Page 24 of Trial of Deceit (The Family’s Oath #1)

Chapter twelve

J ediah crossed his arms behind him, staring through the window as the sun fell behind the hills in the distance.

He’d returned from the warehouse a few hours ago.

Ashari was in the gazebo in the backyard coloring, and he had to be here.

He’d rather be with her, being amused by how fascinated she always seemed to be by such a childish act.

A mechanical whir came from inside the room, getting louder as it approached Jediah from behind, then stopped beside him. The faint sound of the joystick sounded over the jazz playing on a recorder before the computerized voice said, “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Jediah replied.

“Nothing good comes to those who don’t respect the generation before them.”

“Mi did respect mi mother, and that’s good enough for me.” Jediah looked at Kayon. “It should’ve been you.”

Kayon’s head twitched toward Jediah as he scowled, then he released a ragged breath before moving his good hand again. “I’ve tolerated all the changes you made, not that I have a choice to, but the annual ball has to be kept.”

“Mi know,” Jediah said. He shifted his focus to the backyard garden, his throat tightening as he spotted the wrought iron arch.

“It will be messy. Sahil doesn’t know that his daughter died.”

Jediah’s brows furrowed. Frankly, he hadn’t given it much thought about what he’d do about the Majors family. People died all the time, but Sahil wouldn’t accept such a simple answer.

“It won’t be messy, but I will talk to him. I didn’t want to marry Acacia in the first place. I can’t pretend I care about what happened to her,” Jediah said, hearing a grunt before a sharp sigh.

“Eli told me about the woman you married.”

Jediah scoffed. “Of course, he did.”

“This family isn’t just about you, Jediah.”

Jediah rolled his eyes. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you? Suppose people find out about the agent?”

“Then the end justifies the means. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

Kayon choked. He must’ve tried to scoff. “Have you worried that anyone will come after you? Reine?”

“Nobody caan’ touch Reine.”

“No one was supposed to touch Acacia. You need to get revenge for her.”

“Acacia wasn’t a Richardson, and she’ll never be. I only concern myself with people of this family, and I have bigger worries—” He paused as a knock came on the door.

“Daddy?” came a voice.

“Come in, my princess,” Kayon’s computerized voice said. As the door opened, Kayon attempted to smirk at Jediah, who clenched his jaw.

Reine entered the room with a tray of medicine. She smiled at Jediah, then looked at their father. “It’s time for your medicine.” She walked further into the room, then knelt beside Kayon’s chair. She began prepping the medicine.

“Where’s Dedrian? You don’t have to do this, Reine,” Jediah said.

“I don’t mind. Mi watch Miss B do it all the time, and Cedella trusts me to do it, so mi tell Dedrian fi tek an early lunch break while me give Daddy the medicine.”

“My sweet girl,” Kayon said, his eyes shining lovingly at Reine, who smiled at him. “Your brother has never made an effort to take care of me.”

Reine gasped. “Never?”

“Never,” Kayon repeated, and Jediah scoffed. Kayon shifted his focus to Jediah, his features draining of affection. “We can call Bryony if you need someone to refresh your memory.”

“About?” Reine pried.

“Nothing,” Jediah rushed out.

“Not,” Kayon’s machine sputtered at the same time.

Reine stopped prepping the medicine. She glared at the men. “Me tired of unu a treat me like a baby.”

“You are,” Jediah said.

“You’re not,” Kayon’s machine said at the same time, causing Jediah to glare.

“Hurry and find one vein so him can stop move him hand,” Jediah hissed.

Reine stared at Jediah — long and hard — then she sighed. “We don’t inject him in that arm.” She shifted her focus to Kayon’s arm, then carefully turned it over. She prodded and poked until she found a vein. When she did, she gave Kayon his injection, cleaned up, then wordlessly left the room.

“You’ve angered her,” Kayon said.

“We both did.” Jediah shrugged. “She’ll get over it.”

“I’m sure she will. Just like I had to get over your many attempts to kill me when you were younger,” Kayon said, then made a strange noise that sounded like a chuckle.

“I never would’ve known a healthy parent-child bond if it wasn’t for Reine.

I should be thankful that Malia gave me a daughter before—”

“Don’t mention my mother,” Jediah hissed, his anger rising.

Kayon grinned. After a taunting moment, he asked, “Worries?”

Jediah unwillingly forced his anger away. “Wa you a talk ’bout now?”

“Our earlier conversation.”

“Marquis Valcourt…” Jediah said, then glanced at his father’s steady hand. Jediah faced Kayon. “I’ve followed through with all of your arrangements except Reine and Sahil. For this one, I can’t see why you want me to uphold it. They think this family is soft.”

“We’re not soft.”

