InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 6: Shameless ❯ Flower Girls ( Chapter 30 )

~~Chapter 30~~

~Flower Girls~

 

 

 

“Damn, Jilli, there's nothing to do here,” Evan complained as he drained his cup of coffee and shook his head in a show of complete disdain. “And I do mean nothing . . . went into Hidekea last night to the bar, and I gotta tell you, I've seen more action in a graveyard than there was going on there . . .”

 

“A graveyard?” Jillian echoed with a wry grin as she took Evan's cup to refill it.

 

He grinned. “Hell, yes! Girls do really fucked-up things in graveyards . . .”

 

She rolled her eyes but giggled. Evan had arrived a couple hours after Gavin had carried her inside. His jokes and easy sense of humor were enough to reassure her, and for that, she'd love her brother forever.

 

InuYasha stomped into the kitchen and made a face at the mug of coffee that Jillian offered him. rummaging around in the refrigerator, he grabbed a bottle of water and hopped onto the counter, drawing his feet up and settling down with his hands gripping the edge of the counter between his feet, ears twitching as he tried to accustom himself to the new surroundings.

 

`He looks like a puppy, doesn't he?'

 

`Sure,' her youkai agreed, `just don't say that to him . . .'

 

Judiciously keeping her thoughts to herself, Jillian refilled Evan's coffee mug and grabbed the one her grandfather had rejected before sitting down at the table with her brother. “I'm so glad you're both here,” she remarked with a bright smile, “but, Evan, what about your tour?”

 

Evan shrugged offhandedly. “According to press releases, Zel Roka has the flu,” he told her. “Don't worry about it. The shows are being rescheduled. I'll pick them back up at the end of the tour. Maybe then I can get the old man to go,” he teased.

 

“Keh,” InuYasha snorted.

 

Gavin wandered into the kitchen with a wide yawn, rubbing his knuckles up and down the center of his tee-shirt-clad chest. She had a feeling that he would have rather stayed in bed a little while longer, but with guests in the house and more scheduled to be arriving today, as well, she'd asked him to help her entertain their guests since she still had quite a few things to do in the time remaining until the wedding. The main objective of the day was to buy dresses for her two flower girls.

 

“Morning, Gavvie,” she said, hopping up to give him a quick hug and kiss before careening around to get him a fresh cup of coffee.

 

“Morning,” he mumbled, stifling another yawn with the back of his hand.

 

“Holy hell, Gavvie, you look like shit,” Evan pointed out with a wolfish grin.

 

Gavin scratched the back of his neck and slowly forced himself to focus on Evan's countenance. “I didn't get much sleep last night,” he said.

 

“Oh, so that's what that noise was,” Evan teased. “I wondered . . .”

 

True to form, Gavin blushed and shook his head. “It wasn't like that,” he grumbled as a smiling Jillian set his coffee down on the table. “I was up late playing that new Prix Grande Tokyo game.”

 

Evan's chin snapped up. Gavin had told her before that PGT was supposed to be the hottest racing title to hit the video game market in years, and she'd been more than happy to buy it for him. “Yeah? You got that?”

 

Gavin finally grinned, and Jillian hid her amusement behind her coffee mug. “Jilli bought it for me,” he admitted.

 

“You dog!” Evan complained. “Where is it?”

 

“Upstairs. Wait till I drink my coffee.”

 

Evan made a face but sank back down with a shake of his head. “Damn . . . you weren't supposed to get that game until I was done touring,” he complained.

 

Gavin shot him a calculating glance. “Oh? And you're saying that you wouldn't get it and play it while you're on the road?”

 

Evan's only reply was an incredibly cheesy grin. “Well, I didn't say that . . .”

 

InuYasha snorted. “Keh! Games . . . how old are you?” he grouched.

 

Evan rolled his eyes. “Don't think I don't know that Uncle Ryomaru and Kichiro play video games whenever they can . . . Toga does, too, for that matter.”

 

Jillian checked her watch and hopped up, leaning over to kiss Gavin's cheek before hurrying over to rinse her mug and deposit it in the sink.

 

“Where you going, pup?” InuYasha called after her.

 

“I'm taking Karis and Minnie shopping for their flower girl dresses,” she replied.

 

Gavin leaned back to look at her. “You want me to come along?”

 

“Silly! You're not supposed to see the dresses before the wedding!” she chided.

 

Gavin wrinkled his nose. “That only applies to the wedding dress, Jilli,” he pointed out.

