The Cartel - Ashley Antoinette Snell [8]
Why am I here? he thought in confusion as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His designer suit was tailored specifically to his six-foot frame, and his broad, strong shoulders held the material nicely. A small gold chain hung around his neck, displaying a small gold cross.
Checking his watch, he realized that he didn’t have much time to get to the church. He reached underneath the hotel bed and pulled out a duffle bag that contained pure white cocaine and two handguns. He figured he may as well drop off some dope to some of his people in Atlanta while in the Dirty South. That way, if the funeral ended up being a waste of time, he wouldn’t have wasted time and money coming to town.
He pulled out his chrome .45 and tucked it in his waist. He rubbed the waves on his freshly cut Caesar and took a deep breath. He had to prepare himself for what he was about to do. He had felt resentment toward his father ever since he was a young boy. He had never understood why he had grown up never knowing the man that helped create him. Although he harbored these feelings, he still felt obligated to show his respects.
A nervous energy filled his body as he headed for the door. It was time for him to say goodbye to a man he’d never met.
As the bulletproof limousine pulled up to the church, Carter’s henchmen walked up and surrounded the vehicle.
“Leave your guns in the car,” Polo instructed Money and Mecca. He opened the door and prepared to step out.
Mecca told him, “The heater staying on my hip, Unc. Them dreadhead mu’fuckas deaded my father. I’ll be damned if they do the same thing to me.” He popped the clip into the chamber.
“First, I’m-a tell you to respect your mother, and watch your mu’fuckin’ mouth, Mecca.”
“Nah, Mecca’s right, Uncle Po,” Money said. “We need to be strapped at all times.”
Polo put his foot back into the car and closed the door so that their conversation wouldn’t be heard. “Okay, listen”—He looked around at the shaken Diamond family—“I know this is hard for you, but you have to trust me. Your father was like a brother to me. I love this family as if it is my own. I would never let anything happen to anyone of you. Now I promised the pastor that I wouldn’t bring any weapons into his church. Your father’s funeral is neither the time nor place for them. Everyone inside of that church is here to show love.”
Mecca and Money reluctantly pulled their guns out of their pants and sat them on the seat in the limo.
“Everything will be fine,” Polo assured them. He stepped out of the car first and held out his hand for Taryn, who graciously accepted. He put his hand on the small of her back and led her through the crowd of onlookers, and her children followed closely behind. They were all surrounded by so many bodyguards, one would have thought that Barack Obama was entering the building.
White on top of white was the only thing that could be seen when entering the sanctuary. Everyone attending the funeral was clad in their best white suits, and there were white bouquets of lilies and hydrangea flowers scattered throughout the room. The turnout was unbelievable.
Taryn immediately halted her footsteps when she saw the titanium and black casket that sat at the front of the church. She looked around the room and observed the extravagant funeral that she had put together, making sure to take care of each arrangement personally. No one knew her husband the way that she did, and she wanted to make sure that his funeral was comparable to none. Carter Diamond was the best at everything he ever attempted, so Taryn made sure that he went out in style.
She slowly walked down the aisle. The closer she got to her husband’s casket, the weaker her knees became, but she had to be strong. She couldn’t let the world see her break. My children are depending on me, she thought.
When she finally reached the casket, her heart broke into pieces at the sight of her lifeless