──  ❝ 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵」

❝ 血まみれのジョン・ハンコック;
.BLOODY JOHN HANCOCK ❞

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" Karma stabs her finger at one of the clauses in their contract. She had been reading over it during the car ride where she sat on the passenger side in the car, opposite from the King who sat behind Namjoon.

He had busied himself with staring out at the world around them, watching as it passes them by with each second. Water droplets cling to the glass, reflecting and refracting the glowing lights of the city. With her sudden outburst, he already knew what she was complaining about.

"You didn't say shit about me having to live with you." Karma had to draw the line somewhere this ought to be where. She never agreed to live with him, she never agreed to abandon Yoongi.

Taehyung gave an overstated roll of his gorgeous eyes and scoffed. "I didn't have to, it was in the contract. You would've found out about it before you signed it." Karma hated the condescending tone in his voice, but unlike Yoongi, she couldn't simply tell him to watch it or she'd slap him.

"Plus, it's only during the weekdays and you're not gonna be locked up there, you're free to come and go as you please," he adds on. If she bothered to read the rest, she would have known that. He offered her a diverted smile, his brows pinching together subtly. "As you said, you could be one of them. Best to keep an eye on you myself. Only until I get my diamond back and then you can go back to your normal way of life."

It made sense. As much as Karma didn't trust him. He didn't trust her. Mutually assured destruction. As long as Karma wasn't fucking him over, he wouldn't do the same.

"Now, if you don't mind, what do the Americans say? Place your John Hancock." He reached into the inside of his trench coat to take out the pen he had tucked away on the inner pocket to hand to her. There weren't many clauses that Karma hadn't expected. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the investigation or the progress of it. Any and all information regarding the investigation would immediately be reported to him, omission of truth is considered a break in the agreement meaning all bets were off. Any intentional disobedience of the contract would render it void.

In return, the King would give her exactly 3 million won per week. She was to be placed under his protection and given access to all information regarding the investigation as the King sees fit, etc, etc, failure to meet any of these agreements will render the contract void yada, yada, you know the deal.

Karma reaches out and takes the pen from his long elegant fingers. Under the soft glow of multicolored urban lights, she could see the defined tendons of his hands. She always had such a fascination with hands, from Yoongi's pale ones to Taehyung's defined ones. They were both large, but tell stories of who they are.

Yoongi had the hands of a pianist surprisingly. His fingers were long, evenly proportioned with his palm. They were made to dance across the black and white keys of the large percussion instrument. When Karma had asked about it, he had confirmed that he did learn to play the piano as a child and through his early to mid-teen years. The talent he had with the piano was used to easily slip wallets, brackets, watches, etc. The previous training also came in handy when his fingers were knuckle deep inside her but that was beside the point.

Taehyung on the other hand, didn't have such proportionate hands. The length of his palm was shorter than his fingers but one wouldn't notice unless they were rolling closer. It was harder to see the coloration of his veins under his honey skin whereas she could always easily see Yoongi's. His nails were perfectly manicured, a giveaway to the luxuriousness of his life. His fingers are always decorated with rings adorned with sparkling, expensive jewels that would get her a pretty buck if she stole it from him.

Their fingers brush against each other as she takes the writing utensil but neither of them think much of it. She pulls off the cap of the pen and holds it in her left hand while signing it with her right.

And now, she was legally bound to him. A contract written in her blood.

She handed the pen and contract back to the King. "Where are you taking me? This isn't the way to my house." They were nowhere near Daerim where Yoongi waited for her return. Or at least, in her mind, he was waiting for her. Yoongi was no saint during the night, out drinking, stealing, probably balls deep in some random woman to get his dick wet.

The King grinned cheekily. "We need to make a visit somewhere. I need to make sure a job got handled correctly." The vagueness of his words put Karma on edge. She doubted it would lead to her danger but "a job" for a man like him was never a good thing. Suspicion of people you were in business with was healthy, it was something that kept you safe. Karma always held a healthy level of suspicion of anyone she worked it. All except Yoongi. She trusted him with her life.

Karma's suspicion only heightened when Namjoon parked outside of a warehouse, only illuminated by the old, flickering lights and stand outside of it. They're away from the busy, complex part of the city, so far that all Karma can hear is the quiet chirp of crickets in the darkness.

Taehyung steps out of the car first and offers Karma a hand to help her out, an action both thoughtless and thoughtful. She never expected him to be a gentleman, helping ladies out of his car and shit. She takes his hand graciously and hops down with her feet placed on the solid ground. "Thanks."

He takes his hand from hers. "Come on. I want to make this quick." He walks forward towards the heavy, metal doors that hide whatever monstrosities go on in there. Namjoon has already made his way towards the door, ready to pull it open for the two of them as they approach.

