**This is a double update! Make sure you've read ch. 32!**

As soon as exams were over, it was all business all the time.

The preparations for the Christmas Takedown (as we were now calling it) were difficult and grueling. I had the acute honor of sparring with Kyungsoo and Yixing on multiple occasions, and for once I felt like I could actually take someone down in a fight--even if they were just beginners.

Kai and I had decided not to announce our relationship due to the prep and also so that Baekhyun wouldn’t flip his before the Takedown. We’d spent an entire hour going over that, by the way--on how I didn’t have feelings for Baekhyun like that, but that it was probably for the best he didn’t find out Kai and I were official in case he decided to diverge from the plan.

Kai and I did, however, start to sneak knowing glances at each other every chance we could get, and a hand on my back that was once a small comfort was now not only that, but also made my stomach twist and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. We’d kiss every now and then--nothing huge or disruptive--just enough to let each other know we were there.

“I can’t wait til this is over and I can kiss you when the others are around,” he’d said the day before Christmas Eve and I got goosebumps on every inch of my skin.

The good news, though, was that it wasn’t a big deal to be separated from each other. There was just so much work to do that I didn’t find myself actively missing him when, for instance, I had to go through simulations of withholding Kris with Jongdae.

All in all, the prep was terrifying--especially when I was paired with Suho to do things. There was even one time when I had to learn how to disarm someone. And facing down the barrel of a gun when Suho is holding it is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Except maybe Kris or Luhan, of course.

All too soon, Christmas Eve came, and I was quaking in my heels as I walked toward the entrance of Galaxy’s, my arm hooked around Kai’s for show, but also for support.

“So did Jongdae smuggle you that 200,000 won or is it an investment in this fine establishment?” I asked him jokingly as he handed over the entrance fee.

The club was decorating in reds and greens mostly, while the upstairs lounge was a lovely shade of ice blue. People were everywhere, and I inhaled the scent of sweaty bodies and peppermint. I wondered briefly if there was a mint air freshener hooked up in the AC system.

“It’s mine, Jongdae just promised me he’d reimburse me,” Kai said, leaning down to say. His lips lingered momentarily by the shell of my ear and I shuddered.

“Okay, Kai and Eunji are in. That’s everyone. We’re good to go,” I heard Chanyeol say in the com in my ear. I was pleasantly surprised when Suho offered to let us use his equipment--of course, that would probably come with a price later, but for now I felt like a badass chick in one of those spy films.

For the first half hour, the party proceeded as usual. Kris and Luhan made their welcome speech without a hitch, and I noticed the increased security by the VIP lounge. It was due to what happened on Halloween, and it still made my chest hurt when I thought about how it was Baekhyun’s doing.

A few minutes after the speech, though, the first of Suho’s men came through. There was a commotion upstairs and a few of the extra bodyguards ran down the hall, away from the lounge. Kai and I gave each other knowing looks before going up.

I hooked my arm around his and leaned practically all my weight onto him.

“Can I help you?” a very showy Jongdae asked as we approached the top of the stairs. He was standing by what looked like a host podium. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Luhan turn and watch the interaction. If he recognized us from the night we were supposed to be killed, he didn’t show it.

“Yes, my girlfriend and I would like a private room,” Kai said in a deep, thundering voice, and I blushed at the use of the word girlfriend. Even if it was just part of the act, I loved the way the word rolled of his tongue.

“Of course,” Jongdae said before pulling a key out of the podium’s drawer and guided us back to a room with a perfect view of the VIP lounge. “We hope you’re enjoying the Christmas party,” Jongdae said airily, and I had to avoid his gaze to keep from laughing.

As soon as Kai were in the room, we pulled apart--reluctantly, at that--and sat down on the small loveseat in the room. Of course, there was a partitioned section of the room with a bed, but the loveseat had the best view of what was beyond the one-way mirror.

We watched with satisfaction, listening through our coms when one of the EXO members ran up to Kris.

“Apparently the two hundred pounds of weed just arrived,” Jongdae murmured through his com and I gasped.

“Holy ! Two hundred pounds?” Kyungsoo’s voice came over the com. I knew he and Yixing were stationed down below so they had barely any idea of what was happening up here.

“I have some very high friends in some very high places,” Suho’s voice chuckled darkly in our ears and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Kai and I watched Kris’s face turn from disbelief to shock to anger in the span of a couple seconds. Actually, he looked like he was about to faint.

“Kris looks pissed,” I said, and I heard a snort that sounded very much like Baekhyun. 

