"You say you're a gangsta, that don't impress me none"

I traveled around the globe, been to many beautiful and exotic places with even more beautiful and exotic women, but the Santa Monica pier was one of my favorite places on earth. The atmosphere of the pier was unbeatable. The contact high that you got from surfers, the kids begging their parents to go on rides and young lovers displaying PDA on the pier somehow made a sweet concoction. It was a vacation from reality and I found myself there whenever I got too overwhelmed.

Being a huge member of a gang, most of my days were filled with gunshots, fighting, stress and drama. It wasn't like I wasn't used to it, but sometimes things got way too much and that's when I found myself on the pier. When I was on the pier, I felt like an average human being rather than one with a crazy, dangerous and sh-tty lifestyle.

I was a part of the De Palma Family. The gang was made by my pops. He reignited gang activity in America and raised awareness of Italian-Americans and Italian cultures when he did. Everyone wanted to be like us once the De Palma Family started popping. They wanted to talk like us, to walk like us, to cook like us and to have the same traditions we held valuable. Italians joined our gang and so did wannabes. As years went by, we naturally expanded, and our Family represented more than just the Italian culture.

Our gang began with strictly Italians but once it got going, we got more members from different communities and backgrounds. Blacks, Latinos, Asians and anybody with respect for the Family joined. Anyone who wanted to be somebody joined the Family and once you were in, you were committed for life.

There were small clusters of our gang all over the globe, operated by various of races. The point was no matter the color or ethnicity, if you shared the same values of the De Palma Family, you were in. Honor, loyalty, family, hard work and f-cking sh-t up were our values in short terms. I could read the whole f-cking five-hundred-page guide of the De Palma Family values and the history of the Family, but I doubt you want to hear all of that.

The point is that we ran the world. There were other gangs and we let them have their set limits and turfs, but if they stepped on our turf or interrupted our actions, they knew we'd make them extinct. Within our family, we had drug dealers, thieves, hitmen, hitwomen, our own military and our own investors. We had lawyers that pledged an oath to always get us out of trouble. We had doctors with small hospitals and clinics that we built that healed us from our injuries. We had escorts and hookers for slime balls that felt the need to pay for sex. We had everything.

Our system was so organized and tight knit that even though the police knew about us, they wouldn't lift a finger to stop us. They knew they couldn't take us down. Hell, the f-cking president couldn't even take us down. It was too complicated for anyone outside of the Family to wrap their heads around, plus, it's not like we were vicious savages. We never harmed innocent people, only other gangs who f-cked us over.

So, in conclusion, to be part of the family, you needed to have a work ethic for illegal sh-t and not be too sh-tty of a person. Of course, once people got in the Family they let the sh-t go to their head. They became power hungry, aggressive and off the rails. But I wasn't like that. I was always respected because I was the daughter of the man that started it all and everyone loved me, but I didn't let that go to my head.

You would think I would be the Don of California with so much acclaim and praise. But I was happy to be an active, tell-me-what-to-do-and-when-to-do-it member rather than someone with so much power. I had some enemies outside of the Family and being on top of the pyramid wasn't going to help my friend count.

Speaking of friends, alongside of me were my friends Leo and Lin. We grew up together from little kids in the Bronx to lesbian gangsters living in Santa Monica. My life has been like one of those gangster movies since the beginning.

I grew up with a crew of tight knit friends and I kept them beside me my whole life. We were loyal to each other and we loved each other as if we were sisters. Both Leo and Lin's fathers were close to my pops, so we've been hanging with each other since we were in diapers. We all grew up in an environment that glorified the life of the Family which is why we were still caught up in it. I'm not saying being a gang member was sweet or cool, but it was how we were raised. It was what we were accustomed to.

I mean, for Christ sakes, when I was four years old, it was the first time I ever seen a man killed. He disrespected my pops in his house. That was a big no-no, a quick and easy reason to get killed. My father blew his brains out right in front of me. I remember my mama pushing me out the room as if what I saw could be unseen.

A few years after that, I wanted to be just like my father. Most kids wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor, but I wanted to be a gang member. That gangster, and sinful life just ignited me. I loved being a part of a huge family and getting anything I wanted. That 9 to 5 thing just wasn't for me. I couldn't be pent up in a cubicle or bagging groceries, just wasn't my thing. Like I said before, I'm not saying being gang affiliated was cool in any way and I didn't necessarily condone it, but it had its obvious perks: V.I.P. areas, girls throwing themselves at you, respect, getting looked at as if you're made of gold and plenty more. It could be nice at times, but it sure as hell could get ugly too.

"Damn, look at her," Leo said as she hit me on my shoulder. I was looking out towards the ocean as the sun set for the day. The soft orange and yellows of the sky put me at ease and allowed my thoughts to run wild and free of gang related sh-t, but of course, Leo ruined my moment, as always. I turned around and leaned against the pier's rails. I was standing between my two best friends who were both staring into the distance. "She has a fat ass. What do they say, girls? The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice." Leo laughed at herself as she rubbed her hands together.

