by Ashley
Breeze would be lying if she said she didn’t think about running. It would be so simple for her to hop on a jet and put thousands of miles between herself and the law, but she would be exiled. Breeze would never be able to come back and a three-year sentence wasn’t worth a lifetime of looking over her shoulder. Even though she didn’t want to, Breeze would have to sit down for a while. It was a part of the game she never thought she would see, but inevitably it had come to pass. When they pulled up to her home she sat there silently, as she wondered how she would tell her nephews the bad news. They have been through so much, she thought.
“I will be here to pick you up and take you back to turn yourself in,” Einstein said.
She nodded and then exited the car. The house was still as Breeze crept inside. Her housekeeper, Rosa, was asleep on the couch. Breeze walked over to her. “Rosa,” Breeze whispered.
“Oh, Mrs. Rich! Thank God you’re back. I didn’t know what to do. The boys were worried. I stayed because I couldn’t leave them here alone, but my daughter is home by herself.…”
“I know Rosa, thank you for staying. You can go,” Breeze said. She rushed over to her purse and reached inside, pulling out her wallet. “Here is a little something extra for your troubles.”
“Thank you, but is everything okay?” Rosa asked.
“No, everything is fucked up,” Breeze admitted as she sniffed away her tears. She brushed her messy hair out of her face. “You can go now, Rosa.”
Breeze saw the woman to the door and when she was alone she rushed to her phone. She thumbed through her contacts until she saw the name she sought.
“Aries,” she whispered. She never thought she would call on Aries for a favor. Their tumultuous past hindered them from ever truly forming a real bond, but Breeze had no one else to turn to. She needed someone to take C.J. and Mo. Eventually, she would need someone to take care of her daughter. Aries was ruthless, but she was a good mother. Breeze knew that there was no safer place for the kids. Aries wouldn’t let anything happen to them. Breeze pressed the Call button. She waited with bated breath. “Come on Aries, pick up,” she urged.
“The number you have called is no longer in service.”
Breeze sank to the floor and covered her mouth to stop herself from crying too loudly. Aries was her last hope. Carter couldn’t come back. Zyir was incapacitated. Miamor was gone. There was no one to step up in her absence. Her desire to leave town in that moment overwhelmed her, but she was eight months pregnant and in no condition to go on the run. She would have to face her fate and accept the fact that for the next few years her family would be torn apart.
Breeze inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as her father’s voice echoed in her mind: “Diamonds are forever.” She could hear his deep baritone in her ear as if he were standing right in front of her. “You aren’t built to break. It’s in your blood to be strong.” She calmed herself and stood to her feet, wiping the evidence of her emotion from her face. Breeze climbed the stairs to her home. It was late and the boys were asleep, but she couldn’t help but wake them. Time couldn’t afford to be wasted. Not when she was counting every hour until they took her away.
She opened the door to one of the guest bedrooms and allowed the light from the hallway to spill inside. C.J. and Mo looked so innocent, but their entire world was about to be stripped from them for the second time. She turned on the light, interrupting their dreams.
“Get up boys,” Breeze said sternly.
“Aunt B, you’re back!” C.J. exclaimed.
“What time is it?” Mo asked as he rubbed his eyes. C.J. squinted in confusion as he peeled off the covers.
“It’s late, but I have something important I need to tell the two of you. Meet me in the basement please,” Breeze said.
She heard their groans as they climbed from bed and then went to the basement. She hated what she was about to do, but it had to be done. She didn’t want them thrust onto the streets of Miami without knowing exactly who they were or where they came from. No one would be there to protect them and they would have to use their instincts to navigate through the next few years. She was about to tell them the story of the Cartel, starting with their grandfather, Carter Diamond.
As the boys descended the steps, Breeze sat stoically, her heart heavy with angst.
“I’m going to jail,” she said bluntly. The revelation stopped them in their tracks. “I’m not sugarcoating it because no one in this world is going to make anything easy for you. Especially now. Social Services will come and take you away. I have to go away for a few years but while I’m gone the two of you are all each other have. You are family and family sticks together, always.”
