Art of Deception (The Black Diamond Series Book 4) Read online

  Kent shrugged. "She's fine as hell. We said we might get crazy together in LA."

  "Make sure I'm nowhere around," Trent told him.

  Kent chuckled. "Where's your shero? I thought you'd be glued to her side."

  "Nah, we're cool." Trent smiled happily.

  Kent looked at his friend. "She makes you happy," he commented.

  Trent turned to him. "Yeah, for real."

  "That's cool Trent. I know you always wanted somebody to love."

  Trent nodded. "I feel like I had been looking forever even though I'm just turning eighteen."

  "Dude, you did smash a lot of girls in Atlanta."

  He sighed. "Yeah, I know. I was just out there." He turned to his friend. "That's why I'm waiting with Callie."

  "Why?"

  Trent stared out the window. "Callie’s not like those girls. With those other girls, I wanted to forget about life and just get it in."

  Kent smiled. "Uh, yeah...that's the point."

  Trent continued. "Then that thing with Dana. I was just out of my mind."

  "Her ass could've went to jail," Kent cracked. "Twenty-three with a sixteen year old?"

  Trent shook his head. "That was crazy. When your moms found out, I thought she was going to kill her."

  "Moms lost it." Kent laughed remembering. "And she had a two year old baby?"

  "I know. That was messed up."

  Kent looked at him. "You told your girl about her?"

  Trent stared out the window. "Nah, I haven't."

  "You think she's going to trip?" Kent asked.

  Trent shook his head. "Nah, Callie's cool."

  "You did tell her you were running through them in Atlanta though?"

  Trent turned to him. "Shut up dude."

  Kent shrugged. "I mean...I don't know, maybe she's been running through them too?"

  "Shut the fuck up Kent!" Trent shouted.

  Kent jumped. "My bad dude. Damn, don't kill me!"

  "I swear sometimes you talk too damn much," Trent told him.

  Kent smiled. "You tense as hell dude. Stop all that analyzing and smash that damn girl."

  "Did you hear what I just said to your ass?" Trent asked confused.

  "Cool." Kent turned to look out the window. "So how many women are going to be at this party?"

  "Plenty."

  Kent turned back to him. "They bad?"

  Trent gave him a look.

  Kent smiled and nodded. "My dude."

  *********

  Jordan drove home in total confusion. Shana was Isabelle's half-sister, what the hell was going on? Had everybody lost their damn minds? He pulled into his garage and entered the house where Sage, Lily and Sean were in the kitchen eating snacks. Walking over to his wife, he leaned down and kissed her before greeting Sean and Lily.

  "How was the meeting?" Sean asked.

  Jordan put a hand to his face. "Yeah, let's debrief that in my office."

  Sean raised a brow. "Sure." He turned to Lily and kissed her before leaving with Jordan.

  Lily and Sage shared a look as they watched them leave.

  Inside his office, Jordan dropped into his chair. He closed his eyes and sighed as Sean watched him.

  "Jordan don't tell me that something happened with Shana," Sean warned.

  Jordan opened his eyes. "Hell no!"

  "What happened?"

  "Her father was there." Jordan told him.

  Sean looked confused. "I thought she was raised by her mother?"

  "She was, apparently her father took care of her financially but didn't acknowledge her otherwise."

  Sean nodded. "Did you find out who's she working with?"

  "Yeah."

  Sean looked at him. "Okay, who?"

  "Her father."

  Sean frowned. "Her father? We know him?"

  Jordan let out a breath. "Well Sean, it seems that Shana and Izzy are half-sisters."

  "What?"

  Jordan nodded. "Milton Martin is Shana's biological father."

  "No. That can't be true," Sean told him.

  "It is. He admitted it while I was there."

  Sean put a hand to his forehead. "Where in the hell did we grow up Jordan? It's no wonder we do what we do."

  Jordan smiled. "I said the same thing."

  "So why was she pretending to need money?" Sean asked.

  "She was supposed to play on your sympathies then break up your marriage to Lily. Milton is still upset that you didn't choose Izzy."

  "I think I'm going to let you kill him," Sean said shaking his head.

