Mafia Princess part 2 (Married To The Mob) Read online

  Semaj looked over at Gio and to see him remaining composed and calm had taken her aback. She was shocked and couldn’t understand how he could be so reserved under such circumstances. “Grandfather, aren’t you afraid of what they are going to do once they find what they are looking for?” she asked.

  “There is nothing for you to worry about. All funerals that our family attends, every car, and every coffin is clean,” he said confidently, referring to there being no drugs around their perimeter whatsoever. He wasn’t foolish enough to allow business to operate as usual while his family was present. He smugly smiled as he watched the policemen do their jobs, many who were on his payroll. But Gio got the surprise of his life when he turned around. He saw a federal agent pulling Bonjo from the car as his people recovered kilo after kilo of uncut cocaine out of the vehicle’s hidden departments.

  “This cannot be happening, Poppa. Those are not bricks, they couldn’t be. Could it?” she asked, fearing the worst. Her grandfather ignored the question, but she could see his brow furrow in disbelief. They stepped out of the car and Gio rushed toward the car behind them only to be stopped by a plain-clothed agent.

  “Sir, I’m sorry this is a crime scene and you can’t come any further,” the agent directed.

  Gio wasn’t into playing big with the police because he knew that with one phone call they would no longer have a job. Besides, he had other things to focus on. So he simply nodded his head and watched the sergeant handcuff Bonjo. As Bonjo’s Miranda rights were being read, Gio looked around and noticed none of the other Rolls-Royce vehicles were being searched. At that point, he knew someone had tried to set him up.

  Sosa ran up, shocked. “What the hell is going on? Why are they taking Bonjo? Fuck?” she fussed. LuLu hurried up beside her sister and shook her head in disgust. “Is all of this unnecessary disrespect really caused for at a fuckin’ funeral? Allowing a dead man to damn near tip out of his coffin though!” she cursed as she shot daggers at the other side. She knew Arturo’s body hadn’t been stuffed with drugs, but from how the cops were handling the casket it appeared as if they wanted to cut him wide open.

  “Emilia, get some of our people on line. Call our attorney first and then contact some of our government connections. Tell the lawyer to meet us immediately.” Before Gio said another word, Emilia pulled out her cell phone and had already speed-dialed legal counsel. “I need to know exactly what is going on,” Gio said, his voice full of irritation. For once, his words were high-pitched but he was trying his best to control his temper. “They’ve already disrespected Arturo’s farewells, so there is no need for us to stay. I can’t stand to be surrounded by these pigs a second longer. Marcela, y’all can head back to the house. I don’t want Maj anywhere near this chaos,” he turned to the rest of his nieces. “Let’s go!”

  The murky city passed by in a big blur as Semaj stared out of the window blankly, her eyes distant, as she tried to wrap her mind around everything that happened. She had thought the pain from her son’s death had numbed her, but with the sequences of events she felt that she would melt to water at any moment. Who is behind all of this madness, Semaj thought, knowing that someone was trying to takedown her family. But who? she questioned herself, totally oblivious to the fact that her husband was responsible.

  When they arrived back at the mansion, Semaj closed her eyes. She shook her head from side to side to clear her mind of the unforeseen pandemonium that had stepped on her family’s home front as she exhaled sharply and exited the car. Her iPhone began to buzz the moment her stiletto heel grazed the ground. “Hello,” Semaj anxiously answered on the first ring. She listened to what Jah-Jah was telling her on the other end of the line and dropped her head in devastation as she was hit with news that verified it all.

  Tears of hurt, anger and regret flooded her mind as the cell phone slipped from her hand, plummeting to the floor and shattering into pieces. Her legs gave out from beneath her and she buried her face in her palms. The confirmation that Vega had been involved all along was the final blow that completely shattered an already broken heart. Semaj felt as if the plug had been pulled and she was no longer on life support.

  “Maj, who was that? What happened?” Marcella asked, panicked.

