Chapter Eight

The Kill List

The door to Willy’s swung open and the bright afternoon sun filled the darkened smoky room. Willy looked up squinting from the light, to see Faith rushing in with two guys behind her. Bubba immediately stood up and addressed the dark haired man.

“She’s in the back, no one came in and she hasn’t come out.”

Angel smiled at her, “Thanks Bubba.” He gave him a hundred bucks. “You can head on home. I appreciate you coming here to watch her.”

“My pleasure Angel, I’d do anything for Buffy.”

Angel nodded at him, “You’re a good man Bubba.”

“Let me know if you need anything else.” Bubba turned and walked out of the bar.

“Hey Angelus, Spike what brings you guys here?” Willy nervously asked. He knew who they were. They were people that you didn’t want to mess around with. In fact if they offered protection services Willy would have gone with them instead of a motorcycle gang, because he knew that these two were far more dangerous.

Faith looked back and forth between them, “You know them?” she asked Willy.

He smiled, ‘Sure everyone in the business knows The Scourge of Europe.”

Faith turned to Angel, “The Scourge of Europe?” she asked with her eyebrow up in the air.

Angel looked at her, shrugging his shoulder. “Where’s Buffy Willy?”

Willy almost choked on his scotch. He looked at Faith, “This is the boyfriend?”

“She’s in the back.” Faith answered for him and Angel headed off to the back of the club.

“Shit Faith why didn’t you tell me that The Scourge was the boyfriend?” Willy asked as she and Spike sat at the bar.

“Because I didn’t think you knew him, why?”

“I’ve been worrying my head off about Parker and the poor kid back there. If I’d known Angelus was the boyfriend I wouldn’t have…that’s why.”

Seconds later Angel came walking back…alone.

“That was quick. Where’s blondie?” Spike asked peering over Angel’s shoulder.

“She’s not here.” Angel said his dark eyes on Willy.

Willy immediately stood up, “what do you mean she’s not there! That’s where I left her and she didn’t come out. I swear!”

Angel sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. “Relax Willy. She used the window.”

Faith jumped up and started walking toward the door. “Okay well let’s go I know where she went.”

When she saw that neither one of them were moving she scowled. “Guys…let’s go…rescue damsel in distress…”

“It’s too late luv.” Spike said as he swiped Angel’s beer from him and took a swig.

“What do you mean it’s too late?”

“Faith you can’t just go there, barge in and demand Buffy back.” Spike answered her.

“Why not?”

“Cause you’ll get killed that’s why not!” He said to her a little louder this time.

“We have to go back to the original plan.” Angel said pulling his beer out of Spike’s grasp he drank the whole thing down and slapped a ten down on the bar.

Faith was vehemently shaking her head back and forth, “No, that’s a very bad idea.”

“Um…excuse me Angelus sir?” Willy said cautiously.

Angel turned black eyes to him, “What?”

“Um…that is a bad idea. I know Parker very well and I’ve known Buffy since she was twelve. I’ve seen things…” he took a step back as he saw Angel’s eyes darken and he stood up from the stool. “…things that um well let’s just say that they weren’t nice things and Buffy didn’t enjoy them. And I…um don’t think it’s a good idea to leave her there. That’s all I’m saying.”

Quickly Willy turned and left the bar. Angelus scared the crap out of him. The less time he spent in his presence the better.

Angel took deep calming breaths as he watched Willy scamper out of the room. He could feel himself once more slipping out of control and he had to relax. He had never before been put in this position. Decisions were always easy for him. You weighed the good against the bad, you looked at all the possibilities and you went with whatever got the job done. But it wasn’t that clear now. Now there was a piece to the puzzle that meant more to him than life itself and to do what needed to be done meant putting her in danger.

But what could he do? He’d be signing her death sentence if he just strolled in there and took back what was his. No. He had to fall back to the original plan and just pray to God that Buffy held strong and that nothing happens to her.

