Art of Deception (The Black Diamond Series Book 4)

by D. Camille

  Both Jordan and Sean looked at him in question.

  “Carl Harrison was found dead in an old abandoned warehouse outside the city,” he informed them.

  “What the hell?” Jordan asked.

  Sean turned to Ray. “An abandoned warehouse? What was he doing there?”

  Ray shook his head. “Somebody put a bullet right through his heart.”

  “He had to have been meeting someone there,” Sean surmised. “Carl doesn't just hang out at abandoned buildings and it had to be somebody he trusted for him to come alone.”

  Jordan and Ray looked at each other. “Milton.”

  Ray nodded. “He's trying to save his ass. He told Isabelle that you two are trying to kill him and that Carl was blackmailing him.”

  “What?” they both said in unison.

  “He's getting desperate and I don't like that. Desperate people do desperate things,” Ray said frowning.

  Sean frowned. “You don't think he'd try to hurt Izzy or Isis, do you?”

  “Isabelle is leaving for New York today but I have tight security on her. I've also put some on Isis.”

  Jordan frowned. “New York?”

  “For work, she'll be there a month.”

  “A month?” Sean asked. “Are you going with her?”

  Ray frowned. “Why would I be going with her?” he snapped.

  Sean studied him. “She is coming back?” he asked.

  Ray looked away. “She says she doesn't know,” he answered quietly and Jordan jumped from his seat.

  “What the hell did you do to Izzy, Ray?”

  “I don't know!” Ray jumped to his feet. “I couldn't tell you if I tried Jay. She just sprung this on me two days ago.” He shrugged. “I thought everything was cool then bam! She volunteers to leave town for a month...or more.”

  “Did you two have an argument?” Sean asked.

  Ray looked at Sean. “No, which makes it even more confusing.”

  “Did you hurt her? Did she see you with another woman or something?” Jordan questioned.

  “There is no other woman Jay.” Ray lowered his head.

  Sean and Jordan shared a look.

  “What are you going to do?” Sean asked.

  Ray shrugged looking up. “I'm going to let her go do her thing.”

  “You're just going to let her walk away?” Jordan asked incredulously.

  “Hell nah bruh, you know me better than that.” Ray smiled. “Isabelle belongs to me.”

  “I hope you've got a plan man, because it sounds like you need one,” Jordan told him taking his seat again.

  “I got this Jay.”

  Jordan nodded. “Handle it,” he said pointedly.

  “It's handled,” Ray replied gruffly taking his seat again.

  Sean looked between the two men. “What are we going to do about Trent?” he asked.

  “He's going to follow up on all his leads and hunches. He's going to hack everybody and everything remotely associated with this case then he's going to come to one conclusion,” Ray told them.

  “And when he does, he's going to go on a rampage,” Sean said shaking his head.

  “So we have to wrap this up before he uncovers that information,” Jordan said standing and walking around his desk.

  “Because when he comes to the conclusion that we had Marc shoot Callie, he's going to want us all dead.”

  *********

  Ray left the meeting with Sean and Jordan with a couple of things on his mind. First, he had to keep an eye on Trent and probably watch his back. Secondly, he had to think about what was happening with Isabelle. As he was sitting in the car being driven to pick her up, he wondered why he'd insisted on taking her to the airport. The closer he got to her apartment the more upset he became. Why in the hell had she volunteered to leave town, to leave him?

  Women clamored for the Sun God's companionship and here Isabelle was going off across the country to get away. He'd given her everything she'd asked for and yet she kept upping the stakes. Where others would accept the minimal, Isabelle required the maximum. This had been his concern from the start. He knew that Isabelle was not the type of woman who would settle. She would make a brother stay in line or step away from it.

  She'd told him she loved him and she was leaving him in the same breath, no theatrics, no drama and no emotional scene, just a graceful, classy exit out of his life. Sean and Jordan had insinuated that he was in love with Isabelle. He knew that wasn't far from the truth, but he couldn't give Isabelle what she wanted. His life had already determined that.

