InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heart's Landfill ❯ Dastardly Deeds ( Chapter 39 )

A/N: As always all characters will be walking that fine line called OOCness. A few of you pointed out that Kagome should have told them about Kouga, and to that I say, “Have you ever seen a movie where you know the answer because, well, the writer or director made sure you knew the answer but the character/actor/actress didn't? Well, it's no different here. She, Kagome, has absolutely no reason to think that Kouga is involved in this mess. As far as she knows, he's happily mated…moved on with his life and doesn't have her to think about.” On a side note, I really shouldn't even have to tell you guys this, but then again maybe it means that I'm not doing my job as well as I'm being told I am. Also some of you have been asking how many chapters this fic will be, well, I have a few questions for you. Does it really matter? Have I bored you? Do you feel like I've hit the climax of this fic and I am merely dragging the story out? Bottom line, if your answer is `no' to all of these questions, relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride and if you answered `yes' to any of those questions, well, I hate to say this, but maybe you should stop reading now. Anyway thanks for all of your wonderful reviews, my friends, and a special thanks-as always-goes out to my beautiful beta, whom I haven't spoken to in a while, Neko. Love ya lots, Wench!!

 

Disclaimer: I don't claim ownership to anyone with the exception of Nya, Nola, Dr. Aikio, and Dinshu. All others belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Chapter 39:

 

Dastardly Deeds

 

The gates of hell themselves opened the moment, the very second that she calmed down enough to tell him why she was so upset.

 

And even now as she laid with her head in his lap after having cried herself to sleep, he still found what she told him hard to swallow and damn near difficult to digest.

 

This wasn't possible. The things she said, no one…no one was capable of such atrocities, and yet he knew that based off of what Ginta had told him; it was also quite possible that her ex, that bastard, Kouga could have very well been responsible for it all.

 

Still, he found that increasingly hard to believe, because being a shitty ass boyfriend was a far cry from being a rapist, wasn't it?

 

Inuyasha ran his hand down his face in an exasperated manner while soothingly running his other hand up and down her back as he replayed her story for the umpteenth time in his mind.

 

Flashback

 

Clutching her to his side as he sat down on the couch in the far corner of his office, the hanyou pulled her to him, silently begging her to calm down. Unfortunately, the more he tried, the more she seemed to cry.

 

“Kagome, you have to calm down. You have to tell me what's going on,” he whispered softly, pushing away from her so that he could stare down into her flushed face.

 

Running his hands across her cheeks to wipe away the ocean of tears that was cascading from her eyes, he tried again, “Please, Kagome, you have to try and calm down so that you can tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you? Did something happen on your way to work?”

 

She didn't answer right away, but her sobbing did slowly decrease to be replaced by sporadic hiccups.

 

Pulling her to him again, the hanyou sat back, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. He didn't understand any of this. He didn't understand why it seemed that no matter what he did, fate-the bastard-seemed to be doing its damnedest to make sure that whatever plans he had, with regard to coming to some kind of decision about distancing himself from her never came to fruition.

 

“I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I'm so sorry,” she started softly with a light sniffle. “I…I tried going home, I tried going to the park, but I couldn't…I couldn't…”

 

Shushing her, he stated soothingly, “Its fine, Wench. I'm glad you came to me, but you have to tell me what's going on.”

 

She pushed up off of him and stared at him wide eyed, seconds before she broke down again. “I…I found the hospital, I did. And I drove there. I drove there and I parked and even got out of the car, but I couldn't…I couldn't go inside, Inuyasha. I couldn't make my legs walk inside.”

 

“Its okay, its fine,” he told her, pulling her back down to him. “What happened? Why were you going to the hospital?”

 

Kagome ran the back of her hand across her nose, and then fisted that same hand in the front of his pressed shirt. She shook her head as if she didn't want to tell him, or rather as if she couldn't put voice to whatever the situation was.

 

“Wench, you're going to have to tell me what's going on. Otherwise, I won't be able to help you.”

 

She nodded weakly as she began, “They said…they insinuated that it was my fault, Inuyasha. They said-“

 

“Who, Kagome? What are you talking about?”

