"So, how do you feel?" Chris asked, a small smile on his lips.
Naraku shrugged, resting his head on his pillow. His eyes clashed with those of the young man.
"Tired." He then replied. "So you're telling me that Takashi nearly recognized Mercedes?"
Chris' eyes returned serious. He leaned back on the chair he was sitting on.
"You don't have to worry about him Naraku. I warned him that if he says a word about it, he'll be dealt with by our men."
Naraku frowned.
"No Chris, this is not enough. I want to be sure that Takashi will not interfere."
The young lawyer smiled mischievously, his eyes sparkling in his face.
"Do you want me to…you know." He whispered, looking at the door, making sure that no one would be able to hear them in the hospital. Naraku tried to laugh but ended up moaning with pain.
"Fuck that arm! It had to be broken!" He whined, taking a quick glance over his bandaged arm. He then looked over at Chris.
"Chris, you're still so young and gentle. What have I taught all those years? When someone becomes a burden, get rid of him. Yes, I want you to…" a smile preceded his next words. "You know."
Chris laughed, shaking his head.
"It's good to have you back Naraku. I swear I was completely lost without you."
Naraku was about to reply when someone knocked at the door. The two men exchanged a quick look.
"Are you expecting someone?" Chris asked. Naraku shook his head negatively and then motioned to the young man to open the door.
He was surprised when Inuyasha made his way inside the room, a small smile plastered on his lips.
"Naraku." Taisho said, walking closer. "You're alive." He continued but was interrupted when Chris blocked his way.
"What the hell are you doing here? Naraku doesn't need to see you right now. Leave!"
"Chris!" Naraku warned from behind, attracting the attention of the two young men. "Leave us alone."
"What? Are you serious?"
The cold look he received from his boss was an enough answer for him as he left the room, mumbling incoherent words under his breath. Once alone, Naraku motioned for Inuyasha to sit down.
"What brings you here Inuyasha?"
The young man laughed, clearly amused.
"Naraku, I came here to check on you. Why would you doubt my noble intentions?"
He laughed again, but his eyes were clearly serious. Naraku waited patiently, simply staring at the man in front of him.
"I am glad you came." He finally managed to say and his words took Inuyasha by surprise. Why would this man be glad to see him?
"Cut the crap Naraku. I know as hell that you hate me and that I am the last person you wish to see."
The older businessman shook his head negatively.
"Inuyasha, my accident made me realize that my anger with you was unjustified. I was unfair with you. I shouldn't have separated you from Kagome but I had to. She was hurt and I felt certain sympathy towards her. I regret it now."
Silence filled the room as Taisho stared at the man in front of him, eyes wide with surprise. Was it possible that the accident really changed him? He looked in his eyes and saw none of the malice he usually held against him. Sensing his hesitation, Naraku continued.
"I want to stop this raging war between us Inuyasha. It is not meaningful and it is consuming us. Our companies are great and powerful, we can do business together. We can be friends. Why should we become enemies?"
Inuyasha's rage suddenly flared. Was he mocking him?
"Please Naraku. A ten year old kid would know that you are trying to trap him! Weren't you the one who sent Takashi yesterday in order to continue your assault over my company? Don't you deny it! I know that you are the president of the Takashi Company after you took hold on it last year! And now, you just want us to be friends in order to hide your true intentions!"
"Just shut up!" Naraku suddenly yelled, silencing the younger man. "Shut up and listen for once! I did not send Takashi and I will punish him for daring to move behind my back! I did not wake up until yesterday! If you don't believe me, ask my doctor! Ask anyone! Dammit, I want this war to be over! Don't you want that too? Don't you want to be in your company without the constant fear that someone is plotting against you? Don't you?"
Inuyasha stared. Why would Naraku change so abruptly?
"I will never trust you even if my life depends on it! You destroyed me!" He yelled, getting up from his seat. "You sent Kelly after me and because of that, I lost Kagome! And then I figured that you were the one who hid her from me! Three years of pain!" his eyes were by now contracted with pain. "Three years of torment, thinking about her, her feelings when she plunged in that river! Was it cold? Was it painful? Did she suffer before dying? Was it because of me? Was she attacked before? Was she attacked after?"
