Chapter Eighteen

Retribution

Buffy was so mad and confused that she needed something to hit, so she ran to the Magic Shop. It was late and she didn’t even know if anyone would be there, but she didn’t care, she just really needed to hit something. If she had to she’d bust the door down and pay Giles later.

Knowing how fast Angel was he wasn’t far behind so she took a couple of extra turns here and there to throw him off. Eventually he would catch up. Maybe if she were lucky the sun would rise before that happened so she would have a whole day to herself to brood. But she knew with the way things were going for her lately, that there was a slim chance of that happening.

She knew that she really had no right to be mad at him he had only done what she herself had done. What really pissed her off was that he didn’t tell her. She had asked and he had flat out lied to her, again. Did he think that she was going to flip out? Well maybe she would have but in the end she would have gotten past it and she would have just been happy that he was honest with her.

But instead of trusting her and believing in her as a reasonable adult, he had lied again. He said she was stubborn but he was just as obstinate. Would he ever understand that she didn’t need protection? The ways things were going she didn’t think that was possible.

She stormed into the Magic Shop kicking the door open and startling Giles and Anya who were standing at the counter getting ready to close. “Buffy.” Giles said, surprised to see her.

She hurriedly walked past them, “I’m going to work out a little.” and went into the back room not stopping to hear their answer.

“As friendly as ever.” Anya commented as Giles’s concerned eyes followed the angry path of the Slayer.

***

He watched her from the back door punching the bag incessantly, her face a blank mask. He could tell she was upset and he was a little nervous about approaching her, but being submerged in his own vanity, he naturally assumed that he was reason for her anger and he wanted to do everything in his power to placate her. He loved her and he wasn’t about to just let things end without talking to her first.

He stepped inside and quietly closed the door. He cautiously approached the bag that she was killing with her fists. “Buffy?”

She didn’t stop her brutal assault on the offending bag, if anything; her punches became crisper and harder and she spoke coldly. “What do you want Riley?”

“I just want to talk to you. I want to explain to you what was going on.” His blue eyes pleaded with her to listen to him, but she wouldn’t have it. She just didn’t care.

“Riley I don’t want to hear it okay? It doesn’t matter to me anymore…if it ever did.”

Riley was taken back by her empty answer. Was everything just a lie to her, didn’t he mean anything to her? “Buffy how can you say that! We have something good between us, I love you…we can make this work!”

“Riley there is nothing between us.” She stopped punching and looked at him coldly. “I used you Riley. I don’t love you. I tried to kill you for Gods sake! Does that sound like someone that loves you, someone you would want to spend time with?”

She turned away from him; unwrapping the tape from her hands. She was tired and didn’t want to be bothered with Riley’s crap especially when her real confrontation was just around the corner. She had to save her energy for that.

Riley turned her around grasping her shoulders tightly. “Buffy I know that things have been…unusual, between us. But that doesn’t matter to me! We can start over fresh…you and me, together forever.”

Buffy shook her head at him why was he just not getting this? “Riley I don’t love you! Don’t you get it! I don’t want to be with you! You should just leave town and fast because when Angel sees you he’s not going to be happy.”

His eyes immediately darkened and a scowl unlike anything Buffy had ever seen, appeared on his face. His fingers tightened on her arms pressing into her skin. She winced. “Riley, you’re hurting me.”

Instead of releasing her, his fingers bit in deeper and she could swear she heard her bones cracking under the pressure. His once cool blue eyes now resembled a dark raging sea, she could see a touch of madness in them and it frightened her. “It’s always Him! HIM…HIM…HIM!!! I bet you were thinking of him every time we made love!”

He shook her hard making her teeth chatter together. “Weren’t you…you fucking slut!” He continued to violently shake her, her head snapped back and forth and she couldn’t get her bearings straight.

Riley was crazed with jealousy and pain all he wanted was to hurt her.

“You’re nothing but a WHORE! An unclean whore that would taint her body by sleeping with a demon! You want him don’t you! You want his dead cock inside of you…DON’T YOU?” He screamed at her in a fit of rage spitting on her face as he spoke.

Buffy was pissed off that he was treating her so harshly but a part of her felt guilty. She had driven him to this and it was her fault. But then again she never once told him that she loved him. She never lied to him. He was the one that betrayed her with his vampire whores and she felt no compassion for him. Instead she felt sick to her stomach that she had ever let him touch her, and she had no qualms about telling him either.

She sneered at him, a twisted smile on her face as she roared back at him. “YES! I DO WANT HIM RILEY! I NEVER WANTED YOU! I USED YOU! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO PLEASE ME! I CAN PLEASE MYSELF BETTER THEN YOU CAN! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT THE SHIT ON HIS SHOES!”

His hand shot out and he slapped her hard across the face wiping her sneer off. But he didn’t get much farther than that, because he was suddenly grabbed around the throat and the angry harsh words of death filled his ears. “You should have listened to me Finn and left town when you had the chance.”

Buffy looked up at Angel who held Riley by the throat, his face was that of the demon and his eyes glowing yellow . The chill she heard in his voice and the calm almost playful tone told her who was in charge.