I chuckled and shook my head at her as I checked the girl out. Nice, dark chocolate skin, thick thighs and like Leo said, a really nice ass. The bikini she was wearing really showed off her body. Even though she was pretty good looking, I wouldn't have noticed her if Leo didn't say anything. Leo was always picking girls out, always trying to get with them.

She collected p-ssy like an old woman collected refrigerator magnets. Her libido stayed higher than I did, and I was damn near always smoking marijuana. I loved sex as well, but I didn't just throw myself on anyone. Leo had no regards and no restrictions. She'd f-ck any girl that let her.

"Go talk to her," Lin encouraged. Lin was the opposite of Leo. Unlike, Leo and I, she had a girl and she was to be married in just two months. She was in love with her girlfriend, Jenny, and rightfully so. Jenny was gorgeous and soft, just like Lin. Even though, Lin was a part of the family, she wasn't hostile. She, Leo and I kind of evened each other out.

Leo was crazy, unsympathetic and ready to kill at any moment. I was considerate and levelheaded, but I wasn't a punk either, if someone disrespected me then I was going to send them to their maker. So, I guess I was mild. Lin, on the other hand, was very timid to kill. I've seen her beat ass pretty badly, but I don't think she had ever killed anyone. She was just too soft.

Lin was basically an angel. Well, as close as a gang member can get to being an angel.

"Yeah, go and talk to her, champ. Tell her she has a fat ass like you told us," I joked as I laughed with amusement.

Leo looked at the both of us with her face scrunched up. "Don't you guys know me by now? Of course, I'm going to go over there and talk to her. I'm going to get her number and then I'm going to f-ck her and her friends. I'm going to make her my African Queen." Leo dripped confidence. She knew not many girls could let her down with her gorgeous blue eyes and athletic figure, so she always went from the gold with no fear of getting rejected.

Without another word, Leo walked away from us and towards the girl she was pursuing. Lin put her arm around my shoulder. "How much do you want to bet that girl slaps her?"

"I bet you a grand. She's not going to slap her. She's going to push her and tell her to f-ck off."

"Bet." We had been through this so many times. Lin and I always betted on whether Leo would get a girl or not or how her flirting would outcome. I've lost so much money and won just as much making bets on Leo and her game. Sometimes it was good but other times it was plain sh-tty, like tonight.

When Leo approached the girl, she didn't say a single word. Instead, she grabbed the girl's ass cheek which was spilling out of her bathing suit. Instantly, I face palmed. No way was the girl just going to push her off. She deserved a slap to the face and an ass kicking for that. "What the f-ck is wrong with you," the girl screamed at Leo before slapping her.

Lin giggled. "Momma just got herself a grand."

I rolled my eyes. "Our friend's an asshole."

"You're just figuring this out?"

"Hey, b-tch. Do you know who the f-ck I am," Leo yelled at the girl as she grabbed her arm. F-ck. The friends of the girl began yelling at Leo and I knew that either Lin or I would have to jump in, in a moment. "I ought to f-cking cut your hand off, you f-cking slut!"

"Let me go, you asshole!"

One of the girl's friends decided to step up and push Leo with bravery. "Sh-t," Lin and I simultaneously muttered before running over to Leo and the girls.

"Don't f-cking push me, muchacha," Leo yelled at the Latina that pushed her.

Lin grabbed Leo so she would let go of the other girl's hand. "What the f-ck is wrong with you, man," Lin yelled.

"F-ck this b-tch. She doesn't want to f-ck me? Her bad. I'm a f-cking millionaire, b-tch! You're not that cute anyways. That's why you f-cked up your eyeliner," Leo continued to yell.

Lin covered her mouth to shut her up before pulling Leo away. I watched as my two friends walked away and left me by my lonesome to deal with four angry women. This should go well.

The girl who was just assaulted by Leo was in hysterics as two of her friends held her. Maybe she was crying from anger, embarrassment or because Leo was so aggressive with her, I don't know which, but it made me uneasy. I know she probably felt just as uncomfortable after being sexually harassed, but I felt like all the pressure fell on me and I didn't even do sh-t.

The girl that Leo called 'muchacha' was heated and she was giving me a stare that told me she meant business. She was gorgeous as f-ck. Though her stare even made me intimidated, I couldn't stop looking at her perfect features. Yeah, her face was flawless but the bikini she was wearing showed off a lot of her petite yet curvy body. Everything she had was in all the right places. God took his time on her.

"Who the f-ck does your little friend think she is," the Latina asked me as she approached me. I didn't do anything, but I felt like I was in trouble. Her brown eyes didn't leave mine and she crossed her arms to prevent me from even staring down to look at her breasts.

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. She's f-cking crazy. If a girl doesn't want her then she gets all defensive and emotional. I know that doesn't excuse anything. She needs to grow up and I'm personally sorry for her actions. Are you girls okay," I asked her sincerely. Muchacha rolled her eyes at me and pressed her lips together as she kept staring at me. I had given an apology, but she was looking at me like she expected more.

