The Cartel Deluxe Edition

by Ashley

  “What’s up, fam?” Mecca inquired, trying to sound casual.

  Carter looked up at him. “Oh, ain’t shit. Just a little something I forgot to take care of. What time does the private jet take off?”

  “Six o’clock,” Mecca replied.

  Carter looked at his watch. It was only three p.m. That left him with three hours to spare. He thought about never seeing Miamor again, and his stomach turned over. She was right. They did need to see each other face to face before he left. They needed closure.

  There’s a warehouse in Opa-locka on Twenty-seventh Ave. Meet me there in an hour.

  Carter instructed Mecca to meet him at the landing strip, and the two parted ways.

  * * *

  “It’s about fucking time!” Robyn yelled out as she flipped Miamor’s Sidekick closed. She looked at Aries and Murder. “He responded. He thinks he’s meeting her in Opa-locka in an hour.”

  Murder was about to put his game down like only he could do, and a devilish leer spread across his face. He went into the closet and put on black gloves and grabbed a black .45. He tucked it into his waistline.

  “We should come with chu,” Aries stated as she stood.

  Murder shook his head. “Aries, you stay here with Miamor. Robyn, you come with me. I’ma personally rock this nigga to sleep. When Miamor comes out of the shower, get her ready to go. Pack up all our shit and wipe the room down. We I get back, we’re out,” he explained.

  * * *

  Miamor closed her eyes as the stream of shower water licked her wounds. She was still not at full health, but was grateful for the little bit of strength that was returning to her limbs. At least I can stand up and walk around without passing out, she thought as she washed her body. A part of her was happy to be getting out of Miami. She had too many bad memories here. It was where her sister had been killed, where she had almost been killed, and where she had lost the man she loved. Fuck Miami! she thought bitterly. She was trying to rebuild her callous attitude. Being tough had stopped her from being hurt in the past. She had built walls around herself that only Carter had been able to scale. Forget about him. He doesn’t want you. It’s over, she said to herself.

  She got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. Green bruises covered her everywhere, but her body was healing and she was grateful for that. If only her heart would heal as well.

  She walked out into the room and saw Aries packing up their things. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Nothing, Mia. Get dressed. When Murder and Robyn come back, we’re leaving,” Aries stated.

  “For New York?” Miamor asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yeah, Mia, we are leaving tonight,” Aries said as she looked on in sympathy. She knew that Miamor was mourning over losing Carter.

  When all of their bags were by the door, Aries turned and said, “Me will go fill up the tank at the station on the corner. Mia, chu need anything while I’m out?”

  Miamor shook her head no as she stepped into a pair of Robyn’s Juicy Couture sweat pants and put on a wife beater and sneakers. “Nah, go ahead. I’m good.”

  Aries shrugged. “All right. Me will be right back. By the time they get back, we’ll be ready to dip.”

  Aries left out, and Miamor locked the door behind her. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, when her phone began to ring. She walked over to the dresser where her phone lay. She hadn’t checked it since she had been there. She had forgotten that she even had it. The name “Carter Jones” appeared on her screen, and butterflies instantly appeared in her stomach. She flipped open her PDA and saw that she had an unread text message:

  I’m on my way

  She frowned when she read the message. “On your way where?” she asked aloud. Miamor searched the outbox of her phone, and her eyes widened in shock. I didn’t send these, she thought as she read through every one. They are going to set him up! Carter’s going to walk right into a trap! She put her hands over her mouth and speed dialed his number. Her anxious heart felt as if it would explode. She tapped her fingers impatiently against the desk as the phone rang in her ear. The voice mail popped on and she hung up to dial him again.

  “Pick up the phone!” she urged nervously, knowing that Carter’s life rested in her hands. If Carter arrives at that warehouse, he’s dead, she thought. It wasn’t that she thought Carter was a punk, but she knew Murder would expire Carter on sight. When she received his voice mail again, she screamed in frustration. “Answer the fucking phone!” She tried to reach him once more, but to no avail. Either he wasn’t taking her calls, or Murder’s job was already complete.

