Return of the Cartier Cartel (6 page)

“Y’all chicks are playing. It’s too damn crowded in here, and I got so much to do to get ready for tonight. I’m going to take a cab back home.”

“Nah, don’t leave us. Stay. We got hours before the party tonight. You know we ain’t rolling up in there until right before midnight. It’s eleven o’clock in the morning.” Lately all Cartier did was play wifey, so being out with her friends and having girl talk was really important.

Bam hesitated for a moment, searching for a way to duck out on Cartier and Li’l Momma. “I want to get my nails done and—”

“We gotta get our nails done too, so you might as well wait for us.”

Bam didn’t reply.

An hour later, Bam was gone, which annoyed Cartier. “Damn! Why Bam acting like that? I mean, we all came together, so we should leave together, right?”

Had Li’l Momma not been bored, perhaps Bam’s secret would have remained just that a little longer. “I know why she left.”

“Huh?”

“I said, I know why Bam left.”

“Am I supposed to get three guesses?” Cartier asked. “Or are you going to just tell me?”

Li’l Momma looked around before whispering, “You gotta promise not to flip.”

“Flip? Why would I flip? Just tell me the dirt. You know I don’t like secrets.”

Li’l Momma thought about that statement. Now she was annoyed. “Who does like secrets? What sense does that make?”

“Yo, Li’l Momma, I don’t got time for this. You began this conversation,” Cartier said, her voice slightly elevated. “Just fucking finish it.”

“I am trying to finish it, but you saying stupid shit like, you don’t like secrets. All I’m saying is, who the fuck does? And now you screamin’ on me.”

Cartier remembered she always had to handle Li’l Momma differently. She wasn’t as easily intimidated as the others, nor did she ever allow Cartier to just scream on her. Cartier exhaled. “Just tell me why Bam left. Please.”

Li’l Momma liked to demand respect from Cartier. Li’l Momma felt that, even as they grew older, Cartier still held on to the notion that she was their leader and that what she said was law. Although it was like that growing up, they were in their twenties now, so there was no way she was taking any flak from Cartier, who Li’l Momma thought was a bully. They should have all bonded together back in the day and put a stop to Cartier’s bullying, but they didn’t. In their own way, Monya and Li’l Momma always challenged Cartier, but not hard enough to get her to change her ways. Cartier was the spitting image of Trina, and Li’l Momma felt like, forty years from now, Cartier would still be just as immature as Trina.

Li’l Momma inched closer and lowered her voice. “Bam has been seeing Big Mike.” She waited for a reaction. “Did you hear me?”

Cartier heard precisely, but shock had temporarily paralyzed her. Could this really be true? Could Bam really go against the grain?

“And how do you feel about that?” Cartier didn’t know why those were the first words she chose; she didn’t give a fuck how Li’l Momma felt.

“I think it’s cool, but what I feel isn’t cool is her keeping it a secret from you. She should have told you from jump.”

Again, Cartier couldn’t believe what this moron was saying. She knew she couldn’t exactly explode in the crowded salon, but she wasn’t going to condone the betrayal.

“Li’l Momma.” Cartier leaned in and lowered her voice. “Bam fucking around with Big Mike is anything but cool. And that’s not just my opinion. I would bet money that if we took a vote, it would be three against two. Me, Shanine, and Monya would all agree that you two have lost y’all minds.”

Li’l Momma rolled her almond-shaped eyes. “You’re not going to lay any guilt trip on me. First off, I’m not the one fucking Big Mike, and two, you can’t speak for Shanine or Monya.”

Cartier lost her cool and elevated her voice as she rose to her feet, and Li’l Momma followed suit.

“Oh, yes I can! If I don’t, who will? Are you forgetting that our best friend is dead and Monya ain’t in the position to give interviews? And for all we know, Big Mike had something to do with it.”

“I ain’t gonna ever forget what happened to Shanine or Monya, but I’ve kicked it with Big Mike, and he ain’t the one. He’s a good dude, and he’s feeling Bam. So if Bam is happy, then I’m happy for her. Just because Shanine is gone and Monya ain’t awake to enjoy her life doesn’t mean that Bam has to stop her lif—”

The swift hook to Li’l Momma’s right jaw loosened a tooth. The two-piece combination, both landing accurately, instantly dazed Li’l Momma as she visually lost focus. The barrage of punches were coming so quickly, she never had a chance to defend herself.