  Jordan sat up in his chair. "Really?"

  "What is wrong with him?" Sean asked.

  Jordan sat back. "He's an arrogant old bastard who needs to be taught a lesson."

  Sean shook his head. "Are you telling Izzy?"

  "I don't know. She doesn't like Shana at all."

  "I know. Maybe you should wait and see what Milton is going to do now that he knows that we know," Sean recommended.

  Jordan smiled. "I told you the Black Magic would get results."

  Sean looked at him. "Okay Jordan. I'm sure it didn't go according to your plan."

  They heard patting on the door and Jordan smiled before he got up to open it. He looked down at his daughter who was now walking. She saw her daddy and raised her arms to him. "Dada!"

  Happily, he picked her up carrying her into his office.

  "Say hi to Uncle Sean," Jordan instructed her.

  Her bright brown eyes lit up as she waved to Sean. "Hi!"

  Sean smiled and came over to kiss her cheek.

  Jordan looked at his daughter. "I'm ready to retire," he told Sean.

  Sean looked at his friend with his daughter. "I am too Jordan."

  Sage came into the office looking for Diamond.

  "She knew you were in here," she explained. "You want me take her out?"

  Jordan shook his head. "She's fine. We're done for now." Sean agreed and went to find Lily.

  Sage looked at her husband. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

  He looked at her for a moment. "Yeah. You know when this threat is taken care of we should go on a vacation."

  Sage smiled. "A vacation? Where?"

  Jordan shrugged. "We could go back to St. Kitts or anywhere you like."

  She wrapped her arms around him. "The last time we went to St. Kitts I was pregnant."

  Jordan leaned down to kiss her. "You'll probably be pregnant this time too."

  She smiled. "I hope so."

  Dark eyes held bright brown ones. "I love you Sage."

  "I love you too Jordan and I can tell you've been very bad today."

  "Not nearly as bad as I'm going to be tonight." Jordan laughed as he led her out of the office holding his daughter.

  *********

  Isabelle lay in bed trying to figure out who could possibly know her secret. Had there been someone around? If so, why had they not tried to help her? Moreover, why had they waited over ten years to say something?

  Ray had called her earlier to say he was following up on some things. She was so thankful to have him right now. She didn't know who else she would have been able to turn to. Killing a man had haunted her all these years and she'd decided after the incident that she could never tell Sean her true feelings for him. He didn't deserve someone who might be sent to prison one day.

  Ray had assured her she wasn't going to jail, but she had her doubts. She'd killed a man in cold blood. Even though it had been an accident, who would believe her now? She'd destroyed all the evidence in her fear. What was she going to do?

  Then there was Ralph Benson. She had taken the rest of the day off but she had to return one day, which meant that she had to face him. She vowed she would not let him harass her. If he continued, she would do everything in her power to have him fired. She frowned, thinking about him.

  "Don't frown like that Belle."

  Isabelle jumped as she looked up at Ray standing in her doorway dressed in slacks and a dress shirt. She p
ut a hand to her heart.

  "Are you going to continue to do this?" she asked.

  He smiled and came into the room. "I like to surprise you."

  "You're going to give me a heart attack. How do you get in here?"

  Ray sat on the edge of the bed and winked at her. "Don't worry. No one else can."

  He reached out and touched her face. "How are you?"

  She shrugged. "I've just been thinking."

  "Did you come up with anything?" he asked.

  Isabelle shook her head. "No, nothing. You?"

  "I'm still following up on some things."

  "Did you go to the museum?" she asked.

  "Yeah..." He moved to lay across the end of the bed on his back with his hands under his head.

  Isabelle watched as he made himself comfortable. "Did you see Ralph?"

  "Uh...huh."

  "Did you do something to him?" she asked hopefully.

  Ray smiled. "Did you want me to?"

  Isabelle smiled. "To be honest, yes."

  He turned to look up at her. "What do you want me to do to him Belle?"

  "I don't know but I want him to leave me alone."

  Ray watched her. "Why did you have dinner with him?"

  Isabelle shrugged. "He asked me."

  Ray turned his gaze to the ceiling. "If you want to go out to dinner Belle, I am happy to take you."

