Art of Deception (The Black Diamond Series Book 4)

by D. Camille

  "What the hell?" Shana yelled recognizing them.

  "Hey Shana, remember me?" Sage said smiling. "You wanted to sleep with my husband for money."

  Shana's eyes narrowed as she turned to Isabelle.

  Isabelle smiled. "Shana these are my friends, Lily and Sage. They're also Sean and Jordan's wives."

  "What is this? What do you want?" Shana snapped.

  "Oh, we're going to get what we want Shana, believe that," Sage told her.

  Shana went to grab for the door when Lily produced a small pistol. "I wouldn't if I were you."

  Shana's eyes widened as she sat back in her seat. "You're trying to kill me?" she screamed.

  "That was my plan, but they won't let me," Sage told her.

  "Sit down Shana and enjoy the ride," Lily said with the gun pointed at her.

  Isabelle watched the two women wondering what else they were going to do, as Shana looked at all the women with hatred.

  "You stupid fools won't get away with this! Daddy is going to kill you Isabelle! He doesn't like you anyway," she screeched.

  Isabelle's eyes widened before Sage reached into her bag. She produced a small syringe and quickly stuck it in Shana's neck. Shana put a hand to her neck and turned to Sage before passing out. Lily and Isabelle looked at Sage in question.

  "All that damn talking starts to get on my nerves," she told them. "We'll wake her up when we get there."

  Both women nodded slowly at her as the car continued to their destination. When they arrived, the driver carried Shana inside the building. He placed her in the waiting chair and Sage proceeded to strap her inside. She stood and looked around the room.

  "The last time I was here, someone got a trip to Mexico," Sage said grabbing her bag.

  Isabelle looked confused at Lily who just shrugged.

  Sage began unpacking her bag. She went through her ritual of laying all her instruments out and when she finished looked over at them.

  "This shouldn't take long." She commented before grabbing a syringe and filling it with a liquid. Sage walked over to Shana. Taking her arm, she inserted the needle as Isabelle and Lily watched in silence. She looked over at their faces and smiled.

  "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

  Both women simply nodded. Isabelle looked from one to the other. She would never have guessed that Lily could use a gun or that Sage could administer drugs. She was beginning to realize that maybe she didn't really know Sean and Jordan either. She'd already realized that with Ray.

  Isabelle watched as Sage slapped Shana's cheek a little harder than what seemed necessary before Shana slowly opened her eyes.

  "Grab her purse Isabelle so we can verify if she's telling the truth," Sage instructed. "Take out her identification."

  Isabelle nodded and quickly followed Sage's instructions. When she had the card in her hand, Sage turned to Shana and began.

  "What's your name?" Sage asked her.

  Groggily Shana answered, "Millicent Shana White."

  Sage looked to Isabelle to confirm and she nodded.

  "When is your birthday?" Sage asked Shana.

  "January 10th."

  Isabelle nodded again.

  "Who am I?" Sage asked.

  Shana looked at her. "That crazy bitch married to Jordan."

  Sage smiled and turned to Isabelle and Lily. "They always get me when they answer that question. We're ready now."

  Sage turned back to Shana. "Did you ever sleep with Jordan?" she asked.

  "Sage!" Lily reprimanded. "That's not why we're here."

  Sage frowned. "Did you ever sleep with Jordan?" she repeated to Shana.

  "No."

  Sage smiled.

  "But I want to now. He's fine as hell and I know he wants it too. He always did."

  Sage frowned and lifted her hand.

  "Sage!" Lily called and she turned to her.

  Isabelle looked from Sage to Shana hoping that Shana didn't really get herself killed by Sage.

  Sage nodded slowly. "Fine. You're right Lily." She lowered her hand and turned back to Shana.

  "Why are you out to get Isabelle?" Sage asked her.

  "I hate her. That's why I smashed the hell out of Sean over and over."

  Isabelle gasped and Lily frowned taking a step toward Shana.

  "Lily!" Sage put a hand up to stop her. "We're not here for that, remember?"

  Lily nodded. "Yeah right," she said slowly.

