InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ A Bullet on Butterfly Wings ( Chapter 40 )

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

-Warning: there is a lot of dark, morbid, and painful shit in this chapter. There isn't an edited version however. Just be warned.

~<>~ Chapter 40 ~<>~ A bullet on butterfly wings

“So what do we do?”

“Nothing, it's all we can do.”

“Both of you are going to get into trouble. Stop talking and look busy.”

“Oh right, that's such a great idea.” In a lower tone, the girl sporting purple hair leaned closer to the muscular man on her right. “Tell me this doesn't bother you?”

“Of course it does,” he shot back, his eyes locking onto the three large figures across the room, “but I know to keep my mouth shut.”

“Yeah, you've done a great job at that, by the way.”

The blonde behind the bar wiped a strand of hair from his eyes; a frown clearly enveloped his features. “I am not paid enough to deal with this. S&M is one thing; hell, who am I to turn down a job to stare at half naked girls.” Clearing his throat, he leaned a little closer. “But I sure as hell didn't sign on to witness a murder. Or worse, be caught up in it. I need Ambien to sleep now, after the shit I've seen here. I can't take much more.”

The girl fingered her long faux locks. “I don't like it,” she repeated again.

“There's nothing we can do.”

Both the girl and the bartender turned on the body guard. “Like hell,” the girl seethed, “I don't need to sit here and take it.”

The bodyguard hooked a finger behind him at the three lumbering giants. “They say you do. I'm telling you Carly, you try to get up and they will put you down. Just…wait.”

“Just wait? Is that your best answer, James? Just wait? You know what we're waiting for, right? I'm not okay with this, I am not…” clearing her throat, Carly Sampson swallowed down her tears. “I just want to go home. I never thought…in a million years…this job would turn into this.”

The man behind the bar nodded, his eyes never leaving the three men who consumed a corner of the room. “I think we should call the cops,” he whispered.

The bodyguard, James, laughed callously. “You'd be next after he got rid of them. If you haven't been paying close attention, Eric, he owns the cops. It's why they never bother us; it's why a club like this can exist. He either has to be dishing out some serious bribe money or he is just too powerful to touch.” Taking a drag from his cigarette, he shook his head. “Besides, what would you tell them? Hello, officer, a man by the name of Oberon who has a seriously dom fetish is murdering a girl named Titania, who was one of his subjects. But they're locked in a back room and I am being held hostage by three mercenaries. Do you really think they'd listen to that? And if he does own them, or even is paying them off, he'll know you squealed.” Leaning closer to the duo, he spoke quietly, “if you two want to live to see tomorrow, keep your mouths shut, do your job and just disappear.”

“Like Titania will come sunrise?”

James took a deep breath, sorrow melting through his eyes. “I really hope it doesn't come to that.”

“You saw her last time, James, you know!” Eric, or better known as Envy during the nights Club Illusions was in session, “you saw what he did to her. That was just for letting that demon touch her. She completely disobeyed him; she went against everything he taught her. She called him on bullshit in front of his people. He's crazier than a shit house rat, and he's going to kill her.”

“What's worse,” Carly, or Carlisle, chimed in, “is that we'll be accomplices because we didn't do anything to stop it.”

James turned to stare at the three across the room. “I think we can adequately plead that we were in danger, just as much as she was.”

“I can't sit here…” Carly covered her green eyes, smearing the heavy dark makeup across her face, “I can't sit here and just…know…what he's doing to her.”

“No one will know,” Eric replied in an equally frantic voice, “no one even knows her real name. She'll just vanish and we'll know and have to live with it; just like we did the last one.”

Carly made the sign of the cross over her chest, “thank God I wasn't here for that.”

Eric eyed James, “I was, and I still haven't forgiven myself for not intervening.”

“You might have a chance to talk sense to him when Jak is around. On his own, though, with those three muscle heads as his body guards, good fucking luck. I am going to wait for the all clear and go the fuck home to my wife and kids. I don't want to piss him off. I got my own to think of.”

“That's someone's little girl, James,” Carly added cynically, “you would want to know why yours no longer came home at night, right?”

James, the bodyguard Jacques, twitched slightly, obviously offset by her words. “I am not discussing this anymore. I can't….I will not risk my life for someone else.”

Eric shook his head, “I wish I were a demon right now. I would break through that door and save her. She never did anything wrong in my book. She decided she was done but he couldn't let her go. After this, I'm done.”

“Good luck with that,” Carly snarled. “I have a feeling no one is done until he carries them out in a black bag. God what was I thinking when I signed up here? I just wanted to dress sexy and wear Goth clothes. I didn't want to become someone's slave for real-izes. I want to go home.” Hugging her knees, the girl's short skirt displayed much to the rest of the room.

Eric swatted her hands to have her put down her legs as one of the men across the room stood up suddenly. Straightening his back, he cleared his throat and picked up a glass to rub clean with a dirty dish rag.

Ginkotsu trudged across the room to where the three workers for the club had conjugated. He had listened half heartedly to their pitiful woes for the female who was locked in the room with his cousin. Licking his lips, he eyed up her attire as he approached, loving how long her legs looked and wondered briefly how far they could wrap around his neck. “You three look very comfortable over here,” he bellowed, his sharp voice scratching at their eardrums like metal q-tips, “care to let me join your party?”

Jacques, his cousin's lead bodyguard, nodded once. “Of course, sir. You want a drink?”

Ginkotsu raised his eyes to the bar tender, who was trying to pretend not to be interested. “Whisky on the rocks.”

Staring at the man for a moment, Envy nodded slowly and turned his back to make his drink. He hesitated for the briefest of moments as the situation bore down on his like Atlas' burden.

Ginkotsu turned to Carilise slowly, his eyes roaming her body freely. Taking his index finger, he slowly dragged it down her tear stained face. “Why are you crying, little bird? Is it because the big bad wolf is butchering your friend?”

Carly could barely contain the shiver that raked her body as the giant put one grimy paw on her leg. “I don't know what you're talking about,” she choked out.

“Good,” he replied. “I'm sure that goes for everyone. Forget tonight and go about your lives tomorrow.” Turning his attention to Carly, he smirked, “except for you. I would prefer for you to remember tonight for a while. What do you say you and I,” he hooked his thumb towards the lower level where the booths were cloaked in darkness, “go get better acquainted.”

Carly's eyes flashed with anger, “How about you go fuck yourself?”

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Ginkotsu bellowed as he removed his hand from her leg and stood up straight. Looming over the girl by nearly a foot and a half, he easily dwarfed her. “Care to say it again?”

Swallowing her tongue, Carly looked to James and Eric for help. “I…I am not…”

“Last I heard the rule was that any woman in this facility is property of whoever wants her, am I right? That means get on your fucking knees…”

“Actually,” Eric interrupted, handing the drink quickly across the counter to the pissed off bodyguard, “this is a S&M club. It means that you need to have a mutually agreed upon verbal contract with the said individual that you are trying to enter into relations with. If she is not interested, then you cannot and will not touch her. Those are your cousin's rules, and he very strictly enforces them. I would hate to start a war between family members but I am not above doing so. You will not touch her if she does not want your affections.”

Ginkotsu turned on the man, a snarl enveloping his face. He looked as if he was going to punch Eric for intervening. After a moment, however, he schooled his rage and took the glass from the bar tenders hand. Downing the contents in a matter of seconds, he allowed the glass to slip from his hand and shatter across the tiled floor. “Whoops,” was all he said as he turned from the trio and walked back across the establishment.

All three simultaneously let out a breath they weren't aware they were holding. Carly bent down to pick up the shard of glass while Eric retrieved a broom and dust pan. “Lot of help you were, James,” she seethed from the floor.

James watched the man carefully as he regrouped with the other two. “I would have stepped in had Eric not.”

Eric walked around the bar, his eyes trained on the three men. Handing James the broom, he nodded carefully, “help her get this cleaned up then go find her work out of sight. I know we can't leave but it doesn't mean that she needs to out here on the floor. I'll make peace.” He smirked slowly and walked back around the bar and made three more drinks exactly the same was as he made the other. Placing them on a tray, he gracefully crossed the room in a few steps. Holding out the tray to the three men, he inclined his head. “To apologize for ostracizing ourselves and to help prove that there was no disrespect intended.”

The three men stared at the bartender for a moment before helping themselves to the free booze.

“Bring us another round if you're really sincere,” boasted Kyoukotsu from his chair.

Eric frowned pointedly at the man but faked the smile after a second and nodded his head. “As you wish,” he turned to walk back across to the bar.

James grabbed his arm as he passed by, his eyes wide with terror. “Are you nuts? How will getting them wasted help us?”

“Just get Carly to safety, all right? They won't notice she's gone until their attention is off the booze. I can keep them occupied for a while. Make her disappear.”

James nodded and waited for Eric to return with the next round to help Carly from the room.

The night was a blur for the bodyguard. It had begun when Oberon suddenly decided to close the club at ten PM. Oberon demanded that Carly, Eric and James stay on to explain to his normal guests that the club was only closed for the night for renovations and would be open tomorrow. Carly spent an hour calling Oberon's special cliental to inform them that they would not be operating that night, something that had never happened during the trio's employment. Then they waited; Oberon had informed them that they could not, and would not, leave the premises.

Hell broke loose, however, when Oberon called and informed James to open the loading dock door. It was then that James could hear the screaming in the background and his mouth had gone dry. He knew that high pitched feverish cry; he had heard it several times after hours coming from the lord's suite. Something awful was going to happen and he was going to be a part of it. Again. James reluctantly followed orders and even so much as opened the back of the car door. That was something he wished he hadn't done.

