"I thought that we were going to dance." Rubin said as they sat in the restaurant. Inuyasha gave him a hard look before seating himself next to Kikyo.
"No, I changed my mind." The young man responded coldly. "I prefer that we talk with you two." He continued, motioning at Rubin and Mercedes who were sitting next to each other in the opposite direction.
Mercedes shrugged, rolling her blue eyes.
"I wanted to go dancing." She insisted, looking at Rubin. "Let's go Rubin. I don't want to be here."
She started to rise from her chair when Inuyasha's cold voice stopped her.
"Don't test my patience." He warned, freezing her with his intense gaze. She sat back, her eyes leaving his intimidating gaze. Kikyo looked at the businessman with confusion. Why was he acting so rudely with that girl?
Rubin sighed heavily.
"Fine, but let us order something to eat first." He said, motioning for the waiter to come by. The ambiance lightened a little as orders of food were taken.
"And you Mercedes?" Rubin asked, looking at her. "What would you like to have?"
She glanced at the menu, biting her lower lip before putting it aside and smiling at the young waiter, earning a little blush from the young man.
"I would like to have a double whiskey and a box of cigarettes. Any kind I guess. It is allowed to smoke here right?"
The waiter nodded before leaving.
Silence stretched before Mercedes glanced at her companions who were looking at her incredulously.
"What?" she asked. It was Inuyasha who first spoke.
"You didn't order any food."
She smiled when the waiter came with her 'order'. She grabbed the box of cigarettes, opened it and took one. She then reached for her purse and took a lighter.
"Let me help you." Rubin interrupted her actions by taking the lighter and giving fire to her cigarette. She thanked him before inhaling deeply and removing the cigarette from her lips, putting it at the table.
"I am not hungry." She answered him, not meeting his gaze.
Inuyasha stared at her in confusion as she took a gulp of her drink. He didn't recall that she ever fumed or drunk in his presence. What happened to her?
He was interrupted from his thoughts when Kikyo spoke, looking at Mercedes with her cold eyes.
"I am sorry Mercedes but you cannot smoke once we start shooting the clip. And drinking is out of the question. You are supposed to be a model for all teenagers and…well…this won't do."
Mercedes returned her cigarette to her lips, inhaling deeply again before letting smoke puff from between her lips.
"Rubin, you never told me that." She sweetly asked the young star who was looking at her. Rubin cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"I…I assumed that you didn't smoke and…" he didn't continue, his words failing him. Seeing Mercedes like this was something new to him. He assumed that she was the shy type and he surely was mistaken.
Kagome leaned back in her seat, her drink in her hand. She suddenly smiled, looking at Rubin.
"I am sorry Rubin. I believe that this will terminate our contract. I smoke, I drink and I won't stop. I am free with myself and I will not be chained." She gave Kikyo a hard look. Miss perfect thought that she cornered her, didn't she? She then stood from her chair, snatching her purse and made her way towards the door.
The trio sat there in silence before Inuyasha spoke.
"We're sorry Rubin, but you will have to find someone else."
Kikyo nodded.
"And make sure that you find a more innocent girl." She continued, staring at the very pissed star. "I mean, princess of my heart is about a girl who looks like an angel and I bet that this girl is anything but…"
"Enough!" Rubin yelled, standing up, his face angry as hell, attracting the attention of the other people present in the restaurant. "I want her. I want Mercedes and I will have no other! I don't care if she smokes, if she drinks or even if she's addicted to drugs! I don't care about these things! I want Mercedes!"
"No!" Inuyasha countered, standing in front of him. "You will have to choose another one. Mercedes will not do!"
Rubin smiled sarcastically, taking a step towards Inuyasha.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you? You don't want her to be near me so you imposed these stupid rules!"
"Rubin!" Kikyo exclaimed, standing between the two irritated men. "What are you talking about? Inuyasha wants what is best for you and clearly this girl is not the best choice."
The star laughed, shaking his head.
"You don't know anything do you?" He asked her, amused. Kikyo stared at him in wonder.
"Am I missing something?" She questioned, glancing at Inuyasha. She had never seen his face so contracted before.