“You’re right. We’re not. You are. Yu caan’ even hold a gun if nothing pop off pon the estate, so how yu think me manage outta road with enemies everywhere? How yu think mi feel when mi sister deh school?”

“Your sister should be married,” Kayon said.

Jediah seethed. He stepped forward and gripped Kayon tightly by the jaws. Kayon’s lips puckered, his breathing quickly growing labored.

“Mi don’ know wa kinda sickness gwan in a yu half-dead brain, but my sister will never live a day of her life under the rule of a man.

She won’ have fi breed before time. She won’ have fi tek bun.

And she won’ have fi tek beatings like yu do wi mother.

Reine will be whatever she wants, and she will be respected, especially by you. ”

Kayon spat at Jediah, but only a small blob came out. It ran down the side of Jediah’s hand as the alarm went off in the house. Its deafening volume made Jediah scowl.

Jediah moved his hand downward to grip Kayon’s windpipe. “Your days are numbered—”

“Jediah!” Bryony yelled from the door, rushing into the room with Cedella.

They pushed him away and Cedella quickly tended to Kayon, who was moving the joystick rapidly. The machine stuttered, struggling to say something cohesive instead of spewing words in a nonsensical babble.

Bryony shook her head at Jediah before wrapping her fingers around his wrist and hauling him out of the room.

She wiped away the spit on his hand with the hem of the apron she always wore.

As he was about to pull away, she held his hand tighter.

She used her other hand to cup Jediah’s face while giving him the warm, motherly smile he’d gotten accustomed to seeing since he was twelve. “Yu caan’ kill him, Jed.”

Jediah scoffed. “I can.”

“Yu forget the arrangement? He will get Reine if Kayon dies because of you,” Bryony asked, and Jediah’s jaw clenched. “Mi know yu don’ like this, but yu caan’ do it. Think about your sister.”

Jediah’s jaw relaxed, and he nodded.

Bryony smiled and patted his cheek while releasing his hand. “Good. Now go clean up. Your meeting—”

“Where’s my wife?” he asked, and Bryony scowled. He gave her a boyish grin, the one he always used to charm his way out of getting on her bad side. “Ashari is my wife, Miss B. You will respect her.”

“Wi don’ know her.”

“I do,” Jediah assured. “You know everything I do is to make this family better. Mi wouldn’ allow her into the house if mi caan’ trust her.”

Bryony sighed while looking down at the floor. “I know that. I guess I’m just upset because the situation with Acacia might not have been ideal to you, but…” Bryony paused. “You didn’t have to kill her.”

Jediah raised a brow as Bryony looked up at him. “Why yu think me kill her?”

Bryony scoffed, waving a hand as she turned and began walking away. “I raised you, Jediah. Mi can tell when something a bother yu conscience.”

Jediah watched as Bryony disappeared. The door opened, and Cedella exited.

Jediah groaned while turning his head toward the ceiling. “What now?”

“You know that every time you attempt to bring your father closer to death, I raise my price,” Cedella answered.

“A me yu work for or him?”

“The family.”

“Mek Miss B write yu a cheque—”

“Don’t be silly, Jediah,” Cedella laughed. “All of your donations go toward the hospital instead of in my pocket, despite what you believe.”

Jediah scoffed. “See you tomorrow, Cedella.”

“Yes, I should get going. Traffic back to Kingston is usually hectic at this hour.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Cedella grinned. “I know.” She turned and walked away, her steps brisk.

Jediah looked into Kayon’s room. Kayon was in his bed, his stoma bag laying atop his shirtless body. Jediah scowled as he wondered how easy it would’ve been to walk inside and cover his father’s face with a pillow.

Remembering he couldn’t, he closed the door and went to the boardroom. He had a brief meeting with Elias, Dimitri, and Cameron. When it was over, Cameron stayed behind. After Cameron received special instructions from Jediah, he left Jediah to smoke a cigar.

The medical alarm went off when he was nearing the end, and he rolled his eyes. It didn’t stop within seconds like it usually would, and he sighed then stood. He rested the cigar in the ashtray, then exited the office.

Someone bumped into him, and he grabbed them by the arm so they didn’t fall. A smirk came on his mouth when he met Ashari’s bright eyes.

“Where are you running off to?” he asked. “Missed me in the bed?”

“No,” she said.

Jediah’s heart dropped. He put on his most believable smirk to hide how her words wound him. “Lying only hurts you, my queen.”

Ashari scowled and tried pulling away. Jediah tightened his grip. He wasn’t ready to let go of her yet. Not that he’d ever be, but when it came to this beautiful woman, he knew he had to take what he could get until he got what he truly wanted.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I can sleep perfectly fine without you.”