 

“My boss, Yamaguchi, and the two detectives, they…they basically said that it was my fault. They said that I was the reason that she…”

 

Pulling away from her, Inuyasha shook her lightly and questioned urgently, “Detectives? Kagome, you're not making any sense, what detectives?”

 

“The ones that were waiting at my job for me! They didn't come right out and say that I was responsible, but I know that's what they all thought! I know… I just know that they think that it's my fault that she was attacked! They blame me, Takahashi and I don't understand why!”

 

Inuyasha stared down at her, his face a mask of confusion as she blustered almost incoherently, “I swear I don't know anything about it! I told them…I told them that I didn't know anyone that would do something like this, but they didn't believe me, I know they didn't!”

 

Shaking his head in an attempt to drive off his bewilderment, the hanyou shifted so that he was sitting on the edge of the couch facing her. “Kagome, you have to calm down and tell me everything from the beginning. Who was attacked?”

 

She looked up at him, blinked a few times and hung her head low as she whispered softly, “Sango… Last night, they said that someone…someone assaulted her in the garage.”

 

Granted, he'd only met the woman in question twice-once that actually counted- but Inuyasha couldn't stop his heart from speeding up and the surge of anger that roiled through him.

 

Someone…attacked…Sango? Inuyasha thought slowly.

 

Rapists in his mind were worst than murderers because they mentally and physically tortured their victims! They stripped women of what little security and dignity they had and they violated the weak and the helpless in the name of being in control. And that in his perception was the lowest of the low.

 

No, to him, there was no excuse for rape, none!

 

Running his hand down his face in an attempt to school his features, the hanyou questioned evenly, “Okay, but what does that have to do with you?”

 

Kagome shouted hysterically, “I know!! That's what I told them, but they…but they said that it had everything to do with me because…because the company firewall was hacked a few weeks ago, and my information was the only files tampered with! They said…they said that because some guy showed up yesterday morning looking for me, that it was therefore linked to me!”

 

Inuyasha stared at her, his face set in a deep scowl as pieces of what the wolf demon, Ginta, had said swirled through his mind, “When he told me to find her… When he started looking for her… That's why I need to speak with Kagome. I…I need to warn her that-”

 

Shit, he hissed silently, wishing that he'd listened a little longer to what the youkai had to say before beating the crap out of him. It could have been him! If it was him, does it mean that that prick told him where she was? Fuck, it has to mean that, he thought quickly, but he knew that he needed more information from her in order to come to an informed decision.

 

“Kagome, what else did the detectives say?” She didn't look like she wanted to comply, so he reiterated firmly, “Tell me everything the detectives said!”

 

She stared at him, tears swimming at the edge of her lower eyelids. “They said that it was a planned attack.” Picking at some invisible dirt between one of her fingernails, she continued, “They said that whoever attacked Sango spray painted the camera lens black, and that her tires was flattened purposefully.”

 

Even to his civilian ears that sounded like a premeditated attack.

 

All the pieces fit almost too perfectly, but he wasn't really concerned with that part of her story, he wanted to know more about the guy that showed up at her office that morning asking for her. He needed…somewhere deep inside; he needed to know who that guy was.

 

If I hadn't made her take yesterday off… If I hadn't decided to take her with me to see Totosai… Shit, he thought heatedly as his fists clenched of their own accord.

 

The possibilities were endless, weren't they? And none of said possibilities were anything that he wanted to put voice to or spend even a moment thinking about.

 

Shaking off his despondent thoughts, he said more for his benefit than her own, “So, the detectives said that because your company's firewall was hacked, a stranger showed up looking for you, and Sango was attacked, that this person-”

 

She sniffled and nodded as she blurted desperately, “They said they think he's…they're after me, Takahashi, but it doesn't make sense! No one would want to get to me like that! No one would need to! My family…my friends they wouldn't do something like this!! They wouldn't need too!!”

 

No, Kagome someone does want to get to you, but is he that wicked that he'd stoop to such methods to do it? Shutting his thoughts off for the moment, he sighed heavily and whispered empathetically, “For now, try not to worry about it. I'm sure it's all a massive mistake,” as he pulled her to him again and kissed her forehead.

End Flashback

 

He hadn't expected any of this.

 

Sure, the cowardly wolf, Ginta, had said that he had to protect her, but…but exactly what or rather who was he protecting her from? What kind of monster... What kind of animal was after her?

