by Ashley
“Maybe Carter is right,” Zyir added as he began rubbing his hands together. “We have to get out of this ’hood mentality and expand. Think about not having to worry about, ‘are we going to get caught’ or ‘whose next to die’. We’re losing those we love behind this shit,” he said as he thought of Breeze. “I’m with it,” Zyir conceded as he held out his hand and slapped hands with Carter.
“Mecca, you in?” Carter asked as he and Zyir looked at him.
Yeah, I’m in, but first I got to kill your girl, Mecca thought as a small smirk appeared on his face. He was going to have fun killing Miamor. The fact that he was doing it right under Carter’s nose added more enjoyment for him. “I’m in, bro,” he said as he reached over and slapped Carter’s hand.
“Good, good,” Carter said as he stood up. “Look, but first we need to finish off the last shipment. We have to get our money out of the streets. Anybody that owes us money from consignment needs to pay up. We are out of the game officially today. I know that the business slowed down while I was locked up, but now I’m home, and it’s time to collect. Zyir, I want you to collect from them Liberty City niggas, and Mecca, you need to collect from the Overtown crew. We hit them each with fifty joints, right?” Carter asked, not sure of the amounts that they had spotted the crew with on the previous shipment.
“Yeah, that’s about right. I haven’t heard from any of them either,” Zyir added as he thought about the money that they had in the streets.
“Niggas thought that they wouldn’t have to pay up since you got locked up. They think The Cartel is over. It’s time for them niggas to pay,” Mecca added as Carter refreshed his memory. “I almost forgot about that debt they owe us.”
“I didn’t,” Carter added as he stood up to walk out of the room. “It’s time for The Cartel to collect,” he added just before he disappeared in the darkness of the hallway.
Zyir grabbed his keys, and so did Mecca. “I’m going to head out and take care of that,” Zyir said, planning to head to Liberty City.
“Me too,” Mecca said as his trigger finger began to itch.
He wanted to go and put a bullet in Miamor’s head so badly, but he decided to wait until he came back. He wanted Miamor to be in fear. She didn’t need to know when he would kill her, but she knew he was lurking, and that was enough to plant his seed of fear. He wanted to make her miserable before taking her life. Mecca smiled and headed out of the door, followed closely by Zyir.
Miamor watched as the nurse dipped the towel in the soapy wash pan. It pained Miamor to know that she was helpless and couldn’t move on her own. I feel so weak, she thought as she felt the warm towel on her skin. Mecca constantly stayed on her mind. She didn’t know when he would return to kill her, and she knew that he would succeed, because she was too weak to defend herself. She saw a man’s silhouette in the door and her heart began to speed up, hoping that it wasn’t Mecca.
Before she could play the guessing game, Carter appeared, leaning in the doorway. “How is she doing?” he asked as he slowly walked in.
“She is going to be fine. She just needs a lot of rest and love,” the nurse said as she continued to wipe Miamor’s arms and neck, cleaning her.
“Great,” Carter said as he leaned over and kissed Miamor’s forehead. He stared at Miamor, and couldn’t wait until he took her away from the chaos. He had already decided that he would ask her to marry him and be his forever. But first, he would have to nurse her back to health.
* * *
“Yeah, that’s the nigga right there,” Robyn said as she watched Mecca and Zyir leave the house. “The Dominican on the right, that’s Mecca Diamond, and the other one is Carter’s li’l nigga, Zyir.” Murder clenched his jaw and breathed heavily through his nose as they camped in a truck outside of the Diamond’s estate. They had been eyeing the place for hours, because Murder wanted to check out what he was going up against. He wanted to find Miamor, but first, he would have to find Carter.
“He’s the one that killed Anisa?” he asked as he grinded his teeth together, feeling the anger building up inside of himself.
“Yeah, that’s him,” Aries added as she remembered when Anisa was murdered.
Murder didn’t get the name “Murder” for nothing, and he was good at what he did. That’s why he always checked out the competition before just jumping into the situation blindly. He knew he would kill Mecca in due time, but he would have to be patient. His main concern was finding Miamor.
