Blood and Roses || Lee Taeyong

Chapter 15 | "prove it"

The mission went off as normal, Chaerin taking a knife to the side but otherwise no injuries. Her chest heaved as she finished off the last of the men, the blood dripping down her side becoming sticky and painful.

She winced as she touched her wound, seeing her own blood smeared on her hands and feeling pain every time she shifted her position. Chaerin sighed at her own sloppiness, pulling out a bandage and quickly securing it to her cut under her shirt before looking around.

Her eyes widened in alarm as she noticed Taeyong moving towards the girls, eyeing them hungrily with his gun drawn. She quickly ran over as he pointed his gun at one of them, hopping through the bodies.

Just before he could pull the trigger, she grabbed the barrel of his gun, jerking it upwards and away from the young girl in front of him, his bullet shooting into the open ceiling instead. He turned to her with a fire in his eyes, rage quickly filling his dark pupils as he glared at her.

"Don't even start with me, Taeyong." She said lowly, holding up a hand as he opened his mouth. "I'm bleeding and don't feel like fighting right now."

She harshly shoved him backwards before turning to undo the girls bondage and set the free, reminding them of the danger they would face if they exposed them. The girls nodded grateful before leaving.

Taeyong was frozen in place, staring at her with disbelief as she let out a relieved sigh, wincing as she stood up.

"You disobeyed me again..." he growled lowly, his eyes burning into her. "How dare you?"

The three other boys exchanged nervous glances as they felt the tension between the pair growing. Johnny quickly stepped forward, resting a hand on his leader's shoulder.

"Taeyong, she-"

Taeyong didn't listen, he harshly grabbed her arm and began dragging her out of the room, ignoring her painful cries of protest.

"You three drive home, she's coming with me." He called over his shoulder, not stopping as she struggled to keep up with him.

The boys quickly followed them out, reluctantly hopping in their own cars and driving home as Taeyong stood with Chaerin outside his car. His nails dug into her skin, no doubt leaving bruises as he stood there, staring her down.

"You've intervened one too many times for my liking" he growled angrily. "I should kill you right here."

"You wouldn't. The guys wouldn't forgive you for it." She said, not breaking eye contact with him as he stared her down.

"They'd get over it."

"You'd do that to them? Kill one of your own? Hurt your family? The only people you love?" She argued.

"You don't seem to get it, Chaerin, I do what I want, I don't care about them. And no one, especially you, will be stopping me any time soon." He said loudly, unable to contain his anger.

"Your lying." She said quietly. "You do care about them."

"I'm a killer, Chaerin, that's all I am!" Taeyong yelled, rounding on her. "I kill for sport. I love seeing the life drain from someone's eyes as I drive my knife into them. I love the sound of someone taking their last desperate breath and their heartbeat stopping. And above all, I crave to spill blood."

She was shocked by his outburst and he could see it. She couldn't hide the expression on her face as he let out heavy breaths, trying to calm down.

"so if you think someone like me actually cares about anyone in this world, you're sadly mistaken." He ended with a sigh.

"You're not a killer, you're not heartless, well maybe you are, but not in the way you think you are." She whispered, staring up at him. "You're just lonely. Sad and alone trying to find a purpose in life so you kill out of jealousy and spite for those who actually do have something to live for. And NCT is all you have so cling onto it tight."

She watched his face contort in anger as she called him out, the older boy freezing in his tracks."

"How dare you, you're wrong!"

"Prove it then!"

The two of them were breathing heavily, their own emotions and adrenaline running through their veins as they yelled at one another.

"Prove it, kill me. Kill me right now, watch the life drain from my eyes and listen to me take my last breath as my heart stops. But then know that you will have to live with it. If you're as heartless as you say it shouldn't matter, so go ahead. Prove me wrong."

He held her gaze, the two of them staring at one another to see who would break first. Chaerin was afraid, afraid of his anger and what he was capable of, but some part of her knew he wouldn't kill her. She just knew he wouldn't.

And she was right.

He let out a deep sigh, squeezing the bridge of his nose as he stepped away from her. He shook his head, flinging open the passenger seat door for her.

"Get inside. It's getting late and you're hurt. We'll deal with this tomorrow." Taeyong said lowly, flashing her an exasperated frown before sliding into the drivers side to take them home.