 

If he wanted her back, did he seriously believe that by strong arming her assistant, it would make her want to be with him? Not that he would ever allow her to do such a foolish thing. But still, what the hell was this prick-if it was him-trying to accomplish by going to such measures?

 

Truthfully, after his talk with Ginta, he hadn't honestly expected the bastard to show his face, but based on everything he just heard, it really seemed like that's exactly what he'd done.

 

Maybe if he hadn't talked to Ginta, he would've been a little skeptical as to what was going on, but after hearing the tale of how that prick treated Kagome without her even knowing about it… Well, this whole thing just didn't leave a good taste in his mouth.

 

“They told me that because these people…these animals obviously know where I work, that I was on leave until further notice, because my being there places the rest of the employees in danger.”

 

When she'd said that, he'd thought about asking her if she had any place safe that she could go, but he knew from their previous conversations that other than her family and two or three friends back in Kyoto, she honestly didn't.

 

“There's no way around it,” he avowed quietly as he stared down at her sleeping face. Brushing her hair away from the side of her face, he thought sadly, Like everything else in my life as of late, I don't have choice, do I? It's up to me…it's all up to me.

 

He didn't really have a problem with that because he knew that he would never willingly allow her to fall into harm's way, but…

 

But…but nothing! I made her a promise, even though she knows nothing about it. Regardless of what internal issues I may have, she's what's important now. Her safety, her happiness, and nothing else! Nothing else will matter until I see to it that this prick is dealt with, Inuyasha concluded vehemently.

 

She groaned and rubbed her cheek against his thigh as another thought occurred to him, one that he didn't want to face…to think about, but he knew there was no way around it.

 

I have to tell her what I know. I have to tell her that I…I spoke to Ginta. I have to tell her that if there is merit to what these detectives have said, there is a very real possibility that I know who's after her.

 

A soft buzz drew him out of his reverie.

 

“Sorry for the interruption, Takahashi-sama, but Mr. Manohon just called; he's on his way up,” Nya advised.

 

Staring at the intercom that was setting on his desk, he laid his hand over Kagome's ear in order to not disturb her, and replied, “Alright, I'll meet him in the conference room in a moment.”

 

Lifting Kagome's head, he scooted out from under her and laid her head back down on one of the arm pillows. Grabbing the throw cover that his mother had knitted for him years ago off the back of the couch, Inuyasha laid it over her as she sighed and snuggled deeper into the cushions searching for his warmth, he was sure.

 

After taking a moment to straighten his attire, the hanyou smiled ruefully down at her and turned, heading for the door.

 

“Nya, I want you to contact Yamaguchi Takeda and find out everything you can about the incident that happened in his building last night,” he directed as he softly closed his office door behind him. “If he gives you any problems, let him know that this request came directly from me with regard to Higurashi Kagome and that I will not stand for anything less than full disclosure, understand?”

 

“Of course, Takahashi-sama,” Nya replied quizzically. “What would you like me to do about her?” she finished, pointing to his closed office door.

 

“I don't want you to do anything about her. She's sleeping right now, but if she should try to leave, I want you to come and get me immediately.”

 

Inuyasha knew Nya was wondering what the hell was going on, but fortunately this didn't concern her, and he was going to keep it that way.

 

Simonkal of Inuy

 

Staring at the television, Kouga's scowl grew darker with every vowel and syllable that dropped from the anchor woman's lips.

 

“This is the only documented attack at Hiro Towers since its doors opened eight years ago. It appears to have been an attempted assault on one of the Paralegals that works in the building. However, for her and her families' safety her name is being withheld. The Police are also withholding the name of the hospital that she was transported to after the attack, but have advised us that this deed was carried out by a Youkai.”

 

Kouga stared at the television, his iridescent blue eyes unblinking, his breathing heavy almost labored. He couldn't believe what he was seeing or what he was hearing.

 

How could anyone be so fucking stupid?

 

He'd told Dinshu to handle the lying tramp! What part of that meant leave her alive?

 

What the hell was he thinking?

