“Weh the attitude fa?” His voice sharpens.
“Sir, leave me alone nuh.” It comes out too sharp.
Regret licks my spine before the words finish leaving my mouth. He steps forward, eyes flashing. “A who yuh a deal wid so gyal?”
Suzanne snaps. “Nuh talk to har so—” He cuts her off with a backhand push that rocks her sideways into Cas.
Suzanne’s wine glass shatters. Cas screams. Then he grabs my throat. Just like that. His fingers clamp down, firm but not tight enough to choke, tight enough to warn. My breath catches. The rooftop shrinks. The music fades.
“When mi say fi tell you man say Lennox a go wah yuh a time mi a gi yuh fi dweet cause yuh nah leff yasso without mi know say mi a go have yuh.”
His boys start sliding closer. Quiet. Like sharks circling. Suzanne’s scrambling for her phone, hands shaking so bad she drops it twice. Cas is frozen, standing. I’m still in the chair. Frozen too.
“Tek yuh hand off a har,” Zanne tries again.
Ask mi if mi nuh fraid nuh because him talk like a Don too.
The fact that Suzanne is afraid to tell who my boyfriend is already tells me the danger we’re in. I didn’t have to ask her I know for sure that this guy was one of Nickoi’s enemies. Maybe it’s for the best I play this off cool without mentioning him.
She’s on her phone.
“You call him yet?” Lennox asks again.Is he serious?
One of his boys steps behind me, low voice. The friend that was watching me earlier chuckles. “She fraid fi call eh rich man,” he says with his eyes on my watch.
Him look like a thief.
“Pree har watch nuh,” he says bringing attention to my watch and I move my hand to my side.
“We nah rob yuh,” Lennox says.
“Wi nuh rob pretty girl,” the friend assures me.
“A which politician woman this?” One of them asks Suzanne and she glares at him.
“Just leave the girl alone,” she fires at him.
I stand to my feet but their boss steps in front of me and grab my wrists. My whole body trembling. The entire rooftop seems to tilt, like we’re standing on the edge of something dangerous and no one can stop the fall.
“Wah mi seh you nah move from yasso!” he sounds exactly how he looks. “So siddung.” He demands and I sit.
22
Ready
“Lennox, yuh cyaa just mek the girl go? Please. Mi a beg yuh, mi nuh wah me party mash up,” Cas pleads, stepping in with trembling hands.
He chuckles. Cold. Dismissive. “Gwaan back go party and lef yasso.”
I sit still. Every muscle in my body locked. I want to call Nickoi. God, mi wah call him bad, but I can’t. One glance at the eyes glued to me, and mi know. These men watching everything. Mi phone might as well be a bomb.
“Mi affi call the police then,” Cas blurts.
My head swings to her. Why she go say that?! Lennox freezes then moves. He reaches for her. “Call who?” he growls, dragging his hand to his waistband. A flash of metal glints.
My heartbeat stutters. “Is like yuh wah the man duppy yuh enuh, gyal,” one of the others laughs.
Laughter. Him find that funny? What kind of crosses this?
