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Bias Rekkers

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Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence (bloody violence), Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,353

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​, @shrimpmsg​​,

Chapter 44: You Never Walk Alone

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

“Even if this road is far and dangerous, will you be with me?”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

There was a part of Raelyn that was ecstatic for the news of her friend’s pregnancy. What friend wouldn’t have been happy? However, there was a worry that lingered in the back of her brain; nagging there like a slowly growing cancer. Only a foolish person would have ignored it. Eden showered Anastasia with the praise that she felt she wanted to hear, and they all promised to go shopping together for the proper baby shower things that would be needed when it came time for the birth.

Raelyn didn’t mention marriage. Neither did Anastasia or Eden. It was the 21st Century and as progressive women, they felt that marriage wasn’t obligatory when finding out that one was with child. The biggest question that remained unspoken was if Anastasia was willing to keep the child? It seemed she was keen on the idea and so Raelyn didn’t bring up the subject. Eden picked up the same vibe and didn’t say anything either.

She felt Taehyung pull her a little closer on the couch, the two of them facing the large television in her common room. Her mind was going a mile a minute and she felt a little guilty for not paying attention to the film. It was one they’d watched before, but regardless of how many times he’d seen it, it was Taehyung’s favorite movie. She even caught him quoting it a few times in jest before attempting to pounce on her for their bedroom play time.

His thumb rubbed small circles around her shoulder, causing her to lazily shut her eyes as she adjusted herself a bit more comfortably on the couch. He used his other hand to tuck the throw blanket a little more securely around her hip while her legs draped over his lap. She felt his head press against her temple, his fringe tickling her forehead.

“Tired?”

Raelyn shook her head.

“You sure?”

She nodded and she felt him laugh slightly, her body shaking in tandem with his.

“What’s on your mind?”

For a moment, she said nothing. What was there to tell? Did she really have anything that was worth bringing up? She doubted it. But there was that inkling that kept pestering her until she knew she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Lifting her head off his shoulder, she looked back at him and he blinked curiously in response.

“Anastasia’s pregnant.” She said it bluntly, gauging his reaction. Watching the corners of his mouth forming into a smirk, she continued. “You heard?”

“Of course I have,” he said, his tone dismissive, “we’ve all heard. Jin Hyung won’t shut-up about it.”

This gave her some relief, but she continued.

“Does his family know?”

Taehyung gave her a look, as if he were trying to surmise the meaning behind the question. Raelyn didn’t offer more to the inquiry. She merely waited patiently for his answer.

“I mean, I don’t think so,” he said slowly, lofting a brow, “why?”

Raelyn sat up on the couch, turning her body so she was facing him directly. “Is he gonna tell them?”

Now Taehyung readjusted so he could settle himself into an upright position. “Hold up, Noona, alright? What’s with the twenty questions?”

“Is he gonna tell them or not?”

“I don’t know!” She felt his hands on her shoulders. “What’s going on? What’s really bothering you?”

Raelyn frowned. “I don’t want my friend being treated like some secret mistress, that’s what!”

For a moment, all the two of them could do was stare intently at each other. Neither of them was backing down and Raelyn felt her frown intensify. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she watched Taehyung’s eyes shifting back and forth to look into her own.

There was a chance she probably sounded unreasonable. She knew this. But there was another part of her that felt she had the right to be worried for the future of her friend and for the child growing inside of her. Illegitimate children got a bad rap in South Korea. She’d seen enough of those cases cross her paths while she worked at the hospital. Orphans were often left to fend for themselves because they were abandoned; viewed as a black smear of shame on their seemingly flawless lineage.

With Anastasia being a foreigner, the prejudice was practically doubled. She didn’t want her friend suffering unnecessarily and definitely not for a man. Even if that man was Kim Seokjin.

Realization spread over Taehyung’s face and he let his hands slide down her arms until he was able to grasp her fingers in his palms. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she couldn’t ignore the sharp pain tightening around her chest area. If things were going to get harder from here on out, she wanted to save her friends as much pain as possible. Even if that meant suffering from a little heartbreak. In time, the heart would heal. But when a child was involved, the difficulties increased without even meaning to.

