Not My Type 2 (Not My Type #2)

Chapter 53 Dead End

Dead End

Nick strolls into my office sipping bottled water, just as I finish stashing my guns and burner phones into a box to take to my hidden gun vault. It’s a hidden room behind the bookshelf. I don’t even greet him, I’m too busy clearing out my drawers and safes. He chuckles like he expected this.

“Dawg, traffic did wul mi up,” he says behind me, still calm like he didn’t just walk in on a whole arsenal. I head to the bookshelf, press the hidden panel, my finger taps the code. Click. The door slides open.

“When last yuh come in yer?” Rick questions, peering into the hidden room. He’s one of the few who know about it. I don’t answer right away. Six months, maybe more. I only use this room when it’s serious. Like now, Mario a fawud. When he digs through my office, I want the place empty.

“Been a while,” I mutter, stepping in, shelving guns. The room’s circular, mirrors and racks crammed with guns in every possible slot. Red and blue neon washes the blue-painted walls, with low red and black furniture.

By the time we lock the door, everything clean. “A wen him a fawud?” he asks, dropping into the seat across from me.

“Inna the mawning,” I say, pouring Henny, still watching the entrance like it could swing open early.

Rick sparks up the PS5. “Yuh know him can show up sooner, right?” I nod, but I’m not worried. With everything sealed in the back, I could sleep sound. “Mi nuh have mi gun dem scattered no more,” I tell him.

He toss me a controller. “Mek we bun the game.”

I get in the zone, and minutes in, he’s leading. Jah know. Bredda yah a game head. He wins the first one. “Mi too good fi this, dawg!” I just smirk and reload the next match. Determination warms my spine. This time, I strike first. Goal before halftime.

“If determine was a person,” Rick laughs. “It woulda be you.”

He slaps two hundred US on the table. “Win and a yours.” The energy shifts. I lean forward. Lock in. We both sweating like it’s real turf. When it’s over, we’re tied, but he claps anyway.

“Good game, dawg. Yuh gimme a run fimme money.” I nod, sipping Henny. Still no sign of Zara. My mind drifts, then Rick throws me off with what he says next.

“Yuh mek the game more serious than when mi a play wid your bwoy.”

I pause, my brow up. “My boy?” I know he meant Gutta, but I ask anyway.

“Yeah… Gutta,” he shrugs but his tone? Off.

I lean forward. “Rick… wah gwaan between you and Gutta?”

He huffs and glances at the cup. “Mi just feel like… yuh always run to him now. Like me and you nah link like before.”

I take that in. He’s not wrong. Since Gina died, I gave him space. But I shoulda checked in. Shoulda balanced the scale. I can’t have lingering animosity in the gang. Dem thing deh start corruption, and a far we a come from.

“Mi know him better with the gun… but dawg mi just feel like you rate him more. Like back then a me yuh woulda call when yuh need help yuh zimi?” Rick adds. He laughs it off, but pain slips through.

“When yuh call fi get yuh wallet mi start meds everything,” he adds.

“Jah know… wul a unuh a mi dawg, and mi been a call him more, mi can admit that. Swear bruh… mi get it and mi sorry it look like that, anuh no preference thing. Mi dawg a mi dawg dem, mi just nuh waah yuh start move corrupt towards the man over my actions,” I explain.

He chuckles. “Mi hear yuh, bro.”

“Yah listen to mi?”

“Yea dawg,” he nods.

“And by right, mi s’pose to involve yuh more, but mi did a give yuh space fi grieve, ano no other reason,” I express, he grabs the controller, smile creeping back.

“Ah… make wi see if yuh really ready fi win back yuh $200.”

I grip my controller with a laugh. “Run eh’ game nuh.”

ZARA

I point at the diamond headpiece and Clova smiles. “That type mi want,” I say, and the salesgirl glances at me twice. Recognizes me from Mrs. Adam’s class. Small world. “Hey teacher… how can I help you?”

“Wait… you were in Mrs. Adams class?” I smile. She laughs and we catch up. Now I’m debating on what to get. I call Gavin for backup.

“The boss deh pan the phone!” he yells, making me blush. Hear ‘boss’ periodddd.

“Mi like it,” he says once I showed him the hair piece. “It woulda look nice fi yuh wedding.” That’s all I need.

I’m smiling the whole way out the store until a silver Mark X swerves into my lane. I brake hard. My chest slams in the wheel. My phone flies to the other seat. Pain runs through me so sharp. I feel like I’m about to pass out.

I call Doctor Jacobs then head to her office for a quick checkup.

I ask her not to say anything to Nickoi.

She checks me, gives me some cream, says I’m fine.

By the time I reach home, it’s already dark.

