I know "Sorry" does not suffice. I find there is just not enough time for me to write anymore. Between having my laptop stolen and classes, things have been very rough. I even had a new one shot that was almost ready to be posted. However, I am on break from school. Though my work schedule sucks ass, I will try to get a couple of updates in. Oh well, please enjoy this chapter, as I am not sure how long it will have to last you until I have time again. Thank you for being such loyal readers. Lime warning. If you don't like lime, please… please …please…go the other way.

Chapter Thirty

Though it was only mid-April, the evening was balmy. There was a touch of mugginess to the air that made all those cold beers taste that much better. True, the bottled beer didn't taste as good as the kegs the frat boys were used to, but you couldn't match the entertainment that complimented the brews.

Karaoke.

Oh, yes. Kenshin, Aoshi and the whole gang were piled into the only Karaoke bar in their little college town. This place was way different that what the Japanese duo were used to back home, but their American friends liked it all the more. There was truly an appeal to watching total strangers making asses of themselves.

The next victim was up; a cute blond with spiked hair and feathered bangs. Here acid-washed mini-skirt barely kept her decent, her long legs made to look longer with hot-pink pumps. They were the same color as her cropped, slouched-shoulder top. The poor piece of spandex strained against her heavy chest. Her complexion was made rosy with the several drinks she was given and the song she was dared to sing by her Sisters. She could be heard protesting and giggling, before finally relenting and picking up the microphone. The music started:

"I ma-aa-de it through the wiiildurness…Someway…I mean…Somehow I ma-aa-de it through…I Didnt knoooow how lost I was..hiccupp…Until I found youuuuu."

Aoshi tried to contain his laughter, as he could see the young woman was truly trying, but she was failing horribly. He elbowed his partner in crime who was also on the verge of an outburst. And then came the kicker.

"Like a vuuurgin….Touched for vera first tiiiiiiiime," the blond tried to sing, bringing her hand to her chest and moving it down her body suggestively. Then her hazy blue eyes met those of Kenshin's, and she bit her lip. "Like a vurr-rr-rr-rr-giiiin, with your heartbeat...next to mine."

At this, Kenshin lifted a brow. So, he caught the girl's eyes. That would save him a lot of work. He already had her on his radar. Class-A Piece of Ass. Aoshi saw the look in his best friend's eye and shook his head.

"Whoa, there, buddy. Do you know who that is?" Aoshi questioned.

"No, but does it really matter? I'll know her well enough by morning, " the young man said, running his hand through his long, red teased hair. "The chick totally wants a piece of me."

"Dude, that is Hajime's bodacious babe! He would kill you if you stepped on his toes!" Aoshi warned his friend. Kenshin, however, just took another swig of his beer and continued to watch the girl perform. So that's Becky, Kenshin thought to himself.

"If he cared, he'd be here right now, wouldn't he?" the red-haired man said matter-of-factly as he stood and strode over to the stage, leaving his friend with his answer.

Aoshi swore under his breath and Kenshin stalked Becky Banks, Saitou Hajime's main squeeze. And he knew Kenshin would have her, too. The ladies absolutely loved him. Though he was short in stature, it just added to his appeal. His body was muscular and well formed…that was evident of how his tight, stonewashed jeans molded his body. In a matching jacket with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, Kenshin made his final approach, smiling at each of Becky's sorority sister's as he passed through. Finally, he was in front of the beautiful girl, whose eyes swept over him boldly.

"Hiya," was all she said.

"Hey, babe. You were hot stuff up there. You can really sing," Kenshin said with a sincere-looking smile. At that, Becky giggled, which was more like a squeal. Kenshin thought it annoying, but he figured he would be making her giggle all night as he boinked her brains out.

"Oh, I can't sing at all…I only did it cuz Sarah Double-Dog-Dared me. I saw you and your friend laughing at me," she said, her speech not quite as slurred as it was when she was on stage.

