Devil's Paramour
--Three Years Earlier--
“Take a deep breath.” the calm voice ordered of me. I did, inhaling deeply and releasing a shaky breath. The sweat was slowly trailing down my forehead and the need to scream was brimming to the service.
This was supposed to be my biggest project yet. I was a professional and this was a challenge. The though of failing made my knees weak. But the reason why I might fail made my heart stop. Chen's hand was smoothing over my back as I calmed down. With Lu Han's permission I'd left his house to go meet with a friend. That friend was my cousin and the moment we sat down in his car together I started hyperventilating. I didn't want to do this anymore.
I was falling in love with this man.
Lu Han was complicated yet so simple. He was beautifully bruised. There were very dark parts to him, parts I'm sure he kept locked away. But he was also so beautiful it hurt. Lu Han was broken in so many ways but he managed to tape himself together. There were cracks that showed; after all he wasn't an expert in hiding his emotions. But he managed it well enough to run his business of drugs and he was strong enough and smart enough to continue expanding beyond his own country.
He was amazing with me. It scared me now. The way he touched me, the way he looked at me and smiled at me it felt like something I'd felt before. Something I couldn't shake in my soul. When he kissed me now, when he whispered in to my ear...
Lu Han loved me. He honestly loved me and trusted me. I was the biggest lie that ever lived.
“You can do this.” Chen's voice brought me back out of my warped mind. But I couldn't. Lu Han was rich and an part of the underworld like I was, but he was innocent. I was a devil that tempted him. How had he fallen for all of my lies? My sweet and twisted Lu Han.
“Just keep going. You're doing well, he trusts you and soon enough you'll find what you're looking for.” that was the problem though. Lu Han trusted me and I was lying. What part of that was me doing well? I was going to hurt a person who showed me such sincerity.
“Jongdae,” I sighed, “I can't.”
My cousin frowned and asked, “You can't find it? It's okay you'll find some kind of clue soon enough.”
“No!” I screamed. The feeling of losing my sanity came to mind, “I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this! I just want-”
I lost my breath and covered my own mouth in shock. I'd almost said that out loud. If my father was present he would've slapped me so hard.
What did I want? I just want to be with him. I wanted Lu Han, really wanted him, to be mine. Chen's glare was irritating me. He was judging me and he had no right to. I'd seen him with her, I'd seen them when he through I hadn't. Whoever she was, he was keeping her hidden from the rest of us for his own reasons. He had no right to judge me like that.
Chen pinched the bridge of his nose and I felt the hand on my back pat me lightly.
“Minseok. You know it's not possible. I'm sorry, but it's just not.” Chen sounded sad, and I took back the harsh words I'd thought of. He felt compassion for me, not judgment.
The full waterworks were happening then and I held my face in my hands. Lu Han would be so hurt, he'd be so angry and so lost. I clutched at my chest because it felt like my heart was breaking.
“Look just...keep going. You can't pull out now. You'll throw away all of your hard work.” my cousin did his best to encourage me and comfort me. His words made me laugh.
“Yeah cuz I've worked so fucking hard. He fucking pampers me like a princess and fucks me like he's taking my virginity every night. Four months now and all I've found was that he likes to give blow jobs in the shower. Jongdae I'm not getting anywhere! All I'm doing is letting him take care of me and fucking falling love with him!” my voice grew louder and I cried harder. I didn't want to say it out loud, but I couldn't help it. I felt it in my bones, when I thought about him and I remembered I was supposed to betray him in the end.
“Jongdae, I love him. I fucking love him. I don't want to do this anymore.” my cry was broken and my vision was blurred by my warm tears. Right then I desired to go home to Lu Han and beg him to run away with me. We'd hide away from my family, I had enough skills to find a job somewhere anywhere. We could go to a country where they spoke a language neither of us did. I wanted Lu Han to myself, I didn't want my family involved and I didn't want to hurt him.
I yelped when Chen grabbed my face and force me to look at him. “That's too bad Minseok. You have to do this. We've all had to do things we didn't want to. You think you were the only one who wanted to leave the family behind? Suck it up. I'm sorry you can't be with him, I truly am.”
“If I disappear with him, do you think my father would be mad?” my voice was small. But my heart wasn't giving up. Lu Han was all I could think about.
Chen scoffed, “Furious. You might as well stab him in the back.”