 

She laughed. “I know, but Papa called late last night to say that he and Mama will be flying in around nine, which means they'll be here around ten if the flight's on time, so one of us should be here to meet them, don't you think?”

 

Gavin grimaced. “All the more reason for me to go with you,” he muttered.

 

“Daddy's not going to do anything to you,” she assured him.

 

Evan chuckled. InuYasha rolled his eyes. Gavin's grimace shifted into a scowl. “All right,” he agreed reluctantly. “Just be careful, okay?”

 

“Okay,” she said, kissing his cheek again for good measure. “I'd have asked Charity and Chelsea to go with me, but I think they're still sleeping.”

 

“Because they're smart,” Gavin grumbled.

 

With a jaunty wave, Jillian ducked out of the kitchen, almost colliding with Ben, who caught her shoulders and steadied her before she stumbled. “Everything all right?” he asked, bending down to peer into her face.

 

Jillian giggled and patted his forearm. “Just fine,” she told him. “There's fresh coffee in the pot, and muffins and croissants in the breadbox. If you want something else, I'm sure there are other things in the refrigerator.”

 

Ben smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Thank you, Jillian. I'm sure a muffin would be more than enough.”

 

Jillian's expression stated plainly that she didn't agree with him. After all, he was quite a big man—maybe not as big as her father or brother, and not as big as Gavin, but the panther-youkai was very tall though he possessed more of a lanky build than any of the men in her family.

 

Pausing just long enough to grab her purse off the table near the door, Jillian hurried outside, smiling wide when the sunshine hit her face, her shoulders. Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the number. “Hi, Mikio,” she greeted after she hit the button to connect the call. “I'm surprised to hear from you!”

 

Mikio sighed. “Hello. It's not too early there, is it?”

 

Jillian smiled. “No. In fact, I was just on my way out. I'm looking forward to seeing you, though!”

 

He sighed again. “That's why I called. A few things have come up here, and I'm afraid I'm not going to get away to in time to make it for your wedding. I'm really sorry.”

 

“Aww,” she drawled. “I'm sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to seeing you!”

 

“I'm really sorry,” he repeated. “There's a problem with one of Sesshoumaru's acquisitions, and it can't wait till I get back . . . a lot of legal red tape and stuff.”

 

“It's okay,” Jillian assured him. “We were planning on recording the ceremony. If you'd like, I can send a copy of it home with Grandma.”

 

His tone brightened. “Yeah?”

 

“Don't worry. We didn't really give much notice.”

 

“I'm sorry, Jillian. For what it's worth, I'm sure you're going to be a beautiful bride.”

 

“Thanks, Mikio. Love you.”

 

He chuckled, but she didn't miss the underlying hint of sadness in his tone. “You, too,” he told her.

 

Clicking off the phone, she frowned as she unlocked the driver's side door of the truck. She'd miss Mikio at her wedding, certainly, but it couldn't really be helped. As one of Sesshoumaru's most trusted attorneys, Mikio had a lot of responsibilities, and since they hadn't been planning the wedding that long, she couldn't really hold it against her uncle that he couldn't make it on such short notice as much as she would have loved to see him.

 

`It's all right,' she said, giving herself a little pep talk. `Look at the bright side of things: Mickey B. is behind bars, Gavvie's already my mate, next weekend, I'll marry him . . . There's nothing—nothing—that could possibly go wrong.'

 

 

-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-

 

 

Cain sat back in the shiny leather chair in the prosecuting attorney's office, rubbing his temple to dispel the headache that thumped in his skull. InuYasha stood off to the side near the windows looking anything but friendly though he had actually put shoes on for the excursion, much to Cain's surprise. Gavin sat in the chair beside him, and Ben slouched against the bookshelves the lined the far wall. Evan had opted out of the meeting in favor of meeting Madison, who had arrived just after Cain and Gin, and to be honest, Cain wasn't at all sure he wanted to know what his youngest son was doing at the moment. For the most part, the prosecuting attorney—Harvey Manning—wasn't overtly nervous, but if things kept up the way they were going, Cain had to wonder just how long the man's composure would hold.

 

“So what you're saying is that he's got an attorney that's fighting the extradition?”

 

“Yes, Mr. Zelig, that's exactly what I'm saying.

 

“And the charges here?”

 

Mr. Manning steepled his fingertips together and nodded. “We're keeping him on destruction of personal property and trespassing,” he answered.

