La Bella Mafia Read online

  Carter was a man of little patience and as he checked the presidential that occupied his wrist he had to contain his anger. Tardiness was a sign of disrespect and Carter clenched his jaw as he folded his hands, placing them on the conference table in front of him. He was all business as he sat with a stern expression. The tailored Tom Ford suit he wore proved that he had graduated from the streets. He was no longer chasing hood fame; he was chasing them M’s . . . the legal way. Owner of The Davinci, Las Vegas’ newest resort and casino, he was a man with little free time. He had no hours in the day to waste. Miamor knew that. She had been by his side for so long that he already knew that her late arrival to their meeting was intentional. She was purposefully showing him that no matter how large he became, she would always run the show. He had given her the throne beside his. She was his queen and because of that he was on her time, like it or not. Carter leaned into the attorney that sat to his right. “We need to wrap this up.”

  Einstein looked across the table at the opposing counsel. “Mr. Levie, if your client doesn’t show up in the next five minutes, we will have to reschedule this mediation session,” he spoke. “Clearly she isn’t taking this situation very seriously. Mr. Jones has asked her numerous times what she wants. We have yet to receive a response and today she doesn’t even show up . . .”

  Davison Levie drummed his fingers on the oak table as he leaned back in his chair with one hand placed underneath his chin. “She will be here”

  “I am here.”

  Miamor’s voice caused all three men to turn their attention toward the door. Standing in a Carolina Herrera bodycon slip dress and five-inch heels, each of them were mesmerized by her beauty. Her hair fell in an asymmetrical bob around her face. Beautiful wasn’t quite the right word to describe Miamor. She was dangerous, enticing, and alluring. Miamor was simply a bad bitch. The curves of her body were so sharp that they were deadly. Even with her battle scars her face was still so pretty that it was deceptive. She was like a black widow. It was easy to get caught up in her web and very few escaped it. She took a seat beside her lawyer, sitting directly across from Carter. Her heart thundered in her chest. Seeing him made her blood boil, but oddly she loved him so much all at the same time. She could not believe that she was sitting across from him, when her place had been next to him for so long. Once lovers, they were now adversaries and it was still so hard for Miamor to believe. As she sat silently, soul bleeding, love dying, she wished that she could turn back the hands of time. Her eyes were cold, dark, and distant as she sat stiffly, trying to remain strong. There was no way she would give Carter the satisfaction of seeing her break, not over him, not over his infidelity and lies. She had thought he was so different. Carter had promised her a unique love, but in the end he had turned out to be just another nigga. He had broken her heart and now there was no turning back. They had survived many things, but his one mistake had brought their love to a screeching halt. Now they sat, at the divorce table, enemies as they each watched their love slip away.

  “Glad you could make it,” Carter said sarcastically.

  Miamor nodded her head but didn’t respond with words. She had nothing to say to him. She knew that if she opened her mouth to speak that nothing but tears and sobs would fall out. No, it was best if she remained composed and let her attorney do the speaking. She and Carter were beyond words at this point. She leaned into her lawyer and whispered, “Lay out my demands.”

  Levie cleared his throat. “Mrs. Jones wants everything. She wants to keep the fifty percent stake that they currently share in ownership of The Davinci Resort and Casino, she wants the house in Summerlin, and she wants the $10,000,000 that is in the joint savings. According to our records, Mr. Jones has another savings account that he opened last year. In that account is $50,000,000 that he had hidden from Mrs. Jones. She wants that as well. She wants to keep all vehicles that are currently parked at the home in Summerlin. She also wants all stocks and bonds that they have purchased since being married. The estate in Miami, he can have and the home in Flint, MI she has no interest in.” Miamor didn’t even need to mention the real money . . . the street money held more worth than all of their legal assets combined. It was hidden in safety deposit boxes across the country. She had already cleared out half of them and he didn’t even know it.

  Carter scoffed as if he had just heard a joke.

  “This should not be amusing Mr. Jones. Mrs. Jones is very serious about her demands. Considering that there was no prenuptial agreement . . .”

  “She’s not getting my casino,” Carter interrupted coolly, with a calm but serious tone.

  “That is my casino,” Miamor said. “While your ass was hiding out from a Fed case in Saudi, I was here with Breeze, with Leena, establishing The Davinci.”

  Carter stood to his feet and Einstein followed his cue. “Let us know when you have a serious offer. Mr. Jones is willing to offer a generous settlement. He has no intention of putting Mrs. Jones out in the streets. He wants to ensure that she is comfortable. But these demands are ludicrous. No judge will grant them,” Einstein stated.

  “A judge won’t have to,” Miamor replied. “I’ve got more than enough dirt on you Carter. It’s in your best interest to give me what I want.” Miamor spoke these words because she knew that if her attorney ever came out the mouth at Carter in such a way it would be the beginning of his end.

  “Mr. Jones because you are felon, you don’t have any real ownership at the Da Vinci,” Levie informed.

  “We signed a separate agreement,” Carter spoke. “A private agreement.”