His voice dropped to a low whisper, his memories making his heart clench in his chest. He leaned on the wall for support. Damn those pills, he forgot to take them again. Naraku watched him intently from the corner of his eyes. Taisho was being emotional and that was a good sign. Maybe if he pressed the right buttons he may end up in reconciliation with him.
"I blamed myself for everything and then figured out that Kelly's child wasn't even mine! The pain only increased. I let go of the woman I loved for an imposter, a cheating bitch. I wore dark glasses for three years! My head was in constant pain because of the darkness that surrounded my senses, my eyes hurt as hell but worst of it all, I felt empty. Then you sent Mercedes."
His golden eyes clashed with those of Naraku.
"You filled her head with negative thoughts about me, and you made the woman of my dreams hate me as hell! You wanted me to go crazy! You knew that I would see the resemblance but in the same time the great difference! Kagome is sweet and shy but Mercedes is vile and audacious. And I fell for Mercedes, not Kagome, no, Mercedes, and now I felt guilt, guilt of betraying Kagome again. You made her steal my files from my computer and after the mission was accomplished, you made her return to France."
Inuyasha laughed, taking back his seat. Naraku smiled.
"I am a genius am I not?"
Inuyasha nodded.
"Your plan was perfect but little did you know that when she took the files, I saw her. I was standing at the door and I saw her."
"Then why did you let her bring them to me?"
Taisho frowned, his eyes piercing through Naraku's colder ones.
"I changed the files at the same instant. Later on, you invested in them and you lost didn't you? Who's the genius now Naraku? You fell in your own trap. You lost a lot didn't you?"
Naraku shrugged as if he were dismissing the thought.
"Just a couple of millions. Nothing to cry for."
Silence stretched again, the two men eying each other carefully. It was Naraku's voice that broke it.
"How did you find out that she was Kagome?"
Taisho took a deep breath.
"After she left, I was devastated. I lost interest in everything. I knew that I was in love with her but I couldn't. How could I betray Kagome? A few days later, I received a call from Chris' girlfriend, Kagura. She told me that she had something very important to tell me. I complied. We met in a café and she confessed that she needed money; she told me that Chris had promised something to her but he didn't fulfill his promise. She also stressed the fact that if I gave her half a million, the information she'll hand me will change my life forever. I was desperate. I agreed."
Naraku shifted uncomfortably.
"So it was an internal treason. Who would have guessed that Chris would let his girlfriend know about this?"
Inuyasha shook his head negatively.
"You thought you were so smart Naraku. Kagura told me that she overheard a conversation you made with Chris. She heard you saying clearly that I should never discover that Mercedes was Kagome. I called her a liar, trying as best as I can to crush the sudden rush of happiness that coursed my veins. Later, I decided that I had to make sure that this was not another trap. Maybe you were the one who sent her in order to tell me all this stuff. I went to the office she was working in. It was still empty since her departure. I found some of her personal belongings, mainly a ribbon she tied her hair with. It had a few of her hairs in it."
Naraku looked at Taisho in shock. The man was more dangerous than he thought he was.
"Why would you need some of her hairs?"
Inuyasha smirked and motioned to the necklace he was wearing around his neck.
"I gave Kagome this necklace before the accident and kept the other twin one with me."
"So?" Naraku asked, not getting the idea.
"So, Kagome and I agreed that we needed something to constantly remind us of the other. We cut a strand of our hair. I gave her mine, she gave me hers and we hid them in the necklace, right here. I used both samples for the DNA test. My friend is a doctor; he hid it quite well from the others."
Naraku gulped as Inuyasha approached him, his face inched away from his, his golden eyes raging in fire.
"Do you have any idea what I felt when the result came perfectly matching? A perfect match Naraku, a fucking perfect match. I felt like killing you. I contacted Kagura again, I gave her the money and she left the country. Now, my objective was clear. Mercedes was to be mine and nothing would come in my way. I made a research on Kelly, I found her and you know what I discovered. The kid was yours. You were the one who tricked me. The only question left was why? Why didn't Kagome remember me? The idea that she may be playing me along with you crossed my mind and I felt so much betrayed."