“How’s that plan supposed to work anyway, if Buffy’s not in on it? How are you going to know when they plan on stealing the diamonds?” Faith asked.

Angel didn’t answer her, but his dark piercing eyes looked right at her.

Spike saw the look and knew what he was thinking. “No. Absolutely not Angelus!”

“Look I don’t like it either but it’s the only way Spike. Don’t worry they can look after each other.”

Spike grabbed Faith and pulled her in front of him and Angel. “Do you see this Angelus?” He scathingly said as he pointed to her dried up bloody lip. “Do you see how well they protected each other?”

Faith squirmed out of Spike’s grasp understanding what they were talking about and not liking Spike’s comments. “Hey I can take care of myself and so can Buffy. The asshole just caught us off guard. It won’t happen again,” she said sternly.

“There see. No problem.” Angel said as he walked out of the bar praying to God that was true.

Faith followed, anxious to get to work. “Okay so I’ll head over there and get to work I’ll call you later.”

Spike grabbed her, “Hold on there killer. It’s too soon. You haven’t slept all night and you’re exhausted.”

“I am not exhausted!” Faith started to argue at the same time she fought the urge to yawn.

“Women” Spike said just as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “You’re going home and you’re going to bed.”

Faith argued with him all the way out the door.

**********************

After Buffy left Willy’s she got a cab and went to Angel’s. If she was going to follow through with her plan then she needed a weapon. Normally she would go to Willy but she couldn’t go there. She knew Faith would be back and she couldn’t involve Faith in her problems. This was something that she needed to do alone.

After the cab dropped her off she nervously stood in front of the door. She was pretty sure he wasn’t home. She didn’t see the Porsche in the driveway but that didn’t mean it wasn’t in the garage. But it didn’t matter she would just go in and take her chances.

Taking a deep breath she hit the numbers on the alarm code and the door popped open.

Stepping inside she quietly closed the door, “Angel?” She called out but there was no answer.

Her eyes scanned the hallway as she stood still listening. After a few moments of silence she blew out the breath she had been holding. She was disappointed that he wasn’t home but then she was also thankful. She needed time to straighten things out and she needed to be clear-headed to do that. Another angry altercation with Angel would not help it would only cloud her mind.

She looked up the regal staircase as her feet started to move. When she reached the landing she looked over her shoulder, before rounding the corner to the secret room.

The door was still open and tears formed in her eyes as she looked inside. He had torn the room apart. Everything was destroyed. Even the beautiful black cabinet was broken into pieces, and there was no one to blame but her. If it weren’t for her stupid past this never would have happened. She had hurt the one person that meant more to her than anything else and her heart filled with guilt.

There had to be something she could do now to at least try and make it better.

She moved inside the room, her feet crackling on glass as she did. She picked up a piece of paper and pen that were on the floor and turned the chair over. Grabbing a book that was on the crooked desk she sat down, put the book on her lap and started to write him a note. He might not want to read it but at least she would have said her piece and tried to make amends.

She wrote fast because she knew the clock was ticking. It was almost twenty four hours since she had seen Parker and she knew he would only give her so much time to come to him before he came looking for her.

When she was finally done she kissed it tenderly wishing that it were his lips then folded it neatly. She held it in her hand as her eyes searched the weapons that were all over the floor.

She picked up the semi-automatic Uzi and felt the weight of it in her hand. A gun would be the quickest and easiest way but it would also be loud and she was probably going to have to make a quick and silent exit. Too bad, she would have liked to see what little brains he has scattered all over the floor. She put the gun back on the floor.

Next her eyes fell on the collection of knives and one caught her eye. The handle was black pearl and the blade was about six inches of deadly honed steal. She lightly ran her finger down the blade pulling away as it nicked her, “Ouch. Very sharp.”

