A Gangster's Dream Read online

  A Gangster’s Dream

  Treasure Malian

  &

  Charmanie Saquea

  Prologue

  After receiving an urgent 911 text from one of his workers, Carmelo found himself maneuvering in and out of the Downtown Brooklyn traffic. The text came in as he was having his ticket scanned at Barclays Center. It was a day out that he promised his niece, Summer. The plan was for them to catch the Nets versus Suns game, but changed to Summer catching the game alone when the text came in. It's not that Carmelo wanted to ditch Summer and leave her at the game, he didn't really have a choice.

  The thoughts that went through his mind as he swerved around cars, increasing and decreasing his speed as traffic permitted, were enough to drive a sane man crazy. To hear that he had been robbed for a million dollars and five hundred thousand dollars’ worth of cocaine had him on edge. Not only did most of the money belong to his connect, half of the weight taken was on consignment. There wasn't any doubt in Carmelo's mind that he wasn't going to be able to pay back his connect every cent he lost, but the loss he was taking on his own was far too big.

  The ringing of his phone temporarily jarred him from the thoughts that consumed him. He used the hand that wasn't steering and pulled his phone out his pocket. Without looking, Carmelo slid to answer and pressed the speakerphone icon.

  "What up bro?" his right hand man, Shaq, said.

  "I been calling ya'll niggas. Man, what the fuck? They got me son. These niggas really got me," he barked.

  "What you mean? Where you at?" Shaq asked.

  "Niggas hit my spot, got me for a mil and half that in work. Can shit get any worse, bro? I'm on my way out there now, but I need you to head to Barclays and pick up Summer. I left her at the game but I don't feel comfortable with her being alone. Sit outside till it's over or whatever; just text her and let her know you gonna be waiting on her. I called Cai, and of course the nigga didn't answer the phone."

  There was silence for a minute. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to roll over there alone, bro," Shaq finally stated.

  "I don't have many choices. Mac and them out there, they the ones who called me. If anything, they shooters, we know that."

  "I hear you. I just would feel better--"

  "Fuck all that. Go get Summer," Carmelo yelled before disconnecting the phone call.

  It wasn't his intention to take his attitude out on Shaq but he wasn't in the mood to converse. He wanted the niggas who got him to pay and wanted to make sure Summer was straight, that's it.

  Traffic had finally let up and he was able to really push his car to speeds that he never did before. After twenty-five minutes, he finally pulled up to the dead end block in East New York. Carmelo killed his engine and let out a huge sigh. He reached over to the glove compartment and grabbed his trusted 9mm. Before stepping out the car, he made sure the clip was fully loaded.

  "Hope no crazy shit pop off," Carmelo said out loud to himself as his feet hit the pavement.

  He hit the lock button on his key fob and walked around the car. As soon as he stepped onto the sidewalk, a dark cloud came over him. Not in literal sense, but that's how Carmelo felt. It didn't stop him from proceeding toward the house that was used to stash some of his money and work.

  "Yo, Melo," a familiar voice called out his name.

  Carmelo spun on his heels in the direction he heard his name being called. He was expected to be faced with friendly words instead was hit with the light flashing from a gun going off.

  Tat, Tat, Tat

  Feeling the first shot penetrate his stomach, Carmelo gripped the wound, not before being hit in the stomach again. With his free hand, he raised his nine and let off a few shots of his own. Carmelo stumbled backward, holding his stomach with one hand and firing his gun with the other. The distance between him and the person shooting at him got bigger. Carmelo thought that his assailants were letting up and that he might just be able to live to see the next day.

  Tat, Tat, Tat

  A bullet coming from the other direction whizzed past his head, causing him to turn around. It was then that he was struck in the side of his neck, followed by a gunshot to the chest that knocked him off his feet.

  Carmelo tried his hardest to reach for his chest but was too weak. Nearly motionless, he lay on the sidewalk choking on his own blood. Tires could be heard skidding down the street, then there was silence. Low moans escaped Carmelo’s lips, along with gurgling noises as he tried to breathe.

