Love, broken down and simplified by Caesar.
Cartier started to assess her feelings for Head. She appreciated that they had history, and she liked how both their names held weight in New York City. Them coming together as a couple kept her name ringing out more. And with women always judging when you don’t have a man, she like being boo’d up.
Cartier had to admit to herself that she didn’t really know Head like she thought she did. Maybe it wasn’t that he had changed, but that he was being more of the same person he had always been. Only now did she see it. She still couldn’t bring herself to say she didn’t love Head out loud, but her talk with Caesar definitely had her thinking.
She liked hanging around with Caesar. He was intelligent and caring. She loved that he was a good listener. He came at a moment when she needed someone to talk to about her problems.
Spending time with Caesar made the day go by fast. Before they knew it, they had spent over three hours in the park talking. When it was time to go she didn’t want to leave. It was odd because once again he didn’t come on to her. At the end of their supposed date, Caesar brought up business. He mentioned the robbery.
“It’s an inside job, Cartier,” he said.
“I know it is. And I’ve already handled the problem,” she lied.
“That’s good to hear. I respect that.”
Cartier was tempted to tell him about her other problem, about the notes that were being delivered to her anonymously, but she decided against it. She didn’t want him to think that she came with a ton of problems.
22
Love doesn’t break your heart, people do.
It was a statement Cartier once heard from someone, and it was the truth. With Head away, she continued on with her business with Caesar. She wanted to keep herself busy.
The people in her household were changing. She noticed that Harlem had been moping around the place ever since the incident with Pebbles.
“It’s not right, what he did to you. He doesn’t deserve you, and you know it, so why keep allowing him back into your life?” Harlem asked.
“Because things aren’t that simple,” Cartier replied.
“He got someone else pregnant.”
“And I already handled that. And besides, I hurt him before. No disrespect, Harlem, but this is my business, not yours.”
Harlem pivoted and walked away.
Cartier suspected Harlem was upset and emotional for her own personal reasons. She had recently broken up with Sincere. She explained to Cartier that he was too immature for her. Also, she was pregnant. Lately, Harlem had been tired, throwing up nearly every morning, and missing days from work. Cartier had noticed her breasts had become swollen, and the signs indicated to her that the young girl was pregnant. She took Harlem to the local clinic and the doctors confirmed her suspicion.
“You need to tell Sincere,” Cartier had told Harlem. “It’s his baby, right?”
“Yes. It’s his. But I’m not telling him shit.”
“He has the right to know.”
“Fuck him!” Harlem had cursed.
They argued about how to handle her situation. Harlem was being stubborn, and with Head back in town, things became even tenser between them. Harlem was always telling Cartier how she felt he was an asshole and Cartier was too good for him.
Head stepped out of the tub and toweled off. For a split second, he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was in his forties, but his physique looked like a man’s in his twenties. He kept himself in tip-top shape. Head felt that there was a war brewing between races and he had to prepare himself not just mentally, but physically too.
He stepped into the bedroom, where Cartier was lounging on the king size bed and watching TV in a purple T-shirt with her smooth, shapely legs showing. Head fixed his eyes on her and smiled. What he wanted was some pussy, but Cartier continued to deny him. He felt he’d been punished enough. In addition, Head felt that the tension between Cartier and Harlem was interfering with them patching things up.
“I think it’s time for Harlem to leave here, maybe get her own place. She’s been here long enough, Cartier, and besides, you’re not her keeper,” Head mentioned out the blue.
Cartier looked at him and replied, “Why? First Sana, and now Harlem?”
“Fuck Sana. Sana could stay.”
“So Harlem gotta go? Again, why?”
“What you mean, why? The two of you ain’t seeing eye-to-eye right now, and she’s pregnant. You really want a crying baby around here?”
“How cold are you, asking me to kick out a pregnant woman?”
“So now you wanna make this place into a woman’s shelter?” Head countered.
“She’s a friend.”
“You barely know her.”
Cartier frowned. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have met her in Central Booking in the first place. But since you wanted to be with that bitch and got me locked up, this is the result of it. I met Harlem and she fuckin’ stays. This is my place, not yours.”
Cartier removed herself from the bed and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She had enough on her mind. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with Head. He was back, but things weren’t simple or loving between them—not yet anyway. She needed some time.
Even though Harlem had been bitchy and moody lately, Cartier wanted to help. Harlem planned on keeping the baby, and Cartier wanted to stand by her and cheer her up. They both were going through difficult situations. Cartier had received another white card with a black menacing skull with hollow eyes, a sharp dagger, and blood with the handwritten letter U in black ink. They weren’t going to stop.
To get their minds off of their problems, Cartier decided to take Harlem shopping. With the weather changing and Harlem’s belly growing, it was time to get ready for the fall season, and it was time to go shopping for the baby.