  Levie pulled the contract out of a briefcase and placed it on the table. “Of which I am aware, but this won’t hold up in a court of law. The Casino is rightfully Mrs. Jones’.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” Carter stated directly to Miamor. “You can have this fit at home ma. You’re not going nowhere so let’s stop racking up the billing hours and send the suits home.” He could see the hurt in her eyes. No matter how hard of a front Miamor put on, Carter knew her. He could feel the disappointment and resentment radiating from her heart. He turned to Einstein. “Take Levie and step out of the room.”

  Levie objected. “I don’t advise my client to speak with you without me.”

  Carter’s eyes turned dark as he turned his attention to Miamor’s attorney. “Leave the room,” he demanded, his shoulders squared in authority as his baritone banished both men from the room.

  He turned toward Miamor when they were alone. It was the first time he had seen her in weeks. She had accepted no phone calls from him and hadn’t been home since she had found him cheating. Carter had no idea where she was even staying. “Can we talk?” he asked.

  “No,” she replied, stubbornly.

  “It’s not what it looks like. If you let me explain . . .” Carter started.

  “I caught a bitch half naked in your bed, it’s exactly what it looks like. There’s nothing more to say,” Miamor spat. Her words were so sharp that they cut Carter to the core. He could hear the contempt lacing her words. She was scorned, dejected, and scarred by all of the promises that he had broken. So many apologies sat on the edge of his tongue, waiting to leap out of his mouth, but he held them back. She was too full of anger to hear anything that he had to say at the moment and he wasn’t into wasting time.

  “I want it all,” she continued. “Every dollar, every business, every asset.”

  “You’re pushing me Miamor,” Carter warned. “I’m trying to be patient with you because I know that I hurt you. I fucked up,” he said through gritted teeth. “But don’t take that as weakness ma. You out of everybody know what it is. You know exactly what I’m capable of.”

  Miamor cut her eyes low in disgust. “Yes I do know Carter, but clearly you have forgotten what I’m capable of. You’ll soon find out. There is a price to pay for breaking my heart. I’m going to ruin you nigga.”

  Miamor stormed out of the conference room, bypassing both Levie and Einstein as she made
her exit. Heat pulsed through her as she made her way to her chauffeured vehicle. She was so full of emotion that it felt like she would combust. The history that she shared with Carter made it so hard to let him go. She had made him her everything and now that he had let her down, she was left with nothing but resentment. She looked at the world through a bitter lens as she slid into the plush interior of the Cadillac truck. The driver closed the door and Miamor leaned her elbow against the windowsill. Rest. Contentment. Peace of mind. She wondered if she would ever feel those things again. Turmoil had taken over her world and a sick knot was ever present in her gut. She was sick from grief as she mourned the loss of the greatest love she had ever known. She let her head fall to the side as her chin rested against her balled fist. Tears came to her eyes. How did I let another woman sneak into his bed? she pondered, miserably. She tried to think of where she had gone wrong. What had she done to deserve the disloyalty that Carter had shown her? She hadn’t even seen the signs or had she seen them and just ignored them. She had trusted Carter and he had burned her. Miamor was lost. She was once a woman who needed no one until Carter had changed that. He had convinced her to trust him, had gotten her dependent on his affection. Now that they were at odds all she felt was pain. Her pain made her want to cause pain and she had her cross hairs focused on the man whom had wronged her. Killing his little jump off wasn’t enough. Miamor wanted Carter to pay for making her feel like just another lovesick girl. Taking his empire was the only way to make him feel as small as she did right now. Despite her hate for Carter, she couldn’t bury her love. It had been too strong. It would take years for her to get over Carter Jones. He was undoubtedly the great love of her life. Miamor knew that the type of bond that they had shared would never exist again. As her mind drifted down memory lane she looked for someone, something to blame. She couldn’t help but think back to Miami, where The Cartel reigned, and all of the drama began . . .

  Chapter 1

  “I’ve been to a funeral where there was a body but no death.”

  —Miamor

  Miami

  5 years prior

  Lost in the morning sky, Carter was silent as he stared out of the window, his mind full of a million thoughts and his heart conflicted. The billows of white clouds gave him a sense of serenity. At 30,000 feet in the air he felt as if nothing could touch him. Fuck a fed, he was flying high. No case could bring him crashing to the ground, or so he hoped. Running from a fight wasn’t really Carter’s style, but things had happened so quickly that he didn’t have a choice. If he and his brothers had stayed in Miami, they would be in federal custody right now. He needed time to make these problems disappear. His mind drifted to Miamor and his newborn son. Guilt-ridden by his sudden departure, he tortured himself with the fact that he wouldn’t be around to take care of the ones he loved. He didn’t know how long he would have to stay away and it killed him that he wouldn’t be around to get to know the life that he had created. He wouldn’t be there to see Miamor transform into the woman she was born to be. He had confidence that she would be a great mother, but to see her playing the role that every woman was made for would have made his heart loyal to her forever. He was missing all of that and it left him with a disgruntled soul. They were half way across the Atlantic, as the private jet ate away at the distance between the States and Bermuda. They were out of U.S. airspace so they were safe. Their escape had been executed flawlessly. He just hated that they had left their families behind. He was confident that Miamor could handle herself in his absence. Unlike Breeze and Leena, she knew the game. Miamor would be just fine until he returned . . . of that much he was certain. Carter looked over at Monroe and Zyir, grateful for his right and left hand. Although they had been at odds, there was nothing like a common enemy to make men come together. The federal case against them was enough to make them put their differences aside for the time being. Carter only prayed that the peace lasted because if he had to choose between the two of them, even he couldn’t call how it would turn out.

