Page 116 of Emperor of Lust

“Tak.” I keep my voice steady, every part of me utterly certain. “I think she’s in trouble. Who would benefit from turning us against each other?”

Takeshi’s gaze shifts, still unwilling to let his guard down. “Everyone?”

“Whomostly?” I press. “Who in Tokyo wants us torn apart? Who stands to gain from our families being at each other’s throats? Who’d send some fucking guy to stand outside my building and record me at my worst, and then somehow get that video to you?”

His expression darkens as the penny drops.

“I need to see Kolya Ishida,” I mutter. “Now.”

Takeshi’s eyes narrow. “And if you’re wrong?”

“If I’m wrong, andhedoesn’t take it, my head is all yours.”

He watches me a long moment, hands tense on his sword. Finally he lowers it, anger still burning in his gaze.

“I’m holding you to that,” he grunts.

36

DAMIAN

Freya wasincredulous when I called.

“Kolya?” she’d snapped coldly. “You want a face-to-face with the piece of shit who kidnapped and fuckingtorturedyou?!”

I didn’t tell her everything. But I did tell her it was about Hana.

“ Lead with that next time, dickhead,” she’d muttered. “Okay, gimme a minute.”

My cousin works fast. It appears Kolya is a man of habit who takes a late dinner at the same upscale restaurant almost every night.

Fueled by adrenaline and rage, I walk in with such conviction that Kolya’s men at the front door to the restaurant don’t even think to stop me. Two more inside recognize me, though, and move in on me.

Yeah, good luck with that. Coming at me right now is like trying to stop a runaway train with a fly swatter.

I hit the first one so hard that he flies backward off his feet . I whirl savagely on the second, smashing my forearm into his nose before grabbing him and sending him sailing into the host stand.

Chaos erupts as I storm toward the main dining room, just as four more of Kolya’s guys rush me. I take out the first, but I’m grappling blindly and without a single shit for my own well-being when the rest of them pile onto me.

I roar like a banshee, fighting, clawing and punching as the Ishida-kai guards take me down to the floor.

“Stop.”

The voice is cool and composed. The men punching me freeze. And when I yank my head up, my eyes land on Kolya Ishida, sitting alone in the middle of the opulent dining room, a glass of wine poised near his mouth.

Kolya nods curtly.

“Let him go.”

His voice is calm, almost amused. I shove another man off, my pulse hammering as I struggle to my feet.

Kolya Ishida is seated at a linen-draped table, sipping his drink with such ease he might as well be on vacation. His piercing grayish eyes glint under the dim lights, his expression barely changing at the sight of me, bloodied and bristling with anger, or of his guards, who’ve been a spectacular failure at keeping me out.

He simply raises a hand, beckoning me forward.

“Come,” he murmurs quietly. “Sit.” He smirks. “I won’t even tie you up and skewer you with a sword this time. Wine?”

My face is pure rage.

---