InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hijacked Honeymoon ❯ Chapter 13

Hijacked Honeymoon

 

Chapter 13

 

“I'm not sure what to tell her,” Kagome admitted, pulling her baseball cap down low over her eyes as Sesshomaru turned onto Main Street and went around the block to survey the elegant, brick-and-glass condominium that screamed nouveau riche. She understood Sesshomaru enough to know he was focusing more on the entrances and exits, the approaches where they would have cover and the areas they would be exposed, then their conversation.

 

What should she tell Sango? The truth seemed so unbelievable that it had taken her over twenty-four hours to come to grips with it. Sesshomaru had not just convinced her with his words, but his actions and the manner with which he wield power. He'd won Kagome over with logic and intelligence and tenderness, and she now believed Sesshomaru to be exactly who he claimed—how could she not after he'd taught her to use a gun and was willing to let her hold it on him? But then she'd believed Hojo and he might have lied to her repeatedly. If she was truthful with herself, Hojo had swept her up in a whirlwind romance when she'd been at her weakest after her mother's death.

 

Now that she could compare Sesshomaru's consistent behaviour with Hojo's erratic nature, she'd come to realize that she may have been more enthralled with the idea of being in love then she was actually in love with Hojo. Had she wanted a family so much that she'd willing to forgive Hojo's sudden disappearances that he'd claimed had been job-related without question? Had she also been willing to excuse his idea to put off lovemaking until after their wedding because she'd really believed the idea romantic? Now she thought it more then odd. Suspicious.

 

But should she tell Sango everything?

 

As if reading her mind, Sesshomaru suggested, “Sometimes it's easier to believe a partial truth.”

 

Kagome turned in the seat and studied his handsome face, his steady eyes, his straight nose, his firm lips that hesitated as if he knew how much she didn't want to lie to Sango. In the short time they'd been together, she suspected she already knew and understood her far better then Hojo had. Sesshomaru was observant and he had an uncanny understanding of how her mind worked. “I don't want to put Sango in danger by telling her more then she must.”

 

“Then you shouldn't say a word about your father. Or that we suspect Hojo is a double agent.”

 

“I understand.” She accepted his advice, fully believing he knew how to cover their tracks.

 

An hour after dark, they entered Sango's building and took the elevator to the top floor. While Kagome still hadn't settled on a story, an idea was niggling at her. Sango was a romantic at heart but she hadn't been in favor of this wedding. Although she'd never come right out and said anything against Hojo, she hadn't been wild with joy about the guy. So if Kagome could come up with a good enough reason for her change of heart, Sango would believe she'd had doubts about the marriage.

 

Kagome knocked on Sango's front door, her heart tripping. When Sango didn't answer, she pressed the touch keypad and the lock clicked open. Once inside, she tried to disable the alarm, but the blinking red light warned they had mere seconds until the alarm company would summon the police. “She must have changed the code.”

 

“It's okay.” Sesshomaru smoothly took over. He opened the plastic box that house circuits and wires, then attached an electric device that turned the alarm light to green, then snapped the bow shut.

 

She was about to hit the light switch when he grabbed her hand. “Don't do anything that reveals we're here. And whatever story you tell your friend. Remember to incorporate some reason for secrecy.”

 

“Okay. Now what?” edgy, standing in the dark, she shifted from foot to foot, her sneakers squeaking on Sango's marble floors. When Whiskers rubbed against her legs, demanding attention she picked up the cat. “Hi, fella. “Miss me?”

 

Sesshomaru plucked a tiny penlight from his front pocket. “We check the layout.”

 

“The living room leads to a hallway and the master suite. The kitchen and spare bedroom are this way,” she gestured, letting him pick the direction as she continued to hold and pet the cat. She found his soft purring soothing on her jangled nerves.

 

The exquisite rooms were large, the ceiling with crown molding high, and she'd chosen Sango could have afforded a decorator, she'd chosen everything from the bamboo flooring at the Venetian-cut chandelier. The eclectic mix of priceless antiques and contemporary furniture, some rescued from a dumpster and lovingly refinished, portrayed Sango's quirky personality as much as two elaborate floral arrangements that revealed her artistry with lilies. As Kagome followed Sesshomaru down the dark hallway, she noted he wasn't just concerned with the layout. He checked every closet and under every bed, any place spacious enough for a man to hide. He examined the window locks and closed every blind, then tested the doors to the balconies as well as the pantry and the extra bathrooms, sliding back the showers doors to make sure the place was empty.

