ILARIA (book 3)

30. ASAHI

I walk into the basement of the Reign warehouse.

While I spot the two men that I was here to 'free,' I also spot many other people that are on the wanted list.

How are they able to get them but we struggle to?

I am going completely against my code right now. I should free everybody, arrest them myself and take them back to the station.

But I walk right to these two men.

I cut the rope from their wrists and ankles, then pull the tape off their mouth. "We have 10 minutes." I take a step back.

"I don't trust you." One of them stays seated.

"Stay here and die then, I don't give a fuck." I start walking.

When me and the other one are by the door, he gets up and walks too.

I lead them up the stairs and out of the building.

"Where are they?"

"Special ceremony on today, there's no men here." I open the back of my car, letting them both get in.

I get in the front.

"I'm taking you guys to a safe house that only I will have access to." I start driving. "If you tell me whk you're working for, I'll get you both a plane to Japan myself."

"How do I know you won't tell your little girlfriend."

I look at him through the mirror. "You think I would willingly get with a gangster? I'm undercover." I lie. "I've been working with the FBI to bring down the Reign family, and Ilaria is the easiest way to do that."

They both go quiet.

"Thanks to your teams little stunt, it's going to take longer than anticipated."

"What happened?"

"Some of your team crashed into Ilaria's car, there's now an open investigation with that." I lie. Avery got arrested but I heard Ilaria tell somebody to take care of her in prison.

"You get me food, a shower, medical attention and a phone. I'll tell you everything you wanna know."

"I'll do that." I drive them to house owned by the Reigns.

I get out, open the door for them and they walk in. "There's clothes there. Two bathrooms upstairs. I'll get some food." I walk in after them.

I lock the door, watch as they both struggle to make their way up the stairs and I order some food.

While i'm waiting for them, Ilaria calls me. "Hello."

"Everything sorted?"

"They're here now. I'll get everything out of them." I look out of the window.

"Okay. Call me when it's done? And just in case, i sent two of my bodyguards. They should be arriving shortly."

"I can take care of myself."

"Goodbye, Asahi."

I hang up, turning around to one down the stairs. "Name?"

"Noah." He spits out.

"Your Japanese and your name is Noah?"

"I am American." He sits down.

Oh.

"The other?"

"Ethan."

I sit down, waiting for him to walk down. They sit beside each other. "There's food on the way. I can't get you medical attention without calling an ambulance or paramedic and if I do that, because I'm doing this off the books, police will show up too."

"After I get food in me we'll be fine." He clears his throat.

"So who do you work for?" I lean back.

"Yuki Sasaki." He spits out.

That was the last name I was expecting to hear.

Yuki is my ex girlfriend, and as far as I was aware, had absolutely no contact to criminals at all. Her father is a lawyer, her mother a detective, and even her herself went on to study law.

We broke up a while ago and haven't been in contact since then.

We ended in good terms, or so I thought.

"Yuki?" I frown.

"Yuki will not stop. Ever since you have broken up she has sent us to watch you. Why do you think all the girls you show interest in wind up dead?"

I haven't spoken to any of my exes.

"They're dead?"

"She never anticipated you would fall for a gangster who has more connections than her."

"Wait Yuki is a gangster?"

"Her family own us." Noah narrows his eyes. "What, you didn't know?"

"No. I had no idea. So she's behind all of this?"

"She won't stop until she gets you." Ethan says. "And until Ilaria is dead or in prison- away from you."

I cannot tell this to Ilaria.

I stand up. "Seriously?"

"She's been following you for years, as an FBI agent, we thought you would have realised by now." Noah says. "Guess you're not as good at your job than you thought."

"So where is she now?"

They both shrug. "We've been rotting in the Reigns warehouse for months, I have no idea."

"And if I stop her, I can put an end to all of this?"

"Ilaria is her target, not you."

"She can't go up against Ilaria." I know for a fact.

"She will try. If it means you will stay away from her."

I grab my phone. "I'll be back later on. Nobody should stop by apart from the delivery driver."

"No protection?" He asks.

"If anyone walks into the house, I'll get a notification. Thank you." I walk out of the house.

The two body guards were waiting for me. "Find out it?"

"Uh. Not really. They don't trust me." I get in my car. "I tried telling them I was undercover but they weren't buying it."

"Ilaria wants us to get rid of them, once you find out what it is to find out."

I start my engine. "Get rid of them. They won't break. They've been trained too much. I'll see you both later." I start to drive.

I get on with my work for the rest of the day, write up reports and do the briefing for tomorrows bust.

While in the tech room, I search Yuki's name into the database.

She has bought an apartment in the same building where Ilaria lives.

I look at her recent card activity.

She's bought an insane amount of bikinis and skimpy outfits, as well as chunky heels and glitter.

I track her phone signal and see she's spent a lot of time by Romeo's stripclub.

I pair her recent locations with her recent card transactions and out twk and two together.

She's auditioning to be a stripper at Romeo's stripclub.

Putting her extremely close to Ilaria.

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crazy ex girlfriend core

word count: 1080