Page 6 of Trial of Deceit (The Family’s Oath #1)

Jediah gave the file to Elias before leaving the room. His men followed him. He didn’t have to look back to know that the men who guarded Tyre were calling in a clean-up team to dispose of what used to be Errol.

“Dimitri,” Jediah called over his shoulder.

“Jed?” Dimitri answered.

“You know what I need you to do.”

Dimitri nodded. A small smirk came on his lips as Elias sighed. While the large room of workers came into view, Dimitri said, “Duppy dat.”

Jediah winced as he entered his bathroom. He dug around in the cupboard until he found the first aid kit. He poured the alcohol onto his forearm where the bullet had grazed him, and gritted his teeth. He watched as the liquid trailed down the tattoos on his arm.

Turning his back to the mirror, he looked over his shoulder at all the tattoos crawling up his back.

A long slash was on his back where Ari had clawed at his skin in their rush to get naked.

Her perky breasts and toned abdomen flashed in his mind, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that stirred below his belt.

He needed to find out everything about her, but he needed to be smart about it.

Tyre was still training and had to report to Reka whenever she returned.

Though he could ask him to dig up information on Ari and demand that he keep it a secret, it made no sense to hide anything from Reka.

She excelled at her job because of their transparent relationship.

It’d be best to wait for her, but his patience to find Ari was wearing thin.

A vibration disrupted his thoughts. He put down the alcohol bottle to reach into his pocket for his phone. It was a simple text from Dimitri: “Checkmate.”

Jediah smirked while footsteps approached the bathroom. Putting his phone back into his pocket, Jediah met Acacia’s eyes in the mirror. He glared at her, and she gulped. She looked down and twiddled her fingers.

“Earlier, Bryony told me to bring your suit into the room. I thought you were her… Sorry,” she apologized, and he grunted. She looked up, her eyes widening as it settled on his wound. She stepped forward, then hesitated. “Are you okay?”

“Are you done?”

Acacia’s brows knitted as she looked at him. “Why do you hate me?” she asked, stunning him.

Jediah looked from her to the wound on his forearm. The alcohol had dried. He reached for the bottle. “I don’t hate you.”

“Then why yu don’ ever pay mi attention? Mi never sign up for this either, but you can at least make me feel a little more accepted. I’ve been training to be your wife since I was a girl.”

Jediah stopped pouring the alcohol onto the wound to meet her eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance because Acacia wiped her eyes and hurried out of the room.

He stared at the spot she’d stood for a second longer than needed, before he closed his mouth and shifted his focus to his wound.

He finished up in the bathroom and got ready for the dinner with Acacia as his plus one.

Jediah had reserved the entire restaurant for the night.

Tyre had disabled all the cameras. Jediah couldn’t be seen in public with this man — it wasn’t time yet — and it wasn’t convenient for them to meet at the house.

Things were heating up with the Valcourts and law enforcement since Kayon’s secret was revealed.

“Hear say the Valcourts try after you again,” said Sahil Majors, the man sitting across from Jediah.

“Tried,” Jediah emphasized as he clipped the end of his cigar. He lit it and took a long puff, blowing the fumes toward Sahil’s face. “How do you know about that?”

“Dem try after me, too. Marquis Valcourt is getting bold,” Sahil said, and Jediah hummed. “That’s why I’m here. No man no supposed to brave enough fi try take me points. Especially not when Acacia still needs to be upgraded to your wife.”

“Need?” Jediah repeated, chuckling while sitting upright. “You came here to tell me what I need to do?”

Sahil lifted his chin. “Yes. This was my arrangement with Kayon.”

“Kayon is not in charge. I am.”

“If dat a wa yu wan’ believe, Jed.” Sahil shrugged. “Out there on the streets, nobody fears you like they do Kayon. Why yu think dem a move in now dat dem know him in a that state? You’re weak.”

In a flash, Jediah grabbed his gun out of his waist and stood. The chair fell backward and crashed onto the ground. Jediah pressed the pistol against Sahil’s forehead. “Have you ever looked death in the eye, Sahil?”

Meeting Jediah’s eyes, Sahil sneered. “Never.”

Jediah smirked, then pulled the trigger.

Sahil’s body jerked at the click while his eyes snapped shut.

Smirk widening, Jediah pulled his gun back. Sahil’s bewildered eyes slowly opened to meet Jediah’s.

“You just did.” Jediah secured his gun in his waist, fixing the chair as he heard feminine giggles moving toward the dining area.

He sat and placed the cigar in the ashtray.

“No one tells me what to do. I tell myself what to do. You’re right, I’m not Kayon.

I’m better than him. Mi don’ need fi marry Acacia out of goodwill for your long-standing loyalty to Kayon.

Take a look around you, Sahil. Richardson is a household name, and I am a Richardson. I don’t need people. People need me.”

Sahil reached for his water glass with trembling hands, taking a sip while tugging at his collar.

Jediah scowled. “The deal that you and Kayon made — without my knowledge, might I add — was for the engagement to be announced at the ball. It’s not time yet. If you no longer want to wait, I’ll happily call the engagement off, and you can give Acacia to him —”

Sahil’s eyes widened. “No,” he rushed out. “Mi don’ wan’ him no where near mi daughter dem.”

“So, you have a conscience?” Jediah muttered.

“A no ’bout conscience. A ’bout the lack of respect. Mi won’ give him a chance fi deny both a mi pickney dem. You and I know that he only wants Reine.”

Jediah stiffened. Forcing himself to relax, he said, “ He’ll never have Reine.”

Sahil didn’t reply. He returned the glass as his daughters arrived at the table. Acacia sat beside Jediah while Raven sat across from Sahil.

Sahil smiled at Raven. “Where is—” He paused as a man rushed into the room.

The man, clad in formal attire, sat beside Raven. “Sorry mi late. I had martial issues I had to tend to before I got here.”

“Marital,” Raven Saint corrected in a whisper, and the man’s eyes flashed to hers, narrowing slightly. She gave him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Raven naa treat yu right, Kirani?” Sahil asked.

Jediah stretched his arm across the table, slipping his ring off and rolling it across the top of his fingers while Acacia pushed her chair closer to his. Kirani threw his arm over Raven’s shoulder, denying Sahil’s accusation while Raven stiffened.

Jediah stopped rolling his ring.

As he opened his mouth, Acacia rushed out, “I’m hungry. When’s the food coming out?”

Jediah dragged his eyes from Raven to Acacia.

She was smiling too hard for his liking.

Her stare was intense, speaking words her mouth refused to say.

He looked away from her to press a button on the remote on the table.

A server had handed it to him when they arrived, telling him to press it whenever he needed to break the requested privacy.

The door to the dining area burst open, and servers entered with trays of various types of food.

Everyone at the table dug in while Jediah excused himself to stand in a corner and continue smoking.

He looked back at the table, his eyes finding Acacia’s.

She was already watching him, and she gave him a small smile.

Jediah didn’t return the gesture, but his shoulders relaxed as he looked away.