Title: Beneath Di Don's Shadow

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Between Love and Fear

Afta dat night, tings move fast. Jahmiel call mi regular now, always checking pon mi, making sure mi alright. But mi could feel it—the shift in di air whenever him around. Him wasn’t just Jahmiel to me anymore. Him was di don, di man everybody fear and respect. Di streets whisper his name like him was legend, but to me, he was still the man mi couldn’t help but fall deeper for.

Mi start spending more time at his place, and di more mi there, di more mi see how him really live. Soldiers always posted at di gate, eyes always watching. Dem barely talk, but mi know every move they make is fi protect him. Jahmiel’s house, di fortress up in di hills, was a world of its own—safe but suffocating at times.

One afternoon, mi sit on di balcony, watching di city from above. From here, Kingston look peaceful, like a postcard. But mi know di truth. Down there, under di beauty, danger always lurk. Mi always hear bout di violence, di turf wars, di betrayals, but seeing Jahmiel navigate it so calmly… it mek mi realize just how deep mi getting in.

“Yuh alright?” Jahmiel’s voice pull mi from mi thoughts.

Mi turn round, and him standing in di doorway, arms crossed over him chest, di golden sun casting a shadow behind him. Mi could tell from di look on his face dat something heavy was on his mind.

“Mi good,” mi answer, trying fi smile. But mi voice shaky, betraying di nervousness mi feel.

Him walk over, di usual confidence in him steps. Jahmiel always move like him control di space him deh in, like nothing could touch him. Him sit beside mi, di scent of him cologne mixing wid di fresh air. Fi a moment, mi feel like mi could breathe again.

“Kimi,” him start, “yuh know seh mi care bout yuh, right?”

Mi heart skip a beat when him say dat. Him never really talk bout feelings like dat before. Mi nod, trying fi hide di butterflies mi feel whenever him talk soft like dat.

“But mi life… it nuh easy,” him continue, voice serious now. “Mi cya mek promise to nobody. Tings change fast out here. An mi cya afford fi let mi guard down.”

Mi know what him mean. Jahmiel’s world was one where yuh had fi always be ready. Trust was scarce, and loyalty came at a price.

“Yuh fraid?” him ask, turning fi look at mi straight inna mi eyes. Di question hang in di air between wi, heavy and full of meaning.

Mi pause before mi answer, mi eyes shift to di view of Kingston below. Fraid? Of course mi fraid. How could mi not be? Jahmiel’s life was full of tings mi neva dream about. Guns, money, enemies. But di truth was… mi fraid more of losing him than anyting else.

“Mi nuh fraid of yuh,” mi finally seh, looking back at him. “Mi fraid of di life, but not of yuh.”

Him study mi face for a long time, like him trying fi decide if mi really mean it. Then, for di first time in a while, him smile. Not di cold, calculated smile him show everybody else, but a real, soft smile. A smile dat reach him eyes.

“Yuh stronger than mi think, Kimi,” him say quietly, reaching out fi hold mi hand. “But mi nuh want yuh caught up in certain tings. Mi nah lie to yuh… mi enemies would use yuh if dem could. Dis life? It nuh come wid no safety net.”

Mi swallow hard, di weight of him words pressing pon mi chest. Mi knew Jahmiel was protecting me, but mi didn’t fully understand how much danger mi really in. Jahmiel nuh just have to worry ‘bout di police or rivals. Him have to watch him back from people in him own circle too. Betrayal was a constant threat, and love… well, love mek people vulnerable.

“Yuh think mi cya handle it?” mi ask, voice quiet.

Him eyes narrow, like him measuring mi. “Mi nuh know. Dat’s fi yuh decide.”

As di words hang between us, Jahmiel’s phone buzz again. Every time di phone ring, mi feel mi heart sink a likkle more. Mi watch as him glance at di screen, and mi see di shift in his expression. Di softness gone in a second, replaced by di cool, calculated mask him always wear when him dealing wid business.

“Mi haffi go,” him seh, standing up quick. Mi know what dat mean. It neva just a regular call. When Jahmiel move like dis, it mean tings serious.

“Mi drop yuh off first,” him add, already heading inside.

Mi follow him, but mi could feel di distance grow between wi every time him walk away like dat. Jahmiel’s world always tek him away from mi, an mi start fi wonder if mi could really stay in it.

Di car ride back to mi yard was quiet. Mi stare out di window as di city rush past, mi mind racing wid thoughts of everything Jahmiel just said. Mi couldn’t deny it anymore—dis wasn’t just some crush, or some fleeting love. Mi was in deep, and di deeper mi go, di more mi fraid of what might happen next.

When Jahmiel pull up outside mi gate, mi turn to him, wanting to say something, but di words stick in mi throat.

Him lean over, pressing a soft kiss pon mi forehead. “Stay safe, mi gyal,” him whisper, then him gone, driving off into di night, leaving mi standing there, mi heart heavy wid both love and fear.