V's POV
Aera's eyes widened and her skin turned a paler shade of white, as if she had just seen a fucking ghost.
Her gaze was drawn to me, yet she was not staring at me. She seemed to be peering beyond me into her nightmare. I understand why. I know exactly why.
My hacker had provided me a video link earlier in the evening. I was ready to examine the video when my little liar diverted me for over hours. I eventually checked the video after she fainted from exhaustion. I had washed her up, put her into the blanket, and watched the video on my laptop while using earplugs.
Every second, every freaking second of that video made me lose it. The need to fucking strangle any man who tried to fucking touch, hurt, slap, or treat her like a piece of crap had turned my blood into boiling lava.
Three days. They tortured her for three fucking days before she was eventually able to escape that horror. The short videos simply showed her torture, which the basters captured laughing while she screamed in agony. Her every cry had stabbed my heart with such sorrow that I desired, I fucking prayed I could go back in time and stop her every nightmare from happening.
I still had a lot of questions and shit to work out with her. How did she get away? Was she helped, or was she on her own? Why didn't she come to me and why did she stay hidden for two years? What happened to her when she escaped? So many more fucking questions.
None of this would have happened if the man strolling into the room hadn't decided to muck up our lives.
J.Y Park. CEO of JYP entertainment. Pd bang's fictitious childhood pal. A traitor. He was never one of my favourites. Even when other members attempted to convince me that I was just overthinking it, something about him always felt odd.
He made headlines two years ago after being involved in an accident and sustaining a lasting nasty scars on his face from his ear to his lips. Getting sympathy from everyone.
It was obvious that they had kidnapped her in order to extract information from her. Most likely, it was concerning our company. Park jin young seemed obsessed with discovering the secret of our company's success. His company was not in any way low-key.
He was making enough money, but not quite enough to compete with us. Greed is a fat darn demon with a small mouth, and no amount of food is ever enough.
J.Y park had always been a greedy motherfucker. That seemed obvious to me. But I never gave a damn. It was none of my business until he decided to harm the only person for whom I would burn the planet.
My chest puffed out triumphantly now that I knew how he received his disastrous scar. That was done to his face by my woman. The scar was so severe that makeup and even plastic surgery couldn't cover it up.
When I viewed the footage of him going to assault her and she skilfully overplayed him and returned his gift to his face, I couldn't help but smile proudly with only one thought in my mind.
That's my woman.
Yes, woman. My woman. She wasn't a fucking girl any longer. She was fierce. She was the epitome of power. She was live proof that no one could ever truly shatter her. She was a damn fucking powerful woman who had been subjected to so much agony that even men would piss their pants if they were in her shoes.
She was a survivor of hell. She reigned supreme. My queen.
I couldn't be more proud of her. So fucking grateful that she's mine. Only mine.
And everyone's gonna pay who had dared to harm her. And Park Jin Young was at the top of the list.
He put his mouth and hands on my woman, and there are repercussions for such stupid mistakes.
She was trying. I could see the toll it was taking on her mind, being in this place, tied to a chair.
I watched her closely. Knowing she was tormented right here in this horrible place changed everything. I'd have to find something out if I noticed the least sign that things were getting too much. They hadn't even examined me for weapons, presuming i wasn't equipped. I had a nasty little surprise waiting for them.
Park jin young appeared behind her, as if on time, with a menacing grin. She jerked a little, her grasp on the chair tightening before taking a long breath.
Hold on, my bug. Just a bit longer, I pleaded quietly.
Her breasts heaved under my turtleneck as she worked on her breathing. Her hands, shaking a little.
I was expecting this day to come, but I had no idea they'd take us to the same fucking site where her nightmares took place. It was both excellent and horrible at the same time. Excellent because I'm gonna end them right in the place where they tortured her. Horrible cause she probably had some anxieties about this place.
I remained motionless as Park Jin Young, dressed in a black suit and slacks, stepped behind her, a 9mm visible on his hip. It was a tried-and-true tactic: show the captive you were armed in order to instil fear of death. These manoeuvres were second nature to me. I remained silent, staring at the man.
