A/N: So I was having some troubles getting myself going from last chapter so sorry it has been a while! I promise this story is getting finished and we are coming up to the wrap up chapters. I'm thinking maybe another 4 to 7 based on how long I make them and how involved I get. Also just a warning. Like a lot a bit of child abuse in this chapter sooooo you're warned.
Chapter 10 – An Honest Answer
"I thought I told you not to call this line unless it is an emergency." A voice spoke over the phone.
"I know, I know." Seiya responded quickly in an attempt to keep his contact from hanging up. "I have a parcel that I need you to pick up. I'm planning on taking it with me on tour and I need you to pick it up for me."
"I don't believe that is a possibility." The contact from the Dead Moon Circus responded before pausing a moment. "We are already attempting to clean up your other mess since you failed to handle that on your own. You're quickly becoming a liability to our organization."
"Attempting!" Seiya practically screamed into the phone while half standing up out of his chair. He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself down. How hard was it to kill a mentally disturbed girl and a psychologist? He forcefully calmed himself down and slid back into the chair before dropping his voice back to a harsh whisper. "I thought you said you'd handle this for me."
"Our team ran into some issues recovering your parcel." The voice responded dryly as if discussing the weather. "We lost the parcel on the highway."
"How did you let them get away?" Seiya whispered harshly over the cell phone he had pressed up to his ear. He nervously glanced at his locked door to confirm that it was closed. The last thing he needed was someone snooping around his room, mainly his two over involved brothers. If only those two would just shut up and stop asking questions it would make this whole process so much easier. "Do you know what this could do to me if they uncover what I've been doing? Well do you?" He hissed over the phone.
"Seiya." The voice chuckled lightly over the phone causing a slight hiss of static to enter the line. "I just lost one of my best agents and most of his team to what was supposed to be a harmless psychologist and a mentally disturbed young girl. Do you really believe you are in any kind of position to demand anything from us?"
Seiya seethed silently for a moment while he considered his options. He had been home too long. To make manners worse his little mistake was getting older and somehow was becoming resistant to the drug cocktail he fed her on a daily basis to keep her compliant. Somehow he needed to dump her and to be honest at this point it wasn't even an issue if he made money off of her. Things were just going downhill ever since Usagi decided to rebel…the little bitch had found it all out and tried to go to his brothers…well he put an end to that but every day she stayed alive was another possibility they secret could come out.
"We have to look out for our own interests." The voice on the other end interrupted the man's musings.
Black strands of hair fell into his face and he leaned over the desk towards the trashcan. He felt sick…viscerally sick. Cold sweat broke out over his entire body. How could they do this to him? He had given them so many girls. Without him they would never be what they were today. Seiya held the phone to his head to keep it from shaking. "You can't….you can't end it because you lost some men. I have the local police paid off. I need you." He paused and let out a shaky breathe. "I need you to work with me. I can fix all of this if you just help me take care of this little mess."
"Daddy…" A confused voice queried from the darkened part of the room.
Seiya glanced up in surprise to find the door to Rini's room that was usually hidden behind a fake bookshelf wide open. The small pink haired girl had somehow managed to get the door open and stumbled into his room. The girl's eyes were glassy eyed and she seemed to be somewhat confused about what was going on. No surprise considering how many drugs he mixed into her food and drink to keep her sedated…the only problem was that she was becoming resistant to the drugs. It was clear he had to take care of her and fast.
"Sweetie what are you doing out of your room?" The sugary sweet tone came out with an annoyed overtone as Seiya just kept himself in check from taking his frustrations out on his daughter. He had in the past but normally she was passed out when he lay into her with his fists.
"I dunno…I woke up and I feel funny…I always feel funny." The young girl responded in a confused tone. She slowly walked towards her father with no small amount of trepidation. When her father was in a good mood he normally didn't hit her too hard and even brought her treats and new toys. When he was in a bad mood though he did mean things like take her mommy away and she had learned long ago never to ask about her mother. Asking about mommy was a no no and always ended up with a swift punch to the gut or worse.
