King Of Hearts

Chapter 9

Taehyung

Thick smoke from the authentic cuban cigar blends with a frost that floods the cold room. While appreciating its smoothness, he sits in a secluded chair with his body leaning forward, elbows to knees. "My brother always says never make business personal."

Taehyung slowly walks towards a hanging figure. "But you friend made it that way. You talk too much and too much talking can cause a lot of attention. Which jeopardizes my money."

"Pl-...Please-...I-...I..."

The broken syllables of his plead have no effect. Taehyung feels no remorse or empathy. What he needed was a distraction. Rage and jealousy grips onto his soul whenever he pictures you in the arms of another.

Thoughts of you fill his dreams almost each night. Memories of your moans, the sweet taste of your juices and the blissful look on your face when you came. As if you're a drug Taehyung craves you, hating that he has to wait for his next fix.

"Don't worry friend, won't be long now." Taehyung says pressing the cigar into the man's skin. A groan sounds followed soon by the smell of burning flesh. Despite efforts to hide it he's weak. Teetering on the edge of his end. Blood lays in a pool beneath his bruised body, pouring out from where his arms used to be. Taehyung admires his own work knowing he succeeded his goal of making this slow and painful.

"Almost time for you to reunite with your family." Hearing such words causes his eyes double in size clouded by doubt. Taehyung answers the silent question seen within his gaze. "Your mom was quit the woman but your sister was a slut. No offense. Anyway after I finished fucking both of them..." He uses his fingers to make a shooting notion. "Paaaa, straight to the head. Painless. I promise. Didn't seem right they suffer because of a bastard like you."

Taehyung moves to pick up one of the severed hands and slaps the face of the hanging figure, who has turnt a pale color. He stares off with a horrid look as his tears trail with his blood.

All of a sudden someone descends the stairs of the basement. It's his childhood friend Jung Hoseok.

"Why is it fucking freezing i-..." Hoseok looks around noticing the practically lifeless figure. "Shit."

Taehyung drops the limb when he sees a sudden voidness seep into the man's eyes. "What is it?"

"Yoongi is here and he's pissed."

"Why?" Hoseok scratches the back of his neck and avoids Taehyung's gaze leaving an uneasy feeling in the back of his mind. When their eyes meet again, he then notices the guilt the other is desperately trying to hide. "Fuck did you do?"

"Uh...listen...Joon asked how we knew Y/N. But I told him Yoongi was the target."

"And?" Taehyung frowns already not liking the direction of where this was heading.

"He said that he'd put the money down for anyone who permanently could get rid of the guy. Figured since we have a mutual goal and you're into Y/N-"

"I told you-"

"I know...You said to drop it. But what about Y/N? Yoongi needs to be out the picture if you want a shot with her. And plus business would be better with him gone. A win-win for both of us, right?"

Taehyung releases a long breath. It wasn't as if the notion wasn't already on his mind. It could be easily done with one call and like Hoseok said it would improve his business with competition gone. But despite how much he loathes Yoongi, he couldn't bring himself to do it. One could easily think it was out of loyalty, but in reality he knew the decision would hurt you, more than anyone else. That type of guilt was something he did not want to live with. "No." Taehyung says in a quiet tone.

"You alright?"

Was he? Taehyung's soul lingered in a dark place feeling drained as he struggles to reel in whatever fragments of mortality he could still claim. He searches for some kind of anchor to remind him of what good existed in this world. But his only focus is his chaotic thoughts. Why did he have to be this way? Why did he have to be so fucked up? Why can't he have a life similar to the one he often imagines? He's attending college student studying art and you're by his side instead.

It's too late for such dream to ever come true. He's fallen too far down a rabbit hole. Could he ever possibly be anything other than this? A killer. A monster. The devil. A reaper.

His somber mood gets interrupted when something falls on the back of his hand. He looks down seeing drops of water realizing that he's crying?

Each fallen tear carries a piece of his desolate mood suffocated by despair. Despite their relentless falling, he feels little ease to the heaviness in his chest. He hasn't cried since he was a child. A time of abuse long ago tucked away by this cynical and dark persona.

"What do you need?" Taehyung hears Hoseok's voice sound in a timid tone. But beneath he can hear the concern that trails. If there was one person in his life he considered as loyal aside from Jin, it was Jung Hoseok. Years of friendship created a brotherhood that spanned from sandbox days up until now. Hoseok is his right hand man for whatever. His eyes and ears to the streets. His words a guide. His intentions never with an ill heart.

Taehyung turns wiping away the few straggled tears. Because of his pride he feels embarrassed but also relieved and a little drained after the very rare emotional moment.

"No shame in it."

"Universe don't give a shit about tears. If it did it wouldn't give me its ass to kiss." That causes Hoseok to chuckle. "We shouldn't keep our hyung waiting. Right?" Taehyung grins.

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing, yet." Taehyung says as he begins cleaning the room. He's meticulous catching the smallest traces of evidence thanks to the plastic covered floors and several containers of bleach. After he's finally done he instructs Hoseok to drop the body off at the local meat shop. "Owner always keeps his dogs with him. He knows me. We got a mutual understanding."

"Yeah, yeah. Oh by the way, my ears out there said Yoongi plans on taking Y/N out tomorrow. In case you want to knooooow."

Taehyung releases an annoyed sigh, " After we get rid of Yoongi, I need you cover for me if Jin asks."

"What?...Why? Actually, forget it. Your brother isn't stupid. He's going to catch on and throw a bitch fit."

"Don't worry, I'll take the fall if that happens. I just have somewhere to be." He says, "Think it's time I go visit my noona."