"He just wants me to be away from her don't you Taisho? Well guess what. If Mercedes doesn't perform in this video clip, I will go to another company. I don't give a shit about Solaris. I just want Mercedes."
Inuyasha laughed at him his eyes sparkling with fire.
"You want Mercedes? Well have her! Fine! See if I care! But when things turn out badly for you, don't come to me to fix anything because I won't!"
"Fine!" Rubin yelled, storming where the young girl had left.
Inuyasha sat on his seat, his face darkened with anger.
"Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked, sitting next to him. "Do you know that woman?"
The young man looked at her before putting his head between his hands.
"She's my ex girlfriend."
Kikyo looked at her hands, a sad smile coming to her lips.
"You still love her don't you? I can understand your attraction to her. I mean, she's very beautiful and I bet she gave you things I could never give you. She looks like a model; she's everything that a man dreams of. She's funny and she even has Rubin in her line. He prefers her on our prestigious company. So I would understand if you still love her."
She sighed heavily and looked at the golden eyes of the man she was crushing on. She gasped when he titled her chin upward and his lips descended on hers in a brief kiss. As soon as he pulled away, a blush came to her cheeks.
"I loved her, Kikyo. But this is not her. I loved the woman she was not the woman she is now. In fact, you are the kind I prefer, the caring, gentle, beautiful and smart girl."
The young woman gulped, her lips still tingling from the kiss.
"Help me fall in love with you."
She nodded and the dinner continued in a comfortable silence.
"Mercedes wait!" He yelled, running after the girl. She stopped as soon as she heard him and turned her head towards him. He stopped; staring at her as the wind blew, picking her hair and the edges of her dress. Few strands of hair whipped against her cheeks, putting her stunning blue eyes in sight. He gulped, his heart suddenly picking his pace. She was beautiful, more beautiful than he wanted to admit. He took a few steps towards her.
"Mercedes." He whispered loud enough for her to hear. Her eyes met his and he felt like drowning in the mesmerizing blue color. "I want you…"
The words left his mouth before he could stop them, making him halt his progress. Her eyes widened a little before returning to their original position. His heart raced even more. How could she do this to him? What was happening to him? His throat was suddenly dry as he felt himself being judged by her gaze on him.
"I want you with me…" he continued, his eyes pleading her."I will have no other. It's just you or no one."
Her eyes left his and settled on the ground. He could see her cheeks flushing a little. Good. At least he was not the only one affected between them.
"Inuyasha."
His eyes immediately flew to hers, questioning. She took a deep breath and closed the distance between them. Now that she was next to him, he could smell her delicious fragrance, he could see the way her dark lashes caressed her cheeks as her eyes drifted close for a moment.
"Inuyasha would not leave me alone." She continued, looking at him again. "You have to understand Rubin. You have to. I cannot be with him all the time. I wanted to forget him and now I have to go to some island with him? Why did you do this to me Rubin? Why did you lie?"
"I didn't know okay?" he shouted, frustrated. "I never knew and when I realized that it was him it was too late. I was already into you."
"Rubin…"
"No! I don't understand you Mercedes!" he suddenly smiled, staring at her in confusion. "I am the prince of the music! Girls fall at my feet. I have the embarrassment of the choice but you… you make me feel so average, so rejected!"
Her eyes widened again. She turned to leave but he quickly grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to face him.
"Rubin, let me go…"
"What does he have that I don't have? Is he better looking because forgive me but I believe that I am not that bad myself. Is it because he's rich? I have tons of money! Is it because he's famous? I am famous. I am more famous then he would ever be? What is it Mercedes? Tell me!"
She pushed him away, her eyes red with tears.
"He drives me crazy!" she yelled, hiding her eyes with her hands. "I can't get him out of my head. He's everywhere! His smell, his eyes, I can't anymore!"
She dropped her hands, her eyes pleading with him.
"He's torturing me! He's mocking me! I need him! That's why I smoke, that's why I drink! I want to become addicted to anything other than him! I love him; I love him so much I can die for him."
Tears went down her eyes to her cheeks.
"Help me…" she begged, coming closer to Rubin who had averted his eyes, not able to see her like this."Please help me. I think I am going crazy. Rubin, I need you, I need you to make it go away. I drink and the day after, when I wake up, I feel emptier, I feel so down. I…I took those pills."
