Deadly Secrets

Chapter 2 - Taehyung

     I rolled over with a groan wondering what in the world woke me up at this ungodly hour - other than the alarm I had been ignoring. I cracked an eye open and it immediately began to water. I snapped my eye shut just as fast. Jeez, I thought. That moron forgot to close the blackout shade again. I sat up gingerly and rubbed my face while trying to brave the bright light of the morning again. I glanced down and to the left. His face, which was so devilish while awake, seemed almost angelic. He looked at peace. At one point this sight may have softened every hardened inch of my heart, but I no longer felt that way. If I was being truly honest with myself I haven't felt that way in a long time. I've been going through the motions. Never feeling anything. As if all the things that made me happy had been vacuumed out and sealed away. As if I had never felt them at all.

     Jungkook shifted and sighed in his sleep, breaking me out of whatever daze I had been in. I slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom and flipped on the shower. I hopped in even before it warmed up hoping to dust out the cobwebs of sleep. After quickly showering and getting ready for the day, I swiped my phone from the charger and made my way out of the room without a backwards glance at the still sleeping Jungkook.

     Once out of the apartment I breathed a sigh of relief. Why? Why are you like this? I ask myself. Why are you relieved to be away from the man you once claimed to love? Why do you feel empty? What is wrong with you? Where there was once a heart, there is now nothing. I squeezed my eyes shut and ran my hands through my hair. I don't have time for this. I need to focus. I unlocked my phone and just as I was about to check my texts, it rang. I grimaced at the name that appeared. "Crap," I muttered while hitting answer, "Yes Rapmon?"

     "Well well well look who is finally awake," came the sarcastic reply. "Finally deemed us worthy of your consciousness? Are you ever awake on time hmm? Did you check your messages? We've got a job."

     Ignoring the barrage of rhetorical questions, I replied, "No need to be such an ass, I was just about to check. I'm on my way out of my apartment now. Same place?"

"Obviously. See you in ten."

     The call clicked off without so much as a goodbye. Well he is good and pissed. Great. I needed to learn to wake up with my alarm not half an hour later. I jogged down to my parking garage and strode over to my bike. Grabbing the helmet off the seat, I stuffed my head inside rather unceremoniously and threw my leg over the seat. I dug my keys out from my pocket and jammed them into the ignition. My bike roared to life. For a moment, I let it rumble powerfully beneath me, and then I was screeching out of the garage.

     Ten minutes later I was walking through the door to The Milae's meeting house. Following the sound of voices, I arrived at the table where it seemed everyone had been waiting. My eyes immediately met with Rapmon's. His were narrowed angrily. I held up a hand saying, "I know, okay? I'm here now. Let's get this done."

     For a second I thought he wasn't going to let it go, but after a brief stare down he jerked his chin towards an empty chair. I sat down, a bit relieved that I avoided that so easily.

     Rapmon started, "Now that most everyone has arrived let's get started. We have received some interesting intelligence from our subordinates. Apparently, the son of one of our lesser enemies has betrayed his father. There was hit put out on Koki Tomilinson that will result in a sum of money that was eyebrow raising even for myself. What's more than the money is the peace agreement Tomlinson Sr. is willing to sign with whomever brings his sons head back to him first."

      So how much 'eyebrow raising' cash are we talking here?" Baekyhun, who up until this point had pretty much been ignoring everyone and everything, excitedly questioned. There was an unholy gleam in his eye. When it came to money nothing excited him more. Well except for his partner, Chanyeol, who sat completely steely eyed and still next to the nearly vibrating Baekyhun.

     Chanyeol reached for Baekyhun's hand and squeezed it and then said with quiet authority, "The objective of this job is the peace treaty not the money. I am right, aren't I?" Chanyeol's question was directed at Rapmon, but he was looking at Baekyhun. Baekyhun looked over at Chanyeol and with just a nod of Chanyeol's head Baekyhun settled down, but the glittering excitement was no less dimmed.

"Correct," Rapmon answered, "Besides us, The Yusan, is the strongest and most recognized organized crime ring in South Korea. With the peace treaty being signed in our favor we would hold more influence than them. We would be the only mafia clan to be feared. The money of course is only a signing bonus. We can always use the funds to help expand our reach. Normally I wouldn't bother with such trivial matters but this has the potential to change the game completely."

     His explanation was as coldly calculating as always. Rapmon's only goal was to make The Milae more ever reaching. More fearsome. More deadly. Just more. It sent shivers down my back just thinking about what it would mean for me if I were ever to betray him.

     There was a bang that came from the other room indicting that the front door had been flung open. Everyone was on their feet immediately. A variety of weapons pointed at the kitchen entry. "Shit! Sorry! The wind blew the door open before I had a chance to grab it." The words floated into the kitchen from the foyer, but not a single person relaxed their stance. "Oh, quit being so dramatic. Put the damn weapons away. ​Jungkook and I just stopped off to get some coffee for the ungrateful lot of you. You know damn well who it is!" Suga's voice echoed through the room again. His exasperated tone was very recognizable. He breezed into the room just as everyone was sitting down again. His put-out expression seemed to be a permanent fixture these days. He huffed dramatically as he dropped the coffee he had brought on the table. He then walked around the table to stand sentinel behind Rapmon. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Ungrateful," he muttered petulantly.

     "You said you brought Jungkook? And why weren't you here for the briefing like I asked you to be?" Rapmon's questions were more curious than anything. It seemed the only person able to get away with anything was Suga.

     "I did bring Jungkook, but he was messing with his hair in the car while I brought the coffee in. Don't worry, he was briefed on the way over, so everyone is now on the same page. And to answer your other question, I didn't want to sit through the same boring explanation of our need for the peace treaty that I had to hear last night."

     Baekyhun and Chanyeol gave each other a look. Last night? Baekyhun mouthed while wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Chanyeol chuckled but masked it with a cough when Rapmon and Suga both glared at them.

     The door opened and closed once again and in strolled Jungkook. Though I knew my face was impassive on the outside, inside I felt anything but. My stomach swirled and my fist clenched under the table. "I thought you took the month off?" I asked.

     Jungkook strode gracefully over to me, leaned down and pecked me on the cheek. This time I couldn't stop my reaction. I shied away from his kiss. Though I'm sure he didn't miss my rejection, he acted as if he didn't notice. He straightened up and put his hands on the back of my chair, "Well. When Suga called, and asked if I wanted to grab some coffee I said sure, thinking it was going to be a friendly cup not an errand for you guys. But he filled me in on the goings on and I couldn't resist. This is going to be quite an interesting job considering The Yusan has probably already caught wind of the bounty same as us."

     Despite my obvious discomfort of Jung-Kook just being in the same room with me, what he said held merit. The Yusan was going to be a problem that needed to be dealt with immediately. I glanced around the room and what I was thinking was reflected in everyone's eyes. The hardened warriors before me have been given a task and would see it through, no matter the cost

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