He leaned over her, the shadows of the night obscuring her view of him. The air around her sleeping form stirred and surprisingly, she felt his warm sweet breath caress the flushed curves of her cheeks. For heartbeats, nothing more happened. Then she felt a gentle pressure against her lips. As light a kiss it was, it teased and tantalized her sluggish senses, setting off a shiver that could only be described as expectant.

Kaoru turned away from the gentle sweet pressure of his kiss, her lips pursing on their own accord. He would have none of that, however. She was graced with the slight pressure of lips against lips once again, and before she could deny its growth, the kiss deepened, then became momentarily more shadow. Finally, after only a moment of hesitation, she gave into him.

Her response seemed to please him. He started to touch her then, his fingers lightly caressing her cheeks, her jaw line, her neck, moving downward, sending tingles of sensation over her skin. She trembled when his hand dipped lower, nearing forbidden territory; all the while his lips never leaving her mouth.

Kaoru whimpered softly as she turned over in her sleep, expecting to come into contact with a hard body. She did not, taking her by complete surprise. Her indigo-blue orbs flew open in alarm only to be graced with the murky shadows of the darkened prison. Kaoru searched the small room thoroughly with her eyes, trying to find the source of her throbbing heart. She saw nothing.

“What just happened?” She asked herself in bewilderment as she slowly lifted herself off the bed and into a sitting position while running a slightly trembling hand through her damp, ebony tendrils. Had it all been a dream, a horribly realistic dream? He had felt so real, his fingers, his lips, his hands, everything. If none of what had happened in her dreams really did happen, then, what could this mean? Did she miss the frank, secretive man? Kaoru shook her head, wanting not to believe that she might miss the impossible man when he could care less for her. “No, I just want to be rescued, and he’s the best candidate for the task. That has to be it.”

Deep down, she knew that that had nothing to do with it. She really did miss his company; miss his sarcasm and intimidating nature. Of all things to miss the most, she missed the strength he possessed whenever he wielded his sword or faced an enemy. She didn’t understand why she would miss these things about him, but there was no denying that she did.

But there was more to it.

Oh, yes; it would appear that she wished to go the whole nine yards with him. But of course, she would never admit to such. She could not deny that she wanted to do it, though, especially since she had obviously fantasized about him moments ago.

Kaoru sighed, “I’m losing it. How can I even think about that, especially since I could die at anytime?” Grumbling beneath her breath, Kaoru slipped from the filthy bed, knowing not what else to do. She was being held captive in a room in a building of some kind she knew nothing about. Could her life possibly get any worse?

The massive, wooden door to her prison swung forward unexpectedly, emitting the dangerously furious silhouette of her captor. He was back, come to force the information from her. Last night, she had denied him the information. This morning she will do the same.

“Have you changed your mind, little girl?” The question was a danger to her health. She could feel the fury radiating off his large body and from the air surrounding her, sending a shiver of fear coursing through her blood. Should she remain unknowledgeable of the information this man demanded from her? Or should she, perhaps, give in to the temptation of life? This was a decision concerning life or death, and if she was smart then she would most certainly choose life.

Apparently, she was not smart. “No.”

The man’s darkly slanted eyes regarded Kaoru with a mixture of admiration and anger; admiration for the fact that she was standing up for herself and anger for the fact that she still denied his boss the information he craved. “No?” He murmured almost casually, too casually for Kaoru’s piece of mind. “Are you sure? You only get one chance to save your life.” Silently, he entered the room while advancing towards her as a predator would his prey. In his arms he carried a tray of food, having been ready to deliver her this small breakfast.

Kaoru paled, loathing the fear that prickled her flesh, refusing to leave her in peace. Would this fear never end? It did not matter where she happened to be. There was always something to fear. Kaoru watched nervously as her livid captor set the tray of food down on the moth-eaten bed before turning to level her with a warning glare. He was warning her of the pain that was soon to follow his arrival.