 

“The head detective on the case, a Detective Shu, released a statement saying that they will stop at nothing to catch the culprit or culprits responsible for orchestrating this well planned out assault on such a helpless woman. They are also requesting that anyone who was within the vicinity last night between the hours of 4pm and 7pm who may have seen anything out of the ordinary call the information hotline.”

 

Kouga threw the remote he was clutching in his hand against the far wall, causing it to split in more than a few pieces.

 

“Dinshu!!” he shouted, his ire spiking violently. That lying son of a bitch! I asked him if he handled it! I…I fucking asked him!

 

Why was it that no one, besides him, was capable of getting a job done without drawing unneeded attention to themselves? How fucking hard was it to get rid of one lying bitch? How goddamn pathetic were these bastards he was surrounded by?

 

The second Dinshu stepped through the doorway, Kouga turned on him. Grabbing him by the collar forcefully, he slammed him back against the wall nearly choking the life out of him.

 

“I asked you if you handled her last night, didn't I?” Kouga bit out angrily, his luminous blue eyes boring dangerous holes into Din's own.

 

“I told you… I told you I handled it, Boss!”

 

Pulling his arm back swiftly, Kouga punched him dead on the nose and asked, “What's your definition of handle, you pathetic fuck?” Not waiting for the demon to explain or even attempt to answer, he pulled him away from the wall and slammed him back against it hard enough to cause his head to bounce a few times.

 

“That fucking bitch is alive, you fucking idiot! How the hell could you leave her alive?” he bellowed, releasing the demon and stomping away. “I swear I'm surrounded by fucking morons!”

 

Straightening out the front of his shirt, Dinshu, offered, “I got interrupted. I…I didn't mean to leave her…”

 

“You idiot, she saw your goddamn face!”

 

“I know, but-” Din tried to defend, his trademark grin in place.

 

“But, shit! You don't think she's going to describe you to the police? You don't think she's going to tell them every goddamn detail she can fucking remember; starting with that fucked up grin on your face!” Kouga shouted rounding on him.

 

“Boss, I can fix this! I…I just wasn't thinking is all!”

 

Glaring at the demon before him, Kouga's mental fortitude broke, cracked and began to crumbling around him.

 

“You never fucking think, Din!”

 

This wasn't happening! He hadn't come this close to finding Kagome to have to hightail it back to Kyoto empty handed! He was not, absolutely fucking not going to return to Kyoto empty handed!

 

Hell no!!

 

Picking up the chair from the small table in the corner, he charged at Dinshu, breaking it across his chest! As the demon fell to the floor covering his head and neck, Kouga commenced to kicking the living shit out of him while growling viciously, “I came here for fucking Kagome, you son of a bitch! I didn't come here to go to fucking jail, and definitely not because of your fucking stupidity!”

 

He was so angry, so pissed, so…so annoyed with everything and everyone that he found it hard to see pass his rage.

 

Stumbling back, Kouga turned, his eyes flashing red as he reached for his gun. “Get the fuck up! Get the hell up!” he ordered heatedly, pointing the barrel at Dinshu's head.

 

Everything in him screamed for him to pull the trigger and blow his damn brains out! Everything in him told him that this prick hadn't done anything, but made getting to Kagome that much freaking harder and if for that reason alone, he deserved to die!

 

Pathetic piece of shit, Kouga thought as his forefinger twitched spasmodically over the trigger!

 

“Boss, what the hell? I made a mistake! I can fix this, I promise, I can fix this!” Dinshu pleaded holding his hands up as if he was giving in.

 

Kouga stopped and stared at the youkai…his friend…his crony that he'd known just about as long as he'd known Hakkaku and Ginta, but he didn't care…nothing mattered to him with the exception of how fucking close he was to losing Kagome again.

 

He was sick of incompetence! Tired of everybody telling him that he didn't need Kagome; that he only wanted her because somewhere in the back of his mind he knew…he thought, he couldn't have her…couldn't get her back!

 

He was tired…damned tired of playing the doting husband to a woman he was barely able to stomach-through no fault of her own. Ayame, she was a damn good woman, but she was nothing more than a runner up! She was his mate… Truthfully, she wasn't his mate! His youkai hadn't chosen her! She was his fucking wife by default and nothing more!

 

Kouga was tired and irritated that nothing…fucking nothing came easy to him, and these morons…these fucking idiots that he surrounded himself with seemed to be either consciously or subconsciously thwarting him at every fucking turn!

