After returning to the marina, Uryū took Riko out for breakfast before returning her to her apartment around lunchtime. Things had been surprisingly normal between the two of them with no uncomfortable awkwardness lingering due to last night. Her ability to handle weird situations with poise and grace was one of the reasons he hired her to be his assistant. When he walked her to her door, he kissed her forehead before suggesting she not think too much about things with Ichigo. Now would be the worst time possible to make any assumptions or leaps in thought about what she had seen at the restaurant yesterday. Besides, how would it have looked to Ichigo to see the two of them together? Once he was convinced she would be all right, he left.
Riko lay down on the couch to rest. She had not slept much last night. Her mind had been moving too fast, trying to make sense of everything. Today she had given up on thinking, deciding to allow time to do its work in helping her figure all of this out. Her body had just reached that blissful state of drifting into the wonderful unconsciousness called sleep. She heard a knock on the door but tried to convince herself she was hearing things. By the third, door jarring knock that had become insistent banging, she knew this person was not going to be ignored. Stomping to the door, she snatched it open without looking through the peephole.
"WHAT THE HELL - " Her bellowing was cut off by a man grabbing her and crushing her to his chest. Instantly recognizing the scent of soap and testosterone that was specific to a grouchy orange haired man, she pushed against his chest to free herself. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I was so worried about you! Where have you been?" he asked, kicking the door closed behind him with his booted foot.
"I don't recall inviting you in," she snapped, backing away from him as he approached her. "Aren't we taking a break? What does it matter where I've been?"
Ichigo thrust his hands into the pockets of his tight jeans. He hung his head before removing one hand to scratch the back of his head apprehensively. His eyes slowly met hers with a wounded puppy dog expression in their brown depths.
Riko had never wanted to kick a helpless creature so much in her life. She crossed her arms over her chest to prevent herself from enveloping him in a comforting hug. He looked so damn sad and lost. Despite that pitiful look, she wanted to hit him. The urge to slap him slowly dissipated along with her desire to scream. An inexplicable undercurrent of anger continued to vibrate along her nerves. "What do you want, Ichigo?"
"I need to talk to you," he said, pulling her over to the couch. He pushed her down into the soft leather before sitting down beside her. "We have an informant who is ready to roll over on Grimmjow."
"Is she a bottle blond who had a penchant for all things red?" she inquired, looking away from him when his eyes widened in surprise.
"How do you know that?" he asked, moving closer to her. He put his hand against her jaw, turning her head back to him. "How do you know that?"
"I-I saw y-you the other day. At a restaurant," she mumbled, pushing his hand away. She stood up from the couch, turning her back to him.
"What were you doing there?" He stared at her back that visibly stiffened from his question.
"That doesn't matter. What about this informant?"
"Just answer the question, Riko. Why were you there? Where have you been since Friday night? I was worried sick about you."
"Well, if you had not decided that you needed a break you would have known where I was because you would have been with me. Why are you here, Ichigo?" she demanded, whirling around to glare at him with her arms folded over her chest.
"Because," he murmured, standing up to go to her. "I realized that I had made a mistake. I do want to be with you."
Riko pulled away when he cupped her jaw with his hand. "I've missed you so much, you big idiot."
Ichigo put his arm around her, cradling the back of her head with his other hand. At first she was solid and unyielding, keeping her arms crossed between them. He held onto her when her body began to tremble and then she put her arms around him. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to be sure."
"Sure of what? How you felt about me? Or was it to test how I felt about you?" she sniffled, burrowing her face into his t-shirt.
"Both maybe. I don't know," he muttered, brushing his lips against her cheek. "I just didn't want to make any mistakes with you, but I did it anyway."
"Ichigo," she whispered, pulling back to look at him. There were no words she wanted to say at this time. Instead, she pressed her lips to his, giving him a tender kiss. "Stop trying so hard. Stop trying to control everything. You can't be assured of anything in life. You have to just let it...happen."
Ichigo looked into her teary eyes, tracing her jaw with his fingertip. He studied the path of his fingertip, tracing her lips. When she closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly, he lay claim to her beautiful pink lips. His fingers glided over her chin and down her neck.