"Well I think it is time for someone to get back to bed. We wouldn't want to wake up hurting in the morning again for not listening would we?" Seiya responded with a hint of annoyance coming back into his voice. He gave his daughter one last glare before he turned his attention back to the phone and proceeded to disregard his daughter's presence as he expected her to comply with his orders. If he had been paying attention he would have noticed that instead of heading back towards the secret room she instead made her way towards the door leading out into the hallway.
"The local police are no longer the concern. You've attracted unwanted attention that we can't have…I believe our continued partnership has come to an end. Don't try to contact us again." The voice commanded before cutting out completely.
Seiya stared down at the phone for a moment before he quickly tried to redial the number but it was futile. The number no longer connected. With a frustrated growl he slammed his phone down on the edge of the desk instantly shattering the smartphone's screen and most of the internal hardware. They couldn't do this to them…they couldn't do this to him! Without him the Dead Moon Circus would be nothing! With a primal scream he stood up in one fluid motion while gripping the table. With a final pent up release of energy he flipped the desk causing papers and various desk mementos to fly in every direction. "GOD DAMMIT!"
"Daddy…" Rini asked tentatively unsure what to do. The little girl stood by the hallway door with wide eyes. At some point she had managed to disengage the lock and had opened the door. Her concern turned to fear when she caught the glint in her father's eye. She knew that look meant she would wake up in pain. It meant she had done something he hadn't liked and she couldn't help but whimper a little.
"Shut up! SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Seiya yelled before rounding on his daughter. For a moment his eyes widened in surprise when he realized she had somehow opened the door. He couldn't believe the little bitch had ignored him. It was time to get rid of her, she was becoming just as troublesome as her mother. At least he had something to hold over Usagi's head for a while until the self-righteous bitch had gained the courage to go against his word. He started to move towards Rini when Taiki suddenly appeared in the doorway.
Taiki had come down to investigate the noises that were coming from Seiya's room. He was used to this kind of temper tantrum coming from Yaten from time to time…usually due to a video game but Seiya normally kept to himself these days. When he got to Seiya's room he certainly wasn't expecting to find a little pink haired girl and Seiya standing in the middle of the room that was in complete disarray. The dark haired man quirked an eyebrow in an inquisitive manner at his brother who looked to be one step away from having a mental breakdown. "May I inquire as to what in the world is going on here?"
"Daddy's mad I left my room." Rini responded to the question innocently. She looked between her father and this new man. She had heard his voice now and again through the walls but never had a face to go with him. The man seemed nice and didn't appear to want to hurt her like her father did. She caught herself wishing this man was her father but quickly buried the feeling deep down inside. If her daddy found out it would only make him angry.
"Daddy?" Taiki responded to the question with a slight frown. He glanced up at Seiya and started to piece things together. The full picture wasn't there yet but he had enough. From what he had gathered from the video and what was right in front of him it was becoming quite obvious that his brother was the cause of Usagi's condition. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing Seiya? I had my doubts but I never wanted to believe you would sink so low. What you put that girl through…and you've had your own daughter locked up here for years!"
"Shut the fuck up Taiki!" Seiya practically hyperventilated at the appearance of his older brother. This had to be the worst possible scenario he could think of. Could he do it? One look at Rini and his brother forced him to action. The Dead Moon Circus had given him up and dumped this steaming mess on his lap. He needed to leave the country before whoever killed the Dead Moon's team closed the noose around his neck. With the decision made he withdrew the magnum pistol from his pants pocket and aimed it towards his brother. "Just get the hell back. We're leaving and there isn't a thing you can do to stop me."
"Seiya…you're unwell let us get you some help." Taiki attempted to keep calm in the face of the gun currently being pointed at him. "Just let me call the police and we'll get all of this straightened out." The older brother continued in a soothing voice. For once he almost wished Yaten was around to offer up a distraction so he could slip away and call the police.
"I don't have time for your self-righteous bullshit. Now step away from the child Taiki…in fact you just keep backing up." Seiya commanded with a simple wave of the gun in his brother's general direction. For every step Taiki took back, Seiya took one forward until he had reached Rini. Without looking down he harshly grabbed Rini by her wrist and without a word he started to drag her along behind him into the hallway.
