The Cartel (23 page)

Her girls looked on in shock. They could tell that Miamor was beyond upset.

Carter was having a good time. His head had been fucked up since arriving in Miami, and it felt good to have his niggas by his side again. For a long time, Ace and Zyir had been the only “brothers” he’d known, and he trusted them whole-heartedly. His love for them ran deep, and they shared an unbreakable bond.

He looked around at the random chicks that Zyir had picked out of the crowd and had to admit he hadn’t been so carefree in a long time. Carter was what some women would call arrogant. He was very selective when it came to who he shared his time with, and it was very rare that he dealt with a lot of women at one time.

It was even rarer to see him in a nightclub, but Zyir and Ace had talked him into it, so he decided to let loose. He told himself that he deserved to relax after all that he had been through in the past couple of months.

Carter noticed that their drinks were getting low, so he leaned over and whispered for Zyir to go to the bar to get some more Moët. Zyir arose and made his way over to the bar. He slid into the empty space next to Robyn and placed his order.

Robyn automatically clocked his pockets when he pulled out a wad of cash. She had to admit, she was impressed, because he was working with all big faces.
I should rob his young ass,
she thought playfully to herself.

Zyir noticed her watching and smiled as he licked his full lips. “Ay, ma, why don’t you and your girls come and join me in VIP?” he stated.

His boyish charm was cute, and Robyn could tell that he was young from his approach. “What’s your name?” she asked.

“Zyir,” he replied.

When the bartender brought his drinks, he grabbed the three bottles. “You coming, or you gon’ hug the bar and wait for one of these broke-ass niggas to come over and waste your time?”

Robyn leaned over and whispered in Miamor’s ear, “You wanna go?”

Miamor shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s whatever.”

“We don’t have to stay. Just let that nigga see that you see him. Maybe his guilt will get shit moving a little faster.” Robyn turned to Zyir and said, “Lead the way.”

Miamor took a deep breath and followed behind her girls as they approached Carter’s table. Her stomach was in knots as she continued to watch him closely. It seemed like the closer she got to him, the more her eyes began to fail her. Tears built up, and she was forced to blink them away before they could fall.

“Yo, my friend and her girls are going to join us,” Zyir stated as he sat the bottles of Moët down on the table.

The girl had Carter’s face turned toward hers, and she had his full attention as she whispered something in his ear, so he didn’t even notice Miamor.

“Yo, I didn’t get y’all names,” Zyir stated.

“I’m Robyn.”

“Aries.”

“Miamor.”

As soon as her voice blessed Carter’s ears, he turned his face and looked up at her in surprise. He could tell from the hurtful expression on her face that she had been there for a while, and he instantly knew that he had fucked up. He withdrew his arm from around the groupie and stood up.

“No, please don’t let us break up y’all little thing,” Robyn protested sarcastically to Carter.

Carter tried to make eye contact with Miamor, but she refused to look at him. She just shook her head in disgust before beginning to walk away.

Robyn turned to Zyir. “Thanks for inviting us over, but it looks like you all have enough company as it is. It’s a shame too, ‘cuz you had potential, young’un,” she said sweetly as she lightly kissed his cheek, and they walked away from the table.

Carter excused himself and followed behind Miamor. Grabbing her arm gently, he stopped her from leaving as he tried to explain. “Miamor, it’s not what it looks like,” he began.

Miamor snatched her arm from his grasp and shook her head in disbelief. She was pissed and hurt. She hated herself for caring so much when the man before her was simply supposed to be a means to an end.
What is it about him?
she asked herself silently.

“Come on, ma, say something.”

Miamor wanted to forget what she had just witnessed. A part of her wanted to leave the club with him, but she had never been a silly broad who believed lame excuses, and she wasn’t about to become one that night.
I know what the fuck I saw. He was all in the bitch face a minute ago. If I hadn’t walked up, he would probably be taking the bitch home tonight. Fuck him.

“You know what, Carter? It doesn’t even matter. Now I know who you really are. You are just like every other nigga—a liar.”

Her words hit him like darts to the heart. When she turned to walk away, he reached for her hand. “Miamor.”