  Ray knew the life his father had lived as an agent and Special Agent Ray Parker IV had been the best. Being the best had cost him his life and taken away Ray and Sage's mother for their entire childhood. Ray had made his choices of the life he would lead. When he'd found out that his father had been with the FBI he'd thought about joining to pay homage to him, but he found that he didn't like taking orders; he much preferred giving them. In college, Ray had been heavily recruited by all the government agencies but had decided to take his own route.

  He never wanted his choices to affect those he loved, which is why he'd never told his sister about him or their father. When Sage had been recruited in Africa, Ray had made sure she was protected everywhere she went. Ray and Sage were sought after because of the specialized skills their father had possessed. He'd been fearless with an extremely high IQ, traits that he'd passed on to his children.

  Ray knew that any woman he loved automatically put a bullseye on her back and he wouldn't do that. He'd vowed to live a carefree life rescuing women in need and eliminating those who wreaked havoc and caused pain. He wouldn't fall in love and lose his edge. His edge however had dulled considerably when he'd found his mother. His perfect record of successful missions was no longer perfect.

  The car stopped and he slowly exited walking to the door. Isabelle opened it with a smile and kissed him softly before turning to grab her bags. Ray immediately assisted her carrying the luggage out to the vehicle. Inside the car, he turned to her.

  “Thirty days.”

  She smiled. “Maybe longer, it all depends.”

  He gently pulled her to him. “Day thirty one, I will be in New York.”

  “You're coming to visit me?” she asked.

  Ray shook his head. “I'm coming to bring you home beautiful.”

  Isabelle touched his handsome face. “You can't do that.”

  He lifted a brow. “Who's going to stop me?”

  “Isabelle Martin.”

  He lowered his head with his mouth hovering over hers. “Why do you want to stop me Isabelle Martin?”

  “I have to Ray Parker,” she whispered.

  “No you don't.” He kissed her savoring her mouth and pressing her back against the seat.

  Isabelle wrapped her arms around him and gladly returned what he was bestowing upon her. Ray ran his hands along her body and she responded immediately to his touch.

  “I don't think you want to stop me Goddess,” he whispered against her mouth. “I think that you want me.” He kissed along her jawline. “You want me to love you, to touch you, to make you explode inside.”

  He looked into her eyes. “For some reason you feel you need to do this so I'm not going to try to stand in your way, but I'll never let you go Belle,” he vowed softly.

  The car came to a stop at their destination and Isabelle reached up to touch his face. “I'm not yours to keep Ray.”

  Ray studied her for a long moment then smiled at her. “Okay, Goddess.” He kissed her softly. “Have a safe trip and I'll see you soon.”

  Isabelle nodded slowly. She sensed that Ray was now adopting a new strategy, what it was; only time would tell. He helped her out of the car as the driver unloaded her baggage. Isabelle looked up at him and those brown eyes hypnotized her for the hundredth time.

  “I'm going to miss you Belle,” he told her staring down into her face.

  “I will miss you too Sun God.”

  He smile
d at her. “Who's going to put it on me?”

  She looked away. “I'm sure you'll have no trouble in that department.”

  Ray turned her face back to him. “There isn't one who can compare to my Goddess. Nob nala Belle.”

  Isabelle looked confused as he kissed her for the last time and turned her in the direction of the doors. She slowly walked inside before turning to give him one last look. Those bright brown eyes looked serious as he watched her. She smiled and continued inside.

  Ray rubbed his face as he watched her go wondering what the hell was he going to do for the next thirty days...

  *********

  After dropping Isabelle at the airport, Ray had another stop to make. He entered the building and stopped at the secretary's desk. She looked up and smiled at him.

  “Is he in there?” Ray asked.

  She nodded and Ray walked to the door opening it without knocking. The man behind the desk flustered as he watched the big man enter his office and close the door behind him.

  “Milton.” Ray took a seat across from Milton's desk.

