Face Down by inumaru_rapture
Chapter 2
A/N: I know some people were a bit put off by my first chapter as it was really un-realistic that someone would walk away so easily. Therefore, I decided to write and post the second chapter really quickly so that my readers would think I'm a cold heartless bitch to leave Kagome on her own. Uhm this is probably the fastest I've ever gotten reviews, and I greatly appreciate them! The more you review, the faster I type! Remember that!
Also check out some of my other work as well. Leave me comments there too. It always makes my day! Thanks! If you have any complaints, please form them into constructive criticism, otherwise it will be deleted and ignored. Thanks. {edited!}
911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911
As soon as Sesshoumaru was clear of the stairwell to his brother and Kagome's apartment, he flipped open his cell phone. Holding down the number 7, he waited impatiently for the person on the other end to pick up.
"Moshi Moshi Sesshoumaru-sama. How are you today?" The cheery voice of his business partner did little to sway his emotions. Not like it ever did.
"Miroku, I need you to look into something for me." On the other end, his black haired, violet eyed friend got a mischievous smirk on his face.
"Now, Sesshoumaru-sama, this wouldn't be about a girl now, would it?" Miroku had asked this particular question millions of times, and never once had the stoic man on the other line answered in the affirmative.
"Actually, it is. I need you to look into where Inuyasha goes, who he goes with, what he does, and everything else in between." Sesshoumaru opened the door to his vehicle, slid into the leather interior, and shut the door numbly behind him. On the other end, Miroku's eyebrows furred together in confusion.
"A girl? But why am I following Inuyasha?"
"It is his girlfriend I am doing this for," Sesshoumaru answered after a moment of silence. There was no hope to keep this information away from the all-brilliant computer hacker, especially once he had been promoted to lead investigator for Sesshoumaru's business. Miroku was so good at his job that the United States Intelligence Bureau had been watching him for sometime in order to find out if he was a threat or not. Fortunately for them, Miroku was more interested into hacking into the mall security's video system to watch the girls changing in the dressing rooms than hacking into Area 51 and stealing national secrets.
"His girlfriend? That girl with the nice ass, Kagome right?"
"If that is how you insist on remembering people..." Sesshoumaru muttered, rolling his eyes. He could practically hear Miroku's cheesy grin.
"It is a curse, I'm afraid," Miroku's trademark declaration of innocence didn't fool the solemn man driving back to his condo 5 miles away from his brother's apartment.
"You will trace Inuyasha and report back to me as soon as humanly possible, is that understood? Her life may depend on it." He could hear the furious sound of typing come over the line.
"I will get back to you as soon as I have a hit," Miroku's voice was devoid of the playful cheerfulness it had only a second before. Hanging up his phone, Sesshoumaru knew he had gone to the right man.
911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911
Kagome had finished cleaning the living room hours ago, mopped up and cleaned up her face, the mirror, and the bathroom--leaving it devoid of blood and smelling of bleach. She had been waiting in bed for Inuyasha to get home, but it was almost 2:00 am, and she had work in the morning. Deciding to finally try to get some sleep, Kagome turned onto her side and glanced at their nightstand in the dark. The angry red of the time stared back at her, as if in warning, that her time was drawing to a close. With a sigh, she put her back to the time and shut her eyes, waiting for the first instances of sleep to take her mind away.
911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911
Sesshoumaru sat motionless in front of his computer. The images flashed brightly into his golden eyes as he watched video of his brother in clubs, taking drugs, drinking to excess, fucking random women, hitting waitresses, prostitutes, and other men that got in his way.
"When did he get so violent?" Sesshoumaru asked out loud, not caring that he was on speaker phone with Miroku at the time.
"I don't know. I found evidence of his violence dating back at least 5 years ago...before he and Kagome were together. How long have they been together now?"
"I don't know. She was at the last Christmas party at my father's home, so I would assume over a year." Sesshoumaru estimated, rubbing a tired hand over his exhausted face. How long had he been watching these videos? He felt sick to his stomach knowing that Kagome got even worse treatment.
