The War of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 3) (53 page)

“What is
yours, Jin Ae?” she asked mockingly.

“The Underworld,” Jin Ae replied without missing a beat. “If you hadn’t appeared then the two most powerful Kings would’ve been in the palm of
my
hand. Tae Hyun would’ve taken me back if you hadn't appeared in our world. I would’ve been able to rule this world with him if it wasn’t for you!”

Another derisive laugh escaped Yoori’s lips.

“The Underworld has not and will never belong to you, little girl,” Yoori seethed, knowing then that it was the An Soo Jin in her that found hilarity in Jin Ae’s words. She no longer had control over her wrath. “It was mine, it continues to be mine, and it will
always
be mine.”

Jin Ae appeared in front of Yoori in that instant, elbowing her across the face and then delivering a painful punch that connected with her cheek. Yoori’s head snapped to the side, nearly causing her to plunge to the ground.

“Stay out of this!” Yoori warned, fighting to stay balanced once she saw Tae Hyun make a move to intervene.

After saying this, a furious Yoori caught the fist that Jin Ae threw, lifted it up, and twisted her wrist with a snap, causing Jin Ae’s eyes to enlarge in agony as she let out an anguished scream.

“How could you do this to another woman?” Yoori screamed, reminded of why she wanted Jin Ae’s head in the first place.

She thought about Chae Young and the pain that had devoured her life.

Yoori grew angrier.

Clenching her fists together, Yoori delivered blow after blow across Jin Ae’s face, her chest, and her stomach. Whenever Jin Ae tried to fight back, Yoori would just snap bones apart, simultaneously surprising and horrifying Jin Ae. She realized then that there was more to Yoori than what meets the eye.

“Do
what
?” Jin Ae uttered, screaming once blood began to engulf her face. Agony throbbed in her small voice.

“Stop denying it!” Yoori growled, becoming more heated. “If you did it, then have the balls to say that you did!”

“Stop
. . .
Stop lying!” Jin Ae cried, coughing and choking on her own blood. An uppercut was imparted to her, nearly breaking her jaw. “I
. . .
I didn’t do anything!”

The denial only brought Yoori more anger.

“You sent those eleven gang members to rape Chae Young! You were there!” she shouted, wanting Jin Ae to admit her involvement before she killed her. She continued to punch her like Jin Ae was her personal boxing bag. “You wanted to get to me, and you allowed those scumbags to rape the one friend who had been there for me since I moved to this godforsaken city!”

“I didn’t!” Jin Ae sobbed, groaning horrifically as blood consumed every inch of her skin. She was no match for Yoori’s fury—Soo Jin’s fury—and she was beginning to realize that she wasn’t fighting with a girl. She was fighting with a skilled and merciless killer.

Her desperate and swollen eyes rolled over to Tae Hyun, who was staring at the whole scene before him in shock, horror, and disgust.

“Tae Hyun!
Please!” Jin Ae sobbed, terror causing her body to shake like a leaf. “She’s lying! I didn’t do anything! I don’t even know who Chae Young is or what she’s talking about!” Her cries grew louder. “Please,
please help me!
”

“Stop lying!” Yoori roared, kicking Jin Ae across the face.

An already weak Jin Ae tumbled to the ground at the force of the kick and slammed her head against the wall behind her. Her breathing was faint, helpless.

Fuming with the clouds of rage that blinded her senses, Yoori chased after Jin Ae with no more desire to punish her. She simply wanted to end things once and for all. She banged the sole of her black boot against Jin Ae’s neck, using all the power she had to officially snap Jin Ae’s neck apart and end her pitiful life.

“Yoori, stop!”

It was Tae Hyun’s interference that saved Jin Ae from losing the one crucial whiff of air that would kill her, and it was Tae Hyun’s intrusion that infuriated Yoori.

She tried to fight against his hold, but he was much stronger.

He forcefully dragged her away until they were several feet from Jin Ae’s fallen body.

