Page 99 of The Bait

Harry worried about Asher and how he’d take the news.

They only had a short time, prearranged with the medical staff, of course. And Harry and Asher really didn’t know what shape Yunho would be in.

Maybe they wouldn’t find anything out today.

Lies and deceit aside, Harry hoped Yunho would be okay. He’d always liked him, and Yunho had done a lot for Harry. And he’d helped Asher immensely over the years; he’d been like a father to him. Asher had trusted him.

And now that trust was gone.

Regardless of what they learned today.

They were escorted into the ICU by a straight-backed, no-nonsense nurse. She told them that Yunho was medicated for extreme anxiety. She gave strict instructionson dos and don’ts and led them past privacy curtains to a bed in the corner of the large room.

Asher let out a deep breath and opened the curtain.

The man in the bed looked old and small, frail. Harry briefly wondered if they’d brought them to the wrong patient, but as soon as he saw Asher, he burst into tears.

It was Yunho.

He just looked like he’d aged a decade in a few days.

It didn’t help that half his face was swollen and purple, the other half banged up and bruised. His longish dark hair was unwashed, peppered with more grey than Harry remembered.

Christ, he looked so small.

And he was crying, trembling, and trying to speak but struggling with words. Harry realised then, that Yunho—with his severe anxiety and agoraphobia—had been left alone, no visitors, probably no word on any of them, if anyone had survived.

Harry tried to imagine going through the last few days not knowing if Asher was okay. They would have needed to sedate him with a tranq gun from fifty yards.

It made Harry see Yunho in a different light. Lies and deceit aside, this was a broken man.

Asher went to him, sat on the bed and hugged him, cried with him, and it damn near broke Harry’s heart.

Asher pulled back and cupped Yunho’s face, taking in the damage. “Is Lucas okay?” Asher asked quietly.

Yunho gave a small nod. “Alive. Barely. I’ve seen him one time,” he mumbled, holding up one finger before sobs wracked him. “What they did to him.”

Harry had seen Lucas. Not one inch of him wasn’t bleeding.

“He’s MI6,” Asher said, remaining cool. His guard was up and Yunho knew it.

He nodded again, more tears falling. “I know, I know. I’m so sorry, Asher. I wished I could have told you. So many times.”

“You were working with MI6 all these years,” Asher said.

“I worked with many governments,” Yunho whispered. “Many.”

When it all came down to it, Harry wasn’t surprised by this. But those waters were really fucking murky, and the fact Asher did Yunho’s groundwork, it meant his hands were dirty too.

“I will tell you everything, my darling,” Yunho said, reaching for Asher’s hand, but Asher pulled his back.

“You knew my real name,” Asher whispered. “Ciro Savic.”

Yunho sobbed and nodded. “I wanted to tell you.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Asher was trying to keep his anger, his pain, in check, Harry could see it. “You knew what it would have meant to me. My whole damn life, I never knew who I was or where I was from. You knew what a single fucking name would have meant to me.”

Yunho cried and cried, holding his arm against his side, wincing at his pain. “I’m so sorry, Asher. I was going to tell you, but...”

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