voice as he called out, "IMELDAAA!!" a dainty old woman with a bad hip came rushing out of the kitchen down the hall, ready to do whatever Luca wanted her to. He smiled graciously and was soft-spoken when he told her, "Hazle a mi hermana unos huevos revueltos y panqueques de funfetti, por favor. Oh, y trae dos vasos de jugo de naranja. Gracias, Imelda." (Make my sister some scrambled eggs and funfetti pancakes, please. Oh, and bring two glasses of orange juice. Thank you)
"Sí señor," Imelda bowed her head then scurried back to her station to get started as quickly as possible. (Yes sir)
"So," Luca started up again after sipping his orange juice, "that's an interesting choice of attire. Just wondering, when are you going to stop dressing like a bum and start looking like an Estrabao again?"
"Ay, Luca, give me a break," Candy kissed her teeth. "I'm comfortable. So what?"
"You're comfortable looking like you live in Liberty City? You know EC has a dress code to follow. At least put on a nice long sleeve dress and some heels."
"I'm home. If I wanna wear sweatpants and sneakers at home, Luca, I will do it. Lay off."
"You're going out today. It's Joel's birthday and the crew and I already set up the surprise party at the club Los Carnales used to own. It's been remodeled," Luca cut into his stack of pancakes and shoved the fork into his mouth, chewing and swallowing on a time limit. "It'll be our first appearance there, guests are free to join, business will take place on the second floor, and I want you to look as good as new for when we take off. You need to look alive, Candy. I will not allow you to go around giving Estrabao Cartel a bad reputation. Don't embarrass me today."
"I'm not going to his party. I couldn't care less about any celebration right now, let alone Joel's," said Candy, looking her brother dead in the eye. He was taken aback by her answer.
"Wow. And why not? El es tu novio." (He's your boyfriend.)
"Ya no me gusta el," she shrugged coldly. (I don't like him anymore)
Luca sent his falcons away and waited until the men in blue got up to retreat to another room before he leaned forward, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Are you thinking about women? Because if you are, you can tell me."
Candy chuckled. "I'm not thinking about women. I'm just not thinking about him. I'm no longer interested."
"So break up with him. Why continue wasting yours and my time if you don't want him anymore?"
"I don't know how to break up with someone. I don't like hurting them and seeing what happens because I hurt them. And I know Joel, he'll beg and try to convince me to change my mind instead of walking away like a man. He fell too hard for me before I even had the chance to fall for him," Candy sighed. She really wanted to like him, but the timing was off and he wasn't the good company she hoped he'd be.
"Bueno...break up with him tomorrow. Don't do it on his birthday, don't be so mean. But don't wait forever. I don't like it when someone waits so long to break your heart. It's disrespectful," Luca sneered.
"Has a boy ever done that to you?" Candy asked without eye contact, picking at the table placemat while waiting impatiently for her breakfast. Luca confessed to her about his attraction to men after she was initiated into the gang. They didn't speak much about it but she did have a lot of questions for him waiting to be answered. If only he didn't make it feel so awkward.
"Yes. But I would rather not talk about my relationships with men. It's still forbidden even if I indulge in them from time to time," Luca cleared his throat, clearly disconcerted.
"Fair enough. But I was just thi—"
"By the way, you're going back to church this week for confession and you're going to mass on Sunday. That's the rule for Estrabao Cartel and we all have to follow them. If you decide to show up to Joel's party tonight, great. If you don't show, that's fine. But NEVER abandon the church. Me entiendes, Karla?" Luca was stern as he got up and pointed his finger at his sister. "That is the only place I will force you to go to without hearing a 'no'."
"Fine," Candy knew she couldn't argue with him about it. She wasn't thrilled about having to return to her church again, therefore she wouldn't make it easy on anybody who attended. They can't have it all. "I understand."
"Good. Dinah's swinging by to pick up anyone wanting to get in a good work out and some training. Since you're dressed like that, you might as well take advantage and go. You need to put in the extra work after what happened to you," he said as he started walking away from the table.
"Soon as I'm finished eating, I'll go."
