As I lay there in the darkness, staring at Seonghwa's bare back and the tattoo cutting across the planes of smooth skin and muscle, I once again found myself tracing the shape of it with my finger, dragging it lightly across the inked artwork as I memorized its shape.
It was beautiful. That was the only word to describe it. It was beautiful and devastatingly special, and it was a perfect match to the one on my own back. The one he didn't know about.
I sighed, wrapping my arms around him and pressing my face to his back as I hugged him from behind, a guilty smile tugging at the corners of my lips as he mumbled something in his sleep and put his hand on top of mine.
I had been awake for a while and by the time he awoke as well, I wouldn't be here.
I glanced at the clock on the wall, barely able to make out its hands in the darkness, and yet knowing that Mingi would be here any moment now.
I felt bad about the deal I had made with the treasurer as I lay there, felt bad about my plan to crash the gala, but I had to be there. I had made that decision a long time ago. I had to look Chan in the eyes, to show him that I wasn't someone to be used, someone to be exploited.
I wanted to make Nocturne pay for their crimes and the people they had made suffer, the news spreading across the country like a wildfire as more and more disappearances haunted the people I walked among whenever I went to school, whenever I went into the city.
I would make it up to Seonghwa. One way or another, I told myself, feeling my heartbeat pick up as the sound of the door creaking open finally cut through the darkness, a dim cone of light washing into the room as Mingi poked his head through the slim opening and gestured for me to follow him.
"It's time," he whispered, the words being enough to make the increasing speed of my thundering heart drop to almost nothing as it sank and I carefully pulled untangled my hand from Seonghwa's.
〄
"And you promise to tell me whatever I want to know after this?" I mumbled, tiptoeing after him as he led the way down the hallway, running a hand through his dirty blond hair as he nodded and went into his own room.
"A deal is a deal, and so is a promise," Mingi assured me, handing me a bag before pushing open the door to his bathroom. I frowned, leaning forward to follow his eyes but finding the room empty, "What-"
"Jesus, Nari, I know that you're pretty, but you're not this stupid," he sighed before chuckling slightly at me, earning a glare in return as he shook his head, "Go put it on," he said, leaving me alone as he headed for his closet.
I had been flattered, but only for a moment, by the thought of Mingi actually going out of his way to buy me clothes.
But the moment was short-lived as I pulled the dress out of the bag and stared at it with wide eyes, a scoff of pure disbelief escaping my lips as I glanced at the enormous mirror taking up the wall opposite me, holding up the small piece of fabric next to me.
I rolled my eyes, "I'm going to choke him in his sleep," I growled, hesitating for a moment as I debated whether or not this could possibly be worth it before, at last, giving in and pulling my shirt over my head.
"This is literally the definition of little black dress," I mumbled, holding my breath as I slipped it over my head, "Why would I need to breathe anyway? It's a waste of time," I muttered, my voice low and dripping with sarcasm as I struggled with the heels.
"How thoughtful of him to make sure that I didn't have to think about that," I chuckled, the sound devoid of humor. "I hate men," I stated as I stared at myself in the mirror, once again rolling my eyes at the sight of myself, "It annoys me when they breathe. Really."
"Wow," Mingi said as he stepped into the bathroom as well, the bright light making his dirty blond hair glow almost golden as he swept it back, eyes locked on me in a way that immediately made me angry.
"You look hot," he stated almost matter-of-factly, stuffing both of his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. I glared at the dark suit before letting my eyes meet his.
"Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you'd gotten enough oxygen at birth?" I asked, feigning innocence as he furrowed his brows, his ears immediately going red, "I- What?" he blurted.
I sighed, pushing past him as I made my way back out into his room. I could have been sleeping right now. I could have been lying underneath the warm covers and-
"You do realize that you have your entire life to be a jerk, right?" Mingi mumbled as he caught up and opened the door for me, "Why not take today off?" he smiled, leading me down the stairs and into the garage where all eight motorcycles were standing.
"If I break my ankle in these, you're going to pay for it," I mumbled, pouting as I wrapped my arms around myself in the cold evening air seeping in through the bottom of the garage door, "I'm barely wearing any clothes and you haven't even offered me your jacket-"
"Just get on, will you?" Mingi sighed as he mounted the motorcycle and offered me his helmet, "You're so feisty tonight. What has Seonghwa been feeding you?"
I didn't answer him as I took the helmet and pushed it down over my head, carefully climbing the vehicle as I sat down behind him and hesitated for a moment before sighing and deciding to wrap my arms around his waist.
He was always like this, I reminded myself as the motor roared to life and he revved the engine to create more thunder as we rolled out onto the driveway, the night air licking up my bare legs. He was always joking around and-
Every excuse I was about to make up for him died out as I gasped the moment he sped up, chuckling heartily at my reaction as I tightened my hold on him and pressed myself against his back, my heartbeat going at almost the same speed as we were.
