ɪɴᴋᴇᴅ ʙy ᴀ ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ( ᴊᴜɴɢᴋᴏᴏᴋ ꜰꜰ )

chap 15

Jungkook

"I don't want any cowboy shit," I say, pacing up and down in front of the room.

We're in the back office of a laundromat, all of my top men gathered, with a few of the security guards standing at the perimeter of the room.

My men watch me closely. Taehyung's eyes narrowed behind his glasses at the front.

Beyond us, I can hear the washers and dryers churning.
Sunlight shines into the room, catching motes of dust.

"These men aren't here because you're cowards, or can't defend yourself, or need somebody to hold your hand." I nod to the guards, their faces blank and their stances ready. "They're here because they know how to get out of a bad spot. They're here to stop you from hurting yourself by getting into fights when you shouldn't. They're here to help us end this peacefully."

"What about jackson?" kai calls, his silver tooth glinting as he bares his teeth. "He's not going to take this lying down."

"We're in talks to arrange a meeting," I tell him, sleep finally starting to tug on me.

I repress the urge to yawn. The adrenalin has finally gone,
a huge dump of it, and now all I want to do is collapse...
preferably with Y/n in my arms.

"He's being difficult," Taehyung says. "But he's open to a meet. We need to arrange the right circumstances."

"Until then," I go on, "be on alert. Listen to these men.
Protect your families. We don't want this war to turn out as bad as the others. That was the old world, lads, the fucking old world...that was the world of drug dealing and Family killings and blood on the streets. We don't live that way anymore. If you want to keep this life, keep making money,use your heads." Some of them start shifting around, as though getting impatient.

I take a step forward, glaring at them until they stop. Fear sparks in their eyes. Like all emotions, fear is necessary for a leader, especially with certain kinds of men.

"And if anyone makes a move without my go-ahead, there will be fucking hell to pay. I won't have my soldiers acting like idiots. Are we clear?"

"Yes," everybody says, their voices filling the room.

"Good." I sigh, waving a hand. "Then get out of here." Taehyung joins me as we return to the car, his hand rising to cover his mouth.

"I'm spent, cousin," he says.

"Me too."

I drop into the back of the car, letting my forehead rest against the glass. "I'm guessing jackson hasn't called back?"

"Not yet," Taehyung says. "The last time I spoke to one of his men, Jimmy."

"Yeah."

"He said Jackson's pissed. But there may be a chance for a peaceful resolution. It's just, well, you didn't kill any of those guards."

"I wounded one pretty badly," I tell him. "Knee-capped him."

"In a fight to the death, that's not such a big deal. It took restraint. They were shooting at you. To think to go for the kneecap in the heat of the moment...it takes a lot."

"I don't like killing," I tell him as the driver guides us through the city. The regular people are waking up, heading to their normal lives, their regular routines. I feel like a different species as we glide past them, our windows tinted, our faces hidden.

"At least one good thing came out of this," Taehyung says.

Yes. Y/n. Her safety. Our life. I keep it all repressed, buried deep down. "Yeah? What's that?"