*
3:23pm - South Bay Correctional Facility, Palm Beach County, Florida
Five days was the time Lauren was supposed to spend in solitary. By Sugar's orders, she was given added time and bumped it up to eight days. This was Lauren's last day, but she didn't know that. During her time in solitary, Lauren lost all sense of time and her mind. She was either freezing to death or sweating like a pig in Georgia because the walls were too hot and humid from Florida's summer heat, she encountered beetles crawling into her cell or from a hole in the wall and had to kill them with her fists or flick them off of her skin whenever she slept, her stomach hurt like a motherfucker and she was constipated (she had finally used the toilet on day six), she didn't have the liberty of showering, and the three starchy meals she received every day didn't have a cup of water with each one—only her lunch had the cup of water. And then there was the light that never turned off.
That damn ceiling light stayed on 24 hours a day, every day as some form of sadistic torture. If it wasn't her horrid thoughts keeping her up all night, it was the bright lights. Getting migraines made her scream and want to gauge her eyes out because the lighting made the pain worse. It was extremely difficult to be able to tell time with the light on all day mainly because it felt like time had stopped; night time never came, morning never came either, the world was stuck in the afternoon she first arrived in solitary and hasn't moved on since. This was what made Lauren feel like she was no longer human.
Other inmates who were in SHU had the chance to get one hour outside twice a week, a book to read if they were quiet and not a problem, have a shower, and a bed and blanket to sleep on. Lauren didn't receive any of that. Most nights, she would listen to the inmates banging nonstop on the windows on the door and screaming as if they were being knifed to death. It reminded her of the streets and all the confrontation she never really liked growing up. Regularly, the floors would flood because a few inmates purposely clogged the toilet so that the guards would come in riot gear and check the inmate who just threw their cups of pee and feces at them. Then you had those who came down to the hall where Lauren was in, and they'd get thrown in with extra time in solitary...for trying to kill themselves because they couldn't handle solitary. Witnessing and experiencing all of this was probably now the lowest Lauren has ever been in her life so far.
The gang leader would rock back and forth and sob quietly or talk to herself. She'd moan from her body's pains and lash out whenever her daily mental breakdowns occurred. Too often she'd think about her mom and dad and call out for them, but those moments lasted for no longer than thirty seconds. The visuals of their bodies collapsing from bullets Luca shot into them were prominent in Lauren's mind when it came to going over the memories she had of them, resulting in her continuously blocking them out to think about something else. She wasn't good at sitting with that kind of pain ever since it happened. Lauren never had the chance to grieve properly, she was still stuck in the angry stage.
Aleesia was the only good thing Lauren held on to for a small ounce of sanity. Without thoughts of Aleesia or knowing that she'd be there when Lauren got out, she'd most likely end up just like those inmates who attempted suicide or provoked the guards into coming in and handling them with their riot gear. Lauren would 100% lose herself and never find her way back. She'd daydream about Aleesia and call out for her, too sometimes. Never has she needed anyone more than the Mexican bombshell who was beginning to steal her heart. Lauren didn't want to talk to anyone else but her.
Hopefully she wouldn't switch up and abandon Lauren. That'd really, really suck if she was no longer interested just as Lauren was beginning to fall in love with her.
The sound of keys jingling and a guard's radio alerted Lauren and demanded her attention. The 18 year old whipped her head around to face the door and she backed up off the wall, still sitting with her knees to her chest. CO Ealy pulled open the door and dangled handcuffs in front of him. His hand flew to his nose and he coughed from the unpleasant stench coming from inside the cell, immediately regretting volunteering for Sugar to collect Lauren and bring her back to general population.
"Jesus fucking Christ," he coughed again. "On your feet, inmate. You're hitting the showers before you go back to GP. God forbid you get sent straight to chow hall smelling the way you do."
"What? Is this a joke?" Lauren questioned, her voice hoarse.
"Let's go. Move it, we're running on a schedule here. Make my life easier and cooperate," Ealy practically begged.
Lauren slowly got up and felt light headed from standing alone. She waited until she could see again before she moved toward the open door and held out her wrists, flinching as the man slapped the cuffs onto them. Once secure, he put on protective gloves he carried in his uniform pants then grabbed hold of Lauren's arm as he escorted her to the showers used for inmates sent to SHU. Ealy provided Lauren with a shower caddy full of good smelling soap, shampoo and conditioner, a clean rag to scrub her skin, and toothbrush with toothpaste—courtesy of Sugar. After fifteen minutes, Lauren was clean and gladly took her washed prison uniform from CO Ealy and got dressed with him standing five feet away (without looking at her). This was the most human she felt in what seemed like ages.