  "Why do you hate Isabelle?" Sage said turning back to Shana.

  "She took my Daddy, so I'm going to take everything from her including that sexy brown eyed guy. He's next on my list. I know he can put it down too."

  Sage turned to Isabelle. "Is she talking about my brother?" Her brown eyes flashed.

  Isabelle nodded. "Yes."

  Sage shook her head. "Yet no one wants to let me to kill her."

  "What do you know about the blackmail against Isabelle?" Sage asked Shana resuming her questioning.

  Shana laughed. "Isabelle always tried to pretend she was such a good girl. When she's nothing but a ho!"

  Both Lily and Sage looked at Isabelle who turned beet red.

  "That's not true!" Isabelle cried.

  "Walter Bennett told your little secret before he died. How you were the campus tramp, giving it up all over!"

  Isabelle's hand went to her mouth. "Walter?"

  Sage looked at her. "Who the hell is Walter?" she asked Isabelle.

  Isabelle's eyes watered. "He's the one who attacked me."

  Confused Sage turned back to Shana. "Who did Walter tell this to?" she questioned.

  "His cousin."

  Sage sighed. "Who is his cousin?"

  "Melvin Jenkins."

  Sage turned back to Isabelle. "Now who the hell is Melvin Jenkins?"

  Isabelle shook her head sadly. "He used to be mean to me in school."

  "Until you sent Sean and Jordan to threaten him then he really hated you!" Shana spat.

  "I never sent Sean and Jordan," she said confused.

  Lily watched the entire scene then asked, "So what is the information that you’re trying to blackmail Isabelle with?” she asked Shana.

  Shana sighed. "The fact that she's a ho! I told you. She doesn't want her snotty classmates or her stuck up co-workers to know that she was the college thot!"

  "That's it?" Sage asked confused.

  "Yes!" Shana screamed.

  Sage sighed. "Jordan and Sean were right, she's an idiot," she told Lily and Isabelle.

  "What did Walter tell Melvin exactly?" Sage asked.

  "He said that Isabelle was fronting like she was so classy when really she was nothing but a campus booty call. She was giving it to Walter on the regular along with all the other guys."

  Isabelle shook her head. "Why would he do that?" she whispered.

  "Clearly he wanted you Isabelle and he lied about being with you," Lily told her.

  "How is Melvin connected?" Sage asked Shana.

  "He hates Isabelle too. He said we should blackmail her and split the money. He's run through his trust fund gambling," she explained.

  "You don't need money though." Sage pointed out.

  Shana laughed. "I don't want Isabelle to have any because her momma left it all to her and not to my Daddy."

  Sage turned to Isabelle. "Just say the word...please. I beg of you."

  Lily looked at Sage. "Sage, no."

  Sage shook her head. "I should've brought Ray instead."

  Lily walked over to Isabelle and placed a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

  "It's all so unbelievable," she breathed.

  Shana had passed out again and Sage walked over to Isabelle placing her arms around her.

  "I'm sorry they tried to do this to you Isabelle."

  Isabelle returned her embrace. "Thank you Sage."

  "At least now we know they don't know what really happened, so your secret is safe," Sage said looking at her.

  Isabelle smiled a little with relief. "Yes."


  "Now this Melvin Jenkins, I don't even want to know what the Sun God is going to do his ass," Sage told her.

  Lily shook her head. "Oooohhhh. That's not going to be pretty."

  "What will Ray do to him?" Isabelle asked confused.

  Sage shrugged. "It's best that we let the guys handle business the way they see fit. They will anyway."

  Sage went to the table and began packing up her utensils. "I'm going to have the driver put her back in the car. When you two get back to the restaurant, give her a tap or two and wake her up. She's not going to remember any of this," she instructed.

  "You know what to do next?" Lily asked.

  Isabelle nodded. "Yes."

  Sage smiled at her. "You did great Isabelle. If I were you, I wouldn't trust Shana as far as I could throw her but that's your choice."

  Sage closed the bag and continued, "But sister or no sister, if she comes near Jordan, it's a wrap."

  "Ditto for Sean," Lily added.