  “What are you doing here?” Milton asked afraid.

  Ray stretched his long legs out in front of him. “You know why I'm here Milton.”

  “What do you want?”

  Ray shrugged lazily. “Why don't you start by telling me why you put a bullet in Carl Harrison?”

  Milton shook his head. “I don't know what the hell you're talking about!”

  “You're a lying, no good bastard Milton. The only reason you're still breathing is because of your beautiful daughter.”

  Milton's eyes narrowed. “I don't know what she sees in you because you're no damn better than me.”

  Ray laughed and crossed his massive arms. “Now that's where you're wrong because I'm not a lying, no good bastard. See, if I had a beautiful daughter I would do everything to make her proud of me. I wouldn't continue to confirm to her that I'm nothing but a low life.”

  Ray sighed. “But I guess you can take the boy out of the gutter but you can't take gutter out of the old ass man.”

  “Don't let this suit fool you!” Milton warned. “I can tangle with the best of them.”

  “That's good because here I am.”

  Milton smirked. “You think you can handle me?”

  Ray shook his head. “I know a teenager that can handle you right now.”

  Ray leaned forward. “Listen Martin, I already know your hands are so dirty if you shook them out I'd have a pile of shit sitting in front of me. I'm here to tell you that you don't have to worry about Sean and Jordan trying to kill you. They love Isabelle too much to have her father's blood on their hands.”

  Milton smiled slightly as Ray continued. “But I'm a different story. There's no way in hell I'm going to let what you're involved in touch Isabelle or Isis. I will walk in here and put a bullet in your head with no hesitation.” Milton's smile faded.

  “Your day is coming Milton but if you upset Isabelle again in any way, it's going to be sooner than later. Comprende?”

  Ray stood to his feet. “I'm not Sean or Jordan. I wasn't raised in your cushy neighborhood and I'm not the dude you want to cross.”

  Milton watched in silence as Ray walked to the door. “You tell Isabelle she's no longer a Martin!” he shouted at Ray's back.

  Ray turned smiling. “It doesn't matter because I've decided that I'm going to make her a Parker.”

  Ray walked out the door and winked at the secretary before heading to the elevators. She smiled as she watched him go.

  “Damn, the Sun God is so fine,” she whispered out loud.

  Chapter 23

  Ray answered his front door letting in his sister. He followed her into the living room and took a seat across from her.

  “Hey Baby Goddess. What are you doing here?”

  Sage looked at her brother. “I'm here to see you Sun God.”

  “Is Momma okay?” he questioned.

  “She's fine. She's with Diamond and Jordan.” Sage crossed her arms.

  Ray sat back. “So obviously you're about to chew into my ass for something. Let's do it.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” she demanded.

  “What are you talking about Sage?”

  She stood to her feet. “It's been almost a month and you haven't gone to see Isabelle.”

  “Isabelle is in New York for work.”

  “Why haven't you visited her? Don't you miss her?” Sage asked him.

  Ray sighed. “Sage, I've been trying to clean up the mess I left in Colombia. I've talked to Isabelle frequently.”

  “Are you going to go and get her?” Sage asked.

  Ray studied his sister. “Do I need to?”

  Sage sat back on the sofa. “What if she doesn't come back?”

  “She's coming back.”

  “How do you know that? Maybe she's met someone else?” Sage offered.

  Ray shrugged. “If she's met someone else then I guess she wasn't my Moon after all...like you thought.”

  Sage turned to him and bright brown eyes locked in a battle of wills.

  “I know you and I know you love her. I don't know what type of game you're playing but you'd better hope it works,” Sage told him.

  Ray smiled. “I see you've formed an alliance with Isabelle. You can call and tell her you've done your part.”

  “You don't know everything Sun God.” Sage told her brother stubbornly.

  “Neither do you Goddess.”

  They both sat in silence staring at each other until Sage broke the silence.

  “I love you and I want you to be happy,” she whispered. “We can both be very stubborn and guarded with our hearts. I don't want you to lose someone special to you.”

