Return of the Cartier Cartel (22 page)

“A baby?”

“First comes love, then marriage, then a baby.” He kissed her forehead. “You wouldn’t want a little me?”

“You don’t think it’s a little too soon to be putting all of this on our shoulders?”

Head shoved a large scoop into her mouth to shut her up. “Cartier, I know what I want. I’m a go-getter. Always have been, and always will be. If there’s one thing my past has taught me is that you gotta live your best life now. You don’t get a second chance. I’m thirty-six years old, never been married, and I don’t have no kids. When I got locked up, it hurt me that I’d never been a father. I’d never have a wedding, a real wedding with the wife of my choice, not that jailhouse shit with some random chick coming to see her cousin or brother. Now that I’m out and I beat that case, I’m moving at the speed of lightning. So if you’re not in love with me yet, then you better hurry up and fall, because I don’t have time to make this a long, drawn-out courtship. And because I’ve already fallen in love with you so, you better catch up.”

Cartier didn’t reply. She didn’t know what to say. Instead, she put down the ice cream and made love to him all night long.

Chapter 26

Frienemies

Every night Marisol would wake up in a cold sweat, clutching her chest from pain and screaming out in a blood-curdling moan, visions of Jalissa’s badly beaten body with dime-sized bullet holes indelibly etched in her memory. The guilt of not only being the one to encourage Jalissa to hook up with Jason so they could milk him for his money, and then also missing her chance to murder Cartier when she’d spotted her driving down the boulevard was palpable. Marisol should have known that Jalissa was no match for Cartier.

She picked up the untraceable mobile phone and dialed her informant. “Yo, I already told you what will happen to you if you don’t get me close to this bitch!” she screamed into the phone. “Now where the fuck does she live?”

“I don’t know yet. She never gave us her address.”

“So get it!”

“If I ask for it now, then she’ll know something is up,” the girl whined. “She’s not stupid. If she knows I’ve switched sides, she’ll kill me.”

“And what the fuck do you think I’ll do to you?”

“Look, you can stop with all these threats! I want her dead too! I told you, if you just chill, I would do it myself.”

“No! She’s mine. Besides, if you had the balls to do it, you wouldn’t have contacted me.”

“I contacted you because I wanted the bounty you put on her and Jason’s heads. Is it still fifty thousand a head?”

Marisol tossed her eyes toward the sky. There wasn’t any way the informant would see a dime of that money. “Yes, it’s still the same, but I’m going to raise the stakes. If you could get the information for me to get at her before this week ends, then I’ll double it. I can’t sleep at night with her still walking this earth while my sister’s body is rotting in a lonely grave.”

“What about Jason? Do you still want him?”

“Of course, I do!”

“And how are you going to get all that cash? Is Ryan going to give it to you?”

The greedy bitch was irking Marisol’s nerves, but she knew she had to rein in her anger to get the end result. “It was his idea to up the ante. He’s already given me that gwap.”

“Good. Because you can get them both, this evening. They’re going to be on our block at her mother’s apartment.” The informant laughed. “We’re supposed to sit at the round table and plot you and Ryan’s murder.”

Chapter 27

Playing With Fire

“Good morning,” Cartier said sweetly into her cell, turning over on Head’s plush mattress. He’d gone to take a shower, so this was an opportunity for her to speak with her mother frankly.

“Good morning?” Trina’s voice elevated in surprise. “Since when you start using manners? You must be putting on airs in front of that nigga. Where he at? He laying right next to you?”

“Ain’t nobody putting on. Damn!”

Trina snorted, still a little miffed at the way Cartier had carried on with her the night before in front of Head. And when she thought about them not coming back to the house as he’d promised, leaving her to babysit, she got even more angry.

“What time are you coming home? Because I gave birth to three kids, not five. I’m not going to keep being your live-in nanny. You’re not Angelina Jolie.”

Cartier chuckled. She knew her mother was trying to pick a fight, but she wasn’t going to buy in to it. “Now what does Angelina have to do with anything?”

“You must think you’re some sort of celebrity, with the hours you keeping, running in and out of here with no care in the world.”