 

“That's not good enough.”

 

The prosecuting attorney's smile was tight, and he shot a cursory glance at InuYasha before going on. “It's enough to hold him. It gives you a little bit of time to get a restraining order put into place. With that, if he comes within a certain distance of your daughter at any time, he'll be taken into custody, no questions asked. While the evidence you've gathered against him might not be admissible in criminal proceedings here in Montana, it can and will be taken into consideration in order to get an emergency restraining order against him within twenty-four hours.”

 

Cain nodded, peeking at Gavin out of the corner of his eye. Gavin looked like he was about ready to leap out of his chair and across the desk to knock some sense into the man. Gripping the arms of the chairs so tightly that his fingertips were white, his jaw bulged with the force that he was using to keep his mouth closed.

 

“Has he been questioned?”

 

Mr. Manning shifted in his chair and nodded. “Yes, but only regarding the trespassing and destruction of personal property . . . I'm assuming you want those charges to be filed, Mr. Jamison?”

 

“Do you really have to ask?” Gavin gritted out.

 

Mr. Manning sighed and nodded. “Yes, I do.”

 

Gavin nodded, too. “Just keep him the hell away from my fianceé,” he stated. “I don't care what it takes. Just keep him away from her.”

 

“Understood.” Drumming an ink pen against the calendar on the desk, Manning seemed to be trying to figure out how to ask his next question. Shooting InuYasha a somewhat guarded glance, he sat back in his chair and pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Mr. Izayoi,” he began slowly, “is it true that you were holding Mr. Bingerman at sword point?”

 

“Fuck yes, I was,” InuYasha snarled. “Got a problem with that?”

 

Mr. Manning was at a loss, if the expression on his face meant anything at all. InuYasha glared belligerently back at him, and Cain had to cover his mouth to hide his misplaced amusement at the given situation. He didn't find it humorous that Bingerman had showed up in Montana, no, but he couldn't say he felt too sorry for the human, either, when he inadvertently found himself on the sharp side of Tetsusaiga. “Well, sir . . . it's . . . not advisable to run around doling out vigilante justice,” Mr. Manning said carefully.

 

“Ain't like I killed the damn bastard,” InuYasha growled.

 

“And he was trespassing,” Cain added reasonably.

 

“All the same,” Mr. Manning insisted. “Was it a model sword?”

 

“What?” InuYasha barked. “A model? Hell, no, it wasn't a fucking model!”

 

A knock on the door cut through the rising tension. Mr. Manning stood up stiffly and strode over to the door. The prosecuting attorney and the stranger conversed in hushed voices for a moment before they entered the room. Mr. Manning cleared his throat. “This is Craig Hatch from the FBI. He's been called in to investigate this case.

 

Mr. Hatch made the rounds, shaking hands and introducing himself to everyone with a tepid smile plastered on his face. After that, he stood back and glanced at each one of them before speaking, straightening his nondescript black tie and stuffing his hands into his pockets. “We've been called in because, as you know, there's reason to believe that Mr. Bingerman was also responsible for the accident with Ms. Zelig's rental car down in Cancun. If that's the case, then he's created an international disturbance. I've been sent over to speak to you while my partner, Dane Maxwell is over interviewing Mr. Bingerman.” He paused a moment, glancing at Gavin and Ben before looking at Cain once more. “Mr. Zelig, I take it you don't mind that non-family members sit in on this meeting?”

 

“Non-family? Ben, you mean? He's an old family friend,” Cain clarified. “He's assisted in the investigation to date, as well.”

 

Mr. Hatch nodded. “And him?” he asked, nodding in Gavin's direction.

 

Cain didn't have to glance at Gavin to know that the young man was on the verge of losing his temper. “Gavin is Jillian's fiancé. I'm sure that whatever you have to say can be said in his presence.”

 

“I see . . . and you, sir?”

 

Cain almost snorted at the use of `sir' to address InuYasha. “Keh! She's my granddaughter. I ain't leaving.”

 

Mr. Hatch looked rather surprised. “Granddaughter?” he echoed with a shake of his head. “She's your granddaughter?”

 

“Yeah . . . what of it?”

 

Cain might have laughed outright if the situation weren't so dire. The look of disbelief on the FBI agent's face was almost comical. Of course, to a human, InuYasha didn't look old enough to have an adult child, let alone a granddaughter, but the FBI agent looked much older than InuYasha. “Is his age really the issue? Every one of us is here because we're concerned about Jillian's well-being,” Cain commented.