Oberon had stepped out first; his hands, pants and shirt were covered in blood. He turned with a grace that James couldn't imagine in that situation and yanked Titania out of the car by her leg. James winced as her head smashed against the concrete of the cold floor. Bile rose in his mouth as he watched in abject horror. The girl he had known and had a very friendly relationship with, was covered in blood; she was literally matted with it. Her clothing had been ripped off in most areas, exposing what would have been white, creamy, beautiful skin on any day other than this night. Tonight, however, was not her night. She was covered in scratches that oozed blood; there were gashes inches long and wide decorating her back. Her face was already swelling from a vicious beating and James knew that this was only the beginning. The smell that emanated from the car was enough to make him gag; it was the smell of death, waiting in the shadows.

“Have Louis from Giovani's detail the inside of the car tomorrow,” Oberon spoke casually, if he was holding a puppy and not a half dead female, “he owes me a favor. Have him come here to do it, though. I don't want the car to smell of the shop.” The girl in his hand gasped once, blood bubbled from her lips as her eyes flashed open for a moment, disorientated and glazed over. James felt his heart skip a beat in his chest; she was as good as dead and he was a part of this.

Oberon's face contorted, as if her breathing offended him, and he spit at her face. “You will not make a sound,” he screamed suddenly, his eyes widening and his lips snarling back.

James took a step back, petrified.

Oberon glanced up towards his worker and smiled, as if the monster that hid beneath his skin hadn't made an appearance. “Oh, not you.” Licking his lips, he nodded towards the door that lead to the seedier part of the establishment. “I don't want to be disturbed, obviously,” he joked, “but I am expecting three men to return soon. They can wait for me in the club. No one,” his voice dropped an octave as a look that froze James' insides came across his face, “is to bother me or come into that room. No cameras, no distractions, nothing. If I am disturbed, it will be you next.”

Bowing curtly, he couldn't find a single thing to say that didn't express deep horror.

With a nod, Oberon turned and continued to drag Titania off, by her leg, across the cement floor of the loading bay to the stairs. For a moment, James was sure that the beast would drag her up the cement stairs, ending any existence that remained within her beaten form. Instead dropped her leg and nudged her side with his foot, none to gently.

“Crawl.”

James thought it impossible; the girl was so battered and broken, there was no way that she had it in her to even move on her own, much less navigate up stairs. However, much to his revulsion, she did just that. Pulling herself together slowly, the black haired beauty lurched out one hand, grasping at nothing at first until it came to rest on the first step. She clawed the one step until she was able to drag her other hand to the stair above it and dragged herself up the steps, one at a time. To James, the scene was something out of a walking dead movie; the girl was covered in blood and ghastly wounds and yet she was still alive, somehow, and dragging her limp corpse across the floor. `She might as well be a zombie,' he thought with chills running down his spine.

What sickened James to a part of nausea, however, was the fact that the worst had yet to come. She was going to be dragged or forced to crawl to the black room. There would be no salvation for her once she was locked within those confines. It would be her coffin. The only one with keys to the black rooms was Oberon; there were no cameras, no two way mirrors, there was simply nothing beyond that man and the hell that awaited her. She had to know she was cra

wling to her death, and that made it all the worse.

James kept his chin high and his eyes adverted until Oberon and his pet had left the room and the driver had vanished into the night. He then turned and retched into the nearest garbage can.

Now he stood with Carly, walking quietly down a side hallway. Grabbing his keys from his pocket, he unlocked one of the offices. “Get behind the desk and keep the light off. There is a small light on the desk. If you hear someone looking for you, turn it on and pretend to be calling customers, or your boyfriend, or someone. Just stay down and try to hide.”

Carly shivered, a tear sliding down her cheek as she slipped silently into the room.

As James moved to shut the door, her hand reached to touch his. “Try to save her, okay?”

James took a deep breath then reached out and gently removed her hand from his. “I will do my best. But seriously. Carly, don't get your hopes up. And for the love of God, don't call anyone! If they think you're calling the cops, or calling someone to help her, you'll be joining Titania.”

Carly nodded once, trying to stop herself from shaking. She had never expected it to come to this.

James closed her off into darkness and leaned against the door. How the hell was he going to save anyone tonight?

*X*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X**XX*X**X*X

“If I take the tunnel, we'll be sitting in rush hour traffic entering the city!”

“Fuck it, let me out!” InuYasha responded, grabbing hastily for the door handle.

Kagejiro leaned over and yanked the boy in by the scruff of his neck,before he could open the door. Hitting the lock button, `Jiro continued down the highway at nearly a hundred and twenty miles an hour. Dodging cars was something of a challenge at this speed, and there had been quite a number of near death experiences, but neither of them noticed. Both were focused solely on their duties; on what they had to do.

“The Holland tunnel might be less congested than the Lincoln. We could go up to the George Washington bridge but that would take on another hour.”

InuYasha's eyes were already bleeding red. His nose flared at the end of his brother's rant. “She doesn't have another hour, `Jiro,” he growled, his nails ripping into the leather padding on the door, “she…she's probably…” InuYasha swallowed down his words like nails. He couldn't say it. This whole situation…it just wasn't possible. He had to be dreaming; yet he couldn't wake up from the nightmare. Over and over he tried to wake himself up; he tried to get himself from this hellish dream. Yet he just couldn't wake up.

Miroku's words echoed through his head, dancing before his eyes in jeering taunts that he could do nothing about. “Yash…Kagome was…she was taken from work. Kikyo called me, she said Kagome was kidnapped by…by Bankotsu. I am so sorry Inu; Kikyo wants you to call her….” He never wasted a second. Kagejiro was already in the Veryon by time InuYasha reached his side. The hanyou jumped into the vehicle without a second thought and the duo sped off, leaving Miroku to trek to Sango's and speak with Kikyo. InuYasha had his phone; he had told the human to call him with the details.

Miroku had called about five minutes later and hastily explained the details; Kagome was taken from work when three men held up the diner. She was apparently ripped out of her car, which had been tampered with by the offending party. Everybody knew that it was Bankotsu but no one could prove it. Miroku recanted Kikyo's explosion with her parents and expressed her sympathy for the situation. The conversation left InuYasha cold. How could this have happened? How could he have been so blind? Onigumo never mattered; he should have taken care of Bankotsu as soon as Kagejiro had arrived. He had been selfish and ignorant and it could have cost Kagome her life.

From that point, both InuYasha and Kagejiro had attempted to get in touch with anyone who would listen. They had started with Sesshoumaru and InuYasha had just spoken with Toga, against Kagejiro's advice. The conversation still weighed heavy in his mind.

“Dad, I have a problem.”

“Go on.”

“It's Kagome. That son of a bitch…” InuYasha had fallen apart for a moment, trying to stifle any sobs that racked his body. He knew what was going to happen to her, he knew what Bankotsu was capable of. He knew he had to be strong but he wasn't ready to weather this. “She was kidnapped.”

“Kagome…Higurashi? The one I told you to stay away from?”

“That's not the fucking point right now, dad! Look, I fucked up.”

“Explain.”

“I…I got involved at a club in the city a few months back.” Somehow, in spite of the awful revelation he had to confess to, it hardly mattered to the hanyou. Kagome was all that mattered now.

“What kind of club?”

“An S&M club. I had a friendship, of sorts, with the owner. He didn't know who I really was nor I him. I met a girl there that ended up being Kagome Higurashi.”

“How did you two not realize one another?”

“She was dressed up like…” he hesitated, “…a goth girl and I…”

“Yes?”

“I didn't wear my ring.”

The string of curses that flew through the phone was enough to make Kagejiro flinch. “What were you thinking? If anyone recognizes you, do you know what kind of cover up I will have to partake in? InuYasha, what have you done? First you start associating with Kagejiro now this? Does Kagome know your heritage? Who has her?”

“The owner of the club. He didn't like that she started seeing me. He wanted to make her remember that she was his.”

“Did he mark her?”

“I'm not talking in the youkai fashion, Dad. I'm talking in the slave fashion.”

“Slavery was abolished, InuYasha.”

“Shut up and fuckin' listen to me, for once in your life. He felt like he owned her, he felt like he had complete control over her. He sent him minions to show up at her job and terrorize her. When she went outside…” InuYasha made a fist and dug his long talons into his palms, “he must have been waiting for her. Regardless, he took her.”

“Where?”

“I don't know. `Jiro and I are heading for the city. I figure he'll be at his club.”

“Where is that?”

InuYasha blinked and hesitated, as if a notion struck him out of nowhere. A glimmer of hope sprung into his eyes. “Are you coming?”

Toga barked out a terse laugh. “No, I just need to know where I need to clean up. You've really messed up, InuYasha.”

InuYasha faltered for just a moment. He knew that he was out of the family after this one. However, he had to tell him the rest. “Dad…”

“What?” InuYasha could just about see the old man fuming at his desk.

“The club owner. I didn't know…I swear it…but…”

“Spit it out.”

“It's Bankotsu Koizumi.”

The line then went dead. At that point, InuYasha figured that they were on their own. His father had already given up on incorporating InuYasha into the company and after the last visit, their relationship had been rocky to say the least. Now InuYasha assumed that he was in the same boat as `Jiro. He knew that it wasn't important right now; Kagome was his main concern. Having his father's support, however, could have made this mission that much more plausible.

Now it was just the two of them on their way into the city to rescue Kagome. That was, if she wasn't already….

InuYasha put his hand to his mouth to ward off vomiting. How had he been so stupid, so blind? Bankotsu had waited, watched undoubtedly, until InuYasha foolishly left Kagome unguarded. He had waited for the hanyou to take his bait and then he struck.

