Cartier Cartel (27 page)

She glanced over at Christian sleeping peacefully and then thought
about Jason. What if someone took his life? Or took Cartier's life? Their child
would grow up without a mother or father. That was exactly what Cartier and
Monya did to Donnie.

"I don't want this blood money," she began.

Trina spun around. "What you talking about you don't want it? What
does that mean?"

"It means just that. I simply don't want it. All that money will do is destroy
everything bought from it and I don't want any more dark days in my life."

"I done struggled, sacrificed, and put your needs before mine," Trina
replied. "All these years so when you came out you'd have some money to start fresh, and now you're saying that I could have used that money to
provide a better lifestyle for me and these kids?"

Cartier was quickly annoyed. Her chest heaved up and down from stress.
The day wasn't going how she'd envisioned all these years.

"Ma, you acting as if that's your money," Cartier responded. "You didn't
do one thing to earn one dollar in this here box. This is blood money and I
don't have to explain anything about its contents to you. I'm giving the Cartel
their share of the money and that's all I have to say about it."

"The Cartel?" Trina was mortified. Images of fur coats and crocodile
shoes began flashing through her head. She could have thought of a million
ways she could have fucked up that money. Rage was boiling over inside of
her and she didn't know how to react. Surely, she didn't raise no fool, but
Cartier was acting as if she'd gotten hit with the dumb branch of the tree and
Trina didn't like it one bit.

"Yes, the Cartel," Cartier said. "This money is rightfully theirs as it is
mine."

Trina thought for a second. Her daughter was serious and short of
fighting her for the money. She knew it was a good as gone.

"But part of it is yours too, so why can't you give me your share? It ain't
like we in here living in the lap of luxury. We need shit too. Besides, the Cartel
got enough drug money. They probably won't even take your little funky
offering. And also, I think that you're beefing by giving them that money.
After all they've done to you it will seem to them that you're trying to buy
back their friendship. I don't know about you, but my pride wouldn't allow
me to feel like that."

"Look, Ma, don't try and play those Jedi mind tricks. Ain't nobody on
this here earth going to turn down green money. I don't care how much they
got in the stash."

"But, Cartier, I expected you to do something with this money," Trina
said honestly. "I was hoping you'd invest it into something that would bring more money and in the long run if you were all right financially, then you
make sure I was all right. If you give that money away what you gonna have?
Nothing. You'll be starting from scratch."

"Ma, I got a husband who will support his family until I'm stable enough
to contribute. That's all I need. And you're correct and I need you to rest in
my words. Once I'm financially stable, you won't want for anything. I promise
you that."

Trina shrugged. There wasn't anything she could say. She turned around
away from the box of money and retreated to the quiet of her bedroom.
She was done talking. Mostly, she was done looking in Cartier's face. Trina
couldn't face stupid. At the moment, Trina reasoned that Cartier's first name
was now Stupid.

artier had dozed off to sleep on her mother's sofa and was knocked
out. She didn't even hear the doorbell ringing, although she was just
inches away.

"Cartier, didn't you hear the door?" Trina screamed, who was still sour
about the money issue.

"I would have answered it if I heard it," Cartier said as she stood up,
stretched, and wiped the cold out of her eyes. She knew Trina was still bitter
and she wasn't about to feed into her mother's drama. She looked out the
window and it was pitch dark. It felt late. Jason came strolling through as if
it wasn't nearly eleven o'clock at night. Once Cartier realized the time, her
nerves were irked, but she refused to curse his silly ass out. She decided that
they would talk about it like adults once they were alone.

"What's up, baby?"Jason asked and pecked Cartier on her cheek. "I'm sorry
I'm late. I got caught up in so much stuff tonight, you wouldn't believe it."

Cartier slowly shook her head up and down. "That's cool. Let me go and
get Christian and then I'm ready." Cartier began packing up a few things,
including the money in a small duffle bag, scooped up Christian, kissed Trina, and they were off.

Once safely inside the confines of his Yukon, Cartier started off slowly.

"I understand that all ofthis is new to you and that you're not used to having
a curfew. But your daughter shouldn't be out here almost midnight waiting on
her father to come and pick her up. Whatever you had to do could have waited
until tomorrow. I'm not even going to throw my feelings in the mix."