 

Mr. Hatch blinked and nodded almost absently. “Right . . . right . . .”

 

“I want this guy kept as far away from Jillian as possible,” Gavin ground out. “I don't care how you have to do it; I just want him kept away from her.”

 

Mr. Hatch nodded. “And we'll do whatever we have to do to ensure that Mr. Bingerman can't hurt her, Mr. Jamison. Now, it's my understanding that you, Mr. Zelig, have had a private investigative unit on the case for quite some time now. Is that correct?”

 

Cain nodded. “My oldest son and my nephew, yes.”

 

“Would it be possible to have copies of all of your records?'

 

“Certainly.”

 

“Okay. That'd help quite a bit.”

 

“Are you going to keep that bastard away from Jillian?” Gavin demanded.

 

Mr. Hatch pasted on what could only be described as an indulgent smile as he turned his attention to Gavin once more. “We're doing everything we can, Mr. Jamison. At the moment, however, I really need to speak with Mr. Zelig since he is her father.”

 

“I'm her fiancé,” Gavin bit out.

 

“Of course you are. You still don't have any legal right to sit in on these meetings. I'm allowing you to, however, since I understand that you care about Ms. Zelig, and while I can appreciate your concern—”

 

“Can you?” Gavin challenged. “Can you really? As for your `rights'? I have more right to be in on this meeting than just about anyone else alive, all things considered. Jillian and I are getting married next weekend. The last thing she needs to worry about is some psychopath that thinks he's in love with her.”

 

“I can understand your worry,” Mr. Hatch said again. “However, you must understand that these things take time. There are certain things we must do in order to keep things airtight, as far as researching the case against Mr. Bingerman, and—”

 

“And you're telling me that in this case—in this country—that the criminal has more rights than the person he's victimized,” Gavin cut in coldly. “I realize that. I also realize that the same man has done nothing but terrorize my fianceé, and you're saying that I have to be patient?” He shook his head, refusing to look away from the FBI agent as he challenged him. “If a man walks onto another man's land with a gun with the intention of robbing the man's home, and the intruder pulls that gun on the man that lives on that land and kills him in front of his family . . . He's still got the right to walk into court and say he didn't do it, and woe betide the security cameras that recorded him there, recorded him pull the gun, recorded him shooting that man because his guilt has to be proven . . . and all you're doing is victimizing the family all over again, now aren't you?”

 

Mr. Hatch nodded once and shrugged. “I apologize, Mr. Jamison. This is the best we can do.”

 

Gavin shot out of his chair and stormed out of the office. InuYasha shoved himself away from the window and stomped toward the door, pausing just long enough to glower over his shoulder at the two stuffed shirts. “If he comes anywhere near my granddaughter again, it'll be the last mistake he ever makes.”

 

Mr. Hatch sighed, casting the prosecuting attorney a worried glance. “As I've said, I can understand your concerns, but making idle threats doesn't really help the situation.

 

Cain sighed and stood up as Ben strode over to the door. Following the general out of the room, he paused long enough to peek back over his shoulder to make his parting comment. “I won't apologize for their threats, and I'd hardly call them idle. I feel the same damn way.”

 

 

-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-

 

 

“Oh, this one is just darling!” Jillian gushed as she pulled a pale yellow dress chocked full of ribbons and lace from the rack. “What do you think, Minnie?”

 

Minnie giggled and touched the sheer overskirt. “That's pretty!” she breathed, her eyes rounding in wonder. “Can I try it on?”

 

Sherry laughed. “Well, that's up to Jillian. You like that one?”

 

Minnie nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah!”

 

“Okay, sweetie. Why don't you and your mommy go try that one on for me?” Jillian suggested.

 

“We just got that dress in yesterday,” the salesgirl who had been hovering nearby the entire time commented. “It's very pretty, but it's not exactly a classic flower girl's dress.”

 

Jillian waved a hand dismissively. “We're having a pretty casual wedding,” she explained.

 

Minnie clapped her hands while Jillian handed the dress over to Sherry. “I really like that one, too,” she said with a smile. “We'll be out in a minute. Come on, Minnie.”

 

Karis tugged on Jillian's hand. “Can I see my dress again?” she asked.

 

Jillian knelt down and winced. “I'm sorry, honey. Your dress is in the car, remember?”

