The Cartel 4

Book 4: Cartel

by Ashley, Jaquavis

Genres: Urban Fantasy

Synopsis

You thought The Cartel was over, but Diamonds are forever. . . .
The Diamond family has survived murder, deceit, and betrayal. Through it all, they're still standing tall, and a new era has begun.
After surviving a failed attempt on her life, Breeze has moved into the queen's position by Zyir's side. Zyir has taken over the empire and locked down Miami's streets. He has the world in his palms, but there is always new blood ready to overthrow the throne.
Young Carter has retired and moved away from the madness—that is, until he gets an unexpected visitor at his home. This person shakes up the whole family, causing chaos that threatens to bring down the Cartel for good.
New York Times bestselling authors Ashley and JaQuavis deliver the highly anticipated fourth installment of the wildly popular Cartel series.

Release date: November 1, 2012

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 240

Sample

Mecca heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind him and he wasn’t even startled. He didn’t even turn around, for that matter. He just took a deep breath and placed his hands together in a praying form.

“Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . .” Mecca said as tears slid down his face. He already knew who was behind him, and it came as no surprise to him. Carter began to recite the prayer along with his brother, as he pointed the gun to the back of Mecca’s head.

Mecca had always known that Carter would eventually seek revenge for Miamor’s death. He had loved her way too much to not come after him. Mecca’s only dilemma had been to figure out when and where Carter would take his life. Mecca was a seasoned street veteran and the one thing that he knew for sure was that “the eyes don’t lie,” and on that day, Carter could not hide the hatred he had inside.

Carter knew that if he let Mecca live, Mecca would possibly turn on him one day, just as he did to Monroe. He also felt obligated to avenge Miamor’s death, so killing Mecca was inevitable.

Mecca also knew the game. Mecca realized that if he was in Carter’s shoes, he would have done the same, so he wasn’t mad at Carter for what he was about to do. Once the prayer was over, Mecca stood unflinchingly with his heart pounding through his chest. There was no malice in his heart, only regret, but he knew that his oldest brother was about to deliver his retribution.

“I love you, Carter,” Mecca said as he straightened up his tie and prepared for his death.

“I love you too,” Carter replied sincerely as he wrapped his finger around the trigger. “I always will, bro.”

Boom!

It seemed like he had heard that boom from a year ago. Slowly his senses began to be restored after a long slumber. It seemed as if he looked through Mecca’s eyes just before he died. All he could see was the face of Mecca Diamond as his eyes were closed shut.

His ability to smell was the first sense that came back to him. The fresh scent from the ocean was like heaven as he took a deep inhale through his nostrils and the moist air journeyed into his lungs. Second, the sounds of the waves traveled through the air and to his ears as the waves crashed onto the shore. A light, steady beep echoed through the room from the heart monitor that sat at his bedside. The cool breeze blew through the window and caused goose bumps to form on his arm.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. At first the sunrays were too much for his sensitive pupils, so he quickly closed them back shut. After a few seconds, he built up enough courage and tried again. He opened his eyes and his blurred vision slowly began to focus as he looked toward the open window. The beautiful ocean was in clear sight and just above it there were the blue skies; it mesmerized him.

He had been in a coma for five years and had finally come back to life. He swallowed his spit and his mouth was drier than he had ever remembered. He was thirsty. He was thirsty for water, but he also thirsty for knowledge. He didn’t understand how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was looking down the barrel of a gun . . . pointed by his own blood brother. He remembered hearing a shot and then everything went black. The sleeping beast had finally awoken. Monroe “Money” Diamond was alive.

Money looked around and the setting was so unfamiliar. He had no idea where he was, and his mind began to race rapidly. He had an IV hooked into his arm and patches were on his bare chest to monitor his heartbeat. Although he was under care, he noticed he wasn’t in a hospital. He was in a plush, spacious bedroom that looked to be some sort of luxurious beach house, and the back French doors that led to the beach were open.