"You right. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Where were you?" she surprisingly asked.

"Huh?"Jason was clearly caught off guard by the question.

Cartier cut her eyes. She didn't want to revert to her old ways. She had to
call on all her strength not to knock Jason upside his head. Nor did she want
to mention the freshly implanted scratch running down the side of his face to
his throat. No doubt a bitch.

"I said, where were you?" she asked again.

"Oh, I had some running around to do and money to pick up," he lied.
"You know, shit like that."

"I thought you told me that once I came home that you were leaving the
game and going legit."

"I'm working on that. I just got some more paper to stack so that you and
the baby don't want for nothing."

"I think me and Christian will have more than enough as long as you're
in our lives"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm just saying that if you stop doing what you're doing and come home
at a decent hour every night, then that's all we'll need."

"Awww, that ain't shit. I can do that," he bolstered.

"I hope so," Cartier replied and touched the side of his face. She loved
him so much but in her gut there was this eerie feeling of dread and doom
lingering and she couldn't explain it away.

"Listen, I went to the jeweler today to pick you out a three carat, emerald cut ring."

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"Because I want to replace that gold band you got on. My wife needs
bling."

"I love my gold band," Cartier began. "You know what. Don't buy me that
ring although I love you for wanting to do that for me. But I want a house.
You can use the money you were going to use on my ring and buy us a house.
Use that money as a down payment. I want Christian to have a backyard.
That's always been my dream."

"You sure, because in a couple of months I'll be able to do both," Jason
replied matter-of-factly.

"You mean a couple more months in the game," Cartier replied as she
looked at him. "Stop it, Jason. Let's stick to our plans and not veer off. I want
the house."

"OK, OK... geez ... you're so bossy."

"That's what you love about me."

"You know it."

That night, after they made love, Cartier asked Jason about the scratch
on his face.

"I was slap boxing with Kareem. That nigga is like a bitch with his long
nails. I told him that you were going to flip."

Cartier said nothing. She didn't believe one word of his alibi, but instead
of telling him that, she snuggled up closer under his strong arms and went to
sleep. No sense in arguing about something she couldn't prove.

he next day, Cartier got up early, made breakfast, and thought they'd
spend the day together.

"I promise I will be back before noon," the excuse escaped Jason's lips.
"And we all gonna spend the next few days together doing nothing but being
a family and celebrating that you're home."

Cartier was heated. "Jason, I'm not going to tolerate this too much
longer!" She sat at the table and watched Jason wolf down his breakfast in an
attempt to get out of the apartment. She realized breaking him in and making
a married man out of him was going to be tougher than she thought.

"Ma, calm down. I just said you ain't gonna have to take me handling my
business too much longer." He kissed her lips. "I promise I'll be back before
you know it."

When Jason embraced Cartier, they began to passionately kiss. Instantly,
she felt moist and wanted to make love. Her hand went down to his jeans
and she realized they had something in common. His dick was brick hard.
Jason ushered Cartier to the kitchen table and sat her at the edge, positioning
himself between her thighs. Quickly, he pulled her panties to the side and
began to apply pressure against her moist, warm cave. Cartier began to rock
her hips, inch-by-inch he opened her up until he had a good rhythm and his
stroke was slow and steady.

"Fuck this pussy, baby..." Cartier purred into his ear as he leaned down
and began to suck her nipples. As Jason sped up and the feeling began to
intensify, Christian began to cry. They tried in vain to ignore her, but her
crying persisted and eventually they stopped.

"Damn, see how spoiled she is?" Jason joked as he backed away and
began to zip up his pants. "She don't want us to make another baby in here."

Cartier laughed and went to get Christian.

"A'ight, I'm out."

Cartier called a car service to take her and Christian back to her old
neighborhood. She wanted to handle her business and get on with life. To
move forward she had to go back to her past.

Her first stop was Janet's house. She knew Monya no longer lived there,
but this was more convenient and she didn't want to beef with Monya. If
she saw Monya, there was no telling what would transpire. She was trying
to prevent that. She had already decided to give Janet Monya's share to give
to her.

Cartier tapped on the door until she heard a familiar voice. It was Janet.

"Oh my gosh, Cartier. What a pleasant surprise," Janet clutched her chest,
"And you brought the baby by to see me."