Page 249 of Not My Type
“Thanks,” I say and she nods, walking away.
Nickoi is silent. The hearse rolls away, Vybz Kartel’s Street blasting from the speakers, the crowd singing along, voices raw with grief. Nickoi looks up, breath sharp. His hand moves fast. Gun out. Safety off.
He jumps from the car, shoving me aside just as gunfire cracks through the air. My breath catches, everything a happen so fast! The shots keep coming, ringing loud. Jesussss! Nickoi fires back. No hesitation. No fear. Just pure instinct.
The car screeches, bullets slicing through metal. Then he’s on me, pulling me close, shielding me as we hit the ground. His arms lock around me, his body pressing me into the pavement. Gunpowder lingers in the air. My ears ring. Nickoi doesn’t move. Why him a get… why him a get heavy??!!!
“Nickoiiiiiiiiiiii!” I scream, his eyes flapped down. “Yuh try wake uppppp!” I pound him with my fist.
I hear a lot more gunshots before I hear tires screeching. Again. “A wah black voxy!” Someone sprints pass. My focus on Nickoi. He moves a little but he’s getting heavier, and heavier. My lips trembling. I start panicking.
Gutta runs over to us and shout. “Unuh good!?” then realize that Nickoi isn’t responding. Please God...
“Nickoi!” Gutta’s eyes wide. A the first mi ever hear him use him Government.
The Outlawz pile into the SUV, tires skidding as they speed off behind the Voxy bus. Chaos swirls around me—voices shouting, bodies moving—but all I see is him. Nickoi. On the ground, still. Too still.
People rush to him, their voices urgent, but I can’t move. My legs feel heavy, my chest tight. Nicki jumping as she cries. “Owayne lef mi enuh… you cya’ lef me too… mi nah feel no pulse Nickoiii!”
Slowly, I push myself up, my breath ragged. My vision tilts, everything blurring like the world a shift beneath me. I clutch my head, the pressure unbearable. “Mi cyaa’ think straight… ” The air is thick. My heartbeat pounds in my ears.
A random voice blares. “The dawg nah breathe fi true?!”
PAUSE.
Who fa man nah breathe? My man?
I speak, in sharp breaths. “Yah idiot?... ” I pant. “Unuh a doctor?” I pant again. “Who unuh a tell that?” I’m weak. Too weak.
The world feel like it’s falling.
Or is it… me?
I wake up, eyes wide. “She wake uppp!” Voices shout, crowding in. I blink, trying to focus.
“Weh Nickoi deh?” is the first thing I ask.
“He’s alright ish... him get a shot,” Nicki seems disoriented. Again!?
“Where?” My heart pounding hard. Please Goddd, please no mek it severe. Her response brings tears to my eyes.
“In a him side, one graze him head,” Nicki says, sweat dripping. “Mi nuh know why dem nuh leave mi pitney alone.” I shake my head, nervous as hell.
“Yuh feel better?” Rick asks. I scan the area, searching for Nickoi.
“Weh Nickoi deh?” He’s all I care about right now. Shot inna him side? Graze him head?
“Nickoi,” they call out, and I hear him talking to Gutta.
“Him never a respond,” I say, my mind racing, recalling how he got heavier on me when we fell.
“Him lick him head wen him a try fi protect you, cause a you dem did a shot off a,” Nicki says, her voice shaky. Me? What the hell!? Why would they target me? Mi a trouble people?
“Bredda wah dem drive!?” Nickoi asks venomously. Mi never see him look so angry yet. Den nuh muss yuh nuh see dem a try kill yuh?
“Black Voxy,” Gutta retorts. “The man dem gone after dem.”
“Mi d’evu care bout that. Mi wah see dem miself. Give me the car key!” he shouts and I look out.