Right. My father had put his life on the line for me to get back in. Technically I'd left the family, and once you were out you never got back in. But my father had knelt before my grandfather and begged on my behalf. And my grandfather had the right to kill my father because I went back on my word. But he showed mercy while being cruel at the same time. I was back in; and God himself didn't have the power to take me from them. If I were to run away, I might as well insult my father to his face.
Lu Han. He was probably waiting for me, probably stressed out and he needed me to hold him and let his worries to be relieved.
“You're going to calm down, clean yourself and go back to him. You will be fine.” Chen removed his hands from my face and started to drive while I wiped away the wetness from my pink cheeks and tried to collect myself. By the time we arrived around the corner from Lu Han's I was done crying and sniffling but my eyes were still red and puffy. I'd lie to him about it, that wasn't hard to lie about.
“You'll be fine. Stay strong. I expect a call tomorrow.” my cousin warned as I climbed out of the car. I was about to close the door when he called to me one more time.
“Don't you forget.” he warned. Those words made me sick to my stomach. I shut the door and he took off. I was left a few feet away from the entrance to the luxurious apartments. Lu Han chose to live in the suburbs of Beijing, in a very comfortable apartment with floor to ceiling glass windows. I took a deep breath and made my way in, punching in the usual code and heading to the elevator.
Don't you forget Minseok.
He lived on the 8th floor, apartment 860. That made his place the last door in the hallway.
I had my own key, and I let myself in like usual. His apartment was well lit, the large windows letting all the sunlight of the afternoon in. Not sure if he was awake yet, I did my best to keep quiet and put down a shopping bag Chen had handed to me as a cover. I'd after all gone out to see a friend. I checked the contents quickly and smiled happily. Chen had supplied me with an array of lotions and massaging oils. When I plucked one out I read the label carefully and realized it was massage oil...that was supposed to turn you on.
That bastard.
Soft footsteps caught my attention and I dropped the bottle back into the bag and set it all on the kitchen's bar. And around the corner came my target. He wore only gray sweat pant and they rode low on his hips, revealing most of his happy trail. He was yawning and scratching at his midnight black hair as he walked in, and I could see his newest ink on the underside of his forearm; A black beautiful verse in cursive with a red thin string wrapping in and out of the words. They were in Chinese, but I was able to translate it easily:
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet; regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
When Lu Han spotted me his eyes widened and he pulled me in to a tight embrace. I was smothered with his lips and I slightly moaned as his tongue pushed in to my mouth. “What took you so long?” he growled and his hands found their way down to grope my ass.
“I told you I was going to see my friend, I bought a few things while I was out.” I held him back and relaxed in to his embrace. Lu Han always smelled like cigarettes, even after he's showered or slept for hours. I kissed his neck and pulled back to look him in the eye. He saw that I'd been crying, and I saw the black bags forming under his eyes.
“What happened?” he asked with a deadly tone. Already I could see him mind running with ideas on how to get back at whoever had harmed me. He had a bad temper, Lu Han did, and he had a very intense imagination when it came to torture. Though he'd never laid a hand on me like that. I'd seen him personally be rough with his employees, scream till his veins popped out and smacked them around until he was satisfied. But I'd never been touched in that way while dating him. He was tender with me, sweet and gentle.
“Just had a small fight with my friend. But we resolved it, everything's fine.” I assured him and then traced the dark circles under his eyes softly. “Are you okay?”
Lu Han sighed and hugged me again, his hands were still on my ass and I could feel his fingers roaming in ward to start molesting me. He had quite the appetite after a long and busy day.
“I'm fucking pissed. That's whats wrong.” he said while starting to suck on the skin between my ear and jaw. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt content. “Idiots in Korea let one of my shipments out of their sights and some whore got a hold of it.”
My lips fell open and I shuddered as Lu Han slipped his hands beyond my jeans and massaged my bare ass, spreading my cheeks and fingering what he wanted. My body reacted like usual, my throat starte realeasing please sounds and my dick started to harden. I could already feel Lu Han's erection through his sweatpants.
“Then that stupid whore sold my shipment and thought he'd get away with it. And do you know what my men said when I told them to go after that whore?” Lu Han's breath ghosted over my ear. I dug my nails in to his back when I felt a small intrusion in my entrance. As my head fell back Lu Han took the opportunity to kiss and suck at my expanded neck, leaving saliva trails and blowing over them to make me shiver. “They said they'd probably never find it. They told me to get over it. Can you fucking believe that little baozi?” He started to slowly push his one finger in and out of me while leaving a mark with his mouth under my jaw.
