Page 40 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“What happ’m to Nickoi?” I ask again. Mi nuh think mi ever feel so yet. I’m trying to compose myself. Anxiety is eating me alive as the seconds goes by without me knowing if he’s okay.

“Mi nuh know... it’s like him get shot, Junior say somebody just tell him that there was a shooting at Rick’s house and Nickoi was there,” she says while rushing out and I pace behind her.

“And he said that some of the man them dead,” her voice breaks at the end. Tears run out of my eyes. Don’t bother blame yourself. I promised I’d be there for him..

Anuh like you could help him if you were there yuh probably would a make dem kill him, that girl in my head is lethalll!

Damn, that’s mean. I take out my phone and dial his number. No answer. I start panicking again. Jesus! S’pose Nickoi dea...

Doh even seh it.

“Get in Zara!” Suzanne calls, bringing me back to reality and I get in the car calling Nickoi again and it goes to voicemail. This cya real enuh!

Tears prick my eyes and I wipe it away angrily. Sigh..

“Let’s hope for the best Zara,” Suzanne holds my hands when she notice that I’m freaking out. What happen to him? Him possibly get shot. But is he okay? Him nah answer him phone. Maybe him nuh around it Zara....

Nickoi? To know him is to know him never left that phone so that’s not the case. I call him again and it goes straight to voicemail. A loud sigh leaves my lips.

“Mi nah get him enuh,” I whine.

Suzanne glances at me and sigh. She starts driving faster and I call him again and it goes to voicemail. Again.

“Still nah get him?” Suzanne asks and I shake my head no.

“Jesus,” she breathes.

I close my eyes, sending a silent prayer to the heavens. Deh prayer deh not even a pass through the moonroof.

I ignore my subconscious. She nuh know time and place?

Fifteen minutes later and we are in the hospital running through the parking lot and head inside. I run over to the front desk and find the receptionist talking on the phone.

“Hey, excuse me I’m looking for my boyfriend. I-I am Zara Williams and I got a call that he was sho—” Alarmed, she puts her phone to the side and focus on me.

“What’s his name?” her keyboards tapping.

“Nickoi Jacobs I heard that he was shot,” I say in a worried tone. She puts the phone down and start checking.

Mi know seh a serious thing this but, Nickoi is your boyfriend now, huh?

“Look for an Alrick Russell too because they were together,” Zanne chimes in and the receptionist nods.

As we wait, Zanne puts her arms around me, using her hands to rub me soothingly. The lady looks up and my heart rate gains momentum. Instantly, my anxiety skyrockets and I run my sweaty hands down my thighs.

Oh God... “Okay so Alrick Russell is in the ER and Nickoi-” I hear my name and turn around. Nickoi?

I stare at him before a smile appears on my face. I run to him, hugging the life out of him. I’m so happy he’s not hurt. Thank God mi huzzy alive!

He isn’t okay though, I can tell by the look on his face. “Nickoi what happened?” I ask when I pull away. His eyes are dark. He’s stressed

“Mi nuh know mi a go find out,” he retorts. Wah that mean? A wah him plan fi do?

“Wah happen to Rick?” Suzanne chimes in.

“Rick good mon a just Gina get shot yuh zi mi and him still in deh. Him nuh fi in deh though but yuh know how him unruly,” he says in a sad tone. Hope she’s alright.

“Which man dead?” I ask. I’m curious.

“Two strange man and one a mi G them,” he retorts. His eyes trail behind me and I turn around to follow his gaze. Nickoi’s big brother and his stout friend approaches us.

“Mr. Jacobs,” I look around when I hear a female voice.

“A you name Mr. Jacobs?” It’s a nurse.

“Come let me dress your wound,” she says and I look at Nickoi surprised.

He was shot and him out here like nothing nuh happen?

I give him a look and he breathes. “Just a graze me get,” he says answering my thoughts. Him a read mind now? Clearly.

“Where?” I ask and he rolls up his sleeve showing me his arm. It’s a small wound.

“Yow some boy a guh dead enuh... a wah dem wah do mek mi youth nuh have him mother?!” I look around. I guess he’s Rick.

He’s tall around 6’1 with shoulder length cornrow hair. His skin is like caramel and he dresses like a typical choppa. Brows knitting. Nickoi walks over to him. “Make it rest,” he simply says.

I know Nickoi and he’s up to something, his tone sounds like that night when he nearly killed Perry. All now yuh nuh pay Perry. That’s because mi nah see him.

Rick sighs sitting down. “She a come on now but she lose a whole lot of blood,” he says.

“Just a hear seh Jet drop out,” Nickoi tells him. Who name Jet?

He hisses. “Dawg this cut me up enuh. A swear,” Rick face palms himself and I look away. I feel so bad for him.

“Mr. Jacobs,” the nurse calls again and Nickoi hisses before he walks behind her. I watch them until they disappear. The way how him a act towards that graze I’m wondering if it’s his first time being shot. A graze Zara.

Mi nuh care I wouldn’t be so calm about it, even if it’s minor.