InuYasha punched the dashboard viciously with a snarl. “I am so fucking dumb. I am going to rip this bastard apart, limb by limb. I don't care who finds out about us, about dad, about any of this. I am going to murder that son of a bitch and paint the town with his blood!”

Kagejiro eyed his brother nervously from the driver's seat. The lad was beside himself with anger and guilt and pain. Their father didn't help that at all; not that he had expected anything positive to come from the transaction. “Yash, you can't go in there guns blazing. You don't know what security he has set up. He might not have…” he caught the sadistic glimmer flash across his brother's face, “she might still be alive. He could be waiting for you. We need to know what we're walking into.”

“Bullshit,” InuYasha seethed, “I am going to tear that son of a bitch apart for this. How dare he touch Kagome? I am going to end his life.” The boy was visibly shaking in his seat.

“I get that, Lad, but ya need to settle down. Fighting a battle with all those emotions will be the death of ya'. You get sloppy that way, trust me. I've been a warrior for centuries, boyo. I know how to throw down with the best of `em.”

“Then why the hell aren't we there yet? Can't you fuckin' teleport there?”

“Well, yes, I can but I cannot drag you along. And someone needs to make sure you don't ruin the rest of me' car.”

“This isn't a fuckin' joke, Kagejiro,” InuYasha roared, “this fucking psycho has my girl and he's…he wants to…he's going to…” just the thought of Bankotsu's hands on Kagome made InuYasha cringe. He knew what that son of a bitch was doing to her and it outright made him nauseas. The images lingered in the forefront of his mind, taunting him.

“I know, Yash. But you can't get your underwear on over your pants; you got to take this one step at a time. We'll get to this club, eye it up to see what's going on and then we'll sneak in.”

“'fuck that, I'm going in guns blazing.”

“This ain't the fuckin' OK corral, son. You'd be libel to get yourself killed that way and then who's going to save your damsel in distress?”

“If anything happens to me, no, scratch that; your only objective is to get Kagome out alive, do you understand me?”

“I don't take orders from lads just barely out of pampers,” `Jiro shot back. “Now listen to me, I have a plan…”

InuYasha waved him off. “Fuck you. Do whatever you want; I know what I'm going to do.”

“Have you ever even shot a gun before, you self righteous little gobshyt? You don't know your ass from the trigger. Listen to me, son, I've had a lot of experience.”

“I don't care,” InuYasha screamed, “I just need to…” Burying his face in his hands, InuYasha stifled a sob of frustration, “why can't we go any faster! We needed to be there hours ago! We were…” InuYasha fought off another series of images. He had known something was off the night before, he had the feeling in his gut and they had been so close to the city….so close. He could have gotten to her three hours earlier if he had only had his cell phone. The thought made him want to rip his hair out. “I don't believe this is happening,” he muttered over and over.

“I know it's hard, Yash. But you got to follow my lead. Just listen to my plan.”

InuYasha nodded dejectedly, burying his face in his arms on the dash. He could hear his blood rushing through his veins and could feel his heart beat in his feet. Everything about him was on end. He was nearly sure he was radiating hate.

“When we get to the tunnel, you take the wheel. I will transport myself into the city and scope out the club. By time you get there, I'll know how many guards and where their weak points in security are. We will slip in, take care of half the guards and then you go off and rescue your princess and I'll handle the rest of the bastards. Hopefully, we'll have the right castle.”

“Oh, they'll be there. I know it.”

Kagejiro nodded slowly, “then he knows you'll come for her. This is probably a trap.”

“Then bring it,” InuYasha growled, “I hope it is a trap. That might mean that he hasn't…”

“He hasn't killed her, boyo. It would be a horrible strategy. All he would then have would be a crazy demon on his hands which, more than likely he knows will have back up.”

InuYasha twisted his silver hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of his face. He silently counted down the minutes until they were within reach of his woman. He was going to kill Bankotsu Koizumi tonight and make sure that murdering son of a bitch was out of his life for good.

*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X**X*X*X*X*X

James walked back into the main room about a half hour later. He had been violently ill a number of times as he attempted to get a rational thought through his brain. He had guarded Carly's door for a while, making sure that no one was going to attempt to hurt her. When he rationed that no one was going to follow them, he returned to the bar.

Eric stood behind the bar, his green eyes shining brightly as he watched the bodyguards from afar. James could only assume that they had been awake for going on twenty-four hours, however with their physique, he doubted that they would topple over after a measly twenty-four hours. It was nearly eight AM, he could hear the commuter traffic outside clogging the city streets and yet he didn't feel any safer. Who knew what Oberon would do next? Sliding quietly into the bar next to Eric, he nudged the bartender.

“How are you doing?”

“Horrified,” he replied curtly. He nodded his chin towards the men across the room. James turned his attention towards the guards then blinked. Were his eyes deceiving him? Two of the men were passed out on the table, snoring at a decibel that could have mimicked the street construction outside. James wasn't sure how he missed the noise. The other guard, the one who had assaulted Carly, was still drinking a pitcher of beer that Eric had provided. Ginkotsu seemed very sluggish in his movements, he was shaking slightly and yet would not put down the beer.

James watched the men for a moment then took a sideways glance back towards Eric. “How?” he asked quietly.

Eric shrugged. “They drank too much.”

James glanced back to the men and paused. He would have guessed it would have taken all of Oberon's stock in ale to knock one of those giants out. Glancing down, he paused as he saw a box sticking out of Eric's pocket. Turning his head slightly, he read the few letters he could see then smirked. The god damned bartender was smart as hell. Or crazy. The minute Oberon came out from the back room, he would pick up on what was going on.

“I would suggest,” he spoke quietly, “that you empty your pockets down the garbage disposal.”

Eric slipped his hand into his pocket and glanced to James. Silent knowledge and a pact not to speak a word of this passed between them as Eric walked to the sink and dropped the rest of his prescription Ambien down the drain.

“How did you crush it?”

“At first, by hand. Then I put it in the blender with ice. I served them the largest helping in the first pitcher of beer. I also turned off the camera. Oberon won't know until he goes looking at the videos. Hopefully by then, I'll be out of the country.”

“Should we try to call someone?”

Eric eyed Ginkotsu and cursed as the man attempted to stand up. “Not until he's out.”

“More beer,” the beast growled.

Eric waved a hand tenderly at the man with a smile that betrayed his cold eyes. “Sure thing boss. Give me a minute!”

James grinded his teeth as he turned his back with Eric.”What are you going to do if Oberon comes out and finds them drugged?”

“You mean drunk. Not my fault; they threatened us and made us turn off the camera.”

James nodded slowly. “You think it will work.”

A heavy metal grinding sound punctuated his sentence. James closed his eyes slowly, feeling suddenly faint and Eric swallowed hard. “We're about to find out.”

Nothing happened for a moment. Both men waited on baited breath, hoping that Oberon wouldn't kill them on sight. But when nothing happened after two minutes, James let out the breath he was holding. “Where is he?”

Eric moved slowly towards the wall, never taking his eyes off of Ginkotsu. Placing his ear to the cement, he fell silent for a moment. “Shower,” he responded quietly.

As the word left his mouth, Ginkotsu slipped out of his chair and hit the ground with an astonishing loud crack! The man didn't move again.

James and Eric glanced at one another. “What do we do?”

Eric glanced to the phone then shook his head. “The phones are too risky. We should check on her.”

James paled at the thought. “I…I can't go in there. I can't see that again.”

Eric eyed the bodyguard for a moment before sighing. “All right. If he catches me, I'm telling him it was your idea.”

“If he catches you, we're all dead.”

Eric raised an eyebrow; “right, no pressure.”

Slinking away from the bar, Eric slowly maneuvered away from the unconscious henchmen and disappeared down the foreboding hallway.

James held his breath; he didn't know what else to do. He waited for the unknown; he waited to hear a scream, or a cry, or a gun shot. It seemed that the silence was nearly as deadly as Oberon.

The grinding of the metal doors marked Eric's silent entrance into tomb. James dug his fingers into the top of the bar, his nails biting into the wood with wild abandon. Minutes passed, or was it hours? James wasn't sure. He could barely breathe and felt as if a thousand pounds had been dropped on his chest. What they were doing was foolish! As much as he wished to help Titania, there was really little that they could do without lining themselves up to meet the gallows as well. Eric was a fool to try! James thought about running for the third time but his feet were like cement. So he stood stone still for another few minutes, or hours, as the silence drove the man completely mad. He was completely unprepared when a voice called out from behind him.

“Oh. You're still here?”

James whirled around, eyes wild, to come face to face with Oberon. Choking on his self perseverance, he resisted the urge to bolt. “As you had commanded, my liege.”

Oberon nodded once. His hair was wet and he was wearing only a pair of black sweat pants. He didn't seem crazy or even phased by the night's events. “Where are the others?”

James balked. “Carlise…is…sleeping.” He swallowed and instantly, he watched Oberon's gaze narrow. “She…” letting out a breathe of hot air, he found that he was shaking. He knew he had to gain control of his emotions or he was going to give the entire rescue attempt away and doom the trio to death. “Actually sir…the bodyguard with the metal voice was sexually harassing her and when he wouldn't lay off, Eric preoccupied him and I took her back to an office.” He could see the question beginning to form on Oberon's face and instantly cut him to the chase. “As per your request, I removed the phone from the room that she was in and locked the door from the outside. She can be of no bother to you or anyone else.”

Oberon did not look pleased but nodded regardless. “And Eric?”

”The bathroom.” It was the first natural thing that popped into James' head and he instantly regretted it. Though Oberon did not seem to care, he knew that within moment, the master would take note of the prolonged absence. It had been a stupid mistake that once again could cost them their lives. How would Oberon react when Eric did not return? Looking over the man's appearance, there was no indication that moments ago, he was doing God knows what to that poor broken girl who was probably dead. He had watched Oberon go crazy before; the man had a built in trigger for just being able to go from calm to completely insane within moments. Right now he was lucid but how long would it last?