She looked closer at the tempered steel and marveled at the Celtic designs that covered it. It was beautiful, almost too beautiful to butcher an asshole with but it would be poetic. Grabbing the knife and its sheath she walked outside of the room and down the hall to his bedroom.

Opening the door she walked in, stopping to close her eyes and breathe deeply. The whole room smelled like him and she shivered with yearning as his clean earthy scent attacked her senses like a starving animal. If she didn’t feel so miserable she would probably laugh at how pathetic she had become. It had only been one day since she saw him but for Buffy that was one day too many.

Her eyes opened and she looked at the bed. She walked over to it, running her hand across the velvet bedspread, thinking back to the last time he used it. They had made love all night atop it. She remembered how exquisite the soft velvet had felt against her feverish skin. God she had been so hot for him and her body so wet that her breath hitched just thinking about it now.

She couldn’t resist laying on it again. She settled in against the fabric, rubbing her entire body against it as she got comfortable on the soft yet firm mattress. Her eyes closed and she took several more deep breaths as she stroked her cheek up and down his pillow.

She missed him so much. She missed lying in this bed with his arms around her. She missed the nights he would recite poetry as he slowly and leisurely made love to her. And she missed the nights when he would throw her on the bed and just take her with no foreplay. She loved those nights. It was raw pure emotion driving him. It was the reason why she knew that he loved her.

A tear fell and landed on the pillow as she thought about never having those things again.

What would she do if he never believed her? Would she be able to keep going through life without him? It was a scary thought and one that she didn’t want to linger on. She had to stick to her plan. She had to keep faith that he would realize he made a mistake and that he still loved her.

The clock chimed on the wall and she sighed sadly. Standing up she placed the note on the pillow and took one last look in the room.

She didn’t know when they would see each other again or what that reunion would be like so she wanted to remember everything. Because no matter how confident she was right now, she knew the second she walked back into the compound a little bit of that confidence would disappear. Being with Angel was what gave her mental strength and she needed all of those memories now to hold on to what had to be done.

A few minutes later she left the bedroom and walked down to the kitchen and inside the garage. She hated to do it, but she had no choice she had to get to the compound and she had no other way of doing it.

Grabbing the keys to the Chopper she opened the garage door and then started it up. She pulled out of the garage, the door closing as she left, and pulled down the driveway.

There was no going back now.

She had a husband to kill and a boyfriend to get back.

**********************

Just after Buffy left, Angel arrived home. He was tired and he just wanted to sleep for a little while. The problem was that he couldn’t sleep because he couldn’t stop thinking.

He was thinking about how stupid he was.

He was thinking about the plan and how it had to work perfectly.

He was thinking about Uncle and The Mayor.

He was thinking about Faith and sending her into the Brotherhood.

He was thinking about Spike and how he wasn’t too happy with that plan.

But mostly, mostly, he was thinking about Buffy. He was worried about her. Hearing what happened at the loft and seeing the destruction in the room was something he couldn’t put out of his mind.

Every time he closed his eyes he saw her bloody body lying somewhere in a ditch and the feelings that incited were the worst feelings he had ever experienced in his life. He had been physically and mentally tortured in the past by the best people in the business. But the anguish of seeing her lifeless body was worse then any torture.

Yes he was feeling pretty damn guilty. He was the lowest cad on the face of the earth. How could he just jump to conclusions like that? How could he just callously push her away and throw her to the wolves? His only excuse and he knew it wasn’t a good one, was that he just had a really hard time controlling his emotions when it came to Buffy.

He just loved her too much. She stirred every raw and primitive emotion inside of him. She touched places inside of him that he never even knew existed. At first it had been strange, although he never noticed it. But now he had grown so accustomed to these emotions that he couldn’t even remember what it felt like to be without her. She was in him, under his skin, his blood and breath. She was his everything.

And now he was plagued with guilt over his brainless actions. Of course realizing he had just missed her at Willy’s didn’t make his guilt go away, that only doubled it.