"Daddy please…I can't keep up." Rini attempted to keep up with her father but he was walking too fast. She barely managed to keep herself on her feet and had to run to keep up with Seiya's strides but the drugs were still in her system causing her to stumble. Every time she stumbled a sharp jerk brought her back to her feet and caused an ache in her shoulder from the violent pull. The tears came to the sides of her face unbidden from the pain Seiya was causing her. "It hurts."
Seiya glanced back at his daughter to favor her with a foul look of contempt. "Good girls mind their manners and listen to their fathers. Now be silent." He lashed out verbally at his daughter before turning his attention back to Taiki to make sure he hadn't made a move towards him. "Glad to see you're smart enough not to try anything big brother."
"Seiya...don't do this." Taiki responded calmly his eyes flashing between the father and daughter. The fact that Seiya had a child was still a surprise and it was a bitter pill to swallow that Seiya had not only kept it a secret from them but had the girl imprisoned right in their own house. How many times had he walked right by the hidden door without a thought or care in the world while his niece suffered. Both of his fists tightened just at the thought of what this little girl had gone through in their house. She should have been safe…if he only hadn't allowed Seiya so much slack. If only he had investigated further on his own this could have all been avoided.
"You're in no position to tell me what I should be doing Taiki." Seiya spat with a sneer. He slowly made his way down the hall backwards. In one hand the magnum pointed at his brother and in the other he half guided and half dragged his daughter. He needed to get the hell out of here post haste before Taiki called the police. An idea came to him a moment later when he caught his older brother staring at Rini with concern. Chuckling softly, an idea had come to Seiya.
"Call the police Taiki and I'll end her…we're getting out of the country and if you do anything to stop me…I'll give her an express ticket out of this world." With a slight movement of the gun he brought the weapon to his daughter's temple with a dark chuckle. "I can see…you already care about her, don't you Taiki?"
"Your own daughter…how low could you be Seiya." Taiki responded in barely more than a half strangled whisper. He couldn't believe it. How could Seiya do this to his own flesh and blood? The brunette man wanted to call Seiya's bluff but he couldn't tell if Seiya was serious or not and he couldn't put his niece's life in danger on a hunch that Seiya wouldn't go through with it.
"Easily…you don't even know the full extent of what I've been doing, do you?" Seiya mockingly asked his older brother. A slight smile came across his face as he slowly lifted his daughter up and off the ground by her arm causing the little girl to cry out in surprise at the pain. He let her body dangle, all of her weight going through her shoulder joint until a distinct crack was heard. Both brothers watched as her shoulder popped out of its joint and suddenly her entire body shifted down an inch or two from the sudden shift. Seiya chuckled darkly before he dropped her to the ground. A glance down confirmed that the girl was too busy crying and holding her popped arm to her chest to lessen the pain.
"See Taiki…she's nothing to me…nothing more than chattel. I can hurt her without concern. Watch!" With a vicious grin he turned around and drove the tip of his foot into Rini's unprotected stomach.
The little girl could only cry out in surprise from the sudden impact. She felt herself lifted up and off the ground from the force of the impact. A moment later she made contact with a hard surface. The blow caused her head to snap back before the wall behind her caused her head to go forward again. She felt dizzy…dizzy and confused. Her shoulder hurt and to make it worse she felt sick to her stomach. She attempted to get up but ended up falling back when she looked up and only saw a spinning room. She coughed a little before pressing her hand against her mouth. When she pulled it away she found blood dripping off her hand.
"You're a monster!" Taiki finally screamed. Anger was slowly clouding his mind. He looked upon the girl and could barely handle seeing the pain inflicted upon the child. How could his brother do this to his own daughter? Both of his fists were clenched so hard that he was losing the feeling to his hands. With a growl he started to move forwards towards his brother.
"Ah…not so fast dear brother." Seiya laughed aloud while bringing the gun up and back towards his brother. "Do you think I ever cared about those girls I dated? They were all simply merchandise. The younger the better on the market and Rini will fetch a good price, what with her pink hair and the features she got from her mother and I. What do you think Tai? I'm hoping to at least get a million for her."
