Chapter 35

The shrill ring of a phone startled both Miroku and Kagome awake. He groaned, blinking his eyes at the light forcing its way through his window and burning his eyes. Leaning over, he grabbed his phone, Kagome stretching beside him.

"Hello?" Miroku kept his eyes closed, still half asleep.

"Miroku, we had a break in!" Souta's voice was panicked, and Miroku sat up abruptly, wide awake.

"What happened?" Jumping out of bed, he began to get dressed, listening to Souta explain that two people in masks had broken into the club. They had started destroying what they could, but when Souta ran down the stairs, yelling at them, they ran away. No one had been hurt, but they had done a good bit of damage to the club. "I am coming. Just stay calm."

Throwing his phone into his pocket, he grabbed his wallet, and froze when he saw Kagome dressing. "No." One word, but it was said with such authority that Kagome looked at him with wide eyes. "Until I know it is safe, you are going to stay here. Someone broke into the club."

"My brother and best friend are there, Miroku." She continued to get dressed, ignoring him. He stalked up to her, grabbing her arm and making her look at him. His grip was soft, and she could easily get away if she wanted, but she didn't.

"You are my pregnant wife. Souta said the culprits ran away, but they could come back. I will not risk you, or our baby. Please stay, Kagome." He was pleading, but he could see the determination in her gaze. She had no desire to stay away.

She was quiet for a moment, looking down at the shirt in her hands. After a moment, she pulled it on over her head, and then turned to him. "If it wasn't for you and Safe Haven… I care about that place as much as you, and I want to make sure it is okay. I won't leave your side, and if anyone comes back, I'll lock myself in Souta's apartment. I promise."

Miroku sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he closed his eyes. Finally, he relented, nodding. She took a few more moments, and then both of them were on their way. Miroku was tense as he drove to the club, Kagome's hand on his leg to try and calm him.

When they arrived, Miroku parked his car quickly. He didn't have time to open the door before Kagome was out and running inside. He was right behind her, both coming to a stop when they saw the damage for the first time.

Kagome gasped, a hand going over her mouth as she looked around the mess. Chairs and tables had been beaten in, many areas spray painted. They could still smell the paint in the air, though it was faint from the paint drying. All of the alcohol had been smashed, glass and liquor pooling on the ground behind the bar.

Souta walked up to them, a guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry. As soon as I woke up, I came down, but by then they had done so much. I wanted to chase them, but I didn't want to leave Kagura and Naomi alone."

"You did the right thing." Miroku's voice was tight as he bent down to pick up a leg of a broken chair. "The girls come first. They are the reason for Safe Haven, after all." He dropped the chair leg to the ground and sighed. "Has anyone called Sesshomaru."

"Naomi asked me to. He is on the way. He said he would call your father as well." Souta turned, looking at the damage. No matter what Miroku said, he still felt like a part of this was his fault.

"We will have to shut down until we can get this fixed." Miroku walked around, glass crunching under his shoes. He looked at Kagome's thin sandals and frowned. "Stay back Kagome. I don't want you getting cut."

She nodded, agreeing with him. She didn't want to step on any glass, though she wanted to look around. She backtracked, making her way to the others through a less dangerous pathway. "Sango is going to be upset about our bar." Kagome frowned, looking at the mess.

"She isn't the only one." Miroku shook his head, tipping over a couch which had pieces of wood all over it. If Sesshomaru and his father were coming, they would need somewhere to sit. Wiping it off, he motioned for Kagome to sit down, and she did, not wanting to aggravate him further.

No one knew she was pregnant yet. They still had a week to go before then, and she worried that if she didn't do as he asked, he would slip and mention it. He was upset about his bar, and rightly so. He wasn't really thinking of anything outside of the bar.

The door opened then, Sesshomaru rushing in. He was still in his work clothes and looked around almost wildly. "Where is Naomi?"

"Her room." Souta answered, and they all watched Sesshomaru take off, worried about the woman he cared for deeply. "I think Naraku is coming to get Kagura. She will stay with him until all of this is fixed."

"Good. Reconstruction would be noisy. She wouldn't get the sleep she needs for her schooling." Miroku sat down next to Kagome, unable to even process the mess his club was. It would take weeks to get the repairs done, and every night he was closed he lost money.

Running his hands over his face, he sat back, tired and stressed. A warm body pressed up against him and he recognized the feel of Kagome immediately. Arm wrapping around her, he pulled her to him, leaning his chin on her hair head.

It was then that Sesshomaru came out, his hand encasing Naomi's. He led her to the couch, letting her sit on the opposite side of Miroku. Cleaning a chair, he sat down, looking at the mess that used to be a strike club. "First we call the police. Make a documentation of what happened. Then we call the insurance company, they will cover a portion of that repairs, possibly even all of it."