She took a step back afraid of him. She was not used to this mixture of soul and demon and she had no idea just how much control the demon actually had.

“Where are you going lover, we have much to discuss.” His eyes never left Riley’s angry blotched red face.

“I…I have to leave…” She turned around to run out but suddenly her legs were heavy, she fell to her knees, her eyelids became heavy and closed on their own, “Angel….”, she mumbled as her numbed body crashed to the floor in an unconscious heap.

“BUFFY!” Riley screeched out as he moved to help her. Only to be brought back against Angel’s chest. “What did you do to her you bastard? You killed her!”

Angel laughed and tightened his grip around the soldier’s neck. “I don’t want to kill my mate stupid! I only want to kill you.” He punched him hard in the back of the head and Riley slumped to the floor knocked out cold.

Angel shook his head at him and kicked him in the stomach. “See Finn that’s why she could never love you, you’re such a pussy!”

In his hand was the dart gun that he hit Buffy with. It was just a tranquilizer he had taken from Wes before they left LA and he was thankful that he had the foresight to bring it along. Somehow he just knew that she was going to be way too stubborn about this whole thing. He shrugged his shoulders, oh well; she would be out for a couple of hours and that was all he needed to take care of business.

He put the dart gun back in his pocket and took out some rope. Leaning down he hog-tied Riley, lifted him up and threw him over his shoulder. He walked to the back alley and threw him in a dumpster stuffing a rag in his mouth. That should keep him until he took care of Buffy and could get back here. He sniffed and looked up at the sky; the sun would rise soon, he didn’t have much time so he had to work fast.

He walked back into the magic shop and over to Buffy. He sat down on his hunches and tenderly stroked her face. “Ah Buff, you never learn. You can’t run away from me, I won’t let you.”

He lovingly picked her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulder. He couldn’t resist running his hand over her firm ass and squeezing it. He growled and lightly nipped her. She moaned softly but remained sleeping. He smiled he knew the perfect place to keep her safe until he was done with Riley.

Giles was watching the door to the gym; he had heard the yelling and then its sudden silence. He was about to go back there and make sure everything was all right when he saw Angel walking casually out with a sleeping slayer slung over his shoulder. Giles cocked his head to the side…was he whistling?

“Angel, is everything all right? I heard yelling.” He took a step closer to get a better look at her, was she breathing?

Angel just kept walking toward the door. “Don’t worry Ripper she’s still breathing.” Giles eyebrow lifted at being called Ripper, he knew what that meant.

Reaching the door Angel turned around to look at him.

“Buffy will be…unavailable for a while.” Angel smiled his eyes laughing at the subtle meaning, “I’ll be in touch.” He spun around and walked out the door.

“He’s cute in a caveman kind of way, but just as rude as she is. You know they really are the perfect couple.” Anya said as she went back to one of her favorite things, counting the money.

Giles watched him go. He wasn’t too sure how to feel about this. He had a feeling as to what was in store for his Slayer and for some odd reason he felt at ease with it, like it was just the way things were supposed to be.

“Indeed, they are.”

***

Riley slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He tried to get up to stand but found that he couldn’t move.

He woke up very quickly when he heard the low hum of desperate growls and felt cold fingers tugging on his nipples. His eyes snapped open and he looked up into the faces of about five or six vampires that lived in the whorehouse. He had seen them before; in fact one of them was the vampire that Buffy had caught him with.

He struggled trying to break free of their grasp. “What the hell is going on?”

“I thought this was what you wanted Finn?” The cold voice came from the darkened corner of the room Riley didn’t need to see to know who it was. “Angel.” He sneered.

Angel took a step away from the wall and walked closer to him. He looked at Riley spread eagle on the floor his wrists and feet chained down. He was naked although Angel didn’t think he even realized it yet. He looked vulnerable and he smelled his fear. He smiled wickedly at him.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked again as he eyed the vampires that surrounded him.

Angel casually walked around him. “Well Riley I thought that since you enjoyed the company of these fine women before that it was something that you wanted to do again. So I figured I would help you out.” He stood above his head and he leaned down to look at him closer.

Riley looked up his eyes meeting the vampire’s. “That’s very considerate of you.” He sarcastically answered.

Angel laughed, “Finn you don’t know how considerate I’m being.” He roughly grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back causing Riley to cry out in pain as he felt his hair being pulled out of his skull. Blood trickled down his face from his scalp and the vampires around him growled hungrily, and his pulse quickened as his fear elevated.

Angel smiled at him sensing his growing terror and loving every minute of it. “I could’ve just killed you at the Magic Shop.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Angel looked at him like he was stupid. “Why? Because a quick death is too good for you Finn I have better plans for your demise.”

“She wouldn’t want this.” Riley sneered.

Angel released the death grip he held on his hair and stood up, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that Riley was probably correct “This isn’t about what she wants. This is about what I want.” Taking a deep unnecessary breath his chest swelled with self-importance. “This is about me, Angelus Master Vampire of the Order of Aurelius taking back and protecting what is his.”

Riley who was totally clueless as to Angel’s new status asked,” I thought you had a soul now and didn’t care about all that master vampire crap?”