The two ladies entered the maternity clothing store on 125th Street and started browsing through the place. There was a wide selection of cute outfits for her to rock and loads of adorable baby clothes. Harlem fell in love with everything. She wanted the best for her baby, but she wanted to look good herself too. Her body was changing and she didn’t want to walk around the city looking like a pregnant, fat slob in ill-fitting clothing.
Today, it was about Harlem. Cartier told her to pick out whatever she wanted. It was on her dime. It was Cartier’s way to cheer her up. Sana had wanted to go with them, but Harlem vetoed it. She wanted to be alone with Cartier—like old times before Sana and Head came into the picture.
Harlem tried on multiple outfits and each one complimented her growing figure.
“You like it?” she asked Cartier, twirling around in the burgundy sweater dress she was trying on.
“It’s nice. I can see you rocking that joint with your belly out to here,” Cartier replied while she improvised a pregnant belly.
“It is nice. I’ll take it too.”
Harlem continued to try on outfits and picked up a few things for her unborn child.
“So, have you told him yet?” Cartier asked.
Harlem sighed. She didn’t want to get into it with Cartier about telling Sincere about the baby.
“No.”
“It’s not right, Harlem. He needs to know.”
“Cartier, please. Let’s not get into this. I don’t wanna talk about him right now,” Harlem replied with a slight attitude.
“I’m just gonna say this . . . at some point, he will need to know.”
“So what about you and Head? You forgave him like that? He did get the next bitch pregnant,” Harlem fired back.
Cartier vaguely frowned at the remark. “Check your attitude, Harlem, and I’m giving you this one warning.”
Harlem knew she had fucked up by saying that. It wasn’t wise to bite the hand that was feedin
g you.
23
Head climbed out of his Range Rover in the Diamond District in Midtown Manhattan bundled up in a mink jacket. The wind forcefully pushed him forward as he walked the half-block distance to the store. The area was full of life that early afternoon. He entered a well-known jewelry shop called Jacob’s Diamonds. He had a familiar relationship with the owner, and the moment he was inside, Jacob himself smiled at Head and welcomed him to his business.
“Long time no see, my friend. I heard you were home,” said Jacob.
“It has been. Been home since the spring. But what’s good?” Head replied, giving the man dap and a brotherly hug.
“Busy like always, selling luxury and wealth. What you here for? Because I have some nice pieces for you. The best. I know your style of jewelry, my friend.”
“I’m looking for a ring,” Head said.
Immediately, Jacob thought he was looking for diamond pinky rings or big boy rings that stood out. He started to remove the display case of gaudy looking rings to show Head, but Head right away corrected him.
“Nah, not that kind of ring. I’m looking for an engagement ring.”
Jacob was taken aback. “Engagement ring. Congratulations. Who’s the lucky girl?”
“Someone I’ve known a while. I need to make things right with her.”
Jacob smiled. “In that case, I got the perfect rings for you to look at. Come with me.”
Inside a private back room where Jacob only took his elite clientele, he placed a leather display case onto the table and opened it for Head to see. Inside was a series of expensive engagement rings.
“Nice,” Head uttered.
“Yes, my friend. You’ve been a good customer to me for a long time, so I’ll show you the best,” said Jacob.
Head carefully looked at and inspected each ring. Each was flawless and brilliantly cut.
“Take your time, pick out what you like. I’ll give you a good price.”
Head soon found the perfect ring to propose with. He picked up a unique, rose gold ring with a flawless 4.52 carat round diamond.
“You have good taste.”
“How much?” Head asked.
“It sells for one and a quarter, but for you, I’ll let it go for one hundred thousand.”
Head nodded. “I’ll take it. Wrap it up for me.”
With the ring securely in his pocket, Head sat inside his car for a few moments. Thoughts of his last proposal to her infiltrated his mind until he pushed them away. He always knew that he wanted to marry Cartier, now all she had to do was say yes.
24
The Blue Hill restaurant on Washington Place, which was in a townhouse-set location, was first-rate and elegant. Cartier and Head sat among the customers enjoying a wonderful meal together. It was late in the evening. The two were talking, but the conversation between them wasn’t flowing like it did when she was with Caesar. It was Head’s idea to take her out to dinner at a nice restaurant.
Cartier pushed away her plate of balsamic-marinated chicken and took a sip of wine.
“You’re not going to finish your dinner?” Head asked.
“I’m not really that hungry.”
“You want dessert?”
“No, Head. I’m fine.”
“So, what’s on your mind?”
“A lot of things.”
“You know you can talk to me about anything, Cartier. I wanna be here for you.”
She stared at him. She didn’t know what to believe when it came to him. Since he had come home, he seemed to be all over the place. He had lied to her. He had betrayed her. It felt like he was using her. But still, she had feelings for him.
Head narrowed his eyes keenly on Cartier. He then reached for her hand across the table and gently started to caress it. It looked like he was fixing to say something important.
“I love you, Cartier.”
