Gary's Sacrifice: Part III

The shock Gary feels in seeing Choi and Lee doesn’t compare to the animalistic instinct to kill them both. He wants to twist Lee’s neck until he can hear his bones break. Gary clutch on the bullets tightly.

“My lord,” Lee says.

Gary cannot see his father’s face, but he can only imagine the expression on Jae Suk’s face learning Lee’s betrayal. “You know I don’t play nice when it comes to traitors,” his father warns.

Lee nods in agreement. “I know. But I’m not the one without a weapon Jae Suk. So you better shut your mouth.”

His father tilts his head a little as if wanting to look back at Gary. “Who says I don’t have one?”

This is why the name Kang is known all over Korea. This is why it’s feared. In a blink in an eye, Jae Suk had thrown his gun to Gary while running full speed at Lee. Gary catches the gun and quickly reloads without batting an eye.

Caught by surprise, Lee and Choi is unable to take aim. Jae Suk body slams Lee onto the ground and in one fluid motion knocks Lee unconscious. Jae Suk then rolls to where Choi is and kicks the other man’s legs, knocking him down.

Without speaking. Without any eye contact even, Gary knows what to do. He fires at Lee who had gain consciousness and was already holding his own gun up to shoot Jae Suk’s back. Gary aims at Lee’s temple and pulls the trigger. The bullet swiftly kills the traitor.

Gary finds Choi and Jae Suk in a fist fight, his father crouching over Choi immobilizing him and punching a hole into Choi’s face. “,” Gary swears under his breath. He runs over to the two men. “Stop,” he instructs his father. To his relief, his father gets up and so does Choi.  

This wasn’t part of the plan. There is now two gang leaders in front of him for easy picking. “. Shoot the damn enemy Hee Gun!” Jae Suk yells, spit and blood coming out of his mouth. Inspecting closer Gary sees that his father had a big gash on his torso which runs down to his pelvic area. “Shoot!”

“No,” Gary replies lowering the gun. “Why are you here?” He inquires.

Choi drops his knife. “I was sent here, Gary. An old man thought you needed some help.”

“Have you gone mad?” Gary’s father spits.

Gary is mildly –a lot- surprise from hearing Choi’s knowledge of the adjusshi. He cannot believe how much secrets this organization contains. “Turn around,” he instructs to his father, however it was Choi who does. “Not you.”

“ing hell,” Jae Suk yells. “After all I’ve done for you!” Gary’s father looks like he was going to explode from anger, just like when he was little when he couldn’t hit the bullseye during training. He realizes now that he isn’t quivering in fear or wanting to hide under his bed. He feels only calmness and a certain relief that he had never felt in the presence of his father.  

“Nah, you haven’t done anything,” Gary smiles, it was sad smile, a smile that Jae Suk doesn’t even deserve. With certainty, Gary takes aim at his father’s head, “Good bye father. See you in hell.”

The ringing from the shot echoes in the basement. As his father’s body crashes on the ground, the heavy burden on Gary’s shoulder seem to have vanished.

Gary doesn’t waste time, he looks at Choi with interest. “How’d you know about the old man?”

Choi grins. “I don’t think- whoa, okay, put the gun down.” Gary motions for him to continue. “Someone sent a letter three days ago. I didn’t believe it at first of course. But another letter was sent, and I know my daughter’s hand writing. She told me that it was a good time to visit the Kang’s mansion.”

Gary automatically wants to smile hearing that Jihyo is alive but he stomps down the grin wanting to form on his lips. “Am I supposed to kill you now?” he asks.

The older man shrugs. “You just killed your own father. I’m not hoping for a good ending.”

His gut instincts tells him to shoot the man. He was a Choi, and Kangs are supposed to be hunting down the enemy. However, Jihyo’s face flashes in his head and he knows then that he doesn’t have the right to kill the man in front of him. Only Jihyo has that authority.

“Turn around,” Gary says.