I was too turned on by him to answer, so I brought my head back up to kiss him to silently ask him to take me to the bedroom already. He pulled his hands out of my jeans and picked me up by the thighs, my ankles crossing behind his back and he carried me to where I wanted to go.
He let me go to the bed, stripping as I went and laying on the bed to wait for him. I watched him pull his sweat pants off and throw them to the side, stroking himself as he took in the sight of me on display for him. Lu Han had so many tattoos. An Indian tiger, a Chinese dragon, skulls and roses, and so many quotes in Mandarin. I liked to trace the Aztec design he had covering the left side of his chest and weaving on to his arm, and I always kissed the face of the dragon that touched the back of his right shoulder.
Lu Han jumped on to the bed, walking on the soft mattress till he stood over me, his erection stood upright and touched his stomach, bouncing slightly as he came down to his knees on top of me. He held my face, and kissed me lightly before whispering, “Can I be a bit rough today? Just a little?” he was requesting it of me. Asking for my permission. I loved him. The small nod of my head was all he needed to grin down at me. I was flipped on to my front, thighs spread wide and chest shoved in to the mattress so my ass was perky and in the air. Lu Han tongued my hole and then forced two finger in aggressively. The stretch felt good; being with Lu Han always felt amazing to me. And I moved my hips to meet his digits and moaned for him.
He didn't prep me for too long, as he'd said it would be a little rough this time. But he kissed my shoulder as he pushed in and I could feel his panting breath on my back and his fingers holding my waist. I felt full with him, cherished and loved. He fucked hard that day, and I enjoyed it. When he pulled out I felt a burn that wasn't normal for me and I liked that I could still feel his presence later in the day. He turned me over to suck me off, let me come in his mouth.
Lu Han was my target. He was the man I was robbing. I was going to take every penny he was worth.
His arms circled my waist and I sighed in content. “I think I'd go insane if it weren't for you Xiumin.”
Don't you forget, my mind echoed, we only work with and for the family. Don't you forget that.
My fingers traced the Aztec tattoo on his chest, following the thick black lines until they teased his dusty nipple slightly. When I pinched the sensitive bud hard Lu Han hissed and pushed me on to my back. He hovered above me with glaring eyes. But I wasn't afraid. My Lu Han meant me no harm.
Lu Han's eyes searched mine and his thumb traced my lips.
“Will you ever leave me Xiumin?”
My heart. Could he hear it? I didn't want to do this anymore. I wanted him to be mine, truly mine.
Don't you forget.
“No.” I lied, “If you don't leave me.”
Lu Han gave me a small smile and kissed my nose, “I'll never leave you.”
But I would have to. It was family. Lu Han was my target and I was working for my family. I could never have him, I had to betray him. He was a wealthy tree, and as as a Kim I was expected to carve money out of him. That was my job, my life. Nothing could stop me.
I pulled him down to lay next to me, resting my head on the side of his chest with the Indian tiger with flames. There was the press of his lips to my closed eyelids and I held on to him tight. I didn't want to do this. But I had to. Because it was for my family and family was all that mattered.
When I felt his breath even out I opened my eyes to watch him sleep. Even in his dreams Lu Han was fierce, worried and dangerous looking. His rugged black hair matched the dark bruising under his eyes. Even when he was unconscious Lu Han was guarded and looked like he was ready to yell. My Lu Han was precious, he was perfect and I loved him.
--Present--
The inside of my eyelids were pink, which meant the sun was high in the sky when I woke up. I was laying on my side and I could feel my arm that was tucked under my head was going numb. Turning over I was met with a sight I hadn't seen in five years.
Kris, asleep next to me.
His features were so soft when he slept, no trace of anger or worry. Was this really the man who'd abused me? Hit me a million times and then told me he hated me? This man, this helpless boy laying beside me, this was the monster who kept me prisoner?
Kris stirred awake and I felt myself shrink back. His eyes cracked open and immediately looked at me. He didn't say anything and neither did I. Wasn't sure if there really was anything to say. He'd decided on his own to move in to my room two nights ago. He'd had to wrestle me in to the bed every night, jabbed me a few times in the ribs to make me stay down and fall asleep. I didn't want to be in the same room with him. I felt like I was suffocating already. There was no escape.
And although it had been two nights already with him in the same bed, every time I woke up he was already up and getting dressed. But not this morning. This morning I'd seen him asleep and it had looked so familiar and so adorable I'd almost felt myself let go.