  Ray leaned forward. “I'm not going to lose her Sage. Let me handle it.”

  “Urghhh...sometimes you sound just like Jordan,” she complained.

  Ray smiled. “That's why you love him.”

  She smiled too. “It is. How can I not love a man who's so much like the man who has loved me my entire life?”

  “But you're ready to pawn me off on somebody else?” he teased her.

  Sage came to sit next to her brother. “You'll always be my Sun God. You're invincible to me.” Sage wrapped her arms around him. “She can't have all of you, but I'll share.”

  He looked at her. “Yeah, I shared you with Jay and it's worked out okay...I guess.”

  “You guess?” She asked surprised.

  “He still talks too damn much.”

  Sage laughed. “I swear you two are too much.”

  Ray took his sister's hand and stood. “Since you're here so early you can make me some breakfast. I haven't had a woman make me breakfast in nearly a month.”

  “Well after today I'll be serving breakfast to my husband, so you'll have to find someone else.”

  Ray gave her grin. “Very soon, Isabelle is going to be serving me breakfast every morning...in bed.” He winked at her and she smiled as he led her into the kitchen.

  *********

  Trent awakened to the smell of food and knew his mother was there. For the past month she'd been there every morning making him breakfast. He couldn't believe it had been over a month since he'd lost Callie. Everyone had told him that time would make it easier, but everyone had lied. Each day when he woke up he experienced the same ache he'd felt when he'd watched Callie fall to the ground.

  Trent sat up letting the covers fall. “Callie...I miss you so much.” He placed his face in his hands and let out a long breath. Removing his hands, he glanced down at his bare chest. The Ankh Callie had given him still rested against his chiseled brown skin. He took it into his hand before bringing it to his lips. “I love you Callie.”

  He heard the light knock on the door. “Trent, your breakfast is ready honey.”

  “Thank you. I'm coming,” he responded.

  Trent sat for another minute before climbing out of the bed. He grabbed a shirt and made a quick stop at the bathroom b
efore meeting his mother in the kitchen. She turned and smiled at him.

  “You don't have to come and make me breakfast every morning,” he told her.

  “I don't mind making you breakfast; besides I want to make sure you're eating. I see you're getting your appetite back somewhat,” she said referring to the amount of food he was now eating.

  Trent smiled at her. “Yeah, I like food.”

  Carolyn touched his face. “You look better. How are you feeling?”

  He shrugged. “I dream about her, I think about her and I'm consumed with finding out the truth of what happened to her. I can't rest until I do.”

  “What if there's nothing to find out?” she asked. “What if you're putting yourself through all of this for nothing?”

  Trent shook his head. “It's not for nothing. I've already discovered that.”

  “I want you to be careful Trent,” Carolyn said staring up at him looking into dark eyes that were serious.

  “I'm fine Ma,” he said then froze. Carolyn watched as he quickly moved to the table where his food was waiting. She poured him some juice before joining him.

  “It's okay for you to call me that,” she said softly. “If you want.”

  Trent stared at his plate. “It just came out.”

  Carolyn was silent for a minute. “Eat your food. It's getting cold.”

  Trent cleaned his plate and took it to the sink. His mother had gathered her purse and was waiting at the door when he joined her.

  She smiled up at him. “I'll see you in the morning. Have a good day.”

  Trent hugged her gently then smiled down at her. “You have a good day too Ma. Thank you for the breakfast.”

  Carolyn blinked back tears. “Thank you honey.” She kissed his cheek and left the apartment.

  Trent returned to his room and picked up his phone. He dialed Kent's number and waited.

  “Don't tell me you killed somebody.” Kent answered.

  “Nah, I haven't.”

  “So what's up? You okay?”

  Trent sighed. “I think my brothers had something to do with Callie dying.”

  “What? What are you saying? I thought it was the Marc dude?”

  Trent ran a hand over his head. “I think they were all together.”

  “Why would they want to kill Callie?”