tell me, would you kill to save a life ; 7/14

[januarys_lovers]

Lexie's club looks like any other building in broad daylight. The fantasies die when the sun rises, and it turns back to concrete and plain bricks as reality barges in and clients walk away. There's still something about it though, something that lingers in the air, a hint of uneasiness and of more. The street is desert at its feet, and people seem to hurry when they walk by it. Lexie's role in Port Ville's mob life is no mystery to anyone, but for some reasons, it seems easier to ignore it by night whereas sunlight puts the spotlight on long lists of people who died at the hands of Pavoni's mob.

“Are you ready?” Jongdae asks, his palms pressed on the low wall circling the edge of the club's roof.

Dahye lets out a long sigh next to him. She adjusts her leather belt, fingers mindlessly checking the tiny pockets for her smoke grenades. Jongdae feels her nervousness, thick and tangible, but he can't blame her. He wasn't so sure himself when he came back here after five years, and it was night time. He watches her make sure her costume is in place, her gloved fingers running along the edge of her dark purple cape then checking the mask on her face. She already looked like a bird back then, but five years of being a cop and growing older have given her a tautness and a sharpness that she didn't have before. When she looks up at Jongdae, long hair tied in a tight French braid on the side of her head and unsure eyes blinking every two seconds, he sees what everyone will see. He sees the pointy nose of the mask, he sees the leather, the power sleeping underneath it and the long cape like wings wrapped around her.

“It's going to be okay,” he tells her with a little smile. “I won't let them do anything to you.”

She throws him a judging look as she finally pulls up her hood. Darkness falls over her face, covering everything but her deep eyes and the sharpness of her nose.

“I don't need you to protect me,” she retorts.

Jongdae smiles at her remark before drawing back his attention on the small alley beneath them. He pulls up his own hood, senses spreading around him. Going out as Alpha in broad daylight is unusual and overwhelming, but he tries his best to block out the sound of two millions of people going on with their daily life by focusing on the club.

“Okay,” he says. “Let's do this.”

He hops on the low wall, a palm still pressed on it, fingers catching vibrations and low thrumming, and he jumps forward. The emptiness sucks him in, and he irremediably falls down. It lasts barely a couple of second, but the wind howling in his ears and the flapping of his cape above his head send a rush of adrenaline in his body. It wipes away the weariness weighing down on his muscles and sends a new jolt of energy through him. Something tells him he'll need it.

“Show off,” Dahye mutters far above his head, and Jongdae holds back a chuckle.

He hears her jump off the roof onto the fire escape stairs, but he keeps his attention on the metal door facing him. His conscience immediately slips through it before blooming in the room on the other side. There are two heartbeats. Jongdae didn't expect less.

Dahye finally lands next to him, still as graceful as she ever was. The cape flutters around her and finally falls over her black shoes. They exchange a glance, then Dahye nods at the door.

“Let's go,” she says.

Jongdae takes in a lungful of air. Once last look towards the street behind them to make sure that no one is watching, then he walks to the door. Dahye's cape ruffles behind him, and leather cracks. Jongdae knows she's fighting herself to refrain from grabbing a weapon, but showing up armed would only make the whole thing more complicated. He braces himself, electricity buzzing in his fingers and skin over sensitive because of the power crawling under it, and he pushes the door open.

Guns click, hollow barrels aiming straight at them. Jongdae and Dahye both stop as two of Lexie's men squint at them, fingers disturbingly close to the triggers. Jongdae picks up Dahye's heart speeding up, but she remains calm and neutral. Everything is still and silent for a minute, the air thick and palpable, and the artificial lights piercing Jongdae's irises and setting fire to his optical nerves.

“They're here, M'am,” one of the guards say.

