Beating the Odds

by Sherrod Tunstall

  Brad sat up, grinding faster as he and Diamond remained in a lip lock.

  He kept looking at the pure pleasure in her eyes as she rode him and they released more of their sexual energy together.

  “I . . . I’m cumming. Are you ready?” she said.

  Brad nodded and came with her. He could feel all of his juices flowing inside of her. They searched into each other’s eyes, wondering how all of this was made possible. Love was written all over them, and there was no moving forward without each other.

  Chapter 29

  Campfire Stories

  Throughout the day and evening, Brad and Diamond grew closer. They were getting to know each other and made love all over the house. It was the best day Diamond had had in years. She felt so comfortable around Brad. She wanted him to love and know every part of her before she would give her heart to him completely and possibly spend the rest of her life with him. Brad had to know the girl outside of Diamond.

  That night, the happy couple spent the evening outside, around a small campfire making s’mores. After Brad was done with a few of them, Diamond was still eating them like there was no tomorrow.

  Brad smiled at her. “I’m glad to see you eating something different for a change.”

  “Carter Marie,” Diamond said with a mouthful of s’mores.

  “Excuse me?”

  Diamond swallowed and cleared her throat. “My name is not Diamond. It’s Carter Marie Lily Levy.”

  Brad nodded. “That’s cute. I like that.”

  “I haven’t said my real name in years.” Diamond got a warm feeling of relief as she laughed and cried.

  Brad hugged her tightly, taking in all of her pain. He knew that it was time to get to know the real her, instead of the girl he fell so hard for at first sight. He used his thumb to wipe her tears away. “Shhh, it’s okay.” He kissed her nose.

  Diamond touched Brad’s face so softly while looking into his eyes. She couldn’t help but feel so much trust and love from him. She sat on his lap, and he wrapped his big arms around her, not wanting to let her go. They looked at the fire.

  “Before I give you all of my love and heart, you must know where I been,” Diamond said as she looked at the flames rise.

  Chapter 30

  The Memoirs of Carter Marie

  Born and raised in Belize City, Belize, Carter Mario Levy was the son of Carter Levy Sr., aka Big Carter, a fisherman, and Marisol, a maid. Both of his parents worked hard every day, but they still lived in a one-bedroom apartment in one of Belize City’s toughest neighborhoods. They wanted so much better for their son and wanted him to leave Belize, going to a good college in America like Harvard or Yale University. They thought he’d have the opportunity to become a doctor or maybe a judge. He would not have to work paycheck to paycheck like they had all their lives.

  At the age of fifteen, he was getting into all of kinds of trouble and hanging out with the wrong crowd. He was friendly with the leaders of two of Belize’s biggest gangs, The Whitesides and The Belize Lords. Then, during a big drug riot, he witnessed the Whiteside gang leader being killed. The authorities were sure that he knew what had happened or was somehow involved in the riot. Because he would not tell the Belizean authorities anything, they harassed him every time he stepped out the front door of his apartment. Everywhere he went, from the market to school, the authorities were on him hard, doing everything in their power to make him talk. The biggest scare was when the Belize Lords gang leader left a tongue on his family’s doorstep with a note saying: Keep yo’ damn mouth closed or the real cat will catch that tongue.

  Big Carter and Marisol knew that Belize was no longer safe for their son with the Belize Lords and the police threatening Carter’s life every day. So, Marisol called her big brother, Joseph Ferguson, who lived in the United States in Miami, and she begged him to take her son in until things cooled down in Belize. Finally, her brother agreed.

  Carter was so disappointed that he had to leave Belize, and he even went into his tough guy role, telling his mother and father that he wasn’t afraid of the Belize Lords or the authorities. Big Carter wasn’t having it any other way, so the next day, he and Marisol took all of their life savings and got Carter on the next flight to Miami to live with his uncle Joseph.