Zyir and Mecca got into two different cars, and they pulled out. Murder decided to follow Zyir, hoping he would lead him to Carter or Miamor.
* * *
Zyir slowly nodded his head to Nas as he maneuvered his car through the streets of Liberty City. He smiled as thoughts of Breeze invaded his mind, and just as quickly as the thought lit up his world, it brought him down. He blinked away tears as he thought about how their relationship never got the chance to grow. She had been taken away from him before they could build their love, and he missed her in a new way as each day passed. He looked at the picture he had of her on his dashboard, and gripped the steering wheel tightly as visions of her hanging crossed his mind. He checked his rearview, and noticed a white truck that had been behind him for a minute. What the fuck? He thought to himself as he switched lanes, and just as he expected, the truck switched lanes also. He then knew he was being followed. Just to be sure, he made two rights hitting each block with speed, and the truck followed him. Zyir reached under his seat and pulled out his Tech-nine. He set it on his lap and glanced at the truck once again. He wasn’t about to play the “cat and mouse” game, so he decided to see what was happening. He approached a red light, and the white truck was behind him about two car lengths. He tried to look and see who the driver was, but the black tint kept him or her a mystery.
Zyir threw his gear into park and hopped out with his gun in hand. He pointed at the truck as he walked toward it. “What’s good, my nigga?” he yelled as his jaw tightened and he was ready for whatever. He couldn’t see who was behind the glass, so he hesitated to squeeze. The truck burned rubber and sped past him, as Zyir kept his gun on the vehicle. He pointed the Tech at the truck until it was out of sight. He didn’t know who was following him, but they were about to get aired out by his little friend.
Zyir hopped back in his car and headed to Liberty City to pick up the rest of The Cartel’s money. “Whew!” he huffed as he turned up the music and proceeded. “Maybe, I’m tripping,” he said, pulling off.
Chapter Seventeen
The Cartel
Six Weeks Later
Carter’s eyes were bloodshot red as he sat near Miamor’s bedside. His worry for her had taken a toll on his body. He hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep since finding her, because he sat in the rocking chair in her room all day and night to make sure that she was okay. He was grateful that she had come out of her coma, but she was still so weak, and he felt that he needed to be strong for her. He wanted to keep her spirits up until she was fully recovered. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees as he sighed. He watched her stir in her sleep slightly.
“No . . . no . . . !” she groaned while still asleep. She began to struggle and lash out as if she were fighting someone.
Carter stood and approached her bedside. “Miamor,” he said. “Wake up, ma.”
“No!” she screamed as she sat straight up in bed and fought against Carter. It was dark in the room, and Miamor had been dreaming of Mecca killing her. When she awoke and found a man by her bed, she thought that he had come for her again. She was sweating and her breathing was labored. She was shaking, the terror in her heart paralyzing her while her eyes darted wildly around the room.
“Miamor, it’s me, baby . . . it’s just me!” Carter said soothingly as he held on to her tightly.
When Miamor heard Carter’s voice she broke down in his arms. “He’s going to kill me!” she sobbed as she held on to him like a frightened little girl clinging to her father.
Concern was written all over Carter’s face. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes. “Who, Miamor? You have to tell me who you’re afraid of,” Carter said. He was determined that when he found out the identity of Miamor’s attacker, he was going to kill him.
Miamor saw the sincerity in his eyes, which only made her cry harder.
He sighed and pulled her to his chest. “Shh. It’s okay, ma. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I almost lost you once. I won’t lose you again,” he promised.
He scooped Miamor into his arms and carried her to the rocking chair. He sat down with her and stroked her hair while he rocked back and forth.
“I can’t stay here, Carter,” she whispered. She gripped the collar of shirt in fear. She was holding on to him for dear life.