  “The setup…” Semaj stopped to clear her throat. “It was

  him. Vega tried to ruin our family.”

  “How you know this is a fact, Semaj?”

  “Uncle Ortiz puts an invisible stamp on the plastic the coke is wrapped in. You can only read the date that’s etched if it is under this special light. Gio had some of his people who have access to the evidence snatch one of the bricks and that date reads when he handed us the work.”

  “But does that make him guilty? Could it be the people that robbed y’all?” Marcela asked, giving him the benefit of the doubt for the sake of Semaj.

  “I was thinking the same thing until Jah-Jah said they pulled the hidden security tapes from the mortuary. Vega knew that Gio would have us ride in our usual funeral transportation, the Rolls- Royces. He planned it all.” She cried, doubling over and holding her stomach as regretful pains plagued her. “I just should have listened. Y’all were right. He was behind everything. It had been him this entire time. I’ve been bedding a man that is intentionally trying to destroy my family. How could I have been so stupid?” she asked herself as her nose began to run and she sniffed loudly. “This is all my fault.”

  Marcela shook her head, but didn’t understand how Vega could be so stupid. So damn dumb. Getting one off on an empire ran so smoothly, so precisely, with no glitches, was unfeasible. Marcela didn’t even have to speak his fate, it was inevitable. His actions were unacceptable, he had crossed the line and Vega was definitely a dead man walking.

  “There was no way for you to know, Semaj. We never blamed you for not seeing it. We all understand why you were going hard in his defense. That’s your husband, a man that you are supposed to love, honor, and cherish. Nobody was mad at you for trying your best to defend him. That’s why Gio gave him time. He usually doesn’t do that even if he’s not sure. He just usually ends lives just to be careful. But he loves you, Maj, and gave you that opportunity to clear your man’s name, but Vega the one that’s fucked up. Not you.

  “He obviously got greedy and now he has to die trying something that the greatest would never accomplish. We ain’t new to this type of disloyalty. It’s what we expect, ma and Vega simply proved us right. Believe me, Vega surely wasn’t the first that has attempted to end us and I’m sure he won’t be the last,” Marcela said. “But what he failed to realize is our family’s power is endless. Those drugs found in Bonjo’s possession won’t be able to ride. Believe that.”

  Marcela took a seat beside her and rubbed Semaj’s back soothingly as they sat on the couch for hours. Semaj wanted to take her time because this would be the last pity party that she would ever throw herself. She cried and cried until she was all cried out. She didn’t want to leave a slight emotion in her. When she was done she wanted to be a brand new woman an emotionless bitch. She had been warned to leave her emotions out, but hadn’t done so all the way. This nigga really had me going, she thought. She felt that he had been against her from the very beginning, and if he hadn’t, ole well. He had gone against the grain. There was no more understanding in Semaj’s heart and no more trying to fathom it all. Vega would pay for the trouble he had caused—with his life.

  Finally, Semaj wiped her eyes and dried her face before she walked upstairs to the bedroom for some privacy. She needed to call her grandfather and give him a sincere apology. He deserved it and that was the least she could do. She had doubted him when she knew in all certainty that her grandfather wasn’t to be questioned. I should’ve believed him, she thought sorrowfully. As she began to dial him, the small piece of paper on the vanity sat out like a sore thumb. A week had almost passed, and Semaj had forgotten all about the note she had received from the girl at the hospital. For some unexplainable reason a sense of urgency came
over her. She dropped the cordless phone on the bed and ran over to the dresser to grab the letter.

  Meet me at the Cemetery Thursday night. I’ll explain everything

  PS: Please come alone!!

  Oh my God,, today is Thursday, Semaj thought as her heartbeat started to speed up and her chest was pounding extra hard. Everything around her seemed to be moving in slow motion and all of a sudden rage passed over her. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him myself. Without even realizing it, Semaj grabbed her strap and left out of the side door unaware of who she was actually meeting but thinking it was her snake of a husband.