  When Carter went to his uncle’s home, he was completely blown away. He had heard from his parents and old friends back in Belize that Joseph was a very rich man. Joseph’s home had thirteen bedrooms, a basketball court, a tennis court, and indoor and outdoor pools. It was known as one of the hottest homes in Miami. Carter thought he had died and gone to heaven. Hell, to him, living in a mansion beat living in a hot-ass one-bedroom apartment with barely any running water.

  Joseph enrolled Carter in one of Miami’s exclusive private schools, where he excelled and even met his new best friend, Ian Castro, a light-skinned pretty boy with good hair. He was half black and half Brazilian, with a well-to-do family who welcomed Carter into their family like he was their own son.

  Even though Carter was enjoying the playboy life in Miami, one thing always stayed on his mind: How did Joseph get so rich? He hardly ever left the house for work. Joseph was either at home chilling out, in his home gym, or wining and dining a beautiful woman in Miami. His uncle was not a mean man at all. He was more of a father figure or a mentor to him. They talked about life, women, money, and sex. On Carter’s seventeenth birthday, Joseph gave him a Haitian woman, and that was a happy day for Carter.

  Then, on another occasion, Carter was coming home in his red Corvette, and he saw the police, the newscasters, the mayor of Miami, as well as IRS and FBI agents all over the property. Soon, the cops brought Joseph out of his mansion in handcuffs.

  “What the hell?” Carter jumped out of the car and made his way over to his uncle. A police officer blocked him. “Let me go! This is my uncle’s house! Let me go! What is this? What the hell is going on?”

  Joseph held his head down in shame. Carter tried to break away from the police officer’s embrace, but to no avail. “Let me go! This is my uncle’s house!”

  “Look at what I got here!” said an FBI agent, coming out of Joseph’s home with bags and bags of money.

  “Well, son,” the officer said, holding Carter, “that may be your uncle, but he’s one of Florida’s most notorious bank robbers, and we finally got his ass. Now, why don’t you go home to your mama.”

  Carter just couldn’t believe it. He watched as Joseph was put in the cop car and all of his servants and girlfriends were questioned. Carter looked at Joseph, who tried to keep his pride and hide his shame. The direction of his eyes traveled to his rose garden, and he hoped that Carter would get the signal before the police pulled off.

  Carter cried, predicting that he would probably never see his uncle again.

  That evening, when the FBI and police officers were gone, Carter went back to the mansion and dug up the rose garden. He found a suitcase, pulling it out of the dirt. He left the property right away and checked into a cheap hotel. After that, he took a long, hot shower, reflecting on the day’s events. He came out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his body. He wiped some of the dirt off the suitcase before opening it. To his amazement, he was shocked to see all of the money inside. When he was done, he had counted about $250,000.

  “Well, at least 5-0 didn’t get this as their bonus.”

  He turned on the television, seeing Joseph’s face on every news channel. The newscaster said, “Today, the Miami Police Department and FBI have finally captured Florida’s notorious mega bank robber, a Belizean man by the name of Joseph Ferguson. Ferguson was caught when undercover cop Miriam Baker posed as one of the criminal’s many girlfriends.”

  “Damn, Unc,” Carter said, shaking his head. He knew that his uncle’s weakness was beautiful women.

  * * *

  The next day, Carter called the bondsman to see how much his uncle’s bail would be. He found out it was a million dollars. He knew that $250,000 wasn’t enough.
Carter stayed in the hotel for two days, not knowing what to do. He didn’t want to go back to school with the shame of his uncle being a bank robber. He damn sure didn’t want to go back to his poor life in Belize, ending up a fisherman like his father, or working in the fields. He finally found the nerve to call his boy Ian for help. He ended up staying with Ian’s family, who didn’t give a damn about Joseph being a bank robber. Carter graduated from high school and went to the University of Miami to major in business, but all of that came with a price.

  Because the Castro family had saved Carter by taking him in, Ian’s father, Master Ian, thought that Carter and Ian should now know the truth about the Castro Family business. Carter had always believed that Ian’s family was a well-to-do family because they owned many night spots in Miami, Palm Beach, Atlanta, and Brazil. He learned that they were all operations to cover up for their illegal prostitution and gambling ring.