As if it wasn't enough getting stared down by one upset woman, the victim's friends pulled away from her and they gawked at me too. They were a good-looking friend group, but I couldn't keep my f-cking eyes off of Muchacha. I should probably stop calling her that. That's very f-cked up. F-ck Leo.

"Your friend just grabbed her ass and then called her names when she got upset, of course she's not okay, dumbass" the Latina yelled at me. Man, did I love feisty f-cking woman. It scared me and turned me on all at once.

"Yeah, that was a stupid question," I admitted as I looked behind me again. Leo and Lin were watching from afar. It looked like Leo was still talking sh-t. I turned back to face the four girls. "If there's anything I can do for you girls just tell me."

The gorgeous girl in front of me looked behind me at her friends. Her dark hair was flowing naturally in the wind and as she looked behind me, I allowed my eyes to wander down her body. Nice sized breasts, a slim waist and thighs that I would love to be suffocated between made my mouth water. I licked my lips. Damn.

When the Latina looked back at me, I quickly looked up as if I wasn't checking her out the whole ten seconds she wasn't paying attention to me. She studied me for a few seconds, her eyes glanced down to my shoulders and went down my body as well. When she looked back up at me, a small glint was in her eyes. "You're a part of the De Palma Family, aren't you?"

"What gave it away?"

"You're wearing a tank top. You have a lot of gang-related tattoos on your arms, plus the big ass 'De Palma' tattoo written in script across your collarbone kind of gave it away," she reasoned.

"You're very attentive." And attractive.

"Thank you." That was the first time I saw her crack a smile at me and it made me grin.

"I'm Andy. Andy De Palma." I reached out my hand to the talkative and feisty girl. Half of me expected her to smack it away or just ignore me, but instead she looked back at her friends before shaking it. When I looked into her eyes this time, I saw less anger.

"I'm Delaney. I'm not giving you my last name because you might kill my whole family." I thought she was joking but she didn't crack a smile. I chuckled softly. She was a hot f-cking mess. "This is Lisa," Delaney pointed over to the only white girl of the group. She had blonde hair and she looked scruffier than the rest, but she was still pretty. "This is Mia," she directed her point over to the other Latina in the group. She was very hot but very cute at the same time. It kind of f-cked with my mind. Huggable and f-ckable. Not as f-ckable as Delaney but f-ckable, okay, I should get my mind out of the gutter.

"And my friend who your stupid friend assaulted is Tyra," she said pointing over the gorgeous black girl with the banging body. "With the introductions out of the way, all I want you to do, Andy De Palma, is go over there and punch your friend in the face as hard as you can for me. I would do it myself, but I think if I hit her once I won't be able to stop.

I laughed at her as I shook my head. She was very outspoken. As soon as most people found out who I was, they would shy away, but she didn't. I felt like she could talk to a rock if it would talk back to her, maybe if it wouldn't talk back. "What do I get if I do?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her and it was an obvious attempt to make a move on her. I was pretty sure soon I was the one that was going to receive a punch in the face from feisty, little Delaney.

She automatically caught what I was trying to notion at. Instead of giving me the cold shoulder or punching me, she bit her lip and looked to her friend, Mia, who raised an eyebrow at her. I couldn't speak the language most girls did when they used their eyes, but I think she was asking her friend if she should give me a chance. "My number," she finally said with a slight bat of her eyelashes.

"I get your number and how about I get to take you and your girls out to a club tonight? We can get V.I.P. and I won't bring Leo since she doesn't know how to keep her hands to herself." I felt like I was pushing my boundaries by asking for more than her number, but it was worth a try. It's not like I was grabbing her ass or being an asshole or anything.

"You had us at V.I.P," Tyra suddenly said as she wiped her tears.

Delaney rolled her eyes at her friend before laughing softly. "I guess it's a yes then, but you have to go over there and punch your friend first."

Without saying anything else, I ran back up to my friends who were still staring at me talking to the girls. "So, what did that b-tch-"

I punched Leo square in the nose and she fell down to the ground. Blood began pouring from her nose as she held it. Lin was laughing uncontrollably as Leo quickly got to her feet. "What the f-ck was that, Andy," she asked me as she grabbed my shirt.

"They said if I punched you I could get one of their numbers and then take them out clubbing tonight," I said with a shrug. Leo didn't scare me, no matter how menacing she was to everyone else. We were friends. We fought physically all the f-cking time. "Don't act like you wouldn't have done the same to me or Lin. Oh, and also, before you ask, you can't come out with us tonight. They don't want you there."

Leo let go of my shirt and her mouth dropped open. "Damn, looks like you're going to masturbate all alone tonight," Lin joked to Leo. "So much for getting yourself an African Queen, huh?"

Before Leo could go on a rampage, I ran back over to the girls who were all giggling and smiling. It was good to see them all happy after everything, especially Delaney. "Now, Delaney, what's your number?"

-

What do you think about the first chapter?

Check out the "Meet the Characters" chapter if you haven't and also the "Summary" chapter, they're sort of vital to the story.