The End of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 4) (20 page)

“
Just
chatting?” Tae Hyun questioned again, his voice skeptical.

“Just chatting,” Young Jae confirmed before showing them exactly why he was such a powerful King. He may have looked diplomatic, but he was truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Our upcoming war will promise bloodshed soon enough. Before we become the Kings and Queens we were raised to be, let us be politicians and enjoy one another’s presence. Let’s have a reunion before the end comes.” He expelled another sigh, not giving them an opportunity to further question him. “I will send the location meeting to you, Tae Hyun. In a day’s time, whether you or my sister comes is up to you. It will be of no loss to me, but a bigger loss to you if you do not show up. I plan on bringing hell upon you in the coming weeks. Perhaps during this grace period before your deaths, you should endeavor to uncover all the secrets of your lives before I bury you six-feet under.” He cordially inclined his head at the screen, purposely disregarding the look of fury on Soo Jin’s face and the look of challenge on Tae Hyun’s face. “It’s been fun. Ji Hoon and I look forward to meeting you soon. Take care of yourselves.”

They then disconnected the call. The 60-inch screen went completely black, revealing only the meager reflection of Soo Jin and Tae Hyun staring at the now dark monitor. Tae Hyun was still sitting on the edge of the desk, and Soo Jin was still standing in the middle of the room; the expressions on their faces were rippling with deep contemplation.

After another stretch of silence, Tae Hyun suddenly said, “So should I pick you up at your place tonight and head out together?”

Soo Jin glowered at him, feeling her defenses rise up. “Excuse me? Who says I will be going with you?”

“I have my own jet,” Tae Hyun replied in a matter-of-fact tone. He wasn’t the least bit affected by her hostile attitude towards him.

“So do I,” quipped Soo Jin.

The beguiling smile on his face remained. With ease, he showed her exactly why he was deemed as one of the smartest Kings in Underworld history. “But Young Jae is sending the location to me.”

Soo Jin regarded him with disbelief. “You’re blackmailing me into traveling to Japan with you by withholding information on the meeting place?”

Tae Hyun shook his head charismatically, his smile making him appear more innocent than he was. “I’m simply making your life much easier by taking care of all the travel arrangements.” He chuckled, closing the distance between them. “Come on, Queen of Siberian Tigers. We’re just carpooling. There’s no harm in that.”

“I don’t want to ‘carpool’ with you.”

“That’s a shame. It would suck for you to go all the way to Japan and not know where the hell to go for the meeting.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself for being this childish.”

“I’m actually really proud of myself for being this clever.” His grin widened. “Perhaps I
am
the gorgeous genius you coined me to be after all.” He chuckled again, moving his lips close to her ear before marching out of the office. “I’ll pick you up at your place tonight. I look forward to some bonding time with you. Oh, and pack lightly. If things go according to plan, you won’t need much clothing for this trip.”

Soo Jin’s eyes bloomed as she felt heat infiltrate her cheeks. She whipped around, intent on beating the fuck out of him for eliciting this emotion from her. Luckily for Tae Hyun, he was already halfway across the office, winking at her before he made his exit from the room.

Soo Jin clenched her fists, staring at his disappearing back with heat still cloaked over her. Waging an epic war with him aside, it would be a miracle if they made it to Japan alive. Because, God help her, she was going to throw his ass off the plane if he so much as winked at her.

“You were born into this world . . .”

08: Flying Gods

“So, is this a date?” Jae Won asked softly, staring out into the Siberian Tigers’ driveway as they awaited Tae Hyun’s arrival.

Soo Jin shot him an annoyed glare. The brisk evening wind brushed past them, mirroring the arctic expression on her face. “I recently declared to the entire Underworld that I would be more than happy to kill him for the throne, and you think I’m going on a date with him?”

Jae Won shrugged, looking at Kang Min dubiously.

“I don’t know. He and Yoori were like this.” He hooked the joints of his two index fingers together to demonstrate his point. “They were really tight and were like best friends who loved each other. Isn’t it normal to ask if you and him are going on a date?”

“Well, we’re not,” Soo Jin dismissed scornfully, folding her arms and gazing ahead. “This is business. My brother wants to have a face-to-face meeting in Japan and the one he gave the meeting location to is Kwon Tae Hyun. Unfortunately that cunning Serpent made it clear that if I didn’t ‘carpool’ with him, he wasn’t going to tell me the location.”

“So, he essentially tricked you into being with him for the night, even though you openly told him that you despised him,” summarized Kang Min, his voice holding a tinge of admiration for Tae Hyun. He and Jae Won nodded in wonderment. “Very smart.”

“You mean sneaky,” Soo Jin amended.

“No, he’s really smart,” said Jae Won, oblivious that Soo Jin needed him to be on her side when it came to talking shit about Tae Hyun.

Soo Jin casted another glare at Jae Won before shaking her head and turning away.

