Jediah heaved a breath.“Talk to me.”He placed the polished black pawn on the table and stared at it.
Dimitri Forde smirked before pushing off the shell door.He walked toward Jediah while pushing one of his four barrel twist locs over his broad shoulders.“Yu tell yu adviser fi leave.”
“He’s not seeing things my way.I considered every move already.This is the best decision.”
“Then why yu need me tell yu dat?”Dimitri asked.“Whatever you say is law.”
Jediah hummed before standing.He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair, shrugging it on while moving toward the door.Dimitri was close behind him.Elias and Cameron, who stood talking a distance away, cut their conversation short and fell into stride behind Dimitri.
“Tell the captain the course is set,” Jediah said as they walked.
“Ah,” Cameron said and walked away from them.
Jediah entered the security room.One wall was full of monitors, showing different angles of the yacht.A bustling party was on the deck.Bodies danced on bodies, allowing the loud music to direct their movements.Everyone drank and did drugs as they desired, not having a care in the world since the yacht was far out at sea.No-one but the birds swooping to catch fish could see and judge them.While Jediah stared at the screen, Elias sat beside the man monitoring the room.
Spotting a figure among the gyrating bodies, Jediah scowled.“Bring her to me,” he said before returning to the room he was in moments prior, then taking the same seat.
A moment later, the door opened.Dimitri led a woman inside the room and gently nudged her toward Jediah.She walked further into the room.Dimitri remained at the door.
Crossing her arms, the woman sat on the chair beside Jediah.“If you a go use mi birthday do this, yu can at least mek mi have likkle fun.”
Jediah’s fists tightened.“Reine—”
“Don’ Reine mi, Jed!Yu always do this,” she complained, pouting her lips.
He sighed.“You can have the beach house all of tomorrow—”
“No.Mi wan’ the club.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, and Reine smiled.
She sprang out of her chair and dropped herself onto his lap and hugged him.“Thanks!I love you.”
Jediah huffed.“Let go of me before you make him think I’m soft.”
Reine, grinning, looked over her shoulder at Dimitri, who kept his gaze averted.“You are soft though,” Reine said as she looked at Jediah.She pinched his cheek and chuckled when he swatted her hand away.“Seriously, though.Stop use mi like this.”
“It won’t happen again, Reine.”
Reine scoffed while standing.“Yu sound like Daddy.Mi don’ believe yu.”
Jediah clenched his fist as Dimitri opened the door, allowing Reine to leave.Shaking his head as the door closed, Jediah grabbed the glass of rum, which he’d abandoned to devote his focus to Tyre.Taking a sip, he drew closer to the chess board on the table.“Dimitri,” Jediah called out.“Let’s play a game of chess.”
Hissing a sharp curse, she ended the call, then stood and dusted off her hands.Her frantic eyes searched the stillness of the night while her heart raced at every minor movement.
The sway of the tree’s silhouettes.
Thecoosof a distant owl.
Thethrumof her heart.
Ashari exhaled a shaky breath.She grabbed the dried branches, slipping them in place before she took calculated steps back to the bicycle.It was parked on the side of the road, blending into the falling darkness.
Ashari cycled to the safe-house and hauled the bicycle into the bathroom.She stripped from her clothes, dropped them on the floor, and took a quick shower.Afterwards, she redressed, put the bicycle into the shower and tossed the tainted clothes atop it before setting them aflame.
Moving to the mirror, she stared at her reflection.Her eyes were bloodshot, still red from all the crying she’d done earlier.They were fear stricken from imagining Jediah’s devious grin awaiting her at the estate.
“I hate you, Jed!”Ashari spat at her reflection, ridding the figment of her imagination.She turned the pipe on and scrubbed her hands and underneath her nails until they were squeaky clean.Ashari glanced at the flame.It wouldn’t take too long for the house to be engulfed.She rushed outside and hopped into the car, cruising along the lonely road way.A yelp ripped from her throat when a ring traveled through the car.She didn’t read the caller ID before answering.