CHAPTER 7
WOO BIN'S POV:
I wake up to the best sound I've heard in months: laughter. It's been 3 days since Saia and DK arrived and Boo Ki has slowly opened back up to us. My heart jumps when I hear Boo Ki laugh as I make my way to the kitchen. Ji-Hoo is sitting at the counter with Saia on his lap and Boo Ki is leaning against the counter telling him a story from their childhood.
"-so here is tiny-ass Saia thinking she is going to be able to protect every kid that gets picked on in our class, just because I taught her one move to defend herself with. She walks up to the biggest bully in our school and tells him to stop picking on the other kids."
"Oh my god…" Saia groans and covers her blushing face with her hands in embarrassment. Ji-Hoo is listening intently and chuckles at his horrified fiancée.
"What happened?" he asks as I pour myself a cup of coffee.
"The kid laughed and took at swing at her. She dodged it but didn't see his other hand in time."
"He actually hit her?" I ask in disbelief. Guys don't hit girls. Not in my book anyways.
"Yes." Saia moans from behind her hands. "He almost knocked me out. It was like a bear swatting a kitten with his paw."
I can see the shock on Ji-Hoo's face but he seems torn between concern and laughter. Boo Ki can't stop laughing.
"He laid her out flat on the ground and then she has the nerve to ask him if that's all he's got while she's lying there. She was slurring her words too."
"Oh my god… I actually thought I was going to be able to do something about that kid." Saia says in disgust as she finally drops her hands.
"Why didn't you stop her?" I ask Boo Ki.
"I was so surprised that my tiny tot friend was actually trying to stand up to that kid, I didn't react at first. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. Once he hit her that was it. I knocked him out. It was funny afterwards though." She says with a smile and sips her coffee. I can't help but stare into her dancing eyes. She looks so happy and when I smile at her, her eyes widen in surprise. "What?"
"I've missed that smile and laugh of yours." I say.
"Oh…" She says nervously and looks away. I see Ji-Hoo and Saia try to hide their smiles as she slides off his lap.
"I need to go get changed." Saia says.
"Me too." Ji-Hoo quickly follows her. Real subtle you two…
I move closer to Boo Ki until I'm almost touching her. Taking a deep breath, I breathe in her scent and see her eye me warily. She smells like apples again and I have grown to love the scent of them more than any fancy perfume.
"Boo Ki-ah." I say quietly and cup her chin with my hand. She tries to back away but her escape is blocked by the counter. I try to keep my eyes locked with hers but when she bites her lip, my gaze falls to her mouth. Her lips look so soft and inviting.
"Don't even think about it." She says in a shaky voice.
"Why?" I ask and smile mischievously at her. Removing my hand from her face, I place my hands on the counter to trap her, even though I know she can break free if she really wants to. Her big doe eyes start to narrow in irritation and she pushes out of my arms.
"You know why."
I grab her arm to keep her from walking away from me. "Jae Kyung and I broke up. I tried to explain that to you before but-"
"It doesn't matter. You and I are worlds apart." She says and I abruptly let go of her, feeling like she just slapped me.
"You have never judged me before for being the Mafia Prince. Why now?"
"That isn't what I meant. You are a Chaebol and I am just a common restaurant manager. I grew up mostly on the streets in a rough neighborhood. I don't compare to girls of your class and status."
"You're right. You don't. You're better than them."
"No I'm not. You have no idea." She scoffs and shakes her head. "I need to finish packing."
Boo Ki turns towards her room and Saia watches her in confusion as she brushes past her. She walks up to me as she puts her long hair up in a ponytail and looks at me curiously. Leaning against the counter in disappointment, I stare at the floor trying to figure out why Boo Ki pushes me away all the time.
"Woo Bin-ah, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Saia quietly says. I look up into her eyes and she smiles at me. "Boo Ki does like you a lot and I know you like her. But if you really want to be by her side, you can't give up. You can't stop pushing her. She's been hurt in ways you can't even imagine but you are earning her trust. She needs to see that you won't just walk away. If you prove to her how much you care, she will open up to you."
"Why are you telling me this? Isn't she your friend?"
"Yes. But you are my friend too and I love you both." She says and squeezes my arm. I stare down at her in shock. How can two such amazing women exist?