"Kim taehyung," the betrayer replied in a singsong tone, an accent clearly visible in his voice. "Right over here."
"Oh, you're a fan?" I laughed readily. "You'll have to free my hands for the autograph." Let him think he had the power.
The basterd grin, moving his eyes on my woman, before returning to mine, a taunting grin spreading on his face as he bent down and gripped her jaw from behind while still keeping eyes on me.
Aera jerked under his hold. Her breaths coming out choppier. "You must remember this place, don't you, pretty whore?"
Once the matter is in my hands, I would snap the basterd's tongue for calling my woman a whore. Patience.
I watched Aera still, gritting her teeth before she venomed her voice out "You guys need to stop tying women up. It's becoming boring."
That's my woman. As I watched her play, hyper-focused on the man, I felt pride fill me.
My breath caught in my throat as the man smiled and pulled out a knife, tearing the turtleneck from her right, exposing her neck. The stray cotton draped across her chest.
"The scar appears to have healed well," the monster laughed, pointing to a diagonal scar on her neck that I assumed had been there all along because she wore turtlenecks.
She hated turtlenecks. She always complained, how it made her suffocated. So it was natural for me to guess, which is also why I never attempted to remove her top in bed.
I knew she felt self conscious about it. It was her story to tell. It was her choice to tell whenever she chose, and it was my role to patiently wait for her to show me her scars so I could admire them.
Her scars weren't ugly. In fact, they were the badges she proudly wore as proof of her survival. Her scars revealed her bravery rather than her misery.
"It looks good on you, my pretty whore." He licked his lips with his tongue, as if he were a hungry dog.
Aera jerked her head under his hold as she gritted. "Can't say the same about yours"
Touché my woman, touché.
I smirked internally, When Park Jin Young's expression clouded for a split second before he painted an ugly smile on his face.
Fucker, drew her head back with his free hand, gripping her hair and moving near to her ears, whispering loud enough for me to hear.
"Does your boyfriend know how you got that, huh?"
My mouth clinched, and I did everything I could to avoid giving him the reaction he intended. My fingers itched to strangle his throat, shred his organs, and burn the basterd alive, not just for hurting my woman, but also for daring to touch her, even in her personal zone.
"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Aera said calmly, more so than I had hoped. "We just fuck occasionally."
Like hell we did.
The man leaned closer to her. I stiffened up.
"In that case, fucking me in front of him shouldn't be an issue."
Oh, the bastard was dead. But my woman was superior.
"It would be," Aera stated emphatically. "I have an allergy to assholes. You know, trauma and all."
Park jin young laughed and turned to look at me. "I like her. Too bad I'll have to kill her before you."
Fucker eventually left her side, strolling to a side table with a toolbox. As she observed the table, Aera paled, a small sheen of sweat on her face. I watched her take a short breath and slowly tug her hands against the cords. My stomach clenched. I needed to speed it up.
"So," I began casually. "What exactly do you want?"
Park jin young raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked at me. "To begin with...spill the Information on your group and company or else.." he pointed the knife at slightly determined, slightly terrified Aera. "She'll have to face the consequences."
"What do you mean?" I asked, keeping him interested.
The jerk simply smirked, moved up to my side, and crouched in front of me. "Regarding new business expansion. What's the secret to that success? I'm sure Bang Shi Hyuk discusses everything with his favourite group members."
"What happens in hybe is none of my business. You sure you picked the right person? I believe you confused me for Rm. He's usually the most active of the bunch." I say casually, keeping his thoughts occupied.
Fucker gave a nod. "Are you going to share anything else important about your group? You must be aware of that."
"And what if I refuse?" My stomach tightened as I inquired.
"Then I take that piece of prime pussy over there out to my men and me until you're more... agreeable," Park jin young grinned.
I clenched my jaw but didn't say a word, my hands fisting on the chair.
"Hey asshole," the soft voice from behind made the fucker turn. I saw Aera swing up the toolbox and smash the man across the face with it, her arms quivering with the weight.
The man screamed in agony, collapsing to the floor and grasping the bleeding cut on his head.