“Ma, I have cares, and I have worries, but I can’t spend every waking moment riding up and down the streets of New York looking for Ryan with a pistol in the palm of my hand. I already told you that I’m on high alert, watching my back and trying to settle the score. Can’t I have one day here and there to keep me from going insane? You have your soap operas, and now I have Head. Why do you keep trying to ruin this?”

Trina acquiesced. “Well, the kids are fine, and I’m fine too. You don’t have to rush home.”

“Thanks, Ma. I only have a few minutes before Head gets out of the shower. I need your help.”

If there was one thing that would always remain unchanged was Trina’s loyalty to her daughter. The moment Cartier said she needed help, Trina’s attitude shifted from the being a bickering nag to the protective mother. “What happened?”

“Remember, we were all supposed to meet up in Brooklyn tonight with Jason to discuss stepping up our efforts to get at Ryan and Marisol?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So I can’t make the meeting. I’m not going to cancel it, because Jason might have some valuable information. Let everyone meet there, and keep telling them I’m coming. I’ll need you to head up the meeting and ask all the questions I would. Meanwhile, Head wants me to go home and grab a few of our things and move us into his place.”

“When you say us, I hope you just mean you, not me and the kids, right?”

“No, he means all of us. That means the kids and you too.”

“What? Why, Cartier? I’m comfortable here.”

“Ma, it’s only temporary.”

“Well, how does his place feel to you? Is it safe?”

“Safe? Of course, it feels safe. It’s definitely on the low, and he hasn’t ever invited anyone over. Do you think I would bring the children here if it wasn’t safe?”

Trina was still reluctant. “No one knows about this place either, except Jason. And you said yourself he’d never do anything to hurt his kids. With the alarm system, surveillance cameras, and iron French doors, I’m not saying it’s Fort Knox, but it’s the closest thing to it.”

“Well, as I said, it’s only temporary, and honestly, Ma, he’s promised that he will outshine the house Jason bought us. But I really don’t care about all of that. I mean, it did make me smile, but I can buy our own house. It made me happy inside because he wants to do it. You feel me? And I want him to want to do it. I’m not saying I need a man. I don’t. But I want one. I want Head. It feels good waking up to him each morning. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to grow old alone.”

Trina knew what Cartier was trying to say. Cartier had always been independent. When Trina wasn’t stepping up to the plate as a mother, she went out there and made her own moves.

“Why are you doing all of this cloak-and-dagger stuff?”

“Ma, there isn’t any way I’m going to tell Head that I’m meeting with Jason tonight, nor is there any way I’m calling off this meeting. Jason might have valuable information.”

“But I thought you said Head is going to handle this?”

“He is.” Cartier exhaled, frustrated by her mother’s intense line of questioning. “But I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket. Head got a locale on where Ryan gambles once a week. What if he doesn’t show up tonight? Then that means we gotta wait another week? Nah, not when bullets are flying through my window. We need as many people active on this as possible. So, for the meantime, I have to keep Head and Jason as far apart as possible. I have a feeling if Head finds out that I’m still communicating with Jason about Ryan, or if I came out to meet up with Jason tonight, then I feel Head will certainly pull away.”

“Why don’t you tell him that he ain’t got anything to worry about? That you and Jason are done?”

“That’s all I’ve been telling him, but he doesn’t believe me. He knows that, not only am I Jason’s wife, but I have his kids. I know Head says he ain’t the jealous type, but he had someone he loved leave him, and if I were him, I’d be just a little cautious about dating a married chick. I just want to keep his worries at a minimum until we have more time under our belts and I get those divorce papers.”

****

“OK, so I’ma give you my truck to run home and pack up your family, and also this spare key.” Head tossed Cartier both sets. “I’ll meet you back here around seven to meet your little ones and get everyone settled, and then I’ll head back out to handle dude.”

It was already after four o’clock when Cartier headed back out toward Long Island. Trina had the kids all packed and ready, and Janet was there to drive Trina back to Brooklyn.

“So, remember, make sure y’all drill the fuck out of Jason.”

“What makes you think he has any info to drill?” Trina asked.