His eyes darkened while pinning Naraku under their intensity.
"I had only one card left. I contacted one of my agents inside your company."
Naraku's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You have someone inside my company?" The older man asked in his shock. Inuyasha smirked.
"Of course I do. Did you think that I didn't know from the beginning that Chris was working for you? Please! I asked him to hack your personal computer which he did quite often."
Naraku's eyes widened even more if possible. Taisho was spying on him the whole time?
"And we found her files. She had amnesia. You tricked her, lied to her and used her. From there you know what happened. I hired a detective, followed her tracks and immediately found her. And then, I told you about Kelly. I only wished to blackmail you; however, the accident you made was unexpected. So I changed my plans. Instead of blackmailing you, I blackmailed my love in order to have her with me. And I am proud to say that it worked."
Naraku suddenly smiled, making Inuyasha uncomfortable. The younger businessman knew better than to underestimate Naraku's malice.
"If you are so sure of yourself, why did you come here?"
"Because I know that you will try to sabotage my relationship with her so I am warning you: do that and I may kill you."
Naraku continued to smile despite the pain that was coursing in his broken body.
"She came to see me didn't she? Mercedes is here and you're afraid that I might actually persuade her to stay with me. Is the bad Inuyasha Taisho still afraid of me?"
"I am warning you Naraku…" Inuyasha stared but the older man interrupted him.
"I swear on my life that I will not try to sabotage your relationship with Mercedes."
Taisho stared at him, his eyes showing his uncertainty. Naraku snorted, looking away.
"Even if you do not believe it Inuyasha, I love Kagome and I want her to be happy. In addition, I owe you."
"You…you owe me?" Inuyasha stuttered, shocked beyond belief. Naraku just swore on his life and his eyes were nothing but sincere.
"Yes I owe you Taisho and I usually repay my debt. You told me that Kelly gave birth to my son. I never imagined that she kept the child. That she kept my child, my son. If you didn't tell me, I would have never known I would have never been a part of his life; I would have not recognized my son out of all people. And for that I owe you and I will repay you by giving Kagome back to you. I don't hate you anymore and don't want us to be enemies. To believe me or not it is your choice. From my part, I know that I am not considering you as a threat anymore. You will be spared of my plots and you will keep Mercedes. I promise you."
Inuyasha stayed silent, his brain trying to process all the things that Naraku had said. Was the war between them finally over? Was it? He looked at Naraku, his heart thundering. Will he have Kagome back, forever, without plots, without worry? Will he be happy again?
"And don't worry about Hojo Takashi telling her anything." Naraku's voice suddenly rose. "I will deal with him personally. I will not tolerate disobedience. In fact, Chris is taking the necessary actions while we speak. After we're done from him, he will never come near you anymore."
Inuyasha tried hard to refrain the smile of relief that was threatening to come but Naraku immediately noticed.
"You know Taisho, you are really bad when you want to, worst than me."
Inuyasha's smile faltered.
"Why would you say such a thing?"
"We can be partners Inuyasha. Together, we can do a lot of things that we could never achieve on our own. You are like me, you can plot, and you can blackmail someone into obeying you. I saw the smile you tried to suppress when you knew that Takashi will be out of the way. You have it in you, Taisho. Don't be stupid like your dad; let me teach you what I know. You'll be powerful more than you ever imagined. You work to get what you want in the same way I do. You blackmailed Kagome in order to have her. That's not an honest thing to do Taisho."
Inyasha frowned; trying to block Naraku's convincing words. He had to admit that a partnership with Naraku would open the horizon to greatest power.
"I am nothing like you Naraku." He countered. The older man smiled.
"Take your time Taisho, but when you find my words convincing, come to my office and I will help you to become more powerful, more important. I will teach you the oldest tricks in my book and we will be invincible partners."
"That's never going to happen."
Naraku was about to answer when Kagome entered the room. She stopped when she saw the two men chatting calmly.
"Don't you ever knock?" Inuyasha rudely asked, fearing that she might have overheard them. Mercedes frowned.
"Well, you were together, alone, for too long and I feared that you might have killed each other. And you're not my father to try to discipline me!" She angrily replied before dashing towards Naraku. She knelt next to him and hugged him, making sure not to hurt him.
