Eloisa had thrown down the gauntlet. The council couldn’t ignore her demands. She was within her rights. More, Ricco and Mariko, especially, deserved compensation.

“The investigation is ongoing. We have not had enough time —” Marcellus began.

“You have my son’s testimony. You have a letter written by Isamu Yamamoto before he died. He waited for his wife to die and then he committed suicide.” Her tone suggested she believed Isamu to be a coward. He had been unable to face what his son had done, and he’d taken his life.

“That is true, but of course, Mikio Ito and Dai Saito have denied the charges. We will get to the truth of this matter.”

“You know the truth or you wouldn’t have given the report to the riders,” Eloisa pointed out. “Spare us the bullshit, Marcellus. My son has been through enough. When I found this out, it was everything I could do to keep from seeking justice on my own.”

“That is the job of the Archambault riders,” Marcellus said, his voice gentle.

“Do you think I care?” Eloisa snapped. “I’ve lost my husband. I’m not a young woman. Retribution by the Archambault will not deter me as long as I bring these criminals to justice.”

Stefano put a hand on his mother’s arm. Just laid it there. He said nothing, but she glanced down at it and some of the anger receded from her face to be replaced, just for a moment, by sorrow. That was quickly gone as she struggled to put her mask back in place. She sank back into her chair, looking small and tired.

“I understand how you must be feeling, but we have laws for a reason,” Marcellus said. “Those laws are very exacting. When a rider harms another in any way, justice will be served, but not before every single member of this council is convinced we have the absolute truth of what happened. This took place years ago. It is only coming out now.”

“You know it isn’t coincidence that Mariko showed up here and suddenly every family member is under attack, just as Ricco was threatened all those years ago,” Stefano said. “It isn’t the first attempt on his life. The crash in his race car was no accident. There were numerous incidents prior to such a costly and coordinated attack.”

Kichiro stood. Very carefully he rested his hands on the edge of the table. “A great injustice has been done to Mariko. No rider knew she was from the Tanaka family. I will escort her home and claim her as my bride. She will be given every respect as befitting a Tanaka. My family will welcome her. With the loss of the Yamamoto, Saito and Ito families, it makes sense for us to join together. We need Mariko back in Japan. It is home to her. She will be well taken care of.”

Mariko stiffened. The council could very well see this as a solution. Her heart thudded. Kichiro hadn’t wanted her when she had no pedigree. When she was an orphan left unwanted on the street and they thought her mother was a whore. His family would have lost it had they known he was ever considering her for a bride.

“That’s impossible,” Ricco said. He brought her hand to his heart. “I have declared my intentions to marry Mariko. Isn’t that true, farfallina mia?”

Mariko nodded. This was her worst nightmare – Ricco being forced to stand up for her. To declare intentions he could never keep. She heard the sincerity in his voice, everyone could, but in the long run, he’d never be satisfied with one woman. She couldn’t see him cheating, it wasn’t his style. He had too much integrity, but he’d never be happy. The alternative wasn’t a good one. She wasn’t attracted to Kichiro, and his mother was a close friend of Osamu’s. Her life would be a nightmare. She was too reserved to be able to stand up for herself in that environment.

There was a shocked silence. Kichiro stared at them in open disbelief. “If Mariko has not given her consent, I would appeal to the council to stop this match. We need Mariko after losing so many families. The Ferraro family is strong. I am an only child. There are no more riders from any of the other families in Japan. Without a wife to provide me with children, we will lose all riders in Japan. We revere Tanaka riders. Mariko would have a good life and can be of service to our world by providing children. The Ferraros already have Francesca to provide them with riders.”

Mariko inhaled sharply, feeling a little faint. How had everything turned so suddenly? One moment they were talking about the murders, and now she had to choose a husband and quickly.

Ricco smirked, looking more arrogant than ever. “That only goes to show Mariko she is wanted by me for far more than her ability to provide me with babies.”

Kichiro shook his head. “You have the luxury, but I don’t.”

Mariko started to put her head down. Kichiro was all but saying she wasn’t much more to him than a baby machine, but he’d sacrifice. Ricco’s fingers on the nape of her neck stopped her. One finger sliding under her hair, just as he did when he was about to start Shibari with her. That one finger alone gave her confidence to face the room full of riders. Face the council with her head held high.

The entire room stared at her. Waiting. Beside her, Ricco looked as arrogant and assured as always, but she felt his tension. Could she possibly humiliate him in front of an entire room of riders? She could always break the engagement when things had blown over, but she would never embarrass him. Not when he’d given her a glimpse of how life could be. Not when he’d given her the confidence to be a woman.

“I’m sorry, Kichiro. Although I’ve known you since we were children, we never had a relationship like that. I never thought you were even considering one.”

“I couldn’t before.”

“Before?” Ricco raised an eyebrow.

Kichiro nodded. “My family would not have accepted Mariko, but knowing she is a Tanaka has changed everything.”

“I don’t give a damn whether my family accepts her or not, she’s my choice. She’ll always be my choice,” Ricco stated. “I’m not going to marry her so she can give me babies; I’m going to marry her because she’s become my world.”

She wanted it to be that way. She knew she was important to him because he’d chosen her to do Shibari. To be his rope model. Suddenly she’d gone from that to his fiancée. He believed what he was saying, that she was his world, she could hear it in his voice. She wanted to believe it, too. Right then, she would allow herself to be his, but she had to remember leopards didn’t change their spots.

“Mariko,” Marcellus said softly. “Is Ricco your choice?”

“Yes.” She stated it truthfully. He was her choice, so much so that she wasn’t about to saddle him with her for a lifetime, but she wasn’t going to sacrifice herself to be Kichiro’s bride, either.

“Then that matter is closed,” Marcellus decreed.

“Someone is holding Ryuu hostage at an undisclosed location,” Ricco announced.