TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

45

Seungcheol

"I have to go to the restroom." Hani announced and bolted into the ladies' room.

"God." I muttered, clenching my hands into fists. Adrenaline and rage raced through my veins, heating my blood to boiling.

I debated going into the restricted restroom after her, but Yunjin and Kazuha beat me to it, shutting the door on my face.

"You can't all leave the floor at the same fucking time." I called through the door.

"Fuck off, Cheol, we got this!" Kazuha yelled back.

"And we got this, Cheol." Taeyong said, throwing a waiter towel over his shoulder and stepping behind the bar. "You're all getting beers or shots cause I don't know how the fuck to pour anything else."

A raucous cheer rose up from the customers.

The kitchen door swung open and, Soobin the cook walked out with two baskets of corndogs in one hand and ice pack wrapped in a towel in the other. He tossed me the ice, then let out an ear-splitting whistle.

Seoyeon jumped up and grabbed the baskets. "Yo! Who got the corndogs?"

Hands went up all over the bar.

"If I find out any of you are lying, I'll personally ruin your life for an entire year."

All but two hands wisely went down.

"That's better." She said.

"We got this, boss. See to your lady." Soobin insisted.

"Did Minghao-"

"Mr Xu is taking out the trash." He said with a grin before ducking back into the kitchen.

I wanted to, but I was afraid her posse wouldn't let me near her. I could punch an asshole out without a second thought, but I was smart enough to be a little cautious of the Lock's Glass women.

"Hani." I said pounding a fist on the bathroom door. "If you don't get your ass out here, I'm either coming in there or I'm gonna go knock more sense into that son of a bitch."

The door opened, and Hani, with smudged eye makeup, glared at me. "You will do no such thing."

Relief coursed through me, and I leaned into her.

"I'm gonna touch you now because I need to. And I'm warning you in advance, because if I touch you and you flinch, I'm gonna go out in the parking lot and start kicking ass until he's too broken to ever touch a woman again."

Her eyes widened, but she nodded.

I tried to be gentle as I took her by the hand.

"We good?" I asked.

She nodded again.

It was good enough for me. I pulled her past the restrooms and Seungkwan's office into the next hallway that led to my office.

"I can't believe this happened." She groaned. "I'm so embarrassed."

She hadn't been embarrassed. She'd been fucking terrified. The look in her eyes when I stepped into the hall wad one I'd never forget as long as I lived.

"The nerve of him showing up here, saying he wants me back because he misses how I cleaned up after him."

I squeezed her hand. "Pay attention, Rose."

"To what?"

"Pay attention to this." I said pointing at the keypad next to the door. "0522."

She stared at the keypad then back at me. "Why are you giving me the code?"