Read The Cartel 4: Diamonds Are Forever Online
Authors: Ashley,JaQuavis
The Cartel 4: Diamonds Are Forever (14 page)
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“To the airstrip as quickly as possible,” Carter instructed.
Zyir sat at the kitchen table as he watched Breeze cook.
“I love the way you move, ma,” he said as she turned toward him. He smiled, causing her to blush.
“Oh yeah?” she asked as she sashayed over to her husband. “I love that you love it,” she responded. He opened his legs and pulled Breeze into his space as she bent to kiss his lips. His hands slid up her dress.
DING! DONG!
The doorbell rang and he groaned, knowing that whoever had visited had interrupted their flow.
“You expecting anyone?”
Breeze shook her head and removed her apron as she went toward the front entrance. “It’s probably Leena. I haven’t heard from her much since she moved out, but some of her stuff is still here. Maybe she’s coming to pick it up,” Breeze said.
“Tell Leena to call first next time!” Zyir said with a wink.
Breeze chuckled as she pulled open the door.
“Money!” she exclaimed. She opened her arms for a hug. “Hey! What’s up?”
Money smiled at the sight of Breeze. He truly loved and worshipped the ground that his sister walked on. Ever since they were children he had always protected her. Now she stood, the image of beauty in front of his face. She reminded him so much of their mother that it was uncanny.
He had gotten the call from Buttons that the execution was a success, so he was coming over to be with his sister. He knew that she would take the news hard when the phone call of Zyir’s death came in. He expected it at any moment.
“You gonna leave me out here on your doorstep?” he asked playfully, holding out his hands as he looked around.
“No, of course not. Come in. Me and Zy were just about to sit down to eat. You want to stay for dinner?” she asked.
“Zy?” Monroe questioned, confused. “I thought Zyir was in Rio.”
Zyir suddenly walked into the room. “Change of plans. Carter went in my place,” Zyir stated.
Monroe’s face drained of all color as his eyes widened in alarm.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he asked.
Zyir frowned and noticed that Monroe appeared worried. “Why would anyone need to tell you?” he asked.
“I’ve got to get out of here. I forgot I’ve got a late meeting,” Monroe stammered as he backed out of the house.
“A meeting? At nine o’clock at night?” Zyir grilled.
Monroe shifted uncomfortably in his stance, feeling transparent as if Zyir could see the guilt resting on his shoulders. “You a’ight?” Zyir asked as he stepped to Monroe suspiciously, placing one hand on Monroe’s shoulder.
Monroe shrugged Zyir’s hand off and stared him in the eyes. Breeze watched the tense moment in confusion. Neither Zyir nor Monroe broke the hard stare.
“Zyir,” Breeze called his name. “Monroe!” Breeze shouted once she saw that there was an obvious beef between the two men she loved. “What is going on? What are you two not telling me? What is wrong?” she demanded as she looked back and forth between them.
Zyir stepped back, allowing his wife to separate him from Monroe. “Nothing’s wrong, baby girl. Right, Monroe? Everything’s good in our camp? No snake niggas calling plays or no shit like that? Monroe Diamond.” His voice was accusatory and his glare no nonsense as he stood his ground, his hands folded in front of him as he emphasized each word with a head nod in Monroe’s direction.
The way Zyir stared at him made Monroe’s temper flare and his conscience as well. He was eager to get out of the house and make a call to Buttons. He had unknowingly given the green light for Carter, his flesh and blood, to be murdered.
“Everything’s good, Breeze,” Monroe said. He leaned in and kissed his sister’s cheek and then walked off, obviously stressed.
Breeze stood back and folded her arms as she cocked her neck to the side. “What was that?” she asked.
“Leave it alone,” Zyir snapped as he stormed off, retreating to his study.
Carter was silent as Miamor nursed his wound as best she could. They were thirty thousand feet in the air and she was far from a doctor, but she managed to slow down his bleeding.
“Does it hurt?” she asked sympathetically.
“I’ll be fine, ma. Don’t worry yourself. I just need to get back to Miami as soon as possible,” Carter said as his thoughts drifted to his disloyal brother.
“Who did this?” Miamor asked.
