Page 103 of The Bait

Yunho nodded. “Intel. He was still agented. But hecould stay with me if he helped the British ops on the ground. Like I did with you.”

“The Milvus files,” Harry said. “Managing kites from a bunch of different governments.”

Yunho sighed. “It’s what we did. It’s what we still do.” He shrugged and winced again. “Well, it’s what we did. Until Istomin and his little Yixing found us.”

Harry wondered what would happen to Yixing. He was too good a weapon to put in jail, and there was no way in hell the Australian or British governments would hand him back to the Chinese.

Yunho noticed Harry, and he gave a nod. “The British have him,” he whispered. “I can see you’re wondering.”

Asher looked between them both. “Yixing?”

Harry sighed, it all making more sense now. “And the Australian government gets you.”

Yunho gave a nod. “In exchange for immunity, for protection. For me, but also both of you. It didn’t all go to plan, but here we are.”

Beaten, tortured, left for dead. But alive.

“Come on,” Asher said, getting off the bed. He pulled back the blankets to reveal Yunho’s legs. His bruised, bandaged legs.

Oh god.

“They had to operate to fix my knee,” he said softly in explanation.

“I’m sorry,” Asher murmured. “You’re like this and I was mad at you, adding to your pain.”

Yunho shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong. I should thank you for coming to rescue me.”

Asher put his hand gently to the ruined side of Yunho’s face. “Of course we did. I love you, Yunho.”

Yunho smiled with a teary laugh. “My sweet boy.”

Asher gave him a gentle hug. “We’ll be okay,” he whispered. Not completely forgiven, but certainly on the way.

“Can you get out of bed?” Asher asked him. “Would you be okay leaving your cubicle?”

“What for?” Yunho asked, his eyes wide with fear. His hands trying to claw into the mattress and sheet.

“We’ll go find Lucas. You can use Harry’s wheelchair.”

Yunho gasped, frozen for a second before he nodded. “Yes, please. Yes.”

Asher helped him off the bed, Harry did too, with his one arm, and they eased him into the wheelchair, his IV beside him. Asher fixed the leg prop and Yunho settled back, a film of sweat on his brow at the exertion.

Harry pulled back the curtain and his nurse stood there, arms crossed. “He needs to see Lucas Edwards,” Harry said. “We can look into every cubicle, but we’d really appreciate if you could show us the way.”

Yunho was trembling. “Please, Sue. Please.”

Sue grumbled about how him being well enough to go see Lucas meant he was well enough to be on a ward, which was probably true. She disconnected one of his other machines and led the way to a private room. She knocked quietly, and a male nurse came to the door.

They exchanged a quick conversation, he looked them all up and down, noting Yunho in particular. His injuries, the way he was shaking. He opened the door and held up two fingers. “Two minutes.”

Lucas was... dear god. He was barely recognisable. The blankets were held up off his legs by a frame. His face was bandaged, one eye completely covered. He was covered in tubes and monitor pads, bandages.

“His ankles needed pinning,” the nurse said. “They re-set his broken fingers, but they couldn’t save his eye. He has moments of lucidity but the sedation helps him heal.” He gave a smile. “They didn’t expect him to survive, but he’s a fighter.”

Yunho sobbed, his hand to his mouth, shaking as he tried to stand up on his one good leg. Asher helped him step closer to the bed, holding Yunho up so he could take Lucas’s hand. “My love,” he cried. “I’m here. I’m not leaving without you. I love you.” He sobbed and sobbed, leaning down and lifting Lucas’s knuckles to his forehead, to his cheek, to his lips. “I need you. You can’t leave me. Take all the time you need to heal but you come back to me, you hear?”

A tear rolled down Asher’s cheek and Harry rubbed his back. “Yeah, Lucas,” Asher said, sniffling. “You do as he says. Don’t make me send Harry in.”

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