  "Ray as well," Isabelle said sternly.

  Lily and Sage's eyes widened. "Alright then..." Sage said nodding at Isabelle.

  The three women went back to the car and waited for Shana to be loaded inside. The car dropped off Sage and Lily at their waiting car then drove back to the restaurant. Isabelle called her father to let him know that Shana had showed up for the meeting but wasn’t feeling well at the moment. He relayed that he would check in with Shana later.

  When they arrived back at the restaurant, Isabelle leaned over and tapped Shana on the cheek. She didn't stir so Isabelle tapped her again. When that didn't work Isabelle smiled to herself and slapped the hell out of her jaw. She smiled as Shana stirred quickly.

  "Shana?" Isabelle called softly. "Are you okay?"

  Shana grabbed her throbbing cheek and looked at Isabelle in a daze. "What happened? Where are we?"

  "We're still at the restaurant where we met. When we got in the car, you fainted. Have you been feeling well?"

  Shana grabbed her head. "I don't know. I don't remember anything."

  Isabelle looked concerned. "Do you want me to take you to the doctor?" she offered.

  "No. I don't want to be around you. Let's just go see Daddy."

  "I called Daddy and told him that you weren't feeling well and that we wouldn't make it." Isabelle smiled. "You should check in with him and let him know you're better."

  "You don't have to tell me to check in with my Daddy," Shana snapped reaching for the door. She exited without saying a word.

  Isabelle sat back on the seat. "Have a good day Shana. I wonder if I should have let Sage kill you."

  Isabelle sat in the back of the car and rode for a short distance before stopping. The door opened and Ray stepped inside. She smiled and leapt into his arms kissing him.

  "Hello Goddess. Sage told me what happened. Are you okay?" he asked pulling back and watching her closely.

  "Yes, I'm fine. Sage and Lily were so incredible," she told him.

  He smiled. "You're incredible too."

  Isabelle held on to him tightly. "Thank you for helping me."

  "You don't ever have to thank me for taking care of you Belle."

  Isabelle looked at him. "Shana said she's coming after you next."

  "Shana better go sit her ass down somewhere," he told her.

  Isabelle smiled. "I really thought Sage and Lily were going to kill her at times."

  Ray sighed. "Yeah, Jordan and Sean had to make them promise not to."

  She studied him. "Is this something you all do often?" she asked hesitantly.

  "Does that make you afraid of us?" he asked holding her gaze.

  Isabelle shook her head. "It makes me want to be one of you," she whispered.

  Ray threw back his head and laughed. "I think you'll fit right in Belle."

  She looked down at him and placed her lips on his. "Where are you taking me?" she asked against his lips.

  "Hmmmm...I think I need to take you away."

  "You just took me away," she reminded him.

  Ray smiled. "Who's going to stop me from doing it again?"

  Isabelle laughed. "I don't have any clothes."

  Ray gave her a look. "You know we don't need clothes."

  "You like to surprise me," Isabelle surmised.

  He touched her cheek. "I need every advantage I can get."

  She squirmed against his hard thighs. "I need...you," she said softly holding his eyes.

  "See, that's why I need an advantage," he told her.

  "It's your fault," Isabelle told him bringing her hand to caress his neck.

  "How is that Goddess?"

  She began to kiss his neck opposite from where she was touching it. "You're so desirable."

  At her words, he captured her mouth as his hand began to slide along her body. "You don't play fair," he told her.

  "All's fair in love."

  He watched her. "And war," he finished the quote for her.

  "I'm not in war," she whispered opening her shirt to reveal a blood red push up bra. His eyes traveled down to her beautiful flesh. His hand replaced his gaze and she closed her eyes arching her back.

  "Are you in love beautiful?" Ray asked cradling her breasts. He watched her with her eyes closed and her breasts thrust forward from the rigid arch of her back.

  She opened her eyes and looked into his face. "No. I'm not in love."

  "I believed I was in love with Sean for my entire life even though I'd never touched him, I'd never kissed him or anything else but I had convinced myself that I was in love with him. Then you came along and I could barely speak around you and I wanted you to kiss me and to touch me."