The business man studied his long time bodyguard before glancing behind him. Instantly, the man's expression soured. James flinched, wondering what he had seen. Was Eric there with Titania? Did he realize they had drugged his guards? He waited on baited breath.

“Of all the lazy…” the man seemed to glide across the room within the blink of an eye. One moment he had been standing before James, the next he was at the table of body guards. Raising his one foot, the man kicked the table with enough force to topple it and the guards. All three who were leaning against the surface slumped back in their chairs, two fell to the ground while Ginkotsu remained up right.

Suikotsu sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes and glancing around himself. “Where the fuck am I,” he wondered aloud.

If looks could kill, James was sure Oberon would have ended the man's existence. “Where I am paying you to be. However, it seems, that you are completely inept at completing a simple assignment. Why are you asleep? What if we were attacked? What the hell am I paying you guys for?”

Suikotsu licked his lips and made a face, taking time to swallow a couple times. “I don't remember going to sleep.”

James knew an insinuation if he ever heard one. He watched woefully as Suikotsu turned his attention to the bar.

“I…I feel drugged.”

Oberon started at Suikotsu for a moment before turning on the other slumbering giant. Kyokotsu had managed to remain asleep regardless of his face meeting the floor. With a malicious grin, Oberon reared his right leg back and kicked the man with all of his might in the ribs. The crack echoed around the room; James grimaced as the sound of breaking bones scarred his eardrums. Did this man's insanity know no end? He had no problem striking one of his own; what chance did James and Eric have when this escalated?

Kyokotsu awoke with a howl of pain. Clutching his side, the giant fought back the pills and instantly trained his eyes on Oberon., “What…the hell, Bankotsu?”

James immediately heard the slip and tucked that information away in his back pocket. His eyes nearly fell out of his head and he adverted his gaze, praying Oberon did not realize he was still present. He quickly busied himself to seem as if he had not been paying attention. Bankotsu Koizumi, that had to be him! Oberon was one of the wealthiest men in America! Oberon was a business tycoon who had bought out the police to look the other way. James was right about a number of his thoughts; the most prominent, however, was that Oberon would not allow him to leave if he knew his true identity.

Oberon responded with yet another kick. He kicked the man's arm and then lifted his leg to stomp on the man's face.

Suikotsu was off the ground in a moment. He grabbed Bankotsu's arm and pulled him away from the wounded guard. “That's enough! That's your cousin. You don't do that to family.”

Oberon spun on the man and for a moment, he seemed as if he was going to hit him. But Oberon took a deep breath and shook himself free. “This is completely unacceptable. Wake the fuck up. I need you sharp.”

Suikotsu glanced across the room and locked eyes with James. “I think we need to talk to the bar tender.”

“Why?”

“I think they drugged us. Where is the girl?”

Oberon scrunched up his nose. “Why and how would they drug you? What would they benefit in turning both you and I into enemies?” He glanced across the room. “James, this gentleman believes that Eric drugged him.”

“At a point in history, I would have been inclined to agree with him. However, prohibition has been lifted and alcohol is no longer truly considered a `drug'. Therefore, if he is trying to say that he blames Eric because he drank too much, well then, that is between the gentlemen. C'est impossible.”

Oberon turned to stare at Suikotsu incredulously. “You've been drinking? No wonder why you're all passed out. What the hell were you thinking? Sober up, now!” Before anyone could say a word edgewise, Oberon swung a fist and caught Suikotsu in the jaw. Suiktosu hit the ground a second later and Oberon barked; “if another one of you morons take another sip of liquor, it will be your last! How dare you drink on the job! I am paying you a fortune to protect this premises. If it weren't for me, you would all still be in the gutter begging for scraps! How dare you? I was going to offer all of you a turn to ride that whore but you don't deserve it.”

Kyoktosu pulled himself up on the table, and slowly righted his chair. His movements that had once been so fluid and deadly were lethargic. “I don't feel so good. I think I need a doctor.”

Oberon turned on the man. “You sure as hell will when I'm done with you. Don't drink, don't sleep. Keep those fuckin' ugly eyes open.” Turning on his heels, the man stormed from the room without another word. It only took a second for Kyoktosu's head to connect with the table and he was out cold once more. Suiktosu, however, faced off against the body guard.

“I know the effects of a sleeping pill when I feel it. What the hell did you drug me with?”

James held up his hands. “I don't know what you're talking about, sir. If you cannot hold your liquor…”

“I had four glasses of beer. Trust me when I say that is not enough to knock me out. Now what the hell did you do to me?”

James studied the man's face for a moment. “Nothing sir. I was not even here. I was predisposed.”

“You'll fuckin' pay for this. Oberon will…he'll…”

“How about you lie down now, you look exhausted.”

Suikotsu took two threatening steps towards James and then froze.

In the hallway leading out of the club, someone was knocking. The echo of the metal reverberated throughout the empty halls of the large dance club. Both men hesitated and turned their attention towards the noise. James stared in horror; who would be pounding at the door at nine in the morning? Hardly anyone ever acknowledged that the tiny building existed in the daylight. Who would be so foolish to approach now?

Suikotsu took a step towards the door then narrowed his eyes. “Who…” he shifted his attention towards James. “Where is the other man?”

James swallowed thickly, praying that it was either a task force of police there to arrest Bankotsu and his bumbling crowd of misfits or someone who would be their savior. Because any minute Bankotsu was going to return to where he was keeping the girl and would either discover Eric or he would find her to be missing. Either way, everything was about to explode in chaos and death.

Suikotsu narrowed his eyes as he stared at James. “Who is it?”

James gawked back at the man; “I am not a psychic.”

“Answer it! Tell whoever it is to go away.”

James swallowed thickly and slowly began to walk towards the door. His hands trembled at his side. It would only be a minute before things got ugly; how ugly they got depended on the person beyond the metal door. He could hardly help the shake in his hands as he unlocked the blackened door and slid it open. The creak echoed throughout the building and James could just about see Oberon flying from his quarters to see what was amiss.

Standing before him was a middle aged man. James would have pegged the man for being about thirty five if not for the smile in his eyes. The man's emerald eyes were ageless; a thousand years rested behind those orbs with a spark of mischief that could have usurped Oda Nobunaga. He resembled a younger Elvis Presley except for those damn eyes, which seemed to be peering into his soul.

"A very good mornin' to ya, sir. I was a wanderin' about da city an' I've lost me way. Can ya happen to point me towards Saint Patty's Cathedral? I've got me mornin' devotions to pronounce."

James blinked once and then again. He looked around the man for a moment, wondering how he happened to be knocking on this door of all days. The man seemed innocent enough, however, there was just something about his eyes... "Fuck off," James responded gruffly.

"Forgive me, lad, but this seems to be a church; where else would use such iron on them doors? How could you use such vulgarity in a house of the lord?" The man pushed forward a bit more and narrowed his eyes.

James blocked his entrance and crossed his arms slowly. "This is not a church, father. You should leave before I see you off my doorstep personally."

Those eyes darkened in hue as the man slowly smiled. "You an' what frickin army, Boyo? I'm just lookin' for some directions. It's the least courteous thing you can offer a stranger."

James looked behind him for a moment, taking note of Suikotsu, who was slowly approaching with a gun drawn. This man meant business.

James cleared his throat as he turned his attention to the man at the door. "Go up two blocks to Madison avenue and then over until you reach 51st. It's behind Rockafella center. If you see Radio City Music Hall, you're in the right place."

The stranger studied the guards face, taking note of the quickness of his response."It's much appreciated, Lad. I hope I haven't squandered to much of yer' time."

"Yeah, yeah, get going." Without another word, James moved to close the door on the man's face before Suikotsu could intervene. Before able to adequately close the door, the man pushed his foot in the path of the iron slab. It clanged off the man's shoe with an echo that resonated throughout the building. James shook his head and glanced down. That should have broken the bloke's foot! Opening the door slowly, James yelled out, "What the hell?"

The porch was empty. Not a soul stood in front of the building or anywhere up and down the street. James gawked for a moment, chills shooting up his spine instantly. Suikotsu arrived a moment later and threw James to the side. "What the hell is going on," he asked with slurred words.

James stammered for a response as they stared out the doorway. "He was here a minute ago, looking for Saint Patrick's Cathedral." Something wasn't right; the air grew stagnant, no wind blew. it was as if the world held its breath.

"Who was?" Suikotsu turned on the bouncer, pocketing his gun for the moment being. "Who the fuck was here?"

James pondered that question for a moment, wondering if that was his prayed-for divine intervention. Literally. "Maybe....it was...God."

Suikotsu blinked twice. "What the fuck are you going on about?"

James was about to answer before a voice answered from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It wrapped the two in a clear sheet of ice; the words sunk through their skin and burrowed into their bones.

"You both have been very bad boys..."

Both men turned around, Suikotsu fumbling for his gun. Blood slowly drained from James' face as he stared into the empty doorway they had just come from. Turning to Suikotsu, he asked the obvious; "Did you say something?" Taking note of the shaking gun in Suikotsu's hand, he realized a moment later whatever cold and very angry voice had spoken those words was not playing for their team. Yet no one was around. Turning in a circle, James' attempted to find whoever was fucking with them. The gleam of sunlight off a silver barrel was his only warning. A shot exploded from the darkness within the club and Suikotsu fell to the ground dead, a bullet lodged between his eyes.

James couldn't help it as urine ran down the inside of his leg and he quivered, staring into the darkness of the club. The barrel of the gun slowly turned its aim on him.