He pulled her forward; she let him. Raelyn pressed her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and relishing in the feel of his large arms encasing her into his chest. She’d never admit it out loud, but she felt safe in his embrace. For a moment, a small one, Raelyn could fool herself into believing that things were normal; that she was in a normal relationship and the chaos that threatened to rip her world apart wasn’t real.

Taehyung’s fingers carded through her curls, bringing her even closer and she sighed. He patted her back like a grown-up comforting a child and she smiled a little. She smacked his back gently to playfully show that she didn’t appreciate being coddled. He continued to pat her anyway.

“Look, Noona,” he began, resting his hand against the back of her head, “I’m not going to be fluffy about this, alright?” Taehyung used his other arm to pull Raelyn fully into his lap. She continued to hide her face in his shoulder. “But Jin Hyung is a good guy. Always has been. No matter what anyone says, no matter who tries to fight against him, he’s going to make sure that the people he cares about are taken care of.”

Raelyn lifted herself up so she could look at Taehyung. His half smile was there and she had to resist the urge to pinch his cheek and pull at the skin. He was being a pest – teasing her for being worried at all. Yet she also knew that he was aware of her concerns without having to give them voice. She appreciated that level of understanding, even if she didn’t always express it.

“Ana Noona is important to him. That is their child she is carrying inside of her. I haven’t seen Hyung this happy in years. He’s happy because she is the one willing to bear their child. Trust him, alright?”

Sighing, she pressed a hand to her forehead and nodded. “You’re right. I think I’m just overly sensitive these days. As a nurse, I know the first trimester is the most important during pregnancy. Anything can happen.”

Taehyung leaned in to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. He rubbed his nose against hers, waggling his brows in a playful fashion. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Boy,” she said with a laugh, placing a hand on his face and shoving him out of the way of her breathing room, “if you don’t cut it out.”

He pouted, huffing defiantly before grabbing at the backs of her legs and lifting her with little effort. She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her bridal style and swung around away from the couch. Her eyes widened as her grip tightened to give herself better support.

“Wait, what are you doing?!”

Taehyung flashed her a devious look before he tilted his head to quickly nip at her nose. “I think I’m going to punish you.”

And before she could protest, he zipped across the living room and into her bedroom. Even before the door closed, Raelyn already knew she was in trouble. Because Kim Taehyung was a petty little shit.

When he promised punishment, she knew that that was what she was going to get.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

“…you know—”

“Don’t start.”

“What? I didn’t even say anything yet.”

Eden whirled around in the small kitchenette, pointing her ladle straight at Raelyn.

“You don’t have to. I already know what’s about to come flyin’ out your mouth.”

Raelyn pouted, folding her arms across her chest as she sat cross-legged on the floor. The small round table was already set with three different bowls and sets of utensils. Side dishes were placed around a large, rubber pot rest. Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen as the soybean soup bubbled with life on the small gas range.

“Look,” she attempted again, holding her hands up, “all I’m sayin’ is that—”

“Stop bitchin’ about my place or stop comin’ over,” Eden spat as she turned back to the pot of soup, dipping the ladle inside to stir the contents within, “fuckin’ goddamn.”

“It’s too small and you know it!” Raelyn lifted her chin up, challenging her friend to say otherwise. “I swear, you’d think you’re still poor with how you’re carryin’ on.”

“I am poor.”

Raelyn rolled her eyes. “Says the woman who owns a successful business. Uh-huh. Right.”

“Don’t tell me how to live my life, woman!” her friend yelled, throwing the kitchen towel at her. Raelyn tried not to laugh as she caught it, choosing to hide her face behind it so she couldn’t see the mischief playing out over her features. “Out!”

“But I haven’t eaten.”

“Eat then get out!”

“The food’s not ready yet.”

