Page 58 of Fatal Temptation

Ryder threw his hands up, mumbling, “Just saying.”

“I’m not following,” Akio said, confused gaze moving between the three of them.

“He’s asking because it will give us a way inside,” Chris explained.

“The only thing it will do is get my niece killed. Akio, too,” Gemma said, voice cold and her words blunt.

“We need to find a way to get Gemma’s niece out alive while also shutting the ring down,” Lucas said.

It wouldn’t be easy. Not at all. But they had to try.

Akio

He watched Gemma step into the backyard and left Diesel, Chris, Ryder, and Lucas to discuss how they wanted to proceed and followed her. He slid open the patio door and stepped outside, goosebumps covering his arms when the cold air hit him.

Gemma was standing a few feet away, staring into the backyard, though he doubted the trees were what she saw.

He stepped up next to her, his heart in his throat.

“This is my fault,” he mumbled, eyes on Gemma who slowly raised her gaze to look at him.

She let out a humorless huff and arched a brow at him. “How is any of this your fault?”

He drew in a breath, preparing himself for the words he was about to speak.

“You know Lucas was there when my father died.” At Gemma’s nod, he continued. “Right. I was in bad shape after, and Lucas stayed at my bedside while I was in the hospital. I could have told him everything I knew about my father’s operation. I could have given him names. Kuroki’s name.”

Something dark flashed through Gemma’s eyes but it was quickly replaced with sadness.

“Yes. I could’ve gotten him off the street and your niece would’ve never been taken,” he said, shame burning in his chest.

Gemma shook her head softly. “What-if’s and could’ve-been’s are a waste of our time. What you did or didn’t do doesn’t change what’s happened. WhatI’vedone.”

“Maybe we can fix it together?”

She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

“You didn’t tell Kuroki my name, did you?” he asked her.

He would’ve expected the man to have shown up himself if she had.

“No?”

Akio nodded, his heart beating faster and faster and his palms getting sweaty as he threw a glance toward the others through the glass door. They were busy talking or yelling at each other. It was a little hard to tell when he couldn’t hear them.

“You can make a trade,” he said, meeting Gemma’s gaze. “Me for your niece.”

The outrage on Gemma’s face didn’t bode well for his plan but at least she wasn’t storming off to tell the others about his crazy idea.

“Tell him the CI is Akio Yokota, and he’ll agree to the trade.”

“And what will he do to you?”

Cold slithered down his spine and he knew his smile wobbled.

“No worse than my father did.” He looked toward his brothers and the man he loved. “Besides, I know they’ll do anything to save me.”

“You realize that you’ll be putting them and yourself in danger?”

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