Yoongi threw another punch to Axel's face, feeling the familiar ache in his knuckles. Axel's head hung low as the blood and saliva dripped from his mouth and face onto the concrete floor. His hands were restrained to the arms of the chair, along with each of his ankles.
Yoongi turned around to the small table in the room and grabbed a rag. He wiped the blood off of his hands and turned back to the Ganghan member.
"I have been asking nicely, but now, I am running out of patience," Yoongi said. Axel didn't respond as he kept his head lowered. Yoongi slowly walked closer to him and grabbed the back of his head, pulling his hair back and forcing him to meet his eyes. "What's Ganghan's play?" Yoongi spat out and the man only smiled back at him before spitting in the young leader's face. Yoongi's lips pursed as he wiped his face, seething while he glared at the man in front of him.
"Try these," Namjoon suggested as he walked up next to Yoongi, extending his hand to offer a pair of pruning shears. Yoongi grabbed them and moved to the other side of the chair, forcing Axel to splay out his fingers. The man started to jerk in his chair and curled his fingers, but Yoongi held on tight to him.
"I suggest you tell him what he wants to hear. He can make this as long and painful as he wants, just depends on you... Blade," Namjoon said, lowering himself to Axel's level. The man tried to change his terrified expression into a stern one as he remained tight lipped, putting on a brave facade.
Seeing that he wasn't going to talk, Yoongi placed a finger into the open blades and quickly closed them. Screams filled the room and echoed against the cold concrete.
"Let's see, nine more fingers... and I believe you have ten toes, correct?" Yoongi said as he placed another finger inside the shears.
"Wait!" Axel screamed and Yoongi paused. "Ganghan has a new business, girls." He looked back and forth from Namjoon and then Yoongi, hoping that was enough information.
"We already know that. You gave that away with your charade with Jamie," Namjoon said as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
Without waiting, Yoongi snipped off another finger, earning more screaming from their guest. Yoongi moved to the next finger, but Axel started to plead with him, voice frantic as he was trying to bargain for keeping his limbs intact.
"I can give you names!" Yoongi removed the shears from around his middle finger and stood up to stand next to Namjoon. "There are three of us that are trying to recruit girls! Myself, Viper, and Silas." Namjoon got out his phone and started to take notes on the names, waiting for the man to continue.
"Last names?" Yoongi inquired.
"We only ever use our code names, they don't even know me by Axel." Axel's voice started to shake and the color was beginning to drain from his face.
"Not much I can do with only first names," Yoongi said with a disappointed look as he started to walk back over to the hand that was covered in blood, shears ready.
"Casper!" Axel shouted and Yoongi froze. "We work for a guy named Casper!"
Namjoon started chuckling and looked over at Yoongi.
"I guess ghost names are common among mafia leaders," Namjoon commented. Yoongi smiled back for a split second but shifted back to his serious demeanor as he continued to place another finger between the shears. "Wait, we don't want him to lose too much blood before Jin comes in," Namjoon reminded him. Yoongi groaned in frustration since he wanted nothing more than to torture this fucker a bit more, but nodded in understanding as he placed the shears back on the table.
"Will you go get him?" Yoongi asked and Namjoon nodded, leaving the room.
Axel stared at Yoongi for a moment and gave him a small smile as a thought popped into his head. He didn't know who Jin was, but he figured he was safe for the moment.
"You boys got yourselves a nice piece of ass by the way." Yoongi glared at Axel and furrowed his brows, not fully understanding his comment. "The girl with the vine tattoo? Gorgeous." Yoongi's body started to stiffen at the mention of Charlie. "She would fetch a pretty penny on the market, but I can see why you keep her around. How many of you have fucked her?" Yoongi clenched his fist and got closer to Axel while the man continued, feeding off of his reaction. "Must be nice, keeping a whore aro-" Yoongi punched him in the face repeatedly until the doors opened, causing him to finally pull back. He turned towards the table and wiped his hands once again as Namjoon and Jin walked.
"Ready to see what this shit does?" Jin said as he held up a needle.
Yoongi nodded and leaned back against the table, Namjoon joining his side as they watched Jin inject the needle into Axel's arm. Jin stepped back and watched to see what happened.
"What the fuck did you just do to me?" Axel asked, but all three stayed quiet, observing. Within seconds, they watched as Axel's eyes started to close and his head hung down. Jin walked over to check his pulse.
