Luke Cage (Netflix Original) Shades/OC

Gangsta

Previously…

Lyla stared hard into the mirror for a few minutes after splashing some cool water on her face, getting ready for sleep. She returned to find Shades softly snoring in the middle of her bed, at least he managed to pull his boxers on and take care of the protection they'd used. She gently pulled the sheet up over him, settling the covers around him. He looked so relaxed, so at peace. The stark contrast brought tears to her eyes. She realized this must be what she looked like at the piano or on stage. It was at least how she hoped she looked. She decided to go and pick up the clothes they'd strewn around her apartment. Shades had an impeccable wardrobe and image to uphold, it wouldn't do for him to be wrinkly, even on the trip home. She gathered his clothes, hanging them up next her vanity. After sliding back into bed, she tapped the lamp off, plunging the room into darkness.

Chapter 4: Side to Side

Shades gasped awake, blinking into the pitch darkness. The bed beneath him was a hell of a lot more comfortable than he remembered the couch being. He'd been dreaming about sleeping with Miles Brandon's daughter, Lyla, when suddenly his hands came away from her covered in blood. The dream warped from pleasure to pain as she bled out and he was powerless to stop it. He sat up, slowly scraping a palm down his face, trying to erase the image from his mind. He chanced a glance over at the other side of the bed. Blonde curls peeked out from under a mountain of covers. Slowly he peeled back the sheets to make sure the blood had been just a dream. To his relief, the sheets were clean. He left her in bed and went to use the facilities. The clock on the wall read, 5:25am. The sky had just began to lighten again, and he knew he shouldn't be here when she woke up. Shades Alvarez didn't stay the night. He saw his suit hanging on the hooks by her vanity table when he got up to use the bathroom. He prayed she was still asleep when he returned for it.

A soft click in the kitchen had him on high alert. He crept down the hallway, exit strategy abandoned for the moment, only to be greeted by the delicious aroma of fresh brewed coffee. Automatic coffee maker. Piano music began to play from the bedroom and he heard a grunt and a smacking sound. The music stopped. Damn. Lyla was awake. He crept back down the hallway to the bedroom to find the huddle of covers had moved and Lyla lay on her back, arm thrown over her head. He leaned against the door jamb, waiting for her alarm to go off again. He began to replay the night they'd had together. She was an absolute animal. Every limit he pushed, she was right there with him. He hadn't been with an equal in the bedroom before. If it wasn't so damn satisfying, he'd probably be a little spooked.

Soft piano music began to invade Lyla's peaceful dream. She was watching Shades test a new gun she'd given him for Christmas. Growing up in the MC fostered a love for weaponry, so she'd picked him up a real beauty, a Berretta 92 FS Inox, stainless. Superior grip and comfort all while being the most dependable pistol on the market.

The music got louder until she realized it was her alarm. "Fuck," She swore softly, reaching behind her for her phone.

"Again?" Shades teased from his place by the door.

Lyla froze. She didn't expect him to still be there. Granted, her alarm went off at 5:30am everyday and they hadn't tumbled into bed until around 1am, but she didn't peg him for a stay after a lay kind of guy. "I didn't kick you out?" She snarked back, sitting on the side of the bed, pushing her wild curls out her face.

Shades watched as she slid out of bed, stretching up then reaching for the floor. "Mind if I use your shower?" He asked, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"Not at all," Lyla smirked, taking a few steps so she stood right in front of him."If you're still in there when I get back from my run, I"m sending you the gas bill." She poked him playfully in the chest.

"Deal." Shades murmured, as she leaned in for a soft kiss.

45 minutes later Lyla returned from her run to an empty apartment. She really didn't expect him to be there when she returned anyway. She'd gone an extra mile, hoping her extended absence would give him time to disappear. Mo wasn't anywhere in sight, usually she was begging to be fed when Lyla returned from her morning workout. Toeing out of her running shoes, she called, "Mo?" She crept toward the kitchen, " Mo, baby, where are you?" She heard the tinkling of cat collar against her metal cat bowl. Shades fed her cat. "Figures," Lyla teased, running her hand over the cat's back.

Lyla cleaned up and settled at the piano, working on her set for the following evening. A track she really thought would be received well was Drag Me Down by One Direction. She wasn't usually a fan of pop music, but this song was pretty malleable in the style department. This made it perfect cover material for the club. Saadiq said he'd help her with the stylizing. He was supposed to stop by around 1 to go over it. Since he was such a prominent artist in the area, she gladly accepted his help. Mo settled on top of the piano, bathing in a sunbeam. The hours flew by until a knock at her door brought her back to reality. "Coming!" She called, rushing over to the door.

Saadiq stood outside Lyla Brandon's apartment door. He was completely aware of the fact that she'd gone home with Shades last night. It really wasn't any of his business, he knew she came from the life. It made sense she'd find someone who was so entangled in it. He was just glad she'd taken him up on his offer. He admired her creativity and passion to push the envelope when it came to music. Lyla opened the door and let him in.