Rubin's eyes immediately flew to hers.
"What pills?" He asked, his voice trembling.
She laughed between her tears.
"Sleeping pills. I took too many. I had to go to the hospital. I told…I told Naraku that it was an accident but it was not! I wanted it to stop, the pain!"
She was interrupted when Rubin grabbed her by her forearms, yanking her towards him.
"Let me help you then Mercedes." He whispered in her ear, his hand stroking her hair. "I will help you to forget. I can make you forget. Please let me…let me love you…let me be with you. You won't forget him like this. Let me be your drug, your addiction."
Her eyes met his, her gaze hopeful.
"How?" she asked and in that moment, he saw the vulnerability in her eyes, he knew that he has made the correct first step.
His hands went to her face, slightly caressing her flushed cheeks, his thumbs taking the tears away. Slowly, his face descended to hers. She closed her eyes, titling her chin upwards. His lips pressed against hers. He could feel her arms hooking around his neck, drawing him closer. His hands descended on her waist, his lips moving more boldly on hers, drawing a gasp from her. His hands tightened on her waist. A kiss had never affected him like that before. What was she doing to him? His heart lept in his chest when his kiss deepened, earning a slight moan from the woman in his arms. Her taste was his heaven, and he knew that her kisses would never cease to make his blood boil in his veins.
They broke the kiss, both panting. He placed his forehead on hers, staring at her beautiful eyes.
"You're perfect." He whispered. She tightened her hold on his neck, pressing her nose on his.
"Why Rubin? Why do you care?"
"I am attracted to you Mercedes and God help me I cannot stop these feelings. With you, my songs suddenly have a meaning."
His answer seemed to satisfy her as she pressed her lips on his, begging for another kiss. Rubin nibbled her bottom lip, begging for entrance when he suddenly caught a flash from the corner of his left eye. He immediately broke away from the kiss and turned around, startled when he saw paparazzi taking another photo of them.
"Can you kiss her again Rubin?" the photographer asked. The star was about to retaliate when he was showered with flashes.
Mercedes stared in horror at the group of photographers who were taking random pictures, asking her to come closer to the prince of music.
"Rubin, what do we do now?" she whispered, coming closer to him.
The young singer looked down at her, a small smirk gracing his lips.
"We run."
Mercedes slammed herself against the wall of the dark alley, panting heavily. Rubin was next to her, trying as best as he could to regularize his breathing.
"I…Think…we…lost…them." He panted, whipping the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
"I never…thought…I could run so fast…with heels also."
They looked at each other before bursting into laughs.
"Tomorrow, our photo will be on the front page of all magazines." Rubin said, looking at her. Mercedes shrugged.
"I don't mind."
A grin broke on the star's face.
"Good. I was afraid that you will panic."
They stood in silence before Mercedes spoke, blushing slightly.
"About that kiss…"
"Yes?" Rubin asked, looking at her worriedly.
"Hm, did we ever kiss before like that? It was oddly familiar." She asked her brows furrowed in thought.
She gasped when the young man trapped her between the wall and his body, gazing down at her.
"I would have recalled such a kiss, baby. But if you like, we can do it again, just to make sure."
Her blush intensified. They were about to kiss when her cell phone vibrated. They broke apart. As soon as she read the message, her face paled.
"You asshole!" The young blond woman cried, repetitively hitting Naraku's chest with her fists as he tried to control her. "Where is my son?"
The businessman finally managed to throw her off of him onto the nearest couch. His face was angry, his jaw tightly clenched.
"How dare you hit me?" he venomously asked. The woman didn't seem to be affected as she went to him again, her eyes welled with tears.
"Please Naraku, I beg you, where did you take my son?"
"None of your business bitch."
His words seemed to anger her. She raised her hand to slap him across the face but he was faster. He immediately took hold of her arm, twisting it behind her back. She cried in pain as he whispered in her ear.
"It seems that you have forgotten who I am baby. No one strikes me, no one."
"Fuck you!"
She hissed in pain when his grip on her arm tightened.
"Do you always use such vocabulary in front of my child?"
"Go to hell!" she sobbed. "He is not your child."
