Dancing With The Devil

bad blood.

Emrie's POV

"How was the flight?"

"It was good! Mira slept the whole time so that was a relief" Natalie said.

"So what do you think of all this? Taemin's real-life"

"It's... a lot to take in. But I completely understand why he kept it from me. I have a lot to catch up on"

"Yeah I figured it'd be a bit overwhelming"

"I always wondered why he was so vague when I asked about his family. All he told me was that he was adopted and his adoptive family was all I ever knew about him. He never said anything about any of you but I'm glad he finally did"

"I'll be honest, I didn't know him very well. I honestly still don't. We spent so few years together and he's a stranger I'm still trying to learn"

"I'm honored to be involved. I want Mira to be apart of this life. Not necessarily the mafia stuff that you do but I want her to know her aunts and uncles and her grandpa"

"I promise I won't be a bad influence" I laughed.

"Well your brother only had good things to say about you"

"That's a lie and we both know it"

"Okay partial lie. He said you were crazy. But he also said he wouldn't have come back for anyone except you"

It's rare to find someone so understanding of our life. Taemin found a good one. The rest of the boys had gone to go talk to the other families. All the older men such as Dad and Hyunjin were small talking about their wives, kill counts, and other serious business.

The second-generation boys like my brothers, Jackson, and all the others were laughing and trying their best not to wrestle each other as boys do. The only family that excluded themselves from the fun was the Kim's. Namjoon, Mom, and all of Bangtan and their dates kept to themselves, standing around their assigned table and not talking to anyone but their own group. Kim Daewon, Namjoon's father, however, strayed away from his family and was talking to another group of men.

The group of mafia first ladies sat around talking about their expensive chunky gold bracelets and bragging about who's hair treatment looked best. I stood among the center with Natalie, Izzy, Sophie, and a few other daughters that I'd known as a child, all of which were grown and had massive rocks on their ring fingers. They were all also sent to America for their studies since they never had anything to do with the mafia life. Why are they even at this gala?

"I can't believe how grown-up you are now! Look at her, Sooyeong" Mina snickered. Her big hoop earrings bumping against her neck every time she moved. She was the pretty one in the group. Round eyes, small nose, teeth whiter than the tablecloths. She had long skinny legs, slim wrists, and a high babied voice, all aimed like a gun.

"You're even prettier than I remembered. You used to be such a little tomboy but look at you now, in that dress" Sooyeong yelped obnoxiously and pulling me into an unwanted hug. Her wheedling tone reminded me of just the kind of girls I was never comfortable with, the types who peddled like a sort of plastic chumminess, who told me things about themselves only friends should know, who describe themselves as 'people persons'.