"Thank you." I murmur.
"But if you hurt her, I will have to kill you. Don't forget that." She seriously says.
"I understand." I say with a nod and a smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
(^_^)
SAIA'S POV:
Making sure the last of Ji-Hoo's clothes are packed, I move towards the bathroom to see if there is anything left. I want to be sure he has everything. As I move past the bed he grabs my wrist to stop me. He's been watching me for the past 10 minutes from his seat on the bed.
"I got everything." He says quietly. He pulls me close and wraps his arms around me as I look down into his eyes. I can see the sadness that is brewing in the depths of those chocolate orbs. I don't want to leave him either but I need to get back to Seoul and they are leaving for Columbia soon. I am already cutting it close getting home for my performance but I don't mind. This trip was worth it and I needed to give him something anyway.
"You are forgetting one thing."
"What's that?"
I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out a small box. "This. It's a late Christmas present."
He looks at me in surprise as he takes it from me. "You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to." I say with a smile. "It's nothing much but… I hope you like it."
He releases me to open it and pulls out a long silver chain with a silver cross that dangles at the end of it. His intense gaze sparkles with fascination as he examines it and I can tell he loves it. I chose it for its unique design and simplicity but it also has a deeper meaning for me.
"I'm not sure what you believe in but I pray that God protects you and keeps you safe. I wanted to give you this as a symbol of my hope that you will come back to me very soon." I tell him as my eyes lock with his.
"It's perfect. Thank you." He says sincerely. I smile and take it from his hands to put it around his neck. The cross falls just below his heart. "I don't want to go. I don't want to be away from you anymore."
The pain in his voice makes my eyes burn but I know he needs to do this. "Woo Bin and Boo Ki need you. It will be over soon and then I won't let you out of my sight. You might even get tired of me."
"That will never happen." He says with a shake of his head.
"I don't know. I think if I haunt the hospital enough, your patients will probably start to complain." I tease. He pulls my head down and hungrily invades my mouth. I moan as our tongues meet and he pulls me on top of him as he falls backwards on the bed. My pulse is pounding through my veins and I ache everywhere his wandering hands touch me. I'm happily sinking into the sweet pleasure we are creating but the logical side of me bursts my happy bubble. We don't have time for this… I break our kiss and sigh when his mouth moves along my jaw to my ear.
"Ji-Hoo… We can't… We don't have time. We have to leave soon." I say in disappointment. He rolls till I am beneath him and lifts his head to look at me. My heart skips a beat at the love and desire burning in his eyes.
"I don't care if I have to take a later flight. I am going to make love to you." He murmurs and crushes my mouth beneath his.
(^_^)
BOO KI'S POV:
It's been a long time since I've been here. I look out the window of the car at the city of Bogota, Colombia. The streets are busy with people and I am anxious to reach the house that the Song's set up for us here. I want to get unpacked and relax before we start studying our new target.
"How much Spanish do you know, Boo Ki?" Woo Bin asks. His Spanish is good but he doesn't know I'm fluent or that I spent a lot of time here growing up.
"Sé más que tu'…" (I know more than you…)
He chuckles and lowers his sunglasses to give me a wink. Shaking my head, I turn my attention back out the window. Ji-Hoo sits in the back seat and looks around as well but his gaze is distant. I can see the chain from Saia's gift peeking out from under the collar of his polo shirt. It was hard for both of us to part with her in New York. I wish she could have come with us but I know she has to return to Seoul. I miss her already.
The weather here is a dramatic change from the snow of New York. It's humid and hot. Thank goodness for the air conditioning but this car sticks out like a sore thumb. A Porsche Cayenne is definitely not going to blend in on the streets.
"You're going to have to find us a different car."
"What? Why? This is a great car." Woo Bin looks at me in disbelief.
"It's too obvious. It will be fine for any kind of parties or events that we go to but for doing any kind of recon, it's too noticeable. You two need to avoid the southern and western parts of the city if you can. Try to dress in cheap clothes and don't wear anything of value."
"You seem to know a lot about this city." Ji-Hoo says in interest.
"Yes well since we have to be here for a while, I need to be sure that you two are safe."