This time, the pain was unbearable, making her cry out. Naraku smirked, holding her tighter.
"I should kill you for hiding my own child from me Kelly. In fact I was planning to kill you until I saw you again."
She felt his hand move her hair away from her neck. She flinched when his hand was replaced by his lips, lightly kissing her skin.
"You disgust me." She replied. She felt him smirk but his grip on her arm lessened considerably.
"You're more beautiful than what I recall Kelly. More mature. You're not a baby anymore, no, you're now a woman."
"Let me go!" she yelled, successfully freeing herself from his grip and moving as far as possible from him. He stared at her, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"I am warning you Naraku, if you don't give me my child back, I will call the police and tell them that you kidnapped him!"
"Really?" he asked in amusement. "What are you going to tell them?'Hello, excuse me; do you know the rich billionaire Naraku? Yes, the businessman? Oh, he kidnapped my child. What's my job? Well, I am a waitress in a night club.' "
Kelly's tears doubled as Naraku laughed really hard.
"Is this what you're going to tell them? I bet they will listen to you. Maybe if you fuck one of them, he may come to investigate. Then, I will talk to my connections and he will disappear from this earth forever. Is this what you want Kelly? Hn? Do you want things to get this ugly between us?"
The young woman shook her head negatively, her eyes begging him to pity her.
"Please Naraku, for old days, have some pity on me…"
"No."
She took a deep breath, before looking at him with cold eyes.
"I'll kill you Naraku. You ruined my life; you are the reason of my misery. I hate you and I will kill you. Do you hear me? I will kill you!"
She lunged at him but he immediately grabbed her arms and slammed her at the couch, his eyes boring holes in hers.
"You don't hate me stupid girl!" he yelled back. She cried out when he joined her on the couch, his hands pinning hers to the side, his face inches away from hers.
"Can't you see Kelly? Can't you see why I don't hurt you, why I am not interested in other women? I still want you!"
Her eyes widened, her struggles renewing by ten folds.
"Get off me Naraku!" she shouted in fear. "I hate you, get off me or you will regret it!"
He laughed at her, his lips hovering against her own.
"Don't you understand that you cannot hurt me? You cannot do anything against me Kelly! You are mine! What do you think I felt when I saw you in that man's lap?"
"Liar! I won't fall for this! Get off!" she yelled in desperation. "Help! Help…"
She was silenced by his lips crashing on her own. She helplessly tried to free herself from his hold, her heart beating with fear. He moved both of her hands above her head and held them with one hand, his other hand grabbing her chin, forcing her to stay still. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her body powerless against his assault. His tongue pried her lips open, thrusting him inside her hot cavern. She felt his free hand leave her chin and drag itself along her body, stilling on the buttons of her blouse.
Her eyes widened and her struggles increased. She would not let him use her again. With a new determination, she bit him, hard. He yelled in pain, detaching himself from her. Taking the opportunity, she tried to make her way to the door but he grabbed her again, his eyes burning with rage.
"You whore! How dare you! I'll show you how to mess with me!"
"No Naraku, please!" she begged him.
"Undress." He commanded, pushing her towards the bed. She braced herself, trembling a little.
"No, please."
"Do you want to see your son again? Undress. You do it or I will do it for you."
Sensing that the girl was still hesitating, he made his way towards her and forcefully pushed her on the mattress, straddling her waist.
"You're such a bitch Kelly. I bet you did it for thousands of men during the past three years. I'll just help you."
She watched in horror when his hands clutched the sides of her blouse, ripping it apart, revealing her to his gaze. She tried to hide herself but he pinned her wrists above her head, lustfully drinking the sight under him.
"Of course, why would a whore like you use a bra, right Kelly?"
"Please, let me go, get off!" she yelled, his words cutting her deeply. She tried to wiggle away from his hold when his lips crashed on her lips again, parting and exploring while his hand cupped her breast, his thumb caressing it. She whimpered in protest, feeling violated and squirmed again. His lips left hers and went down her neck.
"Naraku, please!" She sobbed. "Please I don't want this. You disgust me! No Naraku!"
"Shhh. Nothing will save you from me." He whispered in her ear, his hand moving down her skirt. She closed her eyes in horror when she felt him stop his movements and stare at the door.
