46. Leona
LEONA
R yu and I righted our clothes and then followed Alec back down the stairs to the club’s main level. We’d agreed to see what the feds wanted and then disappear back upstairs to the penthouse as soon as possible.
We could not engage with them, but if they had shown up here and Alec had been forced to come get Ryuji, then we knew they wouldn’t go away without answers.
This was so fucking risky. If the feds were looking into us, or Ryu, we had a problem. Neither we nor the federal government would like what they’d find if they dug deeper into our lives.
Alec filled us in that there were two agents waiting, a man and a woman.
He’d moved them to his office, which was a separate room off the main floor in the back.
It didn’t have the same king-overlooking-his-castle-vibes as Ryuji’s office did.
Alec’s office looked like this was where work actually got done.
It was smaller than Ryu’s but still larger than I expected.
File cabinets lined one wall, each with its own lock.
A desk sat in the middle of the small room, with two computer monitors and an accompanying chair.
Across from the desk were two opposite chairs, where the feds were sitting when Alec brought us inside .
Honestly, it was modest compared to what I expected the office of a general manager of four highly profitable nightclubs would look like. Maybe that was just Alec.
Despite its size, with the feds, Ryu, me, and Alec, the space felt instantly claustrophobic. My hand found Ryu’s, and I squeezed.
“Leona Vero? Ryuji Akiyama?” The man, wearing a crisp suit with a beige trench coat, stood from his chair. He was tall and imposing, likely middle aged with light skin and salt and pepper hair. His eyes were hard and glaring as he tried to meet my eye line.
It had me on edge, and my fingers itched to snag the Hellcat still secured to my thigh. Instead of grabbing it, I dug the pad of my thumb into my engagement ring. If this agent was going to look at me with such disgust, then why was he addressing me? What were they doing here?
Ryu tucked me under his shoulder and angled himself in front of me. “Who the fuck are you?”
The man looked over Ryuji’s shoulder so he could talk directly to me. “I’m Special Agent Jack Greer.” He pulled a badge out of his trench coat pocket, flipping it open. “With the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
The partner beside him flashed a similar badge. This woman was almost a head shorter than Greer, with brown skin and black hair secured in a tight bun at the base of her neck. “I’m Special Agent Farrah Badawi.”
Ryuji’s hand tightened in mine. “So sorry. We’re unavailable. We were just leaving, you see. You’ll need to speak with my general manager, Alec. I’m sure he can give you whatever information you need.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Akiyama, but this is time-sensitive.” The man drawled, as if he had all the time in the world. “Ms. Vero? May we have a word?”
I narrowed my eyes .
Now why the hell would they want to speak to me? Instead of Ryuji? And how did they even know I was here?
“What is this regarding?” I asked carefully.
“We’d like you to come down to our field office to discuss certain matters your father may have been involved in,” Special Agent Badawi said while she pulled a card from her smart blazer.
Certain matters my father may have been involved in? What the hell wasn’t he involved in?
Whatever it was, it could not be good. I had to get them off our backs and out of here. Obi would know how to deal with this.
I looked at her outstretched arm, but I didn’t move to take the card. “What matters?”
“We’d prefer to discuss in a more private location. Our files are back at the office.”
“I’m certain your files are not her problem,” Ryu said with a glare. “Talk to us now or leave.”
Special Agent Badawi wiggled her arm with the card at me. Alec took the card when I refused to grab it. “It won’t take that long,” she said. “Just a quick interview.”
I pressed firmer against Ryu’s side. “I’ll be in touch about making an appointment, then. I’m afraid my schedule is jam-packed.”
Yeah, an appointment right after I hired an incredible lawyer.
My mind raced. If it was something my father was up to, it could have anything to do with our mafia enterprises: drugs, gambling, guns.
It could also be related to our biggest fucking problem right now: the human trafficking flying under our noses.
Or they could have somehow tied the explosion at Ryuji’s club back to us, or Wynn’s blood eagle.
Jesus Christ, the list was unending, but that was life in the criminal underworld. We lived on the wrong side of the law, and they could take their pick as to our wrongdoings.
Still, I had a sinking feeling this was related to the big glaring problem Obi and I still weren’t sure what to do about. My father had sold guns to the fucking CIA. But if that was the topic they were here for, why was the FBI knocking and not them?