Eden let out an aggravated noise before resuming her cooking. Raelyn hated to admit it, but she loved teasing her friend. The mixed woman made it so easy. Truth be told, it was less difficult to rile her up now that she was dating Jungkook. The number of smacks she’d received to the shoulder and back when riding her about “being in love” had her sore for at least half a day. But it was all worth it.

“When is that boy getting here anyway?” Raelyn looked around the place, as if she’d missed something. “Shouldn’t he be here already helping you?”

“I told him to go pick up some beer on his way over.”

“Ooo, so domesticated.”

Eden cut her gaze toward Raelyn, eliciting a giggle from the older woman.

“Don’t make me stab you.”

Laughing, she leaned back on her hands and stretched her long legs all the way out across the floor. She lifted her face toward the ceiling, not really minding how small her friend’s place was. But if Jungkook and she were starting to get serious (as it seemed evident), then the small apartment would hardly be enough to handle the two of them.

“He hasn’t asked to move in with you, has he?”

A sudden coughing fit erupted from Eden as she turned to look back at her friend, eyes as wide as saucers. Raelyn shrugged, acting as though she’d asked what the weather was going to be tomorrow.

“What? It’s a simple question.”

“I’d hardly call that question simple, Unnie.”

She canted her head to the side. “Well, has he?”

Eden rolled her eyes and resumed cooking. “No.”

“Has he asked you to move in with him, then?”

Snorting, Eden shook her head but refused to take her eyes off the pot. “What is with you today?”

“…is it because of Yoongi?”

Raelyn hadn’t expected her words to strike a nerve. But they apparently did. Eden’s hand stilled, the ladle slipping from her grasp and rolling along the rim of the pot.

Neither woman said anything. Finally, Eden craned her neck to shoot a glare at her.

“Where the hell did that come from?”

“Well, is it?”

“Unnie, you better drop this.”

“I don’t see why you guys can’t just move on to the next step already. If you’re not hung up on Yoongi and he’s not feeling guilty about it, then what’s stopping the both of you?”

Eden sighed, picking up the ladle again while turning the dial on the stove to lower the burner. “Give it a rest, Raelyn.”

Raelyn eased herself up off the floor, dusting the backs of her jeans off. “You need to stop beating yourself up for something that wasn’t even your fault in the first place.”

“Who says I am?”

“You are, that’s who.”

“Whatever. God, you’re so fucking annoying right now.” Eden moved from the stove to the small rice cooker to stir the rice inside.

“And you’re still hesitating. Stop.” She crossed the small space, her hand reaching out to grasp her friend’s wrist in her own. Slowly, she turned Eden around to face her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Just stop, hm? You’ve already decided what you’re going to do so why are you trying to backpedal in your head?”

“I’m not backpedaling.” Eden frowned. “I’m thinking.”

“Then stop thinking and just do what you want. Don’t you think that’s what you deserve? What you both deserve?” Raelyn smiled as her friend gave her a confused look. “It’s not fair to either of you to linger on something that shouldn’t matter. Your feelings come first.”

The door rattled as keys slid into the lock and Raelyn shuffled away from her friend, leaving her presumably bewildered. Raelyn greeted Jungkook as he entered, relieving him of the case of beer in his arms despite his protests. She urged him to get comfortable, giving Eden a knowing wink.

Trust was important. Faith was necessary.

No longer living to wait on the whims of others? Well, that was the most important piece of the puzzle known as “life”. Raelyn knew that now. She wouldn’t let her doubt eat away at her anymore. If a choice needed to be made, then she’d already made it.

She would fight, even if that meant fighting her own self-doubt.

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4 years ago

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Be sure to check out our 500 follower post and send in anything on there!! We’d love to have more people to interact with!

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4 years ago

Thank you for all that you do! Don’t steal folks. Period. Point Blank. Don’t ask if it’s not yours. Don’t take it if it’s not yours. Writers work tirelessly to bring these stories to life.

create your own shit.