Then, swiftly, he procured a deadly switchblade from within his pants pocket.

Kaoru’s lips parted in anxious shock when she glimpsed the silver blade glittering from the moment the thin torrent of light, from the hallway, fell upon it. Maybe she should have given into him.

“So, do you still refuse to tell me what I want to know?”

Silly question; of course she did. However, no words came forth when she tried to tell her captor so. They were lodged in her throat, the words that would send her to an early grave. Kaoru could not take her eyes off the switchblade long enough to look at the man who was brandishing it, wanting to show him that she was not afraid of the unknown pain. Though, she was far from brave. In fact, she did believe that she feared the blade. Almost as much as she feared the man who wielded it.

“Yes, little girl?” He pressed as he neared Kaoru, who was now just moving towards the nearest wall, as she had yesterday. Did she really believe that she could escape him? He hoped not, for he already knew her fate.

She should do the smart thing and tell this hulking figure of a man exactly what she did with her key. Oh, but of course she wouldn’t. As far as she was concerned, she would die before she ever gave away the whereabouts of her precious key. As though he could read her mind, the abductor coldly smiled, his dark eyes slanted on Kaoru’s face. “Ah, I see. You won’t tell me then, will you?”

Kaoru gulped while closing her eyes tightly. “No,” she whispered, her voice cracking from the impact of her very own word.

“No? Very well.”

She was not able to flee the swift advances of her captor before she was harshly forced into the wall, her air roughly leaving her lungs from the force of the impact. Her indigo orbs widened fearfully when the edge of the honed blade was roughly pressed against her jugular, threatening to slit her flesh. She dared not breathe for fear of the dagger moving relentlessly across her skin. Kaoru studied the man who brandished the dagger. He was not as smart as they come, but he was masses of muscle, muscle this group of criminals needed.

“I had wished that it wouldn’t come to this, sweetie, but you leave me no choice,” he murmured softly as he hovered above Kaoru’s slightly trembling form. His dark eyes bored holes into the woman’s pale face as he tightly pressed the blade against her jugular, but not tight enough to draw blood.

Kaoru clenched her teeth nervously, knowing that her end was near. She knew that someday her stubbornness would kill her. Who would have thought that eighteen would be the last year she saw?

All of a sudden, a searing pain filled her mind, her thoughts, and her body as tears pricked the corners of her narrowed eyes. Insistently, the blade was slicing her flesh, leisurely sliding across her jugular as layer after layer of skin was penetrated.

Then, unexpectedly, the pain diminished, taking Kaoru completely by surprise. Cautiously cracking an eye open, she peered into the smirking face of her captor, unaware of the tears that left damp streaks down along her cheeks. The man’s smirk grew as he stepped away from her shivering body, blade and all. “Let that be a warning to you,” he said as he deposited his blade into the large pocket of his vest. With one last, cold smile directed at Kaoru, he whirled on his heels and proceeded to leave the room, but not before locking her in.

Let that be a warning to you. What else did these men have in store for her? They were playing with her; that was all that they were doing. Playing with her. They still wanted her key; Kaoru knew so simply because of the fact that she was still alive. They would never get their hands on her key, though, never. And that was a promise.

Kaoru gently fingered the thin wound that wrapped around her throat, taking note of the drying crimson of blood that had leaked out of the slit once it had been made. The wound still pained her, but not as much as it had while her captor had been scraping his blade across her flesh. Sighing, she slumped against the wall, knowing not what else to do.

Her fate, as she knew it, would be decided for her, and if these men decided to murder her rather than wait for her confirmation as to where she hid her key, then she might as well kiss her life good-bye.

Taiko Maiso

Marei Hiten

Henshiuo Fresao

Wenshi Tai

Kendu Meko

Narrowed, frustrated eyes the color of amber scanned the small slip of paper he had been handed the moment he stepped through the doors that led into Kogoro Katsura’s office. Five names. Five people to assassinate. A simple task to do to take his mind off the mishaps of last night. His fingers tightly clenched the paper into a ball in order to fit the fist of his hand, fury profoundly wracking his lean figure. He was more furious with himself than with anyone who stood in the office, or outside of it for that matter.