"Still alive," he said, turning towards the other two. "Why don't you two get cleaned up, I'll observe him." Yoongi and Namjoon nodded, walking out the door and into the house.
"I'm going to hop in the shower now if that's ok," Namjoon said while Yoongi nodded in response.
He walked over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands, and as the blood ran down the drain, he noticed the small cuts on his knuckles along with the purple bruising that was starting to appear. He cursed under breath as he finally felt the pain in his hand.
"That doesn't look good." Charlie was leaning against the counter, looking over at Yoongi's hand.
"It's fine," he muttered. Yoongi grabbed a nearby towel to dry his hands and winced at the pain it had caused. Charlie sighed and started to walk out of the kitchen.
"Come on," she said and stopped in the doorway. Yoongi just looked at her and she rolled her eyes. "Let me take a look and get you some pain meds. You could have broken something."
Yoongi didn't want to argue with her, so followed her downstairs to their medical room. Charlie patted the stretcher they kept in the room and Yoongi hoped on. She grabbed an ice pack along with a couple splits and wrappings, should his hand need it. She gently took his hand and looked it over, pressing on different points and asking Yoongi what hurt and where.
Yoongi watched Charlie in awe. He was amazed at how kind and gentle she was, despite him watching her slit a man's throat and knowing how she was easily able to take someone down in seconds who was twice her size. Even though at the time he had hated the idea, Yoongi was now glad that both Jungkook and Charlie had tried to break into the House of Cards since their home wouldn't be the same without them.
"I think that should be ok for now," Charlie said as she finished wrapping up his hand. "Keep the ice on it for a while and take some pain meds if it starts to hurt even more." Charlie turned to put everything away as Yoongi jumped off the stretcher and started for the door.
"Thanks Charlie," he said. She turned towards him and gave him a small smile, which he returned before continuing to walk out the door, heading to his office.
As Charlie was putting away everything, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't done her chores for the day.
"Shit," she muttered as she left the medical room and headed for the laundry room.
Charlie never minded doing the laundry because she knew that all the clothes would actually get clean. Namjoon did the laundry last week and forgot to use laundry soap, so she spent the day helping him rewash and sort through everything so he wasn't up all night.
As she was sorting through all the clothes, she always made sure to check the pockets. Jungkook left his favorite pair of headphones in his pants pocket one time and they were ruined in the wash. She felt bad for him, so she ended up letting him borrow hers until he got a new pair.
Turning out the pockets, she found some loose coins and even a couple bills which she definitely kept to herself. Finders keepers, right? She picked up the next pair of jeans and when she stuck her hand into the pocket, she felt something small and smooth. Looking into her hand, her heart sank as she stared at the small plastic bag that contained a couple of light blue pills. She frowned as she realized that she had seen these pills before in the basement of the casino and immediately knew they were not a prescription drug. Charlie looked at the tag on the pants to figure out the owner before she decided to confront him.
Clutching the small bag in her hand, she walked to his room, knocking persistently on his door.
"Come in," she heard.
Charlie knew that this conversation was going to be a tough one, but Yoongi had a rule with everyone in the house: you stay clean. She was not about to rat anyone out, but she had to know why these were in his pocket. Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and walked in, closing the door behind her.
"Hey Charlie," Hoseok said as he turned towards her.
"Hey Hobi, are you busy right now?" Charlie asked.
"Nah, just trying to clean up before Jin gets back and yells at me again." Hoseok picked up a book from the floor and placed it on a nearby dresser. "What's up?" he questioned, curious to know why she wanted to talk.
Charlie took a couple steps towards him before lifting her hand, opening it to reveal the small bag of pills. Hoseok looked at the pills then back at Charlie, confused.
"You know you're not supposed to have those in the house," he said sternly.
"I do know that, do you?" Charlie raised her eyebrows at him and Hoseok's demeanor completely changed. He snatched the small bag from her hand and quickly walked across the room, tossing them in the small trash can.
"What are you getting at?" he asked. He remained stoic, his eyes boring into hers. He did not want to have this conversation, especially not with Charlie.
"I think you know, I found them in your pants pocket Hobi, and don't you dare tell me that you're holding them for a friend. I've noticed how... off you've been lately." She pointed to the trash can. "I'm assuming that's why?"
