Juaqína almost robbed me of that. Almost robbed us of everything. I look back at her tied-up body on the floor, breathing hard through her nose. My fist clenches. Mi name woulda affi change from Nickoi if mi lef she fi after dis. And mi name nah change anytime soon.
“You woulda kill Zara if yuh get the chance,” I growl, every word vibrating through my chest. “And mi did warn yuh. Mi give yuh more chances than anybody, and yuh still run go side with mi enemy?! Fi do wah? Bring me down?!”
She mumbles under the tape. I raise my hand, and she shuts up again. “Mi nuh wah hear nothing from yuh,” I say coldly.
Gutta moves to her, tightening the rope. “Mi done tell yuh seh yuh stupid fi bite the hand weh feed yuh. Look how much good the man do fi yuh.” Zara walks back over, hand gently touching my arm. I soften, looking at her immediately.
“Wah happen, Mami?” I ask, voice low now. She gives a small nod.
“Mr. Joe and Lizzy okay now. Mi nuh know if Gutta tell yuh, but she did do something to them… fi mek dem sleep.” Chloroform. Mi hear dat earlier. Zara’s eyes harden as she looks past me at Juaqína, then softens again when she faces me. “Mi a go back and assist dem, okay?”
“Alright, Mami.” I kiss her forehead gently, squeezing her hand before she walks off. When she leaves, I turn back to Gutta.
ZARA
It’s been about half an hour since I’ve been in the kitchen with Mr. Joe and Lizzie. Nickoi and Gutta still have Juaqína locked up in the office, doing…whatever. Mi sure dem probably a kill har. I stir the tea, hands a bit shaky, before walking to the island and handing them each a cup. “Mi glad unuh okay,” I say, voice soft.
“Thank you,” Joe says, smiling weakly. “So happy that devildidn’t get to hurt you.” I glance at Lizzie and smile.
“And mi glad seh yuh survive har too.”
“Thank God… and Nickoi.” I smile to myself and climb on the stool.
“She hurt you?” Joe asks, looking concerned.
“She buss mi lip, but she neva get to do me how she wanted to.”
“Good,” they both say at the same time. Once I’m done helping them, I head upstairs—slowly—to the office. When I crack the door open, Nickoi is standing in front of her. His voice low. Dangerous. She’s trembling. He raises his gun and slaps her across the face. Her head whips to the side. I flinch. But mi nuh feel bad fi har. That she do mi. She a get back wah she deserve. I stand in the doorway, watching… until I finally speak. “She was lying, babe.”
Nickoi glances at me. “Wah yuh a talk bout, Mami?” his voice is still tight.
“She neva pregnant fi you. She admit it. Yuh can check the camera if yuh nuh believe.” Juaqína jerks like she want fi argue but Nickoi shuts her up quick, swinging the back of his hand in her face again.
“Easy yuh self!” he snaps. Damn.
“Yuh really feel seh yuh a get weh after everything yuh do?” Nickoi circles her slowly. Gutta stands to the side, his grin devilish. Yuh can imagine somebody get people fi hate dem so?
I don’t even feel sorry for her.
How mi fi feel bad when she wicked? She almost kill me and mi baby.
“My father and Lennox father were friends… an’ look how him betray mi father. Lennox was mi bredda and him still stab mi inna mi back fi the business. You, lie bout pregnancy fi mi lef mi woman. Yuh side wid Lennox, thief mi drugs, help set up Wayne and after all a dat, yuh still claim loyalty?!”
He hits her again.
She’s crying now. Yea man, a now yuh wah bawl. “Tru’ yuh deven know how man get fi hate yuh,” Nickoi growls, voice thick. “But mi did still a deny it. You nuh know how long mi a pree you dark and still try fi gi yuh a chance? Mi even let yuh live when mi cut the link and yuh come back? Come a man yaad, drug out mi security and mi woman helper?!” Another slap, then another.
He turns to me. “And yuh try kill mi woman and mi pickney?” Another slap. I’ve never seen Nickoi like this before. Usually mi would feel sorry for whoever him deh pon… but not her.
“She done know how the thing wuk,” Gutta chuckles. “And know she would a get this if she go around the boss.” This is why he don’t hit women. She tries to move and I look away.
“Mi nuh know who can stop mi from kill yuh enuh!” Nickoi shouts.
“Do the right mi General!” Gutta hypes him. I feel myself blinking, heart softening just a little. Not for her, but because ofhim.Mi start feel a likkle sorry… not for her but for what this bring outta Nickoi. Because when the rage reach… he’s dangerous. She moves again and he grabs her throat. I flinch. That’s enough. I walk forward, grip his arm.
“Nickoi, please. Mi nuh like har, mi really don’t, but mi want yuh stop.” He turns to me, chest rising heavy.
“Zara… mi tell yuh seh mi nah lose yuh. And if mi see anybody—anybody—who a threat to yuh, mi a go eliminate dem. She woulda kill you if mi neva reach. Badness come wid betrayal, and betrayal come wid death.”
