Page 28 of Trial of Deceit (The Family’s Oath #1)

“Ow!” Jediah exclaimed. His hand darted beneath the table, his fingers burying into Ashari’s hair with a deathlike grip.

Ashari’s mouth loosened around Jediah’s dick. She dropped it from her hands. Her eyes widened while her heart raced from guilt and fright. She didn’t mean to bite him, but the confirmation had stunned her.

“Get out and come back when you have actual answers,” Jediah hissed, his low tone holding the promise of a terrible threat. The door slammed seconds before Jediah pushed the chair back. Concern pushed away the anger in his eyes as he assessed his dick.

“I’m sorry!” Ashari rushed out.

His eyes met hers, causing her to gulp hard. “Yu know how hard yu just bite mi?” Jediah hissed, gently using his thumb to rub the spot. “There are teeth marks on my dick.”

“Sorry,” she said again. “I’ve never…”

The anger in his eyes sizzled out. “Really?” Jediah asked, and Ashari nodded. He sighed, releasing his dick to tenderly put it back into his boxers. “That explains a lot.”

Filled with embarrassment, she crawled from beneath the desk. “Where’s the bathroom?” she asked, unable to meet his gaze.

“The door to the right.”

“Is there another bathroom?” Ashari asked, finally looking at him. Her embarrassment soared after seeing the pained expression lingering on his face. “You probably need that one more than me…”

“Afta wa happen last night, yu ’fraid fi use the same bathroom as me?”

“Jed,” she groaned.

“Why do you refuse to kiss me?”

Her brows furrowed. “What?”

“You heard me.”

She motioned below his waist. “You really wanna talk about this right now?”

“Yes.”

Ashari sighed. She pinched the space between her brows as she turned her head toward the ceiling.

Ashari thought of the best way to tell Jediah that it was because kissing him was too intimate, but she didn’t know how to say it.

She couldn’t even think of a lousy lie. “Where’s the bathroom?

” she asked, moving her hand while she looked at him.

She could tell that Jediah was displeased by her brushing him off, but he didn’t make a comment. He placed his hands on the armrest, then pushed himself to his feet. “Go through the door and ask the first worker to show you to it,” he said before taking slow, careful steps toward the bathroom.

Gulping hard did nothing to ease her embarrassment as she exited the room.

Instead of seeking out a worker, she slipped through a door that led to the backrooms. She followed the noises bouncing off the walls.

She hadn’t heard this commotion when Tsai had shown the team the footage she’d managed to capture during a patrol visit.

Down a hallway, she realized she hadn’t been hearing noise inside Jediah’s office, either.

That could only mean that the backrooms weren’t soundproof, but the offices and display rooms, where customers shopped, had to be.

The clanging noise became louder as she approached a door at the end of the hallway. Ashari’s heart raced as she paused to look over her shoulder. The hallway was empty, so she continued on. Stopping before the door, she was about to tip to peer through the small window on the door.

“Wa you a do here?”

Ashari sucked in a breath. She spun around, shocked as she met Dimitri’s hard gaze. “Dimitri,” Ashari said, willing her features to even out so she could force her most believable smile. “Me a look for the bathroom.”

Dimitri crossed his huge arms over his chest. The angry grimace on his face marred his features, making him appear more rugged with his locs pulled back.

Her lie didn’t work. Neither did her forced smile. So, she decided to be honest. “And I was curious about the noise…”

“It’s none of your business.” Unfolding his arms, Dimitri reached an arm out. His hand locked around her arm, holding it in a death grip as he began dragging her away from the door.

Her heart raced as she realized they were going back toward Jediah’s office.

She tugged against Dimitri, but all her attempts were futile.

Her exhaustive F.B.I. physical training should’ve kicked in on instinct, but she’d never been better than the average fighter.

Was never even close to the talent of Romar.

Ashari’s strength faded in comparison to this bulky man, who was tattooed with battle scars and boasted the title of head of a private security company for a reason.

“Dimitri, wait!” Ashari begged, fighting harder to break free. “Let’s talk this out!” She dug her heels into the floor, but that didn’t hinder Dimitri either.

Dimitri ignored her pleas as he tugged her along.

When they were close to the mainroom, he gave her a warning glare to act normal.

Finally, he stopped before a door. He made her stand before him, then used his free arm to reach over her shoulder.

He knocked on the door twice, then opened it while simultaneously releasing her arm.

The area burned, but she fought the urge to soothe it with a gentle rub.

Jediah was exiting the bathroom. His brows furrowed at them. If he saw the horror in her eyes, he didn’t mention it. He looked over her shoulders at Dimitri. “Wa happen?”

“She got lost, so I showed the way back,” Dimitri explained.

“Ah. Thanks,” Jediah said, and Dimitri hummed. He moved toward his desk.

