Page 78 of Who Said Mobsters Were Scary?

“Hex?”

Nodding his chin as Aran lets out a frustrated sigh and rubs his temples while this Hex drones on about something excitedly, Chai chuckles. “Yes. He goes by ‘Sudo Hex’ technically, but we all call him Hex. He is… Aran’s contact and one of the best hackers in Japan. He doesn’t work for anyone, but…” He smiles, dark eyes bouncing between his friend and Hex. “I don’t think he’s ever turned down a job if Aran’s the one asking.”

Before I can ask if Hex is the reason Chai knew about my background, Daichi Akiyama clears his throat. The room goes silent immediately. Aran’s expression transforms back to his usual half-glare and Chai tenses up next to me. I become overly aware of the crack across my upper lip when Daichi’s hard gaze cuts to me. It’s intense in a threatening way, but I try not to flinch away from it as not to appear intimidated or weak. The physical contact with Chai helps me achieve that, his body solid and anchoring.

“Kwanchai. Care to explain what happened in Bangkok?” the Akiyama Group’s head demands, shifting that authority to his son.

Discreetly, I find Chai’s hand and squeeze it, hoping my touch will be as grounding as his is for me. He entangles our fingers and takes a deep breath, a subtle curve to his lips preceding the confidence that displaces the worry from his beautiful eyes.

“I saw an opportunity to resolve our mole problem and decided to act,” he starts, giving a rundown of everything we’ve learned about Goro. “So, the earlier hits on our warehouses were no coincidence, as I suspected. He handed the stolen goods to the Americans.”

Daichi hums, lacing his hands together. It’s hard to say if he’s proud or disappointed, but if I had to take a guess, it’s both. His son has proven not only how capable he is by making the conference a success, but also how smart and resourceful he can be. Chai will be a good leader when he takes over. At the same time though, Daichi’s trust has been betrayed by a man he thought loyal, so that has to sting.

“What will you do with Goro and Minister Kesam?” Chai asks when the room slips back into silence.

Daichi’s eyebrows slant, his mouth stretching in a smirk that gives me the shivers. “They are being held at the outhouse. We will interrogate them and find out exactly what they were planning to do.”

“I don’t think they will be willing to talk,” Aran jumps in, still flipping through the folder Hex handed him at the start of the meeting. “We might need to call in Tanaka.”

“Easy there, trigger fingers,” Hex tosses, typing on his laptop. “Can we wait with that for a few hours? I’m still going through Minister Kesam’s personal files. You might want to keep him around in case I find anything.”

I glance at Chai, whose eyes flick to me as if he can sense I’m looking.

“Tanaka?” I mouth, raising one eyebrow in question.

“You don’t want to know,” he mouths back with a slight scrunch of his nose, giving my leg a squeeze.

I most definitely want to know now. I can surmise that this Tanaka must be an interrogationsexpert.The slightly apprehensive expressions of those in attendance, along with the livid fury burning in Daichi’s eyes, clues me in that he’s probably one of those very passionate types that you most definitely don’t want questioning you if you are a fan of having all your fingers intact.

The realization only makes me want to see him ‘interrogate’ that asshole Goro more.Shit.Does that make me a bad person?

“Leon Caruso,” Daichi’s stern voice snaps me out of my torture fantasies.

I startle, barely managing not to jump off the chair. But Chai’s hand is there, reminding me he’s here with me, and that somehow gives me the confidence that everything will be fine. I don’t know how or why, but I can just feel that he won’t let anything permanent happen to me.

“Yes?” I say, my voice stilted even to my own ears.

“My son tells me it was your plan that allowed you to capture the traitor and his accomplice?”

Well, it was technically a mutual effort. I can see what Chai is trying to accomplish by letting me take all the credit, but it’s kind of unfair. I just don’t roll that way. “That is incorrect. Sir. It was a team effort. He’s the one that made sure Goro and that minister didn’t escape.”

I almost let slip that I used him as bait, but catch myself in time. He doesn’t need that particular detail.

“And how exactly did he do that?” Daichi presses.

Well, shit. I didn’t think he might probe.

Flashing Chai’s father a smile that I regret a heartbeat later as his eyes narrow even further, I clear my throat. “With his, uh, extremely effective communication skills. Sir. He’s, uh, very good at talking. They were so engrossedthey didn’t see me coming.” I raise my hands, using my index fingers to mimic two guns firing. “Pew, pew.”

Chai snorts next to me, belatedly masking it as a cough.

Daichi aims a scowl his way. “Do you have something to add, Kwanchai?”

“No. It happened exactly as Leo said.”

“Leon Caruso. While I do not approve of your so-called teamwork, your and Chai’s failure to follow orders has led to the resolution of a problem within the Akiyama Group that I wasn’t even aware of. I will overlook your questionable actions this time, but any further lack of professionalism won’t be tolerated.”

God help me. He still doesn’t know I want to deflower his son. Or that I’m already dating him.

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