Page 139 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Hi, Alec.” I gave a little wave. I’d heard plenty about him, but it was obvious he didn’t know who I was.

Ryu didn’t budge, but he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “This is my woman. We were busy. Now, please.” He gestured to the door. “Get the fuck out of my office. Whatever it is can wait.”

“I do have a name. It’s Leona.”

“Hello.” Alec looked at me for a moment longer before he shook his head. “We have a problem.”

Ryu went still. “What?”

“The feds are downstairs.”

I met Ryu’s surprised look.Fuck.

46

LEONA

Ryu and I righted our clothes and then followed Alec back down the stairs to the club’s main level. We’d agreed to see what the feds wanted and then disappear back upstairs to the penthouse as soon as possible.

We couldnotengage with them, but if they had shown up here and Alec had been forced to come get Ryuji, then we knew they wouldn’t go away without answers.

This was so fucking risky. If the feds were looking into us, or Ryu, we had a problem. Neither we nor the federal government would like what they’d find if they dug deeper into our lives.

Alec filled us in that there were two agents waiting, a man and a woman. He’d moved them to his office, which was a separate room off the main floor in the back. It didn’t have the same king-overlooking-his-castle-vibes as Ryuji’s office did. Alec’s office looked like this was where workactuallygot done. It was smaller than Ryu’s but still larger than I expected. File cabinets lined one wall, each with its own lock. A desk sat in the middle of the small room, with two computer monitors and an accompanying chair. Across from the desk were two opposite chairs, where the feds were sitting when Alec brought us inside.

Honestly, it was modest compared to what I expected the office of a general manager of four highly profitable nightclubs would look like. Maybe that was just Alec.

Despite its size, with the feds, Ryu, me, and Alec, the space felt instantly claustrophobic. My hand found Ryu’s, and I squeezed.

“Leona Vero? Ryuji Akiyama?” The man, wearing a crisp suit with a beige trench coat, stood from his chair. He was tall and imposing, likely middle aged with light skin and salt and pepper hair. His eyes were hard and glaring as he tried to meet my eye line.

It had me on edge, and my fingers itched to snag the Hellcat still secured to my thigh. Instead of grabbing it, I dug the pad of my thumb into my engagement ring. If this agent was going to look at me with such disgust, then why was he addressing me? What were they doing here?

Ryu tucked me under his shoulder and angled himself in front of me. “Who the fuck are you?”

The man looked over Ryuji’s shoulder so he could talk directly to me. “I’m Special Agent Jack Greer.” He pulled a badge out of his trench coat pocket, flipping it open. “With the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

The partner beside him flashed a similar badge. This woman was almost a head shorter than Greer, with brown skin and black hair secured in a tight bun at the base of her neck. “I’m Special Agent Farrah Badawi.”

Ryuji’s hand tightened in mine. “So sorry. We’re unavailable. We were just leaving, you see. You’ll need to speak with my general manager, Alec. I’m sure he can give you whatever information you need.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Akiyama, but this is time-sensitive.” The man drawled, as if he had all the time in the world. “Ms. Vero? May we have a word?”

I narrowed my eyes.

Now why the hell would they want to speak to me? Instead of Ryuji? And how did they even know I was here?

“What is this regarding?” I asked carefully.

“We’d like you to come down to our field office to discuss certain matters your father may have been involved in,” Special Agent Badawi said while she pulled a card from her smart blazer.

Certain matters my father may have been involved in? What the hellwasn’the involved in?

Whatever it was, it could not be good. I had to get them off our backs and out of here. Obi would know how to deal with this.

I looked at her outstretched arm, but I didn’t move to take the card. “What matters?”

“We’d prefer to discuss in a more private location. Our files are back at the office.”