"Ah, is that why you had your hands all over yourself as you mind-fucked me," Kenshin whispered boldly into Becky's ear. Her blue eyes grew wide and she almost gasped at his words. He was as bold as they said he was…"they" being some girls she was acquainted with that had known Kenshin.

"Is something the matter?" the flame-haired man asked.

"Oh, no-no-no…I am just well…I had an argument with my boyfriend…my ex-boyfriend and my galpals decided to take me out to enjoy myself," Becky said shyly.

Kenshin took the girl's hand and pressed it to his lips gently. She swore his lips were made of flames as even his hair seemed to be. His eyes, too, were smoldering, sexy and seeming to burn a hole straight through her.

"I'm sorry you are bummed out about your ex. If you'd like, I will continue to show you a good time."

Becky's sisters giggled and a couple whispered words of encouragement. A natural blush coming to her painted cheeks, she nodded yes. At that, Kenshin looked over to Aoshi and saluted to him as he was off to conquer yet another valley.

"This one doesn't feel right, buddy," Aoshi said to himself, taking a drink from his beer. He snarled. The beer was now warm and flat. Looking around the bar dispassionately, he noticed the hour was getting closer to two and his frat brothers seemed eager to return Alpha Phi Beta and continue getting drunk. He decided that he would catch up with Kenshin in the morning.

And when morning came, Aoshi's prediction turned out to be correct. Aoshi did not see Becky when he spotted Kenshin in the kitchen making breakfast, but there was no question she had been there seeing the scratches on Kenshin's arms. The dark-haired young man laughed as he ate his Kix, listening to Kenshin's tale.

"The woman is crazy, I tell you. You think this is bad," Kenshin ask, exposing his arms. "You should see my back! And did you hear that giggle she made at the bar?" Aoshi shook his head in the negative. "Well, it sounded like she took a rubber duck and squeezed to into a megaphone. Little did I know she made the same sound when she was getting laid. She wouldn't stop! She wouldn't let me stop. Any time I tried to slow down so she'd shut up, she'd scratch me! I don't know how Hajime put up with it!"

"And what do you think he's going to do when he finds out?" Aoshi questioned, bringing the bowl to his lips and drinking the last of the milk out.

"Who cares? She said the broke up. That's fair game if you ask me," Kenshin said airily.

"But, you would have screwed her anyways, eh?"

"Damn Straight!"

HIMURA!

Both men heard the call, said in a perfect Japanese accent. It was a low, guttural call. It could only be one person and he could only want one thing. Aoshi shook his head, knowing this was nothing more than deep, smelling unadulterated shit.

"You sure they were broken up?" Aoshi asked.

Kenshin shrugged, then both men made their way to the front of the frat house as they heard Kenshin's last name being called again. On their front lawn was a very tall, thin and angry young man. Perhaps a couple years older than the pair, he was every bit as handsome. His dark hair was cropped around his ears, a couple of colored strands fell in his eye. A smoldering Marlboro cigarette was held in the hard line of his lips. His stance was that of a man ready to fight.

"Himura, you piece of shit… come out here!" Saitou Hajime yelled.

"I am not a dog, so I don't take well to orders. What is it you want?" Kenshin said in a loud, even tone.

"Oh, you are indeed a dog! How dare you touch what is mine!" Saitou said as he began to approach the stairs to the Alpha Phi Beta house.

Unfazed, Kenshin laughed. "Oh, I did way more than touch, dude."

In the blink of an eye, Saitou and Kenshin were on the lawn, duking it out American-style: nothing but fists and anger. Well, the anger was on Saitou's side. Kenshin was laughing as they fought, continuing to taunt Saitou, who was in a rage as no one had ever seen him. Despite the obvious size difference, the pair was evenly matched. Kenshin was much better at avoiding Saitou's heavy punches, though one that connected with his chin sent him back a couple of steps. Kenshin flexed his jaw and finally spoke words that were not a jest.

"You are really mad, huh?"

Saitou glared at his opponent, then dropped his fists. "You really are a piece of shit, Himura. If this were Japan, I would kill you."