  Sirens could be heard in the distance, but it seemed as if the closer they got, the further away from consciousness Carmelo went.

  <><><><>

  "Male, looks to be in his mid to late twenties, GSW’s in the abdomen, chest, and neck. Prep the OR!" a doctor called out.

  While going in and out of consciousness, Carmelo thought about the events which landed him in the Harlem Hospital Center with his body riddled with bullets. The beef that had been brewing between him and a few of his ex-workers had intensified over the past few months. Both sides had lost men but the beef wouldn't be laid to rest until one of the generals was six feet under. The voice Carmelo heard before he was shot was Shondrell. Shondrell had worked for Carmelo since Melo first got on. That was damn near fifteen years. When it came to Melo and Shondrell, Melo always got the win. When it came to getting money, Melo won. When it came to getting bitches, Melo won. It wasn’t until that day, in that moment that Shondrell seemingly had one up on his ex-boss and longtime friend whom he made the conscious decision to cross.

  They went from putting in work and making millions with each other to Shondrell attempting to take him out. Carmelo was the type of nigga who made sure everyone ate. Not one person on his team could say he was unfair and treated them as if they were beneath him; but for some, namely Shondrell, it wasn't enough. Shondrell didn't want to be seen as Carmelo's equal, he wanted to be that nigga. Greed would make niggas cross their own mothers if it came down to it, so crossing Carmelo was nothing to Shondrell.

  Melo was brought out of his thoughts due to the chill that flowed through his body. He could feel his body going cold. The numbness was spreading expeditiously and there was nothing he could do about it. He thought about his niece, Summer. The thought of not seeing her again or being there for her forced tears to escape his eyes. Off instinct, he wanted to reach up and wipe the tears away, but he couldn't move.

  "His heart rate is dropping drastically," the doctor yelled out.

  The voices that were once heard loud and clear were starting to fade. The memories that were etched into his mind began to disappear as well.

  "We're losing him, get the crash cart."

  Beep Beep Beeeeeeep

  Chapter One

  “Uncle Melo, look at this dress,” an excited Summer uttered while examining the off the shoulder neckline bandage dress.

  Carmelo looked up from his phone and glanced at what his niece was showing him. “It’s cool,” he replied.

  Summer shook her head and continued to examine the dress. Carmelo wasn’t one to give a female fashion advice. His one and only job in that department was to foot the bill.

  “Hey, can I be of some assistance?” a high pitched voice spoke, gaining the attention of both Carmelo and Summer.

  Summer wasn’t fazed by the striking beauty that stood before her. However, the same couldn’t be said for Carmelo. He was in awe of the woman that graced them with her presence. It showed on his face. Summer noticed the looks her uncle was giving the sales associate and decided to speak up since he seemed as if he couldn’t.

  “Well, I’m just trying to find the perfect dress for my birthday party and my uncle is no help at all,” Summer said.

  “You’re
in luck then because I happen to know a bit about clothes. I’m Dream, by the way,” Dream stated while leading Summer over to another section of dresses.

  From the sidelines, Carmelo watched as Dream interacted with Summer. Carmelo was always one to get whatever it was that he wanted and Dream had found her way onto his radar. Carmelo sized her up and took in her looks. Dream stood about five foot four, which was complimentary to his six foot three frame. She had her auburn colored hair pulled up into a neat bun, which allowed her features to be seen. Her narrow nose accentuated her full, plush lips. Dream’s eyes were slanted as if she was mixed with a pinch of Asian, and they were mesmerizing. They were brown and had depth. Looking into her eyes you could tell that there was a deep story behind them. The windows to her soul only pulled you in and drew you closer to their owner.

  Whatever Dream and Summer were conversing about had them both laughing non-stop. It gave Carmelo the chance to notice the deep dimple in each of Dream’s cheeks. The sun was radiating off of her brown skin and gave her an extra glow. Without realizing what he was doing, Carmelo took a few steps in their direction. It wasn’t because he was interested in hearing them chat about dresses. He just wanted a closer look.