 

The lock at the front door clicked again, and Kagome jumped as if she was a cat burglar about to be caught. Whiskers leaped out of her arms and padded down the hall. Sesshomaru put a warm, reassuring hand on her shoulder and suddenly she knew exactly what to tell her friend. When Sango stepped into her condo, alone Kagome let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Sango? It's Kagome,” she called out, afraid she'd give her unsuspecting friend a heart attack if she didn't identify herself.

 

Sango flicked on the light, her enormous brown eyes going wide, then her face breaking into a warm smile. Flinging herself into Kagome's arms, she half laughed, half sobbed, “Oh, God. I can't believe it's you.” She hugged Kagome so tightly her ribs almost cracked. “How could you go off and not tell me anything? I thought you were dead. And Hojo's been out of his mind with worrying…”

 

“I know. That's why I came as soon as I could.” Kagome soothed her while Sesshomaru looked on, clearly curious how she would handle the situation and ready to play along.

 

“Sango, I want you to meet Sesshomaru Chikarou. Sesshomaru this is my best friend, Sango Suzuki.”

 

Sesshomaru held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, ma'am.”

 

Sango's brown eyes narrowed, but she shook his hand. “Thanks for bringing Kagome back safe to me.”

 

“We can't stay long,” Sesshomaru said as Sango paused for breath, his look warning Kagome the longer they stayed, the more danger they would out Sango in.

 

Sango closed the door, reset the lock and stopped to scratch Whiskers behind the ears. “So where the hell have you been? And what's with the atrocious wig? And how did you get past my alarm after I changed the combination?”

 

“Sesshomaru has a way with electronics,” Kagome answered vaguely and tugged off the wig. Sango may have been shaken up over her disappearance, but she was recovering quickly and she had a ton of questions in her sharp eyes.

 

Sango bit her bottom lip. “If I'm reading things right, electronics is not all Sesshomaru has a way with.”

 

“That reminds me.” Sesshomaru detached the alarm's plastic casing and then the device he'd inserted earlier. “I can remove this now.” Noting Sango's confused look, Sesshomaru add, “I didn't hurt anything. Your system's as good as new.”

 

“It's not my system I'm worried about but Kagome.” Sango gave Kagome one of her I-need-convincing looks, then entered the kitchen, poured Whiskers a bowl of food, replenishing his water and washed her hands at the sink. Kagome knew her friend was stalling, her mind thinking a mile a minute, a trick she used often during her interviews to put people off guard. Sango pulled glassed from the cabinet, a wine bottle from the fridge, extracted chocolate Kisses from a cabinet, dumped potato chips into a bowl and brought everything to the coffee table. “Talk. And start at the beginning.”

 

Kagome helped herself to a chocolate Kiss and a handful of chips. “Sesshomaru and I met while I was away that semester at the University of Alabama.”

 

“You never told me…” Sango hesitated to say more as if fearing Sesshomaru might take offense. Kagome loved her friend for many reasons, but she appreciated her tack right now more then ever.

 

“Sesshomaru wanted to get married, but I was set on finishing school.” Kagome knew Sango would but a romantic story, and Sesshomaru played along without once changing expression, merely keeping him arm protectively over her shoulders for emphasis. “We fought and broke up. Then Mom—“

 

“Slow down. Your going way too fast.” Sango sipped her wine. “You fought about getting married, and that's why you broke up?”

 

Sesshomaru grinned. “She was convinced there was nothing between us but…lust. I knew better.”

 

Kagome almost spilled her wine over the heat he put into those words. And when she risked a glance into his gaze, her stomach did flip-flops until she reminded herself that he was acting to fool Sango. But, oh my, could the man turn on the charm.

 

“Then Mom died and I came back to Canfield,” Kagome continued, wondering if she should have come up with a better story, especially since Sesshomaru seemed so pleased with this one. “When Sesshomaru heard I was marrying Hojo, he decided I was making a mistake.”

 

“Well. That makes two of us,” Sango admitted, eyeing Sesshomaru with new appreciation.

 

“When I wouldn't take his calls, he decided on drastic measures and hijacked me on the way to my wedding.”

 

“But you don't want me to call the police, do you?” Sango asked, hanging on Kagome's every word and frowning at Sesshomaru. As much as Sango had disapproved of Hojo, she would take her cues from Kagome, making her realize how dear she really was.

 

Sesshomaru pulled Kagome tight against him, presenting a united front. With her head tucked against his shoulder, her side nestled against his chest, she no longer needed her usual comfort foods. Especially when his scent was richer then chocolate and his touch heated her faster then sipping her favorite wine.

 

Sesshomaru spoke in a reasonable tone. “What we want is for you to stop the media blitz. As you can see, Kagome is fine.”

 

“Are you?” Sango stared at Kagome, her mind clicking into reporter mode, probing the story, seeking inconsistencies and weaknesses. “Are you really fine? And if so why haven't you called?”

