Black Ice (Kissed By The Baddest Bidder: Soryu Oh fanfic) Completed

23.

• twenty three •

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    "Let me be bait." Suggests Amaya.

    We all turn to look at the girl who was quiet the whole time stand up to catch our attention. "What? Bait?" Baba asks, confused, just like the rest of us.

    "Y-Yes," She says nervously. "I'll let myself get captured. If you follow them after they attack me... then maybe they'll lead you back to their headquarters or something."

    "Are you for real?" Ota says surprised. I look at him. He seems worried over his girlfriend... or whatever they are. I consider her suggestion.

    "Even if you get kidnapped, you do realize it'll all be meaningless unless they lead us to their boss, right?" Eisuke says. That is true, though. I reconsider and try to think of another plan but I have nothing.

    "Y-Yes," She swallows.

    "Aren't you scared?" I decide to ask her.

    "I am, but isn't it better to solve the problem now so we don't have to worry about getting attacked anymore?" She says. "I want Mei Ling to be able to spend more time as a normal girl."

    "Amaya..." Mei Ling says sympathetically.

    "Because if anything happens to her again, Reina will be blamed." Amaya continues and I'm taken aback. "And I don't want that. Reina basically saved me that day of the auctions and I do have to repay her for how much she spent on me. But it's not all because of that, I don't want anything to happen to her either. She's like that older sister I've never had." She turns to me. "Can't we try it?" She looks at me with hopeful eyes.

    I stare at her in disbelief. My heart is melting for this girl. She can't be serious right now, can she? How can she care about me? How can she say that? I have been nothing but a bitch to her... How the hell is she..? I'm not used to know someone cares about me to go to these kind of extreme lengths. I don't know how to feel about this.

    "Am I not dependable?" She looks between Soryu and I, but mostly me. Everyone looks at me for an answer.

    "I-I..." I stutter on me own words, feeling a lump in my throat. I look away from her unwavering gaze and then say hesitantly. "I'm having a hard time agreeing to something so dangerous." I frown at her. "Not even I could come up with a plan like that... much less, be bait if I was in your position. Amaya," I search her eyes, not knowing what else to say. I was caught off guard here.

    "You were Mei Ling's stand-in to keep her out of danger," Eisuke pauses.

    "But now you actually wanna catch the bad guys." Finishes Baba.

    Amaya nods her head then turns to me. "Reina, I have to earn that twenty-million you spent on me." She reminds me. "And... I trust that you'll protect me." She gazes at me steadily and smiles.

    "Me? Just me?" I stare at her, not being able to hide my shock.

    "I know Soryu will help," She motions to him. "He doesn't go anywhere without you. You're the ideal power couple and I trust you both."

    I rip my gaze from her and look up at Soryu surprised. "Your call, Reina," He says.

    I heave a sigh and return my gaze to the younger girl. "You're more brave than I thought you were."

    "So then...?"

    "I'll—I'll protect you, Amaya." I answer, hesitantly. The younger girls' face brightens in relief and she hugs me. I gasp in surprise at the gesture and stand there, not knowing what to do. I swear I'm not used to this. The others look on surprised. "You're reckless as ever, catching me off guard like that." Amaya pulls back and smiles at me, a hint of hope and a hint of fear in her eyes. I then get an idea.