Hello all! This is kind of an odd chapter, as the end is sort of abrupt. I'm trying to keep them all roughly the same length, and this one was already a few hundred words over, so that's why I cut it off there. I'll have the next one posted today to make it up to you! Love love love!
Chapter 19: Business
The drive was short, though they covered a long distance, due to Sesshomaru's excessive speeding. At first it terrified her, but she trusted that he wouldn't play with their lives if he didn't know what he was doing. At least, she hoped he would want to avoid the trouble of an accident. When she glanced at him he looked calm and relaxed, which helped to ease her own anxiety a little. She thanked all the gods when they finally screeched to a halt outside of a dingy looking alleyway, reaching immediately for the door handle only to have him grab her arm and command her to "Wait." She did as she was told, watching him exit the car, straightening his tie as he walked around to her side to open the door. She accepted his hand as she stood on shaky legs, startled when a valet appeared from out of nowhere to take Sesshomaru's keys and park the car elsewhere.
As the car disappeared around the corner she took a closer look at her surroundings. The area was seedy and dangerous, known for high crime rates. The buildings were a bit run down, and the setting sun was casting long shadows that only amplified the many imperfections. The alley they were standing in front of was completely shadowed except for a neon sign glowing over a gap in the wall that appeared to be a stairway down to an unseen door. Just as she began to hope that wasn't their destination, Sesshomaru began walking towards it.
"Wait!" She said softly. He stopped to turn to her as she carefully but quickly walked to his side and looped her arm around his. He looked at her a little questioningly at her sudden clinginess. She looked up, an apology written on her features as she clung to him, tightening her grip. His eyes glazed over their surroundings before landing back on her.
"Scared?" He asked. She shook her head.
"No… just in case I fall again." She muttered. He cracked a little half-smile like he wanted to laugh at her, but stifled it quickly, returning to the usual cold facade that she hadn't been missing.
"Do me a favor. Don't talk when we go in." His tone was cold but not cruel. She nodded, a soft smile on her lips.
"Afraid I'll embarrass you?" He didn't answer right away as he stared at her. She couldn't read him, but took the silence as confirmation, feeling a little hurt but understanding. She didn't know anything about 'business,' or even what kind of 'business' this was. She would be relieved, actually, if she didn't have to speak. She already felt out of place, and didn't think a spotlight would help anything.
"That's not it at all." He said, making her blink in confusion. "I… Don't want anyone to know who you are." She tilted her head ever so slightly, but nodded. The area told her they'd probably be seeing some rough people. It was for the best that she didn't give out too much personal information.
"Okay, I'll do it." She whispered, determined to make those her last words until they were back in the car. She found it incredible that she was already thinking of that death machine as the safer place for her right now. He led her onward, making sure she didn't fall, though he noticed that now that she wasn't thinking about it, she could walk just fine. As they neared the stairwell Kagome noticed a man she hadn't seen before, he was so hidden in the shadows. He looked like he had been hiding from someone, his hat pulled over his eyes, wearing a long dark coat. It was only the bright orange glow of his cigarette that gave him away. As they neared the suspicious character he spoke.
"You're late." He said in a low gruff voice. Sesshomaru didn't seem to acknowledge the man as he continued smoothly past him with Kagome on his arm, down the stairs to a heavy door with a slot. The man followed them down, all of them waiting at the bottom until the slot clicked open and shut. The door opened, making Kagome's eyes go wide with surprise at what it revealed. It was nothing like she'd imagined as she strolled through, Sesshomaru giving her no time to stop and stare at everything like she wanted to. The establishment was upscale and dimly lit, with soft seductive music playing somewhere out of sight. Everywhere she looked were people who looked equal parts glamorous and dangerous, most of them eating and drinking. She glanced up to see the ceilings were higher than she'd expect for a basement, sparkling chandeliers casting all of the soft light in the room. She was sure it would have been one of the most popular places in Tokyo if not for the location.
And the clientele. Upon closer inspection she realized they all looked like gang bosses. They wore crisp suits the same as Sesshomaru, making her think they were all important. Most of the men were older, and most of the women were young and gorgeous. She noticed people turning their heads as they walked past, making her wonder if it was just something that happened everywhere Sesshomaru went. He hadn't covered his markings, but here, they didn't seem too out of place, most of the people she saw having at least one showing on a hand or neck. One gentleman caught her gaze just as he rose something to his face on the back of his hand to inhale sharply through his nose. She watched as he rubbed his nose, thinking he was handsome for an older man but… Drugs!? She was unable to look away from the older man, who shot her a little wink and smile. The man's playful expression changed the instant he noticed who she was with, turning back to his drink and swallowing it all quickly before leaving his spot without a second glance towards her.