“You know so did I, but it turns out that when it comes to protecting what’s mine…” He walked around to Riley’s side, “I do.” He kicked him viciously, smiling as Riley screamed in pain. “That’s for calling her a whore!” He kicked him again. “That’s for hitting her!”

He leaned down into Riley’s coughing face and grabbed his chin roughly turning him towards him. He contemplated him for only a second. “You know Riley you should really thank me.”

“Thank you for what?” He asked incredulously.

“Well if it wasn’t for me pushing her away you never would have had her.” His eyes darkened, “You never would have touched her.” His face shifted and he leaned in closer, “You never would have tasted her.” His right hand shot out and punched him in the side hard.

Riley started to cough up blood and some of it splattered on Angel’s hand. Angel looked at it with disgust and wiped it on Riley’s chest, smearing it over him. He released Riley’s face and stood up. “But be that as it may, it was my bad judgment that sent her to you, but I’m here now and she belongs to me. And I keep what’s mine.”

“She doesn’t belong to anyone! She’s a person!”

“That’s what you want to believe, but deep down you know it’s true. You know she never loved you. You know that she only used your body to escape her desire for me. It’s okay Riley you can admit it we’re all human here…oh wait we’re not, but still show some balls, admit it!”

Riley stayed silent there was no way he was going to admit anything to this demon.

Angel chuckled at his stubbornness and stood up heading to the door.

Riley watched him walk toward the door. “So what you’re going to leave me here, some plan. I thought you were the master of torture techniques?”

Angel smiled proudly, “Did she tell you that?”

“No, she didn’t tell me anything about you. I read about Angelus in one of Giles’ Watcher Journals.”

“Ah…yes, nothing like a good book…those Journals are very informative. But we really need to get down to business see I have a mate who’s waiting for me and I don’t like to keep the ladies waiting.” He smiled.

Reaching the door he turned around and looked back at Riley. “You know Riley I really don’t like you…at all.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Riley sneered at him.

“Maybe, but for different reasons. See you don’t like me because you think that I stole Buffy from you. But the truth is you never had her to begin with. She was always mine and she’ll always be mine. You are just a small footnote in the pages of one of those Watcher’s Journals and nothing more.”

He took a couple of steps back toward Riley.

“As for torturing you, well there in lies my dilemma. See the demon in me really, really, wants to teach you a lesson and torture you slowly. He wants nothing more than to inflict the most excruciating and unbearable amounts of pain that you couldn’t even possibly comprehend. But my compassionate and logical soul knows that it wouldn’t be right no matter how much he agrees with the demon. “

Riley was watching him like he was crazy; he was talking about himself as two separate persons! Just what kind of lunatic was Buffy involved in?

Angel ignored Riley’s confused stares and continued. “So I’ve come up with a solution. You know there really is no better torture then knowing that you’re going to die and knowing that that death will be slow and painful, and that my soon-to-be-dead moron is what you will receive.”

He walked till he was standing in between Riley’s legs. “See as much as I’d love to stay and torture you myself for touching my mate…” his left foot swung out and viciously kicked Riley in the balls.

“AAGHHHH YOU BASTARD!” Riley coughed out.

“…these lovely women will do it for me. They will slowly drink you dry. They don’t get a treat like this very often you know so they’ll make it last. Won’t you ladies?” He looked around at all of them and smiled as they all shook their heads obediently. “It could take hours or days…” he gleefully rubbed his hands together and there was a mischievous sparkle in eyes, “… maybe if I’m really lucky it’ll take weeks.”

Riley looked around at the women their fangs were extended and saliva was dripping down off the sharp razor tips. He could see the hunger in their eyes and he swallowed. “People will look for me you know.”

Angel turned around and headed toward the door. “I don’t think so, people will think that your just one of the many poor Sunnydale residents that seem to just…” he snapped his fingers, “…disappear without a trace.”

He turned around to look at him one last time from the archway of the door. There was not one iota of pity or compassion in his black eyes. “Sorry it had to come to this Riley, but you really should have taken my advice and left town.”

“You’re not sorry.” Riley said.

Angel smiled at him. “You’re right I’m not. It’s what you deserve, to die at the hands of the creatures that you hate the most. Ingenious really.”

Riley made one last attempt to appeal to the soul. “What kind of person with a soul does this to another person?”

Angel scoffed at him. “Well I guess I could throw that back at you and ask you, what kind of human would torture demons instead of just killing them?” His eyes darkened. “If you were any kind of humane man, when you had my grandchild in your clutches you would have killed him instead of leaving him to an immortal life of torment.”

He slapped his hands together. “No more talking I think the ladies are getting impatient. Ladies by all means…” He raised his hand making a grand sweep, “…let the festivities began!”

He stood there for only a second as he watched them attack Riley. There was no empathy in him for this deed. There was one thought that it might go against his soul’s redemption but this was too important to pass up. He was only taking on the responsibilities that one took when they had a mate, duties that he had been neglecting, but those days of being week were over. He was here now and would always take care of her even if she didn’t want him too.

He walked out of the room happily humming to the sound of Riley’s fearful screams with a smile on his face.

Chapter Nineteen