  Chapter 16

  Her long silky hair blew to the back as she stood over the large angel monument that was her son’s tombstone. Chill bumps covered Semaj’s body as the wild airstream kissed her skin. Kneeling down, Semaj hugged the form created out of marble. She desperately tried to pretend that her scars were healing over time, but actually the wounds were as fresh as the day her baby had been removed from her world. She was just able to conceal them well. Tears trickled out of her eyes and stained her cheeks as she laid her head on the gravestone, allowing her soul to release her hidden pain.

  “Baby, Mommy misses you so much. You were the most handsome, happiest baby ever and Mommy can’t wait to see you again. I love you Niran so much. You was my everything and I loved you more than anything,” she said truthfully. “In actuality, you were all I ever had. The one that really loved me back when others faked it,” Semaj said in between sobs.

  Why would someone I thought loved me betray me like this? Did he really care about our son? Semaj questioned herself. She shivered as she closed her eyes and thought of the picture perfect family that she envisioned only to lose every member in an awful way. She knew the moment her son had died her life would never be the same, but Semaj would have never imagined that Vega, her husband, her son’s father would show deceit.

  “Semaj.” She heard someone call from behind but didn’t turn around. “Maj?”

  That time the bass of the raspy voice caused Semaj to jump slightly. She was startled and felt as if she was hallucinating. Her heart beat in anxiety and instinctively she turned around only to get the surprise of her life. She wasn’t tripping at all. It was Quasim in the flesh and her eyes grew wide as she thought she was seeing a ghost. This couldn’t be, she thought, because she had seen him in the body bag herself. For all of this time, Semaj thought that he was dead. Now here he was, standing ten feet away from her.

  A mixture of disbelief and hatred raced through her veins. It had been nearly two years and it was unfathomable how after all this time had passed, Quasim decided to emerge from the dead. Seeing him had taken her back to a time when she was transforming into a better woman, a time when she wanted to be a better person. But now Semaj was even more ruthless than before, and had completely transitioned into a coldhearted woman.

  “Semaj, I’m so sorry that I’ve waited this long. Shit was just too complicated for me. Still complicated for me because I worry about you all the time,” he said. “I know Gio gon’ make sure you straight, but that didn’t stop me from wondering are you safe.”

  She closed her eyes. Semaj had dreamed about this day so many nights, but only found it to be a nightmare to wake up without him by her side. She balled her hands as the tears she promised to never shed for another escaped her eyes. She didn’t know rather to be happy or sad. So much tension had been in the air the last time they saw each other and that same energy was being felt now. With him in her presence, her stomach began to turn violently, as she doubled over, overwhelmed with confusion and disbelief.

  “I saw you dead though, Qua. How could this be?” she managed to ask. “You were in a body bag.”

  “I was unconscious then and my pulse was so faint they hadn’t felt one. By the time they did, I was in the back of the coroner’s van being transported to the morgue. But then, I gave the personnel an offer that he couldn’t refuse. Money can buy you anything in this

  world, ma. Even a fake death.”

  “But my Poppa went to your funeral. He told me because I wasn’t able to make it. I went through a lot that night and was in a medically induced coma, but my Poppa was there. I know he was there.” Tears continued to stream down her face.

  “It was all staged,” he revealed. “I knew once Gio found out who my people was I had to skip town. On top of Block sending some of his people from Queens, I had no choice but to leave and try to start over. I didn’t have enough firepower. All the niggas I trusted died that night. My departure was inevitable,” he said. What Quasim didn’t know was that it hadn’t been any of Block’s goons from Jamaica Queens that night, but his connects shottas sent from Kingston Jamaica. “Now, you know I ain’t afraid of no nigga because we all bleed the same. But I’ll never try to be on no superman shit, especially with all my niggas gone,” he admitted. “I just want you to know that I’m sorry though, Maj. Real talk, ma.”

