Yay! I have readers and worshippers! is a happy kami Btw, I should have said this sooner, but thanks go to Linear-LAmour for proofreading for me. I luffles joo! Also, I really have no idea what any of the future events are, so this fic has hereby been deemed as "alternate universe" until further notice. The concept of law ninja doesn't belong to me. points to 8-bit Theater They did it first.

And that damn plot has yet to die...

Chapter 4: Blackmail

Ian sighed miserably as he set the tray of tea and cups in front of the Von Helson sisters. Gino was in bed rooms away, dry and cleaned from the sea; the rich girls allowing some time for Ian to do that as a favor from them. Already, Ian could tell this evening wasn't going to go well. "So..." He decided to skip formalities due to the dire feeling of the situation. "What do you two want from me?"

"It's not about what we want from you," Marie stated.

"It's about what we want from Gino," finished Anna-Corinne.

The shopkeeper grimmaced slightly. He's not here to defend himself... Ian thought. So I'll have to be the one who stands up for both of us. He glared at them, earning surprised looks from both girls. "I won't let you blackmail him when he's already been through enough trouble. If anyone, blackmail me instead. I may not be able to afford it, but I'd do anything to keep Gino's name clear."

They exchanged looks, and the Von Helson sisters giggled. The two grinned viciously at him. "We had a feeling you'd say that," they said in unison.

Ian gulped slightly. Heaven help me... he thought. I'm dealing with the Three Fates minus one. "Name your price then."

Marie pulled a contract from her purse and laid it out in front of Ian. "One, you must remain single unless we say so," Marie stated.

"Two, one-fifth of your profits will be sent to us for not telling anyone or distributing pictures," said Anna-Corinne.

The two finished together, "Three, you must never speak to, touch, or have any contact with Gino Gambino unless we say so."

Ian's heart sank as he saw the formal contract detailing the three terms. They planned this, knew it was going to happen... he thought sadly, shakily reaching for a pen. "Liam...told you, didn't he?" They giggled, which was answer enough. There's no way out of this... Ian thought. Gino's reputation is on the line. For him, I'd sacrifice anything. Holding back his anger and sadness, Ian signed his name on the dotted line.

Marie took the contract and smiled in satisfaction; Anna-Corinne snapped her fingers. Liam entered and smirked. "Liam," Anna-Corinne said with a smile. "See that sweet Gino is safe and comfy in our mansion."

"Not a problem." Liam walked past Ian and into his room.

Ian didn't look up from under his hat brim. "May I...at least say good-bye...?"

The Von Helson twins exchanged looks then shrugged in unison. "If you really must," Marie answered boredly.

Shouts of protest sounded from Ian's room, and he stood when Liam entered, carrying a struggling Gino over his shoulder. Liam turned around so the two could speak, and Gino instantly stopped struggling when Ian's hands touched his face. The shopkeeper held back his tears as he locked eyes with the blonde teen. "Gino...I want you to go with them...and I want you to promise...you'll forget about me..."

"What! Ian, what are you saying!" Gino struggled a bit. "I can't go with them! Who knows what they'll do to me!"

"Gino, please..." Ian begged. "Go with them...and forget me...Forget you ever knew me, forget we ever had a relationship...forget...I even existed..." Gino's eyes became full of tears, and he opened his mouth to protest, but Ian silenced him with two fingers to Gino's lips. "Don't argue...Just do it, okay..." Ian forced a smile on himself. "Its...for the best..."

Instead of answering, Gino tore his gaze from Ian and let himself hang limply from Liam's shoulder. The Von Helson sisters stood and smiled, then led Liam out. As the door closed behind them, Ian fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands. All my fault... Ian thought miserably. This is all my fault. If I wasn't such a moron, I wouldn't have slipped up trying to steal Gino's heart. Now I've doomed both of us for sure.

"Well, are you just going to sit there or what?" Rufus asked, sitting in front of Ian.

Ian looked at the cat and sighed miserably. "My hands are tied. The most I can do is hope he does forget me..." The cat hissed and swiped at Ian's face, leaving behind three bleeding marks. "Ow!" He glared at Rufus, nursing his cheek now. "What was that for!"

"Stupid human," Rufus muttered, licking his paws clean. "If you truly love him, you'll fight for him and reputation wouldn't mean a single thing."

"Yeah, but..." The shopkeeper sighed. "I'm powerless. They have millions of gold at their disposal and evil law ninja! And I have nothing!"

"You have the power of love," retorted the cat. "If Gino could use it to heal his legs to see you, you can use it to save him."