In all their years of friendship, Li’l Momma had always harbored a slight resentment toward Cartier. Thoughts of fighting with her had always circulated in her head, but somehow, getting beat down wasn’t ever what she had envisioned. She thought she could have whipped Cartier’s ass, but now she was getting dragged across the floor of the salon and getting pummeled by her friend. It felt like hours before a few people got up enough courage to break up the one-sided fight.

Li’l Momma gathered her things. “This shit ain’t over, bitch! I’ma fuck you up!”

“You and what army?”

Cartier wasn’t trying to hear Li’l Momma’s beef. She had bigger fish to fry. She tossed two crisp hundred-dollar bills to Sophie for disrespecting her place and then sat down to finish what she’d started. She had a party to attend.

Chapter 8

What About Your Friends?

Cartier raced home after getting her hair set. She knew Jason would be home, since she had his ride. Of course, he was still sleeping, though it was slightly after three o’clock in the afternoon.

Still amped up after the morning’s events, Cartier went straight in to speak with Trina. “Ma, where are the kids?”

“I asked Janet to take them for a while to give me a break. She drove over here this morning shortly after you left. All that hollering was getting on my last nerve. And if Fendi asks me one more time, could she put on her bathing suit and go swim in that cold ocean, I’ma jump out that damn window.”

Both women laughed heartily. Cartier realized that lately Trina had been on edge. Living under Cartier and Jason’s roof, Trina wasn’t able to have company anymore, so Cartier knew her mother was tense. As much as she loved luxuriating in their new house, the downside was, it took away her freedom as an adult. Trina still felt like she had it going on and wasn’t ready to be the old lady of the house.

“Well, I’m glad they’re gone because I need to kick it with you.”

Anticipating drama, Trina immediately perked up. Anything to put a spark in her dull life. “What’s up?”

“I had to whip Li’l Momma’s ass today.”

“What? Why y’all fighting?” Trina lit up her Newport cigarette.

“Her mouth too damn smart. You should have heard some of the things she was saying.”

“Who was saying?” Jason asked.

Cartier and Trina were so involved in the gossip, they hadn’t heard him come downstairs.

“I’m glad you’re awake. You need to hear this too. I tried to almost kill Li’l Momma this morning in Sophie’s. Her raggedy ass should be happy she’s still alive. I just started beasting on her.”

“Get the fuck outta here.” Jason’s interest was piqued. “Give me the play-by-play.”

“Yo, her mouth is too reckless. But y’all not gonna believe what I’m about to say.” Cartier paused for effect. “Bam is fucking Big Mike.”

There was a pregnant pause as both parties drank in the information.

“Is that bitch stupid?” Trina spoke up first. “If Janet find out, she will do Bam dirty. If Bam thought Donnie beat her brains in, Janet will choke the life outta her.”

“Out of all people, I’m most shocked by Bam,” Jason said. “All I wanna know is, how the fuck they got together? Word on the street was, Big Mike was in S.C., and all along he right in our backyard. You think she was gonna set us up?”

“At this point I don’t know shit,” Cartier responded vacantly. “All I know is, Li’l Momma think that shit is OK, and for that she got her ass beat!”

“I should go over there and whip her ass too, just on G.P.,” Trina said, forgetting she was in her forties.

Jason didn’t like what he was hearing. “You know you can’t fuck with her no more. I don’t want to hear y’all cool again and see her in my ride.”

Cartier shook her head. “I’m not going to do her like that. The first thing we need to do is speak with Bam and hear her out. I need her to explain how she could fuck around with the enemy. But, in all fairness, we never did officially place Big Mike on the do-not-fuck list. The only people who said he had to get it was you and me, Jay.”

“But she knew he was on our list of suspects.” Trina wasn’t about to let Bam get off easily.

“But we can all admit that Ryan was always the prime suspect, so let’s cut her some slack, at least until I speak with her.”

“So whatchu gonna do about Li’l Momma?”

“Fuck Li’l Momma. I need a subscription for all the issues she got. That bitch probably in ICU right now. She had the balls to basically write off Monya and Shanine, so she’s lucky all she got was a beat-down.”