Because it was chow time and none of the guards gave a shit about any of the inmates who weren't Sugar, Lauren was forced to integrate back into society without being sent to medical first for a check up on her mental and physical state. She was pushed into line-up...in a very loud environment with many eyes watching her, increasing her paranoia and distress. How the fuck was she supposed to act and why was the world so difficult and shocking for her? This was too fast, she needed time to readjust.
"Give this one an extra scoop of Mac and Cheese, some yogurt, and some apple juice to go with her water. I'll hook you up with some goods later," Sugar's voice appeared from behind Lauren. The blonde walked around and winked at one of the inmates who was assigned to work in the kitchen, then greeted Lauren with a smile. "Welcome back, Jauregui. You're lookin' well."
With her face deadpannee, "Don't you fucking talk to me. You did this to me, I know you did."
"I did. But you helped me do it you. It was necessary discipline. We all went through it," Sugar defended her methods and moved along the line as Lauren took her tray of food.
"I'm not in the mood, Lovelace. Don't fucking start with me or try and be my friend. I'm done with you," Lauren snapped. "Whatever deal we had? Off the fucking table. Leave. Me. Alone."
"I can't do that, Jauregui. Especially when I have so much news to tell you. Don't you wanna hear about what happened to Aleesia?" Sugar pushed the right buttons to get Lauren to follow her back to her table.
Lauren stopped dead in her tracks and let another inmate shove past her. Her eyes widened and her brows pulled together with fear. "What happened to Aleesia??"
"Come sit with me, I'll tell you all about it."
"Bullshit. Tell me what the fuck happened to my girl right here, right now."
Sugar's eyes twitched and flashed a cold fire that intimidated Lauren. She boldly took Lauren's tray from her and gave her a warning with just a stare. "Sit with me at my table so I can talk to you. Don't sit at my table and I'll make sure you no longer have contact with the outside until your term is up. Do you really wanna refuse and disrespect me right now?"
If Lauren had her pistol, she'd blow Sugar's brains out by now. This woman was too powerful to touch and Lauren was in no mood to suffer again because she fucked up. Taking her tray back, Lauren scowled and led herself to where Sugar typically sat. Rogue, Mallozzi, and Nova were there and only them—the other girls weren't present. The three watched Lauren with amused grins and whispered amongst themselves as she sat down on the far right, keeping a healthy distance. Sugar sat across from Lauren and went in on her own Mac and Cheese before it got cold. This was the best meal the prison had to offer, which meant all the inmates took it very seriously. Lauren had one bite and calmed down from her bad mood gradually because the taste was far too euphoric to be furious about anything.
"You know..." Sugar chewed then swallowed, "I'm very fond of you, Lauren. When I said I want us to be partners, and that I'm interested in helping you out I meant it. Just because I sometimes make it hard for those close to me and put them through tests, doesn't mean I don't care or am betraying them. There are lessons to be taught that we all had to learn. Now you don't have to like those lessons, but you best appreciate them and take what you can get from them. Do you follow?"
"No. Tell me what happened to Aleesia," demanded Lauren.
"I'm getting there. Do I have your full attention or are you not listening to what I'm trying to tell you?"
"What the FUCK kind of lesson were you trying to teach me by repeatedly setting me up in the showers and getting me thrown into solitary like that?" Lauren nearly shouted and Sugar pursed her lips.
"Okay, you wanna know what your problem is?" Sugar confronted, her voice louder than Lauren's. "You have no self awareness or a fucking clue on what's actually going on around you. You're so quick to react, so quick to let your anger consume you and let your impulses dictate the way you live your life. You don't think, Lauren. And maybe if you did, you wouldn't struggle and get yourself into trouble as much as you currently do. I am trying to help you. I am trying to get you to see that the way you're living—that the person you are today is WRONG. You're constantly setting yourself up and you don't even see it. You think you're so damn strong and you fail to realise you're weaker than an infant. You're in here for five years, honey. I can already tell you're not gonna do your time, your time's gonna do you. Hell, you'll most likely be dead in a year with the rate you're going."
Lauren put her juice down after sipping, and started listening...actually listening. Two reasons: it sounded like Sugar actually gave a shit about Lauren more than anyone else did, and she was also curious about what a stranger's perception of her was. Lauren may not wanna hear the truth about herself that she always refused to acknowledge, but Sugar was going to force her to. They had no time to waste now. Either Lauren woke up and got on board, or Sugar would see to it that Lauren suffer some more until finally killing her because her existence became a major problem.