Special Agent Greer shook his head, his frustration coming through his tight voice. “We’d like you to come with us. As I’ve said, this is time-sensitive.”
“No fucking wa—” Ryu growled.
“It’s past working hours, Special Agents,” Alec said, interrupting him. The music of the club thumped in the background, only underscoring his point that it was almost 10 p.m. on a Friday. “Perhaps this would be more appropriate if it were daylight outside.”
“Ms. Vero, are these men your representatives?” Special Agent Badawi asked.
I shook my head. “No, but my lawyer will be in touch. We can continue our conversation when my lawyer is available.”
Hiring a lawyer moved to the top of my to-do list. Obi had to have one already, right?
Special Agent Greer stepped closer. “Do we need to bring you in forcefully? We’re well within our rights to detain you for questioning if we believe you’ve been party to a crime.”
Ryuji moved to pull a knife, but I closed my hand over his. That would not do us any favors.
“Am I being arrested?” My voice was flat while I tried to keep my emotions under control. My heart began racing at the thought of being locked in another cell. The skin on the back of my neck prickled as a cold sweat built. “Is Ryuji being arrested?”
Cold. Dark. Bodies pressed together. I jumped on the box, internally screaming at myself to keep my emotions in control.
Special Agent Badawi shook her head with a sigh. “No, you’re not being arrested.”
“Then, my lawyer will be in touch about your interview.” My chest loosened slightly as the fear of immediate captivity dissipated. “Now, if you’ll please excuse us. ”
“People with nothing to hide are unconcerned about answering a few questions,” Greer pressed.
“I’m well within my rights to consult counsel,” I answered. “If you won’t tell me what your questions are regarding, then I’m afraid this is the best I can do.”
Greer tilted his head to the side. “Are you aware of your father’s connections to human trafficking and to gun smuggling?”
I feigned surprise, balking at his words. “No. That’s ridiculous. My father was a simple businessman, and he didn’t even let me into the inner workings of his company.”
Badawi gave me a look like she didn’t believe a word I was saying, but at least what I said was mostly true.
Greer sneered, but continued. “Are you aware that your father operated as a confidential informant to the United States government?”
My blood turned to ice in my veins while I death-gripped Ryuji’s hand. “What?”
“That is what this is regarding, Ms. Vero,” Greer added. “Now, if you’ll please allow us to escort you to our field office for further questioning.”
I swallowed, trying to clear my bone-dry mouth. My dad was a snitch? He didn’t just sell guns to the CIA, but he was giving them information? We had figured there was a reason he was working with them…but why?
“I had no clue what my father did while he was alive.” A tremor laced through my voice despite how I tried to keep it under control. Ryuji was about to snap. We had to get home. We had to tell the guys about this. “I’m afraid I’ll be of no help you to, Special Agents.”
A thought blew up my brain like a meteor.
Did Max know about this, too?
“That will be up to us to decide. ”
“She’s not fucking coming with you,” Ryuji snarled. “Now get out of my club before I make you.”
The only sound in the room was the muffled bass coming from the main room.
“Are you threatening a federal agent?” Greer asked with deadly calm. His mouth pulled up into a little smirk, almost like he was daring Ryu to try something.
Ryu’s fingers twitched. He never backed down from a fight, but if he killed this asshole, everything would blow up. We’d have the full force of the law bearing down on us.
I stepped in front of Ryu, making a choice for both of us. “Of course not. We’re expected elsewhere, so we’ll have to cut this short. I’ll have my lawyer be in touch. Thank you both, Special Agents, for bringing this to my attention.”
I gestured to the door, where Alec waited to escort them out.
The four of us locked into a tense standoff, but there was no way we were budging.
Badawi’s lips thinned. “Well, then. Please do meet with us within the next week. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll have to follow up.”
Greer’s eyes flicked to the ceiling. “Nobody likes home visits.”
I could practically hear Ryu’s teeth grinding together. These agents all but admitted to knowing that we lived in the penthouse.
If they knew me, Ryu, my father, and where we lived…they knew about us .
“Thank you for your visit,” I said, trying to keep my voice cool. “Alec will show you out.”
Neither Alec nor Ryuji protested at my order, and the agents left with no other veiled barbs or threats of their own.
Shit.
We needed a lawyer. A goddamn good one.
We had to talk to Obi.