Jongdae can't help a little smile as crackles and waves answers to the man's husky voice. Baekhyun's voice blooms against his eardrum, probably even louder than it does in the man's earpiece, a soft bring them here laced with seriousness but with that same hint of playfulness Baekhyun always carries around. Lexie sure did choose her right man well as they both always look and sound like they're enjoying a good game of chest with actual humans as their pawns. Jongdae briefly wonders on which case he and Dahye currently are on their huge chess board.

The men lower their guns, and Jongdae glances at Dahye. She catches his eyes and relaxes at the slight nod he gives her.

“Follow me,” the man orders.

He turns on his heels and walks to the door without a single look over his shoulder. The second man though is as watchful as his colleague seems not to care, and his greyish eyes don't leave neither Jongdae nor Dahye as they follow suit. He stays firm, his hands tightly wrapped around his gun, and under the kilos of muscles he's wearing, his heart doesn't miss a beat. Jongdae glances over his shoulder when he and Dahye step out of the kitchens, and he catches the man's face through the portholes of the flapping doors. The man's eyes are still on them, calculating and metallic. He waits until they reach the turn in the corridor to finally turn around and aim his gun at the kitchens' back door.

Jongdae draws back his attention on the guard leading them to the main room. The silence is odd, almost disturbing. He's used to female singers hypnotizing the audience with mesmerizing voices and carefully written lyrics, he's used to chattering and glasses clinking together, but even though he does catch a lot of activity - mostly heartbeats and soles hitting the ground - it is nowhere near the life usually nesting there. He and Dahye exchange another glance before they are stopped in front of another double door. The guard looks into their face, slightly frowning at the masks and the hoods, and he finally steps away before using a very large palm to push the door open.

Jongdae steps into the hall, immediately followed by Dahye. The man closes the door behind them.

The place is surprisingly similar to what Jongdae is used to, even though it feels somewhat bigger now that it's not crowded with Port Ville's golden privileged people, but the tables are still there, just like the red candles and the neatly aligned fancy alcohol bottles. There's gold, red velvet and wood beautifully splattered all over the oval room, and the same aura from another time lurks behind every pillar. It is not filled with laughter though, and no one is celebrating, and that is probably the most disturbing difference - along with the lack of gold on Lexie's eyelids.

She looks up when Jongdae and Dahye enter the room, and her expression changes to one of delight and content. Her nude lips, which were twitching into a snarl a second before, now open on white teeth. Dimples press against the softness of her cheeks, and her smile reaches her eyes, thus softening the sharp blue of her irises. No matter how wide her grin is though, she is no club host today, she isn't here to entertain, and she wears this certainty as her armour. Her curves, usually emphasized with tight dresses, almost disappear under the soft waves of a sober black jumpsuit, and the only touches of colours on her attire are the golden chain belt on her hips and her high heels. Her long curly hair has been straightened then drawn back and tied up in a very strict looking ponytail with a gold ring in lieu of a hairband. Every hint of innocence she usually makes sure to highlight by night are long gone, from the roundness of her cheeks to the freckles sprinkling her face, and even her almond-shaped eyes have lost their softness. They take in Jongdae and Dahye, red liquid eyeliner sharpening their outer corners. Today, Lexie Wright is out for blood.

“Well,” she smiles. “Don't you be shy. Please, come in.”

She gestures at them with the same nail-bitten fingers she's always had, but her gesture is sharper, quicker. She's standing next to the bar, a map on full display before her, and four other men in suit on the other side of the counter. Baekhyun is the only one standing next to her - of course he is - and just like her, he watches Dahye and Jongdae walk closer with the shadow of a smile on his soft lips. They're like negative pictures of each other, Lexie's golden blonde hair clashing with Baekhyun's jet black hair and her dark clothes with his pristine tight suit, but Jongdae notices a hint of red on Baekhyun's eyelids too. Negative pictures, yes, but they both come from the same film.

“Can I say how delighted I am to see that you're also back my dear,” Lexie marvels while she takes in Dahye with a wider smile. She reaches out, takes Dahye's gloved hand between her tiny one and lifts it up to her mouth to press a soft kiss on its back. “Now that there's two of us, I'm considerably less worried about the fate of this city.”