"Oh my God! Naraku! Get off her!" she heard a young woman with a very familiar voice shout from the door. To her surprise, the businessman immediately separated himself from her and rushed towards the door.
"Mercedes." He started. Kelly clutched the covers, hiding herself, her hands trying to bring some order to her dishelved hair. She was sure she looked like a mess. In fact, she almost got raped. She tried to look at the girl who had saved her but Naraku's silhouette was hiding her from view. Her voice was familiar though. Where had she heard it before?
Her heart almost dropped when she saw Naraku reach to hug the girl who pushed him away. Was she his lover? His girlfriend? She clutched the covers tighter. Yes, after three years, she still loved that monster.
"Mercedes, it's not what you think!" she saw him argue, still standing at the door.
"Naraku, she was screaming for you to stop!"
"Mercedes, you don't understand. Please, let me explain."
"Explain!" The girl shrieked. "I got a message from Chris telling me to come here because you lost your mind. Please tell me you didn't do anything to her!"
"Don't worry about her Mercedes. She's nothing. Please tell me you still love me."
Kelly's tears renewed. He was begging that girl to love him. He was treating her with such respect while her, she was just a whore to him.
She heard the girl sigh deeply.
"Listen, I won't lie to you Naraku. Your behavior shocked me. I never thought that you will force yourself on a woman. I will forget this if you let her go."
"No!" The infamous man cut her off. "She won't leave."
"Okay, just promise me that you will not abuse her physically."
"I promise."
Kelly sighed in relief when Naraku left the room. Her eyes met the girl who saved her. She had to say that she was very beautiful and elegant. Her dress was gorgeous, her figure maddening, her hair wonderful, her face angelic. She was just perfect. As the girl approached, Kelly's heart started to beat faster. She also resembled Kagome. In fact, she really, really, resembled Kagome. She gulped, moving away. Her blue eyes were the exact reflection of those of Kagome. But Kagome was dead. She relaxed again. People resembled each other. It was just a coincidence.
"I am sorry."
Kelly looked at her, clutching the covers against her naked chest. Mercedes sat on the other side of the bed, her eyes sympathetic.
"I know that it must have been horrible for you. But Naraku didn't mean to hurt you; he just doesn't know how to deal with things, so he retaliates to violence."
Kelly nodded, looking away in shame.
"You don't have to be ashamed; it is not your fault. You have done nothing wrong."
"He's a monster." Kelly managed to say, looking at the beautiful girl. "What are you doing with him? Did he blackmail you or something?"
Mercedes shook her head negatively.
"Of course not. I am with him because I choose to be with him. Listen, you have to stay here because he is really angry with you. If you leave he will hurt you. However, he promised that if you stay here he will not hurt you."
Kelly nodded once before speaking.
"I am sorry if I bothered you with this…"
"Please Kelly."
The young woman looked at her with surprise. She knew her name?
"I know about your story with Naraku. I know everything."
Naraku was sitting in his living room, drinking. His eyes were still blazed with anger. He felt Mercedes come and sit next to him. They stayed silent for a few moments, both trying to start the conversation.
"I am sorry okay?" he finally snapped, staring at her eyes. "I couldn't control myself. She was taunting me! She brought this on herself!"
"She told you no." Mercedes whispered. He snorted.
"Well, I am sorry to tell you this Mercedes, but I am not a good man. I always take things without the other's consent. It wouldn't be the first time. If I want it I take it, fuck everything else."
Silence stretched between them.
"If I were her, I would hate you. I would never accept a man who forces himself on me."
Naraku laughed bitterly, looking at her.
"Really? Well, as I recall, Inuyasha forced himself on you. He blackmailed you in his bed. He fucked you without your consent."
Kagome's face paled.
"I was in love with him."
"But he didn't know that, did he? He didn't care. He just wanted a piece of you, and your consent didn't matter!"
"Why are you doing this? Inuyasha is not like that."
"Yes he is!" Naraku exclaimed, standing up. "He is exactly like that. That's what makes him strong. He takes what he wants without asking."
"That's ridiculous. I know you want her to love you. Well guess what, if you continue like this, she will hate you."