"Thank you for coming Saadiq." Lyla gushed. "This really means a lot." She led him over to the piano after taking his coat and hat. "Water?" She asked, pouring two glasses from the pitcher on the counter.

"Sure," Saadiq took the glass she offered. "Thank you." He glanced around the apartment. "Nice digs, Ly."

Lyla blushed, "Thanks." She sighed, heading for the piano. "Shall we?"

The next hour and a half Saadiq listened to Lyla kill it on vocals. He brought his laptop to record her and to also try some beats and effects behind her so they could put together a live track.

As he was packing up, Saadiq asked, "Where did you learn to sing?"

Lyla smirked, "Tisch." She knew he expected her to say Juilliard. Her vocal stamina was definitely due to formal training.

Saadiq laughed, "I thought for sure you'd say, Juilliard." He zipped up his bag. "Good to know you're not just a self taught talent, having some professional training really helps in this business."

Lyla nodded. "I'm sure my voice would have been ruined by now." She gathered their glasses and put them in the sink. "I can't tell you how many shady clubs I played where their sound system was shit. Opera training really came in handy." She gave him a wink.

"I bet it did." He checked his watch. "Almost time for me to go warm up for rehearsal. You coming tonight?"

"You go on at 9, right?" She asked, walking him to the door.

"9:30," He corrected.

"Then I'm there." She answered with a smile, handing him his coat and hat.

Saadiq raised an eyebrow, "You got a hot date or something?" He shrugged on his coat.

Lyla swung the door open only to reveal Shades standing on the other side of it.

"Or something," Shades drawled, taking off his shades. "Saadiq." He gave the man a nod.

"Shades." Saadiq answered then turned to Lyla. "See you later, Ly." He slung his bag over his shoulder and with one last concerned look, he left.

Lyla stepped back from the door to go close up the piano and clean up the music strewn everywhere. She heard the door shut and the dead bolt hit home. She could feel Shades behind her, so she turned to face him. "Saadiq was here to work on-"

"Music," Shades finished for her, bending down to pick up a few pieces of sheet music she missed. "Saadiq mentioned wanting to work with you to Cottonmouth." He handed her the papers, "One of the reasons Cottonmouth asked you to play HP again. 'Diq said you were flawless. He wanted to learn from you, keep himself sharp."

"Seriously?" Lyla's jaw dropped. She was so taken back by the complement, she almost forgot that Shades was in her apartment for the second time that day. She took a quick breath, "Why are you here, again?" She asked, setting the music down in neat stack on the piano.

Shades shifted, uncrossed and recrossed his arms. "Cottonmouth is looking for a kid named Chico."

"Chico?" Lyla repeated, "That's the kid who ran with Dante, the bartender at HP." Dante was dead. The whole ordeal caused the guns to be seized by the police and the money from the deal was in the wind. She turned away from him, trying to fit the pieces together. "So it was an inside job." She concluded. "Damn."

Shades knew she'd figure it out sooner or later. "Just three kids that got a crazy idea to screw over their boss." He sighed, "Rumor has it, Chico works at Switzerland."

Switzerland, aka, Pop's Barbershop. She'd walked by a few times since her arrival in Harlem. Pop welcomed her to the neighborhood, invited her in for a cup of coffee and assured her his place was neutral territory, Switzerland, if you will. If she ever needed help, he was there for her. Little did he know she was getting in deep with a known felon.

"Smart kid," She scoffed. Shades raised an eyebrow. "I mean," She continued, "If I was gonna steal Cottonmouth's money, I'd run for neutral territory too."

"Drop by and check in with Pop." Shades instructed, checking his watch. "Better get a move on, shop closes for Pop's afternoon siesta in 30 minutes."

"Just like that." Lyla mused, rolling her eyes.

Shades sighed through his teeth, "Just like what?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

She was back in the game, that's what. "Nothing, nevermind." Lyla bit back. "I'll drop by."

Shades pursed his lips together. He'd done a little leg work to understand his latest muse a bit better. She was a phenomenal intelligence asset for the MC after she returned from University. Her beauty helped her get in the door, and her sharp wit kept her alive.

"I'll watch your back." He offered, stepping towards her.

"Not necessary." Lyla shrugged him off, heading towards her bedroom.

Deciding against pursuing her for the moment, Shades pulled out his phone, dialing Cottonmouth.

"She's in." Shades murmured, stripping off his shades and wiping the back of his hand across his eyes.

"Good. Watch her back." Cottonmouth answered. "Get her to establish a line of communication so Pop will inform Lyla when Chico shows up so we can grab him and my money."

"Sounds like a plan." Shades nodded. The call was disconnected.