Hoseok walked closer to Charlie, clenching his jaw as he tried to keep his cool. "You better be careful what you're accusing me of Charlie," he uttered, his voice dangerously low.
"I don't need to accuse you of anything, the evidence is pretty clear. What's going on?" Charlie tried to remain calm and have a gentle tone, but the way Hoseok was acting was making it hard.
"Nothing, I'm fine." Hoseok brushed by her and continued to clean up his side of the shared room, hoping that she would just drop it. I don't need this shit right now, the last thing I want to do is fight with her about it.
"Bullshit! I know you and this is not you!" she argued. Charlie walked closer to him, grabbing his arm so he would turn and look at her. He jerked his arm away and got right into Charlie's face.
"You don't know anything about me!" For the first time, Charlie was actually scared of Hoseok as the angry look on his face made her heart rate accelerate, a knot forming in her stomach as the uneasiness settled in. She gulped, trying to remain calm as she took a deep breath.
"Then talk to me, please," Charlie said gently, trying to reach for him again. Hoseok backed away, feeling a little guilty for the way he snapped at her. "Transparency Hobi."
Hoseok scoffed at the word that Namjoon always used with them.
"We all have our secrets, but I know all too well that they come out eventually, no matter how hard you try to hide it," Charlie added, referring to the full-on fight that occurred between Jungkook and Jimin when, against her wishes, everyone found out what really happened to her in that fucking foster house.
Hoseok vividly remembered that night and the ache he felt when Charlie told them everything. He wanted to make the man suffer as much as she did. He was almost proud when she continued and told them that the bastard who abused her was her first official kill. He wondered why she never told any of them, never told him... but how fair was that? Wishing she had shared her secrets when he was still holding onto his own was very hypocritical of him.
"I've been struggling lately," Hoseok shared and walked to his bed, sitting down. He gestured for Charlie to sit next to him, and she did, turning her body so that she was facing him. "I've been searching for a long time for someone, and I thought I was getting closer this time but it turned out to be a fucking dead end."
Charlie remained silent, taking in everything he said while she waited for him to continue on his own, not wanting to push anything. He needed his time, she understood that.
After a few minutes, he spoke again. "I grew up in foster care with my younger sister, Hana, but had a much more... pleasant experience than you did. When I turned 18, I knew I had to leave my foster home, and in turn, leave my little sister as well. Hana was so upset about the whole thing, but I obviously couldn't stay in foster care forever. I decided that I wanted to adopt her, but I had to meet certain requirements in order to make that possible. I worked my ass off, trying to earn as much money as I could so Hana and I could have a nice home, but it was never enough. With little money to my name and a shitty, one-bedroom apartment, I knew that I wouldn't be found as a fit adult to take her in. I actually ran into Namjoon, and after talking to him for a bit, he recruited me. Namjoon assured me that I would be able to make a lot of money and care for my little sister, so I joined."
Hoseok had to stop and take a couple deep breaths. Charlie reached out her hand, placing it on his knee as she hoped to offer at least some comfort. He stared up at the ceiling before swallowing down the lump in his throat.
"Everything was going great, and I was even about to officially put in the paperwork to adopt her. I took her out for some ice cream to celebrate, and as we were walking back to her foster home..." his voice cracked as he stopped again, shutting his eyes as the images from that day played back in his mind. Reaching up to his neck, he held onto the small lotus flower that was around his neck. He could feel his chest constricting, his words getting caught in his throat as he tried to push away the numerous emotions that were coursing through him. "Someone drove by and shot her," he said, his voice barely audible.
Charlie couldn't believe what she was hearing and she felt so bad for Hoseok. She tightened her grip on his knee just a little, reminding him that she was there for him. Hoseok finally looked up at her and Charlie saw the tears threatening to fall, causing her heart to sink into her stomach. She could see it in his eyes, all the emotions that he's been holding back for years, the heavy burden that he's had to carry on his own for so long.
"I held her while she bled out on the sidewalk. I remember promising her I'd stay with her since she didn't want to be alone while some guy who saw the whole thing ended up calling the ambulance... but she died before they got there," he paused, the tears now streaming down his face. "She didn't deserve that! She was just an innocent kid! I knew that bullet was meant for me, it should've been me!" He buried his face in his hands and Charlie moved closer to him, cautiously wrapping her arms around him as her chin rested on his shoulder. "Yoongi helped me try to find out who did it, but we never got anywhere. I was so damn angry and lost at that point, there seemed to be no reason for me to stay with Bangtan, so I made the decision to leave." Charlie's arms loosened around his body as he lifted his head up, his eyes meeting hers.