"I don't care about her feelings!"
"Yes you do!" she yelled back. "You are not the monster you want to be."
Naraku snatched her by the shoulders, forcing her to face him.
"Yes I am! I am a monster! You can deny it but its true! I am a monster! And I will always be, you can accept this fact or you can get the hell out of my sight Mercedes! I think that's why Taisho left you. You never accepted him for who he really was. You always wanted him to be the way you felt comfortable with! Hell, you don't even know who you are! You tell me who I am but let me ask you about you Mercedes. Who are you? Hm? Who are you?"
Her eyes welled in tears, her heart aching in her chest. She didn't know who she was. She would never know. She was a stranger even to herself.
"That's why no one will ever love you Mercedes, because you don't even love yourself. You're a bitter person, a sophisticated false snob girl. Yes you are beautiful; yes you are smart, but only in the appearance. Deep down, you're just a scared little girl searching for a past that she will never have."
"Shut up!"
"Why? Is the truth hurting you Mercedes? You're trying to change me into a better person. Just look at yourself. You're an exact copy of me. You're manipulative, you play with others feelings, you sleep around, you drink, you smoke, you club, and you're just like me. So who are you trying to change Mercedes, me or you?"
She gazed at him, her heart broken to a million pieces; however, her eyes didn't betray her emotions. She was used by now; she was used to hide what she really felt.
"I am leaving."
Naraku stood in the dark living room for a few minutes before he grabbed his cell phone.
"Chris, I need you to find me Mercedes. Tell the men to search everywhere for her."
He then fell on his couch, his head between his hands. If Mercedes didn't come back to him, he was sure he would die.
"Do you feel better?" Rubin asked, handing her the cup of coffee. She nodded, taking a zip of the drink.
"So, I received a call from Taisho. He told me that he was sorry for what happened back there in the restaurant. He promised that they will not bother you anymore. Thus, we are leaving after five hours."
Mercedes looked at him, her eyes wide.
"But Rubin, I don't have my cloths!"
The star sat on the couch and drew her on his lap. She blushed a little but forced herself to stay.
"Don't worry." He whispered seductively in her ear. "I will buy you anything you want as soon as we arrive. It's part of the contract. Now tell me, why do I have the pleasure of having you here in my apartment at eleven pm?"
Mercedes cleared her throat, feeling her ears grow hot. Rubin's vice was magical and he surely knew how to use it.
"I have nowhere else to go for tonight so I was wondering if…"
"With pleasure." He interrupted. "But if you're going to sleep, you should wear something more comfortable. Let me fetch you some of my cloths."
He was about to go when she cupped his face with her hands, staring at him.
"Rubin, tell me, do you think I am empty?"
"No." He whispered, kissing her lightly on the lips. "You're wonderful."
She smiled when he lead her to his dressing room and got a blue shirt for her with a pair of sweat pants. He left the room while she changed into his shirt. She laughed when she noticed that the shirt reached her knees. Looking at the mirror, she noticed that her face and her hair were a mess. Probably because of all the crying she did after Naraku told her exactly what he thought of her. She tossed the sweat pants aside. The shirt was really like a dress and she would be bothered with those when she slept.
She suddenly heard arguments coming from the living room. Making her way there, she stopped when her eyes met those of Inuyasha. His gaze traveled down her body, making her blood freeze in her veins. There she was, standing in Rubin's apartment, nearly at midnight, looking like a mess and wearing only the star's shirt.
"I am sorry." He managed to say, still looking at her. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just coming to tell you that the plane will be leaving in five hours."
"Thank you Taisho." Rubin answered, sitting on the couch as if nothing happened. "We will be in the airport at time, don't worry. In fact, Mercedes and I won't be sleeping. We have other things to do. Four or five hours of sleep are not that much so we'll just skip them."
"I see." Inuyasha responded. "I'll see you there."
As soon as he left, Kagome quietly sat next to Rubin.
"He thinks that we are intimate." Rubin finally said, looking at her. "Does this bother you?"
"No. it's for the best."
"Good." He answered, his hand catching her own, making her fall over him. She gasped, her face inches away from his.
"Kiss me Mercedes."
She closed her eyes, her lips meeting his.