"You can't afford this piece of prime pussy," Aera heaved the metal toolbox again, this time bringing it down hard on his skull, the deafening crunch making me feel like ice on my wound. Damn that was satisfying ASMR.
The guy passed out, his head wound likely fatal. She shook, her chest heaving, her hair wild around her face, wrath blazing in her contact-covered blue eyes, clad in nothing but my shredded turtleneck and pants, appearing like an avenging goddess. Fuck, i was such a goner.
As if on cue, the room's door burst open and landed on the floor. My squad and JK rushed into the room, wearing black gear & masks and carrying guns and various weapons on their bodies.
Just right on time.
JK came to us in his black cargo and huffed out a breath when he saw me and Aera were fine. "You okay?"
I nodded and cynically remarked, "could've come sooner."
"I would advise you to change your tracker, as the location was hard to locate asshole. You should be grateful that I arrived on time."
I opened my lips to deal with him about having the best tracker, but Aera got in the way. "Wait--what do you mean, tracker?" She turned to face me. "You knew!?"
I smirk. "It was part of the plan. Yes."
"You purposefully placed us in the hands of the enemy!" Her voice became more discernible.
I was preparing this from the day I received the information from Luca. I had anticipated for this. That was the only reason I remained fixated on her. I was always close to her, waiting for the enemy to act and react.
Park jin young was a basterd, but a wise one. He had been imperceptible and difficult to find. And I only realised it was him last night, or I would have kidnapped him from his villa. I knew he'd come after my lady again. But this time I was prepared and planned everything ahead of time.
I always had guns and trackers with me, and I even told Jk about everything the day I got rid of Luca. He was stunned, but also furious, by what had took place to Aera. He became enraged after witnessing the footage of her kidnapping and abuse and agreed to do whatever to help. Even if that included blood bath.
I deliberately put us both in the hands of Park Jin Young, knowing that Jk would receive updates in his own burner phone as soon as I tapped the tracker on my bracelet, and he would soon arrive with my team of black commandos that I hired for Aera's safety once she returned to Korea.
I knew it was a gamble. But I had to remove the problem from its source. As soon as I discovered that park jin young was behind everything, I assigned a mission to my unknown to transmit indirect information about Aera's location to his hackers who were attempting to locate her.
My plan worked, and he fell into my trap. He believed he was the game's mastermind. But he had no idea I was the one who made the fucking game.
Jk tilts his head toward the unconscious Park Jin Young. "What are we going to do with him now?"
I cast a peek at Aera, who was staring at Park Jin Young with horrified eyes. Almost as if she's seeing what happened to her over and over.
I don't voice out my plans with my brother just incase she'll get more horrified. She has already gone through a lot for today; I can't add anything else to the list.
I direct my gaze to one of my commandos, motioning for him to carry Park Jin Young's body with them. Jk opens his lips properly to inquire what I'm going to do with a fucker but stops himself when I slightly shake my head, giving him a look while peering at Aera, who couldn't take her gaze away from the half-dead monster.
"What happened to that bald fatty?" I ask Jk, as if I have all the time in the world while still clutching to the chair with ropes.
"Fatty who? We entered through the window on the second tale. The jerk had only a few men there."
My brow furrows. "You didn't take care of the other men in the building?" My voice had a frustrated edge to it.
Jk shook his head. "Apologies, my first priority was to save you both, asshole."
I could smell trouble. If JK didn't look after the other men in the building, it merely meant that they'd be here at any fucking second.
As if on cue, the room filled with the noise of gunshots coming out of the room. The noise sounded almost like firecrackers, but I knew better.
Shit.
Jk pulled out his revolver and took a position along the wall, his gun aimed at the door.
I jerked my gaze toward Aera, who appeared to be trapped in her thoughts. "Aera" I called out to her. "Come on, bug, others might be coming."
She blinked and stared up at me with wide eyes, setting the toolbox to the side, her entire figure trembling from the adrenaline that was surging to the surface inside me. She hopped over the unconscious man and rushed to me, her long, delicate fingers trembling as she sought to loosen the knot on my wrist.
"Give me those beautiful eyes," i told her gently, knowing i needed to guide them out of it.
She paused in her work, glancing up at me.