 

Karis made a face but nodded. “I'm gonna be pwetty!” she stated.

 

Jillian laughed, glancing over to make sure that Raina was still sleeping in the stroller. “Yes, you are!”

 

They'd chosen Karis' dress easily enough. Jillian had rented a car for the day since they had all three girls and the truck wasn't big enough to accommodate them. They'd spent the bulk of the day running around the malls in Helena, trying to find the perfect dresses for the girls. It was a fortuitous happenstance that they just happened to be eating lunch in a small café across from a quaint little boutique while the store clerks were busy rearranging the window display when Jillian had found the perfect wedding dress, too. The calf-length antique white lace dress was so simple and so delicate that it just felt perfect when she'd tried it on, and it hadn't taken more than a minute of looking at it after she'd tried it on to decide that that it was the dress she wanted to be married in.

 

Karis' dress was a simple pastel blue cotton with an overlay of sheer white chiffon that would be casual enough to wear after the wedding and yet elegant enough to make a perfect flower girl's dress, and Karis had been so pleased with it that it was difficult to get it off of her after she tried it on, but Minnie wanted something fancier, so they'd sought out the store where they were now: a boutique that specialized in christening, first communion dresses, and general pageant wear.

 

Jillian pulled a circlet of white flower sprays off a display rack and settled it on Karis' corn silk hair. “That's pretty,” she commented.

 

“I like that!” Karis exclaimed.

 

Jillian laughed. “Well, you'll have one of real flowers for the wedding. How's that?”

 

Karis nodded and bounced on the balls of her feet, pointing at a rhinestone tiara glittering on the shelf as Jillian carefully removed the circlet and put it back. “I can be a princess!” she insisted.

 

Jillian pulled the tiara down and arranged it in Karis' hair. “Now you look like a princess,” she agreed.

 

Karis giggled. “Daddy says I'm a princess,” she stated.

 

Jillian smiled. “Of course you are! Little girls are always their daddy's princesses.”

 

“Were you a princess?”

 

“Yes, I was. I still am.”

 

Karis nodded solemnly. “I'm the princess. Minnie's not the princess; just me.”

 

“Jillian! How do I look?”

 

She turned in time to see Minnie twirling around, her skirt belling out around her only to drift back down when she stopped and ran over to Jillian. “Wow, that's so pretty!”

 

Sherry made a face. “It's awfully expensive . . . almost twice what Karis' dress cost.”

 

Jillian shrugged. “I think that's the dress,” she decided as she turned to face the attendant.

 

“All right,” the salesgirl replied. “If you're sure you don't want to look at some of the fancier dresses . . .?”

 

Jillian shook her head. “That one is perfect,” she insisted.

 

The girl cocked her head to the side, scowling slightly as she slowly shook her head. “I'm sorry . . . you look really familiar,” she finally said.

 

Jillian smiled. “Do I?”

 

“Yes . . . you do.”

 

“I'm Jillian Zelig,” she supplied.

 

The girl's eyes widened, and she held up her hands. “Really?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh, wow! Can I . . .? Would it be okay if . . .? I'd love to have your autograph,” she said.

 

“Sure,” Jillian said. The girl smiled in excitement and led the way to the check out counter, pulling a long strip of cash register tape out of the machine and extending it to Jillian. She pushed Raina over to the counter to pay for the dress while Sherry ushered Minnie back to the changing room to take off the dress. “Is there a slip that would work best for that dress?” Jillian asked. The clerk nodded and hurried off to get the slip, and Jillian selected a couple of pairs of snowy sheer white socks with thick iridescent ruffle around the cuffs. They'd already purchased white leather Mary Janes for both girls along with stretch lace white gloves and a full slip for Karis. Jillian tapped her credit card on the counter while Sherry returned with the dress before running back to help Minnie finish changing.

 

She was just putting her credit card away when Minnie ran up to her again. “I like my dress,” she said with a wide grin. “Mama says I have to say thank you.”

 

“You're very welcome! Thank you for agreeing to be one of my flower girls!”

 

Minnie giggled as Jillian took the thick pink plastic garment bag from the salesgirl.

 

“Good luck!” the girl called after them.

 

“Thanks!” Jillian replied.

 

“I suppose we should be getting back,” Sherry commented as they stepped out of the store into the mid-afternoon sunshine.

 

“Sure,” Jillian agreed as she dug the keys to the rental car out of her purse and looked around the crowded parking lot, forgetting just for a moment where, exactly, she'd parked the car.