"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti..."

James fell over his own two feet as he attempted to back up. He had seen Boondock Saints as a child; he knew what came after the prayers.

And then the gun was gone; it was as if it materialized into the wall, as silently as the killer had appeared. James stared agape for a moment before jumping to his feet and taking flight into the streets of New York. Something had just claimed the life of Bankotsu's associate had spared his. He was not going to waste his chance as escape. Whether it was an angel or a devil, he had little desire to ever actually find out. Yet as he rounded the corner of 48th street, a streak of white blew past him at such a speed, he was nearly thrown into the wall. James had seen, however, the amber eyes of the demon he once knew from the club. Bankotsu was as good as dead. And with that knowledge, James disappeared into the mess of the early morning commuters.

Kagejiro held the door opened for InuYasha as the youngest Taisho appeared before him. InuYasha was hardly panting, though there was a fine line of sweat beading across his forehead. InuYasha glanced around the club then sniffed the air.

“She's here…”

Kagejiro nodded at InuYasha agreement. “He has her in the back. There are two bodyguards passed out in the main room. I haven't located her yet…but she's alive, I can smell…”

A single gunshot rang out in the back of the club making the man freeze midsentence. A millisecond later, the area both boys stood was vacant. With unimaginable speed, the Taisho brothers darted through the club, Kagejiro allowing InuYasha to lead. The boy bolted through a back door and down a long corridor. At the end there was one open door on the right; the door was made of wrought iron and fashioned to resemble ones familiar to `Jiro from 17th century France. He could remember the oubliettes well. A body was strewn out halfway through the door, blood pooling beneath him. As the two came to a halt, Bankotsu slowly stepped out from the room, a Colt .45 residing in his right hand. The door blocked the interior of the room. Bankotsu rested against the door, blocking their path from being able to see what was going on behind him.

“Oh, I was wondering when you would show up.”

InuYasha stared at Bankotsu without blinking. Though he was fuming inside, and knew that he could easily disarm Bankotsu (literally, he could pull both the man's arms off without hesitation), his main concern was Kagome. Once she was safe, this asshat was his. Rage boiled throughout his youkai blood, shaking the young hanyou where he stood. He was going to rip this man apart.

Kagejiro must have been thinking along the same lines because he discretely pointed two fingers down towards the ground, signaling InuYasha to pause. He didn't want them to rush into things without knowing exactly where Kagome was and what her situation was.

“Where's the girl,” Kagejiro asked in non-accented English.

“And you brought a friend. Family, perhaps?”

InuYasha's ears perked up; Bankotsu did not know who they were, or at least that was his angle for the moment. “That doesn't matter,” InuYasha scoffed, “give us back Kagome, you son of a bitch.”

Bankotsu wrinkled his nose and rolled his eyes. “I think we can bypass this game, Sha, don't you? You'll insult me and my family, I will insult your heritage and half blood status. You'll want to start a fight and my guards will stop you.”

Kagejiro grinned menacingly, “yeah, about that…I don't think any one of them will be coming to help you.”

Bankotsu raised one eyebrow and glanced around the two men. Though he couldn't see the main floor from where they were, he could only assume. Nudging the corpses leg, he shrugged his shoulders. “Good help really is hard to find.” With a sigh, he swung his gun to punctuate his sentence. “It doesn't matter. I've already called the police.”

InuYasha blinked, wondering if he heard the man correctly. “You called the police? So they can arrest you for murder?” Was he missing something? He knew Bankotsu was sneaky as hell but what the was he thinking?

Bankotsu made a face and laughed heartily. “No, you stupid ingrate, to arrest you. You murdered my bartender and did…that….” His smirk struck something in InuYasha; if felt as if an ice pick was stabbed through his heart, “to her.” He hooked his thumb behind him and smirked. “I happened to come across you and called the police to arrest you for the monster you are. I mean, really, who would do that to such a beautiful girl?”

InuYasha's eyes bled red. The half demon shot forward and grabbed Bankotsu by the throat. Hauling the business man across the hall, he slammed the man into the wall hard enough to crack the faux spackled blocks. “What did you do?”

Bankotsu grinned like a satanic Cheshire cat. “I taught her why she should be afraid of me.”

Kagejiro didn't wait a moment longer. Darting around the two, he stepped over the body and paused as his eyes locked with Kagome's. The girl was strung up, hanging from the ceiling by a pair of manacles. She was completely naked yet that went by unnoticed; the girl was covered in blood. Her hair was saturated in it; it was as if he had painted her in it. There were cuts all over her body and face, all of which was only made worse by the next that `Jiro laid his eyes on. Yet she was alive. Tears streamed down her beaten face as the older demon approached her. Taking off his jacket, he moved around the girl and checked her back. The gashes that lined her back were going to need serious medical attention; her back was just short of being flayed open. There were sections where the wounds were so deep, he could see bone. The offending bullwhip rested on the ground a few feet from the girl. Kagejiro had to swallow down the puke the rose in his throat; this bastard had just about killed her. With a muttered apology, he placed his coat over her shoulders and went about trying to figure out how to get her down. He was sure that the fabric on her wounds was painful to say the least, but he had to get her down. If InuYasha saw her in her current state, he would rip Bankotsu's spine out through his throat. Not that that was a bad thing, per say, but after seeing these wounds, the man should have to answer to her before he paid for his deeds.

“She's alive,” he called out to the boy. He scowled fiercely at the chains that she was held by; there seemed to be no real way to break or bend the metal. He wrapped his fist around the first link that existed in the chain and attempted to crush it in his fist. With a growl, he pulled back and threw Kagome an apologetic frown. “What the fuck are these chains made out of; Mythril?”

“Damascus steel,” the business man choked out. “There is no way to break it. If you want to free her, you need the key.”

InuYasha tightened his grip on Bankotsu's throat. “Now is not a good time to start a pissing contest. Where the fuck is the key?”

“Go to hell,” Bankotsu spat at InuYasah. “You are going to rot in the darkest hole that my men can find.”

“I have zero interest in your mom's twat,” InuYasha spat back. “Tell us how to free her!”

Sirens echoed in the distance. “You hear that, you half bred mongrel?” Regardless of Bankotsu's position, the condescending tone never left his voice; “they're going to kill you and your kin.”

As InuYasha began to apply enough strength to snap the man's neck, Kagejiro called out, “don't kill him. We need him alive for right now.”

InuYasha scowled for a moment and considered just snapping his neck to be done with it. After a moment, he conceded to Kagejiro's demand. Releasing his hard grasp on the man, InuYasha reared back and punched him for all he was worth. Feeling bone give way under his knuckles made it semi-worth it. With very slow precision, he began a painful game of punching the millionaire in the gut, breaking a rib with every blow.

Kagejiro continued to inspect the chains, wondering just how the hell Bankotsu got his hands on Damascus steel. That was older than their father. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and gripping the chain once more. Throwing an sympathetic frown at Kagome, he calmly stated, “I'm sorry I am going to have to jostle you around. Just try to relax. You're going to be okay.” It was only then that he took note that she was unconscious. Grabbing the chains, he applied weight and demonic force and yanked the chains straight out of the ceiling. With speed that no mortal could manage, he caught the large piece of metal before it could crash into the girl. He had pulled down an entire girder. Now he just had to figure out how to get her free.

The giant hole in the ceiling did not go unnoticed by the man who was being slowly beaten to death. After spitting a mouth full of blood, the businessman hollered, “Don't rip apart my fucking club, you son of a bitch!”

InuYasha replied with a punch to the jaw. “Where is the fucking key?”

“Go to hell!”

InuYasha shook his head and punched the man once more. Leaving him slumped on the floor, he turned and entered the room. Honestly, he was terrified of what he was going to see. He was petrified that he would see what Bankotsu did to Kagome and kill the mother fucker before Kagome could get her satisfaction of ruining his life. Thankfully, as Kagejiro had pulled her down from the ceiling, quite literally, he had covered her more thoroughly with his jacket. The blood that decorated the walls of the room, however, could not be forgiven. Rage boiled through InuYasha as he took in Kagome's crumpled body. She needed medical attention immediately, all because of this son of his bitch and his sick obsession.

“How dare you think you can do this to a person,” InuYasha found himself screaming back to the beaten man. Even if Bankotsu had wanted to run away at this point, he would never escape the enraged demon. "If she dies..." he couldn't even finish that thought. InuYasha was on the man in a second. He couldn't control his actions as he tore at the man's face and throat with his nails. Without his limiter, he was a slave to the beast within, the beast that demanded Bankotsu's blood. He had tried to kill Kagome. Again. This time, however, he had nearly succeeded.

A hand wrapped around InuYasha's throat and yanked him back, throwing him back fifteen feet into the wall. Without blinking, he surged forward again. Again, a steel arm knocked him back. Kagejiro was in his face after the second deflection. “You need to get a hold of yourself,” he yelled.

“Fuck all of this! He…he needs to die.”

Kagejiro nodded in agreement, however he held his hand steadfast against the younger boy's shoulder. “He will suffer, trust me. But if you rip him apart, then he won't get that opportunity.”

At that moment, a shot rang out and then another. InuYasha's eyes widened as `Jiro paused mid speech. His face twitched once before he turned around very slowly. InuYasha blinked again, wondering what the hell was going on. He heard gun shots. Who was shot? Looking around Kagejiro, he found Bankotsu aiming a gun in their direction, hunched over slightly. InuYasha glanced from the gun to Kagejiro. Then he noticed the blood running down his brother's back. Two holes had magically made their way into the back of his coat, blood slowly starting to soak through the material.

Bankotsu was glaring at the two, seemingly confused as to why Kagejiro was still standing. He moved to shoot again.