Breeze grabbed them both by the chins and alternated her gaze between them. “Look at me. Family is all there is. You take care of each other and never let anyone come between you. Do you understand me?” she asked.
They nodded, but remained silent. She saw fear in them and sadness filled her. “This family comes from the streets. You both are sons of the Cartel, and because of that people will test you. You have enemies that were made way before you were even born so you must judge everyone with your third eye. Trust no one but family. Our family is in the drug business. You’re not even old enough to know this, but if you’re going to be out there without cover, you have to know it. You have to grow up fast and I’m so sorry for that, but it is important that you move smart. That’s how you survive. You outthink everyone around you.”
Breeze could see in their eyes that they were overwhelmed, but she had to put it on them. They had to absorb things in only hours that had taken her decades to learn. She walked over to the mahogany desk that sat in the corner. Opening the bottom drawer revealed a safe. She opened it then retrieved two 9mm handguns. She placed them on top of the desk.
“Come here,” she said.
Mo’s eyes widened in curiosity. Breeze loathed guns. Everyone she had ever loved had died by the gun. They terrified her, but she had learned to shoot like a marksman at the age of fourteen. Her father had taught all his children how to handle a firearm, but Breeze rarely pulled triggers. She was the only girl in a family full of brothers and an army of goons behind them. Her protection had been inherited since birth. Still, she remembered the nights of shooting beer cans on the Diamond estate, until she could put a bullet right through the middle.
“Pick them up,” she said.
C.J.’s hands were so small that they barely fit around the handle. Mo handled it a little better, but still they were both clueless. Breeze stood. “Follow me outside,” she said. They walked around to the back of the house and gathered on the patio. Starting with Mo, she stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his body, placing her hands around his. “Press the button on the side to release the magazine.” She pulled out the empty clip and then handed Mo the bullets. “You place them in one by one,” she continued. She remembered her father, teaching her this same routine. “Once it’s full you put the magazine back, push it until you hear the click.” She turned the gun around. “This is your safety. If it’s up and you see this red dot, you can shoot. Red means dead. Remember that. If you don’t see red, the gun won’t shoot. Always make sure the safety is off when it’s time to use it,” she schooled. Breeze couldn’t believe she remembered all of this. Word by word she was telling them what Big Carter had once told her. “This is your slide. You pull the slide back to put a bullet in the head. You hold the gun in your right hand and secure your left hand under the bottom,” she said. “This isn’t a movie. Don’t hold your gun sideways. You hold it straight, steady. Look out over the top and find your aim. You see these two little pieces on top of the barrel?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Mo answered.
She turned and looked at C.J., who was quivering but listening intently. “Come over here so you can see too,” Breeze instructed. “Those are your sights. The front sight should be directly between the grooves of the back sight. If they are aligned you’re ready to hit your target. You
concentrate. You breathe. You find what you’re trying to hit and close one eye to lock in. Never let your nerves talk you out of pulling a trigger. Once you pull a gun, you be ready to use it. It’ll be loud and that’s okay. It’ll kick back on you and that’s okay too. Pull the trigger.”
BANG!
The gunshot was so loud that Mo dropped the gun instantly. Breeze had expected it. Feeling the power of a gun for the first time was intimidating. Her heart raced at the sound. She gritted her teeth, hating that she had to be the one to teach them this. She was the least skilled and most inexperienced in gunplay out of their family, but she was all that was left.
“Pick it up and fire again,” she instructed.
Mo reached down. “But I can’t even see the tree. It’s too dark.”
“You think niggas will only come for you in the light? You find the target and you hit it. Dark or not,” Breeze stated. Mo’s wrist shook nervously. “The pistol is yours. You don’t have to be afraid of it. What you should fear is the pistol that the person you’re aiming at could be getting ready to fire at you. You pull your trigger before your enemy pulls his. Hesitation gets you killed. You don’t hesitate. You breathe and you—”
Before Breeze could finish her sentence, Mo pulled the trigger. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “Good,” she whispered as a tear fell from her eye. She turned to C.J., who looked up at her with angst. “Your turn.”