Dahye doesn't answer anything, but she flashes Lexie a light smile. The latter finally draws her attention on Jongdae, and the quiet power that was thickening the air around her when she was talking to Dahye dies out as she throws a flirty smile his way. She's always been different with Dahye, but in the end, it's all just masks and layers on layers.

“It's the second time you come to seek my help, friend. Because that is what you're doing here, isn't it? Do you have something for me other than your muscles clasped in tight leather?”

“Cut the games, Lexie, this is serious.”

Her eyes narrow at him, the thick blood coloured winged eyeliner on her eyelids standing out even more, but she doesn't say anything. Jongdae makes out a slight acceleration of her henchmen's heartbeats but he knows he's not the one scaring them. Lexie straightens, her cold metallic eyes looking into Jongdae's face, or at least into what she can catch under the hood and the mask, without blinking once.

“Of course it is,” she purrs, but everything in her tone is ice and danger.

The air thickens around them, but Jongdae keeps his eyes glued to Lexie's.

“What do you know?” he asks her.

She lets out a little chuckle that Jongdae can't make out as mocking or, but Lexie doesn't let him the time to solve the riddle anyway. She presses her palm on the map, small fingers spread over thin lines that Jongdae recognizes to be the Bottoms borders.

“I don't know much more than the police does,” Lexie tells him, and the slightly longer look she has for Dahye makes Jongdae uneasy. “They evacuated the Bottoms, but civilians who tried to go with them were shot on sight. Thorne has his mercenaries on the streets and bridges. He also has Do Insung's boy and the Mayor's wife somewhere on that island, which means that no one is gonna risk entering it.”

Dahye and Jongdae exchange a glance. In a few sentences only Lexie managed to sum up pretty much the entire phone conversation Dahye shared with Frank earlier. Thorne wasn't kidding on TV, and he definitely has the resources to keep the police away from the Bottoms so for now, according to Frank, their top priority is finding the bombs hidden in Port Ville. Back-up bomb-disposal experts are coming from all over the country, and civilians have been asked to stay at home as much as possible. As for the Bottoms? Frank let out long sigh that Jongdae caught through the phone pressed against Dahye's cheek and said something everyone probably relates to. Man, this is chaos.

“The military will probably come sooner or later,” Lexie continues. “But there are hundreds of people living in the Bottoms, and who knows what fucked up black up plan Thorne has up his sleeves.”

She smiles at them, barely a shadow but still wild enough for her to look like she's going to jump at their throats anytime.

“But that's not my business,” she says. “My only priority is to have Thorne killed.”

Baekhyun snaps his fingers, and the four other men immediately reach out. They bump into each other but hastily roll the map away with shaky fingers. Dahye steps forwards.

“Hey!” she protests, but her protest dies out in the back of his throat as Baekhyun situates himself just between her and the counter, his broad shoulders blocking the view. She glares at him.

“Here's what I know,” Lexie says, and her voice has definitely lost all hints of playfulness. “Thorne killed Beaulieu on TV today, and even though I can't say I'm mad the French bourgeois is gone, we can't have such things happening in Port Ville. This is our city, and by blowing Beaulieu's brains out, Thorne messed up with the oldest rule here, which is respect.”

She hisses the word with a barely muffled anger glistening in her eyes. She raises her index finger to shut all possible protest and her eyes go from Dahye to Jongdae. He can see now, the killer under the flirty smile and the beauty, he can see the teeth and claws under the freckles and the curves. He finally has something figured out about her, which is how she ended up being Pavoni's most trusted lieutenant.

“I've convinced Pavoni to step up,” she says. “Because we can't have a crazy man like Thorne ruling over our city. He has no rules, no honour, and this isn't how things work here.”

Dahye opens her mouth, and Jongdae can already feel her bite and sarcasm, but he stops her by pressing an arm against her stomach as he steps forward.