  Dream had bent over to retrieve a hanger that slipped from her grasp, giving Carmelo the exact view he was looking for. Carmelo had his share of females. To him, Dream’s ass wasn’t the fattest but at the same time it was perfect for her frame. Dream’s thighs were thick and led up to a small waist, a flat stomach, and a set of boobs that sat upright and were at least a D cup.

  The ringing of his phone jarred Carmelo away from scrutinizing Dream’s appearance.

  “Talk to me,” Carmelo stated as he answered the phone.

  “Melo, where you at bro? Those Bronx niggas from Sound View P’s caught Twin slipping, son. Niggas wet him up. Shit not looking too good man. We at St. Luke’s,” Shaquille, Carmelo’s best friend, rambled off into the phone without taking a breath.

  Hearing that his twin brother Caiden had been shot brought everything that was going on around him to a screeching halt. Without saying a word, Carmelo ended the call and slipped his phone into the pocket of his Moncler coat.

  “Summer, let’s go,” Carmelo barked.

  “Uncle Melo, I…” Summer started to retort.

  “Fuck all that. Let’s go. This dress shit can be taken care of later,” Carmelo stated while heading toward the exit.

  “Summer, look, take my card. My cellphone number is on it as well. Give me a call when things cool down and we can discuss making you a custom dress. You gotta stand out from the rest since it will be your birthday,” Dream spoke while flashing Summer a heartwarming smile.

  Summer’s shoulders dropped and she flatly responded, “Thanks so much Dream. By the way, you have a really nice store.”

  “Yo, Sum, what the fuck?” Carmelo shouted from where he stood at the exit, holding the door open.

  Summer took the card from Dream and quickly caught up with her uncle.

  <><><><>

  After swerving into a parking spot outside of St. Luke’s Hospital, Carmelo and Summer both emerged from the 2014 Range Rover Sport and jogged toward the entrance of the emergency room. The entire ride over to the hospital had been completely silent, so Summer had no idea what was the rush, who was in the hospital, or what happened. She just knew she had better keep up with Carmelo so he wouldn’t start spazzing out. Summer knew how her uncle could get, and she was trying to avoid that at all costs.

  Upon entering the emergency room, Carmelo was bombarded by his friends.

  “Melo, man…” Shaq began to speak.

  “Fuck whatever you about to say right now. Nigga, where the fuck were you when my brother was getting hit up?” Carmelo barked.

  Carmelo’s reaction took his longtime friend Shaquille by surprise. Actually, everyone in the room was shocked to see how he had responded to Shaq. Carmelo and Shaquille had been boys since grade school. They put in more work than a little bit together and was damn near closer than Carmelo was to his own twin brother. Wherever you saw Melo, there was Shaq; Melo’s beef was Shaq’s beef and vice versa.

  Shaq cocked his head to the side and sighed. “I know you under pressure and shit, but I ain’t no fucking babysitter, bruh,” Shaq spat before walking toward Summer.

  Normally Carmelo would have had something slick to say in return but in that moment, his only worry was his brother. He headed over to the nurses’ station with hopes of receiving some good news.

  “I’m here for Caiden Love,” Carmelo affirmed.

  “Are you a relative of Mr. Love’s?” the nurse questioned.

  “He’s my brother, my twin,” Carmelo stated while swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

  “I’ll get his Doctor,” she said while rising from her seat and stepping from behind the desk.

  Carmelo paced back and forth while saying a silent prayer. He and Caiden wasn’t as close as they should have been to be twins, but at the end of the day they were twins. The love he had for his younger brother, who was younger by only four minutes, was incomparable to any other type of love. They shared the same womb for eight months and some change. Not everyone can say they had that experience.

  In that moment, Carmelo wished that he hadn’t let petty disagreements and the difference of opinions he and Caiden had cause a wedge between them. He made a vow that if God got his brother through this trial, he would do whatever was necessary to fix their relationship.

  “Mr. Love,” the baritone voice was loud enough to grip Carmelo’s attention.

  “Yea, how’s my brother?” Carmelo wasted no time getting straight to the point.