"Because you couldn't control yourself and watch my guys hurt Candy without giving yourself away, Luca went on a rampage and killed a few of your guys. Not only that, he and many of his guys cornered two of your friends who were with Aleesia, and they didn't have any of the protection they needed to defend themselves. Because of YOUR reckless behaviour, Luca sought out revenge and had his muscle do to Aleesia what Scaletta and Giancarlo did to Candy. If it wasn't for me ordering my men to follow Aleesia around to protect her, she would've died in that apartment. Her blood would have been on YOUR hands. But I bet you didn't think about that, now did you? Because you were too concerned with yourself and failed to think ahead. You're welcome for saving your girl, by the way. You'll be able to contact her after chow time and you'll see her again on Thursday."
She was right. Lauren stiffened and held her breath; she forgot how to breathe and felt tense all over again upon hearing Sugar's words. Everything she was saying hit her like a pile of bricks. Not only was Sugar right, she was also slowly proving to be a reliable person Lauren might need. She was revealing herself to be somewhat of a parental figure that lacked in the crucial years where Lauren needed it most—she still does. Trusting anyone felt like a death sentence after trusting Candy and getting shot for it. But trusting Sugar strangely felt safe. After all, she made it her business to keep Aleesia protected at all times and provided Lauren the luxury to have private time with her. And she did express the desire to make Lauren better and help her out.
Was considering being official partners with this woman a bad idea or a good call?
"Nobody likes solitary; it is cruel and unethical and inhumane. But you know what else is? The life that you live and the person that you are. Think about that, Lauren. And the only reason I made them throw you in solitary was because you needed a reality check, and you needed to feel as weak as you possibly can to know your own strength—your actual strength, not this shitty illusion you have of yourself whenever you're too busy looking only at the areas in which you're on top of the world. What you keep proving to me is that your pain can easily break you. Baby doll, your comfort is what's killing you. That arrogance and refusal to accept and acknowledge your own pain is what's killing you. You have to be present for your own pain, and you have to be willing to be vulnerable and uncomfortable so you can grow as a human being. You think that having it your way all the time is going to benefit you in the long run? No! And neither is crying about it when you finally understand that cruelty is a two way street you can't escape from. Suck it up and better yourself for once."
Sugar read Lauren like a book and she didn't like it. One could call this tough love, one could also call this the medicine needing to be taken and Lauren being the stubborn child that doesn't like the taste but ends up consuming it anyway. The green eyed girl unclenched her jaw and ate some of the good stuff on her tray, pensive with no desire to respond unless she came up with something appropriate to say. Sugar ignored her girls wanting in on the conversation, and she ate the rest of her food in comfortable silence until Lauren was ready.
"You tell me what I'm supposed to do with all this anger then. What are you gonna tell me? To sit with it?" asked the gang leader.
"For starters, yeah. Sit with your anger," Sugar chuckled.
"Right. So I feel like a helpless pussy and get angrier for keeping it all inside. Nice."
"That's not true. If and when you get angry, don't react so impulsively like you do now. Sit with your anger and nurture the emotion while you're thinking of smarter and more effective ways to release it. Anger can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Not being careful with what you do with the emotion and letting it control your every action is what gets you thrown in the SHU, six feet underground, or puts everyone you love in harms way when it could've easily been avoided," Sugar smiled. "You're like me, I had to learn the hard way. Everybody who knew me, knew me as 'crazy Sue' or 'the one with all her screws loose'. I used to act just like you do, only worse. I've never been good at anger management or thinking before I reacted. I've killed a lotttt of people because of my mental issues, which resulted in me having far too many enemies."
"Do you still have them?"
"Of course I don't still have 'em. They've all been taken care of. But I do have new enemies, just very few of them. Would you like to continue learning the hard way or would you like to meet with me and the girls, earn yourself a better reputation and some respect in this place, and continue working with me on the outside and inside? There's plenty to do, Jauregui. It's your choice at the end of the day, but make the wise one."
The corner of Lauren's lips curled into a smirk. Judging by her current shitty mental state from her time in the hole, the vivid redness under her eyes from the fatigue and environment and lack of moisturiser, and inability to return to normal right away, Lauren wasn't about to make any big decisions right now. She needed more time to feel like herself again and think it over. Lauren used the plastic spoon to scoop up some strawberry yogurt before eating, keeping her eyes glued to the food on her tray.
"I'll think about it. Thank you for keeping Aleesia safe and for the talk and extra Mac and Cheese. I still have this insatiable urge to kill you for throwing me in solitary, but maybe some more privileges and a long night's worth of undisturbed rest will change my mind faster."
