TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

46

Seungcheol

Jeonghan yawned and scraped a hand over his face. He was sitting at his dining table in sweat pants.

"Look, I told you. I don't remember shit from the shooting. I don't even remember pulling the car over."

It was after two a.m., and Minghao had insisted we put our heads together on the situations.

I flipped my phone over to see if Hani had texted me yet. She was supposed to text as soon as she got home. After the night she'd had, I felt unsettled letting her drive home by herself. But Minghao was insistent that we needed to talk to Jeonghan.

"Is that normal? Not remembering?" I asked.

Jeonghan shrugged with his good shoulder. "How the fuck should I know? This is the first time I got shot."

He was being flippant, but there were shadows under his eyes that had nothing to do with the time of the night.

Minghao, on the other hand, looked as if he was just hitting his stride. He was in what was left of another expensive suit. His tie and jacket hung over the back of Jeonghan's couch. Even as a kid, he'd slept short and light. Every sleepover we'd ever had, he'd been the last to fall asleep and first to wake. We never talked about what demons kept him up at night. We didn't have to.

"We need that dashcam footage." Minghao said. He leaned forward, elbows on knees, a glass of bourbon in his hand.

My brother was already shaking his head. "Fuck you, Hao. You know I can't do that. It's evidence in an ongoing investigation. I know law and order don't mean much to you two-"

"We've got the same goal. Finding out who the fuck decided to put two bullets in you and leave you for dead." I interjected. "If I were you, I wouldn't be pissed off about the extra eyes and ears." I flipped my phone over again.

No messages.

"What's your problem?" Jeonghan asked, nodding at my phone.

"Hani isn't home yet."

"It's a five minute drive." Jeonghan pointed out.

Minghao looked at me. "You didn't tell him?"

"Tell me what?"

"Hani's ex showed up at Lock's Glass tonight. He put his hands on her. He scared her."

"God, where did you put the body?"

Minghao smiled slyly. "You don't want to know."

Jeonghan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really don't want this paperwork."

"Relax." I said. "He's not dead. But if he ever shows his stupid face in this town again, I make no promises."

"Cheol gave him the first shot in front of witnesses." Minghao explained.

"What else did he do infront of witnesses? Break his fucking neck?"

"Just the idiots nose. I escorted him out into the parking lot and helped him understand if he ever came within a hundred miles of Hani again, my lawyer was going to make it his personal mission to bankrupt him, his family, and his family's business."

"Hao also smashed his face against the kitchen door." I added cheerfully, wanting to give credit where credit was due.

My brother picked up the untouched bourbon Minghao had put in front of him and downed it. "Gosh. I hate being left out of shit."

"You didn't miss much." I told him.

"What the hell are you doing here staring at us when you should be home with her? She's probably messed up over the whole thing. Scared. Embarrassed. Worried about how it's gonna look in the guardianship hearing. This on top of the Chae shit is the last thing she needs."