Plagiarism found

It’s that time again…

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It is illegal to take fanfics that you find on Tumblr, AO3, from ANYWHERE, and repost them. The authors can pursue legal action if they so choose. “Credit to the owner”/listing the author’s URL name is not justification. It would be exactly the same as putting a full copy of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or any other Paper Published book online and then saying “Credit to the Author”. They’d still sue the pants off you. AO3 even has a team of lawyers that will SUE you for stealing fanfiction from their authors. The gist of this, DO NOT STEAL!

This is a list of authors that had their fics STOLEN by this user: here and here. This is the users tumblr where they have been messaging the authors to ask permission to repost onto wattpad and after receiving a ‘no’ (or before we haven’t figured that part out) they repost the work anyway and claim it as their own. These authors listed are not the thieves, they are the owners of these fics. I am linking the original works so that they can receive the love and attention that they deserve.

The Bird Cage by @taetaewonderland​

Make it Right by @thebiasrekkers​

Oh Kitten by @softlyjiminie​

May 31 by @jeonjeonggukenergy​

Selfishly Mine by @kimnjss​

Intimidation by @luxekook​

Snowflake Kisses by @guksheart​

Caramel Macchiato by @minniepetals​

He Asks You on a Date in College by @writerofbts​

You Give Birth To Twins ~ Namjoon Drabble by @namjoonahhh (url deleated)

Among the Beasts by @golddaggers​

Love Lost by @lotsoffandomimagines​

Creatures of the Night by @fresh-outta-jams​

there were more but as we were compiling them… the ‘books’ were deleted. 


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You like us! You really like us! 

It thrills us to the bones that you all enjoy our works. And thanks to you, we’ve hit another milestone!

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We’d like to re- introduce ourselves [♡]. ⬅️ [PS: click the heart!]

Have a look at what we’ve done and what’s upcoming [★]. ⬅️ [PS: click the star!]

There are things currently brewing for ATEEZ, VIXX and EXO in the back office. Some of them are juicy, spicy, and all around heart-wrenching. That’s why we call ourselves The Bias Rekkers!

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Ask My Muse: Ask any character from any story or one shot a question.

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The Bias Rekkers would, again, like to say thank you to everyone that’s read, liked, reblogged, screamed, squealed, keyboard smashed, and rec’d any and all of our works. We do it for the idols we love, and for you, our fandom community.

And because we like hurting ourselves. But hey, to each their own, right? Also don’t be afraid to send us asks about anything and everything! Plus, we have a big announcement when we finish all the requests. So stay tuned because we’re just getting started!

4 years ago

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

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Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence (bloody violence), Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,089

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​, @shrimpmsg​​,

Chapter 43: Lost

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“To lose your path is the way to find that path.”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

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Four Years Ago Seoul – Itaewon; Yongsan District South Korea

Blood.

There was blood in the water.

Jimin looked like he crawled out of a mountain of pig guts, blood smears littering his face and neck. Droplets of crimson dripped from his earlobe as an angry red trail wept from a cut under his eye. Another slash decorated the bridge of his nose and he reached up to wipe at it. His fingers and hand were completely coated in red – scarlet trails dripping down his forearm and staining his shirt.

A shaky hand moved to turn the faucet off; barely aware that the water was spilling from the sink and onto the floor. It sloshed over his sneakers, soaking his shoelaces and creeping into his socks. He barely noticed as he slowly dipped his hands into the overflowing bowl of porcelain. The water turned an even deeper shade of pink and orange, growing opaque to where Jimin could no longer see his hands inside the bowl.

Water continued to slip onto the floor as he moved his wrists methodically, cleaning his hands as best he could. His eyes lingered on the dirty faucet nozzle until they shifted to spy his rosary bracelet on the edge of the dingy porcelain mouth. The silver cross glinted under the artificial light that barely encompassed the room, reflecting the pale green tiling that covered the room from ceiling to floor.

The light in the room blinked rapidly, spazzing out in time with the flash of lightning that brightened the dark and stormy world outside of the bathroom. Every so often, he was plunged in darkness – depriving him of the image of his horrible visage reflecting back at him in the mirror.