He had no idea where he was, and panic began to set in. Money felt his heart begin to speed up, and along with that the heart monitor began to beat louder and more rapidly, signaling the homecare nurse, who was in the other room. Money quickly sat up, causing him to become dizzy. He lost his balance and fell onto the floor. He tried to pick himself up, but that’s when he realized how weak his limbs were.

Two Dominican nurses rushed into the room, and they were in shock as they looked at the frail, bearded man that lay on the floor. They had taken care of him while he was in a coma for years, but never had they met him personally.

The two ladies began to frantically converse in Spanish. Money picked up the accent and immediately knew that he was in the Dominican Republic. As a child, his mother would speak that language when she got angry, so he caught on quickly.

They just stared at him in shock as they placed their hands over their mouths. Monroe, being fearless and refusing to be defeated, tried to get to his feet again. Almost instantly, he crumbled to the ground, not being able to get his legs under him. The nurses rushed over to him, one of them grabbing him by each arm. He aggressively snatched away and grimaced.

“I . . . I got it,” he said faintly as he clenched his jaws so tightly that veins began to pop out in his forehead. One of the nurses ordered the other one to go call Estes and notify him that his grandson had awoken.

He gathered himself and tried to get up again. This time he used the bed as a crutch as he climbed to his feet, gritting his teeth as it took all of his might and willpower. He slowly got to his feet and stood up straight and poked his chest out. He refused to be defeated, and the nurses watched as he breathed heavily. He was obviously in pain.

“Where am I?” he asked as he looked at the nurses.

Just as he finished the sentence, the nurse who had left the room returned with a phone in hand. She walked up to Money and gave it to him. He reached for the phone as he leaned on the bed to help him stay upright. He then slowly raised the phone to his ear. He just listened as he waited to hear who was on the other side of the phone.

“Monroe Diamond. Is it true?” Estes asked as he listened to Monroe breathing on the phone. It was silence in the air, and Estes wanted nothing more than to hear the sound of his favorite grandchild’s voice.

“Speak to me!’ Estes yelled through the phone in an attempt to confirm the news. Monroe’s mouth felt like sandpaper, and he cleared his throat so that he would be clear.

“I am here, Papa. I am here,” Monroe confirmed.

“I am on my way!” Estes said calmly. Estes knew that he had a tough task ahead. He had to let Monroe know that things weren’t as he had left them. Taryn, his mother, had been murdered, his sister had been through hell, and his twin brother had met his fate in Brazil. “Get some rest and I’ll be there immediately,” Estes ordered.

“Wait, Papa. Where am I? Why am I here?” Monroe asked, trying to fill in the blanks.

“You are in the Dominican Republic at one of my private estates. You used to go there as a young boy every summer with me. Do you remember?” Estes asked.

Monroe looked around, and slowly the memories began to resurface. “Yes, Papa, I remember. But why am I all the way out here? How long have I been out?” Monroe questioned.

“Five years,” said Estes.

“Wha . . . What?” Monroe said as he sat down on the bed in confusion.

“It has been five years since you slipped into the coma. A lot has changed since then. I will talk to you as soon as I get there,” Estes said as his voice began to crack. He knew that telling Monroe the news would be one of the hardest things he ever had to do.

“Five years?’ Monroe said almost in a whisper as he was mentally thrown into the abyss.

“Yes . . .”

Estes was on the first jet to the Dominican Republic to break the news to his grandson that he was the last male of the bloodline alive. He would tell Monroe the whole story, excluding nothing of what had happened.

Young Carter woke up in cold sweats as the thundering and lightning caused chaos in the sky. He sat up from his bed, breathing deeply as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. His bare chest was drenched as sweat beads covered his whole body. He slowly got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom that was connected to his room. He turned on the water and bent down to splash water in his face.