Walking into that room and not seeing her there had been devastating. He knew right away where she went, and that increased his culpability and his anxiety.

As he climbed the steps to his bedroom he couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing and thinking. Did she hate him? Was she thinking about him? Did she miss him as much as he missed her?

He walked past the secret room glancing at it only briefly and noting that he had to get that fixed, and then continued on to his bedroom.

The second he opened the door he stopped. His eyes automatically closed as he took a deep breath. His lips formed a small smile as pure happiness filled him. There was just a hint of Vanilla in the room. An aroma he knew all too well. A tantalizing scent that he had tasted many times before, it was a fragrance that was pure Buffy.

His eyes quickly opened scanning the room looking for her in every corner. His smile faded when he realized she wasn’t there.

He walked further inside, his hand running up the velvet bedspread. It was slightly wrinkled and there was a slight indentation on the bed, one of a petite and feminine form. On the pillow was a note.

Picking it up, he sat down on the bed anxiously opening it.

Angel,

I don’t know if you’ll read this or if it’s sitting in the garbage. You might not want to hear this and maybe you won’t even believe me I don’t know but I have to tell you…I have to say my peace.

I love you Angel. I love you so much. You’re my life.

I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about being married to Parker but I honestly didn’t think it mattered because I thought he was dead. I swear Angel, I never knew about any plot to fake his death, you have to believe that.

And maybe this is too presumptuous of me to say but I know you love me Angel and I know in my heart that we’ll find a way back to each other. You might not be able to trust what I’m saying and I know you need time to deal with everything and I understand that. I’ll give you whatever time you need because I need time to set things right.

There are some things that I’m going to have to do that aren’t going to be pleasant, and maybe make you hate me even more, but it needs to be done. I have to resolve my past and I have to do it on my own. I can only hope that when all is said and done you’ll accept that we belong together.

I have to go now. I’m going to borrow your bike and a pretty little thing I picked up off the floor in the room. I’ll return both to you I promise.

I love you Angel so much, I can’t let you go and I’m not going to. I want my life to be with you and it will be. Maybe you can’t see that right now but you will.

I’ll fight for you Angel – always - with every breath in my body.

Love,

Buffy

With shaking hands he put the note down feeling immense relief. It was like a waterfall just washed away his guilt and renewed his hope. He hadn’t lost her, she didn’t hate him…she still loved him.

The most amazing thing was that even though he had treated her horribly, she never lost faith. She was determined to make him see the truth and get him back. He smiled she was a tigress his baby.

Raising the note he re-read it again his smile fading when he got to the bottom part.

He stood up and briskly walked to the demolished room. He looked at the weapons that were strewn across the floor mentally tallying every one. His favorite blade was missing, the one that his father had given him. His brow furrowed that wasn’t good.

“Damn it Buffy what are you up to?”

Tucking the note away in his pocket, he walked out and downstairs to the garage. Noting the missing Chopper he grabbed the keys to Buffy’s Cuda and jumped in.

He had a lot to do. Talking to the gang and coming up with a plan was at the top of the list but first things first.

**********************

She was scared out of her mind. Every hair on her body was standing on end. Every muscle twitched silently. And her poor heart that had done nothing but beat rapidly for the past two days, tripled it’s thumping as she pulled up to the gate of the clubhouse.

“Buffy? Buffy Summers?”

She smiled, a true smile, as she looked at Charlie who stood guard at the gate.

“Hey Charlie, long time no see.”

“Shit, ain’t that the truth. How you been?”

“Pretty good, how about you? How’s Paulina and the kids?”

“Running me fucking ragged.”

Buffy chuckled, so fierce on the outside but inside the majority of these guys were as soft as bunnies when it came to their women and kids. It was just Buffy and her dumb luck that she hooked up with someone who was the minority of the group, the assholes.

Charlie opened the gate and she slowly drove in. “You here to stay?”

She looked at him, “For a little while yeah.”

