Page 108 of Trial of Deceit

He tossed the shovel beside Ashari’s feet, then stooped and grabbed the metal box.He brushed away all the dirt and small bits of stone covering it before he opened it.He sucked in a breath as he looked down at the earrings he always thought she had an unnatural attachment to.

“Which part in a dis fi record?”Jediah asked.Sure, Ashari had already explained, but it was disbelieving to witness it.If Reka could imitate this, he’d be practically untouchable.But the risk wasn’t worth it.These things never stopped recording.Though the recordings on them were useless unless they got uploaded to a server, he didn’t want to further risk himself and his crew by bringing them back with him.

“The F.B.I.is very skilled.”

“I know,” Jediah said, thinking of Reka.He wondered who she would’ve become if his crew hadn’t snatched her from training.

Dismissing the curiosity, he put the earrings into the box, then climbed out of the hole.Now standing beside Ashari, he took them out of the box again.He tucked the box beneath his arm and held an earring between his index finger and thumb.He was about to snap it, when Ashari laid a hand atop his.Lifting his brow, Jediah looked at her.

Ashari transferred the flashlight into his hand before taking the earring.She looked at it, before she snapped it into two halves, then the other.Looking at him, she wore a small, yet tired smile.“Now, I’m all yours.”

“You’ve been mine,” he said, watching as her legs wobbled.Her hands rested on his forearms as he grabbed her and held her steady.

Ashari smiled weakly.“Thanks.”

He pursed his lips before swooping her into his arms bridal style.Ashari tried to protest, but stopped when he gave her a warning glare.As her arm wrapped around his shoulders, he looked down at her.“Mi a no yu father or brother.Yu don’ have fi act strong ’round me.Yu don’ have nothing fi prove.”

Smiling, Ashari laid her head on his chest.As he carried her toward the car, she said, “Act?”

He chuckled.“Don’t start.We know you’re Toby Payne’s protégée, but above all else, you’re Ashari Richardson.”

Chapter thirty

Asamechanicalwhirrang out in the torture chamber, a loud scream erupted from the man tied to the table.Jediah pressed the stop button.The man stopped fighting against the restraints, exhaling a heavy, whimpering breath.

“What was that?”Jediah taunted.

The man sweated bullets as he rushed out, “Mek mi explain!”

Jediah’s brow raised.“Ashari already told me all that she overhead, and I trust her more than you.”He glanced at Dimitri, who stood beside the door with his arms behind his back.“More than any of you, at this point…” He looked back at Elias.“Talk fast.”

“They told me that the new site was going to get raided, too.I knew we weren’t going to be lucky again.”

“How you know ’bout this raid, but I didn’t?”Jediah hissed.

“Because the tip didn’t come from an inside man.It came from the Valcourts—” Elias screamed as Jediah turned the table saw on.It moved toward Elias’ dick, awhooshingsound coming in the room as it brushed the material of Elias’ trousers, seconds before Jediah turned it off.

“Wayu just seh, Eli?!”

Elias strained his neck to look down at his crotch.After his frantic eyes darted around, he released a long sigh and dropped his head backward.“I panicked!”he cried.“I didn’t want you to think I was incompetent to get caught three times in a row.I’m indebted to her, because she saved me.”

“Indebted?Savedyou?”

“No one was supposed to get hurt,” Elias cried.“Did you realize that they only used tranquilizers?”

Jediah chuckled mockingly.He turned his head toward the ceiling, his shoulders shaking as he continued to laugh.Looking back at Elias, shining from immense sweat, Jediah’s laughter died.His eyes went cold.It’d been a long week of having fun with the old man, and Jediah had enough.“Mi might caan’ stand yu sometime, but if yu neva capable, mi wouldn’ give such an important task to yu.Afta wa yu do, mi only think yu weak ’cause yu conspire wid mi enemies instead of being man enough fi tell mi seh yu need help.”

Elias squeezed his eyes shut.Tears pushed through the barrier, rolling down the sides of his face.“It won’t happen again.I did nothing else wrong,” he sobbed.

Jediah looked down at the older man.“Are you calling my wife a liar?”

“N-no!That’s not what I meant.”

“So, did you or did you not plant a bomb in my warehouse and allow Malia’s hitmen onto my estate?”he gritted out.He grinned while Elias fumbled for an answer.“That was your move, Elias, and you don’t have the honor of me killing you.”

Jediah withdrew a pawn from his pants’ pocket, then placed it beside Elias’ head.Stepping away from the table, Jediah ignored Elias’ pleas.Dimitri moved forward, his eyes narrowed and jaws clenched.

“Don’ do dis, Jed!Think ’bout Howie and Iyana!”Elias screamed.