“Monroe,” Carter replied.
Miamor saw Mecca’s face flash before her eyes. “I guess he wasn’t the good twin after all,” she whispered. She kissed his cheek and took her seat as Carter grunted an inaudible response.
After taking Mecca’s life, he knew that taking Monroe’s was not something that he wanted to do.
“It’s time to settle all scores,” Carter said as he grabbed Miamor’s hand. “Yours as well. I’m calling a meeting and we are going to settle this once and for all. I’m tired of the treachery tearing this family apart.”
“So you’re going to forgive him?” Miamor asked.
“Didn’t I forgive you?” he responded.
Chapter 12
“Today we are each other’s judge, jury, and executioner.”
—Carter
Miamor sat at the table terrified as the eyes of the Diamond family burned holes through her. Never in her life had she felt so persecuted. It was if she had a scarlet letter burnt into her forehead. The family was divided, and she knew that she was a big part of the turmoil, if not the cause itself. She felt naked, like a deer in hunting season, as she sat next to Carter. A 9 mm would have put her mind at ease, but she had promised Carter that she would give up that lifestyle. She had to play the role of wifey and as such, she had to allow him to be her protector. Old habits died hard, however, and Miamor’s trigger finger twitched against the table as she kept a stone face while staring straight ahead.
Carter placed his hand on her thigh beneath the table and gave it a gentle squeeze, reassuring her that she was safe. As long as she was sitting next to him, no one dared to harm her, but it didn’t put her mind at ease. Considering that Monroe had sent goons at Carter in Rio, it let her know that he wouldn’t even blink at the thought of killing her. She inhaled deeply as Carter stood. His arm was bandaged and in a sling; his anger was etched in a grimace on his handsome face.
“Our empire is in jeopardy. We’ve faced a lot of adversaries over the years—the Haitians, the drug cartel out of Mexico—and we’re still here. We’re still standing, but we won’t be for long if we don’t air out our grievances. There is nothing worse than a snake in the grass. Deceit within our own organization is the only thing that will make The Cartel fall. We each have our own sins that we have committed over the years. The game doesn’t allow you to make it this far without having some regrets. Those secrets are our greatest threat. We have to keep The Cartel strong or the little niggas lurking and preying will tear us apart. If there is one crack, one weak link, the entire team will fall,” Carter said as he walked around the table, addressing his loved ones.
“I have built a power circle. Everyone at this table is family. I trust each one of you with my life. So in turn, you should trust each other with your lives. There can be no treachery among us, so today we are going to air everything out. We’re going to lay all of our sins on the table. Today we are each other’s judge, jury, and executioner,” Carter spoke seriously.
Silver platters lay in front of each person and were covered with a silver top. It appeared as though the table was set for a feast, and Carter nodded his head toward the display. “Lift the tops,” he instructed.
Miamor lifted the top that lay in front of her, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw the pistol lying in front of her. Instinctively she reached on top of the table and checked the clip. It was full. Carter smirked, somewhat attracted as he watched her put one in the head and click off the safety before placing it back on the table.
“What is this, Carter? What’s going on?” Breeze asked as she looked around the table in confusion.
“Breeze, in order to trust one another, we have to admit the things that we’ve done. Let the person without sin cast the first stone,” Carter said.
“Or bullet,” Zyir added as he stood to his feet. “I’m thorough. Admission of our sins, right?” he asked rhetorically. “I’ll go first. This has been on my chest for a long time.” He looked down at Breeze and she smiled at him reassuringly, confident that no matter what came out of his mouth she would still love him. Zyir was like the sun to Breeze. Her world revolved around him. She gave him a wink, and Zyir turned to his captive audience and spoke. “The day that Breeze was kidnapped was my fault. I got caught slipping. Carter told me to look after her, and instead of protecting her I . . . entertained her. We entertained each other. I was distracted and we were about to have sex when she was taken.”
Monroe’s jaw clenched as he stared at Zyir and watched his beautiful sister stand up by her man’s side. The sight made his stomach turn. Their father would have rolled over in his grave if he knew Breeze was dating a man like Zyir. Big Carter always wanted the best for his children, and Zyir wasn’t it.