“That slimy bastard better have some information, if he knows what’s good for him,” Janet said. “And he better hope I don’t put my foot in his trifling ass.”

Janet was still pissed off that Jason was sleeping with Jalissa. Everyone was. No one trusted him as far as they could see him. He’d betrayed everyone’s trust.

“Well, I know we’re all furious with Jason, and I’m not going to try to say that I feel the most betrayed because he’s my husband. Janet, I know you’re just as hurt because this was, and always has been, about Shanine and Monya. But we need a remedy. And if Jason could finally step up to the plate and give us something—anything—that could help move us forward, then we gotta allow him that. So don’t go in there slinging accusations or trying to make him feel guilty about his actions. He won’t. Had he had any feelings for anyone beside himself, he would have never hooked up with her to begin with. And also keep in mind how immature he is. If you go down that road, I know him; he’ll act like a little child and walk out with his lips poked out without giving up any information.”

“And we’ll beat the shit out of him. Ain’t that right, Janet?” Trina exclaimed.

“Let him try that stupid shit and he won’t make it out that front door. I swear ’fore God, I’ll stab him!”

“And I’ll hold him down.”

The two feisty older women thought together they were invincible. Cartier felt nostalgic. That was supposed to be her and Monya in twenty year’s time.

“Well, don’t agitate him to act reckless. Everyone needs to keep their feelings in check, for the sake of Shanine and Monya, and for my future. These niggas are on my ass, and it’s only a matter of time before they get the drop on me, if we don’t get the drop on them first.”

****

Cartier met Head back at his apartment as she’d promised, kids in tow. This would be the first time he’d meet her two little sisters, Fendi and Prada, and her children, Christian and Jason Jr.

She was in the kitchen making dinner when he walked in. There was something über sexy about Head to her. His masculinity mixed with his maturity was endearing.

“I see we got a full house,” Head said, walking through the door, his warm smile directed toward the four children playing happily in the living room.

They all stopped what they were doing and looked up at the strange man.

“Who are you?” Fendi stood protectively in front of her baby sister, niece, and nephew.

“My name’s Henry. A friend of your sister’s.”

That was the first time Cartier had heard Head’s government name. She walked closer and stood within a few feet of Head. “Hey, Christian, Jason, come over here and meet my friend. This is who Mommy has been telling you about.”

The kids could care less about the stranger. They wanted to go home. They inched closer to Head with suspicious eyes, drinking him in.

The talkative Christian spoke up first. “Are you my mommy’s new boyfriend?”

Head chuckled and looked to Cartier.

“He’s a friend of mine, Christian. Now say hello, and go finish playing.”

“Are we gonna live here with you?”

“We’re going to hang out here for a few days.”

“But we don’t like it here.”

“OK, that’s enough. Go back and play until I fix dinner. Head, you wanna come in here with me?”

“Nah, I think I’ll stay out here and get to know my guests a little better.” He sat down on the sofa. “What are y’all playing?”

Prada said, “We wanna play with your game, but Cartier said no.”

Head looked at Cartier like she was the wicked witch. “Of course you can play with my game. Here, let me turn it on for you.”

Cartier walked back into the kitchen and continued to fix dinner. Shortly thereafter, Head walked in and began to help her by dicing up the vegetables.

“What you got going on in here?”

“Well, you had steak and more steak in your freezer, so I thought I’d cook steak.” Cartier laughed.

“Not a bad choice.” Head leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Listen, after I eat I’m going to bounce out of here and go handle that. Don’t expect me back home until early tomorrow morning.”

Cartier inhaled her fears. She hoped that by this time tomorrow evening Ryan and Marisol would have gone to meet their Maker. That Head would be safe.

As if reading her mind, Head said, “And don’t spend all evening worrying about me. I’ll be fine. On that I’ll make a promise.”

Cartier wanted to think only positively, but her gut kept telling her that she couldn’t rest easy until Head walked back through the door.

“Oh, I forgot to ask. Where’s Trina?”

Cartier fumbled and wiped her hands on the dishrag. “She decided to stay the night at Janet’s. Honestly, she wasn’t too keen about moving in here with us, but I’m sure she’ll be here tomorrow.”