Page 119 of Trial of Deceit

“You need stitches,” Ashari said, tossing the wipe into the nearby bin and standing.She peered down at him as he sat on the ottoman with a bottle of water by his feet.“I’m gonna get Cedella—”

“No.”

“Dedrian?”

“No,” Jediah insisted.“I’m paying them to take care of the baby.Not me.The F.B.I.must’ve taught you something.Grab the needle.”He grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.

Ashari nibbled her bottom lip after Jediah released her.She reached for whatever she needed in the first aid kit, then got to work.Jediah hissed as the needle dug into his skin.

“Want something to numb the pain?”she asked.

Watching her through his one opened eye, Jediah smiled.He loved it whenever she showed how much she cared about him.“Put yu pussy pon mi cocky.”

“Jediah.”

He chuckled.“No, queen.I’m good.Just get it over with.”

“Alright.’Cause I shouldn’t be doing this anyway,” she grumbled as he took a quick puff from a cigar.

“Then don’t.Afta a no the first me a get injured.”

Scowling, Ashari yanked the cigar from his hand.“Stop acting invincible, Jediah!”she yelled, her voice breaking from exasperation.

“I am once I’m in this country.Nobody caan’ touch mi.”

Ashari glared.

Jediah anticipated her move.

He grabbed her wrist before she could press the red ring of flame into his wound.His grip tightened on her while he used his other hand to yank the cigar away.“Why yu so tormented?”

“’Cause you act like you don’t care about anything in your personal life.”

“That’s not true.I care about Reine.”

“What about yourself?”she interrupted.“What about me?Us?You knew how I was hurt when I thought Sashoy’s baby was yours, and you didn’t try to clear things up.You made Bryony do it.You’re trying to be everywhere all at once to ensure everybody’s okay, then you come to me, needing to be patched up, and no one else gets to see you like this.”

A lump formed in his throat while tears shone in Ashari’s eyes.Did she really care this much about him?

Ashari continued to stare at him.After a moment, she shook her head, then resumed stitching.Jediah knew she’d been waiting on a specific answer from him, but it wasn’t one he was able to give.

Not now.

Not like this.

Not when all the pieces on the chessboard had shifted, erasing all his meticulously calculated moves from its play.The rules changed.He was now playing a game too new for him to truly understand.

Jediah moved his cigar to his lips.It hovered inches before his mouth as he said the next best thing, “Mi wish mi coulda be like you, who can escape this life, but still come back to it every chance yu get.”

“I didn’t come back just ’cause I was pregnant.I didn’t find out about that until a few days before I was already planning to leave.I came back ’cause I found out that Malia’s alive.”

“What?”Jediah hissed, ready to go on an angry rant about why she made it hard to trust her at times.Was she playing him again?She’d pretended to be shocked when he told her about his mother being alive.

“Ashari, two.Jediah, three,” she taunted, causing Jediah’s jaw to tighten.Ashari chuckled at his reaction before explaining, “The F.B.I.found her in disguise at a youth conference Isley and some other politicians were hosting.They put a tail on her and were gonna use it to make you slip up, but I… didn’t want that.So, I came to give you a heads up.Even though the truth would’ve hurt you, you deserved to know that Kayon knew that Malia wasn’t dead.You helped me to find clarity about my parents, and after everything that’s happened, I thought it was the least I could do for you.”

The emotion in her voice pulled at his racing heart.Jediah couldn’t look away from her.

Those long lashes framing tired eyes.

---