Riko could barely breathe as his hand moved lower, sliding between her breasts. She gasped when his fingers grazed her ribs, his palm pressing against her body. Her body shook with anticipation as his hand moved beneath her shirt, rising upward to cup her breast. When his large hand enclosed her breast, she intensified the kiss as if she wished to devour him. Reluctantly removing her lips from his, she gasped for air. She also needed to make the world stop spinning.
"Tell me," Ichigo murmured in a husky voice that was almost a growl. He pressed his tongue to the hollow of her throat then licked upwards to her chin.
Riko moaned and shivered, enclosing his shoulders with her arms to keep herself from falling. "Tell you what?"
"Where were you?"
Riko was instantly snapped out of the highly sexually intense mood. She relinquished her grip on him, shoving him away from her. "Ichigo! You asshole!" she screamed, becoming even more infuriated when he chuckled.
"Seriously though, we do need to talk about things," he said, pullling her back to the couch with him to sit down.
"Okay," she sighed, dragging in a deep breath. "I was with Uryū."
"Is that so?" he inquired, raising an orange eyebrow.
"Yes," she answered in a hiss. "He spent the last thirty-six hours shoving me back in your arms. Nothing happened other than he convinced me what a great guy you are despite being a complete emotional retard. He also told me not to assume too much after seeing you with that woman."
"He's a smart man," he complimented, kissing her forehead. His apprehension immediately dissipated after she confessed what did, or rather didn't happen. "There's something you need to know. Your sister and the baby are in danger. Grimmjow is planning to take them with him when he flees the country."
"No. He can't," she murmured, fear squeezing her heart in an iron-hard grip.
"That's why I'm telling you this. If it would not be so terribly obvious, Renji and I would go in there and get them out. I hate to ask you this more than you know," he said, taking her hands in his as he gazed into her eyes.
"I'll do it. I'll get the both of them to safety," she told him, already knowing what he was going to ask. She had previously made up her mind to do so when he mentioned that Grimmjow planned to take them away.
"Riko, be very careful. Don't let on that you know anything. We're not sure when exactly he's going to make his move, but he will do it soon." Ichigo paused, swallowing the lump in his throat. He squeezed her hands, dropping his eyes to stare at her delicate fingers that interlaced with his. "I was terrified all weekend when I couldn't find you. I was afraid that - "
"What? What are you not telling me?" She untangled her fingers from his to place her hands on his cheeks. She tipped up his face, seeing the fear in his eyes.
"The informant was found dead this morning. That is why I came over here in such a panic. If you had not been here, I don't know what I would have done," he told her, holding her tightly when she moved into his arms.
"Oh, Ichigo," she murmured, her lips seeking his. The kiss began slow and tender escalating into a heated battle to induce the most arousal with tongues wrestling and teeth nipping.
Ichigo pulled her onto his lap, positioning her on her knees to straddle his thighs. He kissed her, teasing her mouth with his tongue while his hands slid up her thighs and beneath the skimpy little sundress she was wearing. Gliding his hands up her body, he pushed the fabric upwards before breaking the kiss to pull it over her head.
Riko looked down at him, every inch of her skin tingling as he glanced over her body clad only in her bra and panties. She bit her lower lip, emitting a whimper when he lowered his lips to kiss the cleavage peeking over the rim of her lilac bra. Her breathing became labored as he reached around to unhook her bra, sliding the straps down her arms. A hot, burning sensation rolled and expanded in the deepest part of her body. She cried out when his tongue touched the very tip of her overstimulated nipple.
"I-I-Ichigo," she stuttered, jamming her fingers into his silken spikes as his tongue circled the areola. When his lips enclosed her nipple and sucked lightly, she felt a gush of wetness between her legs.
Ichigo allowed his fingers to roam where they pleased over her sensitive flesh. Each sigh or groan he brought from her lips only excited him more. This time he would not deny her or himself. He was ready to make her his, to give every part of himself to her. His fingers slid into the back of her panties, squeezing her behind before tracing the top edge of lace as they moved around front. Pushing his fingers into her, he groaned with arousal from the heat and wetness of her body. The strangled yelp she released only made him want her more.
Riko panted, pulling his hair slightly as he moved his fingers inside of her. She thrust her hips at him, murmuring his name. With each shove of his fingers the volume with which she said his name grew; just like the pleasure he was giving her.