“Does it hurt you to watch me beat your precious little whore?” Yoori spat out, unable to control her anger for his betrayal. She pulled her arm out of his grip in disgust. Why? Why was he stopping her? Did he still have feelings for Jin Ae? Did he still have feelings for that worthless piece of shit?

“
Don’t
,” Tae Hyun warned severely, quelling the psychotic rage that seared in Yoori’s soul. His eyes burned with ire. “There has been no other woman, and I don’t want any other woman. I’ve been nothing but faithful to you, and you know how much you mean to me. Don’t you fucking insult me like this.”

“Why are you stopping me then?” Yoori breathed out heatedly. “
You told me that once we get her, I could have her head!”

“That was only when I thought she was the one who orchestrated the rape!” he shouted before taking a deep breath to calm down. He shook his head, staring at Jin Ae with regret. His eyes found Yoori’s. “I know you’re angry. I want nothing more than to ease that anger by giving you the vengeance you want, but I don’t think you’ll get it from Jin Ae. What if she’s telling the truth? What if she wasn’t even involved? What if someone framed her, and you’re now getting ready to kill someone who has nothing to do with this? Can you live with that Yoori? Can you live with killing the wrong person if she’s telling the truth?”

“She’s not!” Yoori combated psychotically, breathing in roughly while she glared at Tae Hyun with animosity. “She’s not, and you’re being a fucking idiot for believing her!”

“Look at yourself!” Tae Hyun roared back, shaking her shoulders with his hands. “Do you see what you’ve turned into? Do you not hear yourself right now? Do you not hear
Soo Jin
?”

Silence collapsed over Yoori as his voice acted as the splash of cold water she needed. The violent fire that blazed through her cooled. It wasn’t so much the fact that he was yelling at her, but it was because his face was marred with alarm for her. Only then did Yoori feel the weight of the blood on her hands. It terrified her because despite the concern in Tae Hyun’s eyes, she still wanted to slaughter Jin Ae. It was only when a tentative voice interrupted them that the course of their night changed.

“Jin Ae has been training in China since Ms. Choi’s initiation,” Mina spoke up, her eyes widening with disbelief when she finally processed what was happening.

“
What?” Yoori and Tae Hyun asked, both turning to Mina.

The Cobras were ordered to find Jin Ae, but they were never given a specific reason as to
why
Jin Ae had to be found. Yoori could only assume that they believed they had to find Jin Ae because of the rivalry that existed between herself and Jin Ae.

“After Ms. Choi’s initiation, Ju Won sent Jin Ae to train in China,” Mina provided, her gaze apologetic that she didn’t tell them this sooner. “We just found out tonight. That was why she wasn’t at his masquerade ball. That was also why we had such trouble finding her
. She hasn’t been in Seoul for weeks. She just arrived today.”

Yoori went cold.

Her ears blurred out Mina’s apology for not speaking up about this sooner, that she didn’t know what it was Yoori and Tae Hyun wanted to punish Jin Ae for.

Yoori felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on her.

Jin Ae was lying motionless on the floor, her face barely recognizable through the blood that stained her features. She was broken. Yoori had successfully broken her, but only for the wrong reason.

Through the veil of hatred that once covered her eyes, Yoori found her sensibility. Something in her clicked.
It was
never
Jin Ae who orchestrated Chae Young’s rape. Jin Ae was framed, and the one who was behind it had escaped Yoori’s wrath all along.

Jin Ae was actually the victim right now.

An undeserved victim of Yoori’s uncontained rage.

“Boss!” Ace called, running into the warehouse and interrupting their trains of thought. His expression was one of panic. “Word has gotten out about Jin Ae being kidnapped, and Ju Won’s men are searching all over the city for her. Some of them are in the area, and they’ll arrive soon. If you need to kill her, then you’ll have to do it
now.”

“Take her to the hospital,” Yoori said brokenly, finding it impossible to even make eye contact with the girl she had just savagely beaten. There was no way Yoori would allow anyone to kill Jin Ae, especially for crimes that she never committed. “Get her to the hospital now and help her.”

