Page 2 of Trial of Deceit (The Family’s Oath #1)

With each step, her heart raced faster.

She made the turn, and there he was.

Jediah Richardson.

The man who desired things he didn’t deserve. Lavish houses. Fancy Cars.

Her.

She resisted the urge to lick her lips. It’d soil her red lipstick, and her appearance had to be picture perfect.

She continued down the stairs, her breath hitching as she dared to look Jediah in the eyes. The cause of her torment was a sight to behold in a black, tailor-made tux. He moved his arms from behind his back as she reached the bottom stair, holding out a hand to her.

Ashari released the railing to lay her hand in his. A series of flashes from cameras went off. Jediah smirked as he lowered his head, bringing the back of Ashari’s hand close to his lips to place a chaste kiss against it.

Ashari sucked in a sharp breath. Jediah smirked against her skin as he pulled back.

His face blanked, the dash of amusement fading from his eyes.

He kept quiet as she took the final step off the stairs.

Patrons cleared the way as Jediah held Ashari captive in his stare and led her toward the middle of the dance floor.

Stopping, Jediah wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her close and making a grunt escape her lips as her body pressed against his.

As she placed her arms over his shoulders, his fingers dug into her waist.

“Aren’t you beautiful tonight, Ashari Payne?” Jediah taunted, his voice smooth.

“I try to be, Mr. Richardson,” she answered while glancing at a man standing at one of the exits. She gulped at the man’s glare before shifting her focus to Jediah, who’d squeezed her waist.

“I’d call you Mrs. Richardson, but you’re not deserving of the name anymore, are you?”

Her eyes flickered to her hand. “The ring says otherwise.”

His jaw ticked, and she smirked.

Her smirk didn’t vanish fast enough for him to not see.

“Let’s go have a chat, Ash.” Jediah wrapped one arm around her waist, forcing her to take long strides with him toward an exit.

The man opened the door. He trailed behind them as Jediah led them down several hallways until they were in a dungeon.

Jediah released her once the door slammed shut behind them. His fingers curled around her neck as he forced her against the cold ridges of the stone wall. “I should kill you right now.”

“So do it,” she gritted out.

“Weh the recordings?”

“What recordings?” she asked and forced a smile despite the struggle to breathe.

Jediah’s eyes flicked to her lips before he pulled away. He chuckled darkly. Turning his back to her, he began loosening the buttons around his wrist. “Bring her to the chamber.”

Ashari’s eyes widened. “J-Jed…”

Dimitri and Cameron approached Ashari and grabbed her by the wrists. She kicked and screamed while they hauled her toward the soundproof room. They tossed her inside, causing her to land on the dirt-soiled ground with a thud .

Ashari’s back arched as pain shot through her body. “Ouch,” she groaned, holding her throbbing back while rolling over onto her side.

Elias entered the room and began closing the door.

Before it shut, Ashari noticed that Jediah wasn’t in the hallway.

She gulped hard as she looked at the stoic faces of the three men.

Dirt and grime soiled her custom dress as she scurried backward until her back hit a wall.

“Eli…” Ashari begged, watching as Dimitri grabbed a hose, then moved to the tub in the corner of the room.

“I’m sorry, Ash,” Elias murmured, ignoring her as he began lowering the chains from the ceiling.

Cameron walked toward her and grabbed her.

“Cameron, don’ do dis!” Ashari begged while fighting against him.

A loud sigh raised above her protests before another set of hands was on her. She flailed as Dimitri restricted her movements. The men were stronger than her. Overexerting herself was not a viable option.

They dragged her across the ground toward the bathtub.

Cameron held her steady while she begged through tears for them to release her.

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Dimitri restrained her hands with a thick rope that dug into her skin, rubbing it raw the more she fought against them.

When he was satisfied the bindings were tight enough, Dimitri forced her head into the tub.

Ice cold water sloshed around her head, muddling her senses. Water filled her nostrils, mouth, and lungs as she screamed and gargled. Her eyes stung despite being closed. The coldness of the sides of the tub bit into her chest.

When her body was about to give out, they pulled her up.

Ashari sputtered, coughing up water. Her throat stung.

Just when she thought she’d got her breathing under control, Dimitri pushed her forward again.

He repeated the torture until she was a crying, trembling mess of goosebumps littered flesh.

Cameron released her legs, and Dimitri grabbed her before she could fall backward and hit her head.

Dimitri dragged her by the hair toward the chains before forcing her to her feet.

Her legs gave way, and Cameron held her steady by the waist so Dimitri could swap the rope for thick chains.

After she was secured, Cameron moved away to control the mechanism.

It lifted her high into the ceiling. A shrill cry ripped from Ashari’s mouth when a crack filled the room as her shoulder slipped out of place.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Elias wince.

She held her head low, not wanting to see Dimitri’s emotionless expression as he removed a knife from his pocket.

He made a line down the back of her dress.

Ashari choked on a sob, hating the sound the expensive fabric made as it ripped.

Dimitri stopped short of her waistline. A rush of cold air hit her back, making a shiver run down her spine.

Lifting her head, she screamed at Cameron, who’d sat on a chair and now had one ear covered by headphones while he tapped on his phone. “Tell Jed to come talk to me like a man!”

“Soon,” Dimitri said from behind her. “After we finish punish yu.”

A crack rang through the room.

Ashari sucked in a breath while her back arched.

Pain seared through her back and shoulders, making tears rush to her widened eyes.

Her fists tightened, her nails piercing her skin as another hit came before she could recover from the first one.

Pain ran up her dislocated shoulder, but she bit into her cheeks hard, refusing to cry out.

Another came. Harder this time.

Tears fell from her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks and splashed onto the stained floor.

Dimitri brought down the whip again. A swoosh cut through the air before it ripped open Ashari’s skin, battering the tattered flesh.

“JED!” Ashari screamed in agony as the door opened.

Jediah walked into the room. His eyes roamed down her body, then his jaw clenched. His cold eyes settled on hers. “Wife?”

“I-I…” Ashari forced out. Her throat was raw. Words were impossible to form.

“Ready to tell me about the recordings?” Jediah asked, and her jaw clenched as Dimitri returned the whip to the wall.

Trying to focus on breathing instead of the awful sensations running along her bruised skin, Ashari held her head low. She was dizzy. The door opened and closed. She muttered incoherently as Jediah’s shoe came into her distorted view. He stood in droplets of her blood.

Jediah wiped away the bead of sweat lingering on her forehead.

He trailed his forefinger down the side of her face, resting it beneath her chin and lifting her head.

His eyes drifted to her parted lips as heavy breaths escaped, then they settled on her teary eyes.

“What was that, Mrs. Richardson?” he taunted, seconds before his grip loosened at her response.