Chapter 69

"Elena, get out." Rufus Shinra snarled, his icy blue eyes never leaving Aura's face.

"Sir…"

"I said, out."

Aura saw Elena give her a worried look, before the woman backed away and turned for the door. Fear flooded Aura as the door closed behind Elena and she was left alone with Rufus. She felt as if ice were moving through her veins and she tried to take a step backwards, but his tight grip on her face prevented her moving at all. "What…" he crooned, his voice disturbingly calm, "makes you think that you may strike me and get away with it?"

"I…" She tried to shake her head, "I don't…"

"Yet you hit me…"

"I'm sorry… I didn't think…"

"That…" his eyes moved over her face, "is evident…"

"Are you going to kill me?" she breathed, and Rufus raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think I would?"

"I think you sent Reno away deliberately…" she began, "So that you could have a go at me." The fear had made her insane, she decided. There was no other reason she would have said something like that to him.

"You think so?" Rufus practically purred the words, pulling her closer to himself as his eyes kept moving over her. "You think that you're somehow special? Is that why you think you can get away with striking me?"

"I…"

"You think that I have some kind of affection for you, and that it will make me spare you?"

"I…"

"I need to be getting something out of it too…" his smile set all kinds of warning bells off in Aura's head then and she tried to pull away again. He jerked her toward himself, however, his free arm snaking around her waist to lift her closer. Aura shrieked, pushing at him, but then his mouth crashed down over hers, stifling her protests.

Aura tried bending her knees, to sink down away from him, but Rufus' arm around her waist held her up. Pushing fruitlessly at his chest, she struggled, bending backwards as far as she could. Aura tried to scream but he just swept her mouth with his tongue, and she felt as if she might vomit instead.

Sinking back further, Aura tried her best to get away from him, but Rufus went with her to the floor, trapping her beneath himself. "Stop…" she choked, struggling to wriggle away. "Stop it…" She shrieked when she felt Rufus push his knee between her legs, and she tried to push him off of her. He held her down, however, and Aura realised that he was far stronger than she had thought him. Unable to stop him, Aura found herself pinned as Rufus pressed his lips to her throat, holding her hands to the floor beside her head. "Get the fuck off me, yo!" furiously, she writhed and struggled, trying to get him off of her, but he was too heavy. Aura felt Rufus laugh, his breath hot against her ear a moment before she felt his hot tongue against her skin. She shuddered in revulsion, trying to jerk away. "Don't…"

"I told you…" Rufus' voice was breathless in her ear. "You want me to give you a pass? You want me to forgive you? I need to get something in return…" Aura gave a startled cry when she felt Rufus rub himself between her thighs.

"No…" she tugged a hand free and slapped him across the face again. Rufus was stunned for only about two seconds before his hand seized Aura by the throat and he squeezed, bringing his blue eyes right to her green.

"Don't you do that again…"

"If you…" Aura wheezed, struggling to get the words out, "think… that I'm just going to let you fuck me…"

"You did last time," he smirked, loosening his hand around her throat a little.

"No, I didn't… you would have killed Reno." At the mention of Reno's name, Aura felt her chest tighten. What if the last time they had been together in his bed was the last time she would see him? They had barely made up after that stupid argument, brought about by Rufus. Glaring up at the man, Aura scowled.

"And now?" he asked, "I could kill you…" his blue eyes moved over her and he leaned closer until she could feel his breath on her face once more. "Don't try to tell me you haven't thought about it… haven't wondered what it would be like to feel me inside of you again…"

"I… haven't…" Aura tried to keep her voice steady as she stared at Rufus Shinra, "and if you try, I will fight you." She was more than surprised when, a moment later, he sat up, letting her go. Slowly, Aura sat up, her eyes watching his movements warily. "… you…"

"I'm not a rapist." He said evenly, "If you wont give yourself to me…"

"Yeah, that ain't gonna happen, yo."

"Then get out." he sounded tired and Aura got quickly to her feet.

"Reno?" She asked uncertainly.

Rufus got to his own feet and moved toward his desk. "I told you." He said dismissively, "Last we heard he was in Junon. Nothing since." Aura's chest tightened again.

"So what happens now?"

"We wait."

"For how long?"

Rufus raised an eyebrow at her. "Until something happens."

Reno swore under his breath. He crouched, watching the train station, wondering just how many of these pricks there were about the place. He needed to get back to Edge. Still unable to make his report, he knew that news of the explosion would have been all over the city now, but he needed to make his own report, even if just to let them know he was alive. Reno knew that Aura would be worrying about him, and that Tseng and the others would be unable to tell her anything because he'd been unable to make contact.

When he saw Cadan striding up the platform, Reno swore again. "Guess you're not dead," he muttered, watching the prick. He definitely needed to get back to Edge before that piece of shit did. What if the bastard held true to his threat to pay Aura a visit? Reno was never going to allow that to happen. But, he needed to get back.

Creeping closer, Reno frowned. This was the only train heading to Edge for the day, and he needed to be on it. He froze when Cadan strode toward him, but the man stopped several steps away, surveying the area with unfocused eyes. He hadn't seen Reno then, and the redhead let out a relieved breath.

"I do know you're out there…" Cadan's easy voice reached Reno as the train sounded its final warning for passengers to board. "I'll make sure to let Aura know you're thinking of her…"

Biting back a snarl, Reno forced himself to relax. If the prick was here, he wasn't in Edge. He forced himself to remember that as the train pulled away from the station, and he had to accept that he wouldn't be getting home for another day at least. Slowly, he moved away. By tomorrow, he would need a plan to get around Cadan and his army of shitstains. He could do it. He'd gotten around worse.

As he crept away from the station, Reno had a different thought. Instead of wasting time trying to get around Cadan, what if he jumped a boat to Costa del Sol, and then flew home from there? It sure beat sitting around waiting for tomorrow's train and hoping he would be able to sneak on. Shaking his head at himself, Reno headed for the docks again, surely someone would be heading to Costa del Sol and would let him buy passage.