“You convinced Pavoni to step up?” he repeats. “Where is Pavoni right now, Lexie?”

Her fulminating eyes soften considerably when they fall on Jongdae again, until she finally lets out a delighted chuckle.

“What time is it, Baekhyun, my dear?” she asks without blinking away from Jongdae.

Baekhyun checks his watch, silver matching with the pale skin of his wrist.

“Eight and a half,” he says in a low voice only meant for Lexie. She smiles like she's the only who heard it.

“Eight and a half,” she repeats. “So Pavoni just arrived in the Bottoms with our men.”

“What?” Dahye frowns. “But how did you -” She then freezes and glances at Jongdae before drawing back her attention on Baekhyun and Lexie. “With your men? There's going to be a gang war in the Bottoms!”

“Yes indeed,” Baekhyun nods with a pleased smile.

“Why do you care?” Lexie intervenes. “People are likely to die in the Bottoms anyway. If it's not because of Thorne's shenanigans, it'll be because of that hard drug running in the streets or because they'll be randomly murdered on their way back home. Isn't stopping Thorne more important?”

“That's - that's complete rubbish!” Dahye pants, her breath shorter because of her anger. She turns towards Jongdae, her eyes begging him to say something, but Jongdae stays calm. If they want a chance to stop Thorne, they have to get into the Bottoms. And Lexie is the key.

“Have you sent enough men to stop him and his mercenaries?” he questions.

His question has Lexie smiling broadly while Dahye curses under her breath glaring at Jongdae. The latter stays focused on Lexie's azure eyes though, and on the multiple things they're flashing at him. Mischief, pleasure, delight, and something like amusement. She slightly pouts at him.

“Come on, my friend, don't try to play smart with me,” she simpers. “Ask what you really want to ask.”

Dahye frowns, but Jongdae breathes in.

“Alright. Will you be sending backup?”

Lexie's smile widens while Dahye snaps her attention back on her.

“Of course,” she says.

“When?”

“Tonight.”

“How?” Dahye asks, and Lexie answers to her with a soft, oddly caring smile.

“Ask what you really want to ask,” she repeats.

“We want in,” Dahye then says.

Lexie chuckles. She glances at Baekhyun over her shoulders, and he looks back at her with his deep black eyes. Once again, Jongdae can't help but feel like they're sharing a huge inside joke that leaves him and Dahye out, something that would be funny at their expense. His skin prickles with uneasiness as he pictures strings tying his limbs to Lexie's soft, small hands.

“That wasn't a question, dear,” Lexie smiles at Dahye.

“Great,” Dahye snaps back. “Because I don't ask.”

Baekhyun muffles a snicker between his long fingers as he pretends to scratch the delicate looking skin above his upper lip. The air stills around them for a moment, and even Lexie's men behind the bar look uneasy. Jongdae cautiously steps closer to Dahye, powers gathering in his fingers. If Lexie considers Dahye to have put even a toe on the line, things will get messy. His eyes go from Baekhyun and Lexie, who are the biggest threats in the room, and he wonders which one he should take down first. Baekhyun, assassin wonder and master at stopping hearts, would be the most obvious reason, but if Jongdae has learned something during the years he spent dealing with Lexie is that nothing is ever obvious with her.

“Come on,” Lexie finally tells him. “Don't go all stereotypical on her. Your friend can defend herself.” She looks at Dahye. “Can't you, dear?”

“Sure I can,” Dahye hisses between gritted teeth.

Her threat isn't aimed at Jongdae, but at Baekhyun and Lexie, who, for some reasons, looks very delighted. They exchange a look and a flow of wordless information that has Jongdae deeply regretting his power over brains didn't gift him with the ability of thought reading. Dahye glances at him and he flashes her the shadow of a smile. She makes the last step towards him. Their shoulders bump, the vinyl of their capes brush and ruffle and in the silence of the club, it's the most comforting sounds Jongdae has ever heard.