 

“Kouga, please! Man…come on… Don't…don't fucking do this!” Dinshu begged urgently as he inched slowly up so that he was in a seated position.

 

Glaring down at him, Kouga slowly lowered the barrel of his gun as his breathing began to calm down and his vision began to slowly clear.

 

Turning around in a tight circle a few times, his hand clutching at his temples, he hissed, “Her license is in my coat pocket. Find her, kill her, and then take your stupid fucking ass back to Kyoto. And if you don't kill her, Dinshu, you better hope to the gods that she kills you because you're not going to like what I do to you.”

 

Kouga glared at Dinshu as he pulled himself up off the floor and shuffled quickly out of the room. Growling violently, he turned away from the door and pulled his cell phone from the pocket of the robe he was wearing. Flipping it open, he stated, “Hakkaku,” knowing that the voice dial would connect him.

 

The phone picked up on the second ring and he ordered without waiting for a greeting, “Oi, I need you in Tokyo.”

 

“Yeah, well my brother, whom you shot, needs me a little more.”

 

“I just gave you a fucking order!”

 

“Yeah, I know, and had you given me that order before you shot my fucking brother, I would've listened,” Hakkaku bit out, before the phone went dead in Kouga's ear.

 

Glaring at the cell phone screen that read `Call Lost', Kouga growled violently as his grip on the phone tightened so much that the plastic outer shell started to crack.

 

Has everyone lost their fucking minds? I'm the fucking boss! I'm the fucking boss, damn it! And he's going to tell me, no?

 

He was coming loose! He could feel it, from the inside out; he was coming undone! His world, the order, the power he'd worked so hard for was slipping away!

 

“Damn it to hell!” he hissed standing to his feet and stomping towards the window.

 

No, this shit wasn't going to work, he needed to get to Kagome, he needed to get her back with him, and then…and then all would go back to the way it was. Then and only then would he go back to Kyoto and deal with the mutinous bastards he called friends and lackeys!

 

Simonkal of Inuy

 

“You know you're going to have to go and see her, right?”

 

“Yeah, I know, but…”

 

Reaching across the table, Inuyasha grasped her hand and stated reassuringly, “What happened to her was not your fault, Kagome. You didn't ask for this to happen, and I'm sure Sango is more than aware of that.”

 

Squeezing his hand, Kagome tried to force a smile, but she just couldn't find it in her, not at the moment. “I know, Takahashi. But what if the detectives are right? What if she got into this mess because of something she did trying to protect me?”

 

Inuyasha stared at her, a rueful smile on his face. After his meeting, he'd taken a call from Yamaguchi Takeda, her boss, who informed him that they had found fingerprints in her office that were not hers nor Sango's, which were the only two people who had official access to her office.

 

He'd also told him that in questioning the cleaning crew, they found out that there was a youkai that had shown up at her office during the time that Sango was in the garage being attacked. He was claiming to be her boyfriend there to pick-up some documents that Kagome supposedly left. Yamaguchi had gone on to state that said youkai had used Sango's badge to gain access to the elevator and the floor.

 

After Inuyasha confirmed with the man that Kagome did not have a boyfriend nor had she left any documents behind, the hanyou had questioned whether the police were able to find a match in their system for the fingerprints, and if Sango's card was retrieved.

 

“They were not so lucky, I'm sorry,” the man had said which only served to solidify the hanyou's speculations even more.

 

Inuyasha then asked him for the location and room number of the hospital that Sango was being kept in and had Nya send her three bouquets of Tulips with a card from Kagome.

 

The hanyou was sure that Yamaguchi was more than a little concerned as to why he was so interested in this incident, but he hadn't asked any questions and for that he was thankful.

 

In the end, he'd told the man to keep their conversation between them and to please keep him abreast to any changes that occurred without letting the police know that he was interested.

 

He figured that the only reason Yamaguchi was so willing to give him the information he sought was because of who he was and his stature in Asia, which every once in a while did come in handy.

 

Glancing down at Ashton, whom they had picked up upon leaving his office, Inuyasha then glanced around at the open sitting area and the people…the couples that seemed to be just enjoying their own existences.