"However," Kenshin began to smirk, "we are not in Japan…are we? Those little dipshits you run with are not Yakuza…they are wannabes."

"Ohhh, are they? Do you have any idea what you are talking about, Himura? I can still destroy you," Saitou said in a frosty tone.

"Saitou…all this over a chick? She told me you guys had broken up. You can't tell me you are really that pissed about it," Kenshin tried to reason, thought faultily.

Saitou stared at the young man for a moment, then shook his head. In a way, he was correct. It was just a woman. There was no need to put his ass on the line and get the boy involved in so trivial a matter. But the little fucker needed to be dealt with.

"Watch your back, Himura," Saitou said as he walked away. Then, as an afterthought, "And put some ice on that chin."

Aoshi then came down the stairs to meet his buddy. The rest of the house was still passed out or hung over from the night before, so no one really witnessed the fight…or the verbal exchange. "You really need to be more careful…on all fronts. What if it was found out that we are Yakuza? We'd never get into law school. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a thug forever. We have a good chance here in America. Stop this continual feuding with Hajime-san!"

Kenshin sighed, then put his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. "He shouldn't have tried to embarrass me back in Japan. His family and our family were always at at that time, we had a truce. It was he who broke it. He wanted to fight me and he thought he could win but he didn't. He couldn't even accept the draw. We antagonize each other and I won't stop until he does. It is a matter of honor!"

"I don't think 'honor' and anything to do with your activities last night," Aoshi said so seriously that both young men ended up laughing as they headed back into the house.

"You really were a piece of shit," I said to Kenshin, who was still smiling at his memories. "But this really doesn't explain much…other than you were a dog."

"Yeah, I really was. Thing is, Saitou and I had minor scraps throughout college. Our link goes back to the Yakuza. When he came a few days ago, he asked about your friend's boyfriend, did he not?" Kenshin asked. I nodded and he continued. "There is something that man knows. He would have only been a young boy, probably an errand boy. He would still be informed."

"Where was Enishi during this time? Did you know of his and Aoshi's relationship at that time?" I asked.

"No," Kenshin said as he shook his head. "I only knew he was in California. He, too, was very young, but I have no doubt he was already following his father's footsteps."

"Oh no…" I said aloud and realization finally dawned on me.

"What?" Kenshin asked, concerned. I got goose bumps at my thoughts, but I figured I had to be right, I just had to be.

"Sanosuke was Enishi's running-boy," I said, flatly. "He knows everything."

But, something wasn't adding up. Kenshin knew something, too. I could feel it in my bones. He was leaving out too much from their time in college. What did a Japanese transfer student do to remain active in the Yakuza? Kenshin knew more than he was telling, and my anger almost boiled over as I realized he was keeping the truth from me. I turned to him, my color now high and my tone a bit edged.

"You know more. You knew of Enishi. You knew because you all were running drugs through a common man…O'Nelly! How else could you pay for college, being little more than a gang-banger yourself? And you were paid well, were you not? Why didn't you just say that Kenshin…or do I miss my mark?" I challenged.

Kenshin looked at me and I could see his expression was that of surprise and then defeat. No, I read it all from his violet eyes, I had not missed my mark. It was all coming together quite well. The picture was getting clearer and clearer, now that I knew Kenshin was at one time a Yakuza. Then, the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. How could I have been so blind? I should have sensed this before! Absolutely nothing and no one was as it seemed. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to calm myself down to think. I could feel Kenshin's eyes on me. I could feel his worry, his uneasiness, his feeling of dread that I knew his secret.

"Tell me so I do not have to say it. Better yet, tell me I am wrong. Please, Kenshin, let me be wrong!" I pleaded, tears coming to my eyes. I did not know if I could deal with the truth. No! I actually wanted to be wrong!

"What do you want me to say, Kaoru? Do you think it is something I could tell just anyone," he said quietly.

"Kenshin, I am not just anyone. Look at what this secret has done to everyone. It has cost a man his life…a woman her life…I should have known," I cried. At that moment, Kenshin took me into his arms and held me tight. I was too shocked to push him away. My mind was still digesting what it had figured.