"Ichigo, I'm going to...oh, god!" she yelled, dissolving into a convulsive mess of bliss as the orgasm rocketed through her body.
"My turn," he whispered, pushing her over onto her back. He stripped off his shirt and removed his pants while she shimmied out of her underwear. His eyes looked deeply into hers before he gave her a sweet, heartfelt kiss. "Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes," she gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist. She chewed on her lower lip to keep from screaming as he slowly entered her. Her fingers grasped his shoulders, digging into the hard muscle there.
"Riko...open your eyes," Ichigo pleaded, touching her face. He continued to move his hips in long, rhythmic strokes making them both experience intense ecstasy. His eyes remained locked on hers as he gradually brought them both to the brink. Gazing into each other's eyes added a level of intimacy, bringing them closer emotionally while heightening the physical pleasure.
"Ichigo, I can't...I can't keep my eyes open any longer," she warned him, closing her eyes before she was lost in the throes of another climax. She yelped once more when Ichigo followed soon after, pushing into her fiercely while he grunted like an animal. The content smile of a woman drunk on pleasure curled her lips as he covered her face with tiny kisses.
They lay still in each other's arms, exchanging tender kisses and meaningful glances through eyes hazy and softened from the bliss they had enjoyed together. Soon Ichigo was ready to go again. This time he picked her up to take her to the bedroom. Ichigo had his way with her all night long, and she was more than willing to allow him to do what he wanted. In the morning, they both called into work, ate breakfast, then continued their amorous romp. They finally fell into an exhausted sleep around noon. They woke up around dinner time and decided to go out for pizza at the local place called Fiscella's. It was the same place where they always ordered their take out pizzas so they knew it would be good. They had been holed up in the apartment long enough and wanted a change of scenery. Just for a brief time though.
Fiscellas's was crammed full of people and noisy with the many spirited conversations going on simultaneously. Every seat in the place was taken including at the bar. The hostess did offer them a beer while they were waiting so they huddled together in the corner of the entrance to sip their beers and wait for a table to open.
"How do you think we should do it? Get Mai out of the house?" Riko asked, taking a long sip of her beer to steady her nerves.
"Renji and I will be watching him. I can call you to tell you when he's out of the house and busy with something. That should give you enough time to get over there to get her and the baby out. I can have you wired with a communicator and a GPS device, in case..." His words halted abruptly before he finished the sentence.
"In case anything goes wrong," she added, taking another extended draw from her beer. She smiled at Ichigo, smoothing her thumb over the deep creases that had formed in his forehead. "I knew things might get rough at some point. I've been through things with Mai before. She's always gotten tied up with, shall we say, the less upstanding members of society. At least she hitched her wagon to a star this time by getting wrapped around a crime boss instead of a small time dealer."
"Riko," Ichigo murmured, touching her cheek with his fingertips. He could see the tears forming in her eyes. He knew she was terrified. For that matter, so was he.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kurosaki? You're table's ready," the pretty young hostess announced, picking up two menus from her stand.
"But we're not - " Riko tried to correct her, but Ichigo took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.
"Let it be," he whispered, kissing her cheek. "I kind of like the sound of it anyway."
~...~
"Soooo, you look...happy," Uryū said, handing her the white chocolate mocha he had bought her. He had been shocked to find her sitting at her desk catching up on paperwork when he had arrived. If she had called in again, he would have let her off with no questions asked. He knew darn good and well where she had been and who she had been with. Just to make her blushing face turn a shade darker, he added, "I'd even say you're glowing...like a very satisfied woman."
Riko choked on her coffee in her attempt to keep from spewing it out all over his beautiful snow-white suit. She waved her hand at him in a silent request for a napkin while she continued to cough to force the fluid out of her lungs from when she inhaled it due to his ridiculous and horrible timed jibe. He truly was turning into the annoying brother she never wanted. They had already crossed so many boundaries in their working relationship it made no difference to cross another by adding familial type teasing that borders on sexual harassment.
"I'm glad you're here...despite that unnecessary comment," she grumbled, giving him a lethal glower. "I need to discuss something with you."
