Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
PROLOGUE
-
-
"I have been watching you for quite a while," Taehyung rustled as he sat on the edge of the hardwood table. Crossing one leg over the other, he took a greedy draw on a cigarette. His broad chest rose, straining the buttons of his black shirt, and fell in a smoky exhale. A bitter-sweet mix of tobacco and vanilla spread through the room.
He smirked, scrutinizing the man kneeling in front of him.
"Such a brat and still managed to spoil my business..." he said, watching the tense line of the prisoner's shoulders jerk toward the sound of his voice. "Rowoon, uncover his eyes."
One of the five present in the room—a bulky man in a black baggy suit— watched the scene as it unraveled with habitual serenity, as if this was a perfectly normal, everyday interaction. He stepped forward, his hand flew to the back of the prisoner's head, releasing the knot.
The black blindfold slid down, but the captive didn't raise his eyes. His jaw clenched bulging with tension.
Twizzling the cigarette between his middle and index fingers, Taehyung smirked as he slightly rocked his foot in the air. Not stretching the pause any longer, he demanded, "Look at me when I'm talking to you."
Standing behind the prisoner, with his hands in his pockets, Rowoon shifted merging his military boots with the sharp, long black shadow cast by Taehyung. Gripping the hair of the kneeling man, whose hands were cuffed behind his back, he yanked his head up, revealing his bruised face covered in dried blood. An ugly wound at the corner of the captive's mouth glinted with oozing blood in the afternoon sun.
"Fuck you!" the prisoner barked. Taehyung chuckled when Rowoon pulled the captive's hair, forcing him to arch his back, and punched him in the face. His head snapped left as he hung forward and spat a clot of blood on the floor.
"How rude. I was polite enough, even invited you to my house." Taehyung purred and crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. He jumped off the table and moved closer to his prey.
Hunching his shoulders, the prisoner watched the floor, his knuckles bleached white. The vein in his neck throbbed. Taehyung snorted and, following the lead of his subordinate, grabbed the man by the hair and jerked his head toward him.
"Jung Hoseok—a detective who achieved his rank at such a tender age." Taehyung lips lifted at the edge in a caustic smile. "Too bad he'll never turn twenty-five."
Hoseok leveled his kidnapper with a hateful stare and spat in his face. Taehyung flinched, his lips quivered and stretched in a lopsided grimace. He had to summon all his strength not to crush Hoseok head against the floor. Wiping the bloody saliva off his face with the back of his hand, he ordered in an eerie voice, "Get out!"
The room emptied within seconds, leaving behind only Taehyung and the beaten police detective.
"Cocky, aren't we?" He squatted, biting the side of his right thumb; his eyes searching Hoseok's face.
Even with all the cuts and bruises, Taehyung could see how handsome the older man was. His short chestnut hair, sticking out in all directions, looked soft. His forehead was high and expansive; his deep brown eyes soulful and framed by slightly arched brows. His challenging gaze linked with Taehyung's straight nose, stubborn chin, and clean-cut cheekbones completed the portrait.
Taehyung's canine tooth sank deeper into his thumb as he watched the younger man grind his teeth. The corner of his tormented mouth looked puffy, painful.
"Hmm..." Licking his thumb, Taehyung reached out to wipe dried blood off Hoseok's swollen lips, using slow circular motions, Hoseok snapped his head back, biting his lips closed in an attempt to avoid the criminal's wet finger. His eyes narrowed, dragging his eyebrows close together. The wound at the corner of his mouth cracked, increasing the blood flow.
Sensing the annoyance coming from his prisoner, Taehyung smiled and leaned into the detective, forcing him to look up. His tongue flicked over Hoseok lips, licking off the trickle of fresh blood.
Disgust twisted Hoseok mouth as he tried to turn his face away, shudders wracking his body.
"We are gonna have such a good time," promised Taehyung, licking the metallic taste off his lips. Anticipation twitched in his chest, awakening curiosity. Turning away, he called, "Rowoon!"
The door creaked open, and the bulky man entered the room.
"Don't hit him in the face anymore. I want to see it fully healed. Take him down to the basement."