Kenshin briefly glanced in the direction of Katsura, a burgundy brow arched in question. “These councilmen from Kyoto, you wish to rid the world of their filth?” He already knew the answer; yet, he could not help but confirm his suspicions. According to Katsura, these five men were the evils of their community. Long ago, Kenshin learned never to question his boss’s motives, but for some anomalous reason, he felt compelled to ask.

Upon receiving a simple nod of his head from Katsura, Kenshin pursed his lips. He was in the mood to choose his victims. He was in the mood to go find his stubborn charge. After removing her from the scene of the crime, he then planned to murder every single man involved in kidnapping her. No one made him look the fool in front of his boss without being punished for it.

No one.

“May I ask one simple favor of you?” He knew that it was so unlike him to be polite, even to Katsura, but he desperately wished to find these bastards.

Katsura folded his arms languidly across his broad chest as he leaned back in his chair, a simple nod of his head the only inclination given to allow Kenshin to ask his favor.

“Could I, perhaps, choose my next assignment?”

“Does this have anything to do with the girl?”

“No,” Kenshin snapped, his golden hues flashing their frustration, before he gave into the temptation of honesty and relented, “Yes.” Averting his gaze towards that of the wood-polished floor, he absently raked a hand through his thick, burgundy tendrils. He was completely unaware of the pair of dark, friendly eyes scrutinizing his every move. Then, surprisingly, Kenshin momentarily glanced through his long strands of hair at Kogoro. “Sir, about how many more assignments must I complete?”

Katsura looked slightly taken aback by the intensity Kenshin’s stare held. “I believe that these five assignments will be your last. Soon, all of Kyoto’s Government will be rid of its filth. No competition. They will all be gone with these last five men. Why?” He knew of the reason why Kenshin asked if he were to be free of all assignments soon, for he could understand why the man wished to be done with it all.

Himura Kenshin wanted a normal life, it would seem.

A life full of normal, everyday occurrences.

Though, Kenshin would not have asked if the girl, Kamiya, had not gotten in the way. She might have what he desired, but to be honest, she was trouble, always had been trouble where Himura was concerned; although, she might be exactly what the assassin needed, a woman to aid him through his disturbing thoughts of the past.

Kenshin merely ignored the questioning look Katsura offered him while he pocketed the list of names he was to assassinate. Silence so heavy with tension filled the space between Katsura’s desk and the escape to freedom. Kenshin inclined his head as a decent show of respect. “These men will die, sir, and when I have completed each and every assignment offered to me, I will return.” When Katsura raised a hand, hoping to catch Kenshin’s full, undivided attention, Kenshin turned on his heels and exited the office, ignoring the loud call of his name as it ricocheted off the walls he passed.

Katsura, lips curving downward into a frown, lowered his arm while grudgingly accepting defeat. That man would never listen to a superior, no matter how he felt about the employer.

Please work…I can’t stand being held here any longer…Kaoru pleaded with the God that could make her life all that much easier if he truly wished to, sweat beading her forehead and hairline unappreciatively. Picking this lock seemed much harder than it had when she first thought of doing so. She leaned heavily against the door, an ear pressed against its rough texture as she listened intently for the sound that would bring her great happiness.

Twisting the metal bobby pin she had found on the filthy floor towards the right, Kaoru irritably pursed her lips, refusing to give into the inducement to rest. She had a job to do, and when the door’s bolt finally resisted its act of imprisonment…only then would she take a quick breather, but not until the door was opened and ready to be used.

Exhaustedly, Kaoru slumped against the door, cursing the weakness of her body limbs. She might have been picking the lock for the better part of an hour, but that should not have tired her muscles so. A good exercising of body appendages was called for. Inhaling deeply, she returned to her previous task of disengaging the door.

