Another Lifetime

Chapter Twenty-four:

Cesar's POV:
I wake up before Monse so I just let her sleep. "You finally get with that hyna?" Spooky asks. "Yeah." I nod. "Good, so she finally gonna stop coming over?" Is he being serious? "Man fuck off." I laugh and grab and apple. "What the hell is she doing here?" I ask with my mouth full when I see Lola. "Dropping off your nephew dumb ass. Trust, I'm not spending anymore time here than I have to." She says. "So you gotta sit at my table and eat my food to drop him off?" I ask. "Ky, tell Cesar why I can't leave." She tells her son. "I'm not ready!" He hugs her even tighter. "He's not used to y'all yet so try not being a dick." Lola hates me, no question. We all hear something in my room and I go check. "Ha, Monse fucking left him!" Lola follows me while she carries Ky. "How the hell is that kid not constantly trying to get away from you?" I glare at her.

Monse's POV:
The car follows me until I hit a dead end. "Will you relax?! I'm not trying to kill you." She says the last sentence slowly. "So why the fuck are you chasing me?" I ask. "Heard you're done with the Prophets and I know why." The girl says. "Are you gonna bring me over there?" I ask and she shakes her head. "Hell no, I'm a Reina and some people from my crew wanna meet you. We got a lotta respect for you after what you did." She smiles. "How do I know you're not just gonna kill me?" I ask. "You don't but I'm pretty sure we both have bigger problems." She points behind her and I see a green impala driving down the street... Latrelle's green impala. "You think you can get us outta here alive?" I ask. "I know I can." She smiles and I get in her car. "We race a lot, we beat the guys and get money from it so we can build up our crew." She backs up at full speed and drives past Latrelle. "So there's no guys?" I ask. "Not one and there never will be. Most of the Reinas weren't allowed in, jumped out of, beaten half to death by, or assaulted by the gangs their families belonged to." She explains and keeps going at least 100 mph. "Don't most people die when they're jumped out? How do you have more than one person who survived?" My questions are never gonna stop. "Ask Venom, she hates being called this but she's the head of the Reinas." She parks even faster than she started driving. "I'm Eby by the way... I'm Lewi's daughter." She says. "I thought you were-" she cuts me off. "It's easier for him to say he killed me than to say I'm in a new gang. No one wants a failure to lead." She explains. I get out of her car and look up at the two story house. "We live here." Eby smiles. "Monse, I've heard a lot about you." Another girl who's in her early twenties walks over to us. The house looks a lot like the Santo house but more than twice the size. Furniture outside, people drinking, smoking, and a shit ton of dead grass. "You're venom?" I ask and she nods. "How do you have so many people who should be dead in your gang?" I'm being direct 'cause I need to know. "She asks a lot of questions." Eby shrugs. "I'm a nurse so I take care of who I can. The guys who jump us out think we're weak, they take it easy on us and think we'll die from some small shit. Some nights we all go for drives and help anyone we can. That's how I found Eby." Venom explains. "So you guys are the 'good' gang?" I cross my arms. "No, we deal, we tag shit, we steal, we hurt people... and some worse shit but only when they deserve it. We're just as bad, if not worse, than the rest of them... but I guess that's the whole point." She smiles. "So why do you need me? It kinda sounds like you have it all figured out." I raise my brows. "We need more people like you. You'd have to be jumped in but-" I cut her off. "I'm not putting anyone else in danger. The Prophets are going after the Santos and probably my family all 'cause I had the balls to pull a gun on my ex. They'll come after anyone I'm involved with." I say and she nods. "Come with me." She leads the way to the side of the house. "Is Spooky still running the Santos?" She asks. "I don't think I can answer that." I laugh. "Whoever's in charge, tell them to call me." Venom writes down her number and hands it to me. "Why?" I ask. "I don't think I can answer that." She mocks me. "Anyways, the whole keeping you safe thing." She keeps walking to the backyard, stops when she gets to a shed, types in a code, and opens a shed lined wall to wall with guns and knives. "These are just extras. All my girls have at least two hand guns at all times, not counting school. If you're with us you'll always be safe." Venom says and I shake my head. "It'd get to complicated." I tell her and she nods. "I'll get you a ride back to the Santos' house." She says before locking the shed again. "Don't get any ideas about stealing our shit, that's nothing compared to the rest of this place." Venom says.
When I back to the house Cesar's looking stressed but I walk right passed him. "Spooky, this girl named Venom said to tell 'whoever's in charge' to call her. She asked for you first so here." I hand him the paper and he walks away. "Where were you? You can't just leave without saying anything. What if Latrelle-" I stop him. "I wanted to go see my brother and sister, my mom's kids, I needed my car for that." I explain. "I could've taken you." He says and I shake my head. "You were gone and even if you were here I'd wanna go alone." I explain and, even if it doesn't come out perfectly, he gets what I mean. "So how'd it go?" Cesar asks. "I actually didn't even make it off the block. The Reinas tried to recruit me." I laugh but he doesn't find it funny. "You said no, right?" He asks. "I did but Venom still wants to talk to you. Your brother has her number." I say and he looks confused. "Venom... that's what Spooky called his ex." Cesar tells me.

Spooky's POV:
"Ava." I get outta my car and everyone looks ready to kill me. "I asked for a phone call not a house call." She laughs and I just hug her. "I thought you dead." I keep holding her. "No, I was laying low... making all this happen while you were serving time." Venom tells me. "Serving time for something you did." I remind her.