Page 47 of Trial of Deceit

Why was such a handsome face attached to such a wicked man?

“You can wait outside, please?”she asked.“Me wan’ gather meself before me go back to your place.”

Jediah, releasing her, nodded then walked away.Ashari watched him leave.She exhaled a long breath and dropped her bag before running toward the fake wall.She pressed a spot and the wall quietly opened inward.Ashari’s eyes widened as she met Lyssa’s relief-filled eyes.

“Ash,” Lyssa breathed before tugging Ashari into a hug.

Stunned and her heart racing, Ashari couldn’t hug Lyssa back.She pulled away and held Lyssa at a distance.“You can’t be here,” she whispered.

Lyssa’s brows furrowed.“What do you mean?I’ve been so worried about everybody!Sanjae came back to the headquarters, and we’ve been trying to figure out how to find the rest of you.”

Ashari glanced away, hoping Lyssa didn’t see the flash of guilt, before she focused on her again.“I know, but I can’t talk about it right now.We don’t have a lot of time.I need to talk to Senior.”

“W-what?I don’t understand—” Lyssa rambled, tears filling her eyes.“We all thought you were here.I got worried when I came here every day and never saw you—”

Ashari cupped Lyssa’s face, then kissed her.As Lyssa began to melt in her hold, Ashari pulled away.She cradled Lyssa’s soft cheeks.“Lyssa, you need to listen.I know what standard procedure is after disappearing for this long as an undercover agent, but tell Senior I need to speak to him alone.”

Lyssa shook her head, resting a hand atop Ashari’s.“He won’t meet you without the police, Ash.”

“I’m his daughter.He will,” she repeated before giving Lyssa a final kiss, then pulling away.She adjusted her bag’s strap.“I have to leave now.I’ll try to send a signal through the daycare after I find a way to sneak away to meet Senior.”

“Please be careful, Ash…” Lyssa said as she took a hesitant step backward.

“I can’t promise you that, Lyssa,” Ashari said and turned away before Lyssa could say anything that would force her to abandon her position.

This was where she needed to be.

With Jediah.

Chapter eleven

She’dnevergivenmarriagemuch thought before, but she was sure she deserved better than this sham of a wedding.

Refusing to look at the small crowd of Dimitri, Elias, Cameron, Reine, and Bryony, Ashari kept her focus on the man before her.

Her husband as of today.

They’d already recited the traditional vows provided by the pastor, and now the pastor was expectantly waiting for them to seal the deal with a kiss.

Could Ashari really give away her life like this?

It was either marriage or death, and one option was better than the other.

Inhaling a quiet breath, she nodded at Jediah.

The corner of his mouth ticked upward before he leaned in slowly.Soagonizingly slowly.Ashari’s breath hitched the closer he came.She held her breath for as long as she could, then she forgot how to breathe altogether.

Jediah’s mouth met hers.The softness of his lips shocked her back into reality.

He kissed her slowly.Ashari knew his actions were deliberate.He wanted to savor every prolonged second of this knee-weakening kiss, knowing that Ashari was suffering through the inability to pull away too soon out of fear of seeming suspicious.She closed her eyes tighter, her grip on the bouquet tightening too, as she forced herself to match Jediah’s pace.

Slow.

Slow.

So slow.

His hand snuck around her waist to tug her closer.Some petals crumbled from the bouquet and fell atop Ashari’s tense hands.She subtly pulled away, causing Jediah to lean forward and force his tongue into her mouth.

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