Nickoi used to them thing yer ... wi a medium fool, so shut up!

“She’ll be okay,” I say to Rick and he looks at me.

“Respect mon,” he says with a nod. He’s fine too.

“How it feel?” I ask Nickoi as we walk out of the hospital. He got his wound dressed and he’s ready to leave now along with the others.

“It good mon,” he says quietly.

I sigh to myself. The bwoy say it good.

“Okay...” I trail off. “The thought of you getting hurt scared the shit out of me,” I say with a laugh looking up at him.

“Mi nuh surprised,” he teases, wiping off my smile.

“Nuh upset mi,” my lips in a straight line. He tucks in his bottom lip, liking my ‘attitude.’ Yuh forget seh you and him lef?

I still remember... but that doesn’t change the fact that I care about him. Okay ma’am.

His friend walks over to us and he acknowledges me before he looks at Nickoi. “Don mek mi show you a pree.”

Dem ever a show him a pree...

“Ah, Zara sit in the car,” he drops the fob key in my palm.

Wah dem up to?

Anuh fi wi business dat, gwaan in a the car!

I open the car door and sink into the seat, tension coiling in my gut. Something feels off. The low, hushed voices. The way their eyes sweep the parking lot—sharp, careful, calculating.

Yuppp... they’re up to no good.

A movement in the corner of my eyes makes me look to the side to see Suzanne waving at me. I wave back with a smile. She gets in her car and pulls out behind Junior’s Porsche.

The back door pulls, I jerk back.

“Sorry, sorry...” Rick smiles apologetically. “Yuh good?”

A me fi a ask him that still ...

“Yes, are you?”

“Y’know it could a worst,” his eyes heavy with something deeper than just exhaustion. I feel for him... genuinely.

“True,” I agree. Nickoi’s phone starts ringing and I look at it. Should I?

I pick up the phone, spot the caller ID and swipe the screen. “Hello?”

“Zara a you this?” I hear his mom’s voice.

“Yeah,” I say.

“Mi son alright? Cause mi a hear some news weh mi nuh like enuh,” she says worriedly.

“He’s okay,” I assure her.

“Alright him deh near yuh now?”

“Nickoi?” I poke my head out the window, something about interrupting him gives me a weird thrill. I like getting on his nerves. The cool air brushing against my skin is the cherry on top.

He looks around at me, brows pulling together. “Zara?” his voice dripping with annoyance. I tilt my head and show him the phone with a cool expression.

“A yuh mother.” He moves toward me, jaw tight, yeah, he’s annoyed. He reaches for his phone, fingers brushing mine.

“Thought so,” I tease, under my breath, eyes asking for trouble. Nothing— Not a look, not a word. Just a slow blink before he turns away like I’m not even here. Shameeeeeeee!

I like my man mean anyway.

He’s walking back to his friends. It’s hard to not admire his walk, slow, smooth, every step carrying that quiet power that makes people move out of his way. His stout friend with plaits cascading down his back, leans in bearing some sort of ‘intel’. Bigz.

Mi nuh get that friend name all now and him always around Nickoi. Him move like a bodyguard too. Let’s work with bodyguard or Bigz for now. Bigz kinda suit him more...

“So... you know who... ” my eyes finds Rick. He looks up from his phone with a confused expression. “... attacked you guys?” I add. He shakes his head quickly.

I dunno, but he doesn’t strike me as a ‘killer.’ He’s cool, more like the life of the party. That friend you depend on for a good laugh.

“A bay strange man, every man face in a mask,” he says. I guess that’s a no then.

“That weird mon,” I say. How dem know where him live? It affi be someone he knows. Nickoi drops in the car with a heavy sigh.

“Weh yaw stay Rick? Cause it nuh safe fi yuh stay a your place weh dem know enuh,” his voice frigid, but there’s concern lurking underneath.

His bodyguard friend gets in a black Range Rover but doesn’t drive off. Him same one did pull the door in Perry’s car and also when Nickoi paid for my groceries. I narrow my eyes at him. Bet a Nickoi him a wait on.

“A real meds enuh G, mi have a next yard still so mi a just pick up the car.” Nickoi pulls off and just as I expected the SUV drives off behind us. Hmm...

Nickoi dropped off Rick and he picked up his car and drove off to the opposite direction. I look over at Nickoi and he’s in deep thoughts.

“Nickoi are you okay?” my voice oozing concern. “You want us to talk?” He glances at me.

“Mi just have a lot on my mind,” he says. “Mi wah know who dem after and who send dem.”

“You have a lot of enemies,” I remind him.

“Yeah mi know that but dem nah guh just come so. Mi kno’ this was a hit,” he says, focusing on the road. It seems like that.

“How can I help?” I ask. There must be something I can do. I did say I’d be there for him.

He smiles. “It’s okay Zara mi just wah yuh get home.” Right, she too nuff.

I hate my subconscious.

He glances at me. “Wah yuh tell the receptionist seh me be?” a smirk curling on his lips. Instantly my cheeks heat up.