“Great. Make sure you come by the house, Paulina would kill me if she didn’t see you.”

“Will do Charlie. Thanks.”

“Down the road, then make a left. It’s the red house on the right.” He waved her on knowing exactly where she wanted to go, and she slowly drove inside as she waved back.

She had forgotten how big the encampment was. She came here once when she first arrived in LA. Thinking back now she didn’t know why. She guessed it was out of respect for the club. She was still a member and she was on new turf. Even though she was planning on changing her life, that hadn’t stopped her from doing what had been ingrained in her since she was twelve – give respect.

The people she had met here were nice and friendly. They had opened their arms to her and whatever she needed. When she told them she was planning on starting over they wished her the best of luck. Of course that was after they confirmed everything with Adam in New York. No matter how nice they were they still abided by the rules. But it didn’t bother her; nothing did because she had been too excited to start over.

The encampment was its own little town. It was nestled away in the mountains about an hour out of Los Angeles. Everything they needed to make it on their own without the help of society was here. They grew their own food, they distilled their own booze, they even grew their own tobacco. The children were schooled here and they even had a small church and priest. It was basically a commune for bikers.

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought that Giles would probably love it. He was such a hippie at heart. But for Buffy who grew up in the city, surrounded by a Brotherhood that was the complete opposite of this chapter, it was a little strange. But she figured they were so different because this was California and they did everything different in California.

As she drove through the town she saw many other people, who like Charlie, came with Parker from New York. She waved to all of them as they shouted out greetings to her as she passed them. For some reason it felt…right.

Regardless of the fact that she was here under duress, she felt like she was…home. Seeing the familiar faces of the people that had taken care of her and who were her only family at one point in her life actually felt good.

She never realized how much she had missed them or how much she had missed knowing that anyone of these people would lay down their life for hers. It was humbling in many ways. For years all she could think about were the bad times. She had forgotten about the decent people and the good times they shared.

Her thoughts quickly changed the second she saw the red house. She pulled up to it and cut the engine. She sat there her body numb with fear and uncertainty, her green eyes vacantly staring at the door. She knew what awaited her inside. She was once again petrified.

The door abruptly swung open and Grant stepped outside.

Her eyes sparked to live with righteous resentment as she looked at him. There were three people in this world that she truly hated and Grant was one of them.

Grant was the third in command of the NY Brotherhood Chapter, a position that he held grudgingly. He and Adam grew up together in the club, side by side, and when Adam was made President Grant naturally assumed that he would be Vice President. But that never happened. Instead, Adam made Parker Vice President.

After that happened, Grant never made any attempt to hide the fact that he loathed Parker and resented the position he held in the club. He saw Parker as an interloper. He considered him to be weak in both mind and body, a coward. To Grant, Parker was nothing but a sniveling little snot that got everything handed to him because his brother was the number one man.

But while Grant’s hatred of Parker could be overlooked because Parker was after all Adam’s brother, his hatred of Buffy could not. She was the one person that Grant hated more than Parker. And the funny thing was that when she first met him, he was actually nice to her.

But that quickly changed the second Adam put her to work as the lead resident thief. Once more replacing Grant with someone who he considered to be inferior. From then on he always looked at her with abhorrence and bitterness. He also made himself Parker’s Buffy watchdog. Anything that she did wrong Parker found out about from Grant.

Her eyes darkened to black, Grant was just as responsible as Parker was for making her life miserable. She could conceivably blame him for every single beating that Parker had ever given her. And she did.

Fear was replaced with strength as she felt the cool Celtic blade against her back; she would kill him too.

Taking off her helmet, she got off the bike and walked up the stairs.

“Grant.”

“Buffy. I don’t know why you’re here, we don’t need you.”

She smirked at him knowing how hard it was for him to stand there and talk to her. She walked right up to him, “I guess they wanted it done right.” She sneered.

His face turned murderous and his hand shot out to slap her but he was stopped. She looked up and into the eyes of Parker.