“Great,” Lexie finally says. “You're in. We're leaving from the docks tonight at nine o'clock sharp.” She raises a hand, curls her fingers in the air in a silent order that has the four men tensing. “Mr. Winick here will give you the exact address.” (Said Mr. Winick almost stabs himself in the eye by hastily drawing out his pen from his front pocket.)

“What's the deal?” Jongdae cautiously asks. Dahye's heart is speeding up, her excitation almost tangible, but Jongdae would rather not get ahead of himself, specifically not with Lexie Wright.

“The deal?” she chuckles. “We have a secure boat and a safe way to the Bottoms and I am giving you a chance to do what's right and save all those people you never met but for some reason deeply care about, and you ask me what the deal is?”

“Yes,” Jongdae nods, his voice a bit harsher than what he aimed for. “There's always a deal with you, Lexie.”

“There's no deal, love. You do your thing, and I do mine, is all. I am just taking care of our friendship here, boy. You do remember I came to your memorial service, don't you? Don't make me go to another one.”

Jongdae hears the quiet threat laced all over her words, the invisible guns she has aiming at him and the blades she'll have pressing against his throat if he does as much as try to stop her gang from lashing out at Thorne. Baekhyun's surprisingly wide smile makes it pretty clear who will have the pleasure to end Jongdae's life if he were to get under their feet. Jongdae glances at Dahye, and he meets her eyes already watching him. She's frowning, way too smart to have missed the silent threat herself, and it's obvious that she's now considering the proposition. Jongdae knows what she is thinking. It’s probably their only chance to reach the Bottoms without arousing suspicion. They'll improvise once they'll be on the island. If there's a gang war, they both have to be there, for the people. They'll figure something out if Lexie's crew gets a little too overwhelming.

Dahye comes to the same conclusion, because she gives a little sigh and faintly nods.

“Great!” Lexie chirps, raising both her hands in thin air. She opens her mouth to add something, but a sudden clatter coming from the kitchens interrupts her.

Baekhyun immediately steps forward, muscles tense and eyes cold and focused on the double doors as more loud rattling sounds erupt in the kitchens, but he doesn't draw out any weapons. You never see Baekhyun coming, and that's one of the things that make him so dangerous. Lexie, now safe behind Baekhyun's body, doesn't look the slightest scared. It's actually quite the opposite, because the smile she has when looking at the double door makes her look like she's just won the lottery. Jongdae and Dahye whirl around as the four men all draw out their guns, barrels aiming at the door.

Saucepans hit the floor in an explosive high sound that blocks Jongdae's hearing out of the room. He winces, tries to navigate through the clatter, but all he gets are more dishes falling and maybe indistinct groans. Until the silence finally comes back.

Dahye's storm bombs clink between her fingers as she pulls one out from her belts. Jongdae glances at her gloved fingers handling it with ease, and ready to throw them at whoever will walk through that door. He draws back his focus on the portholes and narrows his eyes at them.

That's when he hears it. The slow, regular, so steady, heartbeat. Jongdae feels his insides turn to lead, and his breath dies in the back of his throat as the oxygen in his lungs freezes. He opens his mouth but only manages a breathless croak that no one can hear. The double door violently swings open, and the guard who led them in the room earlier enters. Blood trickles from his left eyebrow and his chin is covered with the same red liquid coming from his exploded lips. He's as tall as he was earlier, as broad and buff, but now that Sehun is walking next to him, one of his blades pressed against his throat and his masked face focused on Lexie with cold determination, the guard looks almost small and weak. He's holding a broken wrist against his chest, and he whimpers when Sehun abruptly stops him with a tug.

Sehun slides the blade under his sleeve with a quick flick of his wrist, and he then uses his free palm to press against the guard's throat. A strong, but just as quick, blow of his knee behind the man's thighs as the latter falling to his knees. His massive body hits the ground with so much violence that Jongdae hears his kneecaps crack and break.

