Minho arched an eyebrow. It had only been a few minutes since they reached their destination and Lee was already spewing instructions. Was that it? So much for being an errand boy.
"There's an address." Lee continued. "221 Jungang Boulevard. Go there and get me a small package wrapped in a box and return here directly. No detours, do you understand?"
Minho's lip curved into a sinister smirk for a split second. It was so bold of Lee to assume he could send him anywhere, not fearing that he could as well take that chance to escape. But then again, that was unlikely, because Jae Hyun could locate his dad and make him pay. If it wasn't for his old man, Minho would sure take his chances.
"That's it? You're sending me off to a mail run?" Minho chuckled. Sure, he didn't know the weight of the job and didn't think that something as simple as a mail run could land him in grave danger if he didn't take it seriously. Jae Hyun had enemies everywhere, and if any of them got wind that Minho had some sort of connection with him, he would pay the consequences.
Lee's jaw tightened, fighting back a grin. Fucking amateur.
"Kid, nothing about this job is ever simple. This is important. Vital to even Jae Hyun himself. I need you to take this seriously and follow my instructions in the letter.
Minho shrugged. "Whatever, Lee. I'll be a good errand boy, just for you." He said, giving Lee a gentle shove on the chest.
Swallowing hard, Lee's throat bobbed. Dealing with amateurs was such a pain in the neck, which is why he preferred running his errands alone or with an experienced partner. His preference was the kill orders, where he just got in and shot whoever. Easy peasy. Yet, here he was, stuck with a grown adult behaving like he had a single brain cell.
"Don't try anything stupid." Lee continued. "I mean it, I already have enough to worry about as it is."
"When have I ever done anything stupid?" Minho retorted, shooting Lee a dirty glare and before he could respond, Minho was already out of the car, slinking away to the path leading to the loft. Lee sank back in his seat, letting his forehead thump against the steering wheel frustratedly.
Still, there was a part of Lee that couldn't beat the thrill that coursed through him, considering the way Minho kept taunting him. It had been long since someone got under his skin like that.
However, this was a job, and Minho was out of limits, especially since he had become Jae Hyun's favorite. To him, Minho was just another responsibility that he had to manage until their task at Busan was complete. After all, professionals didn't get rattled by a pair of whisky-bright eyes and a sinister smirk, right?
***
Minho strolled his way up to the loft. One good thing about Busan was the perfectly manicured walking paths everywhere. He headed toward the mansion hoping that he would leave his frustration behind maybe if he got far enough from Lee.
Stopping for a few minutes, he yanked his phone from his pocket to look for music that matched his mood before jamming his earphones in. It didn't take long until a black mask swooped over his face, blinding him. Minho felt hands yank his throat, ridding him of any ability to scream–or breathe.
Minho fell back crashing onto someone who wrapped their hand around him until he was struggling to breathe. In his attempts to wiggle himself free of the person's clutch, another set of hands grabbed his legs. Minho's thrashing did no good, the men were far much stronger than him.
He felt as though he was floating when the men hauled him sideways for a moment before he was, he landed his hip and shoulder on something hard and metal. Whoever held his arms let them go, and now switched to crushing his weight on Minho. The other guy rushed in and shortly after, a sliding door slammed shut.
It was then amid the blur that Minho realized he was in a van, and they were moving fast.
What followed was a sharp sting on the side of his neck, causing a sudden burn. He threw his legs hard with all his might, catching a fleshy part of the perpetrator's body–which earned him an elbow on his stomach.
Whatever shred of air that remained in Minho's lungs immediately rushed out, as he forced himself to stay awake in vain. It got harder to keep his eyes open by the second until they finally slammed shut.
***
It had been more than an hour since Minho was gone. Lee kept glancing at his wristwatch with the minutes increasing agonizingly, yet still, there was no sign of Minho. What should have been a simple in-and-out job was now stretching into a concerning matter.
Where the hell is that infuriating brat?
Shit.
Lee yanked his phone out of his pocket, trying Minho's number again which went straight to voicemail. His hands found their way to his waist, and he kicked the front tire so hard that it made him leap back in pain.
This wasn't right, that stubborn little brat should've been back by now with the package on hand and a mouth running a mile a minute– or did he try to escape? Raking his mind for clues, he came to the realization that that was unlikely, because Minho was new there, and wouldn't have easily traced his way anywhere. And even if he did, he had no car, no money, nothing.
Surging with dread, Lee realized that he might have underestimated Minho. He reached for the car's sun visor, unclipping a handgun that was holstered there. He could take his chances at trying to find Minho than go back to a raging lunatic with news about losing his pet. For both their sakes, he had to find him.