  She touched his face slowly, lovingly moving her fingers over his beautiful features. "If I was in love with Sean, then what I feel for you is a hundred times more than that. It's intense and it consumes me. When you touch me, I heat up. When you kiss me, I ignite and when you make love to me, I explode. I dream of you and the things you do to me."

  "So no, I'm far beyond being in love," she confessed.

  Ray pulled her to him pushing her blouse off her shoulders. "Isabelle, what are you doing to me?" He took her mouth silencing any reply.

  Later when Isabelle found herself naked with her legs in the air in the back of the limo with Ray collapsed on top of her she quoted one text in her mind...supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. She smiled. Yeah, check...again.

  *********

  Carolyn and Lavender checked their list again for the items needed for the secret mission Sean had assigned them to complete. They had stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the city and they'd decided to sit outside and enjoy their lunch.

  "I think we've got almost everything," Carolyn commented.

  Lavender shook her head. "Even with my third eye opened, I can't figure out what this boy has us doing."

  Carolyn smiled. "Sean's a genius, so you can't figure it out. Both my boys are geniuses," she boasted.

  "What about your daughter?" Lavender asked.

  Carolyn's smile faded. "I have no idea. Trent says that she doesn't want to be contacted."

  "Maybe she'll come around. I have a feeling she's going to show up sooner or later," Lavender told her.

  Carolyn sighed and looked around the restaurant. When she turned back, Milton Martin was standing before her.

  Both she and Lavender looked up at him.

  "Milton," Caroyn said surprised.

  He smiled at her. "Hello Carolyn."

  Carolyn quickly introduced Lavender and watched, as Milton looked her over. Both women smiled at each other.

  "It's nice to meet you Lavender," Milton said smiling. "That's an interesting name."

  "Hello ladies," Jordan said stepping up to the table and glancing over at Milton.

  "Do you own this restaurant?" he asked Milton.

  Milton frowned. "No I don't."

  Jordan nodded. "Good. Now get your ass away from this table."

  Milton turned
back to Carolyn and Lavender. "Ladies." He sneered at Jordan before walking away.

  The women watched Jordan take a seat. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and turned to Carolyn.

  "Now imagine my surprise when I walked out here and saw you sitting with Milton Martin? When I know that both Sean and I specifically asked you to stay away from him." He looked at her with a lifted brow.

  "Lavender and I were having lunch and he just appeared at the table," Carolyn explained.

  Jordan looked between the two. "It didn't appear as though you were rushing him off."

  Both women looked guilty.

  Jordan sighed. "Have you two gotten everything on the list?" he asked pointedly.

  Lavender answered, "We're still trying to find some things. We were taking a break."

  "Those things are crucial to everyone being taken care of. We need that completed as soon as possible."

  "Okay. We're on it," Carolyn promised.

  Jordan smiled. "Thank you. We don't know what we'd do without you helping us out with this."

  He stood looking down on them with dark eyes. "I have some clients here so I will see you ladies later."

  They said their goodbyes and watched him walk inside the restaurant.

  "Now that one is a handsome devil," Lavender commented. "He could charm the skin off of a snake."

  Carolyn sighed. "His father could too."

  "You said he had a lot of enemies," Lavender said picking up her glass.

  "Yes, Justin was not beloved, that's for sure."

  "Do you really think Milton had something to do with his death?”

  Carolyn's eyes narrowed. "If he didn't do it, he knows something about it, believe me."

  "Do you really think this will come of any good? It's been years Carolyn. Maybe you should just let it go," Lavender advised. "You could be bringing something back from the dead."

  "I owe it to Trent...and Jordan. If their father was murdered they deserve to know."

  Chapter 14

  Melvin Jenkins walked from his car to his front door. Before he made it there, a dark hood was dropped over his head and he was being dragged away. His heart beat frantically as he wondered what was going on.

  “What's happening?” he questioned.

  Silence, he felt himself being pushed into what seemed to be a vehicle. He felt his hands being bound before the car began moving.

  “Who are you?” he asked warily.