“Not now.”

He released Grant’s arm and Grant looked like he was going to kill him but instead he gave her one hard look and then walked away.

“I was just ready to come and get you.”

Buffy walked up and stood in front of him all business; this was it she had to be fearless. “I’m here but I’m not staying for long.”

He looked at her coldly, “you’ll stay as long as I tell you to stay.”

“No I’ll do what I want to do. Let’s get something straight Parker.” She walked closer her voice lowered and it was filled with all the malice that she felt for him. “I know why you’re miraculously back from the dead and I know why you’re here in LA. You need me to do a job. You got that, YOU NEED ME, I don’t need you…I never have.”

His face reddened with rage after every word she spoke but Buffy didn’t care.

“Don’t think that we’re going to have a warm husband and wife reunion okay. I’m not here to get back together with you. And if you think that you’re going to put that tiny little thing you like to call a dick anywhere near me think again, because that’s never going to happen EVER!”

His face turned a molten red as he seethed with anger. He grabbed her brutally by the arms and yanked her toward him, deliberately pressing his groin against her. “Don’t get all high and mighty with me Buffy. Whether you like it or not, you’re my wife and I’ll take you whenever I want!”

“So you think.” She snarled back at him. “Parker I haven’t had to endure your touch in two years and I say endure, because that’s exactly what it was for me; a disgusting chore that I had to do. Every time you touched me I wanted to throw up. I’m not going to put myself through that again!”

His hands tightened around her arms squeezing them painfully. “Who the hell do you think you are Buffy? You think because your face is plastered all over the place that you’re better then me! You think that since you’ve gotten yourself a nice straight-laced boyfriend that you’re too good for me! Well let me tell you something honey, you ain’t shit. And that stupid pansy-ass boyfriend, he ain’t shit either. “

She couldn’t help but laugh in his face ‘pansy-ass boyfriend, ah if he only knew.’ “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh I know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m surprised he even stuck around after bedding you for the first time. But I guess he likes cold dry fucks because that’s all you are; a beautiful cold bitch.”

Buffy smirked at him, “no, that’s all I ever was with you Parker. Before I met him, I thought every male had a small dick that they didn’t know how to use.”

“You fucking bitch!”

Parker was fuming his fingers dug mercilessly into her flesh. A few years ago she would have cowered under the assault of his temper but she didn’t do that now. Now she stood there defiantly mocking him with her disdain, and the more she defied him the angrier he got. It was the complete opposite of where they usually stood with each other, and while Parker felt powerless…Buffy felt like a power god.

“Well, well, well it looks like our little kitten has grown claws. Parker.” The monotone warning finally broke through Parker’s rage. He released her arms and took a step back his fists clenching as his eyes remained on her sardonic face that smirked back at him.

Buffy dismissed her poor excuse of a husband and turned to look at the owner of that voice. Her smirk faded and the mocking humor left her eyes. Here was another applicant for her rapidly growing kill list.

“Adam.”

“Buffy. I’d say that it was nice to see you but I’m sure we both know that’s not true.”

She harrumphed, “You could say that again.”

His smiled disappeared and he addressed both of them, “get inside.”

They stepped back from the door allowing Buffy to go first. As she passed them Adam reached down and grabbed her ass, squeezing her left cheek. “Nice to see you haven’t let yourself go Buffy.”

Her first reaction was to jump away with aversion, but that showed fear, and she couldn’t afford to show him fear of any kind.

She stopped and pinned him with her angry green eyes. “Get your fucking hand off of me.” She snarled at him and Parker moved forward.

Adam laughed but his eyes didn’t reflect humor, “Meow. I see Parker was right. You’ve gotten real feisty in the past two years.”

He moved closer and violently grabbed her by the arm hauling her up to him. His breath hissed in her face as his hand came up cruelly grasping her breast. “I can’t help but wonder where else you’ve grown feisty.”

