Page 67 of Trial of Deceit

“Since I said so,” Jediah answered before facing his employee, whose gaze had been averted from their interaction.It made Jediah smirk.All of his store managers knew when to pretend not to see something; it was what made them trustworthy and kept a few extra thousands coming into their accounts every month.“These new imports are still slim.Make sure that when you secure the guns inside the cars, the reassembly is done properly.I had a few clients complain that fixing above the glove compartment was hard.It shouldn’t be.”

“Because we don’t have Cameron overseeing this,” Dimitri muttered while the manager nodded at Jediah.

Instead of replying to Dimitri, Jediah shook the manager’s hand and began retracing his steps to the car.Dimitri followed, joining him in the back while the new driver drove off.

Jediah stared through the window as they drove through the security gates.“Like how we deh so close to St.Andrew…” Jediah said, causing Dimitri to stiffen.Jediah sensed his mood, but he pretended not to notice and continued speaking.“Let’s pay Isley a visit.”

Dimitri hissed his teeth.“Bredda, if yu don’ have nothing good fi seh, a best yu stop talk.”

Jediah rolled his eyes.“Man a behave like we a go deep in a Kingston.A pon the outskirts Isley live—”

“Yes, but we caan’ just pop up pon a politician.There are protocols for this.We have fi change the car, create a photo op, and mek Isley know we a fawud.We caan’ afford fi we enemies know ’bout the only ally wi have in a Kingston.”Dimitri argued, then tugged at his collar and fanned his face.“Mi think mi need mi pills.You a stress mi out.”

Jediah chuckled, knowing Dimitri was being dramatic.“You sound like Elias.”

“Wa yu expect when you a send wi pon a death mission?!”Dimitri hissed, to which Jediah gulped hard.Some of the heat left Dimitri’s eyes.Sighing, he sadly shook his head.“This a ’bout Malia?”

Gulping again, Jediah looked through the window.He hadn’t realized when the car had parked on the side of the road, its hazard lights on while the security cars parked before and behind him, awaiting instructions.“Yu don’ even understand, bro… A Red Hills she born and grow.The ’mount a stories she tell mi ’bout growing up there, and mi neva get fi visit before.Mi never even leff the country before.A years now mi lose mi mother, but, sometimes, mi just wan’ feel close to her…”

Dimitri placed his hand on Jediah’s shoulder.“Mi understand.Same so mi feel ’bout my old man even though mi don’ lose him as long as you lose yu mother…” he trailed off, then glanced at the driver.“Ah, hear wa.We a go switch the car, but we naa go deep in a Kingston.We naa stay long before we head back to peace and safety in a St.Ann.”

“Peace,” Jediah mocked in a whisper, then scoffed.

The driver’s eyes met Jediah’s.Jediah nodded, and he turned off the hazard lights before pulling off.The other cars fell in line.As Dimitri moved his hand, Jediah nodded.Dimitri returned it, then they looked out the windows at their sides.

Jediah’s scowl had vanished from how tightly his teeth were clenched.Riding in circles around Belvedere wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but he knew it was all he could afford.Dimitri was next to him on high alert with his gun resting on his lap, his trigger finger ready to shoot at the first sign of danger.

Jediah heaved a sigh as he hunched further into the seat.For a man who practically owned Jamaica, he hated how obeying his father’s wishes left him powerless in ways that were unfathomable to him.Propping his elbow against the door, Jediah rested his chin on his hand.Strangers went in and out of stores, not sparing a glance at the heavily tinted vehicles cruising along the roads.

None of this scenery was giving Jediah what he expected it to.What he needed to see was his mom’s estate in Red Hills.The one she made his father mimic when they moved to St.Ann months before their marriage.

Bored, Jediah began raising his chin, about to request that the trip be cut short, when he bolted upright.His eyes widened at the people exiting a store across the street.

“A wa?”Dimitri rushed out, his voice on edge while the car slowed down.

“Wa she a do wid him?”Jediah asked in a clipped tone.He reached for his pistol, which had been idling on the seat between him and Dimitri.

Dimitri looked past Jediah.His eyes scanned the crowd before he noticed a man and a woman lingering before a hardware store.The woman’s hands were animated as she spoke to Marquis, who kept his hands in his pockets while listening.

Adrenaline pumped in Jediah’s veins as he flicked off the safety of his gun.He was reaching for the button to bring the window down when Dimitri halted him.

“No,” Dimitri said despite his grip on his gun being tight, his finger practically aching to fire it.“We caan’ kill anybody here.”

Jediah was about to exclaim how stupid Dimitri was being, when he noticed the occasional child with their parent, either lingering outside the restaurant, or strolling toward another business in the surrounding area.Jediah’s grip on the gun slackened.His jaw tightened before he nodded.

Dimitri glanced at the driver.“Bring we back to the estate.”

Jediah’s eyes, swirling with fury, fixed on Dimitri while the driver matched the pace of the slow moving traffic.“Wa she a do wid him?”he asked angrily.

Dimitri shrugged while pulling his phone out.“Don’ know.Me a go get Reka pon this.”

Jediah looked over his shoulder, but the woman and Marquis were no longer there.His brows creased, many questions forming in his mind while his heart continued to race.“Something’s not right…” he muttered.

Chapter sixteen

Asharinibbledonherbottom lip as she stood outside the slightly ajar door.Since she’d stood there, peeking through the small space, her gaze never left Jediah.He was sitting at the chess table in his office, his eyes faroff as he looked at the board.He had one arm stretched across the table, while his other had an elbow propped atop it.He held a black chess piece in that hand, which he kept twirling slowly.Though Ashari wasn’t sure which piece it was, she knew he was playing against himself.Since she’d lived here, she’d noticed he had a tendency to do that whenever Dimitri wasn’t around.

A scowl came on her face at the thought of Dimitri.Then, came the memories.The way his locs had been free that night.How they’d swayed in the slightly chilly wind as he’d tossed the shovel at her feet.His eyes had held no emotion — not for her, and especially not for Romar.

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