"Good girl," i praised her softly. "There's a knife in my right sock. Raise up my pant leg and take it out."
She leaned down, my ripped shirt around her chest gaping open and even though it wasn't the time to notice, i was a man. My eyes went there, took her in, satisfied that this was my woman.
I felt her fingers doing the task nimbly before she straightened and started to cut at the rope under my wrist. I only needed one hand free before wreaking havoc on these fuckers.
I could hear her hard breathing as she panicked and attempted to keep it down, and uttered the one thing I knew would take her mind off the terror.
"I can't wait to fuck you."
Aera came to a halt, her eyes wide with confusion. "Are you kidding me?! This is not the time for dirty talk, Kim taehyung."
Ah, fuck. I've never loved my name so much before.
I purposefully offered her a small grin, remaining calm and unaffected since I knew it would relax her. And I needed her to unwind. I needed to get her securely out of here.
Before venting, Aera murmured something under her breath. "How come they make it look so easy in movies? You're strapped to this stupid chair with ropes that won't cut, and I'm on the verge of a panic attack."
"You're doing great," I stated, staring down at the scars on her wrists from her struggle, her knuckles white as she made progress with the blade. The rope was barely holding together, with a few strands snapping at any moment.
A booming voice from outside jolted Aera. I leaned to the side as she swung around to watch a few men rush into the room, blasting their guns into the air.
One large man glared fiercely at us. I threw my arm out, feeling the tension in the rope tear through my forearm, and snatched the knife from her limp fingers, flinging it across the room. My aim was dead on, the blade lodged in the man's neck as blood spurted forth, causing him to fall to his knees.
Even though she was free of the blood, Aera took a few steps back, her face a mask of astonishment. I was simply hoping her mind would survive our night together.
Undoing the knot on my other hand deftly, i quickly got out of the ropes, standing up and shaking my limbs and jumping twice to get the blood flowing.
First and foremost, I traversed the space between myself and my woman, seized her beautiful face in my hands, and kissed her fiercely.
my mind emptied completely. Nothing else existed except this. The heat, the pleasure, the strong pressure of our lips against one other, and the delicate glide of my tongue against hers.
My fingers slid into her hair, tipping her head back further, giving her as much access as possible. She still tasted as delicious as I recalled, so sweet and fruity, similar to the sugar balls I used to suck when I thought about her. Something so delicious and indescribable I wanted to drown in it.
A moan slipped from her mouth to mine. I answered with a tortured groan of my own.
Our first kiss in two years. It should've felt strange or at least a little uncomfortable, but it didn't. Instead, it felt completely, perfectly right.
I would've been happy staying in that dark, sweaty room forever, but an explosion of noise tore us from our bubble with the subtlety of a sledgehammer-wielding giant.
"You are a fucking warrior queen, and I'm so proud of you," I said softly, sensing the impact my words had on her.
Her lips quiver slightly in a smile. "You make me strong."
Fuck, i liked that.
I smiled at her and pressed our foreheads together, my ears open to any external noise. "You'll see a side of me you've never seen before tonight. I'm going to slaughter them, and you'll have to see that. Think you'll be able to handle?"
She gripped my wrists, nodding.
I gave her a brief kiss, the tenderness I knew she desired in her bones but rarely expressed, and pulled back. I leaned down and took the 9mm from park jin young and my knife from the second man, delivering the gun to her.
"Keep this," I told her as she took the weapon, her hands shaking. "It's loaded and unlocked. Stay behind me. If you notice someone coming at you, take aim and fire. Set your legs apart so that your frame is stable. Recoil is a pain, so be prepared for it. You okay?"
"Won't you need this?" She inquired, holding the rifle in both hands.
I smiled as I waved the deadly knife. "I'm good. Let's get out of this hellhole."
The biggest disadvantage was not knowing exactly how many people were on the premises once we got out the door. It could have been two, ten, or twenty, and while it wouldn't have mattered if I was alone, I was protecting valuable cargo, and anything getting to her would make me very, very angry.
One of my black commandos snatched Park Jin Young's body, raising his limp body up and remaining in the corner of the room, ready to flee when the situation called for it.