"Are there any videos with Kagome in them?" Sesshoumaru was afraid to ask, but he had to. The sound of furious typing came over the speaker of the phone.
"Mmh, none of him being violent, yet. Here, I'm uploading one from the jewelry store." Miroku clicked the send button, and waited for the minute to pass as it uploaded it's stream from his computer to his friends.
Sesshoumaru watched as the couple entered the store, Kagome on his arm, as he boasted loudly (from what he could tell--as there was no sound) to pick out whatever she liked. Kagome looked around with bright eyes as she went from case to case. One of the girls at the counter came to give her assistance, and Inuyasha leaned onto the counter, his stance insinuating flirting. Kagome looked away, oblivious, as she continued to look around. The girl behind the counter leaned onto the counter, displaying her cleavage to Inuyasha, who watched hungrily. Kagome turned around, and the look that crossed her eyes made Sesshoumaru's heart ache painfully. She had opened her mouth, an excited sparkle in her eye that made him want to investigate whatever it was that made her smile, and then her face dropped, her mouth snapped shut, and her eyes turned dull, as if the passion in her eyes had been doused with water. Sesshoumaru watched as she walked over to Inuyasha and pulled on his arms, watching the girl behind the counter with distrust. Inuyasha followed Kagome over, his head inclining back to the girl behind the counter. Kagome noticed quickly, made an angry face and stomped from the store. As Inuyasha went to follow--his face red in anger--the girl gave him a piece of paper, and Inuyasha grinned foolishly.
"One more," Miroku stated softly over the phone. "You won't like this one." A second screen popped up, and it was of the parking lot of the mall. It was directly after their argument in the jewelry shop, and Kagome was getting into the drivers seat of the car. Inuyasha ran up to her and pulled her out of the car, throwing her onto the ground. Sesshoumaru growled in anger as Inuyasha yelled at her and slapped her across the cheek. Kagome looked up at him in fear, her eyes wide in shock, her hand holding her cheek. Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders and shook her a few times, then embraced her harshly. His actions became calmer, gentler. He helped her up, and into the passenger's side of the car, before getting in the driver's side. He backed the car out of the spot, and drove away--but not before Sesshoumaru saw the tears falling down Kagome's cheeks.
"I'll kill him."
"You can't do that, Sesshoumaru. Use this as evidence, put him in jail for abuse." Miroku spoke calmly. He could hear the agitation in Sesshoumaru's voice, the scrape of the chair along the tile floor and the rustle of clothes as he started to pace.
"If we do that, you will be brought onto the stand to testify, and your skills will be made known. Japan will not sit quietly once they finally have their illusive hacker," Sesshoumaru reminded. Miroku sighed.
"Well, we have to do something!" Miroku insisted.
"We will do nothing. I will kill him," Sesshoumaru stated clearly. Miroku rolled his eyes.
"Can't we at least put his abuse on file? Notify the police to our worries? They can handle it, right?"
"You forget he is a Taisho, and as such, he has money, connections, and networking. Even if he is a terrible, abusive, little fucker who should be disowned immediately, it is not my call. I need to bring this before my father before being able to do anything else. Although I want to help, Kagome is not my right to protect. She is not mine. She is his. And until she expresses the desire to get away, I can do nothing."
A heavy sigh echoed through his room as Miroku tapped lightly on his computer.
"I will look to see if there is anyway to get more witnesses to his abuse of her--but his violent behavior should be enough evidence to get him into jail for at least the weekend, if not the week before he bails out. We can use that to our advantage if she calls you for help."
"Not if, Miroku. There will be no if's in this. When she needs help, and when she calls me, we will help her. I will help her."
"Do you want me to send these to your father?"
"No, I will do it. I need to call him in the morning anyway. If I send an email of these videos, he may accuse me of tattling on my brother for no reason but to put a leash on him. Once I explain that it is about Kagome...maybe he will listen."
"She really is a wonderful girl. How did she ever get stuck with that prick?" Miroku wondered out loud.
"I have no idea," Sesshoumaru admitted before hanging up the phone and then setting his mind to work about how to approach his father about their situation.