  “Everything good?” Zyir asked, noticing the wrinkled brow of his mentor. He knew that whenever Carter grew silent and his eyes distant that there was something in the air.

  Carter pinched his chin as he rested his elbow against the armrest. He rubbed his five o’clock shadow as he nodded his head.

  “We left something undone,” Zyir stated, knowingly. Carter didn’t have to disclose his thoughts in order for Zyir to know what was wrong. “The women.”

  Carter confirmed with a nod, still deep in thought. Zyir sat up in the leather seat and rested his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his hands together. “They don’t know anything, they can’t be touched.”

  Monroe interjected, “That don’t mean shit. The Feds will catch em’ up with RICO. Just from spending the money they can build a case against all of them. Then what? Li’l Money ends up where? Li’l Carter goes to who? There is no more family left. We are all we got.”

  “If the Feds go after the ladies the case won’t stick,” Carter said. “I know Miamor. She’ll handle it and I left a bank account full of money with the lawyers. Nothing will happen to them, they’re protected.”

  “I hope you’re sure,” Monroe said.

  “I am brother,” Carter confirmed.

  Zyir raised his head. “Is there a chance we could go back?” He had left without a good-bye, without warning. One moment he was with Breeze, the next he was not. He had done so many things that he had yet to apologize for and still had so many I love yous that he wanted to express to her. He felt as if he had left his home unstable. He could only imagine how she felt at the moment.

  “I don’t know,” Carter admitted. “Right now, this brotherhood here . . .” He pointed between the three of them. “This is all we have. This is the family that we can rely on. We left Leena, Breeze, and Miamor with enough money to last a few lifetimes. The Feds took some of it, but there is so much more that they will never trace. Our families are set. They will survive. Miamor is a shooter with a reputation behind her. Niggas won’t run up on her without thinking twice. She can hold down The Cartel. They are safe. The question is are we?”

  “The Fed case is solid,” Monroe said dismally. “If we get caught . . .”

  “We can’t get caught,” Carter said with finality.

  He stood and walked up to the captain’s cabin. The middle-aged white man had large headphones on his head and aviator shades covering his eyes. He focused intently on the sky before him. The serene look on his face was understandable. As Carter looked out of the front window he realized that the pilot had the best view. Nothing but white clouds filled his vision. It was easy to get lost in the sky and Carter stood mesmerized for a moment at the incredible sight. It was one that not many people got to see. He placed a hand on the captain’s shoulder. “It’s time,” he announced. “Turn off all communication. As far as the government is concerned this plane should drop out of the sky. We’re all dead to the world from this moment forward. You do understand that you can never go back to the States?” he grilled.

  “I understand. A million dollars is enough to make a new life somewhere else,” the pilot responded.

  “Good,” Carter said. He gave the pilot a pat on the back and then watched as the man made the flight disappear from airspace.

  The ocean below them sparkled many shades of blue and turquoise as the plane descended out of the sky. They arrived in paradise as the plane’s wheels touched the ground with a gentle thud. The cabin rocked slightly as the pilot slowed and taxied to a stop on the private clear port. The three men emerged, suited, and unscathed as if escaping federal custody was a simple feat. When the federal scope fell upon most empires it fell instantly, but The Cartel would survive. Carter was smart. He had prepared himself for the scrutiny. It was his ability to foresee the government’s attack that had allowed him to elude it. Carter shrugged on his suit jacket as he frowned from the bright sun that shined into his eyes. A titanium briefcase was gripped tightly in his hand. The thre
e men stood at the bottom of the steps and waited for the pilot to exit.

  “Safe and sound in Bermuda! Just like I promised you boys. Now where’s my million dollars,” he said as his face pulled outward in a wide, gap filled, smile. He was already spending the money in his head. His greedy palms couldn’t wait to feel the tax-free dollars flipping through his fingers.

  Carter passed the man the briefcase and shook his hand firmly. “Stay out of the states. Go anywhere but there,” Carter instructed.

  “You’ve got it, you’re the boss,” the pilot replied. Carter nodded at the warehouse that sat adjacent to the airstrip. “There’s a mechanic waiting inside there. He will get you refueled and make sure you’re good before you take off.”

  “Take-off? I though Bermuda was the final destination?” he asked.

  “It is our final destination, you will be going elsewhere,” Carter answered sternly. The pilot nodded in reluctant understanding as Carter, Zyir, and Monroe walked away.

  They looked like Mafioso as they strutted powerfully across the clear port in their expensive Italian suits.