Karma couldn't even begin to prepare herself for whatever horrific sight she was about to witness. There are so many possibilities to what it could be. The door held open by Namjoon released the metallic, identifiable smell of blood iron. It was hard-hitting, smacking Karma in the face as she crossed the threshold and stood inside the building. It was a sour smell, one that made her cringe away from it by instinct.

It was one open room, only illuminated by the moon and the flickering lamps outside. Her eyes were drawn to the giant, yellow woodchipper placed in the middle of the room splattered with dried blood, evidence that it had been used before and not for its intended purpose.

"Jungkook, Jimin, how's your progress?" The King called out to beings that weren't there, or at least, not that Karma could see. Not until they rounded the side of the deadly yellow machine to see two men standing over and man strapped down to a metal table. He was passed out, maybe dead, she couldn't tell, but there was blood everywhere. It dripped from the table, landing with a wet splat into the pool that had formed below.

His feet were missing.

One of the men turned to them. His hands were covered in blood, fresh blood that had also splattered across his shirt and face. Even then, he grinned, wide eyes turning to squishy, crescent moons as he reached up to smear the blood that had been left on his cheek with his shirt. "We're almost done, boss. Jimin's just about to stitch him up. He passed out from the pain."

He looked young, innocent, just a kid. But he was smiling while covered in blood. The King really knows how to pick'em. The fucking psychopaths that have the gull to smile after hacking off someone's feet.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Terror bounced off the walls of her skull at the gory sight displayed before her very eyes. Her voice was nothing above a whisper but it was enough to draw all attention to her. They all look to her as one, their burning gazes finding her.

"Who is she?" One of the men questioned, the one without the blood all over them, though, he hadn't been spared, a few splatters landed on him as well. He looked young as well but he also seemed to be completely desensitized to the gruesome scene before him.

These people were fucking insane. But being in the line of business they were in, they had to be, at least a little bit.

The King turned to look at her. Behind his dirty blonde hair, a dark brow raised at her. "Go on, introduce yourself." There always seemed to be the slightest hint of a smile that crossed his lips, condescending and arrogant. It was always patronizing. His voice was a sultry hum only loud enough for just her to hear.

Karma always had a sense to prove him wrong, to show that he wasn't superior to her. If they would be working together, they'd be considered equals. In the same way, she would shove her heel up Yoongi's ass for disrespecting her, she would treat even the Dog Tamer the same.

She ignored the nauseated feeling in her stomach and stepped forward. "Karma, I'll be working with her boss here for the time being." Her words managed to project the way she desired, without fear and full of power. First impressions meant everything and if she came off as weak, that's exactly how they'd treat her.

The one without the blood all over them stepped forward and bowed before her, a sign of respect. He offered out his right hand to her. "Park Jimin, a pleasure to meet you." His voice was quite pleasant, contrasting with the salty, metallic smell that seeps into her nostrils and the cold, dark warehouse they stand-in.

"I'm Jungkook." The bloody one pipped up from the side where he still stood over the unconscious body of the now footless man. "I would shake your hand but...y'know." He raised his hands dripping with blood to make his point and shrugged. "But it's nice to meet you."

They're sweet.

"We should go." The King was quick to jump in after introductions. His hand found its way on her lower back. "I still have a house tour to give you. Sorry to drag you into this, can't have pleasure without a little bit of business to even it out, right?" His lips were stationed behind the shell of Karma's ear, so close that his warm, minty breath breezed over her skin in a way that sent chills down her spine. His voice like raw honey permeated every inch of her body.

He looked back to the two boys, his narrow eyes hardening with business. "Stitch him up and toss him in the Han. We'll see what happens from there." They nod with the obedience that the King always looked for in subjects, ones that will follow his order without even a sparkle of hesitance in their eyes.

Karma was that. She fought, still a rabid, wild dog that would bite at any given moment if she felt threatened. Taehyung wasn't sure if he wanted to fit a pretty leash around her neck yet. He didn't know if she'd make a suitable lap dog.

As they walk away, Karma removes his hand from her back and quickly walks forward, desperate to leave this place before she threw up.

"Buckle up, buttercup. You have a lot more of this in the future to look forward to." The King had told her after they climbed back into his grand carriage. Karma can only ask herself what she's gotten into.

*.✧ Kᴀʏs Eɴᴅɪɴɢ Nᴏᴛᴇs

I honestly love this book. This will probably be one of my favorites by the time I'm done with it, it's already my favorite so far.

I've started watching the Boondocks and honestly, everytime I laugh I feel guilty abt it. I've never seen it before, only clips and episodes. Rn I'm on episode 12. The one with the blonde Bob Ross nigga.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed and I wish you all an amazing day/night.

사랑해

~Kay /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\