She focused on the floor when she realized that it must be a private club. She'd heard about the reputation some of them had. Eri had told her they were opened by criminals so they'd have a place to meet up without the cops being called. Did this mean Sesshomaru was some kind of criminal? It worried her, but didn't exactly surprise her. They walked through another door that led them to a more private area, much the same as the other room but darker, wall lights illuminating the individual sitting areas. It was empty of people, a relief to Kagome who was uncomfortable under all the odd stares. A young waitress stood at the side of the door patiently as they moved to a circular booth in the corner. The man who had followed them took off his hat and coat, tossing a pack of cigarettes on the table before sitting down.
She sat on the inside, Sesshomaru following and smoothly putting his arm over the back of the seat to rest on her opposite shoulder, keeping her from moving too far away. Her heart picked up unexpectedly at the closeness. She wondered why, as it wasn't any more intimate than other things they'd done, but somehow felt that way. In any other place she would have moved his arm and sat on her own, but there was a feeling of safety when she was pressed against his side that she didn't want to give up in this place. It made her feel protected.
"Lets get through this quickly." The man grumbled, raising a finger to the waitress. The young woman was at the table immediately, setting two whiskey classes down for the two men. When she turned to Kagome to see if she wanted anything she only held up her hand and shook her head politely, still determined not to speak. "Heh…" The man took a small drink of the whiskey before setting it down and looking over Kagome, seeming to suspect her of something. "How old's this girl, Sesshomaru? She even old enough to drink?"
"She's an old soul." He relied cooly, making it clear that she wasn't what they came to discuss. The man seemed to want to say more but gave it up.
"I've got a job for you. It's a doozy." He said in his gravelly voice, reaching for the pack on the table and raising it to his lips. He held a cigarette between his teeth as the pack was tossed back to the table and a lighter was produced from his jacket, flicking over the end as the man's eyes rose to Sesshomaru's.
"You know the price. Who's the target?" Sesshomaru said, picking up his own glass and raising it to his lips.
"Well, that's the thing, it's gonna have to be more than one this time. There's a few bad apples running this whole… trafficking operation… it's gotta stop. We've tried everything, and it's time to put an end to it." He said, smoke curling around his hands as he explained.
"And?" Sesshomaru asked.
"And I was hoping you'd cut us a break on the price. Theres three we need taken out, and we only got the resources for two, and a half, maybe." The man seemed like he already knew the answer, but he needed to try convincing him. Kagome wondered who the man could be. Maybe a rival gang boss? What is a 'trafficking operation'? She was fairly certain Sesshomaru was being commissioned to kill whoever it was. The thought made her feel a little sick, but they sounded like dangerous people. Still, killing bad people for other bad people didn't exactly sit right with her either.
"Then pick two. I don't run a charity." He said, sounding like he couldn't be moved. The man sighed, taking a long drag on the cigarette and a swig of his glass.
"That won't do. One stays alive and all the gears keep turning." Kagome waited, watching the man's face take on a pleading look that Sesshomaru ignored. After a bit of a heated silence he spoke again. "Hundreds. Maybe thousands. Ten years, they've been in business. When we find the girls… if we find them, they tell stories that'd even make you shed a tear." The man smiled sadly at his own little joke. It faded fast, returning to a kind of grim determination. "One of em, we never even knew what happened. She was so beat up and traumatized that she couldn't talk. Still though, when we busted the house she was at, she smiled so big at the cop that carried her out..." Than man trailed off, seeming to focus in on the melting ice in his glass, remembering. "She was young. Real young." The man's hard eyes glanced over at Kagome, lingering there for a moment before falling back to the glass. "Real sweet kid once we got her settled." He muttered, downing the rest of his drink and raising a finger to the waitress. Girls? They were trafficking girls? Kagome's heart broke for the girl in the story, instantly putting her on the gruff stranger's side. He seemed to genuinely care that it stops, not just wanting to take over the business when the operation was taken out. She was sure, he was a good pearson. The way he knew all this, and now she knew he was a cop. Since when so cops hire contract killers? As another glass was placed before him, he looked back to Sesshomaru with determination. "I know you don't give two shits about the human race, but even you gotta see how wrong this is."
The human race? Does the man know about Sesshomaru? At even more silence, Kagome wished she could talk, maybe help to sway Sesshomaru to do it. Without even thinking, she placed her hand lightly on his leg, under the table where nobody would see. He didn't react at all, only continuing to stare the man down before raising his glass to his lips. "Fine." He said, making the man's mouth open in surprise before quickly shutting again.
"You'll do it?" He asked in his low gravelly voice. Sesshomaru's glass hit the table lightly.
