CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Akio
LUCAS HAD left an hour ago, rushing out the door with a thundercloud above his head. There was an arrest warrant out on him, so he understood Lucas’ anger though he didn’t like the man rushing off seeing as there were dangerous people who wanted him dead.
He was left to his own devices as all the others were gone, too. Left with his own thoughts. So much had happened over the past few weeks. He could barely believe it. He’d gone from having a drink with Maggie to being arrested to calling Lucas in a few short hours. He’d never truly thought Lucas would look at him as anything more than that kid he’d saved and now? They were together. Lucas loved him. He loved Lucas. When they were alone he could almost forget everything else that was going on, but Lucas wasn’t there with him now.
It was almost as if fate wanted to pull them away from each other.
He wasn’t going to take that lying down, though, and he knew Lucas wouldn’t either. He was prepared to fight. He wasn’t about to give up on them no matter what was thrown at them and besides, he had faith in Chris, Diesel, and Lucas. They would work all of this out and hopefully, no one would get hurt except for those traffickers. Those bastards deserved all the hurt in the world.
He groaned when he heard the doorbell ring but dragged his body off the couch to see who it was. He figured he was safe to open the door because he doubted the mole or double agent would bother knocking.
He opened the door just enough to look out.
“Akio?”
A woman was standing there. She looked put together with her blonde hair pulled back in a tight ponytail and wearing a black pantsuit. It wasn’t exactly a surprise considering the FBI badge she showed him. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that there was an agent at this door asking for him.
“Yes?”
“Hi,” the agent said, smiling warmly at him. “I’m Gemma. I work with Lucas.”
“Oh, hi.”
“He told me to watch you while he’s at the police station,” she said and motioned at the door.
He stepped aside to let her in, asking, “Did he find out who the mole is?”
Gemma nodded, a wistful look in her eyes.
“Is it…” he swallowed hard, the words stuck in his throat. “Is it someone he’s close with?”
Gemma turned her head to the side, eyes going vacant for a moment before she looked back at Akio and said, “You could say that.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, it fucking sucks,” she said with a sigh.
“He’s gonna be so torn up about it,” Akio said, turning to make his way to the living room. He sat down on the couch and leaned forward, elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.
Gemma sat down on the couch across from him.
“You really care about him, huh?”
A longing sigh passed his lips, and he offered her a slight smile.
“Ah, it’s like that?”
He cocked a brow at her. “He didn’t tell you?”
With a shake of her head, she said, “He just told me to go here and keep you safe with that warrant out on you and, you know, the mole looking for you, too.”
He nodded.
“This thing between you is new, right?”
“Yeah, it is. I mean, we’ve known each other for years.”
Gemma arched a brow at him, her lips quirking up at the corner. “So, you’re his boyfriend and his CI?”
Akio shrugged. “I guess? I haven’t really thought too much about the CI thing. I just told him what I knew.”
The buzzing of his phone had Gemma tensing, and a rush of dread came over him. He could tell that something wasn’t right.
“That’s probably him,” he said, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
He reached for his phone on the coffee table and just as his fingers wrapped around it, Gemma stood and pulled her gun.
“Nuh-uh,” she said, motioning with the gun for him to put the phone down. “That’s not how this is gonna go.”
He blinked up at her, eyes on her face instead of the gun aimed at him.
“You’re the mole?”
She shrugged. “Call me what you want. The only thing that matters is that you’re coming with me. Kuroki wants to know how Lucas’ CI knows so much about his operation. He’s not happy which means… doesn’t matter. You’re coming with me.”
His heart skipped a beat, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
The box with the GPS bracelet was on the coffee table right next to his phone. That hopeful part of him wanted him to believe that Gemma wouldn’t shoot him if he reached for it. The realistic part of him knew better than to put his faith in someone who was betraying everything they had sworn to protect.
“Let’s go,” Gemma said, motioning for him to stand.
He got up on unsteady legs.
