‘She’s in the closet!’ Aera screeched, exasperated at the incompetence of the masked killer in the cheap eighties horror movie.
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Lying on a bed all day proved to be more exhausting than her sticky-fingered night shifts, but knowing Taehyung would be due very soon gave her a buzz. It wasn’t mealtime, but she was due a restroom visit, which he was usually very considerate about.
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Throughout the day, he was primarily consumed in one-sided conversations, barking commands and making orders over the phone. For the most part, he was out of earshot, but she did catch the odd line, hearing the mention of a laboratory on more than one occasion.
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Since the stunt she’d pulled with Jimin, the power struggle that had taken centre stage in their bizarre relationship had escalated.
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Aera was anything but shy, but she still blushed every time she envisaged the self-assured smirk from Taehyung when he discovered her lack of arousal with Jimin. Like the night he’d strapped her up in the basement, he’d once again gifted her with a taste of pleasure before withdrawing and leaving her hungry for more.
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That was a week ago, though, and he’d not laid a finger on her since.
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Last night, when she was released for her daily shower, Taehyung didn’t retreat to wait on his favoured seat in the corner of her room. Instead, he simply watched her, his gaze a mixture of jealousy and lust. None of them spoke a word, but when he left, she craved to be back in his presence.
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Aera rattled the chains against the bed posts, and when that didn’t get his attention, she waited for the faint light that crept under her door to become darkness. When it did, she cranked up the volume on the television, hoping her actions would lure him back in to scold her, but he didn't return.
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Even in their silent protests, Aera relished in the calmness that only Taehyung could provide; the moments of bliss when her universe stood still and enabled her to feel.
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Up until she caved to his touch, she felt in control, but now the power had shifted, and she was left on the back bench, trying to battle for the top spot against the self-satisfied egomaniac.
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Should I ask for Jimin again? Aera starfished to stretch her limbs, and tittered at the scenarios that would gain her leverage. Taehyung was jealous, and she would have won that round if it weren’t for his bold examination of what Jimin was unable to achieve.
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Aera shook away the thought, focusing on the weak woman that was about to meet a grim death when the entire house shook from a thunderous slam downstairs, quickly followed by erratic footsteps.
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‘What the hell?’ she muttered, jolting upright and fumbling for the lamp switch. When the room illuminated with the soft light, she lifted the covers and patted either side of her legs. Locating the remote, she lowered the high-pitched screams coming from the television.
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Aera cocked her head, shuffling as close to the door as her chains would allow, but recoiled when the picture frame on the wall crashed to the floor.
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Every piece of furniture vibrated from the impact of the master bedroom door as it flung open and smashed against the wall.
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It crossed her mind that the elegant property had attracted looters who were trying their luck for a substantial booty; she certainly would have done it herself a couple of weeks ago with the right crew. It was a possibility, but rather far-fetched, because whoever it was sounded like a bull in a china shop.
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Aera was certain that any reputable thief who tried to tackle this house would have mastered the technique of stealth.
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If it was Taehyung, he was on a mission. One that she hoped would involve him unleashing his pent up rage so that he would bring her pleasure until the early morning.
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On the flip side, if his wrath was due to the Jimin incident, he was quite possibly going to snuff her out in his personal torture chamber.
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Maybe this is it. Maybe he’s going to kill me tonight.
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‘Just try it, you deranged fuck,’ Aera uttered. If he took her to the basement with any other intent than to have some kinky roleplay, then he’d be in for a surprise. The goons that abducted her only managed because she was outnumbered.
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One on one, she was confident she could take Taehyung, secure him to that slab, and punish him for allowing their games to be taken to the next level and sending Jimin to her.
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‘That stupid bitch!’ Taehyung roared so violently that she felt it rumble in her own chest. She had seen many sides to him in her time here, but this was new.
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Aera lay back, knowing he would enter anytime soon, but she had no idea what to expect given the severity of the ferocious mood he was in.
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The distinct sound of smashing glass - followed by a bitter howl - confirmed his emotional state as it broke her train of thought. With the banging and barrage of obscenities that came between distressed groans, Aera was eager to understand what had ticked the man off so much.
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When the maniacal outburst came to an abrupt end, Aera strained to listen, trying to distinguish any kind of sound, but it was deadly silent, and her heart sank.
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Her gut told her something was wrong.
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Seconds later, her door swung open and her eyes shot to a impaired Taehyung, and the frantic disturbance made sense. Her smug smile faded, replaced with a distressed frown at the sight of the bloodied face staring back at her.
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A steady stream of red liquid trickled down his cheek, and dripped from his chin, which was soaked up by his t-shirt.
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‘What-?’ Aera stuttered, finding herself lost for words. Her stone heart was finally alive again, aching with the same pain she felt the day she had lost Hyung-Sik.
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‘Not tonight, Aera,’ Taehyung scowled, disregarding her as he headed straight for her bathroom.
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‘What happened to you?’ She raised her voice and tried again, but it was like talking to a brick wall.
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‘Fuck!’ Taehyung sounded panicked, bottles and other toiletries crashing to the ground as he rummaged through the cabinets.
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She looked at her restraints, and then back at his hunched figure as he picked something up from the floor and clambered to his feet. Keeping his head down, he marched back through her room without a single word, holding a green first aid box.
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Even though he shielded his face, Aera could see a lot of blood, and it looked like he was in need of the emergency room, rather than a home medic kit.
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‘Do you need any help?’ she shouted through the half open door, unsure if he was still there or not.