"I am still Yakuza," Kenshin whispered. "I knew all about O'Nelly, that is why I did not want the case. I could not reveal our connection. Yes, he supplied me, Aoshi and Saitou with our drugs. And he was owned by Enishi, as was Sanosuke. How he escaped his fate in the Yakuza, I do not know, but I know that he will not reveal anything about Enishi as his very life is in danger."

"O'Nelly's death was a warning to Sanosuke…and to us," I concluded. "What of Missy? Megumi? They are all in danger!"

I sobbed. I could not remember the last time I cried so. But, why was I crying? Did it really matter Kenshin kept the truth from me? I guess it didn't since that knowledge wouldn't have changed a great deal. It might have kept me at a respectful distance, but who knew? What was done was done…and all there was left to do was one thing.

Bring Enishi down.

Slowly, I pushed myself away from Kenshin, who looked up at me with sad eyes. I was forced to crack a small smile, he looked so worried, as worried as I was feeling.

"We are carrying on like children…me with my crying and you with your puppy-dog eyes. Enough. You are Yakuza? Act like it. I am a ruthless attorney. What better pair are we? We can be sneaky, dirty and underhanded and not feel bad about it as it is our job. We know Sano is the missing link. We get to him, we get what we need to bring Enishi down."

"If he goes down, I go down with him," Kenshin said quietly.

I winced. He was correct in his statement. Any legal takedown would put Kenshin in jail just as easily. Enishi had played his hand well. He wasn't the boss for nothing. I bit my bottom lip as I thought, as I often did. Then, I looked at Kenshin, who frankly looked like a feral dog eying a cut of prime rib. Before I could question him, Kenshin brought his lips to mine. Distracted, I allowed him caress me. His hands roamed my body. Was it my anger, my distress, my worry that set my body on fire? My mind protested. We needed to figure this out! We had to find a way to…to…

"Kenshin," I moaned as he nibbled on my neck and slid his hand up my skirt. "Not…now."

"Will I lose you because of…the truth?" Kenshin asked, tearing his lips away from my flesh just long enough to eek the question out.

My mind was so muddled, but I had to think. One hand was pushing him away while the other was encouraging his hand to work. So, it was reassurance he needed? After all, he had just pledged to leave his wife not too long ago…and then he revealed a secret that was life-changing for me. And, he unfairly posed me this question while he had the distinct advantage.

"I love you, Kenshin…but what future…mmmmm…do we have if we spend our time fucking and not figuring out how to deal with Enishi?"

And then Kenshin sighed, his hand still working on my pleasure bud, but his kisses had ceased.

"I do not know, Kaoru…I do not," he admitted. "You are the mastermind. I suggest you get to it."

I laughed as his fingers continued to work me until I was close to reaching my climax. I started pushing him away, but he continued is torture.

"How can I figure anything out with you doing that?" I laughed as I reached down and grabbed his hard member through his pants. He audibly groaned and pressed himself against my hand.

Actually, as stressed as I was, a quick romp would actually help me relax and get my mind working. Skillfully, I unzipped his pants and pulled him out from his boxers. I stood up and leaned my body against his, all the while teasing his length. Between my hands and the foreplay we had earlier, Kenshin was sent over the edge with desire. There was no need for preliminaries. Forcefully, Kenshin spun me around, bent me over the chair and took me in that position.

After several long, mind-blowing minutes, we both gained release and collapsed into a pile of limbs on the floor. Kenshin kissed my forehead, and I thought. My mind was already working better. That damned wife of his undoubtedly she knew something as well. And, she was way more assessable than Sanosuke. I had almost forgotten about her. She could be used to our advantage, to strike back at Enishi. A sly smile spread across my face as I plotted. Oh yes, Enishi will curse the day he tangled with Kaoru…and anyone she cared about. His days were numbered.

PS, I wrote this at 3am. If there are any glaring errors, please let me know and I'll fix em!