"I missed you." She whispered, caressing his cheek. He smiled at her. "I was so worried about you. Don't you ever do that to me again!"
"I won't, I promise."
She hugged him again, this time a little bit tighter. When she finally broke the hug, Naraku looked at Inuyasha.
"Can you leave us alone for a minute?"
Taisho looked at him contemplating his answer before he got up and left. Now alone, Mercedes looked at Naraku, tears in her eyes.
"I know that you hate me because I am with him now and…"
"Shh." Naraku chided, interrupting her. "I could never hate you Mercedes. I know that you did that in order to save me."
She nodded, suddenly finding her fingers very interesting. His next question made her blush.
"So, have you two been intimate?"
"What kind of question is that!" She yelled, glaring at him. "I will not answer this!"
Naraku chuckled, looking at her with amused eyes.
"I will take this as a yes."
Her blush deepened and she averted her eyes away from his.
"I love him." She suddenly said, her eyes welling with tears.
"Then why are you crying?" he asked. "Look at me Mercedes."
When she did, he smiled at her, making her smile as well.
"You should never be ashamed of loving someone. If you love him, where's the problem?"
"He doesn't love me back. He…he doesn't care about me!" she murmured, crying harder, her heart unable to stand the ache anymore. She needed to talk to someone, to tell anyone about her fears, her inner thoughts. "He just cares about me because I look like Kagome. He doesn't love Mercedes!"
He buried her face in his shoulder, crying, while Naraku sat there in shock. When he was able to comprehend what she was saying he forced her to look at him.
"Mercedes, who told you that you look like Kagome?"
"I saw her picture in that stupid box he has in his room. She resembles me and he loves her so much. I can't take this Naraku! He doesn't want me, he wants her and I am not her. And the worst thing is that I love him so much! Why does he have to act so nice with me when he thinks that I am her! If I looked differently, he would not have given me a second look. He would have ignored me like he ignores the rest of the women surrounding him!"
"Listen to me!" Naraku interrupted, grasping her chin with his good hand. "Look at me and listen very well!"
She stared at him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Do you trust me Mercedes?"
She bit her bottom lip, nodding once.
"If I tell you something, would you promise to believe me?"
Seeing how serious he was, she nodded again. Naraku smiled, looking straight in her eyes.
"I know that Inuyasha is in love with you, not Kagome, no, you, Mercedes. He loves you. I can see it in his eyes, in the way he looks at you even when he behaves rudely. The man spent a fortune just to find you! He blackmailed me in order to have you with him. He will go to hell to be with you! He loves you! I don't care if you resemble his old girlfriend, neither should you. Kagome is dead and you, my Mercedes, you are alive. You hold his heart and even if I don't love the man, I must acknowledge that he is completely and totally in love with you."
A small smile made her way towards her lips, curving them upwards. She sniffed, feeling the ache in her heart disappear, just to be replaced with a feeling of happiness.
"You are Mercedes, you are not a substitution, you'll never be one. Il t'aime. Il est complètement fou de toi. Ne le laisse pas tomber à cause d'un simple doute. Mercedes, tu dois être égoiste pour être heureuse. Est ce que tui es sure de tes sentiments envers lui? Do you really love him? Are you sure?"
She nodded, whipping her long forgotten tears.
"I love him. I really do. Lorsque je suis avec lui, je me sens tellement légère, heureuse, satisfaite. Il me complète, et je ne peux pas imaginer ma vie sans lui. Je ne sais pas pourquoi mais parfois j'ai l'impression que je le conanis depuis toujours, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes pas des étrangers. Je veux qu'il m'aime, qu'il m'aime à moi, Mercedes, pas Kagome. Je veux le rendre heureux, je veux tout essayer pour qu'il oublie son passé, pour qu'il oublie l'échec de son dernier amour. Je veux commencer de zero avec lui. C'est égoiste mais c'est la vérité."
Naraku smiled.
"If you cannot see your life without him, if you really feel that happy when you are with him then you should let go of all those dark thoughts, you should be yourself and not think about Kagome. You should be happy with him. Now go find Chris for me and join Inuyasha. He's waiting for you."
