That's The Way Of It

11: Layer By Layer

Wooyoung finally called their friends together to give him advice on what to do. All of them agreeing that it was so weird that Brenna hadn’t introduced Niragi to the rest of them at all. When he finally mentioned Niragi’s name, Yunho and Chan, both, had started freaking out. Yunho immediately called Brenna repeatedly until she picked up. Yunho told her that she needed to meet up with them ASAP, that it was an emergency. Brenna had snuck out of the Niragi’s clutches somehow and met them at Chan’s Bar, their port of safe harbor.

The men had all shared a serious look when they took in the state of their friend’s being. While to the unknowing eye, she might have looked perfectly fine, they knew her well enough to notice the weight loss, the bags under the eyes, the bruises on the inside of her wrists, the way that she flinched when Chan had accidentally set a glass of water on the table in front of her a little too loudly.

Together with the other three men, Yunho and Chan had told Brenna everything that they knew about the Niragi family. Wooyoung’s stomach started turning as Yunho recounted some of the encounters his men had had with the other Family.

The whole time Yunho and Chan were talking, Brenna looked as though she was slowly sinking more and more into herself, becoming withdrawn, her lips compressing into a deep frown.

Changbin and Lee Know both stepped up with stories about how the Niragi family had tried to steal them from the Jeon employ, outlining the terms that the Matriarch had listed, the things that they were going to be made to do.

Changbin had reached out to cover Brenna’s hand with his own, and she had jerked her hand back as if she had been stung. The room went silent, each man, each friend, looking at her in shock.

Brenna had always been there, had always been their rock, their comfort, the one with the best sense. It was in that moment that some of them realized that she had done more for them than they had ever done for her. After all, why would she be with a guy like that unless she was trying to compensate for something that was missing in her life?

Brenna looked up, her eyes filled with tears, shaking her head no, not wanting to believe their words. Refusing to believe their words, filled with confusion and sadness, a deep wound opening up inside of her.

Why were they making her feel this way?

Why were they doing this?

Niragi had said that this would happen. He had warned her.

He was right, even after she had denied that her friends would ever do that. He was right.

Wooyoung had started trying to tell Brenna about what happened at the restaurant, but by the stubborn look in her eyes, he knew that it was too late. Her head had been stuck in the clouds for too long, twisted by Niragi’s words and actions.

Wooyoung wasn’t strong enough to bring her back down.

That had been their first big fight.

Their first true blow up.

Growing up together they’d had plenty of arguments, but that was the first one to where Brenna stopped talking to Wooyoung completely. He didn’t know what to do during that time, feeling like a piece of his soul was missing, feeling shattered. Did she miss him? Was she sorry? Did she hate him?

If only he could have known that the real reason she wasn’t talking to him was because Niragi had her on lockdown, moving Brenna in with him.

It was a long time before they were finally able to make up, Brenna was finally able to try to see her friends again, her inside man helping her be able to accomplish this.

After that, Wooyoung started keeping his thoughts about Niragi to himself, not wanting to cause any more issues between himself and Brenna, or causing any reason for Niragi to be angry with Brenna.

Wooyoung had lost every person that was in his life from childhood, the only one he had left was her. He couldn’t lose her too.

‘Maybe I SHOULD have said something.’

‘Maybe I SHOULD have been willing to fight.’

‘I should have tried harder’

‘I should have fought for her.’

Wooyoung groaned, tired of his thoughts spinning in the same ridiculous circles over and over again. Rubbing his hand over his tired face. He was just about to get up and finally take a shower when his phone went off.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Hello Wooyoung

WOOYOUNG: Who is this??

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Let’s just say a friend

Wooyoung looked at his phone in irritation.

WOOYOUNG: Look, I don’t know who this is but I’m really not in the mood for fucking games so piss off.

UNKNOWN NUMBER: I have information that might help you find Brenna

“WHAT!?” Wooyoung screeched, staring at his phone is disbelief.

WOOYOUONG: HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BRENNA?!?!?

UKNOWN NUMBER: I told you I’m a friend

Wooyoung chewed on his bottom lip before answering.

WOOYOUNG: Okay friend, what do you know?

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Find an officer named Anita Barnes. Trust only her, not her partner. Talk to her in private, tell her what’s happened. She will help.

WOOYOUNG: And if I don’t take your advice?

UNKNOWN NUMBER: Then Niragi finds Brenna first.

Wooyoung’s nostrils flared and his fingers sped over the keyboard of his phone.

WOOYOUNG: How do I know I can trust you? How do I know this isn’t a trap?

UNKNOWN NUMBER: I’ve saved your life before, remember?

*

Officer Anita Barnes was keeping a very close eye on her partner after overhearing his phone conversation. She had been purposely finding menial things for them to do together, making it to where he did not have enough alone time to send those pictures to the Niragi family. She could tell that Hammill was getting more and more frustrated as the day wore on, more antsy, more shifty.

When Hammill wasn’t around, Anita was researching the Niragi family, her lunch curdling more and more as her eyes flew through the articles that she could find. The Niragi family was old. Very old. Very powerful. A force to be reckoned with. Anita’s dark eyes squinted as she read page after page of crimes and murders that had connections with the family, although none had been proven of course, the Niragis getting off Scott free every time. The only thing that she couldn’t find was a picture or name of the current Head of The Family.

‘How can one person be so well hidden in this day and time??’

She was reading a very in-depth article about the passing of the late Matriarch when Hamill’s phone buzzed beside her. Glancing over she saw that the contact simply said Boss. Looking around carefully to make sure that Hammill wasn’t in the room, she picked up the phone and slid the answer button over, holding her breath and not saying a word. Picking the phone up to her ear, her eyes widened as a voice began immediately talking.

“I’ve that I don’t want to wait for your evidence. I’m sending my men to her tonight. Be ready to cover up a goddamn blood bath.

The call ended and Anita lowered the phone back to the desk, her hand shaking as a call from a Jung Wooyoung was patched through to her desk phone.