Shades pocketed his phone. "Lyla?" He called. No answer. He crept toward the bedroom, not wanting to piss her off. "Sweetness?" He tried again, when suddenly he was hit with a cool blast of air. He rushed into the bedroom to find the large window that led out onto the fire escape wide open. He could hear the faint telltale retreating 'click, click' of Lyla's boots over the squeak of the fire escape swinging back into place. "God Dammit." He didn't have a choice but to follow her out the window. With the elevator broke, this was by far the fastest way to get to her. He touched down on the pavement in time to see Lyla disappear around the corner of the next building up the block. He jogged a little, thankful he had the obnoxious habit of wearing tennis shoes instead of dress shoes for this little exercise. He rounded the corner in time to see Lyla walking down the steps of Pop's barbershop. She had changed from her yoga like clothes to skinnies, ankle boots and her moto jacket. He would have been impressed if he wasn't so miffed she ditched him. She probably saw it as payback for asking her to do the errand in the first place.

Lyla knew Shades would follow her, but she needed for him to see she could handle a simple intelligence jaunt by herself. She pushed open the door to Pop's and was greeted with a chorus of cat calls and whistles. "Awww, guys!" Lyla squealed. She hadn't told Shades, but she had hung out here for a few afternoons after her first gig at HP. Pop felt like a father to her, and Luke, like an older brother. Pop had been the one to cut her hair.

"You playing tonight, Ly?" Luke, usually a dishwasher at the club, but had bartended her first night, asked her.

"No," Lyla shook her head, "Saadiq is though. I'm on tomorrow night."

"I actually have the night off tomorrow, might have to drop by to listen." Luke smiled.

"That'd be great!" Lyla smiled back, then she took a deep breath. "I was just coming by to say how sorry I was." She sighed, "I heard about Dante." Pop and Luke exchanged a look that told her she wasn't the first person to inquire about the boy. "Everyone at the club was talking about it and I wanted to come by and see if I could do anything." Lyla continued, coming over to give Pop a hug.

He accepted with a nod, "Sweetie, the only thing we can do is protect this neighborhood." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I heard Chico was with him," Lyla continued, "Is he okay?" She swallowed, "I talked to his Momma, She lives in a flat on the ground floor of my building. She's in absolute hysterics."

Luke and Pop exchanged a look. She could tell they were deciding if they could trust her or not.

"Look, you don't have to tell me where he is, just tell me if he's okay or not?" Lyla insisted, hands out to her sides in a sign of surrender.

Luke spoke first, "Haven't heard from him."

Pop sighed, "Kid's probably hiding out, trying to stay out of the line of fire."

"I hear that," Lyla mused, giving a small smile. All three adults took a collective breath. "Well, if you see him or hear from him, tell him his Momma's on the warpath." She turned to leave the shop. "Oh, almost forgot." She turned back to face the men, "I talked to my Father." Luke and Pop exchanged a wary look. "He said the MC is staying out of Harlem." She sighed, "But, since I'm attempting to make a home here, he did say if we needed their help protecting the neighborhood, they'd be here on a dime."

"Good to know," Pop nodded, adjusting his hat.

Luke leaned on his broom handle, "Tell you what, if I hear from Chico, I'll drop you that dime."

Lyla nodded, "Thanks." She checked the clock again. "Look at that, almost time for another round at the piano." She turned to leave.

"Hey Lyla, I've got that thing you needed for your apartment." Luke gave her a meaningful look, "In the backroom."

Oh shit. Shades slipped out the back door, just before Luke entered the back room.

Lyla followed, praying Shades was suave enough to get the hell out before Luke arrived.

"Lyla," Luke sighed, closing the door, "Look, you need to know that Cottonmouth and the 5-0 were already here, looking for Chico."

"Really?" She acted surprised. "Well," She took a quick breath, "looks like we need to move fast. I do have experience in this kind of thing," She smiled, "You want help?"

"What makes you think I'll go look for him?" Luke asked, frowning a little.

"You're, 'I work two jobs and get paid under the table,' Luke Cage." Lyla scoffed, "I'd bet fifty dollars, you owe Pop one, just like the rest of us." She sighed, crossing her arms. "Of course you're gonna go look for him."

Luke scoffed. "Nothing gets by you, does it?" He grinned.

"Not when you're the princess of a MC." She winked. He laughed. "Tell you what, you get a lead, I'll have your back."

"I just might take you up on it." Luke answered.

Lyla put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck." She opened the back door. "See you around." She gave him a mini salute before ducking out the doorway into the alleyway.

Dearest Readers,

Side to Side - Ariana Grande - I'm not a huge Ariana fan, but this song depicts the dance that Shades and Lyla are doing perfectly. They're hooking up, flirting like crazy, and getting deeper entwined all while denying it in public. Saadiq seeing Shades at her apartment was intentional by our Gangsta, he wanted to lay his claim on her, but he's doing it strategically.

Until next time,

xoxo

Lumora The White