The Bouquet

Chapter 5

"Hoseok?" You mumbled, watching him freeze as you slowly faded and sank back into the arms of a deep sleep.

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When you woke up again you were in a dark room and your head was pounding far worse than any hangover. You groaned in annoyance and pain as you rolled over onto your side, weaving your shaky fingers through your hair to gently massage your head. Everything from the night before was a blur, your memory in fragments as you tried to recall the events from last night. The last thing you could remember was the blinding lights of the club and the flash of red hair circling the floor.

You slowly opened your eyes, sighing in relief as you took in the darkness of the room. You probably would have passed out if the curtains had been open. You froze as you took in the space around you, what had once been comforting quickly became disturbing. And the scent of those damn roses certainly didn't belong in your room. This wasn't your dorm room. No, this room was far too big and far too nice to be on your campus. Your heart plummeted as you realized what had happened, despite all of your planning and attempts to remain free he had gotten you. It was seven years in the making, and you shouldn't have underestimated his capabilities.

A swift knock on the door of the dark room had you stumbling out of bed, your stance wobbly yet defensive. Your hand gripped the nightstand as you prepared yourself for what was to come next. The door slowly creaked open, the slender figure of a woman entering the room. For a moment you were caught off guard, expecting the man who had claimed ownership over your life to come and collect his side of the bargain.

You squinted, the light from the hallway permeating the darkness had rendered your vision blurry. You raised one shaky hand to rub violently at your eyes as she entered the room fully, a glass of water in one hand and three tablets in the other. You noticed that she was rather pretty, but strange-looking as well. She had beautiful blue eyes but her blonde hair had been cut rather messily and was unstyled, falling just below her ears. You noticed the deep bruises beneath her jarring eyes, she looked like she hadn't slept in many nights.

She wordlessly stretched her hand out, holding the pills out for you to take. You looked at her wearily, trying to judge if you could trust her or not. All she did was nod, gesturing for you to take them. You complied, throwing back the tablets and chasing them with a large swig of water. The woman watched you the entire time, her haunting blue eyes analyzing you and making sure you had done what she wordlessly asked. You set the empty glass down and looked at her once more.

"Come with me." She instructed, you noticed her voice was rather quiet and meek. It was like she was afraid to speak.

She turned on her heels and made her way to the door she had entered from, pausing a few feet away from it to ensure you followed her. Those blue eyes never left you in the dark, coercing you to follow. You stopped a few feet away from her, caution clear on your face.

"You work for Namjoon, right?" You asked.

She nodded, her silence returning once more. You could see how uncomfortable she was, a distant fear still lingering in her tense form. You bowed your head as your suspicions were confirmed. You hadn't been able to escape him after all. Resigned to your fate, you faithfully followed her out of the room and into the blinding light. You blinked in frustration as you tried to become accustomed to the harsh light in the hallway. And as soon as your vision cleared, your heart broke. Stood in the hallway waiting by the door of the room you had exited was Hoseok and your brother. Hoseok sent you a sympathetic smile, his blaring red hair causing you to shift your gaze to your brother. He refused to meet your gaze, a guilty expression clear on his face. You had never felt more betrayed.

"You knew about the deal, didn't you." It was a statement, not a question. You already knew his answer before he even opened his mouth.

"He told me after you left." He answered, his eyes darting around and trying to settle on anything but you and your disappointed face. "If I had known what he was planning before, I would have never let it happen."

You could hear the guilt in his voice, it made your heart twinge with grief. You knew that some part of him wished he had never met Namjoon. If he hadn't, Namjoon would have never ended up in your basement with a bullet wound and your hands would never have been stained in blood. You would have grown up like a normal girl, your brother would have been there for you. But because he was a teenager, and because he made a stupid mistake, you were the one paying for it. Bad things always happen to the people that don't deserve it. That was the only truth you had ever known in the past seven years.

"Come on, we can't keep him waiting." Hoseok said, grabbing onto your shoulder again like he had the night before and guiding you behind the woman in front of you. So, they were here to make sure you wouldn't run. What a show of power that was, sending your own brother as an escort. It was like he was sending you off to the devil himself.

"Who is she?" You asked, trying to find some way to fill the silence and lessen your anxiety.

"Hm? Oh, that's Genevieve. We got her off a friend, his grandfather was well known in the underground. Sold some of the best product there was, he's been taking over as of late." He explained, his voice so calm when he was describing something so vile.

You weren't stupid, you knew what he meant by the "underground." It was trafficking, the black market, whatever you want to call it. It is what it is. She was a victim too, you shuddered at the thought of what she must have gone through. And you knew Namjoon's "business" had grown in the last seven years. While he was keeping tabs on you, you were doing the same. In the past few years, he had amassed a fortune that would make celebrities cry.

So many people feared a man who had risen up from nothing at the tender age of sixteen. He was a force to be reckoned with, and many had contracted him for his reliability and quality. In short, he was terrifying. He dealt with drugs, trafficking, weapons, and shady deals every single day.

He was the devil.

Genevieve came to a halt in the front of your group, her hand rising up to gently knock on the large set of wooden doors. Before she could make contact, the door flung open and almost collided with her small frame. She scampered out of the way as a man came flying out of the room, curses flying from his mouth faster than you had ever heard.

"Fuck you, Kim!" He yelled, stopping short to scream at the man still concealed in the room.

He looked flustered and irritated. He wore an expensive suit that screamed status, his pale skin flushed red in anger as his tongue darted out to wet his doll-like lips. You had never seen someone so mad before, it was jarring. He turned once more, his raven locks fluttering as he tensed his jaw and briskly walked away. It unnerved you to know that he was putting a lid on his anger, trying to stop himself from completely exploding. Your memory sparked suddenly, his attractive features resounding through your mind. You knew him, that was Min Yoongi. What business did he have with Namjoon?