Another half hour passed of trying to persuade the door to unlock itself before it finally relented and gave into the peer pressure that Kaoru put on it. She watched with satisfaction as the door slowly swung forward, emitting a soft squeak in protest of being forced to open under such pressure.

She was uncertain of whether or not the coast was clear, and if it was even safe to venture far from her current prison. Taking a rather deep, calming breath, Kaoru poked her head out into the dark hallway, wrinkling her nose against the foul odor that threatened to macerate her head with aches and pain. Noting the quiet vacancy of the hallway, she hesitated for only a brief moment before slipping from the room while allowing the door to close softly behind her retreating form.

So far the coast was clear. An odd smile of delight lifted the corners of her lips as she quietly made her way down along the hallway, searching intently for the door that would take her far, far from this foul-smelling, filthy place. She reached the end of the hallway without difficulty, but that was where her good luck ended. As soon as her fingers curled cautiously around the doorknob of the last door within the hallway, knowing deep down that this was the door to take, a low, deep growl from behind her echoed throughout the mysteriously empty corridor.

Kaoru’s indigo-blue orbs widened in horror as her fingers tightened around the doorknob, exerting enough pressure to whiten her knuckles. “That sounded just like a…” She nervously murmured aloud as her head gradually turned to look over her shoulder at the object of her horror. “…Dog,” she finished in a whisper, her throat constricting from the fear building within her body, slowly overtaking her limbs one-at-a-time.

A massive canine, a German Sheppard to be exact, stood only a foot or so away from where she stood, hand still wrapped around the metal doorknob. And his ears were pinned threateningly to the top of his large, brown head.

She knew what that usually meant.

The animal would be attacking its victim soon.

Kaoru cupped the side of her neck uneasily, her nervously wide eyes never leaving the canine’s sharp, bared fangs. When she tried to back away, the dog emitted a menacing growl, one that prickled the hairs on the back of her neck.

She was in trouble.

There was no way that she could move around the dog without feeling its fangs sink into her flesh.

“N—nice puppy…is puppy hungry? I—Is that why you’re growling at me—me?” Kaoru stuttered, her cheeks paling with fright. She never was one to enjoy a dog’s playful company, and now she was beginning to see why. “Stay, puppy. Sit,” she commanded softly, hoping beyond hope that the canine would listen to an order.

Unfortunately, it chose to ignore the demand. Instead, the German Sheppard pawed the grimy floor forebodingly as it snapped hungrily at Kaoru just as she was about to run.

Refusing to wait for the pup’s first move, Kaoru was able to work that last door open and slip through the crack, barely escaping the snapping jaw of her attacker as she slammed the door in its face. Panting heavily, she slumped against the door while she closed her eyes. That had been unnaturally close. Where had the dog come from? She didn’t remember seeing a dog upon first entering the grubby building. Of course, she had been knocked unconscious, but that was beside the point.

“A guard dog,” Kaoru muttered in disgust, narrowing her indigo orbs at the door she just happened to be leaning against.

“My guard dog, to be exact,” a voice calmly broke the silent tension that thrummed through Kaoru’s thoughts, catching her full, undivided, and shocked attention. She peered helplessly into the shadows that, she realized for the very first time, surrounded a massive, metal desk swathed in paperwork. Sitting behind the desk, glasses settling on the bridge of his nose, was none other than Takeda Kanryuu.

“Mr. Takeda,” Kaoru acknowledged, her lips tightly pressed in a grim line. This man; she never did trust him, not even when she was introduced to him. There was something about him that stated, and with a firm voice, “Traitor.” She wasn’t one to pass judgment, though; especially since she really did not know the man aside from the fact that he worked with the likes of Isurugi Raijuuta, a man Kaoru deeply despised.

