Chapter 14
“This feels like the end Mia.”
—Carter
Miamor sat next to Carter as she clasped his shackled hand. Their attorney, Rosenberg spoke on his behalf. Money and Zyir had already signed their plea deals. Carter was last up and although in her heart Miamor knew that this was necessary, it still didn’t feel right. Maybe it would have been better to let him stay on the run, she thought. At least than he would be a free man.
As Broome ran down the terms of the plea bargain Carter was stoic. His expressionless face was hard to read. He almost appeared numb to it all. Prison was a place that he had promised himself to never go. He would have much rather let his legend die in the streets, under a hail of bullets, than to let it become obsolete in a prison cell. He didn’t want to be another hood legend forgotten. The steel bars and brick walls had a way of keeping you out of sight and out of mind. He feared that the most. Everything that he had built, everything that The Cartel had accomplished would become a memory. For an inmate, life froze in place. The only two days that mattered was the day you went in and the day you got out. On the outside, however, life moved on and he knew that eventually even his woman would disappear. He wanted to think of her as the exception, but time waited for no man. Miamor was beautiful and smart, not to mention cunning. Another boss with another organization, perhaps in a different city would eventually spot her and claim her as his own. She was a kingpin’s perfect prize.
“Carter,” Miamor whispered, sensing something was wrong with her man. He looked up at her. She frowned because in all the time that she had known him, she had never seen him look so unsure. Indecision, was not a quality that he often exuded.
“Please clear the room,” she said. “I’d like a moment alone with Carter before he pleads out.”
“That isn’t protocol,” Broome began.
Miamor shot him a look so deadly that it silenced him into submission.
“You have two minutes,” Broome said as he stood and escorted Rosenberg out of the room.
“This feels like the end Mia,” Carter admitted. “The end of The Cartel, the end of us, the end of it all. Shit is fucked up. There is no way I can keep control from the inside.”
“This is the beginning Carter. Five years is not long enough to scare me away. You don’t worry about anything. I will keep it all together. You just have to trust me,” Miamor said.
Carter nodded and kissed her lips. “Whatever you do you keep it out of my ear. I don’t expect you to wait, but I expect you to be respectful. Don’t tarnish my name ma,” he stated seriously. He was a realist. He had seen this same situation play out too many times before not to know how it ended.
“I only want you,” she reassured. What he didn’t realize was that he was it for her. She truly only had eyes for one man. “I don’t want you to doubt me Carter. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, in order for you to trust me. Let’s get married. Right here, today. You know me. I’ll never break that vow.”
“And you know me, I’d never trap you with that vow,” Carter replied. “When I marry you, you’ll be in a white dress. You’ll have the violins and white doves and hundreds of guests . . . because you deserve that. I’ll never trap you. I don’t want you stuck with me because you have to be . . .”
“I want to be stuck with you forever Carter. Whether you’re next to me every night or not. I’ll wait and I don’t need no fancy shit to do that. I just need your promise to love me and to be faithful to me,” she said sincerely.
“I’m about to be property of the federal government for five years ma. You realize that?” he asked.
“I will ride with you through whatever,” she promised. “If this is what I have to do to prove that than let me. Or am I just not the type you think of when you think of a wife?”
Carter leaned into her, but the handcuffs that bound him to his chair stopped him from fully reaching her. She met him halfway. When they kissed Miamor could have sworn she heard angels singing. That’s how pure their love felt. “You know better than that,” Carter replied. “No other type could ever be my wife. It’s always been you.”
Broome opened the door and entered with Rosenberg on his tail, interrupting their brief moment. Miamor realized it would be a long time before they ever truly had privacy again.
“We want to fill out an application for marriage. We’d like to make it happen before he goes in,” Miamor said.
Broome loosened his tie. She had him by the balls and all of her requests were making him appear weak to his colleagues. She was pushing the limits of their arrangement, but what could he do? Since Carter had not yet pled guilty, the approval of the marriage request was up to Broome’s discretion, not some warden. Before he could respond Miamor said, “Make it happen, we’ll wait. After we are married, Carter will sign your deal and enter his guilty plea.”
Carter was amazed at how Miamor was running the show. She had the P.A. jumping through hoops at the drop of a dime. As a judge was summoned, the couple stood in front of one another. “Are you sure this is how you want to do this Miamor?” Carter asked.
She nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I love you. I don’t need the pomp and circumstance,” she assured.
Her answer held nothing but truth and as they stood two people reciting vows in a downtown federal building, they became one. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t as she had imagined. They were perfect for each other and it didn’t matter that they were being thrust into imperfect circumstances.
“I now pronounce you, man and wife,” the judge said dryly. It wasn’t perfect or romantic, but it was official and that’s all that either of them wanted. Miamor smiled. “You may kiss your bride.”
They didn’t even give Carter the ability to wrap his hands around his new wife. They kept him handcuffed, but it didn’t matter. His mouth found hers anyway and this one kiss elevated their bond to the next level. She could feel his energy pulsing through her body as if suddenly she knew what true love felt like. Broome gave them no time to celebrate before he got back to the task at hand.
“Hmm, hmm,” he cleared his throat and slid the paperwork across the desk.
Carter felt Miamor’s hand rubbing his back softly in support as he leaned over, fumbling with the pen because both of his hands were locked by the cuffs. He put his John Hancock sloppily on the paper in front of him and was instantly whisked off.
“I believe this ends our business,” Broome stated as he looked at Miamor smugly. “Hope you have some frequent flier miles,” he said. “I’m shipping those sons of bitches to a federal institution in Colorado.” It was his way of making things difficult.
Miamor turned and walked out of the office. She wasn’t angry, she had anticipated some type of kink in the plan. As she slid into her chauffeured SUV she dialed Aries.
“Miamor, is everything good?” Aries asked.
“As good as to be expected right now,” Miamor replied. “I need you to put me in touch with Timmy Bono.”
“Sure, but what do you have up your sleeve bitch?” Aries asked with laughter in her voice. She knew Miamor too well and could only imagine why she needed to be put in contact with the notorious Italian mobster.
“Nothing beats the cross,” Miamor started.
“Like the double cross,” Aries finished. “Consider it done.”