Uryū sat down in one of the puffy white chairs in front of her desk. He remained silent due to the grim expression on her face. Whatever she was about to discuss with him was extremely important so he would refrain from making anymore tacky comments. He listened as she divulged the details of what she was about to do to save her sister. He was thrilled that she trusted him so implicitly. However, he would rather be totally in the dark about the danger she was about to get herself into. His anger flared at Ichigo because the man was so willing to put the woman he loved in danger. Yet it made sense that he would tell her and that she would be so willing to face the possibility of death to save her sister and nephew.
"If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me," he said, taking her hand that had been laying on the stack of papers in his. He could feel her trembling.
"I couldn't ask you to do that," she murmured, pulling her hand from between his. "I just wanted you to know. That way if something happens and I don't come back - "
"Don't you dare say something like that!" he exclaimed a little too fervently. Avoiding looking into her shock widened eyes, he smoothed back his already perfect hair and turned his back to her. "Ichigo will protect you. You'll be fine."
~...~
Riko spent the next few nights on edge waiting for a call from Ichigo. She could barely sleep or eat. Every time her phone would make a noise she would jump as if a bomb had gone off next to her.
Suddenly Grimmjow had decided to be the consummate family man. He began keeping a nine to five schedule, staying in his office at a building that served as a front for his criminal activities. Mai had lunch with him everyday, and they would go out to dinner every night. He held the baby virtually every moment he was with them. When the man was not with his family, he was always surrounded by large groups of people. Ichigo became convinced that he knew he was being watched, therefore, he was keeping his family close to use them as human shields. What a bastard.
Riko was sitting at home Thursday night attempting to relax with a glass of wine and a movie when the panicked knocking started, sounding as if her door was being hammered down. Once she could breathe again after the fright she had received, she got up from the couch. Rolling her eyes, she knew exactly who was at her door. She was nearly bowled over when Ichigo came rushing in. Without a word being spoken, she was being pushed to her bedroom.
"Get out of those work clothes," he ordered her, shoving her into her bedroom.
"Ichigo, seriously...can I at least get a kiss first?" When he did not smile from her joke, she knew the time they both dreaded had come.
"Wear jeans and sneakers...something you can run in," he directed her, pulling a role of surgical tape out of his pocket.
"What? Why? What's going on?" she asked, her heart beating so loudly it nearly deafened her. She began stripping off her skirt and silk blouse, leaving them in a haphazard pile on the floor.
"He's making a move. Grimmjow has reserved plane tickets for Barbados. The plane leaves at midnight. He's also cleaned out all of his bank accounts transferring the money to an international account. He's about to disappear. Wait!" he yelled when she was about to pull a t-shirt over her head.
Riko froze with her arms over her head and the t-shirt stretched between them. She held her breath as she watched him pull a tiny mic and earpiece out of the other pocket of his jeans. Closing her eyes, she took shallow breaths as he taped the mic to her breast under bra before sticking the wireless earpiece in her ear. Once he was finished, she pulled the t-shirt down. Her stomach churned causing her to feel sick. Her whole body felt as if every nerve were suddenly standing on end. Everything seemed louder and brighter. This was it. And she was scared out of her mind.
"There's a GPS in the mic so we can keep track of you," Ichigo explained, taking her by the hand to pull her along. "Grimmjow is at his office building having a meeting with his employees. And I use that term very loosely. He's probably tying up loose ends such as transferring his interests here to one of his sycophants."
Riko stumbled along behind him feeling as if she was wearing shoes lined with lead instead of lightweight sneakers. She concentrated on her breathing to keep herself calm and from hyperventilating.
"Call her," Ichigo commanded her, tossing her cell phone at her as they walked out of the door. He wasn't intentionally being rude; he was just in full cop mode, and he was trying not to think about the danger his girlfriend was walking into. He handed her the keys to his car. "Renji is waiting for me downstairs. We have to go back to watching Grimmjow. I'll let you know where he's at. Take my car to go get her."
Riko's fingers shook as she pressed the button to dial Mai. "Mai!" she virtually screamed when her sister answered.
"What's wrong with you?" her sister asked, her voice high-pitched with concern.
"I know your suitcases are already packed so get downstairs and wait for me on your front porch," Riko told her.
"Why? What's going on?" she demanded with suspicion in her voice.
"Just do what I say, please Mai! Call the guard dogs at the gate and tell them to let me in. I'm coming for you," she said, getting into Ichigo's car.