The brunette looked bewildered. Rufus spoke the truth, there was no denying it. Some miracle or power had healed Gino's wounds. So I can use that same miracle to save Gino... "Rufus, my wallet! I'm going to the Marketplace..."

The full midnight moon cast a silver shadow over Durem and gave the rich city a romantic air from Gino's balcony at Von Helson mansion. The blonde sighed, wearing a simple white night shirt and pants that glowed with his hair in the night. He couldn't sleep; his heart and mind torn from the events of the day.

A knock came to Gino's door. The blonde sighed, not facing the door. "Enter..."

The door opened and closed. Liam hugged Gino from behind. "You're up late," the shopkeeper whispered to Gino.

Gino gripped the railing of the balcony. "You will maintain your distance or I will not hesitate to throw myself off this balcony and take you with me."

Liam quickly let go and stepped away from him; not wanting to try to call the bluff of a Gambino. He decided to stand beside Gino. "You should forget about Ian...He's bad news and isn't of your class," Liam told the blonde. "He would have ruined you."

"I don't care," Gino stated. "I love him. I'd sacrifice anything for him." He looked at Liam sadly. "You play the hearts of the girls of Gaia...Haven't you ever felt that you would do anything for someone? Have you ever felt the same as I feel for Ian?"

The shopkeeper thought for a moment, then nodded. "I have...and still do..."

"Then you'll understand that I have to leave this place!" Gino pleaded.

Liam gently held his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I can't. Letting you go would mean giving up on the one I love."

Confusion filled Gino's eyes. "I...don't understand..."

"If I let you go," Liam said sternly, "I won't get to be with the person I love. He'll be distracted and will ignore me."

Sudden understanding struck Gino like a harsh slap, his face softening. "It's Ian...isn't it? You love Ian..."

The shopkeeper let go of Gino's shoulders. "He hates me, but he'd truely hate me if something bad happened to you. That's why I wanted him to look bad. So you'd abandon him and go out with Sasha or someone while I try to make-up to Ian and date him." Liam sighed and shook his head, starting to leave. "Stay here and honor his wish. Forget about Ian." He left with that.

Gino sighed at the sound of the door being locked from the outside. This feels like a fairy taile... the blonde thought. Or a badly-written soap opera...Ian and I have been seperated by a jealous third-party...I'm locked in a mansion room, looking over the moonlit city, realizing the motive of my new rival...All that's missing is the daring rescue by Ian. He chuckled at the thought of Ian dressed as a knight, bursting into the mansion on a white stallion. As nice as the thought is, I know its impossible.

The blonde blinked. Had he seen a shadow move? Gino shook his head, looking up at the moon again. A sudden feeling of being watched gave the blonde goosebumps and made his heart race. He was afraid to turn, afraid to see what or who it was that was spying on him. Gino flinched as a pair of arms hugged him close to a lean, supple body. He shivered, closing his eyes as his captor's breath caressed his neck.

"You look so beautiful out here..." A familiar voice whispered. "It makes me want to do naughty things to you..."

Gino's eyes flew open, and he looked over his shoulder at the person in black wearing a kitsune mask and two whips. "Ian?"

He moved aside the mask and smiled at Gino, the moonlight hitting the bandage on his cheek from Rufus's attack. Ian blushed a bit and hugged Gino closer. "Miss me?"

"Yeah..." Gino turned in Ian's arms and hugged his neck. "I know why Liam has been acting the way he is."

"Explain it later," Ian told him. "We have to get you back to where you belong. Isle de Gambino. Sasha's worried about you."

"No..." The blonde looked Ian in the eye. "I want to be with you."

Ian smiled and stole a kiss on Gino's lips before moving the kitsune mask over his face. He removed one of the whips. "Hang on tight," Ian told Gino, holding him close with an arm around his waist. The blonde buried his face in Ian's neck, clinging to Ian. "Close your eyes...hold your breath...and trust me..."

"I trust you, Ian..."

The shopkeeper took a deep breath and stepped to the edge of the balcony. He didn't feel fear, only the need to escape. Without warning, Ian leapt off the highest balcony of Von Helson mansion. Gino held Ian close, obviously not going to let go. Seeing an opportunity coming, Ian swung the whip over his head and snapped it ahead. The Whip of Ice caught a flagpole of a building and swung them onto the roof the the building to land safely.

Letting go of Gino a bit, Ian looked down at him. "Gino, you okay?"

The blonde released him a bit, looking around. He looked up at the mansion balcony so far up and smiled. "Ian...we just free-fell from a 300-foot high balcony..."

"I know...I'll faint about it when we get home. Let's go..."