"I'll definitely choke him in his sleep," I mumbled to myself, my voice muffled by the helmet as the city lights blurred together into a bright rainbow in the darkness of the night.
〄
Despite the many comebacks and retorts I had spent the entire trip to out destination preparing, I found myself speechless as I stared up at the warehouse in front of us, wrapping my arms tighter around myself as the doors opened and revealed the casino beyond the old and crumbling walls.
"Oh, this is so illegal," I breathed, shivering as the night breeze nipping at my bare skin only to jump slightly as Mingi pulled off his jacket and draped it across my shoulders, neither saying a word nor sparing me a glance as he headed for the entrance.
I was surprised to say the least, trying to follow him as best as I could in my heels, but finding myself unable to meet his eyes as I realized that any and all signs of his jokes were long gone by now.
He walked past the guards with his head held high, the two men by the doors not even checking his tattoo, not even laying their eyes upon him as he walked inside like a shadow of the man I had come to know, now wearing the armor of the treasurer to Korea's most infamous criminal group.
I swallowed thickly as I followed his lead, suddenly feeling like I was in way over my head, trying to hold my head high only to feel my entire facade crumble as I was stopped before I could even put a foot inside the building, shrinking underneath the glares of both guards as they took a step closer to me, blocking my way in.
"She's with me," Mingi drawled, his voice bored and yet enough to make them move away and once again send me shuffling after him.
My cheeks burned with mixed nervousness and embarrassment. "This is so illegal," I mumbled again, trying to keep up those walls, that mask that Mingi had taught me to use as the sounds of my heels clicking licked up the sides of the gilded columns leading the way into the casino and all of its secrets, its crimes.
"Keep your head high," I breathed, "Keep your head high," I repeated to myself, clenching my hands at my sides as I came to a halt by Mingi's side, the man having stopped in the doorway to a smaller secluded room from where nothing but darkness and smoke seemed to flow.
I resisted the urge to hold my breath as the smell of tobacco and something much less legal washed over me and let my eyes drift across the table at the middle of the room where seven men in dark suits were lounging, staring, not at the treasurer by my side, but at me and me only.
"Song Mingi," the man by the end of the table mused, a dark smile on his lips, locks of copper hair falling into his face as he bowed his head slightly and gestured for him to take a seat.
"Taeyong," he mumbled, as if the name itself was enough of a response, of a greeting, before stuffing both hands in his pockets and striding over to take a seat opposite the group.
The leader, I noted to myself, taking in his handsome features, the cold look in his eyes. He was the leader of Abyss. I rummaged my mind for the few details I had been able to collect from the meeting I had attended weeks ago, remembering the oldest, Taeil.
My eyes drifted to the man at his right side, noting the dark hair. Their adviser, probably, judging from how Hongjoong had suggested they talk to him rather than the copper-haired.
A shaky breath left my lips as I tore my eyes off them and headed for Mingi's side, grateful for the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he pulled out the chair next to him an outstretched hand, I realized.
"And who is this?" one of the others suddenly asked, the voice deep and foreign as it cut through the silence hanging heavily in the air along with the smoke and dull smell of alcohol. I halted, turning to face its owner; another ravenette, handsome, smirking, igniting a familiar flicker of annoyance within me as his eyes locked with mine.
"You look like you're a bit far from home, princess," he said. I furrowed my brows, not even fighting the unimpressed look on my face as he moved his chair back and patted his thigh, "You'd be much safer right here."
I resisted the urge to scowl at him as my eyes narrowed, not noticing the way the look in Mingi's eyes darkened to a dangerous colour of warning, threats.
"Don't call me that," I said, pausing for a moment, "Not when you're about the farthest thing from a king," knowing, very well, that he knew I was talking about Hongjoong, about Empire being much more powerful and much higher in the hierarchy than his own group, his own leader.
I straightened myself a little, feeling a kind of bitter satisfaction at the way their eyes burned the ridiculous amount of bare skin I was showing off thanks to Mingi, "But please, keep talking. I bet you've had a lot of success with other girls with lines like that one. We only yawn when we're super fascinated."
The look on his face changed at that, the smirk melting into a scowl as I turned to join Mingi who still had his arm slung across the back of my chair.
"I wouldn't even dream of touching her if I were you, Jaehyun," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. I held my breath as I fought back the blush threatening to surface, to show off my hammering heart, as I faced Abyss' inner circle.
"And why is that?" another one ventured.
"Because she's already claimed," Mingi answered coolly, making pride well up within me as my heart actually skipped a beat. He had my back. We had a deal. And if this went according to plan, I had delivered on my end of it.
"You don't steal the king's sword. You don't touch it unless you want heads to roll."
A/N:
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That was all for this week's updates, everyone! I really hope you enjoyed reading along - Cara <33