InuYasha visibly paled, "why would she mention him?"

His voice was shaky and low, a clear sign that he was uneasy with the new information. Reaching for his hand, Kagome tried to comfort him with her touch.

"Who is he, Inu?"

Closing his eyes, he gulped.

"When I was little, my uncle was murdered by Goshinki, a hired hitman, since he owed a debt to some dangerous people. Even though that demon was the main suspect, no one could find him, but that was because he could read their thoughts. He knew how to stay hidden from everyone, but my dad found out where he was, and planned to take vengeance for my uncle's death. Dad barely made it out with his life, and he would have been killed too if Sesshomaru hadn't got there and surprised Goshinki, but the bastard got away. Whatever that monster did to my dad, he hasn't been the same since."

Looking up, he practically growled, "why did she mention him, Miroku?"

"It would appear that Kikyo hired him to hurt Kagome as well, but he hadn't made it back into town then. Apparently, there was a little fling between them as well, if the worm charmer is telling the truth."

Standing up, Kagome walked over to the window.

"When will this be over? Every time it finally feels like we can start moving forward, something keeps pushing us back."

Going to her, InuYasha wrapped her in his arms from behind.

"The bastard's never going to get you, because you will never be alone again."

She pulled his arms even tighter around her as she gazed into the bright blue sky. His words were comforting, but she couldn't shake the chill up her spine.

"What's this Goshinki like anyway?"

"Pure evil. He kills and tortures for money, much like the Demon Worm Charmer, but the demon thoroughly enjoys it. If you see a guy with pale skin, red eyes, and pink hair…run the other way. There's no telling what I'd do if you were hurt again."

Choking out his words, unbidden images of her torture filtered through and he shuddered with rage. If he could kill Naraku again, he would make it the most painful experience of his life.

"Inu, what's wrong? Why are you shaking?"

Looking around at the others on the couch, he kindly asked them to leave and walked Kagome over to sit.

"In the maze, Kikyo had me locked in a cage."

"Yeah, we came up on it and a broken television. I figured you were in it when your demon came out, just by the look of the mangled metal."

"Right, but before my escape, she unleashed her own personal form of torture."

Sitting next to her, he held her hand and couldn't look into those deep blue pools.

"She rolled a T.V. out and turned it on. What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"What was it?"

"I saw everything that happened to you in Naraku's mansion. I saw the strip dance, the way he shocked you with that damn collar, and I saw him whipping you on that contraption. You didn't know because you were still knocked out, but he touched you everywhere and anywhere he liked, knowing you couldn't resist him. I saw all of it, and she played it over and over again in a loop. The only thing that could have been worse, was watching it happen in front of me and not be able to stop it."

Silence. It was just as deafening as her yelling, screaming, or even sobbing, but he could feel the pain she was trying so hard to lock behind a door in her mind and heart; shut it away for good, but Inu knew those days still haunted her.

"InuYasha?"

"Yes, what is it, Kagome?"

Lifting her head, she gazed into his eyes.

"Take me to Kikyo's."

"Why!?"

"I want to destroy that video so no one else can see it."

"Then I'll go get it."

"No! You aren't going anywhere without me, either!"

Growling, he scoffed, "fine, but I want you by my side at all times, understood?"

Doing a mock salute, Kagome smirked at him.

"Yes, sir!"

….

Sango listened to Miroku and shook her head.

"I don't get it. Why would Goshinki tell his whole plan to the Charmer?"

"Well, the Charmer said Goshinki is so arrogant that he doesn't mind telling his plan, because no one can stop him. Keep in mind, this plan was mad before Kikyo's death, and if he was romantically involved…"

Horror passed over her face.

"He's going to make sure they suffer."

"Exactly."

Running back into the living room, Sango and Miroku looked around for the couple.

"InuYasha! Kagome!"

Inutaisho left the confines of his office to see them looking frantic.

"What's going on, you two?"

"Sir, InuYasha and Kagome are in danger."

"What do you mean, son?"

"Goshinki has plans for them, sir."

The usually calm and collected dog demon, paled as his brows furrowed in worry.

"Where are they?"