“The girls from Zico’s ring just got here,” Chanyeol said. “I’m going to Luhan now. I’ll make sure they get positioned in storage and let them know the police will be here soon.” 

I looked at Kai and covered the mic in my com. “Well, at least we’re saving more than just a few lives tonight,” I told him, and he nodded.

“Okay. I’m handling Kris. Just a reminder that Chanyeol and I will be able to hear you, but won’t be able to reply,” Jongdae said.

“Good luck,” I heard Yixing say weakly.

Chanyeol quickly appeared by Luhan’s side near the balcony and reported the fact that forty-two girls from the dirtiest trafficking ring were now on EXO property. Chanyeol quickly lead him down the hall that would lead to the docking bay at the back of the club. Luhan looked absolutely furious.

In the next moment, Jongdae arrived next to Kris, presumably telling him that it was Luhan who told him that Kris himself ordered the weed. Kris balled his fists and barked out an order before Jongdae spun on his heels and lead Kris down the hallway that would lead out to the back alley.

“Kyungsoo, Yixing, watch the front. Eunji and I are going out to the lounge,” Kai instructed, and he grabbed my hand, leading me out to the balcony.

It was mostly peaceful in the lounge, but every once and a while, a confused EXO member would go stomping across the hall and give us strange looks. After a while, Baekhyun appeared with his brother, who I felt I hadn’t seen in forever, and instructed the confused members to relax and let Kris and Luhan handle whatever was happening out back.

Baekhyun and Baekbom sat down opposite from us and I felt itchy all over.

“Hey Eunji. I haven’t seen you in a while. Still second in the school?” Baekbom began happily, as if we were sitting down to afternoon tea.

“Yep,” I answered, smiling weakly.

Thankfully, Yixing’s voice came through the com to save us any more awkward small talk.

“Two guys just came in. They both asked for Kris,” he said and the older Byun brother stood.

“Guess that’s my cue,” Baekbom said, and he hurried down the stairs to meet the first of the disgruntled clients that would come in that night.

“You guys ready?” Baekhyun asked when his brother disappeared. He directed the question to both of us, but his eyes were only on me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“Of course,” Kai said, slipping a hand subtly behind my back.

A few minutes later, the two men who had presumably asked for Kris were lead by Baekbom up the stairs and were trailed by three other men in suits who looked just as displeased.

“Where are they?” one of them demanded, and the others made sounds of agreement.

“Luhan leaked all my business deals! Is this any way to run a business?” another man asked sardonically, and I watched Baekbom pretend to call Kris and Luhan.

“I have my own crew waiting outside! If I don’t receive a sincere apology and a discount on my next order, I’ll have this place torn to shreds!” a third man barked, and a couple more echoed that with cries of “me too!”

After that, Jongdae came running into the lounge, followed by Chanyeol. Jongdae eyed me and Kai, giving us a raised brow. That was our signal to go.

Kai and I squeezed past the angry men and left Chanyeol, Jongdae, and the Byun brothers to deal with them. 

“Yixing, Kyungsoo, go find Luhan. He should be by the loading dock out back,” Kai said into his com. 

“Roger that,” Kyungsoo said, and Kai and I walked the halls that we’d unfortunately become quite comfortable with walking.

I pulled out my phone and dialed 119.

“1-1-9, what’s your emergency?” the dispatcher answered.

“This is Jung Eunji. It’s time,” I said.

“Okay, thank you Miss Jung. I’ll have the units you requested out to your location within thirty minutes,” the dispatcher said, and I hung up. Normally, I’d think thirty minutes was a long time for an emergency response, but we’d requested police, EMS, and S.W.A.T., so yeah, it’d probably take a bit longer.

As soon as Kai and I reached the back exit, we heard the shrill sound of arguing.

“Look, I know my partner ordered this, but you need to take it back! We can’t just have two hundred ing pounds of at our club!” we heard Kris shout.

“No offense, mister, but this was really hard to get here discretely, and the truck that dropped it off has already left,” an unfamiliar voice answered, and Kris yelled a bit more.

I glanced at Kai, who nodded, and he looked out the small grated window on the door. He nodded at the delivery person who was outside, and then Kai and I were bursting outside. 

“What the hell? Who-” Kris began, spinning around, but when he saw me, he stopped in his tracks. “You.”

I didn’t even get a chance to say anything before the delivery man inched forward and plunged a very large needle into Kris’s neck.

As Kris leaned against the wall and eventually slid to the ground, unconscious, I glanced around the