With speed that shocked InuYasha, his brother shot forth and actually punted the human down the hallway. It was like watching a football game, where `Jiro was the kicker and Bankotsu the ball. `Jiro pulled back with speed that neither man could see and then Bankotsu was sailing down the hallway and crashed through a couple tables in the main room, all the way down the hallway. Kagejiro didn't even stagger. He dashed down the hallway after the human, and as Bankotsu hit ground, Kagejiro grabbed the gun from his hand and crushed the metal in his demonic vice grip.

InuYasha stared with his mouth agape for a few moments before turning his attention back into the room. Stepping over Eric's dead body, he moved through the room slowly and eyed Kagome wearily. She needed medical attention immediately and to get that, he had to get the cuffs off. That meant he needed the key. Slowly sitting down on the ground, he wrapped his arms around the girl and slid her over to his lap. She was completely unresponsive and it made him worry more. Eyeing the steel, he knew there was no way he could break it. The only option left for the men were to try to move Kagome, metal beam and all, out of the club. But no ambulance could move her and the rafter. Looking down at the wounded girl in his arms, his heart began to race. Blood was slowly soaking through his pants and he was well aware that it wasn't his. She needed medical help now.

Down the hallway, where Jiro had disappeared with Bankotsu, came a growl that made InuYasha's hair stand on end. It was completely inhuman and unlike any demonic sound that he had ever heard. The noise struck something inside of the younger half-demon that made him quake in fear. It was like something out of a horror movie; It was the noise before someone was disemboweled and torn apart to become dinner. InuYasha swallowed thickly and held Kagome closer. What the hell was that? He knew rationally, that it was Jiro, however, he couldn't fathom how that demonic hellish sound came from his brother.

Kagejiro entered the room swinging something around his finger. `The key!' InuYasha thought with elation. His brother was by his side in a second, removing the manacles from Kagome's hands. "Get her out of here through the back," 'Jiro told him as he freed the wounded girl. "The paramedics will meet you on 46th street." When InuYasha didn't move immediately, Kagejiro grew annoyed. "Now, Boyo, lest I roast your ass!"

"Did you kill him," InuYasha asked deadpanned.

"No, but he learned the meaning of true terror. I utilized one of his drunken guards to show him what he would look like if he defied me." Taking a pause, he glanced back out the door, "I think he's still pulling pieces from his hair."

InuYasha could only imagine the bloodshed. Hearing sirens in the distance, he glanced at 'Jiro. "We need to leave. If they get here..."

"Go on, Sha,I got this."

"But if the police..."

"What part of move don't ya get? Are ya thick or somethin'?

Searching for his voice, he now understood why this man was terrifying. "Don't kill him."

"I thought I told you that."

InuYasha nodded sternly then was out the door, Kagome wrapped tightly in his arms. He was going to get her help, and then he would be back to assist his brother with clean up. Dashing from the building, he ran down the alleyway. Once he reached the side of the street, he glanced around and balanced Kagome in one arm. Stabbing his hand into his pocket, he shoved on his concealment charm. As he rounded the corner onto 46th, he was amazed to find an ambulance waiting. How did Kagejiro know where it would be? What was going on? Once again, the youngest Taisho knew he was being left out of something.

Running down the street, he reached the ambulance within record time. As the paramedics stepped from the vehicle, he began shouting orders. "Quick, I need help! She's lost a lot of blood!"

In a flash, they had the back door open to the vehicle and were getting the gurney for the beaten girl. They took her from his arms without a word, nearly having to pry his fingers off of her. They glanced over her wounds thoroughly, seeming to inventory her bruises. The older of the three workers glanced up at InuYasha. "These wounds are bad."

InuYasha nodded once, feeling all of his anger drain out of him as he stared at Kagome's beaten body lying on the gurney. He had wanted to protect her, he had wanted to save her. In the end, he hadn't been able to do either. Feeling as if he had swallowed his tongue, he tried to ignore the welling tears in his eyes. He hadn't done this to her but it sure as hell felt as if he had. "Is she going to..." he couldn't finish that sentence nor could he imagine a world without Kagome. Fear, for the millionth time that day, gripped at his heart.

"She needs blood and is probably going to need surgery on her back. Right now our first priority is to get her to the hospital."

"Which one," InuYasha asked frantically. Surgery? That was sever. This was not going to end well for Bankotsu, InuYasha promised.

"Bellevue," the younger paramedic answered as they began lifting Kagome into the wagon. "Once she's stable, we'll transfer her to Beth Israel."

"Stable? Is she..." InuYasha shut his mouth then made motion to get into the ambulance. Kagejiro had lived for centuries, he could take out one punk son of a bitch. InuYasha needed to be with Kagome; he needed to start the phone calls to let everyone know she was out of that bastard's hands.

The older paramedic stopped him. "Sorry son, You need to go back to your brother."

InuYasha stared at the man wide eyed. How the hell did he know what was going on? How the hell did he know who Kagejiro was or that he even had a family?

As if reading his mind, the younger paramedic smiled softly, "don't worry, Bankotsu Koizumi's reign of terror is over. His isn't the only family with connections." With a meaningful nod, one that was lost on InuYasha, the men clambered back into the vehicle and were gone in a flash, leaving InuYasha staring blankly before him. What the hell had just happened?

&X&X&X&X&X&X

Striding around the corner of 44th street, InuYasha wasn't prepared to see the five cop cars lining the sidewalk, cornering off the entrance to the club. InuYasha hesitated, eyeing the cars incredulously. The ambulance driver's words filtered through his ears again; “his isn't the only family with connections”. But who were the cops at the club for; who were they arresting? Would it be Bankotsu coming out of the club, in cuffs, or would it be his brother? Was Bankotsu even still alive? That fierce growl that came from the recess of the other room still terrified the half demon to his bones. He had never seen the true form of his kin; his father hadn't transformed into the great dog general for over three centuries. He had heard, however, and he could only imagine how unstoppable and how terrifying the beast was truly. Yet after actually bearing witness to the sound of one of the great dog generals, he was sure he would never want to see the sight. Did Kagejiro leave Bankotsu alive? Did he disembowel the bastard? Would they be able to figure out who he was by what could have remained? A thousand thoughts poured through InuYasha's brain as he watched the scene outside of the club.

Approaching the club as a curious bystander, InuYasha watched the scene unfold before him.

First, from within the club came a terrified redhead being escorted by an officer. InuYasha recognized her as the coat check girl, Carlisle. She seemed to be ranting quietly but quickly to the officer, often glancing back over her shoulder to see if her boss was looming in the corner. Curious, InuYasha watched as the officer moved her from the entrance, talked to her for a few minutes while taking notes on a tiny black pocket-sized notebook, and then motioned to a car at the end of the red and blue flashing strip. The girl nodded, wrapped her arms and glanced back once to the club. InuYasha knew the feeling; she was saying goodbye to a part of her life. After tonight, Illusions would never more open that wrought-iron door. He couldn't say he would miss it; and more so, he would never miss Oberon. Clenching his fist, he waited to see the fate of the bastard within.

After another five minutes, three ambulance workers wheeled out a gurney. Eyeing the moving bed carefully from where he stood, he couldn't make out a face but knew the frame all too well; it was one of Bankotsu's bodyguards. Judging by the IV and the rushed movement behind the paramedics, he was still alive. One of the three, that was to say. After he was loaded into the ambulance, they disappeared into the night and from InuYasha's memory. Whoever that was mattered little to the hanyou; his interest had yet to be piqued.

The wait was the worst part; it felt as if hours passed as the disguised hanyou eagerly awaited outside of the club. Often he found himself pacing the streets, waiting to see his brother or even better, the remains of the one man in life InuYasha actually wanted dead. With a deep breath, he leaned against one of the adjacent brick buildings.

“It's time to go,” a voice, cool as ice, called from behind him.

Spinning around and nearly toppling over in surprise, InuYasha stared into the alley. It was eleven in the morning, sunlight bathed the streets on the luminous blue skied day, but he couldn't see who the voice belong to. It was as if the building had grown a mouth and spoke to him. After staring for a moment longer, he looked back out to the street then back down the alley. “Uhh…” He knew the voice belonged to his brother, but he simply could not locate the man.

Melting from the tiniest shadow, from behind a dumpster, Kagejiro emerged. Walking to the boy slowly, he dusted off his shirt and held out his hand and raised an eyebrow.

InuYasha gawked for a moment, then glanced back down the alley. “Can you teach me how to do that?” Shaking his head, he tried to ward off all of his questions. There was one that had yet to be answered; “What happened to Bankotsu?”

Kagejiro tilted his chin towards the line of red and blue. “The good ole' boys in blue will be handling this for us.”

“He owns the cops.” InuYasha felt a sudden ire rising in his gut. If Kagejiro had simply handed Bankotsu over to his own people, InuYasha would lose his shit right then and there.

Kagejiro hefted an eyebrow.

Glancing back around, he paused as the man of his nightmares was dragged from the building. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he had seen far better days. For the pristine business man to appear in public anything less than immaculate… the tabloids got their footage for the next century. He was bleeding from a gash on his forehead, bruised (his ego more so than anything else could ever be), and he was mouthing off. InuYasha felt his lips twist into a smirk as he watched the man's mouth fly at the speed of light; he was probably threatening the life of his arresting officer with all the lawsuits his lawyers would bury their precinct with.

“How?” was the only thing InuYasha could wonder.

Kagejiro shook his head slowly, running his hand through his hair as he did so. Stifling a yawn, he wrapped one arm around his younger siblings shoulders and began pulling him in the opposite direction. “You were right when you said that bloke was nearly untouchable. The key word, however, Lad, is nearly. He is second only to who? You should never forget who you are and what you have in your veins. As terrible a tyrant as the great Taisho dog is, he is still the most powerful man in the world. Never forget that.”