Just then the girl he had been with in VIP eased up behind him and wrapped her arms around him as she stared Miamor down. It was obvious she was trying to make her presence felt and stake her claim. Miamor shook her head and backpedaled toward the door.

Carter removed the girl’s arms from his body.

“You just made this so much easier for me. He’s all yours,” she said as she stormed away, her stilettos stabbing the floor to death with each step before she disappeared through the exit of the club.

The pain that was etched on her face was the last thing that Carter saw before she left. “Fuck,” he whispered.

“What’s wrong, daddy?” the girl asked.

Carter looked down at the girl, and all of a sudden she had become a nuisance. “Look, ma, I need some air,” he said. “I’m not trying to play you or nothing, but ain’t shit poppin’ off tonight, a’ight.” Then he walked away, leaving her dumbfounded in the middle of the dance floor.

“Just do your job and be my fucking bulletproof. That’s what being a rich, spoiled, dumb little bitch gets you—a mu’fucka like you to take bullets for me.”

—Breeze

“H
i, you’ve reached Miamor. Unfortunately I’m un-available right now. Leave me a message, and I’ll return your call.”

Carter hung up his phone and sighed deeply from frustration. Miamor refused to take any of his calls. Each time he attempted to contact her, she gave him the fuck-you button and sent him straight to voice mail. He knew that his mind needed to be on his paper chase, but the feelings that he had begun to develop for her was unlike anything he’d ever experienced with a woman. He had never found any one who held his interest in the way that she did, and now he was kicking himself for being so stupid. He knew what it must have looked like, but he never intended on taking the girl from the club home with him. She was just someone to entertain him and his boys for the time being. He knew that it didn’t make his actions any less hurtful in Miamor’s eyes, and he hoped that she gave him the chance to make things right with her before she decided to write him off completely.

Carter maneuvered his car in front of Ace and Zyir’s building then called upstairs to let them know he was outside. It was time for him to get focused. With his own team in town, money was sure to flow. The sooner he got paid, the sooner he could avenge his brother’s murder and move on with his life. He was on a three-year hustle plan for Miami. He wanted to flip and re-flip his money into the hundred-million-dollar range, and he knew that it was entirely possible, considering Miami’s lucrative drug trade, and his father’s real estate company, to which he was now the acting CEO.

Ace and Zyir hopped into Carter’s truck, and he pulled away from the curb.

“Yo, fam, what was that shit that happened with you and that chick in the club last night?” Ace asked. He had noticed his friend’s demeanor change drastically, but was too wrapped up in his female acquaintance to address it.

“Man, some ol’ crazy shit. The chick Miamor that Zyir brought over to the table, I been kicking it with her since I’ve been down here. I didn’t know she was in the building. My actions would’ve been a whole lot different, nah mean?” he stated with a smirk.

Zyir laughed from the backseat. “Shorty was tight. I could see that shit all on her face. I ain’t mean to throw salt in your game, fam.”

“It’s all good,” Carter said. “I’m about to introduce the two of you to my family. This is serious, and all jokes aside, whenever they are around, it has to be about protecting them. I’m not trying to see anything else happen to them. They’ve been through enough, and I’m all they have left right now, at least until Mecca comes home.”

Carter pulled up to the gated home and greeted some of the security he had hired to post up around the premises. He parked his truck directly in front of the magnificent house.

“Damn, yo’ people’s paid, fam.” Zyir got out and admired the massive estate.

Carter walked into the house and was immediately greeted by Taryn.

“Carter, it’s so good to see you, sweetheart,” she said as she hugged him. “Have you eaten? I can fix you something if you’d like.”

“No, I’m fine, Taryn. Thanks. I came by to introduce you to my friends from Up Top. They are in town because of everything that’s been going on with this war.”

“Well, if they can help, then I am certainly pleased to meet them.”

Ace stepped up first and held out his hand. “Hello, ma’am. I’m Ace,” he said politely.

Taryn smiled graciously and accepted his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Ace, but please call me Taryn.”

“And this is Zyir,” Carter said, making the introduction for his second partner.

“I’m glad to have you both here,” Taryn said with a grateful smile.