 

He couldn't help but to wonder how some people were dealt the hands they were. He was sure that when Kagome had first started dating that Kouga freak, she never once thought that he'd break her heart the way he did. Hell, when he'd first met Kikyo, marriage and betrayal were the last things on his mind, but that was exactly what he got.

 

How fair was it that some people were just dealt easy hands to live. Whereas, others had to scrape and scrimp for what little they had? For instance, he and his family had enough money and prestige that if he decided an hour from now that he was going to stop working and adopt 300 families, he and those families could live more than comfortably for the rest of their lives.

 

Yet, when it came to affairs of the heart, he was just as poor and broken as a vagrant begging for money on the street corner. While some of those same people that he would deem as poor, were so rich in love that no amount of money could measure up to it.

 

Shaking off his wayward thoughts, that honestly weren't making much sense to him, Takahashi sighed lightly and turned his attention to Kagome who was sitting across from him, staring down at her plate without seeing it.

 

She looked so lost, so destroyed that all he wanted to do was reach out and pull her to him. He wanted to make the world right again for her, if only for while, but he knew that this was not something that could be easily masked or fixed.

 

Her past-even though she didn't know it-had come back full circle. Her friend, her confidant, had been hurt and violated in the worst way and it seemed like it really was because of her, though he would be the last one to tell her that.

 

No, this was not something that he'd be able to just cover up and make go away. Instead, he knew, he'd have to stand beside her…with her and face this head on. After all, that is what friends do, right?

 

Ashton's soft growling drew him out of his thoughts and he reached down, petting the pup between his ears as he quickly glanced around the area looking for whatever it was that had caught the dogs attention.

 

“What's up, mutt?” Inuyasha questioned as he quickly glanced around in the direction that Ashton was barking. He didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary, but his eyes did fall on that of a man…a youkai with a stupid grin on his face sitting at the far corner of the patio, away from them, looking at a menu.

 

He wasn't there before, the hanyou thought idly, but brushed it off as he tightened his hold on Ashton's leash since the dog was pulling strongly against it. Staring down at the pup, and then up at the guy again, Inuyasha mumbled, “What's your problem, runt?”

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome questioned softly. “Why are you doing all this? You don't have to, you know?”

 

Turning his attention back to his companion, Inuyasha queried, “What are you talking about?”

 

“I mean… You're always there for me. Even before we-” She couldn't stop the blush that spread prettily over her cheeks. “You've just always been there for me. I can't really list everything that you've done for me that you didn't have to, but it's like… I don't know…”

 

“We're friends, right?”

 

She looked down, then back up at him and smiled sincerely. “Yeah, we are, aren't we?”

 

“Well then, there doesn't have to be a reason, right?” he questioned quietly.

 

Using her chop sticks to cut one of the two rice balls on her plate in half, Kagome declared softly, “Thank you, Inuyasha, for everything.”

 

“Please, wench. You're going a little too far with all this mushy stuff now. Besides, you pay me back nicely, don't you think?”

 

With a slightly brow marring frown, she asked, “What? How?”

 

Leaning across the table, he grinned mischievously as his hand loosened unknowingly around the leash. “Why, with that sweet ass you give me, of course.”

 

Kagome smiled for real for the first time that day, even though she couldn't stop an embarrassing blush from staining her cheeks. At that same moment, Ashton's barking took on a vicious snarl as he charged across the open patio.

 

Kagome jumped to her feet. “Ashton, no!!” she yelled as she watched him pounce on a man's pant leg. His small canines latched into the material of the gentleman's pants.

 

“Shit, I'll get him! You stay here,” Inuyasha told her as he quickly made it over to the guy who was reaching down trying desperately to pull the dog off of him.

 

“Damn man, I'm really sorry about this. He doesn't normally act like such a bastard,” Inuyasha advised the gentleman quickly as he reached down and thumped the pup on his nose in order to make him release the guy's pant leg.

 

The stranger eyed him curiously, before he shrugged his shoulder uncaringly and broke into a cheeky grin. “Think nothing of it. Dogs just seem to dislike me for some reason.”

 

Something about the guy didn't seem right to him either, but Inuyasha wasn't about to waste anymore time thinking about it. He needed to get Ashton and Kagome the hell out of there before the owner came and threw them out. Gripping the dog's leash, he dragged him behind him as he threw over his shoulder, “Again, sorry about that.”