"All those girls you dated…" Taiki stopped dead in his tracks when Seiya brought the gun back towards him. It was all coming together. All of the girls that Seiya dated and suddenly they would just disappear without a trace. It had always seemed strange that none of them ever went to the media. If he was honest it didn't make sense because any time he or Yaten broke up with a girl it would be all across the covers the next day but for some reason Seiya had always been untouchable. Up until now they had always joked about his good luck but now…
Seiya chuckled a little as he shuffled over to Rini while keeping his gun on his brother. He glanced down at his daughter and almost rolled his eyes in annoyance. He hadn't even kicked her that hard and she was still on the ground crying her eyes out. "Rini on your feet we're leaving." With one last sidelong glance at his daughter he looked back to Taiki to make sure he hadn't attempted to advance any further. "Finally put it all together have you?"
Taiki took a moment to adjust his glasses in an attempt to regain control of his emotions. It wouldn't do him any good to get himself or his niece killed because he couldn't keep his emotions in check. It all made sense though ever sense they were young Seiya had always been obsessed with money. Apparently Seiya had gone even further than he ever thought to make more and more money. "So all those girls you dated and proclaimed to love? They were nothing but a paycheck? And now you're going to do the same thing to your daughter?"
"Yeah…yeah I am." Seiya chuckled a little before it turned into a full on laugh. "Isn't it funny though considering what our mother went through?"
"Not really. In fact I think it makes it worse. You know she did everything she had to, to make sure we wanted for nothing." It was mind boggling that Seiya would do something like this. Instead of taking away an important life lesson his younger brother hadn't learned anything from their past struggles. Taiki subtly reached into his left pocket and felt around for his cell phone. Thankfully he found the phone and slowly worked his fingers across the screen to unlock his phone and call 911. If he could keep Seiya occupied until the police got here he may be able to keep this from spinning out of control any further than it already had.
Seiya finally managed to reign in his laughter but not before letting out one last dark chuckle. "You always were mommy's favorite weren't you Taiki? And Yaten…that idiot would do anything to make mom smile." Chuckling a little, Seiya shook his head before grabbing Rini's dislocated arm and dragging her up to her feet causing the little girl who had been quietly sobbing to screech in pain. Not a look was spared to check on his daughter. Instead he kept his focus on his older brother.
"But I never tried to make mom happy…why waste your time trying to make a prostitute happy when the only joy she ever knew was when she was on her back." Seiya broke out into laughter again before he leaned over and wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes with the hand holding the gun. "I realized that my girlfriends were the same way…and all women in fact. They aren't looking for love and why shouldn't I get my cut. So once I tired of them I sold them off…and made a tidy little profit. They're doing what they loved to do just like our mother and I've made enough money to make sure no matter what happens we will never be destitute again."
"You're…how could you even think that!" Taiki responded with a growl before it finally all was too much. The normally calm brother of the group finally snapped. With a final roar he charged his younger brother with nothing in his head but an all-consuming rage. Any other conscious thought fled his mind as he developed a tunnel vision. All he could see before him was his brother and he made one last final lunge in an attempt to knock his brother off his feet.
Seiya lifted the gun with all the ease of a master gunslinger. Without a hint of remorse he leveled the gun and unloaded a round into his oncoming brother. His eyes lit up in a twisted look of glee as he watched his brother stumble backwards from the sudden impact. He caught the look of betrayal and helplessness in Taiki's eyes before he unloaded two more rounds into his brother effectively stopping the lunge completely and sending his older brother crumbling to the ground.
"You're so weak Taiki…you've always put up that strong and silent front to everyone but look at you now…helpless." Seiya waved towards his fallen brother with his gun. "You had some sense of moral urgency to what? Protect mother's name? To protect a niece you have no emotional connection to? And to that point never met until today." He shook his head with a chuckle and ignored the fact that Rini was practically wailing at this point. "I just don't understand…people are there to be used and when their use runs out you sell them or get rid of them. I guess you're the latter." With a final wave of dismissal he placed the gun back in his pocket and started to frog march Rini out of the house.
