The Cartel - Ashley Antoinette Snell [43]
“Yeah, I hear you,” Mecca replied hesitantly. He hated taking orders from his older brother, and still wasn’t used to there being more than Money, Breeze, and himself, but inside he knew that Carter was right.
“A’ight, fam, I’ll be back in town in a couple days. I’ll be in touch,” Carter said before hanging up.
Mecca pulled his bloody t-shirt over his head and slapped hands with his twin brother.
“Go sit your ass down somewhere, bro. I’ll go pick up the cash and drop Leena off at home.” Money headed toward the door.
“Yo, Money!” Mecca shouted.
Money stopped and turned around to listen, raising his eyebrows to let his brother know that he had his attention.
“I love her, fam. Make sure she’s okay for me, a’ight.”
Money nodded and left the room.
Money pulled up to Sheed’s spot. Sheed was one of their best workers, so he was positive that his street lieutenant would be able to handle the police. There were no squad cars in sight, but the block was live with residents sitting around discussing the events that had happened that day. Money stepped out of the car and all eyes seemed to be on him. He was slightly irritated at how much attention Mecca had brought to their block, but he understood that Mecca had to react. It was either kill or be killed, and Money knew that Mecca had made the best decision that he could have made under the circumstances.
He knocked on the front door, and it opened instantly.
“Fam, the police was asking everybody questions. I didn’t see shit, nah mean?” Sheed allowed Monroe to enter his living room.
“You got that?” Money asked.
Sheed pulled the duffle bag out of his coat closet and tossed it to Money. Opening the bag to make sure it was all there, Money tried to inventory the cash quickly by sight.
“Come on, fam, don’t insult me,” Sheed said. “You know I’m one hunnid.”
Money gave Sheed a look that spoke volumes. Sheed took the hint and shut up, while Money continued to thumb through the bag. Once he was satisfied, he took out five stacks and set it on Sheed’s table. “Thanks for keeping things quiet and looking out for Mecca’s chick. Where is she?”
“She’s in the den. She’s been tripping ever since she saw dude body on the lawn. She’s spazzing, yo.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Money said as he walked toward Sheed’s den. “I’ll take care of it.” He walked into the room and saw Leena sitting on the couch, her face in her hands. “You all right?”
His voice startled her, and she looked up in surprise. “Money? Where’s Mecca?” she asked, tears in her eyes. “He just left me here for dead. The least he could’ve done was come back for me.”
“Come on, Lee, let’s get out of here.” Money reached for her arm and pulled her from the couch.
Money helped Leena into his 2009 pearl white Cadillac STS before getting into the car himself and speeding away. Leena was quiet, and it wasn’t until they arrived at her luxury ocean view apartment that she did speak.
“There was blood everywhere,” Leena whispered. “You didn’t see it, Money. It was horrible.” She walked over to her window and looked out onto the ocean below her. “How can a city so beautiful harbor so many secrets?”
Money didn’t know how to respond, so he remained silent. He knew that she would be shook up after witnessing Mecca kill someone. It was natural.
“You know Mecca would never let anything happen to you, right?”
Leena laughed lightly and shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about him right now,” she stated, still upset with Mecca for leaving her at the murder scene.
Money walked toward her as she continued to stand in front of the window. He stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. “You know I would never let anything happen to you, ma.”
Money’s touch sent shivers down her spine, and she closed her eyes and reveled in the moment.
“I love you, Monroe,” she stated, guilt in her voice.
Leena had never meant to fall for both brothers, but over the years as she dated Mecca, she began to see that Monroe possessed everything he was lacking. Mecca had cheated on her, whereas