The Mob Boss Wants Forever

Chapter 1: You, Again

You duck under the arm of the Goon at the door and barge into the office without knocking or being announced. You don't look at the occupant behind the desk or the rough-looking men in three-piece suits who surround him and his office.

"Whoa, whoa," says a tall handsome man with short spikey hair. "You can't just barge in here—"

"I need your help," you announce loudly, ignoring the bodyguard of the one you came to see. Except you can't make yourself see him, so you stare at the space just over his shoulder and hope he thinks you're looking at him. But you just can't make yourself do that.

"My help?" he asks, his voice deeper than you remember but still holds that sweet, calm quality that used to soothe you, now it sets your heart racing.

"You should help my husband," you say, aware it's a demand and that it raises the hackles of the men in the room who don't know you.

But the man behind the desk knows you. It was years ago and so much has changed but you know that you can trust him. You know that he will help. No matter what. He owes you that much, goddamn it.

The men in the room all owe him their allegiance and so stare at you like you're a bug. How dare you make demands of their Boss?

"I know that there's no real reason for you to help me, but I want you to search your heart and find your empathy. I need you. So help me," you say the words you planned.

You need his help and you don't know what you'll do if he says no. He's your last hope. Your only hope. Your mouth is dry, your breathing is heavy and your heart pounds in your chest with every moment that passes in silence. You can feel his eyes on you, his focus... as he waits.

You take a deep breath, give in to his silent demand, and look at him. You swallow a gasp, refusing to let Kim Taehyung know the effect that he has on you, but if he was beautiful as a teenager, Taehyung's drop-dead gorgeous as a man. It's too much. Especially, since he was waiting for your eyes to meet his. Then and only then does he smile, at you.

"I've missed you," says Kim Taehyung.

The room shifts as his men realize that you're something more to their boss. You gulp because you knew that he would see you and maybe even help you, but saying he misses you? That you never saw coming. He's never lied to you before... maybe he has changed.

"No, you don't," you tell him.

"How do I prove it?" Taehyung asks.

You're confused by him. And his lack of true emotion or sign of what he's feeling.

"Help my husband," you say truthfully.

Taehyung laughs. You remember the sound. Now that you're faced with him you think that you remember everything. All his little quirks and tells.

"What are you doing right now?" Taehyung asks you. "Your husband owes money to some dangerous men."

You're surprised that he knows that but you shouldn't be. Of course, he knows. Of course, he's keeping tabs on you. All these years later and he knows exactly what kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into. It's embarrassing but you push forward. You need his help.

"You're more dangerous," you say because that's what you've heard. That he rules the underworld.

"Are you truly asking me to handle this?"

"When you're desperate sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil... and you were the closest I could find." You tell him.

Taehyung smiles, "the devil. Think I like that nickname. You needed help and I was the first person you thought of?"