The nightmares had haunted him every day since he murdered Mecca. He always wished that he could take the murder back, but when he thought deep about it, he knew that he had to do it. Mecca’s character was flawed, and he eventually hurt the people who were close to him. Young Carter knew he did what he had to do.

He looked into the mirror and into his own eyes. Unlike many, he could see his soul. He was content with the person he was. The last year had been a peaceful one for him. He fell all the way back from the streets and let Zyir take over. He only came into the picture when it was time to meet with their supplier.

Carter knew that he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so he slipped on a T-shirt and walked into his living room. He clicked on SportsCenter and walked over to his mini bar to pour a glass of cognac. He needed to take the edge off and get his mind off the murder.

The loud roars of the thunder were like a soundtrack to a horror film, and the rain began to pour down like cats and dogs. As he poured himself a glass, he felt a chill go up his spine. Things weren’t right.

Just as he put the glass to his lips, he heard his doorbell ring. He instantly focused his attention on the door and frowned up. Nobody knows about this place but Zyir, he thought as he walked to his room and grabbed his gun off the dresser. He tucked it in the small of his back and headed to his door. He unlocked his door, and when he saw who stood on the other side, he dropped his glass. He was seeing a ghost—he had to be, because he was looking at a person he thought was dead a long time ago. Oh my God, he thought as he looked into the eyes of . . .

Miamor stood before him, hair soaked as the heavens cried tears of retribution upon her. Her wet skin glistened under the glowing porch light, while her body shook from the chill that settled into her bones. Hers was a face that Carter hadn’t seen in four years, but he had committed it to memory in his feeble attempts to hold on to the love that they had once shared.

Young Carter’s knees weakened as his heart matched the rhythm of the lightning bolts that struck the black sky. Pain pierced his chest as heartbreak seared through his body. It was as if Cupid himself was pulling the bow out of his heart, ripping him to pieces with every tug. His eyes widened in shock as he let go of the glass of cognac he had been sipping. It shattered in a million pieces at his feet, resembling the current state of his broken heart.

There was so much history between them, and as his mind recalled their past, a myriad of emotions passed through him. Rage, hurt, and betrayal caused a lump to form in his throat as they stared silently at one another.

A pistol rested on his hip, but he didn’t even think to reach for it. Had she been any other person, he would have put a bullet between her eyes, but this one woman was the exception to his street rules. Miamor had always been his weakness.

Silence surrounded them. There was so much that needed to be said, but Carter couldn’t find his voice. Lost in her eyes, he saw a woman who had been through hell and back just to stand at his door. She was thinner than he remembered, and scars covered her neck and wrote imperfections onto her beautiful face.

The world seemed to move in slow motion, and Carter couldn’t help but to think that he was dreaming. His mind had played this trick on him many times before. In his sleep he had held her, kissed her, made love to her, but when he awoke each morning, the loneliness of his existence always crept in. Her absence was always present. He didn’t believe his eyes, despite the fact that this time he was seeing the truth.

Miamor stood, terrified as she waited for Carter to react. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and her chest heaved up, then down, in anticipation. Her soul was bleeding out, and tears began to flow down her cheeks in turmoil. The hatred she saw in his eyes dissolved into hurt, then confusion, but behind it all she still saw love. She knew that there was a possibility that Carter would murder her where she stood, but seeing him again was worth the risk. The feeling of completion that he gave her when she was in his presence was enough to put it all on the line. She had tried staying away, but in the end living without him was not living at all.

“Please say something,” she whispered as she lowered her head to her chest. For the first time she was ashamed of herself. She was so full of regret that she couldn’t stomach it. Carter was always so statuesque and strong, but her reemergence had sucked the air out of his lungs. He was vulnerable, and seeing him so hurt sent a dagger through her heart.

Carter was a man of strict composure, but the melody of her voice caused him to lose it all. Tears clouded his eyes.

“This isn’t real. You’re dead,” he whispered as he walked out onto his porch and into the heavy rain. He stepped so closely to her that there was no room between them.