"You make it sound like you're our bodyguard." Woo Bin chuckles. "We can take care of ourselves."
"This isn't Seoul, Woo Bin-ssi. You have little to no back-up here and these guys don't mess around. If they think they can use you for money, they will. I know that both of you are smart and can handle yourselves in a fight but that won't mean anything if you are outnumbered."
"We'll be careful." Ji-Hoo says and turns his attention back out the window. I know that Ji-Hoo will try but I will still have to watch him closely. I won't let anything happen to him because I want him to make it back to Saia. As for Woo Bin, he has street smarts but he's still a little spoiled. He's going to have to play more "dirty" here but I think he is prepared to do that if he needs to.
We pull into the house and thankfully it's in a fairly discreet part of town. After dropping off my bags in my room, I change into my bikini to try out the pool in the yard. It gives me a chance to quietly check out the security of the house. It has a brick fence and a strong gate with a brand new security system. We should be safe here. It gives me one less thing to focus on. I need to see if I have any contacts left in the city without Ji-Hoo and Woo Bin finding out. It shouldn't be too hard.
Diving into the water, I clear my mind of all emotion and worry. I need to be careful. The last thing I need is for my family to find out I am still alive. There is a possibility that they still have people here. I will have to be at the top of my game. As long as I am, they won't even know I'm here. After all, I was the very best for a reason.
I hear a splash as someone joins me in the pool and I turn to see Woo Bin swimming towards me. I kick to the surface for air and he follows me. This isn't the first time I have seen him without a shirt on but I have to resist the urge to stare. He has been working out a lot with Ji-Hoo and it definitely shows. It doesn't look like there is an ounce of fat on him.
"Seeing how long you can hold your breath?" He asks as he swims close to me.
"That and thinking." I say.
"Thinking about what?"
"Everything. I'm just preparing myself for what we need to do."
"Well think about it later. Ji-Hoo is taking a nap. We should relax. We can start tracking our target tomorrow. Is there anything specific you want to do tonight?"
"Not really." I watch him closely as he smiles at me. There has been a strange light in his eyes every time he looks at me since this morning. I thought that he would back off after what I said to him in the kitchen, but he seems almost… happy and more persistent. I admit that his relationship with Jae Kyung always seemed a bit off and I am curious as to what the whole story is but I won't ask. It's best that I don't know. Without that obstacle between us, I'm going to have a harder time keeping my distance.
"There must be something you would like to do. Go shopping maybe? Or we could have dinner somewhere." He swims closer to me and suddenly I feel like I can't breathe, my heart is pounding in my chest. This is starting to be a common thing when he gets close to me.
"Ani. I'm just going to take a shower and unpack." I say and swim for the edge of the pool. Getting out, I wrap my towel around me before he sees the nasty scar on my lower back. I don't need him asking questions I don't want to answer. Securing the towel, I turn around just before he reaches me. He's too close…
"Why do you have to be so damn close all the time?" I ask in irritation.
He laughs and reaches around me for his own towel, letting his chiseled chest rub against my arm. "I like being close to you. What can I say?"
My arm burns where his skin touched me and I have to fight against the shiver of pleasure threatening to travel through my body. Before he can wipe the water off of his face, I yank the towel out of his hand and cover his head with it. Spinning away from him, I head back inside the house and he quickly catches up to me.
"Come on! Let's go somewhere and hang out. I've never been to Colombia before. I'd like to enjoy it before we have to get to work."
Stopping to look at him, I see his playful smile and I can feel myself wavering. Plus, if we go out I may be able to find out where my contacts are. It would be a good opportunity. "…Sure. Why not?"
A/N: Thank you to all my readers and I apologize for the late "thanks". Everyone has been so great and welcoming of my stories, it makes me really happy. I also must apologize for my longer than usual updates. I know that I have only been able to put up one chapter a week but I have been trying to read up on Colombia because I am not familiar with it. I want to try and get it right. It has also been a tiny struggle getting into Woo Bin's head. He is playful yet serious, ashamed of his background, and yet still takes pride in his abilities… I will try my hardest to keep him as true to the series as I can. It's very important to me that the BBF characters are that way in my stories. Thank you again! You are all amazing! ^_^