  He’s been alive this entire time and all of a sudden he wanna show up and apologize. Fuck! She cursed him silently as she wiped her face and turned to walk off. All that I’ve been through and now he wanna show up. Semaj was flooded with mixed emotions. I can’t believe he’d have me feeling bad all this time because I never got a chance to tell him I was sorry. And now he standing in front of me screaming his sorrow. Fuck outta here.

  “Semaj, hold up.” He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. He put one hand on the side of her face and swept her hair from in front of her eyes. His heart shattered into pieces when she flinched in fear of his touch. It was a natural reflex from the assault he had put on her. Semaj remembered it like yesterday. “You don’t ever have to be afraid of me, Semaj. I’ll never hurt you. I promise.” He lifted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

  “I just can’t believe that you alive, Qua.” She broke down. “You were the one person that I loved and never intentionally crossed, but fate stepped in long ago and created some bullshit before we even met. Why us? Why did our lives have to be so intertwined? If certain things wouldn’t have happened you wouldn’t have had to leave. Things would have turned out different for all of us. Turned out different for me. But they didn’t. Why though?” He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

  “Life don’t move in ways we want it to sometimes,” he whispered and tipped his forehead against hers as he released a deep sigh. He could see the sadness on her face and it was then that he realized that she was hurting. He knew Semaj well and something else was bothering her. “What’s wrong, Maj? I know that look in your eyes too well.”

  She dropped her head full of torment. “I married a man that I thought I knew. A man that I thought I could trust, but he was truly the devil in disguise. He vowed to never betray me, to honor me, but he has caused some unforgivable bullshit to go down. He was willing to sacrifice what we shared so he could satisfy his own selfish needs,” she expressed. “I wish I could tell you everything but I can’t get into too many details though.”

  “I feel that. But there is something that I need to tell you. This is a big reason why I am here. There was this nigga name Rude Boy and I—”

  “I can’t speak about that, Quasim,” she said, cutting him off. “You know how it is with the Family. Speak to no one on the outside. You know how strict those rules are when it comes to Gio.”

  “But, Semaj, this is really important. Just let me explain,” he begged.

  She shook her head. “We can’t talk about this right now. He’s dead, he’s no longer an issue anyway,” she said, remembering how the Milano Hitters said they had murdered him. What she didn’t know was that Quasim had really killed him in order to save her life.

  “I know he is dead, I—”

  “Please. Don’t do this, Qua. Don’t make this difficult for us. My grandfather would kill you if he knew that I snuck out here alone only to discover that you are alive.”

  “I want Gio to find out that I am alive, Maj. I want you to set so
mething up for us to meet soon. I ain’t have shit to do with what my Aunt Brina did to Kasey. He can’t hold me accountable just like I can’t hold you responsible for your pops killing my people,” Quasim said. “I know Gio’s tradition to murk everybody in the family, but I ain’t feeling this for some shit that I had no involvements with. I want us to dead this beef and move on from the situation. Can you set that meeting up for me?”

  “I have to be honest with you, Qua. I will definitely speak to him, but it won’t be until things calm down. Maybe in the next few weeks we can come holla at you. There is no need to try to settle things when he’s angry. It might just fuel the fire. I’m telling you, now is not a good time. He on some pissed shit and everything has to be going good, you know?” Semaj was being somewhat short with Quasim and making his meeting with Gio difficult because part of her was still angry with him.

  “I can respect that.” He took her into his strong arms. “Gio protects the ones that he love and I can’t stunt that nigga was like a godfather to me and I hate what separated us. He always came through rather it was product or protection.”

  “So now that you got me here this is it? You get the meeting set up with my grandfather and then what?” Semaj gazed down at her feet hating that she was feeling vulnerable to him. Part of her wondered if all he cared about was making things right with Gio instead of fixing things between them.

  “When Gio comes, make sure you are there to.” Quasim took Semaj by the hand and walked her to where her car was parked. The streetlights up above shined its light directly down on them. “You say you having problems, I wanna come make ‘em disappear. I want us to start over.”