"I'll see what I can do."
*
6:13pm - Overtown, Miami, Florida
Primo's Barbershop was the main establishment ran by Scaletta and Emiliano (who only went by Suave in the shop), and the businesses that took place there was money laundering and loan sharking. Sugar's men handled the loan sharking, Los Carnales handled the money laundering and occasionally made drug deals at the back of the barber shop. Scaletta hired a couple of guys with clean records and would undoubtedly keep their mouths shut in the face of crime or potential prosecution, and Emiliano took on styling hair with Normani by his side. Since the environment was looking too serious and felt iffy, Emiliano hired two of his homies who worked separate shifts from Scaletta's employees and made the barbershop feel more like home.
Normani knew how to braid hair, wash and set, and was currently learning how to give shape ups only for men with longer hair as they were the only ones that got sent to her. She was a fast learner and got the basics down just enough to receive good reviews and pay, but Emiliano was faster. He practiced nonstop and made haircuts his new obsession. It wasn't at all unusual, the man did spend majority of his time making himself look good and knowing all there was to know about beauty products. So when it came to his customers, he treated them the same way he treated himself on a regular and gave them better haircuts than most of the long-time trained barber working at the shop.
At this hour, the shop was technically closed but Scaletta was still in the back doing business with two guys and Normani wasn't done doing her customer's hair. The three other barbers—Julio, Wilmer, and Jharrel—counted their money in their chairs and ate the Latin food Emiliano ordered from some Colombian joint down the street. Aleesia came to the shop by herself with money earned from doing her runs, paid Scaletta what Sugar demanded from her and kept the other half to herself to put into Lauren's commissary. After everybody reported to Scaletta with what was expected at the end of each day, the vibe went from serious to laid back and chill.
'Hola, que tal? Soy el chico de las poesias. Tu fiel admirador. Y aunque no me conocias, hoy es noche de sexo.
Voy a devorarte, nena linda. Hoy es noche de sexo y voy a cumplir tus fantasias.'
Emiliano turned up the volume on the stereo kept at the front desk by the waiting chairs and started moving his hips and feet, keeping a hand on his belly as he danced. "Wooo! It's that time of day."
"Suave, please. Not so loud," Normani complained. Though if it were her preference of music, she'd tell him to turn it up even louder. The girl rubbed some product through her client's long silk hair before combing through it, styling it the way he wanted. "Everyone in this joint and out there knows damn well you're not getting any, so stop playing."
"Fuck you talking about? I'm getting it in tonight," he danced near Normani with a smile and belted out the lyrics. "Pongase romantica, PLEAASE. Dame un KISSS, no cometa un desliz!"
"Oye, mano, you gotta announce your plans to the world? No one wants to watch you prepare for tonight, homes. Wait until you get home!" Julio teased with a chuckle.
"Deja que se divierta antes de que llegue el rechazo," said Jharrel, the only Dominican barber in Overtown. He took a large bite into his Carimañola and offered the rest to Wilmer who declined, leaving him to throw the rest into the trash bin in front of him. (Let him have fun before the rejection comes.)
"Que rechazo? Hablas demasiado, mano. Shut the fuck up," Emiliamo dismissed with a wave and picked up a lone fry, dropping it into his open mouth. (What rejection? You talk too much, bro.)
"Suave, where are you going tonight that has women willing to hook up with you? Shit, where are you going that has you in a party mood period? I wanna come," said Aleesia, sitting pretty snug in his chair.
"It's further down south. Think South Beach. A bunch of the homies are meeting up later on tonight at this club right by our old one. Supposably the scene there is hot, it's poppin."
"Supposedly?" Aleesia corrected, giggling when Emiliano sucked his teeth and slapped her with a white towel. "Not my fault you're illiterate! No, but for real, I wanna go."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? A lot of shit goes down at clubs—a lot of mistakes, too. Plus, your girl's in prison; makes it easier to fuck up behind her back," said Julio.
"Yeah right. Nothing's gonna happen, I just wanna chill and get some drinks. I have a fake ID that works everywhere," replied Aleesia.
"A fake ID?" Jharrel cackled. "Shit, I forget you're not in your twenties. You don't look eighteen, ma. I tell you that much. You won't even need to use it, they'll take one look at you and let you in just 'cause you're so fucking hot."
