Page 27 of Trial of Deceit (The Family’s Oath #1)

Chapter fourteen

A shari sank further into the chair, staring up at the ceiling while the chair swayed side-by-side.

She stifled another long yawn. It was so boring in this meeting Jediah dragged her to.

She knew every piece of information could be important to her case, but she didn’t even get the chance to put in her earrings before Jediah dragged her out the house while complaining about having a full schedule and needing a head start on his day.

Ashari thought they would’ve done more than be cooped up in this hot, small office at the back of the wholesale for the past three hours.

All Jediah, Reine, Tyre, and the lead operations manager, Iyana, were discussing were boring numbers and plans to restock whatever produce the markets were low on.

“Where’s Reka?” Jediah asked, causing Ashari to stiffen. “I told her yesterday that she needs to be here.”

“She sent me,” Tyre replied. “She said she was busy.”

Jediah laughed humorlessly. “ Busy ?”

Tyre snuck a glance at Ashari. Ashari’s breath caught in her throat while Tyre gulped. He looked back at Jediah, who was yet to grace him with a glance. “Yes, Jed.”

Ashari looked at Jediah. He had a cigar clutched in his hand as he hung on to every word Reine or Iyana said.

The cigar was lit, but Jediah was yet to take a pull.

He’d bring it to his face occasionally and let it linger before his mouth.

He’d do a long, yet subtle inhale through his nostrils, then dust the cigar in the nearby ashtray.

What was so important about this conversation that Jediah needed to be here?

Ashari’s brows narrowed on Jediah while she sat upright.

Her movement caught Jediah’s attention. He glanced at her, and her face relaxed into a smile almost instantly.

Jediah winked at her before shifting his focus to Reine and Iyana.

Ashari continued to listen to the conversation, her brows furrowing at the realization that some numbers weren’t adding up.

She kept quiet about the realization as Iyana and Tyre left.

Reine lingered behind. “Mi can go somewhere?” she asked Jediah over her shoulder while erasing the figures on the whiteboard.

“Yu tell mi this last night,” Jediah said.

“Not the Math club meeting. Me a talk ’bout later… with some friends.” Reine faced her brother; she had a pleading expression that anyone would be a sucker for. “ Please , best big brother ever?”

Jediah shrugged. “You a yu own big woman. Yu don’ have fi ask mi.”

“Mi have fi do it ’cause you a go worry and call down me phone otherwise,” Reine laughed.

Jediah rolled his eyes. “Gwan ’bout yu business, Reine.”

Chuckling, Reine finished erasing the whiteboard.

She grabbed her bag off a nearby table and tossed it over her shoulder before walking toward Jediah.

She stooped before him to give him a hug and kiss on the cheek, then Jediah kissed the top of her head.

She pulled away and waved at Ashari. “Take care of my brother.”

“I will,” Ashari lied, smiling and waving.

As Reine left, Jediah dropped the cigar into the ashtray. He released a long sigh while sliding down into the chair. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes distant before they closed.

“Do you scam?” Ashari asked.

“What?” Jediah laughed.

“Your sister is good at Maths. Unlike her, I never went to college to study to become an actuary, but I know when things aren’t adding up.”

Jediah’s head lolled to the side while his eyes opened. Some mischief was in his eyes while a tiny, knowing smile formed on his lips. “You were listening.”

“No,” Ashari rushed out.

Jediah chuckled while fixing his posture.

Ashari’s eyes locked on his lips. Memories from last night surfaced.

Those lips had smiled against her skin after each of her breathy moans.

That mouth had locked onto a soft spot on her neck in the middle of night, sucking until a hickey formed.

This morning when she woke up and saw it, she’d covered it with makeup, which she’d borrowed from Reine, and Jediah had dragged her to a sink and demanded she wash it off before they left the house.

Needless to say, the mark was visible for the whole world to see.

Jediah’s smile faded as his lips began to move. Ashari snapped back to reality to hear him say, “I don’t scam. That’s stealing.”

“Look at what you’re doing.”

“Providing desired goods that are hard to obtain? It’s called taking money from rich people to make myself richer.”

Ashari stood. Crossing her arms, she walked toward the whiteboard Reine had been writing on.

Everything was already erased, but when Ashari stared hard enough, she noticed faint outlines of numbers and graphs.

She dug deep into her memory, her nails digging into her arm as she tried to remember all they’d been discussing.

That was harder to do than she realized.