"Yes. The usual price for at least two of them, in the account before I do anything." He said smoothly. The man nodded, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from his jacket before placing them on the table in front of Sesshomaru. Kagome watched him jot down a long string of letters and numbers, written so neatly they looked printed before pushing it back to the man. He tucked it carefully into a hidden pocket before looking back to Sesshomaru.
"They go by 'Takumi,' and call each other brothers, although one of them is a cousin, from what we can gather." He spoke so softly, Kagome could barely tell what he was saying over the soft music that played in this room as well, but she knew Sesshomaru would catch every word. "Kenichi, Kiyoshi, and Tetsuya. They frequent the-"
"I know where to find them." He said, finishing his drink. The man nodded slowly, finishing his own drink in one go and snubbing out his cigarette in the glass. Kagome looked around and noticed there was no other place to do it, as disgusting as it was. She wondered if smoking was even allowed in here or if the man was an exception. He stood, taking one more glance at Kagome and collecting his things.
"Sesshomaru, always a pleasure doing business with you." He said, replacing his hat and pulling it low enough to shade his eyes. Sesshomaru nodded as the man made his exit. As he did Sesshomaru rose his hand to call over the waitress, ordering some food without ever consulting Kagome. Once they were alone again she wondered if she was allowed to talk yet, but decided to stay silent. After a long moment he finally spoke.
"I hope you know how much money you've just cost me." He said smoothly, sounding annoyed. She looked up at him in surprise.
"I-I didn't do anything!" She defended herself, breaking the no talking rule. She never meant to cost him anything at all.
"You asked me to take the job." He said cooly.
"I didn't…" She said sorrowfully, feeling bad that she'd done something wrong, even if she didn't understand what it was. His hand covered hers on his leg, where she had forgotten she'd put it.
"Didn't you?" She realized that her little gesture had been the reason he took the job. She blushed at her little accidental interference, pulling her hand into her lap to fold into her other.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to… It's just-"
"It's fine. I would have done it anyway." She looked surprised again, but only for a moment, realizing she hadn't needed to interfere at all. Sesshomaru was scary when he needed to be, but she was absolutely sure he was a good person. Raising her hand to cover the one that was just grazing her shoulder, she gave him a soft smile.
"I know." She said. He sniffed, smirking at her like she'd said something ridiculous. He pulled his hand back, giving her the small bit of space that she'd wanted when they first arrived. She was about to inquire as to what was so funny until the waitress arrived with food, putting her back into the mute role she'd agreed to. Two plates, one with real food and one with a dessert were placed before her. She looked at him accusingly when she realized he wasn't eating, but he didn't seem to care, accepting another glass of amber liquid as the last was taken away. "I thought you were going to prove you ate?" She said, picking up her fork, realizing suddenly that she was starving.
"I don't have to prove anything to you." He said cooly, sipping his drink. She wasn't phased by the return of cold Sesshomaru, though she was a little disappointed. She stopped caring as she ate, thinking the food was delicious. The portion was small, so it wasn't long before she was finished. Once she was, she turned to the dessert. A slice of something that looked like a mix between regular cake and cheesecake, strawberries on top. Sesshomaru was for the most part ignoring her as she looked between him and the cake, picking up her fork again.
"Do you… like sweets?" She ventured, pressing her fork into the soft fluffy desert.
"What would make you think that?" he asked plainly. He did like sweets, more than most other foods, though he didn't much care for human food in general. Eating was something he viewed mostly as an inconvenience. When he was hungry, more often than not he craved blood, hunting for his own food whenever he could in his true form. These days it was out of the question, so he settled for very rare steaks and, sometimes, sweets. Kagome shrugged, popping the cake into her mouth and finding it too was amazing.
"Maybe you seem like the type." She said softly, smiling to herself.
"Is that so?" he said, finishing his second glass of whisky. She looked up at him as she gathered another bite on her fork, offering it to him instead of taking it herself. It was a little bit of a challenge, to prove he does eat like he'd promised. He shot her a little 'no way' glare, but she didn't waver, offering the bite innocently. Rolling his eyes and looking annoyed, he leaned forward and took the bite, if only to shut her up.
"Ah, I guess you do eat." She said quietly. It was silly, but she felt like it was a small victory. She thought that maybe, this was one more step in the direction of getting to know the real Sesshomaru. She suspected that coming with him here at all was kind of an invitation into his real life, the one past the cold facade that everyone else saw. She'd heard him laugh, made him smile, joked with him, and now, shared a meal with him- even if it was only a bite. Of course, she had also slept in his bed, but that didn't make her feel like anyone special. She figured he probably had many girlfriends, but how many of them had gotten close enough to feed him a bite of cake? Not many, she was willing to bet. Once the confection was gone, they didn't linger. He walked her on his arm the same way they had come in, back to the street where his car returned from around the corner. Sesshomaru opened her door, letting her slide in before walking around to his side, loosening his tie.