Ashari stopped breathing. She looked over her shoulder at Dimitri. He gave her a brief glance before he turned and walked down the hallway. Ashari’s mouth gaped as she watched him.

Why did he lie to Jediah for her?

Ashari couldn’t be grateful. Dimitri’s actions left her apprehensive about the future.

After a full day of being dragged from one meeting to the next, Ashari was thankful to be back at the estate.

The new driver parked before the stairs and Jediah opened the door for Ashari.

Jediah stared at her with his hand out, and Ashari stared blankly at him.

When would he drop this act? He was a criminal, not a gentleman, and she would never allow him to convince her otherwise.

Ashari pushed him out of her way, almost twisting her ankle as she took the first step out of the vehicle. She yelped while falling forward. Jediah’s arms wrapped around her, preventing her fall as she clung onto him. Embarrassment consumed her as she looked up at him. Jediah grinned.

“You won’t let me be a gentleman, yet you’re still falling for me,” he teased.

Ashari scowled, yanked herself out of his hold, and began walking away.

“I’m patient, Ash!” Jediah yelled at her back while closing the SUV’s door, and Dimitri chuckled.

Ashari froze as the sound. The men continued approaching her from behind. She recovered quickly and continued into the house.

A loud ruckus was coming from somewhere.

Ashari’s brows furrowed, and she disregarded the sound as she continued further into the house.

She didn’t want to linger around Dimitri.

From the delicious aroma of steak and creamed spinach coming from the kitchen, Bryony must’ve just finished making dinner.

Ashari’s belly grumbled as she arrived on Jediah’s wing.

The noise was louder now, adding to her worry.

Her hands began to sweat and her heart pumped faster as fear built in her gut and spread across her body.

Ashari was about to turn around and sprint to the kitchen.

Maybe she could shake this bad feeling if she attached herself to Bryony’s hip for the rest of the night.

She paused as a man exited the bedroom. His skin and clothing were speckled by dust. He gave her a tired grin before continuing down the hallway with two plyboards tucked beneath his arms.

Overcome by curiosity, she continued into the bedroom. Every piece of furniture in the bedroom was covered by tarps. Standing by the doorway of the bathroom, she gasped.

Blue collar workers were moving about the bathroom. They had a case of beer atop the sink and a speaker blasting dancehall music over the sounds of them beating hammers into nails, drilling screws into the walls, and sweeping away debris.

The bath tub was gone.

A vanity was in its place.

The tension left Ashari’s body as she continued to watch the men work. Her heart raced as warmth grew in her gut, then exploded outward, filling every crevice of her body and making goose bumps cover her skin. A small smile built on her face — one she couldn’t hide; one she didn’t attempt to.

Her cheeks stung as she stared at the vanity.

Its wooden grain matched that of the rest of the furniture in the bathroom.

It had a stool, several drawers, and a large rectangular-shaped mirror with lights.

All of her products and packs of braiding hair were stacked in the boxes that were pushed to a corner.

Still smiling, Ashari left the men to continue their work. She arrived in the dining room, eager to thank Jediah, but paused when she noticed he was busy.

Jediah sat at the head of the table. He was silently reading from the paper in his hands while Reine stood close to him.

“Your grade in Chemistry dropped to a seventy-nine,” Jediah said disapprovingly.

“It’s an elective course,” Reine grumbled, seemingly fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She noticed as Bryony entered the room, and her eyes sparked up. “Miss B! Tell Jed seh mi Chem grade don’ matter—”

“Let that be the last time yu chat foolishness a mi ears.”

Bryony placed a bowl of spinach onto the table and chuckled. “Leave Reine alone and come eat.”

Reine stuck her tongue out at Jediah and snatched the print out of her grades. While folding the paper into a half, she said, “Me a go mek sure Daddy get him medicine already, then me a go out with some friends. I’ll be back later.”

Jediah nodded at Reine while finally shifting his focus to Ashari. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She finally moved from the entrance while Reine gave her a smile before exiting the room.

“Still no sign of Barrel?” Bryony asked.

Jediah shrugged. “Maybe you cooked her.”

Bryony hissed her teeth, making Jediah chuckle before she went back to the kitchen.

Ashari took her seat in the chair closest to Jediah. She smiled at him. “Thank you,” she said, her heart racing.

Jediah’s brows raised. “For?”

“You really wan’ me fi say it?”

A tiny smirk appeared on his face. “Yes,” he answered. “Admit that you love that I did something nice for you.”

She stared at him for a moment. His smirk stretched until it became a full blown grin.

Dimitri entered the room and Ashari stiffened. He grabbed a fried chicken leg from a bowl. “A go tek a drive fi clear mi head. Call mi if yu need me.”

“Ah,” Jediah replied.

What was Dimitri playing at?! Not knowing was driving Ashari restless. As Jediah shifted his focus back to her, no doubt ready to start teasing her again, Ashari forced a smile and tried to steady her breathing.