DIS: Welcome back everyone and happy holidays! I'm back with the 6th chapter, but first allow me to respond to the reviews.
DojomistressAmbyChan: Yeah, I'm not much of a Duke fan either. He's too dice-obsessed and cocky for me. I have yet to find out whether Julian should be pining after Anzu or not. I like how I built out his character, though. (grin) I'm also glad I've succeeded in keeping everyone in character. Like Bakura, he's being the normal ass he is, lol.
Chi Yagami: (-.-) Duke is self-absorbed. That's precisely why I'm letting him suffer in this fic, lol. Bakura and Anzu might be talking now, but not for long, I grant you.
LoneGothic: (oO) Yep, Bakura is an ass. As always, lol.
Seishitsu: () Thanks, I'm glad you like it.
prettyStupidGirl: (-.-) Unfortunately, I adore Bakura when he's an ass too. He just seems to have that effect on women.
Sailor Tiamat: Bakura's always amused. (OO) He's amused even when someone is dead or dying. He was angry when Anzu snorted because he knew that she wasn't going to be respectable if she was his wife either way.
Eve-Of-Misery: Yeah, but he isn't going to be treating her as kindly as he was at the end of the chapter.
Marin M: Thanks!
TeaFan123: (snickers) A lovely cliffhanger, isn't it? A love keeping people in suspense. Not much, true, but still.
DIS: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I hope you all enjoy this 6th chapter!
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"Oh dear. What's happened?" Duke asked, looking from his sister's stricken face, to his parent's stone faces.
"So tell me, Duke, how much debts do you owe Bakura?" Hathaway asked, his eyes narrowing. Duke's eyes went wide and looked over to Anzu. She clapped a hand over her mouth, pale.
"N-not much." He sputtered out, his legs shaking in fear.
"You're lying, boy!" He grabbed Duke and dragged him outside.
"Dear, wait!" Hathaway's wife ran after him, Anzu following.
"If you think I'm going to let this scandalous little wretch stay in my house, Sofia, then you are sadly mistaken!" He threw Duke onto the cold ground and a few by passers watched. Duke gulped, realizing his reputation was tarnished completely. "He can go begging to Bakura, he's just like him!" Hathaway stormed pass Anzu and Sofia followed him hastily. Anzu shut the door quietly behind her and padded towards her brother.
"Duke, are you—"
"You told them!" Duke snapped at her, glaring.
"I didn't say a thing, Duke! I never even had the chance!"
"You told them, you told them, you told them!" At this point, Duke was screaming. In seconds, his fingers curled around Anzu's neck tightly in rage. "YOU TOLD THEM, ANZU! Why did you do that?!!"
"I-I-" The rest of her words came out in chokes and she was losing oxygen too easily.
"Duke, what the devil are you doing to her?!" Anzu felt someone pry the tight fingers from her throat and she took a deep breath of air, coughing afterward. When she looked up, Duke was leaving, his feet pounding on the ground. She felt a soft touch on her shoulder and she looked up. "Are you okay, Anzu?" Julian asked her, concerned.
"Oh, yes, I think I am." She rubbed her throat, still breathing deeply. "Where did you come from?"
"What do you mean?" Julian's eyes widened in surprise at her question. "I was coming over to your home in the first place."
"Oh." She let out a relieved sigh. "It's a good thing that you were or I would be...be dead." He nodded his eyes still on her. Anzu stood up with him and sighed.
"You should be careful of Duke." Julian paused. "And Bakura." Anzu just nodded.
"I'm going inside. Thank you, Julian. I don't know what I would do without you." He nodded again and watched her leave inside. After the door shut, his lips turned in a sneer.
"I bet." He growled to himself and casting a dark look to the Mazaki home, he hurried into the crowds to his real destination.
-
"Someone's here to see you." Ryou said, opening the large doors. Duke came in after him, looking torn and dirty. Bakura raised an eyebrow and straightened.
"What the hell happened to you, boy?" The older male asked.
"I was kicked out of my home." Duke growled, clenching his fists.
"Hmm, how do you intend on paying my debts then?" Duke slammed his fists on Bakura's desk, his eyes flashing.
"I know my sister came down here. What did you offer her, Bakura?" Bakura tilted his head upward to stare at the youth, their eyes pinning each other's.
"Marriage. If she marries me, your debts will be off." Bakura said calmly. Duke slid into the chair that was across from the desk, staring at his soiled hands. He let out a choked sob and buried his face into his hands. "If she agrees to this, all your troubles will be gone."
"You don't understand, Bakura!" Duke howled in rage and pain. "I have more debts that I have just now created today! You have my dice and I can't win anything."
"That's not my problem, Duke." Bakura stood up, coming around from behind the desk. "You shouldn't have cheated and you should have been smart enough to not gamble in my casino, when you were going to use trick dice." Bakura pulled out Duke's dice from his pocket. "However, I might be willing to make a deal with you." Bakura's gaze slid to Duke, who became more alert.