"Souta, you scared off the men who broke in, you should call the police. I'll call the insurance company." Miroku suggested, pulling out his phone. Both he and Souta quickly called who they needed to. Souta's call ended much faster than Miroku's.

Miroku excused himself to talk to the insurance broker and schedule a meeting for them to come out and assess the damage. Touga arrived then with Izayoi in tow, both looking around as well. Izayoi sat next to Kagome, hugging her closely. "How is he?"

"Upset. This is like his own baby that he built from the ground up. Someone came in and hurt it." Kagome sighed, looking at the tense back of her husband. She was worried for him, and knew he was holding in the majority of his emotions like he normally did.

"Don't move anything if you can help it. The insurance company will send someone out to document the damage." Touga's face was right, his lips thinned as he looked around. "I know this is a strip club, and that automatically gives it a bad name, but I wish people would take the time to realize what it is that Miroku does here."

"It's sad." Kagome looked to the word prostitute that had been spray painted on the wall big enough for everyone to read from where they were. "These girls are nothing of the sort. The rules don't even allow it, but they are insulted because of the stereotype that comes with normal strip clubs. Safe Haven isn't like that."

Miroku came back then, throwing his phone at a nearby table and sitting down next to his mother. Izayoi hugged him as well, and he hugged her back, taking the comfort that she offered. Miroku sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned back once his mother let him go. "The insurance agency will send out a broker tomorrow. They will look over the damage. What about the police."

"An officer will be here within the hour." Souta could see how upset Miroku was and still felt guilty for not being able to do more. "I'm really sorry Miroku. I wish I had done more."

"It's not your fault. You made sure Kagura and Naomi weren't left alone. It's what I would have preferred." Miroku sat up, shoulders hunched over. "The doors were locked. I saw the damage from them being kicked in when I arrived. You did everything that you were supposed to. Did you see anything about the men that would lead the cops in the right direction?"

Souta shook his head in the negative, but Naomi sat up, her hands moving quickly. Everyone was getting good at reading sign language, and Kagome was no longer having to translate anymore. Naomi saw a funny shaped scar on one of the man's arms as he was running away.

"Do you think you would be willing to speak to the police?" Sesshomaru signed that he would be willing to translate for her and she smiled and nodded. Looking towards Miroku, Sesshomaru sighed. "The club will be fine, Little Brother. It will be fixed and reopened before you know it."

"In the mean time the girls don't get paid and I lose money." Miroku scoffed. That was his biggest worry. He had a total of seven girls that danced for him. He would be able to pay them their wages for a little bit, but with the cost of renovations and new furniture, along with normal monthly bills, it wouldn't last for long.

"I'll cover the girls until Safe Haven gets back on its feet again. I have the money from Kouga left over." Kagome smiled at her husband, trying to make him feel better. Touga and Izayoi were loaded, but Miroku had always wanted to stand on his own two feet. InuYasha had given Miroku the money to open up Safe Haven, but Miroku paid him back in full within the first year of the club being open. After that, any money Miroku had, he earned on his own.

Miroku gave her a look that said he was appreciative, but still not happy. He wouldn't be happy about this situation until Safe Haven was fixed, and once more bringing in the money it used to. He didn't get to say anything before a cop came in, taking everyone's statement and then getting photographic evidence.

Once he left, there was no reason to stay. After Kagura had left with Naraku, they all loaded up in their cars and went home. Miroku had to call all the girls and let them know they were out of a job for the time being. When that was finished, he was exhausted and Kagome made him something to eat and then laid in bed beside him until they both fell back asleep. They needed it.

…

Kouga looked at the two men across from him, the chains around his hands and wrist rattling as he leaned forward. "You do what I asked?"

Ginta nodded, a smirk on his face. "Fucked it up real good. We got ran out by the brat, but still, the damage was done. Safe Haven will be closed for some time."

"Good." Kouga smiled, pleased with what he heard. "What about the other thing. You found a way for me to get out yet. I'm not spending ten years of my life here. Not while that bitch is married to that bastard."

"We are working in it, boss." Hakkaku, leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper. "We have an idea, but we need to work out the kinks. Try to be patient."

Kouga nodded, a scowl on his face. He didn't have very much patience to begin with, but he was stuck in prison. One where everyone knew that he had beaten Kagome and killed his own kid. The entire divorce had been aired on tv, and still played on repeat from time to time. He couldn't escape it and the other prisoners were making his life hell. One way or another, he would be getting out. He was sure of it.