Miamor’s breath caught in her throat. She was afraid to breathe, afraid to move, afraid of what he was going to do to her. Certainly there was vengeance and betrayal on his heart, but she hoped that the sight of her sparked the love that they used to share. All she needed was a tiny spark to ignite a flame so great that he couldn’t deny her return.

He brought his hand to her chin, lifting it so that she had to face him. His index finger traced the outline of her face as he took her in. Miamor felt the steel of his pistol pressing into her stomach, and she didn’t move as she watched him weigh his options in his head—to kill her or to love her.

Carter knew that there was only one true choice. No woman could ever do for him what Miamor did for him. He had entertained plenty of playthings during her absence, but the connection that they shared was one that was only gifted by God once in a lifetime.

“Miamor,” he whispered as a single tear escaped him.

His voice was like a gunshot releasing her from a racing block, giving her permission to move. She reached up to wipe his tear away.

“I’m sorry, Carter,” she said.

Carter cleared his throat and took a step back from her as he grabbed her hands and removed them from his face. He moved to the side and extended his hand in welcome.

“Come inside,” he said.

His voice was low, sad, and revealed a hint of disdain, but she was ready to face him. She was ready to be with him, if he would have her. She didn’t need to stand before God to be judged. Reuniting with Carter Jones was her judgment day. She only hoped that he didn’t send her to the executioner. She took a deep breath and walked into his home.

“There’s so much I need to say to you . . .” she began. Before she could finish her sentence she felt the cold kiss of the gun as Carter entered behind her and pointed it to her skull.

Her body tensed and she closed her eyes. If she had to go, this would be the way to do it—at the hands of the man she loved. The perfect end to an imperfect existence. It was almost too poetic. “I never meant to hurt you, Carter,” she said. Her voice was so full of sorrow that her words caused Carter’s pulse to quicken and his jaw to clench. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I knew that it could come to this if I came back, but I had to see you. I had to see you see me. Even after you pull that trigger, just know that I will always love you. I always have, and if I could do things over again, I would do them differently.”

She waited for words, for bullets, for any type of response from him, but Carter was silent. “Carter, say something,” she pleaded as she began to cry. “Tell me you love me. Say that you hate me. Just say something because the silence is torture.”

Carter had never been a novice when it came to his pistol. When he drew his gun he always popped off, but Miamor was tugging at his heartstrings. He had lived for too long thinking that she was dead. He had grieved over her. Now that she had miraculously reappeared in his life, could he really be the one to make her extinct? His heart said no, but his mind said maybe. Still no part of him was able to say yes.

His hand shook, and Miamor could feel the uncertainty in his aim. She raised her hands in defense.

“I killed Mecc . . .” Carter couldn’t even finish his sentence as he closed his eyes, finally allowing his pain to release in the form of flowing tears.

“I know,” she whispered. “You killed Mecca for me, and I’m sorry I put you in that position, Carter. If you hadn’t done what you did, I would have spent the rest of my life running from him.”

Emotions ran high as Miamor spoke and Carter’s conscience weighed heavily on him. “He was my brother.”

“A brother that murdered my sister!” she contested with emotion, her voice raising an octave in defense. The loss of Anisa was still very real to her, and Carter was picking at the scab.

She closed her eyes and composed herself, taking a deep breath. She had no right to ever raise her voice, not with Carter. He was a victim of her betrayal. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper as she continued. “That’s what started it all. What was I supposed to do, Carter? I kill. That’s all I’ve ever known.” She raised her hands and looked at them; although they were clean, in her mind they were covered in blood. “I’ve taken more lives than I can count. It’s who I am, and your brother took my sister from me. So I did what I do best, but then you happened. We happened.”

Carter smirked sarcastically and said, “Big coincidence.”

“It was, Carter,” Miamor replied, breathless because her heart was beating so intensely. “I didn’t mark you. . . .