“Miss Kamiya, exactly where did you think you were going?” Kanryuu questioned with an arch of his dark brow, rising slowly from his specially designed, black chair.

“I was—I was—“

“Well?”

“I was looking for the bathroom,” Kaoru rushed on, having not been able to create a plausible answer that would have pleased Kanryuu.

“The bathroom?” Kanryuu sighed with false concern. “My dear, you were locked in a room. How could you be looking for the bathroom? Have you lost what little sanity you have left?” He knew what the girl had truly been up to, but he enjoyed a good sweat every now and then, and Kanryuu knew that this girl would, indeed, sweat from anxiety.

Drat; she was truly cornered now. She should have known that she would never be able to escape Takeda if he honestly wished for her to remain hiding away in some dreary room. It seemed to her that he meant to have her key, and she would not be going anywhere until she gave up its hiding place.

“It’s quite alright, my dear,” Kanryuu murmured gently as he walked around his desk, taking note of the apprehension Kaoru possessed as she folded her arms across her chest. “I know what you were up to.”

Kaoru had a feeling that he did.

“You can’t run, sweetie. You will only get hurt if you try.”

“I’ll get hurt if I stay here too,” she grumbled irritably under her breath as her indigo-blue hues lowered towards that of the oddly polished floor, refusing to look Kanryuu in the eye. Kenshin worked for this man. Kenshin knew of his cruel ways, and yet he still worked for him. Oh, but of course she should not have expected less. Hitokiri Battousai was an infamous assassin, a man who was to be feared and respected above all else.

Kanryuu cocked his head thoughtfully to the side, his slanted, amused eyes never leaving the ebony crown of Kaoru’s head. “Look at me, sweetheart.” When Kaoru did not jump to his command, Kanryuu’s fingers tightly curled into a fist. “I said to look at me,” he repeated.

Kaoru obeyed.

“Ah, now, that’s better.” Kanryuu chuckled, unhurriedly progressing towards Kaoru, who stood leaning against the rough, wooden texture of the door. “What are you afraid of, sweetie? All I want from you is the whereabouts of the key and its safe. I promise to release you, but only after you cooperate. Now that doesn’t sound too hard, does it?”

Kaoru pursed her lips, forcing to ignore the urge that suddenly overcame her to permanently shut the man up. She really knew nothing of a criminal’s life, but if he continued to use such a sweet, coaxing voice in order to gain the knowledge that he craved, she might follow in Himura’s footsteps and become the very thing that she despised. Did he think she such a weak-minded, foolish woman that she could not see right through his supposed sweet nature? If that be the case, then he obviously had another thing coming to him. “Actually,” she griped petulantly, barely loud enough for the man who stood perhaps a foot away from the door, that very same door she was using as support, to hear the word. “I find cooperating with the enemy superbly hard.”

At once, Kanryuu’s smile faded. The woman was being difficult, and if there was one thing he absolutely detested it would have to be a difficult woman. Women were made to listen intently to everything a man said, and to agree whole-heartedly with every word that he said. “My dear,” he jeered, hoping to frighten her into cooperation if she decided to ignore his craving of knowledge. This was very important to his incorporation, and no woman twice as young as he would be denying him what he longed to know. “I suggest that you tell me where you’ve hidden the key. If you cooperate, I promise to release you when the time is right.”

“And when is the time going to be right?” Kaoru all but spat in Kanryuu’s face.

Kanryuu gritted his teeth, having the sudden urge to strangle the woman. He could not see how Himura put up with her obstinacy for so long. She was a stubborn bitch, but if she wished to live, she would soon learn to obey the opposite sex. Furiously, his narrowed, dark gaze focused on the thin wound that circled her throat. So, she had been punished for her obstinacy not too long ago. Good. The woman needed to be punished more often.

“Who gave you that scar?”

The change of subject startled Kaoru so much that she nearly gaped at the man before realizing that her mouth had fallen slightly open. “Excuse me?”