  She smiled. "You're already giving me your time with my lessons."

  He continued to study the ceiling. "I will take you anywhere you want to go," he confirmed.

  "You don't want me to go out with other men," she surmised.

  "No, I don't."

  Isabelle pulled her knees up to her chest. "We're not involved Ray."

  "Yeah, we are Isabelle."

  Isabelle smiled inwardly. "You're simply giving me lessons," she told him.

  "We're way past lessons Belle."

  She watched him. "Do you think so?"

  Ray turned to her. "Isabelle I can feel your body on my hands. I can taste your essence in my mouth and I can smell your desire in my nostrils; so yes, I think so."

  Isabelle blushed. "What does that mean?"

  "It means that you belong to me Isabelle."

  She tilted her head at him. "Didn't we have this discussion last night?"

  He nodded. "Remember how it ended?" he reminded her.

  She blushed again. "Yes."

  "Does it need to end the same way tonight?"

  She smiled. "I have no complaints on how it ended."

  Ray laughed. "Neither do I, but I have some business to take care of this evening."

  "Oh, okay," Isabelle looked away.

  Ray sat up and reached for her leg gently pulling her to him. When she reached him, she got to her knees on the bed as he reached up and touched her face.

  "Not that type of business Belle. Real business," he told her.

  Isabelle took his face in her hands. "If we're involved then I won't see you with other women." It was not a question and Ray understood that. She'd stated it in her no nonsense voice that always impressed him.

  Ray smiled and captured her with those eyes. "Then let me hear you say you belong to me." He pulled her onto his lap facing him and Isabelle wrapped her legs around his waist staring into his eyes.

  "If I were to say that, I would want you to repeat it back to me," she whispered hooking her arms around his neck.

  Ray reached between them and untied her short robe exposing her underwear underneath. "If you want me to repeat it back to you, I'd have to hear you scream first."

  She smiled. "I always scream."

  He kissed her neck and whispered in her ear. "It would have to be my name."

  "You want me to scream your name?" Isabelle said breathlessly.

  Ray continued to kiss her jawline and ear. "You will Isabelle." He kissed her some more. "And you will tell me you belong to me."

  "What are you going to do to me that will make me scream your name?" she asked.

  Ray lifted his face to hers. "I'm going to fill you with the heat of the Sun God in the spot that is wet and warm against me right now." He pulled her closer to him.

  Isabelle moved against him. "I think I will like that."

  Ray smiled. "I know you will." He captured her mouth and kissed her while pulling her against his body with her breasts pressed against his chest. Ray continued to kiss and caress her body until he had to leave. He promised to see her the next day and had her lock the door behind him as he stepped out into the dark night.

  *********

  Ralph Benson awakened to a strange sound. He sat up and looked at the clock on his nightstand that read one twenty three in the morning. He looked around the darkened room before he heard it again, this time more distinctly. Someone was downstairs in his kitchen. It sounded as if they were preparing a meal. He sniffed the air and smelled food cooking.

  Ralph sat up quickly and reached for the nightstand where he kept his pistol. Quietly he opened the drawer and reached inside. When his hand encountered nothing but air, he turned and looked inside the now empty drawer. As he continued to listen, the intruder began to whistle a tune as they happily continued using his kitchen as a restaurant.

  He looked over at the nightstand to locate his phone, which was also missing. Ralph ran a hand down his face and grabbed his glasses before climbing slowly out of the bed.

  "Ralph Benson, get your ass down here!" the voice called and Ralph froze in his tracks. He knew that voice. Angrily he headed down the stairs into the kitchen. He looked in amazement at Ray Parker standing in his kitchen with the refrigerator door open.

  Ray turned to him. "You don't have no damn apple juice?" he asked.

  Ralph stared in confusion. "Apple juice?"

  Ray shook his head and closed the door. "Isabelle always keeps apple juice in her fridge for me." He picked up his plate of food and took a seat at the counter.

  "What are you doing in my house?" Ralph questioned.

  Ray picked up his fork. "I came to beat your ass, but I'm going to eat first since I missed dinner." He dug into his food.