911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911911
Kagome woke to a stinging cheek. Her eyes flew open, but she found herself unable to move.
"Why was he here?" His voice drawled darkly. Kagome blinked a few times in confusion.
"What? Who?" A stinging slap crashed across her face. She whimpered in protest.
"My fucking half-brother, you filthy whore! You've been sleeping with him! I know it! There is no other reason for his fucking stench to be in this house!"
"Inuyasha," she started, pain crushing in her lungs. His hands clenched around her throat, choking her. "He dropped off....your laptop! He...(gasp) didn't stay!" His hands clenched around her throat tighter. She gasped harshly, attempting to pull air into her lungs as she fought against him--her legs kicking wildly under the covers. She pulled at his hands with one of her hands, as with the other, she flipped open her cell phone and found the send button with the thumb, dialing it and dropping the phone open onto the bed to pull at his hands.
5 miles away, in the darkness before dawn, a cell phone rattled on the nightstand of a very tired man. He rolled onto his side, picking it up with a growl. An unknown number flashed at him. He was going to silence it when the thought of Kagome pricked into his head. He pressed accept and opened his mouth to greet the person when a struggled scream cut into the line.
"Lemme go!" The woman gasped, the sound of sheets rustling, and the slap of skin on skin made Sesshoumaru pause in confusion. He shook the sleep from his head and listened intently.
"You fucking whore! I should've known that you couldn't keep your fucking legs closed to any man! How many have you slept with?! How many have you fucked, you dirty fucking whore!?" The dark growling voice slurred dangerously. Sesshoumaru sprang from his bed, scrambling to find clothes. He needed to get over there--and now!
Kagome struggled against him, blackness intruding on the sides of her vision. She wouldn't be able to stay conscious much longer.
"Please," she begged mutely as her struggling slowed. Inuyasha released her throat and grabbed her shoulders, digging his nails into her skin. She gulped in air greedily as pain tore through her shoulders.
"You begging for the pain, you fucking bitch? You're such a prostitute! I should've had you whore yourself out if you liked the pain so much." He stuck his blood covered fingers into her mouth, causing her to gag on her own blood as he pushed his fingers down her throat. She gagged loudly, but with the ability to breath now at her advantage, she began to struggle anew. She kicked hard, bringing her knee up sharply into his body. She connected with his precious jewels, causing him to pause in his ministrations and gasp in pain. She used that moment to her advantage and thrust herself upwards--making him fly off her and onto the floor.
Without waiting to see what would happen, she grabbed her phone, jumping off the bed, and running out into the living room. She grabbed her purse that thankfully had all of her important documentation in it, and ran for the door. She ignored her shoes and ran as fast as humanly possible out of the apartment, down the stairs, and onto the street.
Her feet pounded onto the wet cement, the morning dew having coated everything with slippery wetness. The morning chill caused her breath to show as she huffed heavily--her chest heaving with the strain. The blood still flowed freely from her shoulders, a bit coming from the side of her mouth from where he had stuck his fingers down her throat.
About a mile from the apartment, she collapsed onto the side of the road, puking into the brush. She quivered violently, eyes glazed over from lack of adrenaline pounding through her veins. She attempted to stand, to continue on her way, when a black car pulled up beside her and the car door flew open. Panic filled her as she struggled to scramble away.
"No! NO! Stay away!" She screamed, scrambling through the dirt on the road side. The person dropped to their knees before her, holding out his hand.
"Kagome," the voice was so soft, so gentle. She opened her panicked eyes and looked at the man before her. He was wearing a lopsided dirty white t-shirt and a pair of pj pants. Things she had never seen him in. She huddled around herself, waiting for what he would do to her.
"Kagome, please, let me help you," he held his hand out to her, inviting her into his protection. She studied him for a moment, before unwinding from her huddled position to reach to take his hand. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, his arms encircling her body as if to shield it from all the world. With a shuttered gasp, she felt the tremors of stress, panic, and anxiety drift away, and the blackness overtake her world.