* * *
She spent three days telling them about their past, teaching them to handle a weapon, and making sure they understood that loyalty among family was everything. In her heart, she knew it wasn’t enough. They were merely boys. They had so many questions and if she was honest with herself she had to admit that she was the most unqualified of all the Diamonds to answer them. She did the best she could and as she rode with Einstein to drop the boys off with Social Services, she prayed.
God, please keep them together. Please watch over them, she thought. She sat in the backseat between them so that she could hold their hands. “I won’t see you for a while,” Breeze said, her voice cracking against her will. She was sending her cubs into the wild, hoping they didn’t get eaten alive.
“We know,” C.J. answered. The woe in his voice put a weight on her heart that she would carry with her until they were reunited. She hadn’t even been able to focus on her strife. The fact that she would have to survive in prison on her own had been an afterthought. She was too consumed with preparing her nephews to make it on their own.
“I love you both so much and as soon as they free me, I’m going to come get you. We are family and I promise you we will be together again,” Breeze whispered. The frog in her throat stopped her from going on further.
“We’re here,” Einstein said.
“I love you Aunt B,” Mo whispered.
“Oh, I love you too, Mo,” Breeze cried, her tears falling now as she hugged him tightly. She pulled C.J. closer to her, bringing him into her embrace as well. “I love you both so much, and I’m so sorry for all of this.” She kissed the top of their heads. “Diamonds…”
“Are forever,” Mo replied.
C.J. looked up at her with sadness reflected in his eyes. “But my daddy ain’t a Diamond.”
Breeze shook her head and gripped C.J.’s chin. “Your daddy is a Diamond, baby. He is the first-born son of Carter Diamond. It doesn’t get any purer than that,” she assured. Einstein opened the back door and they all climbed out. Breeze was a mess. She couldn’t help herself. This was it. It felt like the final chapter was closing on her family’s story. She knelt before them and pulled them both into her, their heads locked in a circle. She closed her eyes. “You use your name. You won’t have much out here. In fact, you have nothing, but this is Miami. We owned this city once upon a time and the Diamond name is worth something on these streets. Use it when you have to and keep your name clean always. There are men on these streets who will go to war for you behind your name alone. Many men owe debts to our name and they will be your allies when you need them. Your names are all you have but if you use it right, it’s all you’ll need. Be strong my boys.”
“They have to go, Breeze,” Einstein said reluctantly.
Breeze nodded, wiping the tears from her face as a woman came to separate them. She stood fiercely like a lioness protecting her cubs. “You take care of them,” she said passionately.
“Come on boys, this way,” the woman stated. They didn’t take their eyes off Breeze. They kept looking back at her hopelessly as they were ushered away and when they disappeared into the glass building, Breeze broke down.
She placed a hand over her mouth and cried hysterically as she climbed into the passenger side of Einstein’s car. It was time to turn herself in and for the first time in days Breeze thought of her fate. Breeze was paralyzed with dread as Einstein pulled up to the federal building.
“How did it come to this?” she asked.
“As soon as the eighteen-month mark hits, I’ll start working on a release for good behavior,” Einstein assured. “Just keep your head down until then.”
“You find my grandfather, Emilio Estes. He went off the grid when all of this went down, but he will send someone for the kids. You have to use whatever resources it takes to contact him,” Breeze urged.
“I will exhaust all options,” Einstein assured. “But it’s time you start worrying about yourself. Where you’re headed, you can’t afford distractions, Breeze.”
“I’m not worried. Miamor is there. She will have my back. There is no one out here watching out for them,” Breeze said.
“Miamor will not be where you are headed. You are being transferred to South Carolina. The facility is maximum security,” Einstein informed.
“What?” Breeze was shocked. “I don’t want to be locked away with murderers and rapists without my family there to protect me!”