InuYasha swallowed thickly; “Dad…”

“He took care of it. It's what he does.”

“So those were…”

“Our guys. Bankotsu may think he owns the cops because he pays their commander, but that's skittles to what we pay them. And I don't just mean Da', I mean the entire freckin' demon population."

InuYasha let out a deep breath. All along, this who time, he could simply have turned to his family for help for Kagome. Something about that deeply troubled him.

“I have to go see her,” he said after a moment, directing Kagejiro towards where he parked the car.

Kagejiro nodded; “Of course, Boyo. We just have a few phone calls to make on the way. Where is she?”

And the boys vanished into the tourists walking throughout the yellow sea of the streets of New York City.

*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Walking into his corporate tower Monday morning, a week later, was the worst day yet. A gaggle of reporters stood outside of his building, quacking at him for statements and shitting where he worked. It seemed that everyone heard by this point; Multinational industry leader accused of the rape and torture of one local girl. The whirlwind of legality was swirling above his head, dooming him to life in prison if convicted. His lawyer had managed to get him bail; of course, he was down a million dollars for that said freedom. Exhausted and downtrodden, Bankotsu Koizumi knew one things; he had miles to go before he could sleep, and he had promises to keep. Oh, and keep those he would; his hit list grew by the day. The first and foremost on that list was to finish off Kagome. Then he had to find Sha and his little friend. Sadly, he had yet to figure out exactly who Sha truly was, but he was beginning to form a theory. It was a very blind shot in the dark, and he had no proof, but there was only one person who could sway his police to arrest him, after the millions in bribes he paid to the precincts in New York; and that was the Taisho name.

It would make sense, he thought as he ignored the gawking rude stares of his underlings, the whispers of the patrons and the hard stare of his security guards…his security guards were giving him the stink eye. He would see them fired as soon as he was in his office. Good help truly was hard to find. Stepping into the elevator, he began to run through his proof in his mind. The Taisho bastard had dated Kikyo but was definitely cheating on her with his future kill. When InuYasha was beating the hell out of him two months ago, he had noticed something; as soon as the Taisho boy got a good look at him, something changed. It was as if a light bulb went off. At the time, Bankotsu had pegged it as the boy realized he was the one who had rearranged Kagome's face, but maybe it had been more. It was recognition on a personal level. Maybe, just maybe, InuYasha was Sha; that was how he knew Kagome was missing. He would need to research this further but if he could prove the Taisho family were demons', it would take some of the heat off of him.

Reaching his office, he walked past his secretary without a word. She was on the phone and hesitated for a moment, her eyes widening to the size of saucer plates. She moved to stand quickly, muttering a quickly apology to the other on the phone. “Sir…sir, you can't...you can't go in there!”

Bankotsu paused, his mental rant pausing as her words sunk in. Spinning around, he bellowed, “What? Who do you think you are to tell me I cannot enter my own office? I pay your god damned salary, you bitch!” He didn't care anymore, the world knew of his dark side and there was nothing to salvage that. He watched her jaw drop in shock and she took a step back in fear. God, he loved that. “I pay you like a god damned whore, so don't fuckin' tell me no! Sit your ass down there and take my fucking calls! Consider this your last fucking day as well, you ungrateful harlot!”

Squaring off her jaw, she shook her head once and waved her hand to his office. “Forgive me, sire; apparently my warning was going to be of no use.”

“Warning?”

The secretary turned on her heels and walked from the office without another word.

Shaking his head, Bankotsu walked into his office muttering about whores and their whorish ways. Entering the room, he paused dead in his step. Sesshoumaru Taisho sat behind his desk.

“What…the hell…” Bankotsu spun around once, glaring at his door and then realized what his secretary was going to tell him.

“I was wondering when you would return to the office.”

Dryly, Bankotsu responded as he dropped his briefcase, “I hope I haven't kept you waiting.”

“No, not at all. I have gotten...comfortable.”

“ I can see that.” Bankotsu removed his suit coat and hung it up on the wall. He and Sesshoumaru Taisho had never been friendly with each other, therefore the visit was leaving Bankotsu ill at ease. Taking a deep breath, the businessman turned around and frowned to find the man still sitting in his chair. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he shook his head. “Can we dispense with the pleasantries, Sesshoumaru? Both of us know we harbor nothing but contempt for one another so let's get on with it. While you're at it, get out of my chair. If you are here about taking over my company, you can leave now. An unfortunate incident has come up, yes, but it will be cleared up quickly.” In his mind, he began placing the pegs together. Sesshoumaru Taisho: without a doubt, the man could have demon blood in his veins. For years, Bankotsu had gone to all lengths to avoid coming in direct contact with the man. Something about him put a chill to Bankotsu. However, knowing the attitude and the...terrifying...ways of the demon from the week previous, there was no way that Sesshoumaru and he were the same. Maybe he was off in his thoughts, maybe he hadn't processed the information correctly. It was possible that InuYasha was just a spoiled rich brat. But maybe...

“Cleared up. That's an interesting way to look at it.” Sesshoumaru pushed back the chair and eyed Bankotsu from behind the man's desk. “Last I heard, the girl may never walk again.”

Bankotsu shrugged. He had heard worse; she had been in ICU for the last week teetering on the brink of life and death. They say the damage inflicted to her spine had caused so much swelling in her brain, they weren't sure if she would survive. “I suppose that would upset your brother greatly, seeing that she wouldn't be able to spread her legs for him anymore. At least, on her own that is.”

Sesshoumaru's brown eyes darkened a hue. “You'd do well not to speak of my family.”

“Tell me, Sesshoumaru; is InuYasha your only bastard brother or did you father procreate more?” Maybe Sesshoumaru was the other demon that had assaulted him at his club. That thought gave him pause; the creature that had accompanied Sha was something that crawled out of his nightmares. After he had shot the beast in the back three times, the next thing he remembered was connecting with the glass neon bar at the opposite and of the hallway. Then there were those eyes; those blood red glowing eyes that had appeared from the darkness. He saw them everywhere he looked now; they were always watching him. And then there was that growl; it was the single sound that shook his entire world. He had never known fear existed at that level until the demon had opened its hellish mouth. And then Ginkotsu's blood had rained from the sky. The demon had literally ripped his cousin in half. It had taken three showers to rid himself of the stench of his departed families insides. Whatever...thing...was with Sha was far his superior; it was a full blooded demon and ancient beyond all knowing.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. “Have you raped and beaten more women than just Kagome Higurashi?”

“The world may never know.”

“I wouldn't bet on that,” Sesshoumaru smiled cynically.

Bankotsu took a deep breath and lost his patience. “What the fuck do you want, Sesshoumaru? Get out of my office!”

“About that,” Sesshoumaru replied and then went into Bankotsu's desk. Reaching into the bottom drawer, he pulled out the bottle of aged scotch and the two glasses that Bankotsu kept on reserve. He then had the audacity to offer the man some of his own private stash.

Bankotsu watched with hatred as the Taisho dog actually took a sip of the beverage. With a growl of frustration, he shot past Sesshoumaru for his office phone. “I don't know what you think you are doing, but this will not stand! Security will remove you!”

“Actually, they won't.”

Pausing, Bankotsu glanced up at the businessman. His face was stoic. His eyes were like icebergs; Bankotsu knew something much deeper and darker was lying beneath. “What nonsense are you blabbering about?”

“Security will not remove the CEO of their company, lest they want their pay slashed.”

Bankotsu felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at Sesshoumaru Taisho. His palms began to sweat. “I'm sorry…come again?”

The smile that overtook Sesshoumaru's face was terrifying; nearly as terrifying as the beast from the darkness. “I don't know how to put this; you've been downsized, you're being let go, the company is going a different direction, your services are no longer needed, we are not choosing you as our option. Does that explain it better?”

Bankotsu inhaled sharply, his entire world spinning out of control. Rage boiled over. “I built this company, you son of a bitch! You can't simply kick me out as the president of the company! I own this god damned building and it will be hell and high water before you pry this company away from my cold dead fingertips!”

“Actually,” Sesshoumaru interjected, “you were CEO, different from president. You were expendable. And being a multinational company worth millions of dollars, your investors weren't too pleased with your recent…transgressions. They decided to take me up on my offer to buy into the company for fifty-five percent of the shares.”

Bankotsu shook his head slowly and began to laugh. Manically at first, he slowly settled down as he had to actually wipe a tear form his eye. “That's a good laugh, Sesshoumaru. Here I heard you were without a personality. You see, you may buy my share holders out of their forty-five percent, but you will never get more than that! I call you, sir, on your bullshit. Now get out!”

“Well, it's true that your shareholders only held onto forty-five percent. That was actually a harder buy then my other ten.”

Watching the color drain from Bankotsu's face made the victory all that much sweeter. Sesshoumaru only wished that InuYasha was here to see it.

“Other…ten…”

“You see, it was very easy to get the first ten percent with promise of a twenty-percent return. Once you were removed, that is.”

“That's impossible…”

“Because of family ties? You broke that, Bankotsu, when you broke your cousin's best friend, and got his older brother killed. Or have you already forgotten the dead Suikotsu and Ginkotsu?”

“Jak would never…”

Interrupting the sentence, the office door swung open and in glided a very professional looking Jakotsu. Dressed to the T in a three piece suit, Jakotsu tilted his head to Sesshoumaru. “Am I too late?”

“Fashionably,” Sesshoumaru jested.

Bankotsu, slowly turning red, spun on his heels to glare at his cousin. “You….you sold me out?”