The house is quiet. Too quiet. I walk in, and Nickoi is face-down on the bed with the babies asleep beside him.

“Zara,” he calls, before I even speak. He sits up, and walks straight toward me in the dark.

“Weh yah come from?” His tone sharp, eyes searching mine.

“I was at the store,” I lie.

“B so a lost yuh did lost inna dah store deh?”

“I b-bought you something and before that I was in a school meeting.” I hand him the bag with the shoes. He looks, nods, says nothing else. Then he wraps his arms around me and lets out a breath.

He barely looks convinced, but he gets back on the bed. I guess he’s tired of talking about that. I glance at the the time, wondering if it’s right. It’s a little after eight, why is he getting ready to sleep? This weird bad.

“Babe,” I call, his head sinking in the pillow.

“Zara,” his voice muffled.

“What’s up with you sleeping early?”

“Mi affi wake early tomorrow,” he retorts. I mean he always wakes early even when he goes to bed at midnight, so what is he trying to say?

“Yuh wake early every morning Nickoi,” I point out.

He seems to remember something and sits up. “Come yer.” I do as I’m told. He holds my waist and pull me even closer.

“Jah Jah how mi fi nuh member this?” I furrow my brows when he says that.

“Member what? Nickoi you a scare mi,” I breathe.

He stares in my eyes. “Neva that Mami… mi just wah yuh listen to wah mi a say and work with me.”

He explains to me, who British is, her connection with this detective named Mario, her role and what’s going down tomorrow. On the outside, I’m cool, but inside I’m shaking.

“Nickoi suppose dem try fi h-hurt yuh?” It comes out shaky too.

“Dem cyaa do that man, a me fi just ensure dem nuh find nutt’n,” he tells me. What if there’s a loose end and they send him to prison? Leaving me and the babies alone.

“So everything hide?” I meet his gaze. He pulls me down on him and press a deep kiss to my lips.

“Mi just nuh wah yuh an act nervous… enuh b, Mario a the best of the best, so him will know if mi a hide suh’m through you so please mami, wul it, yuh can do that fimme?”

I suck on his lip. “Anything for you.”

“Weh yuh gun? Gimme it,” his eyes on the safe. I quickly hand it to him and start thinking of possible loose ends.

“The cars… dem aguh wah know how yuh get them,” I remind him.

“It o’ make sense… Dane done tell them mi have a car mart,” he shrugs. “If him nuh see wah him hear bout him aguh know mi clear the place.”

“You sure babe?” I’m uneasy.

“Yah,” he smirks, and lie down and I roll off to take a shower.

“Mi aguh bathe and come back,” I promise him.

“Hurry up,” he teases as I step into the bathroom.

Under the spray of the shower, I can’t help but smile.

Funny how it’s always the serious ones who end up being the most playful.

I bite my lip at the thought. Fresh and warm, I slip into my panties and tug on his shirt, only to find him already asleep, his hand in his shorts.

“Watch him,” I whisper with a grin. Leaning in, I cup his face and press kisses against those sexy ass lips until they grow warm and plump beneath mine.

NICKOI

As I brush my teeth, I talk to British on the phone. It’s six o’clock now, and Mario

already left. “What you doing now?” British asks.

I wipe my mouth before answering. “Mi a go feed mi youth dem and wake up mi wife.”

“Yes, gwaan do normal stuff. Mek it seem unexpected,” British advises.

“Yeah, respect, sis.” She hangs up.

“Your wife wake already,” Zara says from the door.

I smirk.

She covers her mouth, making me laugh. “Mi nuh know if mi breath smell. It nuh taste bad, but mi nuh able,” she mumbles.

With a smile, she takes out her toothbrush and starts her morning routine. My eyes drop to her fat ass cheeks, barely covered in her thong. My shorts swallowing her, but the back rides up, showing that perfect ass.

Water hits me. She’s splashing me. “Stop look pan mi. Yaw batty man?”

I laugh.

“Yaw laugh? Stop look pan me.” She can hardly keep a straight face.

“Who fa eye?” I tease.

“Stop look pan me,” she says, smiling, and I grab a handful of her ass.

“Stop touch me,” she says, but her voice saying otherwise.

“Who fa hand?” I ask as I brace on her, making her lean forward.

She like dat.

“Stop nuh,” she whines, and I listen. I need to feed the babies anyway. I can hear them awake.

“Mi a go feed the babies. See you downstairs, yuh hear, big batty Zara?” I bite my lip walking out.

She fans me off, still shy. I smile to myself.

Only one time she lose her pride and everybody know what time that is.

I play with the babies for a while before I sponge-bathe them and get them dressed in yellow and white matching onesies.

Custom made. Their names stitched in gold.

