dinero.”
Carter pulled up to Felipe’s estate. He had moved through the bricks and it was re-up time. Carter made hustling look easy. Most men wouldn’t know how to handle one brick, and within a month, he had burned through three thousand. Now he was back in Mexico to pay the piper.
He was eager to meet his connect face to face for the first time. He no longer needed Zyir to play middleman. Now that he was free, he could handle his own affairs.
He was unimpressed by the opulence around him as he entered Felipe Garza’s estate. If anything, the flashiness of the place turned him off. It was obvious that Felipe was living the lavish life, and Carter only hoped that his new connect was smart enough to ensure his longevity. If Felipe’s spotlight was too bright, then others would surely be watching. The estate was beautiful, but it was excessive and massive, too much for any one man.
Carter hoped that linking up with this new connect did not prove to be a costly mistake. He took a deep breath to calm himself before he exited the car. His recent stay in prison had caused him to be increasingly aware of every move he made. He viewed the streets as a chess game, and he wanted nothing more than to win.
“Carter Jones, my brother Josiah Garza speaks highly of you. It is good to finally meet with you,” Felipe greeted, extending his hand as the two men shook.
“Likewise. I know this visit is unexpected. We were not scheduled to meet for another three months, but I like to move quickly… efficiently,” Carter stated.
“I understand. I was under the impression that we would meet once you were done with the entire package. It does me no good to receive my money in pieces. I’d like the entire forty million back at one time,” Felipe replied.
Before he responded, he walked over to the limo and knocked on the window. The driver emerged and popped the trunk where duffel bag after duffel bag filled the interior.
“Like I said, I move quickly. That’s the entire forty with an extra five for you as repayment for the work you put in concerning my case,” Carter stated. “You can have your men unload it. The first deal proved to be very lucrative. Let us waste no time in doing it again.”
Although it was Carter who was the guest, he took charge as if he were on home turf. He held out his arm and motioned for Felipe to walk with him. He could see the displeasure in Felipe’s eyes. The Mexican drug lord was used to other men following his lead, but it was clear that Carter Jones had no intentions of playing the back. He was a boss, and conducted himself as such.
Felipe had taken a keen interest in Zyir. He had liked the young fellow because he had displayed the proper etiquette in dealing with someone superior to him. Carter, however, had put a different taste in his mouth. In his presence, Felipe felt inadequate, and it was then that he realized that all of the things he had heard about The Cartel was true. He was staring into the eyes of their leader, a man even greater than himself. Carter had experienced a minor setback when he had fallen under a federal microscope, but now that things were back on track, he had the potential to overthrow any empire. Felipe knew that this was not the intention of Carter, but his demeanor indicated that it was always a possibility. Felipe would have to be careful with how much power he helped The Cartel re-attain.
“Now I see that young Zyir is simply a protege of yours. You both are men of little patience, always eager to get to the dinero,” Felipe stated. “Let us get to know each other as men first, and then we will discuss our arrangement. I own a few brothels and gentlemen’s establishments that I’m sure you will enjoy.”
Carter nodded and obliged with a discreet smirk because he knew that Felipe was trying to feel him out. He had sent Zyir to Mexico with specific instructions to go with the flow, because he did not know what he was getting his li’l man into. He, on the other hand, was there to establish boundaries and to ensure that both parties understood each other clearly. He wasn’t there to party and bullshit, but this would give him a perfect opportunity to turn the tables and learn more about the Garza Cartel’s operation.
Murder discreetly picked the lock to Miamor’s old condo, the same place where Carter had recently taken residence, and slipped inside. The place still held Miamor’s scent, and Carter had removed none of her old belongings, which made memories of his li’l mama come rushing back to Murder. It was as if she still lived there and could walk through the door at any moment.
Being so close to The Cartel was eating him alive. He was in the same city and had barely made a move on them yet. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes that had cost Miamor her life. He wanted to study them from afar first, before moving in. Without a doubt, he knew that Mecca had been the one to end Miamor’s life, but that did not relieve the blame from Carter’s shoulders so easily. He wanted revenge on them all. Carter was the leader, and above all else, he had chosen to wife Miamor. He should have ensured her protection.
Murder would have never let anything happen to Miamor. She had been the only woman he had ever loved. He remembered how infectious her personality was, how easy it was to become consumed in her beauty, how he would have done anything for her. He concluded that any man who truly loved Miamor could have never let this happen.
Miamor was the type of woman that you kept shielded from the world because she could not be replaced. She had been a rare find, an unspoiled soul with a ruthless talent for killing. There was not another soul like hers in existence, and now that she was gone, Murder saw nothing but black. There was no white in his world, no silver lining around his dark cloud. She had been the best part of him, and even from afar and through the isolation of the prison walls, he had loved her. She wasn’t simply the type of chick who would blow through your money and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. She was the type to blow a hole through a nigga and hit his safe right next to her man if need be. She was loyal.
Before Murder had ever gotten a chance to truly build a life with her, Carter had come along, snatching her heart from underneath him.
Murder moved quickly through the condominium. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for. He simply needed to know more, and with Carter out of town on business, this was the perfect opportunity for him to search for answers. He came across a photo of Miamor and Carter. The happy snapshot featured the couple vacationing on a beach. Jealousy burned through him as he placed the picture face down on the mantle.
Just as he was about to make his exit, he noticed a book that stuck out slightly from the collection on the bookshelf. He walked over to it and pulled it gently. As he suspected, a trap door opened, and Murder slipped inside. It looked like an army’s arsenal closet. For a man of Murder’s profession, it was like being a kid in a candy store as he admired all of the flawless guns. He knew the room had not been meant for anyone’s eyes but Miamor’s. It was where she kept all of the details of the jobs she accepted, and tacked to the wall was a huge picture of Mecca Diamond with a red circle around it.
As he stared at the extensive research that Miamor had done on the Diamond family, he was amazed. She had been so detailed, so precise. She had indeed become the best at what she did. Even Murder did not realize what she was capable of. She even had monitors that showed the inside of her own home, so that when she was inside of the room, she would know exactly who was inside her place and what room they were located in.
He froze when he heard the lock to the front door turn. Luckily, Murder had made his way through the condo in the dark, and his identity was hidden behind the ski mask he wore. He turned off his flashlight and pulled the trap door closed as he watched the monitor to see who was coming inside. His temple throbbed when he saw Mecca Diamond enter.
Mecca had noticed that Carter had been throwing him shade lately, and he had a feeling that it had something to do with Miamor. He wanted to know how much Carter actually knew. It would give him a better idea of how to play the situation. He left the lights off as he moved through the place.
As Murder watched Mecca disappear through the monitors, he crept out quietly,.45 in his hand. Killing Mecca would be sweet for him, and as he stood in the middle of the living room, he contemplated his options. The Murder Mamas had advised him to play his cards right. If he hit Mecca tonight, it would throw a red flag to the rest of the members of The Cartel. There would be a contract out for Mecca’s murderer almost immediately, and with everybody on edge, it would make it even harder for Murder to get to Carter.
He silently headed for the door and was about to leave when an overwhelming hatred for Mecca overcame
