Page 70 of Trial of Deceit

“What happened?”Ashari pried.

“He was being too familiar with Reine,” Tyre answered.

“Bring him to the dungeon and castrate him,” Jediah said.

The eyes of the battered man snapped open, his mouth opening wide, but his scream became frozen.Dimitri scowled, tightening his grip around the man before hauling him away.Tyre took quick strides to keep up.

Jediah motioned his head for Ashari to follow him.They entered a bathroom, and she watched as he washed his hand.

“Queen,” he said, and she dragged her eyes to his.“Tek mi lighter outta mi pocket, and light this.”He turned his head toward her as she brought the flame to the cigar.

“This thing kills, you know?”she asked as she returned the lighter.

“It doesn’t.It helps me refrain from killing people.”

“You’re castrating a man ’cause he flirted with your sister.You can’t watch over her forever, you know?”

Jediah dried his hands.“I’ll protect Reine for as long as I’m alive.And even when I’m dead.Mi naa mek nobody distract her from her dreams.Ever.”

“You don’t have control over everything that happens in the world.Do you think of the repercussions that’ll happen every time you try to kill someone who dares to go against you?People have tried for years to take down the Richardsons.Not just the force, or that man out there.And this attitude of yours is gonna make it so easy for your enemies to constantly remind you why you don’t have control over the future.You need to becareful, Jediah,” she warned while holding his heated gaze.Her chest heaved hard as she finished speaking.Her voice held such a burst of emotion, she had no idea where it stemmed from.

Jediah scoffed.“I am careful.”

“Really?”she hissed.“You don’t even have an alias.Every gang in Jamaica knows who’s foolish enough to leave a chess piece on a dead body.”

“Allegedly,” Jediah corrected.“And if you’re so concerned aboutourfamily, we have nothing to hide.”

“Cocky, Jediah.”

“Smart,” he insisted.“Come,” he said, then opened the door.He stared at her while waiting for her to make a move.

Sighing and shaking her head, Ashari exited the room.“Where are we going?”she asked as he fell into stride with her.

“A go find a shovel, then dig up yu bredda.”

Her feet stopped moving.Flashbacks from that night crashed into her mind.Her arm shot out, her fingers pressing against the wall to keep her body steady.

Jediah’s hand landed on her waist.He gave it a gentle squeeze.“We don’ have fi do it now.We can go whenever yu ready.”

Ashari released a long, shaky breath as she met his eyes.Jediah looking at her with a tender expression shouldn’t have made her knees buckle at a time like this, but it did.This man confused her in ways that no textbook had prepared her for.Made her feel things that were incomprehensible.

“Okay,” she whispered.

He gave her a smile before moving his hand.He waited for her to walk off before he did.He stayed close to her side, and Ashari didn’t complain.It gave her a solid excuse to reach out her hand that was closest to him, then wrap it around his muscular forearm.

After returning to the estate, Ashari and Jediah made themselves comfortable in the gazebo in the backyard.Ashari munched on strawberries while coloring.Every bite from the plump fruit left sweet, tart juice at the side of her mouth.Her tongue would jut out to lick the flavor away, causing Jediah to shuffle about on the metal chair on the opposite side of the table.He was playing a game of chess against himself.Each gust of the cool wind made his woodsy cologne and the lingering aroma of tobacco more prominent.

“You’re distracting me, Ashari…” Jediah murmured.

Eyes widening, Ashari snapped her focus to the coloring.“What?”

“When playing chess, I try to be aware of my opponent.”

Her brows furrowed as she looked at him.“Me naa play against you.”

Jediah slightly tilted his head forward.“You’re sitting where an opponent would.It’s just a habit of mine, and you keep licking your lips.”

“I see…” she said, and his eyes lifted from the board to settle on hers.

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