“Do you think they're going to hurt him?”

Kibum looked at his husband as the elder bent down to pick from the ground the broken portraits of their living-room. When they read the letter given to them, their first thought was to get home, away from that park where they were obviously exposed.

But upon getting home, they'd found their front door gaping open and most of their furniture thrown over, another letter awaiting for them on the kitchen counter.

“If they're targeting us, it's because they clearly don't know where he is.” Jonghyun said, glaring at the broken glass of the portraits in his hands.

“We should call the police...” Kibum said, picking Chanmi up from the ground and cradling her little body protectively in his arms.

Jonghyun chuckled sarcastically at that.

“The police fears the mafia, Kibum. Why do you think they act so freely?”

“Do you think Onew-sshi is behind this?”

Jonghyun shook his head.

“How can you be so sure?”

The elder sighed. “Because I know. These guys are loyal, if we believe what Onew said, Taemin's even more important for them because he's the head's husband. This... this has to be the rivals Onew was talking about.”

Kibum held Chanmi closer to him as the little girl looked around her in confusion.

“Jjong...”

But the older male seemed lost in his thoughts.

“Or it could be who Taemin's running from...” he then looked back at Kibum. “The letter said he broke the rules...”

“What rules?”

“I don't know.” the brunet replied, frowning. “Where's the other letter?”

Kibum threw a look at the envelope he had set on the coffee table. He hadn't dared read what the letter in it said and instead had preferred to leave it untouched. Jonghyun reached for the object and opened the envelope before taking the sheet of paper from it.

“What does it say?”

“'He will learn his rightful place, even if lives have to end for that. Remember these words Kibum.'“

Jonghyun clenched his jaw, his fingers gripping at the paper with force and crumbling the smooth surface. They were openly being threatened and he hated not being able to do anything about it. If only he knew who was doing that...

“Oh my god... Jjong, they're going to kill us?”

The older male's head snapped towards his husband and his expression softened seeing the horrified look on the younger's face. Walking towards him, he pulled the blond into his arms, holding both him and their daughter the best he could.

“No... they're just trying to scare us... to scare Taemin.”

Kibum grit his teeth as his thoughts went to his brother. His fright quickly being replaced by anger.

“It's his fault.” he said. “All of this... it wouldn't have happened if he didn't come here... it's all his fault!”

“Umma...”

Chanmi looked at her mother with big surprised eyes.

“Kibum...”

The older male didn't know what to say. He'd expected everything from his husband: that he'd get afraid, that he'd want to look for his brother and tell him what happened and try to convince the younger to come back by their side or even coerce him into going to the police, but not that.

It was just so no like the younger. For him to blame the brother he'd done everything to protect for the past years just seemed unreal. Somehow, now he understood what lay behind Kibum's words at the park: he was angry and blamed his brother for things both of them knew weren't the raven head's fault.

He still hadn't gotten over the fact Taemin wasn't as innocent and fragile as he'd deluded himself into thinking for the past eight years.

Discovering the circumstances of their sister's death and what his baby brother had done after that, had effectively shattered the image he had of the younger male and he was having a hard time coming to terms with reality.

Jonghyun had figured that would make things better, that the truth behind Taemin would finally bring his husband to peace with himself; but he could see now it had only worsened things.

"You don't mean what you're saying..." he said.

"Hell yeah, I do." Kibum retorted, looking back at him.

"Bum, you know it isn't his fault... if all, he tried protecting us."

"Why are you defending him?!"

"Because it's the right thing to do..." the brunet replied.

To be completely honest, Jonghyun could now say he understood Taemin's motives to pushing them away and he wouldn't be surprised if he learnt their last exchange with the younger had been the raven head's ultimate attempt at that. Somehow, he felt like the rules referred to in the first letter they received, involved Taemin isolating himself and the younger was probably just trying to do just that. The question was why. Why was his brother-in-law being threatened? By whom?

He felt his own protectiveness for the younger male revive. Such feeling had been buried after the many years of struggle he had seen his husband go through, but now, with the happenings, he felt like he had to try and help the raven head.

"Think about it," he went on, resting a hand on Kibum's upper arm. "he was constantly pushing you away, telling you not to look for him... Bum, he knew his proximity with us would bring trouble."

But the younger didn't seem to be willing to back down on his words.

"So what? If he hadn't involved himself with these people in the first place none of this would've happened. He wouldn't be a criminal... he... he deserves this."

Jonghyun stared in shock at younger male.