“Shh . . . I got you, ma. I promise you—”
“Carter, no!” Miamor yelled as she sat up shakily and looked at him with sad eyes. She wanted to be a part of this charade. She wanted to live here with him, but with Mecca around, her life would always be at risk. “I can’t live in this house. I don’t feel safe here. I won’t stay here, Carter. If you try to make me, I’ll run. I’m like a sitting fucking duck in this bitch!” she cried. She had never been this emotional, but since coming out of her coma, her fear had rendered her helpless and feeble. All she did lately was cry. “He can touch me here. I have to go to a place where he can’t find me.”
“Who, Miamor? Who the fuck is after you? I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me,” Carter said in frustration. “I’ll handle that nigga. You don’t have to run. You don’t have to worry about it if you just trust me. Give me your burdens, ma,” he whispered as he put his hand gently behind her head and pressed his forehead against hers.
Miamor desperately wanted to give her all to him. She wanted to put her life in his hands, but how could she, when the one man she feared on this earth was Carter’s flesh and blood? She hated Mecca just as much as she loved Carter. If I show him who I really am, I’m going to lose him, she thought as she shook her head and kissed his lips. “I can’t Carter. You would never understand. Just please get me out of here. Right now. I need to feel safe,” Miamor pleaded.
It hurt Carter that after all they had been through, Miamor still didn’t trust him enough to feel secure in his home. He tried to understand where she was coming from. He figured that she was just paranoid from her attack. She was afraid, and he was determined to give her a sense of security. “All right, ma. Let me get you dressed then we’ll go. We’ll go wherever you want to go,” he assured her. He placed her back in the bed and put a pair of sweat pants on her.
He touched her with such gentleness that it made Miamor yearn for him, not in a sexual way, but in an emotional way. He was so stable. He was always so focused and in control. Every move that he made was calculated concisely. Miamor wanted to depend on him and take his lead, but it could never happen. In the grand scheme of things, they would always be adversaries. Like Romeo and Juliet, their allegiances lay on different sides, while their hearts were in each other’s hands.
“Let me get your pain medication. It’s in the master bedroom. I’ll be right back,” Carter said before kissing the top of her head.
She nodded and watched him disappear into the hallway. This man is my soul mate, but we can never be together, she thought grimly.
She looked over to the nightstand that was beside the rocking chair. A gun lay on top of it. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, wincing in pain as she stood to her feet. Her legs felt like Jell-O, but she used all her energy to make it over to the stand. She leaned against it and took deep breaths as she grabbed the gun. Holding the pistol in her hand caused a wave of relief to wash over her. She gripped it as her head hung on her chest, and she inhaled deeply.
Miamor had been through hell, and she would never be the same woman that she was before. Her body was scarred for life. She would never be able to forget what had happened, because the war wounds would be a constant reminder of her plight. Like a Jew who had been terrorized by Hitler or a slave that had been victimized by their master, Miamor would always remember. She would always feel the pain; she would always harbor fear, resentment, and insecurity. . . she would never forget. Mecca had changed her life for the worst, and now she had to refocus. She had to retrain her body, and she had to regain composure over her emotions, because she was determined to get back at Mecca. But, she didn’t have a choice but to wait. She had to give herself time to heal.
Carter came back into the room and frowned when he saw Miamor standing. He rushed over to her. “What are you doing? You shouldn’t be on your feet,” he said. His eyes went to the gun in her hands. He tried to take it from her, but she shook her head.
“Don’t, Carter. I need it,” she whispered seriously.
Carter picked her up, and with the gun in her hand he carried her out of the room.
All of the luxury inside of the house meant nothing to Miamor. By being there, she was in Mecca’s territory, and she refused to stay. She clung to her man and kept her finger on the trigger of the gun as he carried her outside to his car. After making sure that she was secure in the passenger seat, he hurried around to the driver’s side, and they pulled away.
