Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Larynx pressed the tip of his blade into the top of Yunho's knee, sinking it in half an inch. Yunho bit back a scream, trying to breathe through the pain.

"Tell him what you did," Istomin said. "Tell him how much the Australian government paid you to string him along in bringing Parrish down?"

Yunho shook his head. "No money."

"No money? You did it for free?" Istomin asked, his tone sickeningly sweet as Larynx twisted the knife.

Asher heard the pop of Yunho's patella, and Yunho tried not to scream. He was panting, spit frothing at his lips.

Larynx yanked his head back by his hair. "Or did you pilfer the funds from another transaction? One set by the British?" Istomin asked. Larynx pulled Yunho's head back harder and Istomin peered angrily into his face. "The fucking British, you piece of shit with your piece of shit boyfriend. You wanna know what we did to him?"

Yunho sobbed.

Istomin smiled evilly. "Or should I show you? "

He nodded to Radovic, who Asher hadn't even noticed. "Untie his hands and hold them up."

He did as he was told, yanking Yunho's hands around and up over his head. Yunho had no fight in him, no resistance.

Then Istomin aimed a sinister smile aimed at Asher. "Did this to your boyfriend too," he said. "But he was so out of it by then. Took one helluva beating, that man."

Fear and dread sunk cold in Asher's belly, spreading like ice through his limbs. "What did you do to him?" Asher asked, bile roiling in his gut.

Istomin grinned at him. "This." He gave a nod to Larynx, who felt down Yunho's exposed sides, through his shirt, along his ribs. "Right here," he said, in his terrible voice. "Between the third and fourth rib, the blade at the perfect angle..." He put the tip of the blade where his fingers had been, then thumped the base of the hilt of the knife with the heel of his hand. The blade sunk into Yunho, and he wailed.

"Pierces the lung," Istomin added, almost cheerfully. Then Larynx pulled the knife out and Yunho recoiled and wheezed.

They'd done that to Harry.

And to Lucas.

Jesus Christ, Asher wanted to weep.

His poor Harry.

"What did you do to him?" Asher asked, louder this time. Anger and rage, both rendered impotent and futile by his bound hands and feet. "What did you do to Harry?"

Istomin watched Asher coolly. "You don't need to worry about him anymore." He glanced at his watch. "He's not dead yet. But it won't be long."

No, no. Asher shook his head. "Fuck you. Fuck all of you with your fucked-up boy-scout operation of wannabe fucking dictators. So desperate to be relevant?—"

A hard punch made Asher's head snap back, shutting him up. Larynx loomed over him, fisting Asher's hair, his angry face far too close. "Shut your fucking mouth or I'll cut out your tongue."

"I'm in," a young voice said behind them, and both Larynx and Istomin turned to look at the monitors on the screen, forgetting momentarily about Asher and Yunho.

The screens began to fill with data, pages of it. Codes, numbers, IP addresses, bank account numbers. It looked a lot like Yunho's screens in his war room. Like his data and information.

"It wasn't that difficult to get in," Yixing said, sparing Yunho a smug glance. "The password was Haemosu. A Korean word."

"Haemosu." Asher's gaze shot to Yunho. "?iro Savi?."

Yunho's head shot up and his eyes took a second to focus on Asher, but when they did, Asher knew.

It was his name.

"You knew. You've always known," Asher bit out, still speaking Korean. He shook his head, eyes burning with unshed tears.

The betrayal seared Asher to his core.

He couldn't even look at him.

"I'll tell you everything," Yunho said in Korean, then repeated it in English. "Everything."

"Are we interrupting?" Istomin yelled, making both Asher and Yunho glance his way. He glowered at them both, then clapped Yixing on the shoulder, smiling at his new favourite pet. "Good boy," he said. "Good job."

Radovic clearly didn't like Istomin praising the kid.

Yixing preened under Istomin's attention, ignoring Radovic to sniff dismissively at Yunho. "Thought he was supposed to be the best. I had it decrypted in under an hour."

Yunho's reply was low and raspy, and he spoke in Chinese. Asher's Chinese was rusty at best, so he couldn't be entirely sure but it was something like foolish roosters call the fox .

Yixing stared at Yunho for a long moment.

Istomin looked between them. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," Yixing murmured, shaking it off and turning his attention back to the monitors. He began to explain routing codes to Istomin who listened intently.

But Asher was sure it meant something. What he'd said to Yixing, what it meant.

Foolish roosters call the fox.

Asher looked at Yunho. His head was now lolled forward, his breathing was laboured, wheezy. His swollen face a testament mask to the beatings he'd taken; bruises, cuts, sweat, blood.

"Yunho," Asher whispered. "What did you do?"

Yunho looked up at him.

And smiled.