  She looked to see what time he had texted her last. I still have a half an hour, she thought. She was so overwhelmed that she wanted to cry, but now was not the time for her to bitch up. I have to get to him, she thought. I’m the only person who can stop Murder. I’m the only person who he won’t kill. It had been a long time since she had prayed, or since she had even believed in God, but for this, she raised her head to the sky and closed her eyes. Please don’t let Carter die. I need him.

  She paced back and forth until finally Aries came back. Aries instantly recognized the fire in Miamor’s eyes. Miamor tossed the phone at Aries.

  “How could you do this?” Miamor asked.

  The look on Aries’ face established her guilt, but she responded, “We’ve done this a thousand times.”

  “I love him!” Miamor yelled. “This time is different!” She took a deep breath, not wanting to overexert herself. She could feel the room start to spin. “Give me the keys,” she demanded.

  Aries hesitated, but then handed them over without contest. She removed a chrome .45 from her waistline and passed it to Miamor as well.

  Miamor brushed past her, and just before she exited the room, Aries called her name. “Mia!”

  Miamor turned around and stared at her friend.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Miamor didn’t respond. She knew that if something happened to Carter, that her relationship with her girls would never be the same. She stormed out of the room, hopped into the rental car and sped off recklessly, praying that she was able to stop the madness before it was too late.

  * * *

  Carter pulled up to the vacant warehouse. It was one of the many stash spots that he had used to store guns and drugs. He sat in the car for a few minutes, trying to gain his composure. No matter what she says, it’s over. I can’t trust her, he told himself. He knew that once he saw her face, his emotions would try and override his intellect. He could not allow that to happen. A beautiful woman had been the downfall of many men. He refused to allow Miamor to lead him to a premature demise. She had showed shade. There was larceny in her heart, and because of that, he had to make a clean break. He exited his vehicle and activated his car alarm, then proceeded into the building. He stopped walking in mid-step and turned around to return to his car. He popped the trunk and hit a button that caused the floor of the trunk to slide back, revealing an arsenal of weapons. He had to remember that he was no longer dealing with the woman he loved. He was dealing with a Murder Mama, and although he did not truly believe that Miamor would harm him, he was not about to walk in unstrapped and chance it. After Miamor’s confession, he had done his research on the Murder Mamas, and found out they were more treacherous than he could have imagined. Their work was exquisite, precise, and professional. Carter couldn’t imagine Miamor doing some of the jobs that he had heard she had pulled off, and a part of him was intrigued by the mystique of it all. The other part of him was enraged, because she had been hired to take down his family, including him. That put them at odds in a territory where love couldn’t exist. He had gone over all the possibilities in his head. There was no way under any circumstances that he would ever be with her.

  * * *

  “He’s here,” Robyn whispered down to Murder from the second floor. She had a perfect view of the parking lot, and from where she stood, she
could easily shoot anything moving on the floor below. She would let Murder handle his business, but if things went awry, she would kill Carter. Robyn watched Carter walk up to the building, then all of the sudden he disappeared. Murder waited behind the front entrance to sneak him from behind. After five minutes passed, Carter still hadn’t walked through the door. “Yo, what the fuck the nigga doing?” Murder asked, trying to keep his voice low so that his presence wouldn’t be known in the warehouse. “I don’t know. I can’t see him. He walked right up to the front door, then I lost sight—” Robyn stopped speaking abruptly when she felt the cold kiss of death. Carter was standing behind her with his pistol to her neck. He wasn’t a fool, and he didn’t run the largest drug operation in Florida for nothing. He didn’t trust Miamor, and he was glad he had followed his gut instincts and entered the building through the secret entrance on the side of the building. Carter peered over the ledge to see what he was going up against. He couldn’t believe that Miamor had tried to set him up. He could see Murder waiting for him, lurking with his gun already aimed, and he realized that if he had walked through the front door, he would have been shot at point-blank range.

  “Murder?” Robyn called out loudly as she struggled against Carter.

  Murder looked up to where Robyn hid and saw Carter walk out of the shadows with his gun drawn. Carter had an advantage over him. From where he stood, he could have easily shot him.