She struggled against him, but he yanked her still. “I can’t wait to find out.” He violently pushed her through the doors. She stumbled but recovered quickly.

They stepped inside and he slammed the door shut. “Let’s get down to business shall we. We have a little job that we need you to do Buffy. You’ll be working alone on this one. I’ve given Grant a new responsibility so he won’t be around to help you but considering your skills that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Refuse? You? Quiet, meek little Buffy?” he looked over at Parker, “You’re right, she needs to be reminded of her place.”

He looked back at Buffy, “there is no refusing Buffy. You either do it or…” he pulled out a Magnum and aimed it right at her head, “you die right now. It’s as simple as that.”

Seconds ticked by as silence filled the room. She came here to kill them and she would, but it was pretty obvious that now was probably not the best time to do that. She had to play it cool and go along with them. Then when all was quiet she would strike.

It was a logical plan and she appeared calm on the outside, which caused Adam’s eye to twitch, but inside she was freaking out. There was a gun aimed at her head and held by a man who wasn’t afraid to use it. A man that she knew as well as she knew herself, and seeing his eye twitch told her one thing…he was full of shit. It was a scare tactic and nothing more. He needed her he wasn’t ready to kill her…yet.

“What’s the job?”

Adam smiled and put the gun down addressing Parker. “See she can be very reasonable.”

He turned back to Buffy, “It’s simple really. There is a man who lives up in the Hollywood Hills. He’s an extremely rich man, with many connections. One of those connections is with a diamond mine in Africa. Now this man, he doesn’t trust banks so he has his own private vault built under ground. Inside is the largest collection of privately owned, high clarity cut diamonds in the world, and I want them.”

“Why?”

The question was answered by a hard slap to her right cheek.

“You don’t ask why. You just do what you’re told.” Adam snarled as she caressed her cheek. She could see Parker smiling gleefully out of the corner of her eye and her anger increased. Grant was right; he was a sniveling little snot.

“What’s the address?” she gritted out and Adam smiled, handing her a piece of paper.

“You’ll have one week to do your recon. Then I want those diamonds.” His voice held no room for rebuttal and Buffy just shook her head. “Fine.”

She turned to leave but was stopped by Parker, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going home.”

His gripped tightened on her arm and she held back the reflex to flinch.

“You’re not going anywhere. You are home.”

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. “Parker you haven’t changed have you? You’re as dumb as ever.”

His grip painfully clenched her arm but she didn’t care. Every ounce of pain was worth the agitation she was causing him.

“I have to go home and keep up appearances Parker. I have a life now you know. A very public life if I don’t go home people will become suspicious.”

“She’s right. Let her go.” Adam said.

Parker’s teeth grinded together with growing agitation; he had waited two years to get her back and now he was being told to let her go again and that infuriated him.

He’d never wanted to fake his death, that was Adam’s idea, but he agreed because well it was Adam, and he would do anything for his brother. The two years of hiding hadn’t been uncomfortable in the least; in fact, Adam had set him up in a beautiful house high in the mountains of Mexico. He had everything that he needed to pass the time. Beautiful warm weather, good food and booze, the best drugs one could ask for, and the most desirable and obedient women at his beck and call.

But those two years had been long and all he could think about was Buffy. Adam made sure to keep him informed of her whereabouts and what she was doing. While that was a good thing it was also bad. It had been very hard for Parker to sit by and watch as his once meek and docile wife grew strong and made a life for herself that he had no control over.

He knew all about the numerous lovers and one night stands she had. The only thing that bothered him about that was that he couldn’t be there to watch it. One of his favorite things about Buffy was that she would do whatever he told her to do and he loved to watch her get fucked by other men. Her deadpanned expression while someone else was grunting above her was an aphrodisiac to him. It was power. It put him in control and he liked that.

But with every day that passed his infuriation grew. He could do nothing but watch as his control slowly faded away.