“It was a part of the three-year deal. You must do hard time, Breeze. The prosecutor insisted,” Einstein said.
Breeze was relying on her family’s reputation to see her through her bid. The Diamond influence would have been heavy in a prison in Florida. It wouldn’t be the same if they moved her across state lines.
Never did she think she would be the one in this position. It was such a heavy price to pay for spending the dirty money that her family had accumulated. The pedestal that she had lived on her entire life had come crashing down and there was no one around to cushion her fall.
* * *
Breeze held her head high but her chin quivered uncontrollably. She had never been so scared in her entire life but she refused to show it. She walked into the prison praying that she made it out alive. Her nerves were so bad that she couldn’t seem to control the shaking of her hands as she held out her wrists for the warden.
“Welcome to South Sonoma Correctional,” the warden said. He was tall with the palest skin Breeze had ever seen. His bumpy skin and receding hairline accompanied the stern expression on his face. “Your reputation precedes you, but let me warn you now. Your affiliations outside these walls don’t mean anything in here. If you start trouble in here—”
“I don’t want any trouble. I just want to do my time,” Breeze answered, clearing her throat to stop her voice from revealing just how vulnerable she was. If any one of these guards or inmates knew exactly how soft Breeze was, they would use it against her. She needed to keep to herself and remain low-key.
She felt like property as she was transferred from the warden to a guard before she was led into a private room.
“Take off your clothes and put all your possessions in this bag.”
Breeze hesitated. “Is there a room or a curtain?” she asked.
“Sure, princess, I got a private suite for you too with a king bed.”
Breeze didn’t miss the sarcasm. She turned around and stepped out of her dress.
“This ain’t your personal wardrobe, Diamond, speed it up,” the guard said as she threw the khaki-colored uniform at her. Breeze bit he
r tongue and bent down to pick up the clothing before putting it on. The polyester made her skin itch. Breeze was accustomed to a certain lifestyle. She would have to expect nothing; that way, whatever was not received couldn’t be missed.
When she got down to her wedding band she asked, “Will I get this stuff back?” She hadn’t been able to take it off, even after discovering his deceit. She couldn’t help but wish that she had visited him in the hospital. He needed her. A bullet to the brain had erased every memory of her from Zyir’s mind and Breeze hadn’t wanted to remind him. She wanted to move on with their baby by herself and leave him in her past. She couldn’t help but think this was her karma for abandoning him.
“When you process out, all your items will be returned,” the guard said. Breeze closed her eyes and kissed the ring before placing it in the bag. It was a slim chance she would ever see the six-figure diamond again. Don’t think about him. Don’t think about anything or anybody outside of this place, she thought. She was cuffed again and escorted onto B block. “Welcome to your new home, princess. As long as the institution isn’t overcrowded you will have your own cell while you’re pregnant. Don’t get used to it. As soon as you pop out that kid, we’ll move someone else in,” the guard said, handling her roughly as she removed the cuffs and then nudged Breeze into the cell. The walls immediately felt like they were closing in on her. It wasn’t what she envisioned it to be. There were no bars, only white brick walls, steel doors with electric locks, and fluorescent lights. A bunk bed with a stained mattress and a toilet that smelled were the only amenities. Breeze was afraid to move. The thought of laying her head on the soiled bed made her skin crawl. The flutter in her stomach caused her baby to kick and Breeze knew she would have to control her emotions. I can’t break in here, she thought.
She sat down on the bottom bunk and cringed. Breeze knew nothing about struggle. She didn’t come up rough. She didn’t have roaches and she had never dealt with mice or fought with jealous girls on the block. There had been no syrup sandwiches or hand-me-down rags. Breeze knew nothing about making something out of nothing and behind these walls that would be a weakness. Coming from the top would make the bottom feel lower than low. She bent over and rested her elbows on her knees. The walls were so tight around her that it felt like she would suffocate. Breeze was in a desperate way and it would take everything in her to make it out of prison alive.