She had updated the brothers that Young Jae had invited her to have a face-to-face meeting with him and Ji Hoon in Japan. Initially, Jae Won and Kang Min were insistent about keeping Soo Jin company in Japan so that she would be safe. However, when she added that Tae Hyun was going with her, they immediately backtracked, telling her that they should keep watch over the Siberian Tigers in her absence. Though it was obvious that they were very favorable of Tae Hyun being with her, as they knew there was no one better to travel with, she did not probe for explanations for their change of heart. Soo Jin was afraid she already knew why they did not find it unsettling that she was going to be alone with the King of Serpents.

In spite of her newly declared war with the King of Serpents, she recognized that the brothers still harbored a tremendous amount of love and respect for Tae Hyun. She knew why they approved of her traveling with Tae Hyun and why they insisted on keeping her company as they awaited his arrival. They not only trusted him, but they also missed him. Due to their complicated history, she did not expect them to abhor Tae Hyun. The time would come soon enough for them to aid her in bringing forth his demise, but for now, she did not plan to confront the brothers about their attachment to their former King. For the time being, they could continue to be in a “complicated relationship” with Tae Hyun for all she cared.

“He’s here. He’s here,” announced Kang Min, trying to retain his elation when the headlights shone through the imposing iron gates.

The brothers wore black leather jackets and dark pants. Although their dark appearance radiated a sign of menace and peril, their behavior mirrored that of children’s.

Beside him, Jae Won excitedly grabbed Soo Jin’s luggage and bounced down the stairs, watching the black Jaguar vehicle glide up to the circular driveway they were in.

Soo Jin fought every urge to roll her eyes. It was honestly awkward to watch the brothers behave like children separated from a parental figure after a divorce. Under normal circumstances, she would have dismissed them, as she did not want any witnesses for this embarrassing scene. She had already ordered the rest of the Siberian Tigers to vacate the premises for the time being. She was tempted to order the brothers to do the same. She showed leniency and allowed them to stay because she knew that they had missed hanging out with Tae Hyun. She just wished they wouldn’t make the situation so uncomfortable and cringe-worthy for her to watch.

The Jaguar came to a slow stop in front of the quiet estate. With the engine still humming, the driver’s door opened and out came the man of the hour.

Tae Hyun wore a business casual attire that consisted of a white dress shirt and black pants. His hair was wet, indicating that he had just showered. His eyes roamed over the brothers and stopped on Soo Jin on the stairs. She was staring down at him with an impassive look on her face. Meeting her gaze, his sinful lips lifted into a breathtaking smile that caused her heart to skip a beat. He appeared refreshed, pumped, and damn well ready for a fun night ahead. To put it simply: he looked delectable, and it scared the shit out of her that she had to be alone with him for the rest of the night. 

“Bos—err,” Kang Min halted midway, catching himself before he accidentally greeted Tae Hyun with the wrong title. He peered uneasily back at Soo Jin, who was glaring down at him with daggers in her eyes. While holding one of her luggage, trembling in anticipation and fear, he could not have looked more frightful.

Soo Jin exhaled patiently, shaking her head inwardly. Kang Min was normally composed, and it did not please her to see him slip up, especially with her enemy in close proximity.

“Good to see you, Kang Min,” Tae Hyun greeted warmly, nodding at Kang Min to alleviate the looming tension that was shrouding over them.

“Good to see you too,” Kang Min replied, depositing Soo Jin’s luggage in the opened trunk.

Jae Won moved beside Kang Min to place her other luggage into the trunk. While doing so, he immediately greeted Tae Hyun, doing his best to conceal his smile. “Hi.”

Tae Hyun laughed, patting them on the shoulders. The awkwardness in the air did not elude him, and he was intent on lightening the atmosphere. “Is she as tough on you guys as she is with me?”

Kang Min and Jae Won released a relieved chuckle. They were ready to embark on a lively conversation when Soo Jin decided to join in on the conversation.

“I am
not
tough on them,” she bit out, stomping down the stairs and heading straight towards an amused Tae Hyun. “And for the record, I know they have history with you, but I’m back now. I’m their boss, not you,” she clarified. “Don’t joke around with them and make this whole thing awkward. I’m only leaving with you tonight because you’re blackmailing me with the location of the meeting. Apart from that, we’re still enemies, so I’d appreciate it if you stop making things uncomfortable with my right-hand men.”

Tae Hyun eyed her incredulously, holding back his laughter. He was dumbfounded by her reaction. “All I did was greet them,” he explained with a patient smile. “I didn’t ask for their hands in marriage.”

Soo Jin opened her mouth to snap back. She halted when she realized that she may have overreacted.

Noting her uncomfortable silence, Tae Hyun gave one final nod to the brothers before vesting his full attention on her. He appraised her black leather jacket, dark pants, and knee-high leather boots.

“I told you to pack lightly and you bring three luggage
and
cover yourself with a leather attire?” He stepped closer to her, the newly applied cologne from his shower wafting into her nose. “What are you trying to do to me, Soo Jin?”

“Nothing,” she enunciated, clenching her teeth tightly. Despite her guarded appearance, she was holding her breath to keep from inhaling the intoxicating cologne.