"Wait," he said, leaning into the car. He kissed her passionately before whispering, "I love you. I'll see you soon."
"I love you too," she responded, biting her lip to hold back the tears. Now was not the time for her to burst into tears.
"Who was that? Ichigo? Riko, what the hell-"
"Mai! For once in your life do what I say without asking questions!"
"Okay. I'll be downstairs."
"I'm coming for you. Be ready."
~...~
Riko huffed impatiently as the guard at the gate patted her down. Well, this was new. Obviously Grimmjow had told them to watch out for her. What the hell were they checking for? She screeched when the guard grabbed her breasts, squeezing them.
"What's going on?" Ichigo asked.
"Is it really necessary to manhandle me that way? What are you expecting to find?" she growled at the guard.
"I have to check everywhere for weapons, ma'am," the lecherous guard answered, giving her an unapologetic smile after he turned her around.
"I assure you I don't have any hidden in my breasts," she retorted.
"You don't have implants either. Very nice," he complimented with a lecherous grin.
"Son of a bitch!" Ichigo yelled in her ear.
"You can go now ma'am," the guard said, leaning close to her with a hungry expression in his eyes. "Or would you prefer a cavity search before you go?"
"Get away from me," she snarled, barely resisting the urge to slap the man. She hoped the guard could not hear the irate man going off on a verbal rampage through the earpiece.
"Yes, ma'am," the man rejoined, tipping his hat to her before he backed off. He never lost his rapist's grin.
Riko quickly got back into the car to get to the house to retrieve Mai. That idiot at the gate had caused her to lose precious time. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to floor the gas pedal and go careening into the driveway with smoking tires and shrieking brakes.
"Oh, god," ichigo gasped as she pulled the car to stop in the semicircular driveway.
"What?" Riko asked, getting out to help her sister with the suitcases sitting at her feet.
"Riko, tell me what's going on?" Mai demanded, holding the baby close to her chest. He began to cry from the palpable tension in the air.
"He wasn't here!" Ichigo yelled.
"What?" Riko repeated, unable to hear him since Mai was talking loudly in her other ear.
"Grimmjow wasn't here!"
"What do you mean?" Riko glared at her sister shouting, "Shut up, Mai! Get in the car!"
"He gave us the slip. He wasn't here. Apparently he left through a back entrance or something. Or the idiots we left here to watch him fell asleep on their job."
Riko could hear him talking rapidly in short phrases to Renji. She could hear the engine of their car revving up through the earpiece. Going back to get the last suitcase, she turned to see a blue and white motorcycle pulling into the driveway behind Ichigo's car.
"Oh, god," she gasped, swallowing the lump on her throat. "I know where he is."
"Where?"
Riko tossed the keys and her cell phone to Mai. "Mai, get the hell out of here. Call Ichigo. He'll tell you what to do."
"Riko, why - " Mai stopped talking when she saw Grimmjow pull a glock out of the waist of his pants and point it at her sister. "Riko! Come on!" she screamed in a panic.
"LEAVE!" she bellowed at her sister, slamming the car door. "Go! Get yourself and Kei to safety!"
"Well, well," Grimmjow purred, pressing the barrel of the gun to her forehead. He ignored the car tearing out of his driveway. Her sister was not the one he wanted at this time. Besides, Mai would come running back to him - she always came running back to him. "The protective big sister has come to save her baby sister. I knew you would."
"Bastard," Riko growled, shielding her face when Grimmjow raised the gun to strike her. Before she knew what was happening, he hit her square on her right jaw with a cruel roundhouse with his left fist. Stars burst in her vision and pain exploded in her head. She went down on her knees, spitting out the blood that had filled her mouth.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be," he warned her, grabbing a handful of her shirt to pull her to her feet.
"I won't go willingly," she warned him, kicking at him with one foot. She grunted, trying to free herself when he easily caught her ankle. Her vision blurred and grew dim.
"I was hoping you would say that," he responded with a smile. He seized her by the shirt again, jerking her forward to give her a painful crushing kiss. "I love a woman with a little fight in her. However, we need to leave now."
"Wait, don't - " Riko's plea was cut off when he punched her again with a right this time.
"Oh, no," she heard Ichigo gasp in her ear before she lost consciousness. "Riko!"