Sehun wipes his hands, and looks up at them, the darkness covering his face thick enough to drown his features. He stops his gaze on Lexie and spreads his arms on each side before putting a foot before him and bowing down, his body so sleek and graceful. Jongdae‘s heart crashes against his ribcage.

Lexie chuckles.

“Well, this is how you make an entrance,” she smiles. “Am I right, Baekhyun?”

“It was spectacular,” Baekhyun agrees with a dull voice, the tension gone from his body. He glances at the guard still on the floor. “And very useful too. I think it might be time for a change in our staff.”

The man whimpers but immediately shuts up when Sehun glances at him.

“What - What are you doing here...?” Dahye asks in a small voice that has nothing to do with the bold and strong one she threw at Lexie earlier.

Sehun's head snaps towards her, and it's so easy to picture the look on his face now, the disdain, the coldness and the anger. There was a time when Jongdae could only picture smiles and huge beams on Sehun's face, and five years of mourning never ever altered those images. This Sehun has done it, in less than a few hours.

The blade slips out of Sehun's sleeve, straight into his palm, and Jongdae tenses. Sehun glances at him before hanging the blade in one the leather holsters he wears around his thighs.

“I'm not here to talk to you,” he groans at Dahye. “But to her.”

He nods towards Lexie, whose smile only broadens.

“Please, do talk, Mr... Hood,” she says.

Her voice is delighted, full of mischief again, but there's a slight drop on the hood name that Jongdae fully grasps. He looks into her face, and tries, for the umpteenth time, to read through her, but he can't break her walls. Something tells him that, once again, she knows much more than she's willing to give away. Behind her, Baekhyun glares at the four men who all lower their guns with a jolt.

“I wanna be in,” Sehun says, in his detached, neutral voice. “You can make me work for you, I don't care. I just want Thorne.”

“No.”

Sehun looks at Jongdae, just like everyone else does in the room, most of them surprised - Dahye - and others definitely amused - Lexie. It came out before Jongdae even thought about protesting, but he can't say he regrets it. Feeling Sehun's eyes on him makes him uncomfortable, and it also hurts as Sehun's furious gaze from earlier echoes with the once loving one he had for him in his mind, but Jongdae doesn't look away, no matter how much he wants to.

Five years ago, Sehun convinced them to split up so they would cover more ground. Five years ago, Sehun had his first one-to-one meeting with Thorne. Five years ago, Sehun died. Him being there, flesh and bones, doesn't change a thing. It's quite the contrary actually. Jongdae isn't about to make the same mistakes all over again no matter how much Sehun loathes him now.

“No?” Sehun repeats, mocking.

Jongdae holds his gaze for as long as he can, hoping that Sehun can read his reasons in his pupils, and he watches, desperately, as he looks for a hint of something on Sehun's posture. Maybe it happens in the darkness under the hood, or on the lips covered by the mask, but Sehun doesn't give anything away. His posture is still straight, so still, and he looks back at Lexie, completely dismissing Jongdae's protest.

Lexie raises her fingers, and Baekhyun immediately turns around. He looks at Mr. Winick who raises an eyebrow, confused. Baekhyun sighs, grabs the pen and write something on a waiter notepad lying around on the counter. Winick startles when Baekhyun puts back the pen in his pocket with a sharp gesture. He then turns around and slips the paper between Lexie's fingers. She smiles and holds it out to Sehun.

“Lexie,” Jongdae thunders.

“Come on,” she smiles at him while Sehun walks to her. “Don't be a party-popper and share with your friends, would you?”

She looks back at Sehun who snatches the piece of paper and glances at it. He looks up at her and she winks at him, dimples making their grand comeback on her cheeks. Sehun shoves the note in his pocket and turns on his heels.