Ace hesitated, looking at Tae Hyun. “If we kill her, then we can erase all evidence that we were the ones who had her. If we let her live, then Ju Won will know what happened. He will come after you—”

“When Yoori tells you to do something, you do it,” Tae Hyun reprimanded Ace, who still had a worried expression on his face. Tae Hyun eyed Mina and his Cobras, all of whom were waiting for further orders. “Take her to the hospital, give them my name, and have Dr. Han take care of her. Get her help
. . .
Now
.”

Standing motionless while staring down at the crimson blood on her hands, Yoori’s lungs constricted when she heard Jin Ae whimper in pain. The Cobras scooped her limp body up and swept her out of the warehouse, leaving Yoori alone with Tae Hyun.

Yoori felt numb. It seemed as though she was hovering in a sea of fire. She was so angry that her blood boiled, and this fact alone scared her. She wasn’t supposed to be this angry. She was supposed to be in control. What happened to her?

She stared up and saw how Tae Hyun was gazing at her. For the first time, she saw caution
against her in his eyes.

“I will never allow another situation where you could do this again, Yoori,” he said to her, guardedness now fully present in his gaze. It pained her to see this, to see him watch her like she was a bomb that was ready to detonate at any moment.

“What?” she asked, shaking while she took in what he just said. How could he not let this happen again? The culprit was still out there. Yoori still had to punish that person!

“I wasn’t there with you when you killed those eleven gang members. I’ve never been there when Soo Jin ‘comes out’ of you.” He walked closer to her, concern etching across his vigilant eyes. His gaze broke her heart. It seemed like he realized he was losing someone—
her
.

“When I walked in, I was prepared to have my Cobras kill Jin Ae because my hands had already been tainted countless times, and it was a demon that I could live with. I only imagined that you would come in here, slap her, punch her a couple of times, and leave the rest up to my Cobras, but the murderous look in your eyes when you reveled in the spill of her blood
. . .
this isn’t you, Yoori.” He stared into her eyes. “I don’t like seeing you like this. I promised you once before that I would always protect you, and I’ve never felt the need more than at this moment. I see now what a threat Soo Jin is
. . .
how much she could devour your soul.” He sighed painstakingly. “Did you even hear me when I called out for you to stop? Do you even see yourself right now?”

“So
, you’re finally disgusted with her, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice smaller than it had ever been.

Yoori felt fragmented, lost between a world of anger and a world of morals. She did not want to be a killer, but she wanted to punish the fucker who brought this hell upon Chae Young. She wanted to just be Yoori, but she realized then that she was losing her control over Soo Jin’s killer instincts. She felt like shit. Fragmented shit, and it didn’t help that her boyfriend was staring at her with a multitude of concern, disgust, and fear. While he wasn’t afraid of her, he was damn well afraid of losing her.

“Only because I can protect you from anyone else who presents any harm to you,” Tae Hyun replied moments later, confirming Yoori’s belief of how he felt. There was defeat in his eyes, defeat that Yoori was used to seeing in herself, and defeat that Tae Hyun wasn’t used to admitting. His voice became lower, sadder. “But I don’t know how to protect you from Soo Jin.”

Reverberations of footsteps encroaching upon them silenced their lips.

Tae Hyun turned. Once he saw that it was one of his Cobras, the tenseness in his body left him. Ace had returned from outside, his face still fixed with mystification.

“Boss, I don’t understand,” he said honestly, stopping beside them. “We’ve spent weeks tracking her down, and now that we’ve
finally found her, you’re letting her go?”

“She wasn’t the culprit,” Tae Hyun answered without thinking, forgetting that Ace wasn’t privy to the news that he and Yoori wanted Jin Ae because of what happened at the diner. “She wasn’t the one who sent those eleven gang members that Yoori killed.”

Something then illuminated in Ace’s eyes. “Are you talking about what happened in the alley?”

“What are you talking about, Ace?” Tae Hyun asked swiftly, his eyes boring into Ace’s. “There’s only a few who know what happened, and you shouldn’t be one of them.”