I looked at the band aid on my cheek. So far, it was clean. No more bleeding. Thankfully, the cut hadn't been deep, but it still ached. I was on my fourth ibuprofen, and the pain was still there. Maybe it was all in my head, psychological throbbing instead of actual, physical pain.
"Jeon, have you turned in your reports?"
Sargeant White peered at me, waiting expectantly. I heard what she said, but for some reason the words weren't sticking in my brain. She raised a brow.
"Um, yes, reports. Yes, Ma'am, I turned them in already," I said as I nodded to myself.
"Anything I need to be caught up on?"
"Not from my end," I said slowly. "We're still looking into things. Hyungsik went to grab something to eat, but he'll be back. I have a meeting after work with someone to look into some digital footprint stuff."
"An informant?"
I shook my head. "An independent contractor."
She looked me up and down. "Well, see what you can find. The chief is such a nagger."
"I know." I glanced at his office and made eye contact. A shiver ran up my spine before I turned back to her. "He's been staring at me nonstop."
"His job is on the line. You'd be staring too." She patted me on the shoulder. "Come on, Wonwoo. You can do it. This is what you always wanted, right?"
Right. A dream come true.
I watched her walk away as my phone started to ring. The button flashed, and I picked up the receiver, pressing it against my ear.
"This is Officer Jeon Wonwoo."
Silence greeted me. I looked at the number on the screen, but it was blocked.
Great, someone being an asshole.
My finger hovered over the end button as a thought came to me.
"Mingyu?" I whispered.
The call disconnected. I pulled the phone away, staring at it.
Was that really him? Why would he be calling me?
You're mine.
He'd said those words to me more than once. I belonged to him, and that he would never let me go. Maybe I'd been delusional to think that as the days and then two weeks rolled by, he had forgotten about me. I imagined the look in his eyes, the devastatingly dangerous gaze that rocked me to my core as he fucked me the last time we were together.
My body craved him. One last hit, and I would be okay. I could dream about our time shut away from the world and pretend that it wasn't a passing fling for both of us. I just needed one more taste...
The phone rang again. I reached out and snatched it up. "Mingyu, you can't keep calling me h—"
"Um, Won? Are you okay?"
I groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." I wiped a hand down my face. "What's up, Jen?"
"Has Mingyu been calling you?"
"No. I don't think so. Hey, my boss is staring me down. Do you have information?"
"Right, we'll talk about it later." I heard the sound of her fingers flying across the keys. "This hard drive is really interesting, but I didn't find anything about your case on it. He's really careful," she said, avoiding the E-word. "What I did find out, however, is that whoever is currently toying with the Kims is more than likely a cop."
I froze. "What?"
"Yeah, I mean, it makes sense. They know all the ins and outs of how crime families work. They're meticulous, careful. Cops don't make a whole ton of money. This could be their side hustle." She started typing again. "Besides, what I've been able to find online supports that theory. There's talk about a new cop on all the usual places, and the rumor is he knows how to get you whatever you're looking for. Guns, drugs, girls. You name it; he's got it."
