"What the fuck" Akari hissed, her eyes still widened. Duri looked up at Omani.
"Are you working with Atlas?" Omani's voice was dark and haunting, his eyes were dangerous.
"WHAT THE FUCK!!!" Akari was too angry to understand Omani's tone.
"Are you fucking working for Atlas?" Omani's voice was so still that Duri just stared at him.
"You shot at me" Akari looked at Omani with hazed over eyes.
Duri stood up, trying to be the voice of reason. "Okay, let's get it together before these get out of hand," he said when Akari pulled out her gun, aiming it at Omani.
"He fucking shot at me. It's already out of hand," Akari sneered.
"I am losing my patience," Omani hissed. His anger was at a boiling point.
"Why did you come to that conclusion?" Akari asked him.
Omani slammed the incriminating documents down onto the rickety wooden table, the papers fluttering and scattering as they made impact. Akari's eyes went wide as she caught a glimpse of the contents. Glossy photographs of Joe, along with stacks of cash and a chilling hitlist scrawled in a messy hand. Most of the names had been hastily crossed out, save for two that remained: Duri's and Omani's own.
Akari felt a sense of familiarity wash over her as she studied the list, the haze that had been clouding her vision slowly starting to clear. She lifted her gaze to meet Omani's, and in that moment, she saw the fear lurking behind the rage burning in his eyes. Akari's grip on her weapon wavered, the barrel dipping downward as she made the realization. Lowering her gun, she searched his face, silently pleading for answers, for some explanation that could make sense of this nightmarish scenario.
"This looks like shit" Akari holsters her gun on her lower back.
"Explain the shit then" Duri put his fingertips together, leaning back in his seat while Omani stood with his gun aimed at her head.
"I thought Atlas was dead," Akari exhaled, pulling the wig.
Omani pointed his gun at the papers, with Atlas signature on it. "Explain that, then," he said sharply.
"Obviously he is not," Akari began to explain. "Atlas did approach me with a deal to take you two out. He offered me a lot of money to do so, like a lot of money" Akari expressed with wide eyes, Duri and Omani exchanged looks. "But I decline it."
"Why did you decline it?" Duri watched her intently.
"I am not a fool. Taking out the two big shots of Gauteng, yeah, I am not an Idiot " Akari looked between the two. "He threw me out of a moving car in the middle of nowhere. I got a bit angry and shot up his car, causing the car to flip and exploded"
"I would be livid if I was thrown out of a moving car," Duri commented, looking at Omani. "Not just a little angry"
"Well, they tore my favorite hoodie and converse," Akari struggled, shifting in her heels.
"You were more angry about your clothing the being thrown out of the car" Duri said, still surprised by this woman.
"Well, it's not the first time I was thrown out of a moving car," Akari struggled.
"They are just clothes" Duri argued but Akari shook her head.
"Those were years and years of stretching and breaking in those, so-called, clothes." Akari pointed it out. "It's not just clothes"
Omani lowered the gun."This sounds like a ploy," throwing it on the desk. "Atlas wants you dead or rather, wants a standoff between us"
"Yet I have an inkling this all has to do with Vinny" Duri looked at the pages.
"So what's the plan?" Omani down at him, Duri slightly touched Omani's fingertips.
"Well, my plan is to shower" Akari shifted in her miniskirt and Joe's scent on her body.
…
As Akari meticulously rid herself of his scent, she found herself enveloped in the lingering aromas of Duri's earthy cologne and Omani's subtle hint of sandalwood. Stepping into the master bedroom, a harmonious blend of sleek Korean minimalism and the timeless elegance of a mid-century modern design greeted her. Duri was seated comfortably on the plush bed, his gaze fixed on the laptop, while Omani, standing shirtless near the window, exuded a sense of quiet strength and confidence.
"I could have showered at Terry's" Akari looked between the two men.
"You are staying in the guest bedroom from now on," Duri grumbled, working on his laptop.
Omani threw on a kimono before turning to her. "You are dripping" he pulled the towel from Akari's hands and began to dry her hair, realizing it was tangled. "When was the last time you detangle your hair?" Omani curled his finger around her hair.
"Yeah" Akari touched her hair. "I meant to shave it but you know," she struggled.
Omani kept touching her hair. "You need a trim but not a shave, unless you want to" he looked down at her.
"I don't know how to handle my hair, so shaving is better" Akari waved it off, looking at Duri, but he was looking at Omani.
"Or I can detangle and teach you," Omani said, carefully.
"I am not sure" Akari said, uncertain but before she know it was sitting between Omani's legs with him combing through her hair.
Duri was busy in the kitchen, preparing a delicious meal with care and attention. now and then, he would place some tasty snacks on the coffee table in front of her. Meanwhile, Akari sat somewhat uneasily in front of Omani. Despite feeling a bit uncomfortable, Omani kindly and patiently guided Akari back to a more comfortable position, ensuring she was at ease.
Omani gently ran his fingers through Akari's hair, taking care to circle each coil as he twisted it. Her hair felt soft to the touch, not quite like silk, but more akin to cotton candy or wool. It was like touching a fluffy cloud, with its gentle curls swirling around his finger, tempting him to grip it tightly. Instead, he refrained and simply continued to twist her hair, adding colorful beads to enhance its beauty.
"Ouch" Akari pulled away again, but Omani pulled her back again.
Omani twisted Akari's hair into a long twist down her back. He admired the swirl of golden and brown in her hair, but she shifted again.
"Stop moving, I didn't even pull that hard," Omani teased. "It's like you never had your hair done before," he chuckled softly.
"Sorry, I didn't have a person to do it" Akari crossed her arms.
Duri walked in and placed a plate of kimbap on the coffee table before sitting next to her. "You've never been to a hair salon," he said, grabbed the chopsticks and began to feed her.
"Just not something I do," Akari said after taking the whole Kimbap.
"Why not?" Duri stopped feeding her.
"All my life, my hair was in a buzz cut, easier for wigs, easier to maintain" Akari looked into the distance. "so it will never get in the way," she whispered. A flash of a memory went through her mind but shook it off.
Duri and Omani shared a look. "What about your parents, your mother?" Duri cautiously approached the situation.
"I had a knife in my hand before my hair couldn't even be tied up," Akari nodded, the atmosphere getting dark. "Can we talk about something else, like what we are gonna do about Atlas?" She crossed her legs. Duri and Omani shared a look again. "Stop sharing looks," Akari exhaled.
"I have a plan," Duri mentioned, causing Omani and Akari to look at him, but Akari moans because oiled a part up her scalp.
"Sorry," Akari blushed, looking at Duri, but his eyes were dark. She then turned to Omani because he had stopped doing her hair. "What?" She asked them, still looking between the two.
Duri shifted and cleared his throat. "Nothing," he continued his plan. "You are gonna kill Atlas. You will pretend to reevaluate your position on killing us," he went on to explain.
"Why would Atlas trust me now?" Akari asked, looking at Duri. "I tried to kill him"
"You will be selling him information too, which not only will spark Atlas interest, but Vinny's too," Omani commented, smiling. "Good thinking, Duri," he smirked at his lover.
Akari thought for a moment. "That could work," she leaned back. "Are you done?" she asked Omani.
"Yes," Omani whispered. He leaned forward and kissed her head out of habit, making the room grew still.