Array Ashley - The Last Chapter

“What price will finish it?” Mecca questioned.

“Double,” Beckham responded.

Mecca did not have a problem paying the fee. It was worth Carter’s freedom, but he wanted to make it clear that if he was going to spare no expense, then Carter’s freedom better be guaranteed.

“You know, with that type of paper, you’ll have new responsibilities. I will personally expect more from you. You accepting that type of money tells me that my brother will walk. Things could turn out real bad for you if you don’t live up to these expectations. You understand?” Mecca asked boldly.

Beckham was well aware of who he was dealing with, and he knew that by charging The Cartel double for their leader’s defense, he was playing with his own life. If he lost, the consequences would be devastating for him, but greed outweighed his reason. “I understand,” he replied as he extended his hand.

Once Mecca accepted it, the new deal was done. Getting Carter out of prison would not be cheap, but it was worth it, because only Carter had the foresight it took to get The Cartel out of its slump. He could re-establish their cocaine connection. Once Carter was out, everyone would eat again, and the balance of power would be restored.

Mecca emerged from the attorney’s office and removed his car keys from his back pocket. When he was halfway across the street, he hit the remote starter on his keychain.

BOOM!

Glass and metal flew everywhere as Mecca’s car exploded, knocking him from his feet and sending him flying backward onto the pavement.

“Oh shit!” he yelled out in panicked alarm as he scrambled to his feet and backpedaled away from the blaze. He looked around in bewilderment as flames engulfed his five-figure car and a crowd began to draw around him. “Fuck!” he yelled as he put his hands on the side of his head. He knew that only one person would have the balls to come after him-Emilio Estes-and as he looked on in pure rage, he knew that this was far from being over. His grandfather would not stop until he put Mecca in a grave-right next to his twin brother.

Leena sat in the opulence of the oceanside villa that was now her home. She could not believe that her life had come to this point. She had played a dangerous game by falling in love with two brothers, and the end result had proven deadly. She could still feel the ache where Mecca’s bullet had penetrated her, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as the fact that she had sparked a beef between two brothers.

She had created a divide between two men who should have been inseparable… impenetrable… invincible, but because of her, everything had been torn apart.

She smiled as she looked at her child, Monroe’s only son, as he sat playing quietly on the floor beneath her feet. The only living seed of the late Monroe Diamond sat so innocently, so unaware of his status. He was the heir to so much power and money. Her son was a Diamond, and it was that fact that kept her safe. It kept her alive. It had made her untouchable.

She had been whisked away from the hospital to this world of luxury. She had been there for over a year, and now she sat eating nervously, silently, across from Emilio Estes, the man who had made it all possible. Her child had given her access to the throne, a throne so much bigger than she had ever been appointed.

The Dominican born Estes was more powerful than anyone she had ever met, including the Diamond brothers. He was their grandfather, and now he was her provider.

As she picked at the chef-prepared meal before her, she kept her eyes on her plate. She could feel the power emanating from him all the way across the table. He intimidated her; there was a mysterious nature to him. He was a man of few words, and during the time that they had spent together, he asked more questions than he ever answered. He observed her, and although she felt sheltered around him, she still feared him.

What does he want from me? Why am I really here? she asked herself.

He insisted that she stay with him, but in spite of the time that she had been a guest in his house, she still did not know him. Estes spared her nothing and lavishly showered her with gifts. She was his unspoken possession, one that was well kept and polished. He had expressed his interests in her by giving her material things and security. He ensured that her every need was attended to, but for Leena, love was elusive. She knew that she could never give Estes what he sought.

He kept her around as the lady on his arm, but the only reason she allowed him to was because she had no other choice. How could she turn down the man who had taken her in after she had been shot? He had nursed her back to health and saw her through her entire pregnancy. He had treated her well, and because of this, she felt indebted to him.

“What is it that you want from me?” she asked as she finally mustered the courage to look up at him across the long dining room table.

He was reading the daily newspaper while sipping coffee, and he took his time before he acknowledged her question. Her stomach was in knots as she watched him. He always moved in his own time, and his silence caused her heart to gallop in anxiety.

“I just want you to care for my great-grandson. That’s all I require of you,” he replied without looking up from his newspaper.

“That’s my responsibility as a mother. I understand that you want your great-grandson to be here with you, but why am I here?” she asked.

“I hoped that you would allow me to share in his life with you. I told you that my lineage would always be taken care of. You are the mother to my grandson’s first born. Monroe would have taken very good care of you if he could have. In his absence, I plan to ensure that you want for nothing; that my great-grandson wants for nothing. I have become very fond of you since you have been here. I know that you are reluctant to return my affections, but you are young, and your heart is still broken from losing Monroe. In time, I hope that your heart will warm to me.”

Leena nodded, but could not find the words to respond. Her emotions were so mixed when it came to her situation. She was more appreciative than anything. He was so kind and so generous, but she could not help but to walk around on eggshells.

To be in the presence of a man so great would take some getting used to, but Estes had already established that he wanted her around, and she was silently relieved to have his support. In honesty, she was still afraid of Mecca. She knew that he had cared deeply for her, and her betrayal had pushed him over the edge. He did not know that she had survived, and she was afraid that if he ever found out, he would finish what he started. By choosing to be with Estes, she knew that Mecca couldn’t touch her, and that alone was reason enough for her to stay, despite the fact that her heart was not fully invested.

The chaos around her was overwhelming as the devastation of the earthquake displayed itself all around her. Escaping Ma’tee’s imprisonment should have brought some type of relief, but being free was overshadowed by the catastrophe that had occurred. Her bruised and cut up body was nothing compared to the dead bodies that littered the streets, decomposing before her terrified eyes. The overwhelming heat mixed with the smell of death in the air caused her insides to erupt. She had thrown up so many times that she had lost count, and with no clean drinking water in sight, she had nothing to replace the energy that was leaving her body. She could barely breathe because the stench was so horrifying. She had never yearned for home more than she did at that moment.