  Carter and Ian met Master Ian’s brother, Armand Castro, who they learned was an untouchable drug lord in South America. He was well known for drug trafficking. Master Ian wanted to expand the family brand more in the United States, so he and Armand trained the boys to be traffickers who would be transporting drugs from Brazil back to American soil.

  The first time the boys did it, they were scared shitless, but when they saw the money coming in, they learned to love it, using the university as a cover. They were both big men on campus with their top of the line clothes, new whips, and the mansion they shared. They were also known for having every kind of chick from black to white to Puerto Rican on their jocks.

  Carter was getting accustomed to the rich playa lifestyle, boning the campus freaks every day and night. He still focused on making money, getting his degree, and figuring out how to get away from the Castro Family. The one girl that stole his heart on campus was a Somalian beauty, Lily Ail. She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen. Her skin was the color of bronze, her hair was a deep brown color, which she kept in thick curls, and her body was sick. She resembled the model Iman. He knew that she was going to be his wife.

  When they first met, Lily tried not to notice him, but she was getting so turned on by the campus hottie, Carter Mario Levy. The other chicks on the campus only wanted him for his dick and his money. None of that mattered to Lily. She just wanted to know the real Carter.

  When they finally went out on their first date, which consisted of a movie and a sexy candlelit dinner on Miami Beach, Carter learned so much about Lily. She was born and raised in Mogadishu, Somalia, to a father and mother who were both Harvard University graduates and doctors. She was also the granddaughter of a well-known DJ in Somalia, who was living the good life.

  When civil war broke out in her country, her family lost everything, from her parents’ wedding photos to her collection of custom made dolls. Her family found shelter in the university, which was the only place with running water. Missionaries gave them food, and her father sold some of the food to other refugees so that the family could save up money. Her family went from one refugee camp to another, until they moved to America and ended up in Portland, Maine.

  Carter also found out her majors were human rights and psychology. She was hoping to one day return home and help her country, especially the little girls in Somalia that didn’t have a voice.

  Carter knew that she had a beautiful and pure heart. She was also the only woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but he was worried about keeping her safe from all his bullshit with the Castro Family.

  So, in his last semester at school and still trafficking for Castro, Carter found and bought a beautiful home where he knew Lily would be safe and, hopefully, one day they would live in peace and harmony.

  On graduation day, Carter proposed to Lily, but Lily told him, “If I say yes to be your wife . . .” She paused and put Carter’s hand on her stomach. “You have to soon get away from the Castros and make us your main priority.”

  Carter nodded with tears falling down from his eyes. He was surprised that he was going to be a daddy. “I will.”

  “Then, yes, I will marry you.”

  After the graduation ceremony, they went straight to the courthouse and wed quickly. The next day, they moved to Ambergris Caye, Belize, into their new beachfront home, having the happiest nine months of their lives. This made Carter and Lily even closer and their love even stronger.

  The biggest light of their life was when their beautiful baby girl, Carter Marie Lily Levy, came into the world. To Carter, his daughter was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He knew he had to get away from the Castro Family. He wanted to do and give his baby girl things he never had. He wanted her to be well rounded, go to school in Paris, learn six languages, and be a queen of a country. But for now, Carter Marie was going to be his little princess.

  When Carter came back to Miami, he confronted the Castro Family. He said he wanted to get out of the drug trade once and for all, for the sake of his wife and newborn child.

  Master Ian and Armand weren’t going to let him go that easyly. He was their best guy. Both of the Castro brothers made a deal with Carter. If they appointed him lieutenant of the Castro Family, and within the next nine years he made them rich, powerful, and unstoppable, they promised to cut all ties with Carter so that he could live his life for him and his family. Like the G Carter was, he accepted the offer, knowing that Lily wasn’t going to be happy with his decision.