“No honey,” Jakotsu replied evenly, without a single emotion playing across his face, “I sold my stock in your company. You are done, and I wasn't losing my investment.”

“Your `investment' was free, you piece of shit! I gave you ten percent of my profit to keep it safe! How dare you sell it to this...dog!”

Jakotsu raised an eyebrow; “I warned you that you would ruin yourself. But you couldn't stop and what bothers me more than anything else is that you're still not done! I see it in your eyes, Bankotsu; the insanity is seeping out and you can't contain it any longer. You need help and you need it now. The things you've done…I can no longer look past them. You tried to kill a close friend of mine!” Anger had begun bleeding into his voice before he reached the end of his speech but that wasn't the only emotion present; there was a concern that couldn't be missed, a concern for his cousin's welfare. “Your actions were not only heinous but your infatuation got my brother killed. Suikotsu had a family, Bankotsu, or did you forget that? You didn't even come to his funeral!”

Banktosu stared at Jakotsu for a moment, as if he couldn't comprehend his words. “You can't do this to me,” he said after a moment, as if Jakotsu hadn't spoken at all. “You are my cousin! You are family! You can't simply sell me off!”

“You sold Suikotsu. How much was his life worth, Bankotsu? How much are you paying his widow for his `untimely' death? He trusted you and your actions got him killed.”

“It wasn't supposed to happen like that,” Bankotsu said after a moment, rubbing his head. He had nearly forgotten Sesshoumaru's presence at the current moment. Lost in thought, he replayed the scene in his mind. Cops had poured into the club and he had rejoiced for only a moment before it turned into a nightmare. The cops arrested him and pretended not to notice the demon in their company. Two guards went over and checked on the three bodyguards while two others discovered the bartender. Why Envy had betrayed him was lost on Bankotsu, but he did not regret shooting that traitor. Now he just wished he had disposed of the weapon. The cops questioned him for a while, stalling for time to save that cunt who had destroyed him. She did this; everything that had happened was the fault of one Kagome Higurashi. He would keep his promise to destroy her, he just needed more time. But when the cops began to take him from the establishment…that was when he saw the cadavers. He didn't pause as he stepped over what remained of his cousins and even now, it was a disjointed thought. His cousins were dead. Shit happened. But for some reason, Jakotsu didn't see it that way. It sucked that Suikotsu and Ginkotsu fucked up enough to get themselves killed. Iit shouldn't have happened, but it did. Why didn't Jakotsu understand? Why would he sell him out?

“Then tell me, Bankotsu; how was it supposed to go? You get to murder an innocent girl and walk away? There were supposed to be no repercussions to you? Do you realize how power crazy you are? Do you even realize how warped you have become?”

“She was far from innocent,” Bankotsu interjected, “she was sleeping with another man.”

“You were engaged! What did it matter to you?”

Bankotsu felt his eye twitch. After the `event' hit the media, and his night-time persona was exposed, Ayumi left him. She was supposed to be his; he gave her the rock, he got her word that she would marry him. She was not allowed to leave him! She didn't seem to understand that, either. There were two police officers guarding her mother's house when he had attempted to bring her home. They had refused him entrance and had forced him to leave. She would get hers as well. No one walked away from Bankotsu Koizumi. “She was mine.”

Shaking his head, Jakotsu swallowed thickly. “You need help.”

Bankotsu eyed his cousin. “Jakotsu, don't do this. You can't abandon me. You can't just sell me off and think you're done with me!”

“Bankotsu, it's already done. My advice is to get serious psychological help. You need it.”

Bankotsu wheeled around to stare at the intruder in his office. Sesshoumaru had remained quiet the entire time, his fingertips pressed together under his chin. Bankotsu took a threatening step towards Sesshoumaru. “You will not throw me out of my own business! I built this business, brick by brick, and I will tear it down as such before turning it over to your father's empire.”

Sesshoumaru smiled patiently. “You misunderstand me. This business is now mine, not part of Taisho corp. I have split ways with my father; I resigned at my previous position as acting CEO of Taisho Corp and decided to strike out on my own. You see, Bankotsu, I alone took down your empire, not my father, not Taisho corp.” Standing up slowly, Sesshoumaru put his hands on the desk and leaned forward, his eyes growing dark with a barely contained fury. “And I did it all for my brother and for that poor girl that you put into the hospital for no other reason than insanity. She may never walk again because of you and your psychotic games. Therefore, this may be the break I needed, but I needed to break you more than anything else. How does it feel to have nothing left?”

Bankotsu glowered at the man before returning to the wall to pick up his coat. “I will not even justify that with a response. You will be hearing from my lawyers because there is no way you can simply buy me out.”

“But I didn't,” he replied evenly, “I simply fired you. Being fifty-five percent shareholder, my decision couldn't be vetoed. But don't worry, I have assured the old shareholders, who by the way were more than happy to unload the shares onto me at a very cheap rate after your downfall, that once your assets are liquidated, I will sell them a part of the company to make up the profit they lost through your actions.”

“And why would my assets by liquidated? I am worth nearly a billion dollars.”

“Not anymore. Once you're convicted of two counts of murder, one of attempted murder, one of rape, another of kidnapping and don't forget assault and blackmail, I am sure that your net worth will be much closer to zero.”

Bankotsu glared at Sesshoumaru for a long time before turning and walking out the door without another word. The echo of the door slamming against the frame spoke of his anger.

Jakotsu balked for a moment before turning to stare at Sesshoumaru. “He will do something foolish.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and began rearranging papers on his newly acquired desk. “He can't do anything foolish from prison.”

“But he isn't in jail.”

Sesshoumaru didn't look up. “There are officers sitting in the lobby waiting for him. Apparently he has been harassing his ex-fiancée and has been seen staking out the hospital where Kagome is. I called in a few favors to make sure that he was allowed bail, long enough to think himself safe, and to get the pleasure of seeing his face when he realized he has nothing."

Jakotsu glanced back towards the door. “He needs help, Sesshoumaru. He needs serious help.”

“Unfortunately the time has passed for him to receive it. Maybe there will be a shrink in prison he can talk to. He was given too much opportunity to ruin lives and he succeeded.”

Jakotsu frowned. “He killed that bar tender, he killed that girl a few years ago, and he tried to kill Kagome.”

“He nearly succeeded in killing Kagome.”

“How is she?” Jakotsu asked after a moment. He had been there to see her the day after Bankotsu put her in the ICU, but they wouldn't allow him entrance. Family only, they told him. InuYasha had tried to get the nurses to allow Jak to see her but they held steadfast. It was only through the flashing of bills that InuYasha had been allowed to stay with Kagome. Now it was just a matter of waiting; the damage to her sciatic nerve and her spinal cord was extensive. They had needed to stabilize the girl first though; the beating and inflammation of the wounds had nearly caused brain damage. They were waiting for her to go into surgery. The way it sounded, it seemed as though she had feeling in her upper body but they were very unsure about her legs. Now it was just wait and see.

Sesshoumaru frowned. “They are trying to control the inflammation right now. Once that's done, then they'll address the thought of surgery. I am sure she'll pull through.” Taking a deep breath, he added, “I just am not sure if she'll regain the use of her legs.”

Jakotsu shook his head sadly. “This all could have been avoided.”

“I know. That's the worst part.”

“How's InuYasha holding up?”

Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened. “He's….anxious, nervous, terrified,…he's a mess. He hasn't left her side since Kagejiro dropped him off there.” Pushing his lips together for a moment, he turned to stare at the other man. “What you know of my family…” he saw it in Jakotsu's eyes the minute he went to talk to Jakotsu about buying his shares of the company. Jakotsu knew the family secret, it was written all across his face. But the man hadn't said a word; he had simply agreed to listen to Sesshoumaru's offer, agreed to the terms, and more than willingly participated in taking down on of the most unstable corporate bigwigs Sesshoumaru had ever met.

“What do I know about your family,” Jakotsu asked with only the tiniest hint of a smile, “besides you are all so good looking?”

Sesshoumaru would have balked if he were a lesser man. With a slow nod of his head, he realized the two had an unspoken agreement. Jakotsu wouldn't say a word, and that was the way it needed to be. With a sigh, Sesshoumaru stood up and nodded towards the desk. “I think,” he stated after a moment, “you should consider taking a seat. I have a feeling soon enough you may need to occupy that space more than me."

Jakotsu stared at the desk for a moment, comprehending Sesshoumaru's nonverbal offer. “No thank you, honey,” he said after a second, “I saw what that kind of position can do to a man. No offense, but I have no intention of becoming like you or Bankotsu. I simply want to be a fashion designer and have my bars. I am very happy with my twenty percent income.”

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. “If you ever desire to move up the corporate ladder, please let me know. You would make a stellar business man.”

Jakotsu actually blushed. “I appreciate the offer, truly.”

Grabbing his brief case, Sesshoumaru passed by the man and walked out the door. His secretary was sitting at her desk, the same woman Bankotsu had hired years prior, and he offered her a small nod. “I apologize for having to deal with that man's insolence,” he said swiftly in his lush and dark baritone voice, “you can expect a raise in your next paycheck.”

Without waiting for a response, Sesshoumaru got into the elevator to leave the building. He had to check on his family and then build his empire.

*X*X*XX*X*XX*X*XX*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

OFF> As much as I don't want to cut this chapter here, I have little choice, I am truly sorry to those who I told this would be done months ago. Life always has a way of getting in the way. I had planned to have this up in January, however my student teaching started four weeks earlier than I thought it would. Once that was done, then another job, then another. The sad part is most of this was written ten months ago. I just wasn't overtly happy with it. I am still not, not really, but we have to move on. So, what happens next? Ohhhh my.