Page 39 of Pragma

“Aki.” He drops his forehead to mine for a short moment before taking a step back. “We can’t…I-I need to go.”

I sigh. I’ll help him with whatever problem there is, and then I’ll get back to the bunny operation. Fuck, but this is hard.

“Where are we going?” When he doesn’t answer, I add, “If you think I’ll let you go alone somewhere dangerous…”

“How do you know it’s dangerous?”

“The serious look in your eyes, your pleading tone, the tense pose of your body. Should I go on?”

“You are like a fucking dog with a bone,” he clips.

“Do mad dogs go after a bone?”

He grunts. “I have no time for this. Let’s go!” He gives up. That was easy.

“Where are we going?” I ask again as he signals a taxi to stop, the limo left already. We get in, and he gives the driver an address not too far away.

“I am wildly curious now. Tell me.”

“I need to see Joel.” He drops the bomb looking out of the car window.

His little brother who he hasn’t seen or contacted in ten years?

“I thought he was in Boston.”

“He moved to New York a few weeks ago.”

“A few weeks ago?” The little brother he sacrificed so much for is in the same city River moved to, and he didn’t tell me? “Has lying to me become that easy after years?” Fuck, I’m so pissed. Since when do we keep secrets from each other?

“I just found out he was kidnapped, Aki.”

Fucking shitty fuck! “We’ll find him. Where and…” I start.

“He was already found,” he cuts me off. “But the people he’s surrounded himself with… Shit! I need to be sure he’s okay. And you being there could cause problems.”

“I don’t know what people you are talking about, but I’m pretty sure you are going to need backup.” I leave the sword on my lap and text the girls the address.

“You shouldn’t be here. He’s of no consequence to the family.” He growls, looking down at his fisted hands.

I can’t believe this fucker! I elbow his stomach, and pushing my sword’s sheath against his throat, I get him in a chokehold.

“Keep driving, it’s just a little spat between lovers,” I order the taxi driver with a menacing tone.

“When things get hard or something is bothering you, you never talk about it. You come to someidioticdecision inside your head and try to act alone. Fuck that! It ends now, bunny. I won’t let you risk your life, not when I can help.Wakatta?” I state with a final tone right into his ear.

He can fight me and probably overwhelm me if he wants, but he won’t. Because he knows I’m right.

He nods once.

“Good bunny.” I let go, and we both take our seats. I glance at the driver, who lookscompletelyfocused on the road ahead.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything. From the fucking beginning.”

“The P.I. I put on Joel contacted me a few weeks back.”

“I thought you stopped with the daily checks on him.” River told me that Joel was an adult now and he didn’t want to invade his privacy anymore.