“Please,” Jongdae starts as he takes a first step towards Sehun. “Don't, just... Let us fix this mess, and then we'll talk okay? We... need to talk.”

Sehun glances at him through the darkness under his hood. Jongdae only makes out the long strands of silky jet black hair falling over Sehun's eyes. His body is still, and his heartbeat is cold, slow, regular... distant. He looks away and walks to the front door without a single glance over his shoulder. His palm presses against the door with a soft thud, and sunlight floods the club when he steps outside. Jongdae watches the doors swing close feeling like his heart has just been ripped out of his chest.

“I like him,” Lexie says. She turns towards Baekhyun, glances at him and finally draws back her attention on her men. “We'll call him the Hood from now on. It fits him.”

“Yes it does!” one of the men immediately says a bit too enthusiastically.

He blushes hard under Lexie's gaze, stutters an apology and looks down until she finally chuckles, shaking her head.

“I think that concludes our meeting here,” Baekhyun says.

Understanding that he is speaking on Lexie’s behalf, Jongdae and Dahye exchange a glance. They shouldn't push their luck, so Jongdae takes the piece of paper Baekhyun holds out for him and turns on his heels, towards the kitchens. Dahye is silent behind him, and he knows what she is thinking. He can hear her heart beating erratically and her breath a little rasped against the back of her throat. He doesn't feel as assured himself.

“The more the merrier,” Lexie says behind them, and this stops Jongdae dead in his tracks.

I knew you wouldn't be able to resist your past calling you, she had said when he came to her a couple of days ago. He remembers his own shock at hearing her confirming Thorne was behind everything, but he also remembers the confusion flashing through her eyes when he mentioned Thorne. He thinks about her dimples, her smile as she gave Sehun the address, and realization washes over him like frozen water.

“You knew,” he croaks out. Dahye glances at him, confused, but Jongdae turns to Lexie.

She looks up at him and hums, questioning.

“That's why you sent me to those thieves instead of giving me anything on Thorne. You knew he would be there too.”

Dahye's head snaps to Lexie so fast that Jongdae hears her spine cracks. He keeps his attention on the smile and the dimples though.

“Do you remember the toast I made?” Lexie asks him.

To friends who never die.

Jongdae's heart misses a beat and burning anger floods his veins. He takes a first step towards Lexie, his fists clenching, but Baekhyun immediately steps up and slips a hand under his jacket. Behind him and Lexie, the four men are aiming at Jongdae. Dahye gasps and grabs Jongdae's arm to force him to stop.

Lexie's smile only widens.

“Listen, I don't know what games you're playing,” Jongdae hisses at her. “But -”

“Of course you don't,” Lexie cuts him before he can say anything else. Her smile dies out and her face changes to a softer look, a more serious and bared one. For the first time, Jongdae feels like he's finally looking at her, without the masks, the layers. The only problem is that he still doesn't get what he's seeing.

“Of course you don't,” she repeats in a soft, light voice. She gives him another smile and turns back to the counter and the map that she unfolds.

Baekhyun doesn't move, his black eyes glued to Jongdae, and Dahye tugs harder on his arm.

“Come on,” she whispers. “Let's get out of here. We got what we wanted, it's the only thing that matters.”

Jongdae and Baekhyun stare at each other, Baekhyun's long fingers still buried beneath his jacket, and the air thick around him. For all the power Jongdae has, this is the only man he wouldn't be so sure to defeat, but no matter how much he feels like trying, Dahye is right. Much more important things are happening in the Bottoms right now. People are dying and a gang war could happen any minute. It already kills him to wait until the night to go there, but it's their only chance. So Jongdae breathes in and out slowly, locks his anger away and turns around. He pulls away from Dahye's grip and walks through the kitchens doors. Dahye trails after him, then hops forward to be at his level. She takes his hand and grips it tight.

When they enter the kitchens and stumble upon the first guard lying in a puddle of blood on the white tiled floor, her grip becomes so tight that it's almost painful.

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