  "What? Are you crazy?" Ralph asked staring at him.

  Ray pointed his fork at Ralph. "Actually you're the crazy one, thinking that you could threaten Isabelle." He went back to his food.

  "Get out of my house!" he demanded.

  Ray continued to eat his food watching him. Ralph looked over and saw his gun and phone on the counter. He wondered if he could get to them while Ray was eating.

  "I wouldn't try it," Ray warned him.

  Ralph began to sweat. "What do you want Mr. Parker?"

  Ray paused in his eating. "Why did you lie to me today Ralph?" he asked.

  Ralph swallowed. "Lie to you about what?"

  Ray smiled. "Good. So you know you lied to me about more than one thing today."

  Ralph looked around the room trying to determine a means of escape, because if Ray Parker knew he'd lied, he probably was here to hurt him.

  "You're not escaping this ass whipping so don't even think that," Ray told him going back to his food. Ralph watched in a panicked silence as Ray finished and took his empty plate to the sink. While Ray was rinsing the dish, Ralph made a move and retrieved the gun as Ray turned to him.

  Ralph pointed the gun at Ray. "Get out of my house Mr. Parker."

  Ray folded his arms and leaned back against the counter. "Are you going to shoot me Ralph?"

  "Yes, I'll say you were an intruder who scared me."

  Ray nodded. "Good story. How will you explain that there are no signs of forced entry or my prints on the dishes in your sink?"

  Ralph frowned. "I'll say that you broke in and made a meal."

  Ray laughed. "An intruder who breaks in and cooks himself a meal?"

  "Get out Mr. Parker or I will shoot you."

  Ray unfolded his arms and Ralph steadied the gun as he put his hands in the air. "Here's your target."

  Ralph hesitated and Ray laughed. "Man to man, this
is why Isabelle would never want you."

  Ralph's eyes narrowed as Ray continued. "See, I don't have to resort to blackmail for her attention."

  Ray put his hands down. "Do you dream about her? Do you wonder what she feels like, what she smells like, what she tastes like?"

  Ray rubbed his chin. "Her skin is soft and smooth. She smells like jasmine especially when she's just finished showering and she tastes like a ripe mango." His hand moved to his lips. "Sweet and succulent."

  "You don't deserve Isabelle!" Ralph snapped.

  Ray nodded. "That may be true, but you'll never have her."

  Ralph aimed at his target. "You won't either." He squeezed the trigger once, then again and then a third time.

  Ray shook his head. "Did you really think I left a loaded gun in plain sight? Do I look that damn stupid?" Ray came toward him and snatched the gun from his hands. He grabbed Ralph by the back of the neck and forced him to a seat at the counter.

  "Sit your dumb ass down and answer my questions," Ray instructed before releasing him.

  Ralph rubbed his neck as he stared at Ray.

  "If you want Isabelle so bad why are you trying to hurt her?" Ray demanded.

  Ralph look startled. "I'm not trying to hurt Isabelle!"

  Ray watched him. "Then why did you kill the power to let someone place a blackmail note on her car?"

  "A blackmail note, I don't understand." Ralph said in true bewilderment.

  Ray blew out a breath. This was apparently more than he'd initially thought.

  He started from the beginning. "Why did you cause the power outage?"

  Ralph looked at Ray. "She said she wanted to surprise Isabelle."

  Ray frowned. "Surprise Isabelle with what?"

  "She told me that she was an old friend of Isabelle's and that they liked to play pranks on one another. She didn't want Isabelle to be able to find out who had left the note on her car until she was able to figure it out," Ralph explained.

  "What was the note supposed to say?" Ray questioned.

  Ralph shrugged. "She just said it was going to be a clue for Isabelle and that at the end Isabelle would get a really big surprise."

  "What's her name?" Ray asked as his eyes narrowed.

  Ralph looked down. "I don't know."

  "What the hell you mean you don't know?" Ray barked.

  "She told me to call her Shay."

  "Shay?" Ray rolled his eyes. "How'd you meet this damn Shay?"

  Ralph looked up. "She called me at the museum, then we met for dinner and..." he trailed off.