Carter detected the melancholy tone in her voice and knew that she was at her breaking point.

Breeze glided into the room with the accurate style of a supermodel. Her long hair was in its natural curly state and was held back by a silver headband. She wore black leggings with an H & M silver mini dress and silver Hollister flats. Her face lit up when she saw her brother.

“Carter! I didn’t know you were here,” she stated as she ran to hug him.

“Breeze, I want you to meet my best friend, Ace, and my little nigga, Zyir. They are like brothers to me. They are the only people besides me and Polo that are allowed to enter this house. No one else has my permission. They are the only ones I trust with your lives. We have to keep you both safe, okay.” He spoke sternly but gently as he tried to stress the importance of his rule to his hardheaded little sister.

“Okay, I understand. I’m about to go, but I’ll call you later on.”

“Hold up. Where you going?” Carter asked.

“To the beach and out to meet with an event planner. Poppa used to always throw a white party for the Fourth of July, so I’m throwing my own this year, you know, to get my mind off of everything.”

“That’s cool,
B,
but I want you to do me a favor and take Zyir with you,” he said.

Breeze looked past Carter toward Zyir. His chocolate skin and medium build attracted her slightly. The tattoos that adorned his arms and neck appealed to her.
He may not be too bad,
she thought.

Carter smirked at his sister’s blatant interest in his friend, but knew that Zyir would never be interested in a girl like Breeze. They were from two different worlds.

“Okay, I’ll take him,” she answered as she walked out of the door.

Zyir didn’t know that he was going to be babysitting, but he agreed just because his man asked him to.

Breeze pulled her two-seater BMW-Z series from the garage and pulled up in front of Zyir.

“You coming or not?” she asked sweetly as she put on oversized Chloe glasses.

As Zyir reached for her door, she pressed her gas slightly, making the car move forward without him.

“You playing, shorty? I ain’t gon’ chase you, ma,” he said, his vernacular smooth and low.

Breeze laughed. “I’m sorry. Come on, get in.”

Zyir shook his head as he entered the car, and they rolled off.

Breeze was silent as she cruised through the Miami streets. She didn’t know what to say to Zyir and felt awkward around him. It was clear to see that they were extremely different, but he was sexy, and she loved his dark skin. His serious demeanor reminded her of her father.

“You don’t talk?” Breeze asked innocently, once she had grown uncomfortable with the silence between them.

Zyir smirked as he let his seat back and sat down low in the car.

“What, you don’t want to be seen with me or something?” she asked, frowning.

Zyir looked at her. “Breeze? Is that your name?” She nodded.

“Breeze, I talk. I just don’t like to talk when there ain’t nothing to talk about. I don’t talk about shopping or gossip or gay shit like that. My conversations revolve around one thing.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?”

“Money.”

“Money ain’t everything.”

“What you know about getting money, girl? You’ve been spoonfed your whole life.” Zyir wasn’t trying to be rude, but he wasn’t one to hold his tongue.

“So what? You judging me? Yeah, I grew up with money, but don’t act like you’re the only one who’s struggled. My father died trying to give me the best of everything, so you damn right, I’m gon’ take advantage of everything that he left me. Ain’t that what you trying to do? Provide for your family? Or are you only worried about pushing new whips and bullshit like that?”

“I’m just doing me, shorty, that’s it. I don’t got no kids to think about, and bitches ain’t worth the headache. So, right now, I’m about stacking my chips, nah mean?”

When she didn’t reply, he answered for her, “Nah, you don’t know what I mean.”

“Why are you so rude? Is that how you niggas in Flint get down? You act just like Carter.”

“Carter basically raised me. He’s the only father figure I know. I met him four years ago when I was only fourteen. He took me in and taught me everything I know. And I’m not trying to be rude, ma, so if I offended you, I apologize. You’re just a little spoiled, that’s all.”

“You don’t even know me.” Breeze couldn’t believe his nerve. No one had ever talked to her that way. Most were afraid to overstep their boundaries because of her affiliation with The Cartel, but Zyir didn’t care. He said what he wanted to say, and she found it attractive.