But even in the dark, Jimin could see everything.

He could see the body hunched over by the urinals, his neck spurting out blood like a fountain. His arm was twisted back, dislocated until it was eventually snapped in an unnatural way. Blood turned the man’s once white shirt completely red as thick rivers of it pooled from his lips.

An arm peeked out from underneath one of the stalls, the fingers attached to the hand all broken. There was a knife sticking out from the back of the hand as blood blossomed across the tile floor. Near the arm and between the person by the urinals was another body lying face down with one of his arms pulled behind him. There was a white item protruding from one of the shoulders, tearing through the jacket, and upon closer inspection, one would know that it was a broken bone pierced through skin and fabric.

Removing his hands from the pale red water and scooping up his rosary, Jimin shook the moisture from his hands and pivoted on his heels as he slowly wiped his palms down the backs of his pants. Another flash of lightning brightened the room, the clap of thunder rumbling the building and causing bits of plaster to crumble from the ceiling. Jimin crouched down to remove his knife from the man’s neck, more blood spurting out until the fountain grew smaller. Jimin wiped the blade over the man’s clothes to clean it off.

Flicking the blade closed, he slid it into the inside pocket of his blazer. Stepping over the man on the floor, he fished in his pocket for his handkerchief and began to wipe at the blood that was still on his neck while looking over his handiwork. It could have been handled a little less recklessly, but Jimin was forced into a small space and dealing with a trio of idiots who believed they had even a snowball’s chance in being able to go toe-to-toe with him.

Their biggest mistake? Listening to a jealous master who wanted Hoseok dead.

A phone buzzed with life and he paused, silencing his own breath so he could hear where the noise was coming from. He entered the stall and removed the phone from the man’s pocket whose neck he’d broken, spying at the screen. Jimin gently pushed the man off the toilet, dropping the phone into the bowl without hesitation. He watched it continue to ring until the water seeped into the grooves and openings of the device, causing the screen to blink wildly before it finally faded to black.

Pulling his own phone out, he dialed a number and pressed the phone to his face; making sure that it was the cheek he’d just cleaned off. They answered in three rings.

“It’s me,” he said softly, stepping over the bodies as he made for the door, “it’s done.”

The other person spoke and this caused Jimin to smirk.

“Just bring the cleaners here, Hyung. They’ll take care of the rest.”

He opened the door, scooping up his rosary beads off the sink and slipping them into his pocket.

“This will make them think twice before trying to come after you again.”

Jimin shut the door behind him as he hung up the phone, straightening his jacket and slicking his hair back off his forehead. The old building was barely anything to look at, which made the entire situation ideal for this sort of thing. His small group that waited for him bowed to him and he tossed the knife and dirty handkerchief to one of them.

“Get rid of those,” Jimin said, his voice cold.

The young man nodded, wrapping the items and then tossing them into a nondescript plastic bag.

“The talk didn’t go well?” he asked and Jimin grinned.

“It went as I thought it would.”

The man nodded, the others following on either side of him.

“They should have just listened to you in the first place. Then they wouldn’t have gone out that way.” Jimin cast a sideways glance toward the young man. “Because you’re The Crimson Claw, right?”

“Wrong.”

The man peered up at him, his expression clearly showcasing his confusion.

“I had no intentions of talking whatsoever. Because I am The Crimson Claw.”

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Present Day Seoul – Cheongdam; Gangnam District South Korea

Jimin took a deep breath, his hands balled into fists at his thighs. His thumb slowly rotated over the rosary beads, completely in sync with his heartbeat. He mentally counted back from thirty. Thirty seconds; thirty beats of his heart. The world was silent in the small enclosure as tiny slivers of light broke through the small holes around the wooden box. The burgundy curtain of velvet brushed against his knuckles, providing a small sense of relief from the suffocation that threatened to overtake him.