 

Kagome ran towards them. Kneeling down, she picked up the pup that was actually getting a little too big to be picked up and kissed him on the nose. “You're such a bad dog, no treats for you tonight.”

 

Glancing at the guy, she smiled politely and nodded her head apologetically. Narrowing her eyes just a little, she thought absently, He looks familiar, but quickly brushed that off as she turned her attention back to her puppy.

 

“Come on, let's get out of here,” Inuyasha told her, handing her the leash. Stepping over to the table, he dropped a fifty on it and made his way quickly back over to where Kagome was standing.

 

Glancing over at the table where Ashton had just tried to maim the youkai, Inuyasha stopped short. There was no one there. The menu was still there and a tall glass of water, but there was no one, absolutely no one there.

 

Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha glanced around the patio again. What the hell? That fucker was right there, he thought quickly.

 

Turning back around, he watched as the pup that Kagome had sat back down on the floor pulled her towards the exit.

 

Starting towards the door, Inuyasha couldn't stop the pieces from falling into place. He knew Ashton well enough to know that the dog was not at all a vicious animal, so for him to actually attack someone…

 

He had to have known him or his scent, but how? Kagome hasn't taken him anywhere that I know of where she had an altercation with anyone. Is it possible that that bastard… No, that's too much of a coincidence, but still what else would explain Ashton's reaction, he thought quickly as he stepped through the door and onto the sidewalk.

 

Gazing rapidly up and down the sidewalk and not seeing anyone that seemed suspicious, Inuyasha stepped over to Kagome who was waiting patiently while Ashton pissed on the trunk of a street tree.

 

Slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back to him and glanced around the area again, feeling eyes on him, but unable to locate exactly where the owner of said eyes was.

 

This isn't a fucking coincidence. It can't be, not this time! Fuck!

 

“You know if you don't stop being so affectionate with me, I'm going to start to think that you're developing feelings for me,” Kagome teased softly as she stepped to the side and slipped her arm around his waist.

 

Glancing down at her, Inuyasha reached over and took Ashton's leash out of her hand as they started down the sidewalk and back to his car, his free arm draped around her shoulder. “Don't think about it too much, you might hurt yourself.”

 

Kagome giggled and leaned into him just thankful that for at least a little while it seemed that things hadn't really changed at all.

 

Peering around them as his ears swiveled back and forth secretly searching for any footsteps that may be following them, Inuyasha did his best to pretend as if nothing unusual was taking place.

 

Sango's attack, the fingerprints in Kagome's office, Ashton's reaction to that guy; all of this had to have something to do with Kouga, because coincidences like this just didn't happen; it didn't!

 

Stopping at his car, he quickly reached into his pocket for his keys and unlocked the door so that Kagome and Ashton could get in. After making his way around to the driver's side, he spared a moment to check his surrounding once more, before swiftly climbing into the car and cranked the ignition.

 

“So your place or mine, or would you rather go to see Sango now?” he questioned, knowing that he needed to talk to her about Ginta.

 

Turning her gaze away from the people standing on the sidewalk, she replied sadly, “I'm not ready to see her tonight, Inuyasha.” Looking at him with hopeful eyes she continued, “Would it be okay if we just went tomorrow morning?”

 

We, he thought since he really hadn't planned on going with her, but he quickly pushed that thought aside as he stopped at a red light. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he watched as a black nondescript car with smoked out tinted windows pulled out from in front of the sushi stand they'd just left.

 

Definitely, not a coincidence, he surmised as he stared at the car.

 

“So then, your place or mine?” he questioned again, trying to keep things as normal as possible between them.

 

She was quiet for a moment as if she wasn't going to answer him or as if she was cogitating over something.

 

“Inuyasha, do you think that this is okay? I mean, we have been spending a lot of time together lately, haven't we?”

 

“What are you saying, Higurashi?”

 

Glancing over at him, she tried to clarify, “I'm just saying that, I know that we've kind of moved on from being just friends to special friends, but-“

 

“Special…friends?” Inuyasha quipped with a chuckle.