"I want that fatty bald guy alive!" I yelled to my commandos and Jk- who nodded from the opposite corner of the room.
The scars on her wrists and ankles were caused by that man. I couldn't just let him die easily. He would also suffer from the same torture as she did.
When two more men approached from behind us, I whirled around, forcing Aera behind me before slapping the top of one of them on the head with my elbow. Before the other person could react, I leaned to the side and kicked him in the throat while jabbing the first man in his femoral artery and letting him to bleed.
When the second man raised his rifle, I spun, swiping at his knee with my feet, putting the blade in my mouth as I grabbed the guy's head and snapped his neck. It happened in a matter of seconds, the speed and surprise working in my favour.
At the same time, Jk and my commandos took care of the other troops. The room filled with crimson and stench.
In a matter of minutes, fifteen people were sprawled across the floor in various sections of the room. The men came to a halt at the door, but the bald fucker was nowhere to be found. He must have fled, putting his tail between his legs. I'd have to notify my unknown in order to track him down.
Some of my guys had carried Park Jin Young's body to our cars and driven to the location where I had instructed them to wait for me.
As I approached the door, I leaned out to scan both sides of the corridor for any remaining motherfuckers to assault.
I turned away from the door and faced Jk and Aera, who were standing on the opposite side of the room. Jk was drenched in sweat, whereas my woman appeared....exhausted.
"You both look like shit." As I approached them, I mocked them.
Jk huff out a scoff. "You speak for yourself, T. You're no exception."
Finally, my woman cracked a small smile, her features lightening as she noticed me and jk bleater. I winked and smirked at her, our eyes locked on each other with only five feet between us.
Her smile broadened before her eyes gazed over my shoulder as the smile faded and turned into horror.
Fuck.
I instantly turned around, sheltering her body behind mine, even though we were only a few feet apart. Everything turned into slow motion. The bald guy was standing at the door, a rifle aimed at me or Aera. I had no idea. He just couldn't get to her. My body will stand in for her.
I witnessed the precise point when he pulled the trigger, the shot echoing in the empty space, at the exact moment when a bullet from behind me hit his hand, crimson covering his flash as he cried in pain and hunched on the floor.
But the bullet had already left his pistol and launched through the air, right in front of my flash. With the collision, my body jerked back and turned around, as I peered down, my cream shirt stained scarlet as a hole tore the fabric and my flash.....on my chest.
"No!!" I watched Aera charge forward, throwing the rifle in her hand aside, the word 'no' screaming from her lips.
A gust of breath escaped my mouth in slow motion, shutting my eyes before the end came tumbling towards me.
I expected to see glimpses of my future, my history, and all the things I'd never experience, but all I saw was her. I saw her and imagined a future in which I could love her without fear of repercussions.
The way she lunged for me, how fear and pain blossomed across her face like a freshly grown rose. A rose bloomed just before the cold winter, where it would soon die.
The gun's blast still pierced my ears, bursting the drum inside. I expected more anguish as warm, wet splatters of liquid coated the centre of my chest. But I didn't feel anything except numbness.
I dropped to my knees, but before I hit the floor, warm hands grabbed me at the last second and threw me onto her lap.
"Kim taehyung!" She patted my cheek repeatedly, pushing me to half-open my lids and stare up at her broken face.
I smiled and wiped her tears with my shaking index fingers as I lifted my arm, which felt a lot heavier than before.
"Kim taehyung......stay with me." My woman wailed and cried, the words hardly coming out of her trembling mouth.
I groaned in pain as something crushed against my chest, before mumbling with a bare smirk. "Al..ways."
She clenched her eyes tight and sobbed harder. The black specks obscured my vision. As if I were underwater, the noises around me became hazy.
A hefty weight pressed against my eyelids, causing them to close.
"Kim taehyung!"
"T! Keep your eyes open! T!!!"
"Kim taehyung!!"
I felt more tapping on my cheeks, more voices echoed around me, screaming my name.
"T!"
"Kim taehyung!"
"Kim taehyung!! Stay with me!"
I secured the last soothing voice in my heart one last time, Before everything went blank.
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