The latch across from him loosened as the door opened. Light flooded in from the other side of the diamond grating separating him from the man who was adjusting himself in his seat. When the door closed, they were once again plunged into darkness. Jimin released the air trapped in his lungs, the hand holding the rosary moving to form the sign of the cross in front of him before clasping his fingers together in a sign of prayer.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was three years and six months ago.”

There was a pregnant pause, threatening to swallow Jimin up completely. He took another breath, the sweat tingeing his brows as his chestnut fringe clung to his forehead. Jimin felt the priest’s eyes watching him through the grating and he attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. A part of him felt like he was being judged, but wasn’t that expected? It should have been. If it wasn’t, then Jimin judged himself in the stead of his Savior.

“Go on, My Child,” urged the priest gently.

He tried to wet his lips as he floundered for the words. Jimin cleared his throat as he attempted to formulate his sentences, his hands trembling. He shut his eyes tightly, his mouth forming into a thin line. He knew the priest was waiting for him to continue, but inwardly he wanted nothing more than to run from that small enclosure.

It felt like the weight of his sins would crush him.

“I’m a Christian, Father, but we believe in The Almighty and his Grace. Prayer alone cannot save me, but I feel that simply writing things down in a journal could hardly be enough to absolve me of my sins.” The words were less heavy on his tongue and he pressed his back against the wall. “The Blood of Christ has granted me penance. I know this. But I am afraid, Father, of the wrongs I have done in order to secure the futures of my brothers and myself.”

When he opened his eyes again, they quickly adjusted to the darkness; he was used to this. It was the sunlight that hurt his eyes and made it difficult to see.

Old memories flooded his mind, reminding him of the past and of the blood he shed. The metallic taste and coppery odor seemed permanently stuffed in his nostrils back then. His hand was often forced during encounters when he donned the mask of the Golden Jackals’ liaison. It was his job to speak to others in various districts, warning them that despite being a new group and former Jade Fang members, they were not to be trifled with.

They would do things fairly and if that fairness was ever challenged, then it was Jimin’s job to pass the message along in other ways. He was given the name Crimson Claw because he had no issues cutting anyone down that dared to impede his brothers’ paths to success and good fortune. He was merciless when it came to anyone he cared for.

This same mercilessness existed quietly in his heart even when they all lived their simple, country lives in Hwaseong. It was the reason why Jimin was the last to arrive in Seoul after Namjoon made his offer to come back with him to the big city – to reach into the dark and dirty underworld and pull out a flawless diamond. Jimin’s life was his family’s bakery and it was always assumed he would take over. He could never admit to how easy it was for him to embrace the life that Namjoon and the others were suggesting they attempt to live.

Because he didn’t want to show how simple it was for him to smile in that chaotic world. He didn’t want to worry his brothers, or even scare them away. He was more afraid of losing them than he was of losing himself.

Jimin understood the true depth of his heart better than anyone. Because he was a sinner; he bathed in the sin and wore it like a badge of pride. He had no problem hurting anyone if it meant protecting the people who meant the most to him.

He would become the devil himself.

What worried Jimin now wasn’t the storm that was coming. What concerned him was the possibility of losing himself along the way.

“I have hurt people. I have ruined people. We all have. But I cannot confess their sins for them. I can only speak of my own.” He squeezed his fingers tightly together, the beads of the rosary scraping against each other. “I know I cannot bear their sins on my shoulders, but I desperately want to, Father. My brothers are good people; good men. They deserve all the wonderful things this life has to offer to them.”

“You are very kind-hearted, My Child,” spoke the priest, causing Jimin to look up at him, “and God sees that. He knows what lies in your heart every waking moment of your life.”

“If that’s true, Father,” Jimin whispered, “then he knows I’m beyond saving. I’m okay with that, I am.”

“You’re alright with being outside of the realm of redemption?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’ve found my place in the shadows and I will do everything, anything I can, to keep my brothers in the light.”

Jimin peered down at his hands to look at the sterling silver cross dangling from the rosary beads.

“Forever.”


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