And it sucked because she had no recordings to reference for later that night.

Ashari thought hard. Finally, she said, “The chain of wholesales is a pyramid scheme.”

Jediah laughed. Ashari’s nails stopped biting into her skin once she looked over her shoulder at him.

“How?” he asked after getting a hold of himself. “It’s a legitimate chain of wholesales, with a few supermarkets here and there, owned by the Swabys, and I’m the only stakeholder — a silent one, might I add. Why mi woulda scam miself?”

“I don’t know. But your monetary deposits don’t add up, so either this is a pyramid scheme—”

“That’s not how a pyramid scheme works,” Jediah interrupted and reached for the cigar.

“Or, Reine doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Careful, Ashari,” Jediah said, his eyes narrowing at her. “A queen can be replaced.”

Her throat dried. Goose bumps spread across her skin. “What?”

Ashari’s frightened eyes made Jediah smirk as he stood. He moved toward the door. He opened it, then stared at Ashari. Mischief was in his eyes and a cunning smirk on his lips. “Your move.”

Jediah’s grip was tight around her wrist as he dragged her through the back entrance of one of his many car marts.

Her heels clacked against the floor as he led her through various hallways, barely giving her time to scope out her surroundings.

There was chatter drifting from beneath closed doors along with the loud, grating of metal on metal, though Ashari couldn’t tell where the sound stemmed from.

“Slow down,” Ashari hissed as he dragged her down another hallway of closed doors and loud noises.

“No. Me a go late,” Jediah replied.

They entered the lavish main room. The ambiance of the white and black showroom was accentuated by white ceiling lights, amplifying the radiance of new cars and the sparkling jewelry of customers.

Chatter from customers and workers drifted about as they finally stopped before a door, which Jediah pushed open.

He allowed her to enter the office before he did.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary here.

It reminded her of his office back home with a chess board on a table in the corner.

Unlike the stuffy office back at the wholesale, she could tell that Jediah actually spent time here.

“Late for what?” she asked, dragging her fingers through her braids, which flowed down her back.

Jediah sat behind his desk. He dug around in a drawer before removing a case of cigars and taking one from it. He clutched it for a few seconds before finally lighting it. “A meeting with—”

Ashari blocked out Jediah’s voice once she heard new voices approaching the door. Her eyes widened. Before she could think the idea through, she rushed toward Jediah and forced herself beneath the desk.

Jediah pushed the chair back, giving her more space while he looked down at her. “Wa y—”

“Mr. Richardson,” came the voice of a woman, accompanied by a knock. “Your two o’clock is here.”

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Ashari said, doing her best to make her voice steady despite the panic threatening to take full control of her tone.

She ran her hands up his thighs, stopping once she got to his belt.

“Me know you curious ’bout why me did a question you, but a ’cause me can’t help it. I’m with you, Jediah. I want you.”

His eyes narrowed on her. He hissed his teeth while he looked away to take a puff from his cigar before putting it in the ashtray. “We naa have this conversation now.”

“How about we have it after I suck your dick?” she asked.

Jediah choked as his eyes widened at her. “ What ?” he forced out as another knock came. He didn’t halt her hands, but his eyes widened as they began undoing his belt.

Ashari gave him a shy smile. “Focus on your meeting.”

Jediah swallowed hard as Ashari reached for his zipper. As her fingers continued to work, he pushed the chair inward, trapping her beneath the table. It was mostly dark, but Ashari didn’t need light for what she was about to do.

Jediah called for the guest to be allowed into the room.

“Mr. Richardson,” came a deep voice, causing Ashari to stiffen while footsteps drew closer.

“I will not shake your hand. Sit.” Jediah nudged Ashari with the side of his thigh, possibly wondering why she hadn’t started yet.

Forcing herself to relax, Ashari fisted Jediah’s semi-hard dick.

It throbbed in her palm as she removed it and placed a hesitant kiss against the tip.

She shuddered — from disgust or excitement?

She couldn’t tell. She’d never sucked a dick before, but she was great with her tongue, and she hoped that could count for something.

Still, a dick tasted much different than a pussy.

“What’s the latest with the Valcourts?” Jediah asked.

“Mi think mi have them under control.”

“Think or you know?” Jediah asked, his body stiffening as Ashari’s mouth closed around the tip before she sucked it into her mouth. His taste of body wash covered her tongue.

“It’s complicated. Mi have elections—”