By the time I’m done, they watching some dumb cartoon Zara always put on. Some potato thing. Probably educational, I don’t know. I make porridge and feed them while they laugh at the screen.

Zara calls the principal, tells her she not coming in today. Then she sits beside me, fidgeting with my fingers. She nervous. She picks up Zahir while I hold Zahira.

“Mi nuh feel like the two a we fi just sit down. Find something fi do otherwise than chilling with us,” I tell her.

She walks away but stops halfway. “You call log clean and thing?” she asks quietly.

I nod. “Yah.”

“Okay,” she says, disappearing through the back door with Zahir. Then I hear Pepper barking. Followed by Zara’s screams. She being extra, Pepper chained and can’t break free.

Five minutes later, British calls me. “He’s almost there. Delete all our calls including this one then delete my number. But don’t delete everything, him will find that suspicious.” She hangs up.

I move quick.

Then Zara appears at the door. Her eyes talking:

Dem deh yer.

I stay put. Playing dumb. Still watching the dumb cartoon. Zara disappears again. Outside, I can hear him now. Yelling at the security to open the gate. But my security don’t move unless I say so.

I text Michael: “Open the gate.”

There’s police cars, private cars, soldier trucks, and news reporters outside. Drama at the Don yard today.

“Da-da,” Zahira looks up at me. She has the biggest, pretty eyes. I kiss her cheek just as Mario pushes the door open.

We lock eyes.

“Nickoi Jacobs,” he says.

I nod. “That’s me, sir. Good morning.” I try to seem professional and respectful. It’s all an act. When mi done, mi want mi Oscar.

He shows me the warrant, then signals. “Soldiers!” He points upstairs. “Officers!” Downstairs.

They move in. He walks over to me, eyes on Zahira. Smiling like he’s friendly.

“Wha this ‘bout?” I ask.

“You’re Nickoi Jacobs. I’ve seen you down by St. Jago?” his eyes on me.

“Oh yes,” I answer, acting surprised.

“She’s so pretty. So sad you’ll be leaving without her,” he adds, voice calm. I stay quiet, letting him talk.

“Why you say that?” I ask eventually.

“You know what you’ve been doing.”

“Do what, bossy? Own mi car mart?”

“That’s not all that you do.”

I shake my head. A soldier walks in with his hand resting on Zara.

“Mi nuh wah be disrespectful, but tek yuh hand offa mi woman,” It comes out deadly He drops it quick. Mario’s brow raised. As if he’s observing how I get.

“You have guns?” the officer asks. If I say no, he’ll think I’m hiding something.

“Yes. I have a licensed one,” I answer. I’m talking about Zara’s. Mi fully dawk. Mi nuh use licensed gun. I show him my hand after laying Zahira on the couch. “It’s in my pocket. May I?”

He doesn’t answer. Just pulls it out himself. Checks it. Keeps it in his hand. His face falls when his team comes back empty handed.

“Nothing!?” he snaps.

“No, sir,” they all reply.

Dawg head a chip.

“Adonis was your uncle?” he asks.

“Yeah man. Was like a father figure to me,” I lie.

“Really now? Where were you that night?”

“What night?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, boy.”

“Mi a 25… Don’t gwan like yuh a talk to some likkle bwoy,” I warn him. He apologizes. When they inform him that they found nothing, he checks the house himself. Then we head to the garage.

“All these are from the car mart?” he asks.

“Yes, sir.”

“I know a lot of car mart owners. They don’t own so many cars.”

“I don’t own all.” I give him the script. “Business run by my older brother Junior. I help out cause the mart full, so I use this space as storage. Plus my personal car, the Benz.”

I nod toward the white Benz. “That one’s for my wife.”

“Ohh, that’s the teacher?” he asks. I nod again. His men comes back down. Empty-handed again.

“Nothing?” he asks once more, like he can’t believe it.

“Nothing, sir.”

“Unuh want no Hennessy or Ciroc? Wah yuh drink?” I ask. I glance at the other officers, they shake their heads ‘no’ ‘cause Mario is watching. But mi know dem want a drink. They walk off, leaving me and Mario.

“You want no Hennessy or Ciroc?” I ask him again.

Bredda, mi know yuh love purpose.

I laugh. “Figot seh yuh up inna age, wah yuh want tea or coffee?” I jeer lightly.

“I like coffee… but it’s fine,” he says. Mi know the idiot love coffee. British tell mi.

I notice his ring. “You married too?” I ask.

“Yes, I have a lovely wife,” he says.

I stay quiet.

After some small talk and an apology to me and Zara, I escort him outside. He’s arguing with his team, saying something about being done. Dawg lose him momentum.

I smirk and watch them drive away.

Fool reach a dead end.