She remained silent, wondering where he was going with this. She didn’t have to wait long. Head placed a velvet ring box on the table and smiled warmly at her. Staring into her eyes, he opened it to reveal the large diamond engagement ring.
“Cartier Timmons, will you marry me?”
Cartier sat there in a silent mixture of surprise and confusion. She wondered what had triggered the proposal. But he was serious and she didn’t want him to feel rejected again, like he had in South Beach. No matter how turbulent and crazy their relationship was, Head always knew how to come back into her life. But there were issues that they needed to work on.
“There’s a long road to falling back in love with you, Head, and a ring isn’t going to do it for me,” she said.
“I know.”
“I need trust,” Cartier added.
“And that, I promise to give you from now on.” He pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“My pass code is 98-89-90, and from now on, no more secrets.”
Cartier was shocked.
He continued with, “I love you too much to lose you. I want us to work out, babe. Together, we’re the perfect power couple. We can run not only this city, but maybe this country. And I want you by my side, Cartier. I want us to have the type of love that will rival anything out there. They won’t be able to fuck with us, because I got your back and I know you got mine.”
Why couldn’t she completely cut him loose? Why did she allow him back into her life? His words were deep and they lingered like sweat on her skin. The way Head stared at her, passionately and powerfully, it made her weak inside.
“Say yes,” he added.
She managed to smile and say, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Head went over to Cartier and they passionately kissed with nearly all eyes on them. Cartier felt this was his way of making up for getting Pebbles pregnant. The mistress got the baby, but she got the engagement ring. She felt that it was another win for her.
She was getting married!
However, the joyfulness she felt was once again short-lived. When they walked to her car that night, she could see it from a distance. There was another gift left for her on her windshield—another white card with the same menacing black skull, a threatening dagger, and blood with another handwritten letter D in dark black ink. Cartier quickly snatched the card and shoved it into her purse.
“What’s that?”
“A party promo.” She didn’t want to ruin their evening.
Cartier looked around to see if there was anyone watching her from afar, but she saw nothing strange.
Enough was enough.
“Congratulations on the engagement,” Caesar said to her. “So, you said ‘yes’ to him. I guess it’s love, right?”
Cartier held the phone out and looked at it like it was an alien being. How did he already know about the engagement? It happened yesterday, and she hadn’t told anyone yet. She figured that Head must have run his mouth off to someone.
“Thank you, Caesar,” she said.
“If you need anything, Cartier, let me know.”
“I’m fine right now, but thanks, Caesar. I appreciate it.”
Cartier was pleased to hear that Caesar didn’t have an issue with her pending marriage to Head. She hoped her engagement didn’t interfere with their business relationship—or their personal relationship. She liked talking to him.
At first, Cartier and Head were going to do a really big celebrity-caliber wedding at an exclusive location. Cartier wanted bitches to envy her. She wanted every bitch that was infatuated with Head to step the fuck off! But Head didn’t want the extravagance. He convinced Cartier that they should have a private ceremony because he felt that all that attention on them would only attract the wrong people. They still had enemies out there. He sounded mature and explained that it was only about them—and no one else.
&nbs
p; “Fuck impressing friends, yours and mine,” he had said.
Cartier agreed.
A week later, they went to the Justice of the Peace to get married the day before Thanksgiving. They stood in front of the judge not as two notorious murderers or drug kingpins, but as a loving black couple who wanted a life together. As Head professed his love to Cartier, he never took his eyes off of her. He held her hands lovingly and made it clear that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Cartier, too, declared her love wholeheartedly to Head. She took a deep breath and uttered the words, “I do.”
The two kissed, and it felt like it was meant to be.
Thanksgiving Day wasn’t what Cartier had hoped. Sana woke up that morning and announced that she was now a vegan, and Harlem refused to eat dinner with them and just cried her eyes out in her room. Cartier thought she finally understood the root of Harlem’s depression. With her being pregnant and not having a relationship with the baby’s father, Cartier was sure that Harlem was missing her own family. Head and Cartier were leaving in the morning for their honeymoon, but she made a decision that when she got back she would somehow find a way to contact Harlem’s parents and pay for them to fly out and see their daughter. Cartier wanted it to be a surprise.
The next morning Cartier and Head flew to the Bahamas. They stayed at Sandals Emerald Bay, which offered a luxurious and secluded setting on Great Exuma Island. Cartier was trapped in paradise and she loved every day of it. She and Head made love every night at the resort. It seemed like the pussy was extra wet and tighter during their honeymoon, and Head came continuously every night inside of her. He couldn’t ask for anything better. He had Cartier again, and he was ready to move on to the next stage of his plan.
25
Cartier lay cuddled against Head in the backseat of the cab on their way home from JFK airport. Their seven-day honeymoon in the Bahamas was invigorating. They both felt refreshed and alive, and now it was time to get back to business. They were married—they were unified into one force, and it was time for them to show it on the streets. It’s what Head believed.
Cartier Cartel--Part 4 Page 16