He felt his BlackBerry vibrate and quickly pulled it off of his waist and looked at it. It was a text from Miamor, asking him to meet her somewhere so they could make things right between them. He quickly dismissed it and shook his head. He missed her dearly, but he hated her at the same time. She had betrayed him to the fullest extent, and in the process she broke his heart, making him feel like a fool. He knew that he should have killed her on behalf of The Cartel, but he could not pull the trigger. There was a small part in him that still loved her, even though she was responsible for the fall of his family. Why can’t I let her go? Carter asked himself as he slowly paced the room with his hands behind his back. The clicking sounds of his Mauri gators echoed throughout the house as he thought deeply about Miamor.
Zyir walked in, interrupting his thoughts. “I’m all packed up and ready to leave this mu’fucka for good,” he said and his Jordan sneaks scuffed the marble floor. “Phoenix is a good look,” he said as he approached Carter and slapped hands while embracing him.
“About that,” Carter said as he stepped back. “I want you to fall back for a month or two. Go back to Flint and I’ll send for you,” he said as he looked into Zyir’s eyes.
“Wha… What? Why you want me to go back home, Carter?” Zyir asked, totally confused about Carter’s sudden change of heart.
“Zyir, it’s not what you’re thinking. I am doing this to protect you. You are the only one that I fully trust on this earth. Mecca’s my brother, but his head isn’t always in the right place. He’s impulsive, while you are a thinker. You plan every move before you make it. You are like a little brother to me, and I just want you to be safe. I want to check out the new turf first, and then I’ll send for you. I need you out of harm’s way for a while, just in case something happens to me. If that day comes, you will know what to do. I’ve already made arrangements just in case you have to step into my shoes,” Carter said, thinking two steps ahead.
“I don’t get it, fam,” Zyir said with a confused look on his face.
“I’m taking a lot of money up there to get washed, feel me? I don’t know if I am dealing with undercover agents or what. If anything goes down, I want you to be safe and I want to leave my business in the hands of someone I trust. You all I got left, Zy,” Carter said as he put his hand on the back of Zyir’s neck. Carter knew that Zyir would not like the news, but it was something that he had to do. Zyir was exactly like him. He had the same swagger, same morals, and same thought process as he did. Carter practically built Zyir from the ground up to be a real nigga. He would never be able to forgive himself if Zyir got caught up in some bullshit on his account. Carter kissed the top of Zyir’s head and pulled him close. That was his lil’ man, and he had much love for him. He knew that Zyir was a boss in the making, but that was not the path he wanted for him. He had big plans for his little man that would introduce him to an entirely new world… the business world. All Zyir had to do was be patient. “Just trust me, family. Just trust me,” Carter said as he released Zyir.
Zyir felt like his world had come crashing down. To not be with Carter was like taking his other half. Carter was his nigga, his father figure, and his only family. He wanted to protest, but Carter had yet to tell him anything wrong, so he nodded his head in agreement. “Okay,” he answered in reluctant agreement.
“Cool. I got your plane tickets on the table in there. Your stuff will be sent to you when you get up there. You got your paper up, right?” Carter asked, referring to Zyir’s cash.
“No doubt,” Zyir confirmed as he thought about the half million dollars he had stashed away in a foreign account. The proceeds from the Miami drug game had done him lovely, and he had enough to be comfortable at that point. He walked into the room to retrieve his one-way ticket to the murder capital of Flint, Michigan. He knew something was wrong with Carter, but could not place his finger on it. In Zyir’s eyes it was as if Carter was telling him good bye.
Carter’s flight was scheduled for that next morning, and he was ready to leave everything behind. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get his mind off of Miamor. He felt his phone buzz again and he looked at the screen. It was Miamor again. “Just leave me alone, Mia! You’re killing me!” he said in a low whisper as he dismissed the text.
Zyir returned back to the front with his plane ticket in his hand. He saw the look in Carter’s eyes, and there was no mistaking that something was wrong.
The Final Chapter
Carter, please respond. I miss you. I know you’re upset, but I need to see you. Love Always, Miamor.
Young Carter read the words twice before deleting the message, just as he had done all the others. It had been seven days since he’d put Miamor out of his hotel room, and she was constantly on his mind. Every message she sent reminded him of what they both had lost. He hoped the relocation would help give him a fresh start.
The Cartel no longer ran Miami. They were out of the drug business and moving on to new heights in a new environment. All of the death, destruction, and deception would be left behind. Miamor would be left behind. He wished that things could be different, but the truth of the matter was she was untrustworthy. He had done her one last favor by keeping Mecca off of her ass. He felt that he owed her that much. Although she had lied to him, everything that he had told her was the truth. He had indeed fallen in love with her, and because of that, he allowed her to live. Now he could skip town and forget that he ever knew her.
The sound of a door opening and closing indicated Mecca’s arrival. He walked into the house. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he wore a sad expression on his face. Carter had never seen Mecca so humble and serene.
Melancholy filled the room as Mecca looked around at the nearly empty mansion. “I came up in this house,” he said. “I watched Poppa run his meetings out of this house. Me, Breeze and Money used to play in that backyard.” Mecca’s eyes had tears in them as he recalled the fond memories of his family, but he let none fall and kept his head held high, just as his father had taught him to do. He wished that he could rewind the clock to happier times, but nothing could erase the hollow feeling he felt. “I’m the last one standing.”
Carter didn’t respond. He had never known the infamous man who had fathered him, but he respected him all the same. He had grown to love Taryn as much as his own mother, and the deaths of his siblings had destroyed him because he had been robbed of his time with his newfound family.
“It doesn’t feel right leaving all this behind,” Mecca stated.
“We have to,” Carter stated. He extended his hand to Mecca, and they embraced briefly. Carter picked up his Louis luggage, and they both headed toward the door. All of the other contents of the house had already been shipped to Arizona. A new house would be set up and waiting when they arrived.
“Where is Zyir?” Mecca asked.
“He has a couple stops to make, but he’ll be flying back to Flint tonight. The arrangements are already made for him,” Carter explained.
Carter’s BlackBerry rang out loud, and he saw that Miamor had text him again.
Carter, if you ever really loved me, please text me back. I’m sorry for everything. I don’t want to lose you.
Mecca watched Carter as he typed into his phone. I know this mu’fucka ain’t still in contact with that bitch, he thought. Mecca had a gut feeling that Carter was responding to Miamor, and although he had given his word to Carter that he wouldn’t touch her, he had lied. That was an itch that he was determined to scratch. He just couldn’t let his hatred for her go. He had a score to settle, and he had a good feeling that he was going to get a chance to do it before he left Miami. His brother was going to lead him right to her.