“I don’t blame him for what happened to me, so for any of you to would be wrong. We were young. We moved sloppy, but I’m here and I’m breathing and Ma’tee is dead,” Breeze said, defending Zyir with conviction. “Those are skeletons that I buried a long time ago. That experience made me stronger. Nobody was to blame except for Ma’tee and the bitches that helped him take me . . .”
“And me,” Miamor spoke up. Her voice shook as she stood to her feet. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked around the room. Her bottom lip quivered as she reached for the gun. “What I’m about to tell you will not be easy to swallow, and I’ve never let bullets fly my way without busting back, so you can either take what I’m about to say peacefully or this can get very ugly.”
She looked unsurely at Carter, and he nodded his head for her to continue. The more she exposed her true self, the more infatuated with her he became. She was a gangster. Her only fault was that she had been commissioned by his enemy to take down his family. That he could forgive, because now she was by his side and the way she moved he knew that if needed she would be an asset. He hoped she never had to come off the bench, but if she had to, she could and would. That alone endeared her to Carter. As his eyes scanned the room, he realized that he would let no judgment come her way. If he could look past her flaws, everyone else would have to as well.
She looked at Breeze sincerely and took a deep breath. “The women who helped snatch you the night you were kidnapped were my friends. We were a part of a group called The Murder Mamas. Ma’tee paid us to kill the leaders of The Cartel,” she said.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she had two weapons aimed directly at her. Zyir and Monroe both held their positions, standing, arms extended, guns ready to pop off in her direction.
Miamor had anticipated their anger, and her own gun was pointed back at them, going back and forth between Monroe and Zyir.
“Let her finish,” Breeze said as she stood to her feet, pressing her hands firmly against the table as she stared across at Miamor. “I want to know why!”
Miamor swallowed the lump in her throat as she continued. “Because he paid us to. I wasn’t there that night, but I did know that they were determined to get to The Cartel. By that time I had already fallen in love with your brother. I told them I was out, but they took it upon themselves to still work with Ma’tee.”
“You’ve got this bitch around us like she’s family after what she did?” Zyir asked as he looked at Carter.
“Lower your pistols,” Carter said.
“Let her finish. That’s not all, is it? There’s more to the fucking story, right, ma?” Monroe asked. “You were hired to take out our family, ruin The Cartel. I’ve heard about The Murder Mamas, so I know that you didn’t fail. So who else did you get at? Which one of my family members is in a shallow grave because of you?” Monroe grilled.
“It’s more complicated than that. I didn’t just point and shoot your family. Your brother Mecca. We tried to set him up. He sniffed us out and killed my sister in a hotel. After that it became personal. I got caught up in a game with him. I wanted him dead. I hated him for taking her away from me. So I gunned for his head, but I never got the opportunity to catch him until I saw him at the memorial that was thrown for Breeze when you all thought she was dead. I was a guest of Carter’s, and he slipped me a drink that I gave to your mother. Mecca tried to poison me, but ended up watching his own mother drink what was intended for me,” she admitted. Tears of regret flowed down her face. “Your mother was the only innocent life I have ever taken.”
Breeze picked up her gun as Monroe pulled back the hammer of his.
“Lower your pistols,” Carter said, trying to intervene.
“We can’t just shoot her,” Leena said as she stood to her feet, holding her son in her arms. “Monroe, our son is here!” she protested as she looked around the room in distress. “Carter, stop this. Do something!”
Carter came off his hip with a chrome .45 automatic. “I said lower your fucking guns,” Carter shouted angrily. “If you judge her, you judge yourselves. You judge me! Hold up a mirror and think about the things that you’ve done. What betrayal have you brought to the table? What about Leena, Money? Huh? You fucked Mecca’s bitch. He was your brother and he loved her! He loved her so much that he shot you over her! That entire situation started a war between us and Ma’tee! A war that almost crippled us! And what about that play you just put down in Rio?”
Carter’s tone lowered as he stared intently at Monroe. He saw a glint of recognition in Monroe’s eyes, and that was all it took to confirm that Monroe had plotted against his own team. He stepped so close to Monroe that he was whispering in his ear. What he was about to say no one else in the room needed to hear. “Fuck was you thinking?” he grilled through clenched teeth, unable to contain his anger. He kept it moving, but both men knew that it was a conversation that they would have soon.