  “Fuck is you?” Carter asked as he began to descend the steps, with Robyn in a chokehold. He surveyed the room looking for Miamor.

  Murder smirked and aimed his gun at Carter.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I was you. Unless you want me to splatter this bitch’s brains all over the floor,” Carter threatened.

  Murder laughed as if Carter had told a joke, and then without hesitation, he turned his gun toward Robyn.

  Boom!

  With a marksman’s aim, Murder hit Robyn with a hollow tip in the center of her forehead. She folded in Carter’s arms, then dropped lifelessly to the concrete floor. She never saw her end coming.

  Carter glanced down at Robyn’s dead body in disbelief, and in that split second Murder capitalized on the opportunity.

  Boom!

  Murder let off a shot, hitting Carter in the leg, causing him to drop his gun. Carter didn’t even have time to react as he grabbed his leg in pain. “Aghh!” he screamed as a burning flash of heat terrorized him as a bullet ripped through his leg.

  Murder wanted to kill Carter slowly. He hated the fact that Miamor had fallen for another man, and he was going to enjoy snuffing his lights out.

  * * *

  Miamor hit 100 mph as she drove and ran through red lights, frantically trying to make it in time. When she was four blocks away, a traffic jam slowed her car down to a crawl. “Damn it!” she yelled as she hit the steering wheel in frustration. “I can’t wait this out! He’ll die if don’t get there!” she whispered urgently. An emotional lump formed in her throat. Calm down, Miamor, she told herself. You can do this . . . you have to do this if you want to save the man you love.

  She grabbed the gun off of the passenger seat and pulled the car over to get out. She could see the tall warehouse about a quarter mile up the street. I have to run, she thought wearily. She was doubtful that she could, because she could barely stand on her feet for too long without feeling weak. She knew that her body wasn’t ready for what she was about to put it through, but she had no choice. Carter was worth the pain.

  Miamor took off running full speed, ignoring the ache of her limbs and the excruciating beat of her heart as she pushed her body to the limit. Her broken ribs screamed in protest with every step that she took. Each time her feet pounded the pavement, she felt as if she would pass out. Her lungs burned, but she refused to stop. “Aghh!” she screamed as she continued on.

  No longer able to endure the pain, she stopped and placed her hands on her knees to balance herself. She gulped in air as if she was suffocating, and could no longer stop the tears from coming. “I can’t do this!” she whispered. “Murder’s going to kill him!”

  * * *

  Carter grabbed his piece off of his ankle holster, and returned fire, sending bullets sailing past Murder’s head, and then stood to his feet. “Fuck!” he grimaced as blood soaked through his Evisu jeans. Murder took cover behind a stack of steel barrels and spit bullets until his clip was empty. He immediately put a fresh clip in his gun and ducked for cover, his brief pause giving Carter the chance to gain a slight advantage.

  “Fuck you hiding for, you bitch-ass nigga?” Carter screamed as he fired more shots.

  Murder couldn’t get a shot off. Every time he rounded the corner of the barrels, Carter popped off. He was relentless with his weapons, and he wasn’t going to stop until Murder stopped breathing.

  Damn! This nigga shooting like his clip don’t expire, Murder thought in irritation as he waited for Carter to run out of ammunition. What he didn’t know was that Young Carter stayed strapped. He had one in his waistline, one on his ankle, and two in a shoulder holster, so the bullets would be coming for days.

  Carter stopped firing and waited, so that Murder would think he had run out of bullets. But as soon as Murder jumped on the opportunity, Carter came up blasting, hitting Murder in the shoulder. The power from the .9mm blew him back, almost knocking him off his feet.

  “Aghh! Fuck!” Murder shouted. He was livid. In all the years he had been pulling jobs, he had never been hit. The pain radiated through his shoulder and traveled down his entire body as sweat dripped from his forehead.

  Murder stepped from behind the barrels and faced his adversary. Both men extended their guns, standing within five feet of each other, and looking down the barrel of one another’s guns. The malice in their eyes displayed their hatred for one another. Carter and Murder wrapped their fingers around their triggers at the same time. They were both prepared to go out in a blaze of glory.