 

Sherry made a face when Raina awoke with a start as the stroller thumped down off the raised sidewalk. “Oh, so now you decide to wake up, do you?” Casting Jillian an apologetic glance, she shrugged. “I think I should change her before we get moving. You don't mind, do you?”

 

“It's fine,” Jillian assured her. “We'll go on to the car.”

 

“Thanks . . . girls? Do you have to potty?”

 

Karis shook her head and grabbed Jillian's free hand. Minnie thought it over then shook her head, too. “Nope.”

 

“Okay,” Sherry said as she turned back toward the store again. “It won't take long.”

 

Jillian nodded, and she led the way to the car, unlocking the trunk with the keychain control as they neared the vehicle. The girls crowded around the trunk to watch as Jillian carefully laid the garment bag down on top of the others. “I can't wait to show Daddy!” Minnie exclaimed.

 

Jillian laughed. “I bet he can't wait to see you in it, Minnie.”

 

A strong arm snaked around Jillian's waist, drawing her back against a thick, hard chest. She tried to whirl around, but the arm tightened. “Jillian! Here you are!” he said pleasantly.

 

Karis scooted behind Minnie, clutching her sister's skirt and peeked out from behind her. The man smiled at the girls. “Sorry, girls. I'm an old friend of Jillian's, aren't I?”

 

His arm tightened around her waist, and she tried not to flinch. “Y-yes . . .” she agreed, forcing a smile for the girls' benefits.

 

“Jillian . . .?” Minnie said, her expression full of doubt as she scowled at the stranger.

 

“You're a hard girl to find, Jillian,” the man said in a conversational tone. “What precious little girls.”

 

`He's youkai,' she thought wildly. `Youkai . . .'

 

“Why don't you tell them, Jillian? Tell them that everything's just fine . . .” He leaned in closer, his breath fanning her skin as she tried not to recoil in disdain. “I'd hate to see anything happen to such them, wouldn't you . . .?”

 

She nodded, understanding the underlying menace, the threat in his words. “It's fine, girls; I promise.”

 

Minnie didn't look like she believed Jillian, but she nodded slowly.

 

“If you want those pretty little girls to stay pretty, you'll do exactly as I say,” he hissed into her ear in a tone so low that the girls couldn't hear him. “Do you understand?”

 

She willed herself to nod once.

 

“Good. Then you need to come with me.”

 

She started to shake her head. “I don't—”

 

“Humans die easily . . . they bleed even easier . . . care to test it?”

 

She flinched. “Please, don't . . .”

 

“That's right,” he agreed amiably enough. “I won't . . . so long as you do everything I tell you to do, Jillian.”

 

Staring into Karis' eyes for a long second, feeling Minnie's trembling resonating in waves from the frightened child, Jillian swallowed hard and made herself nod. “Whatever you say,” she agreed. “Just please don't hurt them.”

 

“Excellent,” he approved.

 

“Jillian?” Minnie asked, confusion marring her expression.

 

“Jillian smiled. She even managed a curt little laugh. “He's an old friend, Minnie, just like he said . . .”

 

“Jillian . . .?” Sherry questioned as she neared the car. Both girls ran over to duck behind their mother, and Jillian had to be grateful that Sherry wouldn't think that out of the ordinary considering how timid both girls tended to be upon encountering strangers.

 

Jillian's smile widened as panic gripped her stomach. She had to get this man away from Sherry and the girls. She had to do it fast before he made good on his subtle threats.

 

“Oh, um . . . Sherry . . . this is . . . my business manager. Um, you know, I . . . I need to talk with him about a few things . . . Why don't you take the car and go on home? I'm sure he'll—” she swallowed hard, licking her lips as the smile on her face faltered. “He'll take me back to the ranch when we're finished . . .”

 

Sherry shook her head slowly but took the keys from Jillian's outstretched hand. “O-okay . . .”

 

“Great! Great! I'll . . . I'll see you later!” she said.

 

The man smiled, letting go of her but grasping her elbow, his claws digging into her skin despite the thick gloves that covered his hands. Grimacing, she turned long enough to offer them what she hoped was a jaunty wave as he increased his stride, maneuvering her quickly away from the car—away from escape.

 

 

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Final Thought fromJillian:

Who is he …?

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Shameless): I do not claim any rights to InuYashaor the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

 

~Sue~