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Aera struggled with her feelings, and wished she could bury them deep within her, but the shock of seeing Taehyung in that state made her unable to deny that she was bothered that he’d been hurt.
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All her life she’d enjoyed watching people suffer, but seeing this man in distress only triggered a need that made her want to care and protect him.
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Aera stopped thinking about what to do and followed her instincts with no regard for the consequences. She slipped her tiny hands out of the iron loops, and opened her door to find a wincing Taehyung perched on the edge of his bed, holding a cloth to his eyebrow.
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His face was a mess, and the dark blonde hair that usually framed his striking face was plastered to his forehead, dyed scarlet from the fluid that oozed from the nasty gash.
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Taehyung’s face was a picture when he caught sight of her feet, his eyes trailing her body with a deeply furrowed brow. His jaw slackened as he looked behind her to the empty room, and then back at her, having to do a double take.
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‘What the-?’ Taehyung dropped the red rag and sprung to his feet.
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He reached for her arm, but Aera was too quick for him. The blood that trickled over his eyelid no doubt affected his judgement. As he tried to grasp her arm, only the tips of his fingers made contact, leaving a crimson streak as she snatched it away.
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Aera pushed the wounded man, forcing him to stagger backwards and land on the bed, but he immediately launched himself back to his feet. He didn’t miss this time when he swooped an arm around the back of her knees, swept her into his arms, and carried her back to her room.
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‘Stop being so stubborn and let me help you!’ Aera tried to obstruct his line of sight and catch his forward focused eyes to reason with him.
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‘I don’t need any help.’ Taehyung dropped her onto her bed, her body bouncing on the impact as he reached for one of the chains to restrain her.
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‘You need stitches,’ Aera tried to rationalise, but he wasn’t listening. He lunged for one of her wrists seconds before she smacked it away and reached for the cut on his brow.
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‘Aera,’ Taehyung warned, snatching her hand to forcefully pin it against the bedpost. Warm drops of blood splashed onto her chest as he leaned over her and fought with his spare hand to open the clasp of the handcuff.
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‘You do realise I’ve been walking around here for days?’ Aera smiled, hoping it would make him realise that she could have left at any point without him knowing. ‘Stop being so stubborn.’
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‘Rope it is,’ he growled, throwing the metal chain to one side and reaching into the drawer for the same ligature that bound her when she arrived.
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Taehyung loosened his grip for a brief moment to wrap the cord around her wrist, but Aera seized the opportunity, escaping his grasp and running into the master bedroom.
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The man was fast and hot on her tail. Thinking of a way to placate him, Aera spied the key in his door, and twisted it, locking them inside. Taehyung moved towards her, but with a victorious grin, she tossed it over his head to the other side of the room where it landed behind a rustic cabinet.
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Finally, he stopped and looked at her. He didn’t have to say anything. She could see the need in his eyes that let her know that he needed help.
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Aera approached him, and he didn’t give chase when she brushed past him and picked up the first aid kit.
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‘Am I gonna have to tie you up to fix your face?’ Taehyung remained still until she walked him backwards towards the bed.
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He looked up at Aera and quirked a brow, obeying as he took a seat, and she was sure she saw a hint of a smile, but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
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‘What happened?’ Aera tilted his chin to the ceiling, inspecting the gash above his brow. ‘It looks pretty nasty.’ Taehyung kept his eyes on her as she turned the dimmer switch up to fill the room with a harsh brightness.
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‘I’m fine.’ He grimaced, dabbing the tender spot with the stained towel.
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‘Stop touching it,’ Aera said as she cocked his head back and ripped open a sterilised wipe from the box of supplies, ‘and keep still,’ she warned when he flinched at the sting that came as she gently cleaned the wound. ‘How did you do this?’
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‘Ouch,’ Taehyung winced, closing his eyes the moment he accidentally let them wander to hers. ‘It’s nothing.’
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‘Hold this in place,’ Aera ordered before heading to the bathroom to bring a fresh towel soaked in warm water. ‘I hope the other guy is worse off,’ she commented, removing the blood from the handsome face that he was finally allowing her to touch.
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Taehyung’s eyes were still closed, but the small grunt that came with a bob of his Adam’s apple told her that he wasn’t going to give her any details.
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With his head sloped back, the flow of blood eased. The cut was small, but deep enough to split the skin, so it was a relief to know that a few butterfly stitches would do the job.
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‘Lie down.’ Aera eased him backwards, but his eyes shot open and he tried to resist. ‘I need a better angle, that’s all.’ She held one hand behind his head, pushing against his chest with the other until he was flat on his back so that she could kneel by his side.
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‘I could have done this myself,’ Taehyung brooded, letting his breath fan over her cheek as she finished placing the second strip to seal up the laceration.
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‘Well I guess you struck lucky this evening,’ Aera quipped as she rolled off the enormous bed and strutted into his en-suite to wash the blood from her hands.
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When she caught her reflection, the white silk number she wore was covered in blood. She moved closer to the mirror and bit down on her bottom lip as the corners lifted, amused from what she planned to do next.
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Pulling the straps from her shoulders, she let the chemise fall to the floor, and when she emerged, his gaze shifted from his phone to her. He was still in the same position, scrolling through the phone that he held above his head.
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Taehyung glanced around his device, giving her naked body his full attention as he propped himself up on his elbows. His bed looked comfier, but she still refused to say the words he wanted to hear until he admitted it himself.
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Spending the night beside him would have tide her over for a while.
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‘It was dirty,’ Aera shrugged, slipping under his covers without permission.
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