Taiki laid there in a pool of his own blood. He coughed violently as he watched his brother walk away from him. He didn't plan on letting Seiya get the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Gasping for breath he reached into his pocket to withdraw his phone. In a moment that froze his heart he almost gave up right there. Instead of seeing the phone lit up with 911 clearly displayed instead he found a black screen. He hadn't unlocked it…the call hadn't gone through. It was all for nothing they'd never know what Seiya did. With a shuddering sigh he started to close his eyes. He was starting to get sleepy…and cold.
"Come on! Come on you little waste of space! Hurry up!" Without a backwards glance he pushed his daughter faster. Of course it would be faster to carry the little brat but he refused to make any sort of emotional connection with what he viewed as a paycheck.
"I'm sorry Daddy…" Rini trailed off uncertainly. It was never clear to her if it was safe to respond or not but normally her father didn't hit her too hard. This was the first time he had given her a boo boo that kept hurting. She wanted to ask him to let go of her arm as every time he swung it forward she winced in pain but she didn't want to give her father a reason to hit her again. She also had to keep her eyes from wandering too much as she had never seen this much before. Everything was new and different. Daddy rarely let her out and when he did he rarely took her off the grounds. When they went it was normally through back passages and she rarely interacted with anyone other than her father.
After what took too long to get through the house by Seiya's standards they finally made it to the garage. He grabbed the keys for the baby blue Dodge Challenger with the white racing stripes down the middle. He selected it partially due to its speed but mostly due to the tinted windows so that Rini wouldn't be seen. Without breaking stride he unlocked the doors with a click of a button and yanked his child into the car by her damaged arm. A satisfied smile crossed his face when he heard Rini scream in pain. He managed to close the door just as the garage door opened.
Yaten slowly pulled his motorcycle into the garage and brought the Harley to rest in its designated bay before deploying the kickstand. He glanced back at the girl that had herself wrapped around him with a smile. "How about that babe? Enjoy the ride?"
"Yeah!" The girl responded with an enthusiastic smile. "That was totally wicked…oh hey is that your brother over there?"
"Hey yeah…normally he holes himself up in his room." Yaten muttered to his current fling. With a slight shrug he lifted the girl off the back of his bike before jumping off himself. He wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "What say we forget about him and find something a little more interesting to do than stare at my mopey brother?" The pair laughed as they made their way into the house and unknowingly towards Taiki's body.
Seiya let out a pent out breath he didn't know he was holding when Yaten and his current fling passed him without comment. Glancing back towards the door that led into the house one more time he opened the front door of the Challenger and slid into the driver's seat. It'd be best to get out of here and on his way to the airport before Yaten discovered Taiki and called the police.
"Buckle up." Seiya ordered without even looking back. A moment later he started the engine and eased the car out of the garage. He needed to get out of here and find a place that would shelter him due to his fame. If the Dead Moon Circus was no longer willing to help him he'd have to save himself. First order of business once he got to the airport after he got into the air would be to transfer his assets to some of his secret accounts. If he didn't they'd probably be frozen on him. In fact he was going to lose some money anyway since not all the transfers would go through but it was the cost of doing business.
Yaten and his current fling…honestly he couldn't remember her name at the moment were almost to his bedroom when all of a sudden the girl came to a screeching halt and let out a strangled scream as she pointed at the bloody body lying on the floor. He looked up in surprise to find his brother on the ground and the carpet around him dark with blood. "Oh shit Taiki!"
"Shit shit shit. Taiki!" Yaten yelled again as he let go of the girl and rushed to his brother's side. He started to shake Taiki but his brother's chest wasn't rising and his eyes were glassy in nature. Yaten noticed Taiki's phone lying beside him. Without even thinking he picked up the phone and dialed 911. A moment later he heard the operator on the other line. "This is Yaten Kou. My brother's been shot. I need you to send an ambulance he isn't moving!" He practically screamed into the phone without even listening to the questions from the operator on the other side.
Seiya whipped out of the long driveway and onto the surface streets. With a quick glance back to make sure that Rini was out of sight he gunned the engine and made his way towards the highway. Just as he was closing in on the entrance to the expressway he saw an ambulance zip by with its lights on and sirens bleating. A moment later two police cars followed the ambulance and a moment later an Advanced Life Support unit followed the police cars.