"You left?" she asked, furrowing her brows.
"Well, I was going to. Had almost everything packed until two young kids showed up trying to break into our Casino." He gave her a sad smile and Charlie smiled back. "You know, you remind me so much of Hana. You're strong, determined, and your eyes... almost the exact same color as hers. That's why I told you to leave when you first got here," he explained.
"Makes a lot more sense now." Charlie was confused for months as to why Hoseok was so distant from her and why he lashed out at her that day. Now she finally understood the authoritative persona that was always present when he was around her. "So... the dead end?" she questioned. Hoseok nodded.
"Thought I was getting somewhere with her murder, but, like always, hit yet another dead end," he mumbled, burying his face in his hands once again.
"Let us help you Hoseok. You don't have to do this alone, and it sure as hell is a better alternative to those damn pills you've been taking to numb yourself," she reassured, hoping that her words showed how much she worried about him.
He stubbornly shook his head, his eyes locking onto her. "No, only Yoongi and Namjoon know about what happened... well, and now you. I don't want to involve anyone else in my shit," he insisted.
Charlie couldn't help but wrap her arms around him again, tightly this time as she pulled him close to her. "Your shit is our shit," Charlie said, and she could feel Hoseok shake lightly from laughter. "At least let me help you. Whether that's trying to find a lead or being someone to talk to, please." Hoseok remained in Charlie's embrace, letting out a deep sigh as he felt comfort for the first time in a long time.
Charlie kissed the top of his head and held him tighter. It didn't matter that he was older than her, because right now, he needed someone, and Charlie was determined to always be there for him or any of the other boys who needed a comforting shoulder to lean on. They were her boys and no one was going to hurt them, she was going to make sure of that.
~☾~
It had been awhile since Bangtan had enjoyed a meal altogether. Jin and Charlie had worked hard for hours knowing that everyone needed a good, home-cooked meal. As they sat around the table to eat, swapping old stories and poking fun at everyone, Charlie couldn't help but notice the small smile on Hoseoki's lips. Even Yoongi seemed to be enjoying the evening.
"I'm just saying, the both of you have some amazing acting skills," Taehyung commented. Earlier in the day, he managed to retrieve the security camera footage of Charlie and Jimin 'improvising' so they didn't get caught. He called everyone into his cave and played it.
Charlie picked up a bread roll that was on her plate and threw it at Taehyung, giving him a dirty look. He started laughing along with Jin and Jimin.
"Stop encouraging him," she shouted as she picked up her dinner knife, pointing it at Taehyung. "You're lucky this knife is too dull and unbalanced to throw at you." He stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same.
"Alright kids, calm down," Yoongi said as he tried to hide his own laughter.
Everyone continued to eat and enjoyed the conversations with the people closest to them before the table went quiet when Jungkook spoke up.
"Did you figure out what that drug does yet?" Jungkook asked Jin, and everyone was quiet as they wanted to know as well, turning to the eldest in the room.
"Oh yes, I think so." Jin picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth before continuing. "So, it seems the drug that Ganghan was transporting is some sort of memory loss drug. When Axel woke up, he was very confused and couldn't remember anything that happened to him. Not long after, his nose started to bleed and he had a seizure, dead not but 5 minutes later."
"Shit," Yoongi grumbled, disappointed to know that they clearly won't be getting any more answers out of him. At least they had a few code names, hopefully they could try to see if they can pull up anything else from his computer since Taehyung still had access to his desktop.
"Do you think they are giving that to the girls? Making them forget their past lives?" Jungkook asked.
"It's very likely, but we don't have all the information and the sample that I had was in the beginning stages. Who knows if they have been able to perfect it yet," Jin continued. A phone started to ring and everyone turned to Jimin, who excused himself from the table to answer it.
"Axel did give us some information so hopefully we can figure something out," Yoongi added before he took a drink from his glass.
Everyone turned towards Jimin when he ran back into the dining area with a very worried look on his face. "We have to go, Cliff Hangers was just hit."
Cliff hanger with Cliff Hangers!!! We finally see Mafia boss Yoongi taking care of business and Hobi's full backstory :(
Thoughts?? ---------->
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