  Returning to Belize, he told Lily about his deal to work with the Castro brothers for the next nine years, until he built their family business, making them number one.

  Of course, Lily was against the whole thing. “Are you stupid? Why would you agree to do some dumb shit like that? You have a family now that loves and needs you. Why don’t you, me, and Carter Marie run away to Paris and never look back? We have enough money to do that shit.”

  Carter wrapped his arms around Lily and kissed her cheek. “Come on, Lily. It’s just nine years. Please. I promise you once that time is up, we will go to Paris. Please, I promise. Nine years will go quickly. Trust me.”

  Lily took a deep breath, and more tears fell down her face. “Okay. Nine years. That’s it, and no more. No excuses once the nine years are up.”

  For the next nine years, Carter commanded traffickers along with Ian, who made sure that everything went to the supplier and the right destination. They were making money and never slipping. He’d made the Castro Family the top of the food chain like he had promised.

  When it was time, he had to face Master Ian and Armand, hoping they would release him from the family business and keep their end of the deal. He was face to face with both Castro brothers, hoping they’d just shake his hand and say, “Have a good life,” and walk out. Carter had it all wrong. The men laughed in his face.

  “What’s so funny?” Carter questioned.

  The Castro brothers continued to laugh.

  “You are,” Armand said.

  That really pissed Carter off. He was confused.

  “Did you think it was going to be that easy to just leave the family business? Once you get into the family business, you’re a part of this organization forever,” Armand said with an evil grin on his face.

  Carter’s blood started to boil. “But you and Master Ian both said if I helped build your business and make it number one in the food chain, I could be free to do whatever. I made you all more money than God, and I made no mistakes. We had a deal, and I think we should honor that deal.”

  “And the Castro Family is very grateful for all your work,” Master Ian said, pulling out a Cuban cigar. “Carter, I love you like a son, but frankly, there was never really a deal, and now this meeting is over.”

  No, no, no no! No deal. I promised Lily. I can’t do this shit anymore. No this isn’t right, thought Carter.

  Armand laughed sinisterly.

  Out of nowhere, Carter got up from his chair and punched Armand in his nose. Before he could finish him off, Master Ian grabbed Carter, though he was barel
y able to hold onto him. Carter had turned into a wild man.

  “You lying snake bastards! Fuck you! Fuck all y’all!”

  Master Ian pulled him out of the room and took him outside to the limousine.

  Carter pushed Master Ian off him. “Fuck you!” He got in the limo and closed the door.

  * * *

  Master Ian went to the limo driver and said, “Take Mr. Levy to the airport, please.” He stepped back and looked at Carter as the limo took off. He stood there, waving him good-bye, pissing Carter off even more.

  There was silence the entire ride. Carter was so pissed with the Castro brothers. He was the loyal one. He made their product the top of the food chain. He brought in new business, and all they did was laugh in his face and tell him he was never going to get out of the family. Like many hustlers in the drug trade, there was no damn loyalty in this business. There was nothing but snakes and deceit.

  All through the ride, he thought about how he was going to explain things to Lily. He made up his mind that he was going to get richer, break down the Castro Family, and get his family out of the country for good.

  For the next couple of months, Carter stole money, little bit by little bit, from the Castro Family in ways that they wouldn’t find out. He started making anonymous calls to the FBI to get the traffickers busted. He just didn’t give a damn anymore.

  Many months later, the Levy family was packing up their lives in Belize to move to Paris in a nice château Carter had bought. Their plans were cut short when armed members of the Castro Family surrounded the home, and there was nowhere to run. The Levy family felt so hopeless, holding onto each other closely.

  Armand, Master Ian, and Ian pulled Carter away from his family, beating the shit out of him. Master Ian pointed his 9 mm in Carter’s face as he kicked him in his face.

  Nine-year-old Carter Marie and Lily were screaming and yelling, “Stop it!”

  One of the soldiers slapped the shit out of both Lily and Carter Marie. “Shut up! Shut your mouths or else!”