Page 101 of Trial of Deceit

“I don’t want to.”Ashari got to her feet.“I’m going to check if any laundry is in our room.I’ll be back,” she said, and Bryony nodded.

Ashari exited the laundry room.As she moved toward hers and Jediah’s wing, she passed by a half-bath.Low noises drifted from below the door, making Ashari’s brows furrow.

Reine was with Iyana, so it couldn’t be her.Dedrian wouldn’t be coming in until tonight.The in-house staff had their own wing with bathrooms, so they often refrained from using the ones on this side of the house, regardless of Bryony and Jediah assuring them that it was okay to do so.

Curiosity got the best of Ashari.She pressed her ear to the door and listened.

As the murmurs beyond the closed door died off, Ashari’s eyes widened.She leaned off the door and took quick, silent steps away.When she was far enough away, she ran toward the nearest backdoor.

Bryony, who was heading inside with a basket of air-dried laundry under her arm, raised a brow.“Weh you a go?”

“I need to go to Jed,” Ashari rushed out through quick breaths.

“Him deh a the outskirts.Yu caan’ go out deh.You’ll die.”

Tears sprang to Ashari’s eyes.She blinked them away.“I know, but I have to warn Jed.”She powered onward, ignoring Bryony’s demand for her to stay put and allow her to bring Jediah to the main house.

But there was no time for that.

As Ashari stopped a few centimeters away from the gazebo, she bent over and rested her hands on her knees.She was so out of shape.Since abandoning the F.B.I., she hadn’t exercised as much as she used to do.Jediah had an at-home gym, but she never used it.She spent most of her days walking about the gazebo because it was better than being a prisoner in the house.

Panting, she lifted her head and yelled Jediah’s name, but got no response.

She looked down at the bracelet, knowing she should have a twenty second countdown.It would take at least eight to run to the outskirts, then a few more to catch her breath before demanding that Jediah input the code on the bracelet.

That should be enough time, right?

Right.

There was no more time to waste.Jediah needed this newsnow.

“Sorry I couldn’t be what you wanted, Senior,” Ashari breathed while cupping her belly.She pushed away the surging memories of the train-wreck case that had led her here, then straightened herself and took off.

The wind whisked in her ears as she propelled herself as fast as her feet could carry her.The warningbeepof the anklet faded into the background, becoming a distant noise as the entrance of the warehouse came into view.

“Jed!”Ashari screamed, spotting people at the back entrance of the warehouse, seconds before a loudboomfilled the air.

Chapter twenty-seven

Coughingassmokedriftedup his nostrils, Jediah blinked rapidly until his eyes focused.He couldn’t see more than an arm’s length in front of him.His brows furrowed as ahisscame from several spots in the room, creating a thick smoke screen.His nose wrinkled from the smell of chemicals.

He propped himself up on his elbows, to make a futile attempt to better scope out his surroundings.Something nudged his shin.He looked down at Dimitri, sprawled on the floor close to him, as if the blast had stopped him short of covering Jediah with his body.

Dimitri put a finger to his mouth, causing Jediah’s brows to furrow.Dimitri then placed a hand to his ear.Jediah’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening.Faint footsteps were moving about the warehouse.Low murmurs could be heard and red laser lights cut through the thick cloud of dust and smoke.

A lowwhishcame into the room, followed by a groan and athud.Bulletspoppedfrom that direction, and one final shot put the noise to an end.

Dimitri and Jediah exchanged a glance.They nodded at each other, holding their guns tighter before quietly raising themselves to a crouching position.They kept to the shadows as they moved toward the backroom.Jediah scanned his hand, and the door slid open.Dimitri shoved Jediah into the room before entering.Jediah stumbled as he ran to the opposite side of the room to lift a flap on the wall and hit the panic button.Dimitri kept his eyes glued to the bulletproof door until it closed.

“Who dem deh?!”Dimitri hissed, stomping from the door toward the closet full of tactical gear.

Jediah paused in securing a bulletproof vest to glare at Dimitri.“Oh, sorry.I forgot to ask them.”

Rolling his eyes, Dimitri grabbed a rifle by its sling, then tossed it across his body.Holstering two guns at his sides, he accepted a gas mask from Jediah before moving toward the small screens lodged into a wall.Dimitri watched the feed that showed some of the cameras scattered around the property.“They’re not at the main house or any of the quarters.”

Jediah’s brows furrowed.“A targeted hit?”he asked, relieved that Bryony and Ashari would be out of harm’s way.Still, that didn’t rid him of all his worry about how the hitmen got onto the estate.

Jediah grabbed another clip, shoving it in his pants pocket before limping over to Dimitri.Through the thick dust clouds, people in gas masks maneuvered inside the warehouse.Their tactical gear made it hard to tell if they were all men, women, or a mix of both.They shot at his men who fought back, then stepped over their bodies and continued around the warehouse, also stepping over the bodies of Jediah’s men who were already unconscious on the ground.

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