  Hearing Carmelo mention his brother forced Summer to her feet. She been asking what was going on since they arrived at the hospital and no one was able to give her an answer. It made sense why. Something had happened to her father. Summer scurried over to where Carmelo stood with the doctor and caught the tail end of their conversation.

  “He’s very lucky. The bullets missed any major organs. However, he suffered a large amount of blood loss. Luckily, he didn’t need a transfusion. He’s out of surgery and in recovery,” Dr. Jefferies explained.

  “So my father is going to be okay?” Summer asked, looking from the doctor to Carmelo, and back to the doctor.

  “He’s expected to make a full recovery. The two of you can follow me; I’ll take you to see him.”

  Summer latched on to her uncle’s arm and they both followed the doctor back to where Caiden’s room was located.

  “Go ahead, Summer. I’ll be in right behind you,” Carmelo whispered to Summer once they arrived at Caiden’s room.

  “I’ll give you all some time,” stated Dr. Jefferies before he turned and walked in the opposite direction that they had come from.

  Carmelo glared through the window in the door of Caiden’s room and watched as his brother smiled weakly at Summer. It was moments like this when Carmelo knew the decision he made damn near sixteen years ago was the right one.

  They were only fourteen the night Caiden came home telling Carmelo that he had got their next door neighbor, Alexandria, pregnant. Carmelo was shocked because he didn’t even know his brother was getting pussy, let alone getting it from “Ms. Too Good For Everybody” Alexandria.

  Caiden was the lame one of the brothers. He did everything by the book, went to school, got good grades, and behaved. Carmelo, on the other hand, was a loose cannon straight out the womb. They were polar opposites but held each other down as twin brothers should have. Carmelo stood with his brother when they delivered the news to their parents. They completely wigged out. Even Carmelo got an ass whooping that night, just because their parents felt he should have been there to keep his brother’s penis in his pants. What type of crazy shit was that?

  Their mother was pro-life, so there was no way she would even recommend abortion for Alexandria, even though deep inside she knew fourteen year olds having a baby was the furthest from the br
ightest of ideas. Mr. and Mrs. Love were supportive although disappointed. Alexandria’s parents were a whole different story. Her father was already verbally abusive toward her. Finding out she was pregnant only sent him over the edge.

  One day while cutting school, Carmelo caught Alexandria being damn near dragged out of her father’s truck toward the abortion clinic. Without hesitation, Carmelo ran up on Mr. Green with his Glock pulled out and cocked back.

  Carmelo put the fear of God into that man that afternoon. Yea, he was only fourteen, but he was known around the hood to wreak havoc. Mr. Green knew not to let Carmelo’s age define his character. If he would have done that, it would have indeed been the last thing he ever had the chance to do.

  Carmelo got it through Mr. Green’s head that Alexandria was bringing the baby to term and if he tried to interfere with that again, it would be him who would become nonexistent. Melo even went as far to tell Mr. Green to speak to his parents about letting Alexandria stay with them until the baby was born. It was an idea that he, Caiden, and his parents already discussed since they knew Alexandria’s home was an unhealthy environment for her during the pregnancy. Mr. Green agreed and Alexandria moved in that same night. Of course, she wasn’t allowed to sleep in Caiden’s room or no shit like that. Mr. and Mr. Love treated her as a daughter. They made sure she went to school, attended her appointments, the whole nine.

  As Alexandria’s due date got closer, Caiden started to get cold feet. Carmelo made him a promise that no matter what, he would be there for him and his baby girl. Melo meant it and stood by that, even after Alexandria up and moved to Ohio with her grandparents when Summer was only two months. Carmelo was already in the street making money any way he could, so helping Caiden provide for Summer was nothing for him. In his eyes, Summer was just as much his daughter as she was Cai’s. If he could go back in time there was nothing about that he would change.

  Seeing the vibrant look on Caiden’s face told Carmelo there wasn’t anything he would change either.

  Carmelo looked up and smiled at God for coming through for him before pushing open Caiden’s room door and walking in.