"What are you saying..."

"He deserves it all!" Kibum exclaimed, startling Chanmi, who looked at him with big round eyes. "But we... we shouldn't even be..."

But the younger never finished his sentence as finally the tears he'd been holding back came down his cheeks. Jonghyun’s expression showed pain and he pulled his husband into his arms once more, caressing soothing circles on the younger’s arms as he cried onto his shoulder.

“What if… what if they hurt Chanmi?” the blond whimpered. “I’ll never forgive him. Never.”

The thought of his daughter being brought into this only made Kibum angrier. These people had already shown they had no reservation in whom they affected and Kibum couldn't help but dwell on what could've happened to his baby at the park. He'd turned his eyes away for just a second and they'd taken the opportunity to approach her. For all he knew, they could've taken her from him...

If only Taemin hadn't come back, if he'd kept his distances from the beginning, neither of this would've happened.

"They won't... I'll make sure of it." Jonghyun reassured him.

Though his own heart clenched at the perspective of having his baby girl hurt in that cross-fire situation, he still couldn't shake the feeling that the real one in danger was his brother-in-law.

He knew how the mafia worked, they liked to intimidate people and instate fear in their enemies' families only to strike on the person of their interest when the latter would be less expecting.

Of course, he couldn't discard the possibility of one of them becoming a casualty in that mess and he had to find a way to prevent that.

*

Minho entered the rundown room, where a man in his mid-thirties sat strapped on an iron chair, blindfolded by a black cloth and his lower-lip bleeding.

Upon hearing the steps of the young mafia head coming into the room, the prisoner rose his head and smiled defiantly, though he couldn't see the figure standing in front of him.

“Hello there...”

Only the metal door screeching closed answered his greeting.

“Is that the young boss in person?” he asked, not letting himself be discouraged by the silence.

He knew his life was over anyway.

Slow steps echoed in the empty room as Minho walked around the man and stopped behind him, his fingers going up to untie the blindfold.

“Do you know why you're here?”

Minho's voice, originally deep, now sported a dark tone that made the man gulp slightly.

“No.” he answered, repressing his fright.

Able to assess his surroundings now, the man looked around him and took in a sharp breath as his eyes fell on the metal table to his right, where a variety of tools were disposed.

“Have you ever tortured someone before?” Minho asked next, walking to the table and showing himself for the first time to the man.

The prisoner gulped.

“Answer me.”

“Y-yeah...”

Minho reached for a small hammer on the table and turned around, with a small snide twist of lips.

“Have you ever been on the receiving end of it?”

The man looked down and shook his head.

“It's your lucky day, then.”

The younger male posted himself right in front of his prisoner and reached out the hammer to put it under the man's chin and force his head up.

“I promise I'll be gentle... if you speak.”

*

“What happened here?” Misook asked as she stepped inside her son's house.

She looked around the messy room with concern.

Upon arriving at Kibum's place, she'd found the door gaping open, with its handle broken and her son and his husband walking around, cleaning everything. The first seconds had her mind going wild as she imagined the things that could've happened, but neither of them seemed to be hurt and she calmed down, even if only slightly.

She watched as Kibum stopped in his tracks and looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights. He sputtered in surprised and was obviously trying to find an explanation to the situation.

“Kibum, what happened?” she inquired with a firmer tone.

“We– we got robbed.” he blurted out.

“What?!” Misook speed-walked to her son and cupped his face. “Are you hurt? Any of you are? Have you called the police yet?”

Jonghyun was next to appear with a trash bag in hands. “Oh... Eomeoni...”

“Jonghyun, why are you cleaning up? You guys should leave the evidence for the police–”

“We're not calling them, mom.”

“I'm sorry?!”

“Kibum...”

Jonghyun was now looking at his husband with concern and Misook couldn't help but to wonder why he looked like he wanted the younger male to stop talking.

“Why don't you go check on Chanmi, hyung?” Kibum asked, ignoring the elder's pointed stare. “I need to talk to my mom.”

“But–”

“Please.”

Misook was lost. She'd rarely seen her son look so serious and angry before and that definitely didn't help easing the bad feeling growing in her.

She watched as Jonghyun sighed and put the bag he'd been holding against the wall, before sending her a last glance and walking upstairs.

“Let's go the kitchen, it's the only place that hasn't been totally destroyed.” Kibum said.