Inuyasha was waiting in the cafeteria, worried like he has never been before. What was Naraku telling Mercedes? What if he was lying to him? What if Mercedes was now getting a good lecture of how bad he was? He put his head between his hands. How stupid was he to allow her to stay with Naraku alone? He got up, wanting to go fetch her and tell her the whole truth before things got out of hand. He made a few steps when he saw her looking at him from afar. He made his way towards her, fearing the strange look in her eyes.
"Mercedes?" He asked as he came to her level. He gulped when he noticed how intently she was looking at him. What did Naraku tell her? More lies? Or worst, did he tell her the truth?
"We need to talk. Let's go back to your apartment."
His heart clenched in his chest. Would she break it up with him, now that Naraku was fully awake and capable of defending himself? Would she tell him how much he disgusted her, how much their love making left her sick? He simply nodded to her and made his way towards his car, his head running a million thought.
"Mercedes!" He moaned, gripping the sheets under him as she kissed his chest. His shirt was long forgotten on the floor of his bedroom and her hands were now working on his belt. "Mercedes!" He repeated, fisting his hand in her hair. She stopped and looked at him, her blue eyes clouded with lust. He nearly shuddered. She had never initiated this kind of contact before. At that moment, she resembled her old self more than Mercedes herself.
"What's the matter?" she whispered, her hands tracing his bare chest, her body pressing intimately against his own. He closed his eyes. He was behaving like a teenager and that was ridiculous. He could not let her control him like that, he had had enough sexual experience and there he was, acting like a virgin. He felt her warm breath against his neck, her lips coming in contact with his heated skin, pressing several kisses, making his blood boil in his veins. Why was she acting this way, as if she was freed from any restrictions? He pressed her closer to him, for the first time not sensing her rejection.
"Why?" He asked, his mind losing control as his hands slipped under her skirt, gently stroking the bare skin. She bit her bottom lip and moaned loudly in his ear, her hands caressing his cheeks. She was acting at ease with him, for the first time, he felt that she wanted him, wanted him again.
"I want you." She whispered in his ear, lightly kissing it. He shivered again and buried his face in her hair.
"Why?" He repeated, although he knew that nothing will stop him from having her. She will be his, only his. No other man will touch her even if he'll have to kill him. His eyes suddenly darkened. Yes, he was ready to kill for her.
"I love you." she stated, moaning again when his hands went higher. She gripped his shoulders, her eyes widening for the intimate contact he had started. Never in their previous nights had he touched her. She felt herself blush but decided to go with her feelings. She loved him and she wanted to please him, she needed him to know that she was all his. Naraku's words still echoed in her head. Inuyasha loved her and she would trust him in this one.
"Would you let me touch you?" He whispered in her ear, his voice husky, betraying his lust. She closed her eyes, a chill running down her spin followed by a louder moan when his words became actions. She gripped his bare shoulders even more, her eyes opening with the new sensations.
"Inuyasha…" she panted in his ear, her body trembling, sensing herself on the verge.
He looked at her eyes and kissed her, hard, his actions never ceasing. She returned the kiss eagerly and parted her lips when he asked for entrance. He felt her shuddering and smiled in the kiss when her climax hit her hard. Her scream was muffled by his lips, her eyes widening. He moved a few inches away from her face, and she saw him smiling, his eyes searching hers. Her hands stroked his cheeks, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"You're embarrassed." He whispered, making her flush deepen. She looked away.
"I have never been touched like that. It's a little bit different."
She buried her face in his neck, making him laugh.
"Mercedes, you don't have to be so shy." He murmured, rolling them over so that he was on top. She hugged him tighter, refusing to make eye contact with him. He laughed again and forced her to look at him.
"You're so beautiful."
He kissed her lightly on the lips.
"And I am glad that you're embarrassed. It means that you are only mine. No other has touched you like that before me. And no one will."
"Inuyasha, I love you. I'll do anything for you!"
He smiled and kissed her again.
"I thought you wanted to talk Mercedes."
She laughed, her embarrassment long forgotten.
"We are talking." She answered, bringing him down for another kiss.