Page 21 of Trial of Deceit

Kayon’s body twitched.The muscles on his face contracted so his eyes narrowed slightly on Jediah but relaxed almost immediately.Kayon huffed a big breath, making Jediah smirk while watching him move his good hand to the joystick.It navigated the keyboard attached to the small screen on the chair.“Tell me about the Valcourts.”

“The arrangement you made was that they could have the ports in Kingston, but I want them now.It was stupid of you to give the Valcourts the East Coast.I know we control most of Jamaica, but we are losing.Consider how much we could import through the Kingston port.”

“I made the arrangement to lower the risk of a war.”

“They stopped honoring it since the truth got out about the severity of your situation.They had a mole planted here, but I killed him.The Pinnock family told me that they’re losing land and are having trouble distributing.How did you possibly expect Isley to maintain control of such a small portion of Kingston if we can’t even show our faces there?”

“Trouble?”

“Yes.Trouble always comes with a filthy politician,” Jediah spat, and Kayon’s arm began moving again.Jediah continued before Kayon could get a word in, “It won’t be long before the other families say the same.The Valcourts are getting brave.This arrangement you want me to uphold will cost us.”

“It won’t if you marry Sahil’s daughter.As the second most powerful family, they will stand by us if you make them feel secure.”

“Not marrying anybody younger than Reine.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

Jediah’s brows furrowed.“Where it sound like me a ask?”

Kayon moved his hand.

Jediah crossed the room in quick steps.He laid a hand atop Kayon’s, digging his nails into the man’s frail skin.His eyes shone while Kayon writhed.“Wa you say?Louder.Mi couldn’ hear yu, boss man.”

Kayon opened his mouth.Incoherent babbling poured out while he choked.

An alarm went off in the house, its blare deafening.

Two women ran inside the room and pushed Jediah away.

Jediah stumbled backward.As he straightened himself, he watched as Cedella, the doctor, prepped a needle and gave Kayon an injection.Kayon sucked in a big breath before slumping into his chair.Dedrian, the nurse, wiped sweat from Kayon’s forehead while Cedella checked the monitors.Kayon’s heart rate was decreasing.

As Cedella gave Jediah a disapproving glare, he turned his back.Jediah walked toward the door while removing the cigar case from the pocket of his jacket.“Call me when he’s dead.”

Chapter four

Asharilookedaroundtheempty park as they stepped through the gate.Wind whistled through the barren fruit trees, reminding her to stay alert.Jediah Richardson couldn’t be trusted.Not even if he’d been trying his best to woo her.

They sat on an iron bench a short distance away from a hummingbird statue.Ashari crossed one leg over the next, looking at Jediah while stirring the straw in her strawberry milkshake.

“How you manage reserve wan’ entire park?”she asked, pretending as if she didn’t notice his guards attempting to mold themselves into the background.

“English.I don’t like your bad Patois,” Jediah insisted, and Ashari rolled her eyes.“And I told you… I’m important.”Jediah grinned.

Ashari’s eyes locked onto the pearly white, straight teeth of his smile.She looked away, focusing on the marble of the statue.A shuffle came from beside her, and she looked back to see Jediah digging into the bag he’d been holding onto since he picked her up from her apartment a few minutes ago.“What’s that?”

Jediah stretched an envelope toward her.“See for yourself.”

She rested her milkshake on the bench and accepted the envelope.She withheld a smirk as she scanned the sparse words on the pages.It was amusing that Jediah thought he was as smart as he pretended to be.Pushing her glasses up her nose, she looked at Jediah while her brows knitted.“I-I don’t understand.Why you dig up me personal life?”

Jediah’s eyes narrowed by a fraction.He tossed his arm across the back of the bench, his index finger reaching for her shoulder to draw small circles on her skin.“Not all of your personal life,” he said.“Why yu neva exist until you a six?”

The fire in Jediah’s eyes rendered Ashari speechless.She gulped hard, suddenly forgetting her fabricated backstory.“I-I-”

“You?Yu think yu coulda get away with lying to me?Your name isn’t Ari Gubler, and mi want the whole truth before mi dig deeper and find out exactly—” Jediah exhaled a sharp breath as his phone rang.He answered the call, silently listening while Ashari regained her composure.After a moment, Jediah moved the phone from his ear and tucked it into his pocket.He grabbed Ashari by the cheeks, squeezing until her lips puckered.He dragged his eyes from her mouth to her eyes.“You a play a dangerous game, Ashari.You know more ’bout me than you a let on, and me a go find out exactly who you are.”

“Me a who the papers say me be,” she forced out while tears pricked her eyes.

Jediah looked at the tear as it squeezed out of the corner of her eye, rolled down her cheek and settled on his hand.He released her and wiped his hand against his pants as if her tears were poison.He stood.“I have something important to do.This don’ over.Find yu own way home.”