  * * *

  Miamor staggered up to the front door of the warehouse. Her body was so beat up that she practically collapsed into the entrance from fatigue. “Murder, no!” she screamed when she saw the two men that she loved preparing to kill each other. She pulled her gun and pointed it in their direction.

  “You sent this nigga here to kill me!” Carter yelled, never taking his eyes off of Murder.

  “No! Just please, stop!” she pleaded. “Murder . . . Carter don’t do this!”

  Miamor’s voice fell on deaf ears, because both Murder and Carter kept their weapons locked and loaded.

  Miamor let off a shot in the air to get their attention, and then aimed her gun at them.

  “Shoot this nigga, Miamor!” Murder ordered. “He did this to you. Kill him, Miamor!”

  Miamor turned her gun toward Carter, tears in her eyes. Their eyes met. No words needed to be spoken between them for her to know that she couldn’t pull the trigger. She sobbed uncontrollably as she changed her mind and turned the gun toward Murder.

  “Miamor,” Murder uttered, disappointment and hurt in his tone.

  Miamor shifted her gun back and forth indecisively. Who do I choose? “I can’t choose!” she said aloud.

  Click-clack!

  They heard the sounds of a fourth gun being cocked back. They looked around in confusion, wondering where it was coming from. It wasn’t until Miamor turned her head that she saw Mecca Diamond, but by then it was too late.

  Boom!

  Mecca sent a bullet crashing through Miamor’s skull, finally winning the game of life and death they were playing.

  “Nooo!” Carter and Murder screamed as they watched in horror as Miamor’s body dropped to the ground, and Mecca stepped out of the shadows with a smoking gun in his hand. On instinct, both men loaded Mecca up with bullets.

  Mecca’s body jerked, and he tried to squeeze off a few crazed shots before the bullets from Murder and Carter’s guns robbed him of his life. He went out with a smile, because he had finally gotten his revenge. Now he was going to reunite
with the rest of the Diamond dynasty.

  Carter rushed to Miamor’s side and held her in his arms. The crimson hole in her temple let him know that she was long gone, but he cradled her anyway, and cried as he kissed the top of her head. He was in shock and hysterical. All of the beef that he had been through, and all of the material things that he had gained seemed worthless to him now as he sat in a puddle of Miamor’s blood. Her death had broken him down to his weakest state.

  Murder fell to his knees and put his hands on the top of his head. His heart was broken and in complete anguish as tears also fell down his face. He pointed his gun at Carter. “You did this to her!” Murder screamed. He wanted to end Carter, but it would not bring Miamor back. Murder lowered his weapon and hit the floor with his bare hands as he cried and mourned over Miamor.

  Carter didn’t focus on anything but the woman in his arms. He tuned everything else out as he spoke in Miamor’s ear. “I’m so sorry, ma! I love you, Miamor! Wake up for me, ma! You got to wake up!” Carter cried. “Wake up, ma . . . wake up! Wake up!”

  * * *

  “Wake up, bitch!” Miamor gasped and sucked in air as her eyes shot open and she looked around in confusion. Her vision was blurry, but she could see that her arms were still bound, and Fabian loomed over her, swinging the deadly chain in his hands. “It’s about time you woke up, bitch! I thought you had died on me for a minute,” he said with a devious smile. “You passed out, but don’t worry, I’ma make sure the next time you black out it’ll be for good.” “Carter . . . Murder?” she mumbled frantically as she looked around the basement that she was trapped in. The hope that had filled her slowly fizzled away. I passed out. None of it was real, she thought as tears came to her eyes. I’m dying. I just saw my entire life flash before my eyes. It was all a dream. I’m right back where I started . . . right back at the beginning. None of it ever really happened. Carter, Murder, Mecca, Breeze . . . I made it all up in my head. It was at that moment that Miamor realized that she was not invincible. This was not a dream, and the lifestyle that she had lived was finally catching up to her. Her karma had come full circle. I’m going to die down here, she admitted to herself.