Sango sighed, "that's what we're trying to figure out, sir."

Sitting in InuYasha's car, Kagome was getting a bad feeling in her gut.

"Inu, maybe we should go back to have the other come with us."

"It's okay Kagome, I'm with you."

"I know, but I can't shake it. If we leave this car, something will happen to us…I just know it."

Nodding his head, Inuyasha started the car and tried to drive off, but there was something wrong with his tires.

"I'll go check it out."

He moved to get out, but Kagome stilled him with her hand on his leg.

"Don't. Stay in here with me, okay? I think Goshinki is out there, trying to lure us out of the car on purpose, so don't take the bait!"

"Okay, I'll stay in here with you."

Locking the doors, Kagome took her cell out and called Sango.

"Kagome!?"

"Yeah, it's me, is everything alright?"

"No! You guys left without telling anyone and you didn't hear everything Miroku found out."

"What did he say?"

"Goshinki plans to hurt you, but after killing Kikyo, he's gonna try to hurt InuYasha as well."

"Did the Charmer tell you how he was going to hurt us?"

"By making both of you live your worst fears."

"A little late for that one."

"But he can make you relive it, Kagome."

Glancing over at Inu, she gulped, "he's going to kill two birds with one stone."

"Kagome, just tell me where you are."

"We're in the car outside Kikyo's place and I think Goshinki if waiting out there for us."

"Whatever you do, don't get out of the car. He can't read your thoughts unless there is nothing between you. In other words, if you were in a closed room, he wouldn't be able to read your mind. Some tidbit Mr. Taisho gave us."

"Don't worry, we'll stay in here."

"Great, we're on our way to you now."

"Okay, see you soon."

Hanging up, Kagome clasped their hands together.

"We're safe as long as we stay in here. Oh, and the gang is on their way."

Even though Kagome sounded confident, both were aware of the unease in the atmosphere around them. There was nothing left to do but wait.

InuYasha smirked as he looked her up and down, "since we have time to kill, tell me about your day. How was school?"

Flabbergasted, Kagome raised an eyebrow, "we have time to kill, and you want to know about school?"

Smirking, Inu put his hand on her upper thigh.

"If you wanted that, all you had to do was say something. I just didn't think you would like a peeping tom."

"What do you mean?"

"If Goshinki messed with my tires, then he's probably watching us now, but if you don't mind him looking then…"

She pushed his hand away, "school was good. Koga, a wolf-demon that had been bothering me for most of the year, finally decided to be happy just being a friend."

"You said, Koga?"

"Yeah, he's very nice now that we're friends. He's like Bankotsu now."

"No, he's not."

The way he was acting didn't make sense to her.

"Why do you say that? I mean, you don't even know him."

"That's where you're wrong, Kagome. Koga and I grew up together, and I've never known him to be a nice guy."

Usually, Kagome would argue for someone's goodness, but she could feel his worry and concern.

"What happened between you two?"

"Just a normal childhood friend turned bully situation. He didn't want to be picked on with me, so he did it with the rest of the kids, but he went violent so they wouldn't think he was being soft on the half-breed."

"Inu, I'm so sorry."

Placing her hand on his leg, she gave it a light squeeze.

"Maybe there's a chance that he's changed and even feels bad for the way he treated you."

"I don't know, maybe."

Laying her head on his shoulder, she wished she felt comfortable kissing him, but she didn't want to give their voyeur a show of any kind.

Just then, someone stepped in front of the car, a guy with pink hair and red eyes, but what made her cringe was the pale glow of his skin and his engorged fangs protruding out of his grinning face.

"That's him, Inu?"

"Yeah, that's Goshinki."

The demon clapped his hands, "bravo! You two killed not only Naraku, but my Kikyo as well. I would have given you a quick death for getting rid of that ex-husband of hers, but the fires of Hell can't compare to the hatred I feel for you now. Kikyo was everything to me! You will suffer like no other has, by my hand!"

Strolling over to the driver side window, he grinned demonically.

"I read minds, but I also have sharp claws."

With that, he dragged his claw around in a circle on the window, and Kagome watched in horror as the only boundary between them was cleanly cut open.

"Oh God."