Of course the real icing on the cake was learning about the man in the photo. This one was different then the others. This one she didn’t kick out of her bed the next morning, this one she loved. And if she loved him then that meant that Parker had no control over her at all anymore, the other man did, and that made him green with envy.

When Adam told him that he could finally come out of hiding he had been elated. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. The prospect of beating her back down was a nightly wet dream for him. And now she was here and in his grasp, and he had to let her go...again.

He looked crossly at Adam, his furious expression telling his brother that he was not happy.

“Do as I say.” Adam sternly said.

After a few tense seconds, Parker reluctantly released her. “Don’t forget who you belong to Buffy? If I find out that you’ve gone back to him, I promise you I’ll make you feel so much pain you won’t be able to walk let alone fuck anybody for a month!”

His mention of Angel pissed her off and she got right back in his face. “Screw you Parker. I’ll fuck who I want, when I want and how I want. I’m not here to be you’re abiding fuck toy anymore, you got that? Those days are over. I’ll do the job, but then after that I’m gone.”

She looked at Adam she wanted him to know that she meant business. Of course he didn’t need to know that he wouldn’t be around to see her off. “My days of whoring for you two are over. I’ll do this job but that’s it. It’s the last one. Do we have an understanding?”

Adam was surprised at the woman that stood in front of him. If it wasn’t for her familiar face he wouldn’t recognize her. She wasn’t the compliant frightened little girl anymore. The one that would just lie still as he fucked her, showing no emotion at all not even anger. He never really found that be an attractive trait in a woman but he took her anyway because she was convenient and because well…he could.

But now she stood tall. She was vibrant, full of life and passion, and he was completely turned on by her. He could see her tied to his bed, her tight body thrashing against her restraints. He could see himself pumping inside of her, taking her against her will…dominating her. The heady images made his dick hard; he was definitely going to taste her again. If she was a good fuck then he might just consider keeping her around for himself. Parker wouldn’t know what to do with her anyway, he hated bold women.

“Just get the job done, then we’ll talk.” His eyes traveled down her body, giving her one last lecherous look. His tongue came out and licked his lips as his hand reached down and stroked the bulge in his crotch.

Buffy almost retched at his tell tale signs but she held it back because she knew that would only turn the pig on more.

Adam smiled at her then turned and walked out of the room, he needed someone to fuck. “Maggie! Where the hell are you?”

Her tenacity was about ready to snap. She had to get out of here. She dismissed Parker who just stood there staring at her, and walked out. She got on Angel’s bike and started it up. She drove through the town and out the gate, waving to Charlie as she did. She drove halfway to Los Angeles before she pulled over and bawled her eyes out.

All the emotions that she had been holding back came out with a vengeance. And her shoulders shook as deep guttural wails of misery left her mouth.

She could still feel Adam’s eyes on her, raking her body with lust, and she leaned over and threw up. She couldn’t stop throwing up as memory after memory rushed over her like a tidal wave. All the times he took her body, all the times he gave her to whoever wanted her. And each and every time that he degraded her in some way Parker just stood by and watched. He never stood up for her. He never made any attempt to stop Adam. Another thing Grant was right about; he was a coward.

She sat up and straightened her shoulders, then wiped her mouth and eyes. She would have her revenge on all of them for all the disgusting and debasing things they ever did to her, she would make them pay.

She started the bike up and headed back out. God she felt so dirty. She couldn’t wait to get home and take a shower.

One week, that’s what Adam had given her and it was plenty of time. She would do the recon and then do the job. Then she would kill all three of them; Parker, Adam and Grant. She just wasn’t sure in what order yet.

She also still had to decide what she would do with the diamonds. Maybe she would poke around a little bit more, find out exactly why Adam wanted them. She remembered seeing a sign on the window of the house, Saturday night they were having a pig roast to welcome the New York brothers, maybe she should go. It would provide the perfect opportunity for her to snoop around.

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