"Deal?" The younger of the two repeated.
"Yes, a deal." Bakura laid the dice on his desk in Duke's sights. "It's fair and it's easy, Duke. As long as you don't...screw...up." He grabbed the black locks of Duke's and forced his head back. Duke let out a cry of pain, forced to look up at Bakura. "You need to convince your sister to marry me...Or to give me a child. Either way, I win and so will you." He let go of Duke, jerking his head forward.
"I can't." Duke told him.
"Why not?"
"Because I can't. She's my sister. I've already screwed up by nearly killing her." Bakura sat on the edge of the desk, looking over at him in disbelief. Duke hesitated, then said, "I choked her. I'm lucky Monsieur Julian stopped me. I was out of control."
"I don't give a rat's ass, Duke!" Bakura snatched his dice of the desk. "You'll gain everything from getting her in my bed." Ryou, who had kept quiet in the background, flinched.
"I won't do it." Duke whispered. "I won't sell my sister like that." Bakura growled and jumped off the edge of his desk.
"Fine! Don't do it! Don't come running to me when you need help then!" Bakura opened a drawer and threw the dice in it, his rage raising higher and higher. "Get out of here. Don't let me see your face unless you have money to pay me." Duke nodded numbly and stood up. Ryou gave him a sympathetic look as Duke trudged out of his brother's office. Ryou shut the door behind him and turned to Bakura, biting his lip.
"Bakura..." Ryou began, but stopped short seeing the dark, furious look shot at him.
"Leave me alone, Ryou and do something useful for a change." Ryou wanted to retort, but decided now would not be a wise time.
"I'll be in the library." Ryou told his brother, who grunted in response. He left the office, leaving Bakura alone with his anger. Bakura wrenched the curtains aside and looked out the window.
"We'll see how far you can go, Duke," Bakura whispered to himself, watching him walk out onto the crowded streets, "because I sure as hell am going to get what I want."
-
"Papa," Anzu knocked softly on her father's door, "can I speak with you?" She opened the door and Hathaway turned towards her.
"If it's about Duke—"
"That wasn't necessary, doing that in front of all the people of London." Anzu murmured.
"Anzu," Hathaway sighed, rubbing his temples, "Duke got what he deserved! He shouldn't be gambling after he promised all of us that he would stop!"
"I know, but—" They both fell silent hearing a knock sound on the door. Anzu blinked. A maid came in and gave a quick curtsy.
"It's Lord Bakura, shall I show him in?" Hathaway nodded to the maid.
"Have you decided whether you wanted to marry him?" Hathaway asked his daughter.
"No, not yet." Anzu mumbled. Through all the events, she wondered if she would be forced to come to that last resort. She gulped, thinking of what torture it would be to marry Bakura. What if I have to though? She thought to herself. What if it comes down to that?
"Hello Bakura. So we meet again in the comfort of my home." Hathaway commented, smiling.
"Indeed." Bakura didn't smile. He was still in the foul mood Duke had put him in. "Your son came to me today."
"Oh did he?" Hathaway's smile dropped and his eyes narrowed. "Is he going to stay with you like old buddies?" Bakura's fists clenched and he looked like he wanted to kill Anzu's father.
Oh dear lord, I can't believe I'm about to do this. She gulped and went over to Bakura, sliding her hand over his. He blinked at first, confused and losing his train of thought. He couldn't see much of anything except red dots. He finally realized it was Anzu's hand that was gripping his balled-up fist.
"If you hurt my dad, you're dead." Anzu hissed to him, letting go of his hand and sitting down on the couch, glaring at him. He glared right back at her.
"I turned him down." Bakura said simply.
"Is that so?" Hathaway stared at him with no emotion on his face.
"That is so."
"Where is he now?"
"Does it look like I know?" Silence hung over the room for a long, lingering moment.
"WELL?"
"WELL WHAT?!"
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT?!"
"NOTHING!" Anzu flinched at the angry aura radiating around the room.
"Papa, why don't you...go get something to drink and..." Before she could finish her sentence, he jumped up and left to do just as she said. Anzu could clearly hear Bakura growling after him and she was nearly positive he was about to pounce on the older man.
"Goddamn, fucking, bastardly..." Anzu flinched at the harsh words coming from his mouth.
"Bakura," Anzu began and he looked over at her, glaring. Okay, things are getting out of hand, so there's one thing to do.
"What is it?!" He turned from her, trying to steady his breathing or to calm down (or both).
"I've made a decision." She took a deep breath. "I'll marry you, for my brother's sake." He swung around to look at her, surprise edged on his features. All the anger was swept away, shock replacing it.
"What...?"
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DIS: Don't you worry! This fic is far from ending! The story is just now beginning! Some people that have been introduced aren't really whom they are...Please read and review!