Seiya chuckled to himself. After three bullets to the chest there was no way Taiki would be making it out to testify. Sure there would be circumstantial evidence but that was the beauty of a murder in his own home. Their finger prints were everywhere…in fact Rini's would be an unknown oh yes they would probably look for someone matching her finger prints. A crazed fan snuck in and killed the great Taiki Kou. It would make a great headline and if he could get rid of Rini and finish Usagi off then he may just be able to make it back one day to his home. Of course running off right after the murder may cast a harsh light on him.
He tapped his finger on the steering wheel his mind already churning up possible excuses before he finally hit on one. Yes…he glanced back at Rini…her death would be unfortunate as the monetary pay out for one as young as her on the market would have been substantial. Still who could deny the tragic story of the young musician that had received word that one of his former girlfriends had given birth to a daughter. The old flame had contacted him…their daughter grievously sick and dying. He would be the poor father that rushed off to meet his dying little girl. Tragically he would meet her but she would die soon after. Then to add to his heart wrenching story his brother Taiki murdered not long after he left the house.
Licking his lips, Seiya grinned at the thought of the publicity he would receive and then he would become nigh untouchable. Of course there were some details left to wrap up. Usagi would have to be killed soon or else she could unravel the entire plot. It'd be something to figure out on the flight but still it was a good idea all and all. He glanced over at side view mirror and felt a nervous sweat start. A police car was coming up in the left hand lane. He silently started to curse himself for taking such a showy car. It was one of their most obvious cars and if a chase was started now there was no way he'd make it to the airport.
Lucky for Seiya the police interceptor cruised by without even hesitating. He left out a pent up breathe and chuckled a little to himself. Of course they weren't looking for him yet. He probably had a few more minutes before Yaten would remember seeing him leaving the premises. The train of thought he was on was interrupted by his daughter in the back.
"Daddy…where are we going?" Rini asked in little more than a whisper. It had been a long time since she had been in a car and she was still a little shaken up by what happened to the man that her daddy had hurt. Daddy hurt everyone that was a fact she had learned from a long time ago.
"If you're a quiet compliant girl your father is going to take you on a plane." Seiya said in a sugary sweet voice. He knew despite his annoyance with the little bitch it was best to keep her distracted so she would shut up and the best way to do that was promise to show her something new. What did it matter that is was for his own self-interest and she'd be dead in the next day or two anyway so what did it matter if he gave her a few little distractions before he removed her from this life.
"Really?" Rini asked with a hint of disbelief. Never in her life would her father take her out of the country. Despite the throbbing pain of her dislocated shoulder she found herself leaning forward a little. The promise of something new was enough to dull the edge of the pain he had caused her before. If she was really good and really quiet maybe he would even stop hurting her. It didn't work all the time but sometimes…sometimes he wouldn't punish her so she was willing to be really quiet if it meant a plane ride even if he ended up hurting her a little more it'd be worth it.
"Yes of course sweetie." Seiya responded with a small smirk. That'd shut her up for a while. It was too bad he didn't have time to bring her drugs but at the same time perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. It'd probably be best if her system was clear of the questionable drugs she had been fed since she was young. Of course perhaps he'd luck out and the withdraw from the drugs would actually just kill her. That certainly would tie everything up without an issue. With one last look behind him he pressed the pedal a little further down and whipped the car around into the passing lane. It was time to get going if he was going to make it to the airport before they tried to ground his plane and freeze his assets.
A/N: I was going to make the chapter longer and add in a piece from the gang that I left off at last time but I didn't want to cramp it in here last second. Anyway I hope I riled some people up because I think I made Seiya a right bastard. I am going to try and update the Burning Nightmare next. For anyone that hasn't checked out All the Queens' Men I think it is worth a read but just a warning my beta is busy with final projects and studying until early May or so. Probably for the best anyway since I am a little too busy to really work on chapters the size I tend to write for Queens' Men. Anyway drop a review and let me know what you thought. If you have a chance check out Queens' Men and drop a review there if you like it. Thanks again for reading and sticking with me. I hope to have this story finished by late Summer at well the latest.