 

“Well, yeah, baka. It's not like I sleep with all of my friends!” Kagome retorted quickly. “I'm just saying-”

 

“I know what you're saying, wench, and I'm fine with it, if you are,” he responded while eyeing the black car that was still a few vehicles behind him, but yet making every turn that he made.

 

Kagome stared at him with a small smile on her face. “I guess, I'll figure out whether I'm going to go to Kyoto for a while tomorrow, but for tonight, I think…I guess I wouldn't mind staying at your place if that's alright with you.”

 

Whipping the car around so that he did a tight u-turn in the middle of the street, Inuyasha gunned his engine and sped pass the black car that he was sure was following them. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as he passed the car in question.

 

His golden gaze locked on that of the driver, the guy that Ashton had almost bit. The demon gawked at him, or was it passed him, with a stupid ass-backward grin on his face.

 

Definitely not a fucking coincidence, the hanyou hissed as he floored the gas pedal, ran through two red lights, and veered onto the highway.

 

Inuyasha couldn't shake the feeling that gripped him, causing his spine to stiffen, and a low growl to rise in the back of his throat.

 

They're really after her!

 

Glancing over at Kagome who was sitting back, her nails digging into the leather seats, Inuyasha began to slow down just a little as he reached over and grabbed her hand. Interlacing his fingers with hers, he declared softly to himself, I promise Kagome, I will protect you from them.

 

Simonkal of Inuy

 

Dinshu grinned into his side mirror as he watched the big body, black BMW whiz down the street in the opposite direction and disappear from sight.

 

When he'd stopped to grab a bite to eat on his way to find the tramp from the night before, he hadn't expected to come face to face with the woman that Kouga was losing his proverbial mind over, but he was elated just the same.

 

At first, he'd thought about phoning Kouga and letting him know who he'd run into, but quickly decided that since it seemed that his asshole of a boss thought he was so fucking inept, he'd hand deliver her to him, but only after he had a little fun of his own.

 

What he hadn't expected was that the mutt that had barked and yelped like crazy when he'd found her apartment, which he hadn't told Kouga about, would remember his scent. And he figured that, that was alright too, because it didn't seem at first that the half breed that she was with caught onto exactly why the dog was behaving the way he was.

 

And they think I'm stupid!

 

Of course, when he'd been given the address with no unit number and ordered to find out who lived there, he'd felt as if he was being sent on a wild goose chase. However, when he'd finally stepped onto what turned out to be her floor and he smelled her scent, he knew…just knew that he'd hit the jackpot.

 

Dinshu hadn't actually made it into the apartment because her neighbors called building security to check on the damn barking dog, but that was okay too. He'd located her, and that on its own was worth its weight in gold.

 

They all think I'm some kind of idiot, he thought with a grin as he whipped his rental around and headed in the same direction that he'd seen the BMW go in.

 

But I'll show them, I'll show them all. I'll kill that tramp bitch from the other night, and I'll be the one that brings Kagome to Kouga! Then, they'll see… He'll see that I'm more fucking dependable and trustworthy than all of those other bastards put together.

 

Veering onto the highway that he was sure the hanyou had entered, he gunned his engine and closely eyed the cars that he came up on and passed in order not to pass the one holding the prize...Kouga's prize, but his treat.

 

Until Next Time… (Your .02 cents are greatly appreciated!!)

 

Next Chapter: Heart to Heart

 

Acknowledgements:

 

Lilsweetpea011 ~ Olddog333 ~ Nameless04 ~Miss_Marilyn69 (Great name) ~ Little Miss Lulu ~ Silverwolfhalfbeast (You got it, thank you!!)~ FoxyLove ~ Sexxigurrll0204 ~ mrskouga (Ironic, isn't it? So, how do you feel about your husband running behind another woman...lol) ~ angel-up-above-heaven ~ New Fan ~ Mynera ~ InuGoddess715 ~ MadMistress65 ~ Deipurple ~ Silent Reader ~ Loulou4729 ~ Nancey(She's not a criminal attorney, and when they asked, “Is there anyone…” I figured that that would cover all avenues. But you have a great eye for detail, thanks!!) ~ Lunabell ~ Ai Kisugi ~ 1love1 ~ Xynblue ~ Niiicko ~ Hentai Strumpet