He chuckled, his charismatic laughter echoing into the sprawling estate. “Perhaps it will be more fun for me to unwrap you like a Christmas present on the plane.”

“I’ll cut off your fingers before you even come near me.”

“Um, okay,” Jae Won interrupted, clapping his hand together to garner their attention. It was palpable that he and Kang Min were feeling very uncomfortable with this portion of the conversation. It was also clear that he wanted to help Tae Hyun out by diverting Soo Jin’s anger. “Perhaps both of you can continue this conversation on the plane ride to Japan?”

“Good idea,” Tae Hyun agreed and soon turned to face his car. He strode to open the passenger door for Soo Jin. He inclined his head at her. “Are you ready?”

Soo Jin said nothing. She merely released a breathy sigh and ducked inside the car. She did not want to stand there and lose her composure with him. She simply wanted to get this over with.

“If you need anything, give us a call. We’ll be on the first flight out,” Kang Min informed Soo Jin.

“Stay safe, boss,” added Jae Won. He smiled widely, watching Tae Hyun as he moved to the driver’s side. “Please don’t kill each other.”

Soo Jin scoffed when Tae Hyun got into the car. “Tell me about it.”

As Tae Hyun waved goodbye to the brothers and drove off, he turned to Soo Jin with a dashing smile. He was excited to launch a conversation with her until he saw that she had just put her sleek, red Beats headphones on. She blasted the music to full volume, ignoring him as she stared out the window.

Tae Hyun busted out laughing when he realized that she was not going to make this trip easy for him.

“Oh man,” he said lightly, gazing at the dark road ahead. “This is definitely going to be an interesting trip.”

■
■
■

“This is a pretty good pair of headphones.”

Soo Jin roused from her sleep when she heard Tae Hyun’s voice drift into her ears. She opened her eyes and tilted her head to the side.

After getting on his private jet, she had isolated herself from Tae Hyun by immersing herself with her music. At first, he was eager to converse with her when they got onto the plane. However, when she sat in the furthest seat away from him and continued to place her headphones on her head, Tae Hyun got the hint and left her alone for the majority of the plane ride. For Soo Jin, the ride was so peaceful that she actually dozed off to sleep. Unfortunately for her, Tae Hyun was no longer the patient King who got onto the plane. After traveling for a long period of time, it was evident that he was bored and wanted to be entertained by her.

Tae Hyun was now sitting across from her in the next aisle. He was twisting her headphones around, eyeing it with interest.

“You have the audacity to take off my headphones?” she demanded firmly. The drowsiness shrouding her eyes was instantly replaced with icy ire. If she could shoot lasers out of her eyes, Tae Hyun would have combusted into flames.

Unperturbed by her hardened stare, he displayed an easygoing smile and placed the headphones on the seat beside him. He bestowed his full, appreciative attention on her.

“I was bored and wanted to know what was keeping you so entertained,” he explained casually. “Like I said, this is a very good pair of headphones.”

“Yes, it is,” she concurred dryly, uninterested in embarking on a conversation with him. “Now, give it back.”

His impish smile remained. He made no effort to reach for the headphones. “How about you let me entertain you now?”

“How about no?”

“I will not do anything to upset you.”

“The fact that you’re breathing is already upsetting me.”

Tae Hyun laughed, feigning a hurt expression. “You really go for the jugular, don’t you?”

“I don’t have time to play your little games.”

He nodded. “How about this,” he compromised, leaning forward with his arms on his knees. “We will land in Japan soon. How about for the remainder of our plane ride here, I give you my word that I will not attempt to seduce you or do anything of that nature. We can just have a simple conversation to keep ourselves entertained until we reach our destination.”

Soo Jin folded her arms, overtly showing that she wasn’t interested in his proposal. “And if I don’t want to talk to you at all?”

“Then you will be entertained by me anyway, and it
will
consist of me using all the charms I have to have fun with you.” He expelled an easygoing breath, his handsome face lighting up with charm. “Come on, Soo Jin. Don’t disappoint me with all this avoidance crap. I know you’re better than this.”

Soo Jin released a slow, pondering breath. She bitterly acknowledged that she was better than this. A Princess may be weak enough to play the cat and mouse game with Tae Hyun, but a Queen would stand her ground and challenge him. In this case, despite her reservations with speaking to him, she had to be the Queen she was raised to be.

“Fine,” she acquiesced, boldly initiating the conversation to show that she was not afraid of him. She peered out the window. When the city lights of Japan graced her eyes, she knew where to begin. “Do you visit Japan often?”

“Not as much as I would like to,” Tae Hyun answered, his expression pleased that she was finally playing nice.

Soo Jin canted her head at his answer. Curiosity gnawed at her. Now that she decided to bite the bullet and converse with him, she might as well quench her curiosity about him.

“Are you as beloved here as you are in Korea?”

Tae Hyun shrugged, not completely understanding her question. “I have a lot of good friends and mentors here if that’s what you mean.”