“I’d rather die facing my murderer.”

Gary swears. “Turn around so I could tie you. Goddamn it.”

Choi chuckles. “Alright. But wait-“ The man caught Gary off guard, to his total embarrassment he might add. Choi had reached around his ankle for a gun and had fired. Gary would have been dead if he hadn’t moved out of the way just in time to duck to his left. The bullet hits his right arm.

In response, Gary also had the mindset to take a shot, and to his dismay his bullet had killed Choi.

Gary stumbles on the floor. “!”

-0-

Present…

Jihyo burst out crying when she sees the body bag being wheeled into the Kang’s compound.

It didn’t cross her mind that Gary can be possibly killed-

“Hey, babe,” a familiar voice says from behind. Jihyo turns around so fast she feels a little dizzy. “You’re looking good,” Gary adds.

Jihyo runs. She runs to Gary, wrapping her arms and legs around his shoulders and waist. “Oh my god, you’re alive.” She cries into his neck. “You’re alive…you’re safe…”

Gary’s arm wraps around her waist, mouth against her ears. “Why even doubt that.”

Instead of answering, she smashes her lips against Gary’s mouth. She had forgotten how chapped and thick Gary’s lips were. How the lines of his lips were almost too sharp, so sharp that it could cut her own. She feel’s Gary’s hand wonder down to her , squeezing slightly, promising something sinful. “I-I missed you,” she murmurs.

Gary kisses her once more before letting her stand. “I missed you too.”

“My lord!” Nix cheers from across the room, she halts when she sees Gary. Jihyo frowns and looks at Gary in confusion. But what she sees almost made her vomit.

In unison, Jihyo and Nix says in shock, “Oh my god!”

It was Jihyo who talked first. “G-Gary! Y-Your arm…you…”

Gary looks at her sheepishly. “Um. Yeah, I kind of lost my arm.”

Jihyo stares at the missing limb. The stub is wrapped in bandages and Jihyo wants to slap herself for not noticing earlier. “Oh god. Gary, I…are you alright? Do you need to rest? What happened?”

Gary laughs and it makes Jihyo’s anxious heart calmer. “I’m fine. That’s why it took me so long to come home…I was recovering.” Gary smiles at Nix. “Do I get a hug?” He asks, smile not leaving his face.

Nix doesn’t hesitate to jump into Gary’s left arm. “We were s-so worried about you.” The little girl stammers, eyes full of tears.

Gary chuckles, giving a quick kiss on Nix’s forehead. “I’m sorry. It’s never going to happen again.”

Gary had been asking questions about what she had been up to with Nix. Jihyo had told him that there was a training facility and that she’s been teaching Nix some defensive moves. When dinner came, they let Nix play in the forest with the older Kang.

Gary tells her what had happened to her father. Jihyo should feel sad. She should mourn. But knowing that it was her father in the body bag makes her relieved. Choi was never a father to her. He was a dictator and tormentor, he was never family. Her family is right here, safe and sound.

She listens and studies Gary as he talked. Jihyo can’t wait to hear more of his stories and to learn all his secrets. She knows it’s not going to be easy, she herself have many secrets that she had crumpled, but she knows in her heart that she’s never going to stop loving Gary. They were both twisted and very much still capable assassins, and wasn’t there a saying that couples with similar personalities last far longer than couples that are way different?

But, no. That doesn’t sound correct.

Jihyo will never stop loving Gary because he is the only person who have sacrificed everything for her.

A/N: OMG! It's done!!! aaaahhhh! I hope that you guys find it a satisfying ending. thank you thank you thank you for following this story, i know i wasn't the greatest updater so thank you guys for waiting patiently. 

Should I write an epilogue? Please point out any lose ends so I can try to incorporate them in the epilogue (if i ever get to it)? I want to write more family moments as well as a proper reunion for the couple. But anyways, happy reading! See you guys around the monday couple tag :D

Thank youuuuu ALL!