Normani and Emiliano exchanged glances and turned their heads, deciding to mind their business. That was Aleesia's job to check the men who were after her or hinted they were attracted to her, not theirs. And if she was ever unloyal to Lauren, one of them would snitch out of respect for their boss.
"Thank you. That's probably why Lauren's with me," Aleesia shrugged then tapped Emiliano's arm. "So we out? I wanna have fun tonight."
"I wanna go, too!" said Normani, finally through with doing her client's hair. He paid her twenty dollars then went on his way. Normani sat down on her chair and grabbed her plate of food to eat while she spoke, "I'll literally call up Willie and tell him to scoop us all in that truck of his. If the club is in South Beach, we should at least go pac—"
"Nope. It's gonna be lowkey and a violence free zone. We won't need to carry any heat," said Emiliano. "Everybody can come, but none of us can afford to get into trouble. Chris is being pretty serious about that."
"The fuck does he think this is? A daycare?" Julio scoffed in disbelief that his new boss kept acting like a softie.
"Relax. I'd rather follow his orders now so I can pick up some bitches at the club then go to the motel for the after party. THAT'S where it's at."
"Shittt, I'm down," Julio rubbed his hands together. Everybody in Los Carnales knew motel after parties were not to be missed unless you weren't really down with it. Too much happens at the motels that not everybody can handle.
"Me, too," Jharrel smirked as him and the boys slapped each other's hands in excitement. Wilmer was the only odd one out. He was a married man and a father who just wanted to get home to his family.
"Count me out. I gotta bounce in, like, five minutes," Wilmer held up his hands as he wandered around the shop, gathering his belongings. "But maybe next time?"
"It's all right, boo, you go do your thing," Normani assured him. "I'm hitting that motel for sure. Who all is gonna be there?"
"Oh you'll see. Just don't spread word around or else it'll get back to Chris. Some people be snitching all of a sudden and he isn't supposed to hear about it," Emiliano lowered his voice as if the snitches were in the room with him. "Everybody meet me at the back of the club in two hours tops. We rollin' out in the vans we use for those drugs labs and shit."
The back door to the shop opened and out came Scaletta's two clients, shaken up and disconcerted. They practically bolted out the door before Scaletta could waltz right out and tighten his tie. The Italian man smiled warmly and stood at the center of the shop, looking around and analysing the atmosphere. He caught the end of Emiliano's conversation and briefly heard Aleesia's plans of going to a club in South Beach. That wasn't going to slide without him sending soldiers to secretly following her, so he didn't speak on that topic. What Scaletta also knew was that Estrabao Cartel was throwing a party at a club in the same area; this meant more danger for Aleesia and a potential gun fight between both gangs if a slip up were to ever occur before the night ended.
"What's going on, Scaletta? Those peeps walked out of here like they'd just seen the boogeyman or something," said Normani.
"They owe Lovelace money. I gave them a little warning and extra time for now, but the next time will involve a friend of mine dumping their bodies into the ocean if they don't pay up on time," Scaletta curled his lips downwards in a nonchalant manner and loosely shrugged. "Can't be too nice with these people. They owed her five hundred dollars in the beginning, now they owe her seven hundred with an added interest—which makes one thousand-two hundred. Chances are they're not gonna be able to make that payment unless they rob a fucking bank."
"Yikes," Wilmer clenched his teeth. The others simply kept their mouths shut.
"So what's the matter? What's happening now? You guys going home or what?"
"We're going to a party. You're free to join if you want," Emiliano scratched the back of his head, feeling like inviting him was a mistake. Luckily for him and his friends, Scaletta politely shook his head 'no'.
"I'm taking a trip to the prison. Lovelace needs me to take care of a couple of things. Apparently we now have a big problem with the police department and mayor," his lips formed a tight smile as he exhaled deeply through his nose.
"What kind of problem?" Aleesia leaned forward with interest. Lauren hasn't mentioned this when they were on the phone earlier.
"Let me worry about that for now. I'm sure you and Lauren will have a very long talk about it when you see her on Thursday."
"But is it a cause for concern? Should we be on the lookout tonight? I don't want any of us getting busted or anything," said Normani.
"Just relax. Have some wine, go dancing, do what you got to do to unwind. The less you know, the better," Scaletta winked.
What that meant was: if the police situation was bad enough to not be contained, Chris was going to be taken out or dealt with in other ways. But for now, two rival gangs having neighbouring parties was all that had to be worried about.
***
Shit's aboutta go down. 👀👀