Cartier sat down and began pulling off her boots. Today wasn’t a good day for her. She hated to admit it, but she understood what Li’l Momma was trying to say. She just didn’t respect the way it was said. Li’l Momma was trying to show she was a good friend to Bam, now that one Cartel member was gone and to put it mildly one Cartel member was put on a permanent vacation. Cartier wanted the best for her friend, but it didn’t have to be at the expense of justice for Monya and Shanine.

With a boatload of niggas out there to fuck, Cartier thought Bam just had to get over it. She crossed a line that should have never been crossed. They were a crew, and no nigga or bitch came before your crew. Bam would just have to choose which side of the line drawn in the sand she wanted to stand on.

“Do you think she called and told Bam?”

“I’m sure she did, but Bam hasn’t called me yet. And that’s fine, because I want to see her face-to-face.”

“So check it,” Jason began. “Before the sun comes up tomorrow morning, Bam is going to help us set up Big Mike. If she doesn’t, then she’s added to the list.”

“What?”

Cartier’s voice elevated to an unrecognizable shrill. She’d been through a lot, not only today but in the past year. The Cartel was dismantling. She didn’t like that they used to be closer than sisters but were now seemingly archenemies. Cartier continually felt herself being pulled in so many different directions. Her loyalty was split in so many directions—her husband, her kids, Janet, Trina, her siblings, Monya, and Shanine. And she was constantly feeling like she had to carry all burdens. If it meant scrapping in the streets, then so be it. But the last thing she ever wanted to do was fight with Li’l Momma or Bam. Yeah, she was hyped after they fought. But now, with Jason talking reckless as if Bam wasn’t like a sister to her, she had to question her own actions. If she wasn’t respecting them, how could she expect her husband to? Especially when most men always wanted to shelter their chick away from their girlfriends.

“Who stepped to the side and crowned you boss?”

“Cartier, don’t get cute in front of your mother ’cause I will slap the shit outta you in front of your mother. I ain’t Li’l Momma!”

“Try it!” Cartier barked back.

“Ain’t nobody slapping nobody.” The last thing Trina needed was for Jason to get up enough gumption to try and hit her baby because, if he did, it would certainly be the last hit he’d ever attempt.

“No, he actin’ like Bam is some stranger on the street. This is my sister he’s talking about. I didn’t even get to hear her side—”

“There ain’t no side! And what about Monya and Shanine? Huh?”

“Jay, I gotta kick it with her first and hear her out. If I know one thing it’s that Bam loved us all equally, and she wouldn’t fuck with this kid if she felt like he had anything to do with what happened to Monya and Shanine. I just think it was a bad judgment call on her part.”

“You sound crazy! You think that slow-ass Bam is smart enough to know if this nigga had something to do with what went down. Do you think that niggas really be admitting who they murdered during pillow talk? ’Cause if you do, I’m telling you right now, that’s bullshit. Of course, he gonna tell her he ain’t have nothing to do with what happened. He probably already swore on his momma’s life and all that.” Jason shook his head. “I just never figured you to be this gullible, Cartier. You’re slipping.” Jason walked out of the room, leaving Cartier with some scathing parting words.

Was she slipping? Visions of her time in Los Angeles, allowing Jason to run through her while she said and did nothing resurfaced. The cold, steel gun being pointed in her face as his mistress continually mocked her turned her stomach sour. In a matter of months she’d been called dumb, gullible, immature—a host of descriptions that didn’t sit too well with her. Cartier needed time to reflect on her actions. Being dumb, gullible, and immature in the game she was in could cost her her life.

Chapter 9

Poppin’ Bottles

It was a given that Li’l Momma would be unable to go to the party. What wasn’t expected was, Bam tried to make an excuse not to go.

“What do you mean, you don’t want to go now?” Cartier asked, grilling Bam.

“Cartier, I’m exhausted. I’ve been running around since this morning, and I just want to get some rest.”

“Did you speak to Li’l Momma today after you left us?”

“Li’l Momma?”

“That’s what I said. Did you not hear me?” Cartier replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, I heard you. But, no, I haven’t spoken to her at all. Last I heard from her, you two were together,” Bam lied.

“Well, unfortunately for you, Li’l Momma and I got into it today, so she won’t be going to the party. And I didn’t leave my husband and kids in bed today to get all glammed up to not go out and have a good time. So pretend this is tag, ’cause you’re it. Whatever you have to do to get up enough energy, please do it and meet me at Trina’s house around ten. And, Bam? ”