“That scar, my dear, around your neck; who gave it to you?” Curiously, Kanryuu’s narrow-eyed stare watched with amusement as Kaoru’s deep blue eyes averted towards that of the wound one of Kanryuu’s men had inflicted upon the tender flesh of her throat. He knew without a doubt that she was annoyed for being questioned about the wound.

“What’s it to you?” Kaoru snapped, obviously annoyed that Kanryuu had even noticed the thin, red-infected wound.

“My dear, you have been punished, have you not? I might as well use the same tactics that one of my own men used on you for your obduracy. Would you like to be treated in such a way?”

Silently, Kaoru’s lips pressed tightly into a dour line, wanting nothing to do with Kanryuu or his men’s tactics. She remained quiet, much to his displeasure. Even if he were to try to force the answers from her, Kaoru refused to talk. She wanted to go home, or at least return to Himura’s cabin. That place was just a mite better than this one. When her indigo-blue orbs locked onto the smirking brown of Kanryuu’s gaze, Kaoru’s lips lifted slightly into an ice-coated smile that bespoke of her desire to be rid of Takeda’s company. “I,” she murmured softly, quick to catch Kanryuu’s undivided attention. “…Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kanryuu stared in disbelief at the woman who so calmly leaned against the metal door, shocked into silence. Would she always remain this complicated? He would hope not. Clenching his hands tightly at his sides, he pushed off from his desk and started to head in the stubborn woman’s direction. As soon as she realized exactly what he was doing, she stiffened, and Kanryuu smiled with pleasure upon seeing the uneasiness that briefly flickered across her paling face.

“Kaoru,” he halted, the smile he donned widening as soon as Kaoru’s wide eyes fastened on his own. “Will you still not tell me all that I want to know?” As he said this, his fingers groped within the pocket of his gray vest, searching for the handle of his famous, gold switchblade.

Kaoru wasn’t sure what to say.

If she denied Kanryuu the information he considered important, she would die at his mercy. If she gave into the pressure to inform the man of the key’s whereabouts and who still held it, not only would she die but Mr. Kogoro would die as well. Either way, she was a doomed woman.

If only Kenshin were here. He would take care of this problem for her. Or, at least she hoped that he would. From experience, she knew that he fought for the honor of others, including her, but would he bother to risk his life for the sake of hers? He wouldn’t hesitate to cut down an enemy, but would he do it for her, as an added precaution of protection?

She could only hope.

“What to do, what to do…” Kaoru mumbled exasperatedly under her breath, wanting the courage to face Kanryuu and his punishment without a fear one. She had no choice, though. She knew what she needed to do, what she should do. She might die in the process, but she could not hand Himura’s boss over to the likes of Takeda Kanryuu. It was she the men wanted, not Mr. Kogoro. Taking a deep breath, while closing her eyes for the briefest of moments, Kaoru whispered, “I can’t tell you what you want to know. I won’t.”

Kanryuu at first believed that he had not heard her right but when he studied the pale, upturned face, the narrowed, determined blue eyes, he knew that she meant what she said. The woman truly did have a death wish. His strong, slender fingers curled firmly around the marble handle of his famous switchblade, all the while never taking his eyes off her. “Are you sure, darling?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.

“Very well,” he sighed before whipping the dagger out of his pocket, brandishing it at a shocked Kaoru. “You thought I would allow you to get away with my treasure, did you? Silly girl.” Darkly chuckling, Kanryuu grabbed the forearm closest to him, jerking Kaoru harshly towards him. “Allow me to give you a matching scar for your accessories.” Swiftly, Kaoru’s smooth, warm cheek was met by the cold steel of the dangerous blade, its razor-sharp edge mercilessly slicing through the thin layer of skin.

