I pause. “Nah,” I say, calm. “If mi did hate you, you’d be dead already. Mi wouldn’t waste time, wouldn’t spend money, wouldn’t bother giving you a second chance.”
I pull the chair back and sit, eyes on hers. “But instead, mi let yuh live. Risky, yeah. But mi still show yuh where yuh stand. Because at di end of the day, you decide if you live or not. Not me. You.”
She swallows hard and nods, but her mouth moves again. “I still don’t want to go.”
I push out of the chair, done. “Mi done talk,” I mutter and turn for the door.
But she grabs me. “Wah yuh—?”
Before I finish, she pulls me in, mouth brushing mine. She takes my bottom lip between hers while her hand slides over my crotch, slow and dangerous.
I shove her back, jaw tight. “Weh yah do?” I snap, my glare sharp enough to cut glass. We stare at each other, the air thick with everything unspoken.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide, glassy. “I… I’m sorry. I just wanted to feel your lips one last time,” she says, voice cracking mid-sentence.
Gal ya ridiculous enuh.
I don’t say anything. Just stare at her for a long second before turning and walking out the room. Enough of this.
I step into the hallway and head toward where the others are gathered.
“Bredda, yuh phone wouldn’t stop ring,” Junior says, catching me off guard.
I pause. “So yuh couldn’t answer it?”
He scratches the back of his head. “Mi did hear it, but it seem like it deh pan silent. Mi try answer the last one, but mi miss it.”
I frown and reach for the phone. It’s right where I left it on the table, but the screen’s dim, and the ringer’s off.
Mi nuh put mi phone pan silent mode.
I check the settings. The ringer turned all the way down. Phone muted. Not a sound would’ve come through. This feel… off. My eyes scan the room. Everybody’s focused, pulling files, scanning footage, still trying to locate the bwoy Adonis.
Then I see her. Juaqína. Sitting in the back, eyes on her own phone. Cool. Too cool. My phone had been on the table. Right near her.
A she, enuh. Jah know.
I shake my head and check the screen again. Zara called. Five times. My stomach twists. Mi and her did done talk already… so why she a call mi so? Sup’m nuh feel right.
I press her name and call. Straight to voicemail.
Mi chest feel like a knot. “Yow,” I mutter, more to myself, and redial instantly. This time she answers, voice soft like it carry tears.
“Yes, baby.”
I exhale, only just realizing I was holding my breath. She good.
“Yuh good?” I ask, trying to stay calm.
She sighs, and mi swear mi heart stop again. “Mi a wait fi you come home,” she says softly, then pauses. “But I really called about a weird call.”
My body tenses. “Weird how?” I ask, easing down into a chair.
“A number been a call me from last night. When mi answer, dem ask fi Zara. But the voice? Altered. Like one of dem robot-sounding thing deh inna movie. Right away mi know something off, but mi play along ‘cause mi did want know why dem call.”
She takes a breath. “So mi tell dem seh Zara is mi sister and mi name Sarah. The person sound confused… like him a follow instructions from somebody else. Then him seh mi fi tell Zara seh… ‘an old friend called.’”
My jaw tightens.Smaddy wah dead?
