He closed his eyes as his mind drifted back to the days when his father used to hold court for his head lieutenants in that very space. It seemed that his father had run things so smoothly. The Cartel of today was a far cry from the organized crime family his father had started. Now everything around them was chaos, and with Young Carter in jail, Mecca was unsure if he could fill the shoes of the leader and effectively run The Cartel.

It was no longer a family operation. Only one Diamond was left standing, and although Carter was his half-brother, it wasn’t the same. They had suffered too many casualties, and loyalty was a rarity nowadays. His father had ruled with love, whereas now Carter, Mecca, and Zyir were holding down their spot in the streets with fear.

With the spotlight of the feds shining on them, nobody wanted to deal to closely with The Cartel. The streets were talking, and word was out that Carter just might lose his case. Niggas from the bottom to the top were shook, including their coke supplier.

The sound of the foyer door opening snapped him out of his reverie, and he stood to welcome Zyir.

“What’s good, fam?” Zyir greeted as he embraced Mecca briefly.

“You tell me. How’s that paper looking?” Mecca asked.

As The Cartel’s most trusted lieutenant, Zyir’s ear was glued to the street. There was nothing that got by him. Mecca had been forced to lay low because of his beef with Emilio Estes, so it was up to Zyir to ensure that their presence remained known in the streets.

“Shit is slow. Carter’s case got everybody running scared. The connect ain’t fucking with us because we got that federal eye in the sky on us, nah mean?”

“What about the niggas that owe us money?” Mecca asked irritably. It seemed as if everything they had built was now on the downfall.

“Oh, I got that cake… believe that. Ain’t nobody skipping out on the bill, but nobody’s re-upping. It’s like niggas is cutting ties. Nobody wants to be associated with a sinking ship. Niggas only loyal when the getting is good. I mean, we still got a few men who standing tall, but I ain’t gon’ lie. Shit ain’t sweet,” Zyir informed. “With everything seized, that shoebox money running real low. Carter’s lawyer expecting another payment today, and even my stash is hurting.”