“Zy! What about you? You want to add up bodies? Huh? I know what your murder count look like, fam! Even I’m not without guilt. I killed our brother. I shot Mecca while he was praying at an altar for forgiveness.”
Carter’s emotion was written all over his tortured face as he advocated for Miamor, and upon his confession Monroe broke down as well. He turned his gun on Carter, forgetting all about Miamor. Breeze and Zyir dropped their weapons.
“He was my brother!” Monroe shouted.
“And you were mine!” Carter yelled back. “I thought he killed you! I thought he went against the family. If he could draw on you and lie about it, I knew that he would eventually betray me. I made a choice! In your honor, Monroe! I took a life! For my brother! The same way she took lives for her sister! The same way you are ready to take my life for Mecca! Forgiveness, brother,” Carter said, heaving from the adrenaline that was racing through him. “That is what we are here for. This is the only family we have left. Let’s solidify it. Let’s expand.”
Miamor stood, holding her belly as she thought of the child that grew inside of her. She was carrying Carter’s seed, and as long as it had a small part of him, she knew that it would be special. Carter was the greatest man she had ever met, and as she looked at him she felt pride in being his woman.
As Miamor admired Carter, Breeze studied her. She saw the undeniable connection that Miamor had with her brother. There was a glow about her that Breeze recognized.
“You’re pregnant,” Breeze whispered, her own tears building in her eyes.
Miamor’s neck snapped to the right to look at Breeze, and Carter looked down at Miamor in shock. Miamor had not even told him yet and somehow Breeze knew. Miamor nodded her head as the gun she now held at her side slipped from her fingers and clattered loudly as it hit the floor. “I am,” she admitted emotionally as she held up her hands. “And now I’m defenseless. No gun, no weapons, no motives. You can kill me now if you want, but I want you to know that I am so sorry for the role I played in harming your family. I can’t take it back, but it is one of my life’s biggest regrets. I love your brother, Breeze. I love him with every part of me and I want this baby . . . this life with him. I hurt you and your family, but I would want nothing more than to be a part of it now.”
Breeze stared Miamor in the eyes and wished that they had met under different circumstances. “I’m sorry for the things that Mecca did to hurt you. I can still see the loss in your eyes. I know how that feels. We all know how that feels. You are carrying my bloodline inside of you. No one at this table will do harm to you, Miamor. It’s time to let bygones be bygones,” Breeze said. She took her seat at the table and slid her gun to the center of the table, out of arm’s reach.
“There’s been enough loss in this family,” Zyir said.
“You don’t speak on this family,” Monroe stated harshly.
“I am this family, homeboy,” Zyir shot back. “I’m the family that took care of wifey and your seed while you were gone. So whether you like it or not, I’m here. I was here when you couldn’t be.”
Zyir took his seat and slid his gun to the center as well. Leena followed suit, pushing the weapon in front of her away in disgust. She was in over her head. She had never been more than arm candy for one of the Diamond men. She didn’t know anything about this side of their lives. She just wanted to restore normalcy and peace into their lives, and if it meant accepting Miamor, she was all for it.
“Forgiveness, Monroe,” Carter stated. He put his gun on the table and walked toward his brother, hands up, until he was directly in front of Monroe. He was so close that Money’s gun was pressed into his chest, directly over his heart. He felt Money’s hand begin to tremble. “If you sit down at this table, then we let go of the past and work toward building our future. If not, then pull the trigger now and let it be known where you stand.”
Monroe lowered his head in turmoil. The entire room was an emotional mess. Everyone except Zyir was a wreck. He kept his composure, his hand near his hip where his extra pistol rested. He anticipated Monroe’s every move. If his finger moved an inch, Zyir was prepared to pop off. There was no way he was letting a nigga take Carter’s life, brother or not.
Monroe’s resolve melted as Carter wrapped his hand around Monroe’s gun and removed it from his hand. Carter grabbed the back of Money’s neck and pulled him in close as they both bowed their heads in silence.
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