“Get up and shower.” he whispered and turned on to his stomach to hug the pillow beneath his head.
“No.” I refused to shower. He couldn't make me do anything...so I liked to think. Kris' hand was pulling at my hair in the blink of an eye and I cried out.
“I said go shower you little brat. We're going somewhere today.” he shoved my head back so hard my neck ached. I cursed and massaged my scalp with a pout. Though we'd been in the same room together he still treated me the same as ever. I was property, I was a good fuck, and I didn't mean anything.
He said that, but his actions were strange. Still violent yes, but he did things. Like asked me which tie looked better, and playfully pushed me aside when we were brushing our teeth. The most alarming thing by far was the way he held me after sex. He wasn't going anywhere, he said, so why not just relax after all that work?
It was frustrating the shit out of me.
“Where are we going?” I asked and sat up in bed. When he didn't answer I slammed my palm down on to his back flat and hard. The crisp slapping noise stung me but made Kris yell in surprise and pain. I was grabbed by the throat and pushed out of bed a few seconds later, tumbling to the carpet butt naked and coughing for air. Kris glared at me from the edge of the mattress and pointed to the bathroom as an order. I stuck my tongue at him and sat cross-legged in defiance.
“Lover, stop being an ass and go shower.” he demanded and rolled on to his back, twisting the loose sheets with him. The sunlight made it seem like his skin was glowing and his hair was a halo.
“Oh you don't like ass?” I gasped loudly, “You could've fooled me.”
My keeper started to get up and I scrambled to get in to the bathroom as quick as possible. I heard his heavy footsteps stomping before the bathroom door slammed shut and I locked it. “Don't bother me please, I'm trying to shower!” I projected my voice. After a moment I heard his retreating footsteps and let out a shaky breath.
“Just wanted to know where we were going. Gosh.” I muttered to myself while turning the shower knob and stepping inside.
~ ~ ~
This was a test. I just knew it. Kris was testing me, and if I failed I'd probably get a beating from him.
He sighed tiredly and came to yank on my hand but I didn't budge. Oh this was definitely a test, I was going to ace this test so help me god.
“Get in the car!” he growled with clenched teeth. He yanked hard enough for me to come down one step. I'd showered and gotten ready with him, even helped him pick out a stupid tie like he asked. My expectation was that we'd go out in to the garden or the woods behind his house, even the library. But I found I was led to the very front of the house and right to the entrance. I was hesitant but I continued to follow him.
And parked out front was a sleek black car. It was beautiful and pristine and fucking perfect. It wasn't just any black sports car. It was my McLaren F1, the one gifted to me by my cousin Yesung.
I'd seen it, realized it was the exact same one, and then U-turned to go right back in to the house. Kris was now playing tug or war with my arm and trying to convince me to get in the car with him. This was so a test. He didn't meant it, he wasn't actually trying to take me out in to the public...was he?
“There's not even enough room for us. The back seat is way to tiny and there's only one front seat!” I argued and pulled back. He'd tugged me down to the last two steps of the entrance.
“I had it adjusted! Get in!” Kris grunted and finally picked me off and carried me down the last to steps to put me at the passenger door. He flipped my door up and open before he trudged over to the driver's side and slid in. I gaped at the inside of my long lost baby and made a screeching noise.
“You ruined her! Oh my god you ruined her insides!” I wanted to sob. He hadn't been lying when he said he'd had my car adjusted. My perfect McLaren had two front seats now like a normal boring car and the steering wheel was on the driver's side. She'd been mutated. How could he?
“You are evil.” hissing at him like a cat and still not getting in. Kris glared at me and made a motion to someone behind him. I expected it coming and sure enough Tao was grabbing me by the back of my neck and twisting my arm behind me. I was lowered by force in to the car and my belt was buckled for me. “How come you get to drive? It's my car. Where are we going? Are you driving me to a secluded place to kill me?” I questioned and then cursed when Tao quickly slapped me and shut my door.
“Shut up. I get to drive because I'm in charge and you are still my hostage. We're going shopping because I am throwing a party for my new partner this weekend and no I'm not killing you. Not today.” Kris was about to foam at the mouth. Apparently I'd pushed too many buttons. I was about to spout some more words to get under his skin but the purr of the engine starting made me coo and giggle with glee.
With a few more annoyed eye-rolls tossed between us Kris drove out of the parking lot and on to the road. I as Kris stepped on the gas, my car zooming forward at top speed.
Well. This was going to be an interesting day.