 

“Because Sesshomaru decided to leave by helicopter and we crashed in the—“

 

“Oh, my God!” Sango almost spilled her wine and set down her glass. “You were in that chopper? I showed the clips last night. There was just a black metal shell.”

 

“We got out before it exploded,” Kagome told her, feeling guilty for putting Sango through so much worry.

 

Sango reached for her cell phone. “Even if I don't like…you've got to call Hojo.”

 

“I can't.” Kagome shook her head, knowing this was the trickiest part of the story.

 

“Why not? You have the right to change your mind about the marriage, but not letting him know you are alive is downright irresponsible.”

 

As Sango stared hard into Kagome's eyes, Sesshomaru bailed her out. “Hojo isn't what he seems.”

 

“I don't want him to find me. That's why I was wearing the wig. For a disguise.”

 

“Excuse me?” Sango downed the rest of her wine in one gulp.

 

“Hojo went a little nuts,” Sesshomaru said, taking over the conversation for a moment. “Someone shot at us while we were in the forest. We think it might have been Hojo,” Sesshomaru lied to her. The shooter couldn't have been Hojo, and guilt stabbed her for blaming him when they knew from Kincaid that Hojo had been at the FBI office at the time. “With his FBI connections, Hojo has the resources to track us.”

 

Sango frowned. “I don't understand.”

 

Sesshomaru scowled as if he found the notion distasteful. “There are men who believe that if they can't have a woman, no one else should.”

 

“Are you saying Hojo had gone insane and is trying to kill Kagome?”

 

“We don't know.” Kagome spoke softly. “Right now I don't want to talk to him. After all that's happened, I don't even want him to know I'm alive.”

 

“Okay. Fine.” Sango leaned forward and took Kagome's hand. “I'll do whatever you want. I'll put an end to the posters and television and radio and newspaper blitz, but you can't spent the rest of your live hiding.”

 

“She won't have to.” Sesshomaru spoke again. “I'll see to that.”

 

“How?” Sango asked, her tone wary and challenging and sympathetic all at the same time.

 

Sesshomaru's tone was self-assured. Solid. “You don't want to know.”

 

Sango's eyes flashed. Clearly unsatisfied with Sesshomaru's vague response, she was about to press him further when Sesshomaru stood, his expression grim. He signalled for them to keep talking with a rolling motion of his hand, then mysteriously headed down the hall, merging with the shadows, his footsteps absolutely silent. But from the intensity on his face, the tightly presses lips and the focused eyes, Kagome had no doubt he was stalking his pray.

 

Someone must be in the apartment.

 

A shiver of fear shimmied down her spine. Had someone followed them? Were they in danger? If she'd brought trouble to Sango, she would never forgive herself.

 

And what about Sesshomaru? Was he risking his live to protect them? While she had every confidence in his skills, he could be surprised or outnumbered.

 

Get a grip.

 

Kagome understood that Sesshomaru had wanted them to keep talking while he checked out the disturbance, but she feared Sango was going to say something to give away Sesshomaru's location. She out her fingers to her lips, signalling Sango to be quiet. And then she pretended to talk to Sesshomaru as if he was still in the room.

 

“Sesshomaru, you're such a sweetheart for giving Sango and me this chance for girl talk.” She prattled on and on, her head cocked, listening for some sigh that Sesshomaru was okay. When she couldn't think of another single syllable to utter, she stopped. And heard a crash, like glass smashing and bodies crashing into the walls and furniture.

 

Sesshomaru hadn't left her with instructions.

 

Should they hide?

 

Go help him?

 

Call 911?

 

Think.

 

She didn't have time to think.

 

No she didn't have time to make a mistake.

 

From the crashing noises that echoed from the guest room and the sound of flesh smacking flesh, outside help wouldn't arrive in time. It was up to them to save themselves.

 

Idiot.

 

Kagome smacked her head with her palm sill sore from her shooting lesson. How could she have forgotten the weight on her ankle or that she was armed?

 

Sesshomaru had warned her not to pull her gun unless she was sure she could use it. Not to point it unless she wanted to hit her target. Not to pull the trigger unless she intended to kill. Sesshomaru had also told her that hitting a moving target was much more difficult that a stationary one.

 

Oh, God. If she went down the hall, she had to make damn sure she didn't shoot Sesshomaru by accident.

 

“Come on.” Sango tugged her arm. “Lets get the hell out of here.”

 

“Sesshomaru might need help.”

 

“Honey, if he can't defeat whoever broke in, you don't stand a chance.”

 

“But I do.” Kagome reached down to her ankle and withdrew the gun.

 

A/N two chapters in one-day u should be happy, I would. Anyways please review.