* * *
Murder sat up in his seat when he saw Carter carrying Miamor out of his house. It was the first time he had seen her in five long years, and it was evident that she was badly injured. His blood boiled at the thought of someone putting their hands on her, and the intimate way that Carter handled her enraged Murder even more. I’ma handle that nigga personally, he thought as he palmed his pistol and leaned low in his seat as he watched Carter drive by. Murder pulled out into traffic and followed. This was the opportunity he had been waiting patiently for. There were no bodyguards surrounding Carter. It’s just me and him. This mu’fucka riding around with my shorty like she’s his bitch, Murder thought angrily. I’ma bout to claim that, and wipe him and his people off the map.
Murder made sure that he kept Carter’s car in sight. Now that he had seen Miamor, he was more determined than ever to bring her home.
* * *
Anger pulsed through Carter as he drove in silence. He was livid, not with Miamor, but with whoever had instilled so much fear in her heart. He stroked her hand reassuringly as he sped through the city streets, headed toward the Four Seasons Hotel. Miamor didn’t ask him where he was taking her. She trusted that he would take her to a place where she couldn’t be touched.
When they arrived, Carter didn’t let Miamor’s feet touch the ground. Seeing her so broken was tearing him up inside. All he wanted to do was treat her like his queen, and if tucking her away inside a fortress was what she wanted, then he would give it to her. He picked her up, and she nestled her head into his chest. He tucked the gun inside of his jacket so that it wouldn’t be visible as he took her inside.
“I need your Presidential Suite,” Carter said to the front desk clerk. The young man behind the desk looked awkwardly at Carter, who was still holding his woman in his arms. “Now!” Carter reinforced with authority.
When Carter entered the room, he lay Miamor down on the bed. “Close your eyes, ma. You’re safe here. Nobody knows where you are but me,” he said as he pulled the duvet up to cover her battered body.
Tears accumulated in her eyes until they were so full that they had nowhere else to go but down her face. “Will you hold me?” she asked.
Carter removed his clothes as Miamor’s eyes took him in. Her love button began to throb as she admired his chiseled abdomen and chest. He stood before her in nothing, but his boxers. He was exquisite . . . the ideal specimen of a man in every way. He was the Adam to her Eve, but seeing his perfection brought about her insecurity as she reached up to touch her face. She had yet to look at herself in a mirror, but she knew that she didn’t look the same. Her face felt differently, as if Mecca’s fists and torturous beating had rearranged her features in the worst possible composit
ion.
Carter climbed into the bed and spooned Miamor from the back.
“I can’t keep you,” she whispered. “I’m all fucked up. I can feel it. My face isn’t the same. Everything about me is fucked up. My body, my face, my heart, my soul.” She spoke so low that Carter could barely hear her.
“You can’t keep me away from you, ma,” Carter said, his lips gracing her ear. He stood up and retrieved a mirror from the vanity. He brought it over to Miamor.
Her hands shook as she reached for the antique handle. When her face came into view, she had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying too loudly. She could not bear to look at herself. Her face was almost unrecognizable. The left side of her face suffered a broken jaw, and was healing, but remained swollen and bruised. The blood vessels near her left eye were permanently damaged, and a green bruise would always remain near her temple, not to mention the many cuts that marred her once smooth skin. Everything that she loved about herself was non-existent. All of her perfect features were destroyed. “How can you even stand to look at me?” she asked as she tossed the mirror aside. “I’m not even the same woman you used to know.” Now, her face reflected the way she had always felt inside . . . ugly, scarred, and bruised. She had always felt like damaged goods.
“Miamor, you’re beautiful, ma. Everything about you is beautiful,” Carter whispered as he climbed back in bed with her, holding her tight. “Do you know how fucked up I was when I thought I’d never see you again?” Miamor didn’t answer, so he continued. “I was lost, ma. You were made for me. These scars show you’re a fighter. You’re supposed to be dead right now, but you’re not. Your body will heal, Miamor. You just have to give it time. But I love you for what’s inside you. You’re my lady, forever,” he whispered as he took her hand and held it up for her to see. He knew that she had been in so much pain lately that she never even realized that he had slipped a diamond ring onto her finger. She gasped when she finally noticed it. “Be my wife.”