He didn’t know exactly where Diesel and Chris were. He knew they’d dropped Maggie off at college because she’d sent him a picture of her holding his birthday gift. They could be on the way back but how far they were? No idea. Ryder had left hours ago and Lucas… he hoped Lucas hadn’t walked into a trap. The thought was like a cold splash of terror. He felt his throat close up as tears filled his eyes.
“Please don’t do this.”
Something flashed through Gemma’s eyes and for a moment she looked conflicted but then she squared her shoulders and grabbed him by the arm. She turned them around, pulling him along as she headed through the living room. They only made it a few steps before Gemma jerked to a halt and he felt a flash of pain through his arm from the sudden jolt.
Lucas was in the doorway, anger pouring off him worse than when he’d left, but Akio found that he could breathe again.
“Gemma,” Lucas said, gun aimed at her head.
He didn’t know why, but she didn’t drag him in front of her. She didn’t use him as a shield. She just let go of him.
He didn’t think twice. He just ran to Lucas, slamming into his side. An arm wrapped around him, and he took a second to just bury his face in Lucas’ shoulder, breathing in deeply. It was as if a blanket of safety wrapped around him. Safe. Lucas was safe.
“Why?” Lucas asked, his voice filled with anguish.
Gemma shook her head. “Fuck you.”
“Gem, come on. What the fuck is going on?”
“They have my niece, you asshole,” she sneered, anger flashing through her eyes. “They’ve had her for weeks. What the fuck was I supposed to do? They’d kill her the second I said anything to anyone. She means everything to me.”
Lucas breathed out shakily, the sound almost heartbreaking to Akio’s ears.
“I understand, but you could’ve―”
“I could what? Try to make you all suspicious of me? What would that do? Get me suspended? That would only get her killed faster. I tried to make you notice something was wrong. I know I’m good, but no one’s that good. Still, not one of you noticed something off. You’re all too busy getting ahead in your stupid careers to fucking care.”
“That’s not true,” Lucas said, voice strained.
“Like hell, it isn’t. If I’d told any one of you, I know damned well none of you would’ve risked your careers for me. For her.”
“Lucas would have,” Akio said and straightened, taking a step toward her. “My real name is Akio Yokota. Kaito Yokota was my father.”
“Akio,” Lucas hissed and tugged him back against his side.
He looked up at Lucas, staring into those gorgeous green eyes as he said, “What’s the difference between her and you? If they had taken me, what would you have done?”
Lucas shook his head, but it was clear from the sorrowful look in his eyes that he’d hit the nail on the head. He knew Lucas would have done whatever he deemed necessary.
Akio turned his gaze back on Gemma who looked close to breaking down, tears in her eyes as her lip quivered. She had to be exhausted. From the lies and secrets. From the fear of losing her niece. From the things she’d had to do.
“Lucas helped my brother’s motorcycle club get my brother back after our father kidnapped him. He… he watched me shoot my father and yet, I’m still here. Not in prison.”
Gemma’s eyes dropped to the ground, and she worked her jaw for a moment before holstering her gun. She met Akio’s gaze and gave him a nod.
“I’ll take any help I can get.”
“We’ll help you, but don’t think that means you get out of this free and clear. Not after what you’ve done. I would never have given them your address,” Lucas said, voice low and cold.
Gemma’s brows creased ever so slightly.
“You didn’t give them Lucas’ address, either, did you?” Akio asked her.
She shook her head.
“Then how…?”
“I’m not the only one they have in their pocket though I suspect whoever else they have is in it for the money,” she said and glanced at Lucas. “Anyone in the Bureau could have gotten your address.”
Akio freed himself from Lucas’ hold again and walked up to Gemma, taking her hands in his. They were cold and shaking just slightly. “We’ll help you get your niece back.”
He felt Lucas behind him and looked up to see Lucas put a hand on Gemma’s shoulder, staring into her eyes as he spoke.
“We’ll get her back.”
That was a promise he knew Lucas would do anything to keep.