21-year-old Florence Ivelle struggles through college to claim freedom but gets trapped into a deal with her brother, Alastor, leaving her at his mercy until she graduates. She doesn't expect to be kidnapped into breaking it.
Three masked men take h...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After the truck left, nothing else happened, and no one else came. Killian's CBD closed up an hour later, and I tensed when I saw his and Alastor's matching mustangs leave.
I only partially relaxed when they left, surprisingly feeling more at ease with Taehyung and Keon beside me, and when the sun rose and Alastor did return to open shop, the three of us headed back to where we'd left the car, the town bustling to life and the bush no longer safe.
In the car, Keon twisted around to see me, appearing surprisingly awake. "How'd your first mission feel?"
Buckling myself in, I mumbled, "Tiring."
He dipped his chin slightly, taking in the light bruising beneath my eyes. "You can sleep on the ride back; I'll keep my jokes to a minimum."
"Don't." The click of the seatbelt fit into place. Laying my cheek against it, I uttered faintly, "They made the night not as long."
Taehyung started the car.
Keon prompted, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Watching the town disappear as Taehyung drove us back to his house, I went along with his joke. "Why?"
"To go home after a long mission."
It was a punch to my gut. I supposed he didn't mean it as such, but it was painful nonetheless. "Funny," I simply said.
"Your turn."
I glanced at him. "What?"
"Tell a joke."
I rubbed the side of my face against the seatbelt, nuzzling into it. "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
"Why?"
"To find a home."
He turned on the radio, setting it on low before Taehyung could command it.
I fell asleep moments later.
·𖥸·
"How'd she do?" Yoongi asked.
I was in and out of sleep, awoken by sudden rocking motions. I startled, trying to lift my face, but exhaustion weighed me down.
"She was terrified," Taehyung responded gruffly. "But she listened."
"See?" an unfamiliar voice spoke, low and deep. "This is why you trust your leader's judgment, Jungkook. Yoongi knows what's best for his team."
Jungkook rumbled his displeasure but otherwise remained silent.
"Gryffin," Keon said. His voice was closest, making me realize he was carrying me. "Hey, man. How are things flying?"
"Flying?" Gryffin questioned. "Keon, remember when we spoke of you communicating in proper English?"
"Right, right." Keon adjusted me in his arms, causing my cheek to settle more comfortably against his chest. "How have things been?"