*

Onew stared at his phone on his desk, expecting the device to go off at any moment. But it remained inert, like it had for the past days. Chanyeol hadn't been reporting to him as frequently as he was supposed to and he was starting to think something bad had happened to him or Taemin and these thoughts only made him irritated and snappy.

Of course, his attitude hadn't gone unnoticed and he'd been confronted more than once about it. Thankfully, his acting skills were sharp enough to make his excuses be accepted without questioning.

With a deep sigh, he reached for his phone on the desk and tried calling his body-guard once more, but as expected, was met with the voice-mail.

Cursing, he angrily threw the device against the wall opposite to him, effectively smashing it to pieces. When he would get his hands on Chanyeol, he'd make sure to make the younger male suffer for the silence treatment.

Running a hand through his hair, he let himself lean back against his chair and closed his eyes, trying to fight off the headache he felt coming on.

It wasn't long before the telephone on his desk started ringing, making him jolt from the sudden noise. With a frown, he reached for the device and took the call.

“Jinki,” it was Luna, his secretary. “Chanyeol's on line 2.”

“I'll take it.”

A tone later, and his body-guard's voice reached him.

"Hyung–"

"Where the hell have you been?!" Jinki raged at the younger male.

"He's gone, hyung..." Chanyeol informed.

"What?!" Jinki screeched.

"I don't know... somehow I got knocked out... when I woke up he was MIA... his things were gone too... I've been looking everywhere... it's like he disappeared into thin air..."

"You've got to be kidding me..." Jinki clenched his fists in rage. "He's pregnant Chanyeol, how can someone in his condition outrun you like that?!"

"Hyung, I'm sorry... I swear, I couldn't do anything... I think he drugged me...”

“Damn... that kid...”

“What do we do now, hyung?”

“Keep looking, he couldn't have gone far in his condition... His brother-in-law, the detective... he might be able to help you. I'll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay...” Chanyeol said. “Hyung... I'm so sorry...”

“Excuses won't change anything.”

With that said, he smashed the handset on its base.

“Problems?”

Jinki looked over at the door of his office and clenched his jaw at the sight of his cousin. Minho wasn't supposed to be back before two days.

“Nothing I can't take care of.”

The younger male smiled mockingly.

“I doubt that, given your state lately.”

“Why are you back so early?”

Minho went to sit on one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“Kwon's men are . They spoke without even resisting much.”

Onew chuckled, knowing too well just what “resisting much” meant in Minho's language. The younger wasn't exactly the most empathic person when it came to their enemies and he could reveal himself to be quite heartless at times. Jinki blamed his aunt's spartan training of her children, but he couldn't complain much as he too had gone through it.

“So?”

“They know nothing.” the younger sighed. “All of them claimed it wasn't them.”

“Loyalty?”

“No... they were begging...” the younger sighed. “We're back to stake one.”

Onew bite the inside of his cheek as he got up from his seat and went to the chest in the corner of the room to serve them both cups of scotch; figuring they needed something to calm their nerves down.

As he gave Minho his cup, the younger nodded thankfully at him.

“Hyung...” the taller male spoke after one sip.

“Hm?”

“I need a favor.”

The elder rose an eye-brow, somehow, already expecting what would be the content of the request. He wondered what had made it take so long to come.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I need you to find Taemin for me.”

The younger was looking down at the cup in his hand, his gaze seemingly lost in the amber-ish drink.

“It's getting dangerous out there... we've lost five men already... I can't work properly knowing he's on his own... you know what they say... you can never really leave this life.”

“You want me to bring him back?”

Minho shook his head. “I want you to find him and tell me. I'll take my dispositions to provide him protection in the dark... allow him a normal life, like he wishes to have.”

“But he's a part of–”

“He doesn't want to be here and I won't force him.” Minho stated, finishing his drink in one go. “But I won't let him live unprotected out there.”

With these words, the younger set his cup on Jinki's desk and rose from his seat, looking the elder straight in the eyes.

“Can you do that for me?”

Onew could only nod and watch as Minho served him a small smile before leaving the office. He didn't know what to think. His cousin had never been one to give up on the things he loved, and while he wasn't quite doing that now, it felt like he was trying to let go of his husband.

Jinki felt bad, bad for not telling the younger male about Taemin and the child he was carrying and worse even, for hiding from Minho he'd already found the raven head, and ended up losing him again.

With a deep breath, he turned to his desk and reached for the phone, typing in a number and waiting for the response.

“Hello?”

“Aunty... Tae's gone... again. And Minho, he wants me to find him.”