Before they walked into the airport, Harry stopped him again. “Okay, I’m going to need you to breathe and smile. If you look at airport security like you’re looking at me right now, we won’t be going anywhere.”
Asher glowered at him.
“My point exactly.” Harry couldn’t believe Asher was being so unprofessional. He took him by the shoulders and stopped just short of shaking him. “Fucking stop it. If you want to help Yunho, you need to start acting like it. Where is the Asher Garin capable of reading any situation and then charming his way through? Because I need him right now.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” he murmured.
Harry let out a sigh. “Asher, I get it. You’re angry and worried. I know that. I am too. But if you want to help them, you need to play the part. You’re smarter than this. So play the fucking part. I know we’ve been out of the game for two years, but this is simple stuff. We’re gonna walk in there, get through security and board a plane to Bangkok, then we’re gonna do the same to get to Bosnia. And that’s the last place you wanna trip any wires by pissing security off and end up on some government fucking watch list, right? Because if they find out who you really are? It’s all over. We can’t afford to get caught.”
Fire burned in Asher’s eyes, but Harry didn’t care. This needed to be said.
“Yunho and Lucas can’t affordfor usto get caught.”
Anger morphed into hurt in Asher’s gaze and he shucked himself out of Harry’s hold. But he didn’t go too far. Harry put his hand to Asher’s cheek, though Asher wouldn’t look at him, so Harry kissed Asher’s forehead instead.
“I love you. I love theyouyou’ve let yourself be theselast two years. Happy, carefree. But right now, I need the old Asher Garin back. The Asher who could be anyone he needed to be and then gone in the blink of an eye. A shadow in the dark. No emotions, no mistakes.”
Asher still wouldn’t look at him but he did half a nod.
Harry kissed his forehead again. “Now let’s get our game faces on so we can bring them home.”
FIVE
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA
Harry’s outburstat Asher had earned him the silent treatment. For the plane trip from Ranong to Bangkok and then all the way to Sarajevo. Asher had barely said five words to him the whole time. He just stared at the tablet’s password lock screen as if it was some enigmatic puzzle. Or a time bomb, like he didn’t want to see what secrets the tablet held.
But he had played his part.
Smiling and charming with the airport staff and security, and even on the plane. Well, correction: Joshua Hill had been smiling and charming.
Asher had been petulant.
He was angry and scared, and Harry understood his reasons. But he didn’t play these types of games.
They checked in at a hotel, awaiting Asher’s contact to return his call. Harry put a call in for room service, enough food for both of them. He could worry about gettingsupplies later. It was late, it’d been a long fucking day, and Asher’s silence was a cherry on top of a shit-tastic cake.
Harry dumped his bag on the floor and fell onto the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face.
Asher still hadn’t spoken to him, and Harry wasn’t in the mood for his childish bullshit.
Asher curled himself up on the sofa and stared at the tablet screen, the cursor blinking in the password. He hadn’t attempted to enter anything yet, still trying to think what the passcode might be.
It was going to lock them out, and they’d need to track down some tech whiz to access it. Or a teenager.
“We can find someone who can get us access to it,” Harry said, nodding to the tablet.
Not that it mattered, because Asher didn’t look at him to see it.
Room service delivered their tray of food, and Harry took the lids off. It was burgers and fries, nothing extraordinary, but he needed food, a hot shower, and sleep. “Eat something,” Harry said, too tired to fight or argue. “Or don’t.”
Harry was halfway through his burger before Asher came over. He sat at the table, still sulking, and shoved some fries into his mouth. “You yelled at me,” he said.
Harry shot him a disbelieving look. “I did not yell.”
“You told me to fucking stop it.”
“Because you needed to be told.”