Kaoru gasped painfully as the blade tore through muscle tissue, digging deeper into her skin. That first wound had not been nearly so deep, but it appeared to her that Kanryuu meant what he said. He was going to scar her, apparently, until she finally snapped. Tightly shutting her eyes, fighting against the temptation to inform him of the key’s whereabouts, Kaoru clenched her teeth as the blade finally halted in its torture. Her right cheek was on fire, and the blood that gushed from her newest wound heavily traveled down her cheek, dripping casually from her chin onto the polished floor.

Then, the blade was surprisingly removed from her cheek and replaced gently by a stained, cotton rag.

“Still refuse to talk?”

Did she? Was it wise to deny Kanryuu his information? Of course not, but she had to. Mr. Kogoro did not deserve this type of abuse. But since when did she care if the man was harmed in any way? She supposed that he was a nice man, even though he was responsible for the hiring of dangerous men to murder his competition.

She knew what she had to do.

“Yes,” Kaoru said, watching as Kanryuu’s face contorted with fury. Though, when it appeared to her that he was going to return to his desk, he did the complete opposite. Kaoru was rendered speechless when she was pushed roughly against the metal door, Kanryuu holding her captive within his arms. “Are you so sure of your answer, Miss Kamiya?”

No.

“Yes.”

“Very well,” Kanryuu sighed almost sadly before he reached for Kaoru’s right hand, cupping her palm rather gently. Kaoru could only stare in bewilderment as Kanryuu brought her hand to his lips; though without her knuckles actually touching them. Then, wordlessly, he grabbed first her forefinger while allowing a smile of icy condescension to graze his lips. “One last chance, Kamiya; are you positively sure you wish to remain adamant?”

Stop asking me.

“Yes.”

“Pity,” Kanryuu murmured. Kaoru gaped openly at Kanryuu, confused as to the reason why he was holding her hand. Her confusion instantly transformed into pained anger when Kanryuu’s grip tightened around her finger and forcibly pulled its slender length away from the others until a sharp cracking of bones could be heard above the frantic pounding of her heart. Tears gathered at the corners of her dazed, blue eyes as electric shocks coursed painfully up her arm only to leave their mark upon her shoulder.

“Still silent, my dear?” Kanryuu questioned softly as he reached for her second finger, his grip firm and unyielding.

Kaoru didn’t know what to do. Not only was her cheek scarred, but now her right forefinger was positioned at an odd angle, indicating a broken bone. If she continued to remain silent, would he break every single one of her fingers? And when he finished with her fingers, would he go for her neck? Still, she had made a vow not to give into the torture. Though, she most likely would not make it through the evening.

She had a vow to honor.

She could not break a promise as important as this one. She refused to.

“Y—yes,” she stuttered, averting her eyes to the floor for fear of what she would glimpse within the smirking depths of Kanryuu’s dark eyes.

“Very well,” Kanryuu shook his head while wrapping an arm around the woman’s slender waist, as another added precaution. He would not allow her to escape her punishment.

Kaoru gasped in pain when another finger was harshly bent at an odd angle, matching the irregularity of her forefinger. She had never known her bones to be so delicate, but it seemed that it didn’t take much strength on Kanryuu’s part to break them.

Kenshin was right. She was a weak, foolish woman. Not that he had ever commented on her weakness aloud…but she knew that he had thought of her in such a way from the moment they first met.

Kaoru’s mind was clouded with pain, an unforgivable pain, a pain that threatened to overpower her senses. When Kanryuu questioned her silence once more, Kaoru was finally persuaded to break her vow. She couldn’t take much more of this kind of abuse, at least not all in one night. A knife she could handle; a broken bone she could not.

“Alright, I’ll—I’ll tell you.”

She really was in for it now…

Kanryuu instantly released her hand, smiling in satisfaction even as she cupped her sore and abused hand against her bosom, as though she meant to protect her other three fingers from his cruelty. “Yes, my dear?”

“I—I don’t have the key,” she moaned aloud, coddling her two abused fingers with explicit care. “Mr. Kogoro does.”

Oh, Lord, what had she done now?

Email: fiery87red@yahoo.com