Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 47: Misunderstanding

They all wore expressionless masks, yet even with those inscrutable looks they had, the middle-aged man knew what was going on in their head. They were all wondering why the boss’ personal bodyguard was stepping out and leaving him inside that dreary place.

The man thought, ’Ah, these new recruits must have never seen this situation happen before. Makes sense, the boss only allowed me to come with him while dealing with these kinds of matters.’

He strode to the line of men clad in black, their clothes hiding from sight as the darkness of the night fell upon them, and stopped in the middle. With a commanding voice, the man ordered, "Check the vicinity once more. Go on both sides. I’ll be standing guard here for now. You already know what to do if you see anyone in the area."

The men nodded. They scattered upon receiving dismissal and went to surveil the area. The order they were given – ’make sure that no one is nearby, send away any person they could find.’

As bodyguards, their jobs are to protect their clients from any malicious intent further resulting in physical attacks and death threats, as well as be their lackeys, doing everything they ordered without the right to inquire about whatever the command is.

They were trained to be tightlipped, deaf, and expressionless. That was how the Montgomery Security Agency trained them, which was one of the companies under the DV Group that employs security officers dispatched to guard their business and protect their properties or persons, and could work under independent clients.

So, even if they were brimming with curiosity about why their boss would come into that place in the middle of the night tagging along six bodyguards including his personal one, their lips were bound not to speak any queries.

These men hadn’t even finished their orders when they all jolted from the screeching sound that broke the eerie silence of the night. Their heads turned in the direction of the abandoned warehouse, eyes bulging from shock.

One rushed back quickly to check, but his running slowed when from afar he saw their superior leaning calmly on the bumper of their car with closed eyes. He seemed unbothered by the continuous wails inside the dark building.

Something told them not to disturb the man, so they retreated slowly and undetected. From inside the warehouse, another agonizing scream echoed through the night. The men all changed glances and finally understood while their superior asked them to send anyone in the area.

They went back and fulfilled their jobs, lest they would be the ones screaming next if they failed. From the looks of it, whoever upset the boss will end up like the man getting tortured inside. They all shuddered upon remembering how dark and scary their boss’ expression was. A face devoid of mercy, was what they recalled.

The screaming stopped after a few minutes. The middle-aged man opened his eyes and straightened his body, then he strolled back inside the warehouse. Stopping before his boss standing a few feet away in front of a collapsed individual, the man’s eyes hovered over the iron rod held by his boss.

The opposite end was shaped like the head of a trowel, and it was glowing and melting from too much heat. The only light in that dark and spacious place was the fire burning inside a metal container, where the iron rod was heated.

The bodyguard contemplated. Even from behind, he could feel the terrifying aura of an enraged alpha. He stayed still and waited for his boss’ commands. All of a sudden, the boss threw the iron rod into the metal container and the flame flared because of the object.

Then, a voice sounded like the grim reaper echoed, "Check his pulse."

"Yes, sir," the old bodyguard went and checked the unconscious man. His clothes were scattered a few feet away, and there were burns like the mark on the iron rod on his back and thighs. "He’s still breathing, sir."

"Throw him back to where you find him."

The bodyguard asked curiously, "What about the police, sir? We have released all the evidence and police have started to search for Mr. Shin. It seemed that he was being protected in the night district. Can the police drag him out of that place?"

Azrael took his gloves off and threw them on the fire as well, "He already lost everything. Whoever was protecting him in the district would get tired of him. Until then, put a tail on him. It’ll probably take months to grow scab on those burns. Make sure to seal that mouth of his."

"Understood, sir."

Azrael walked back to his car. He started the engine and drove off. As the car rolled out of the rough road leading to the highway, Azrael puffed out a loud breath and gripped the steering wheel tightly his knuckles popped out of its joints.

He went and released his pent-up anger by beating the crap out of the stupid man who dared to cross his business, yet his anger still hadn’t subsided after all that. It only flared after recalling what happened earlier in the day...

’I can’t come for a few days...’ from beyond the phone, a hushed voice was heard in the phone. Azrael knitted his brows. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he already expected that Knox would put distance between them again.

He needed to calm down, Azrael told himself. The silence that followed after that was an indication that the omega had no plans of explaining why he couldn’t come to him. Azrael asked, ’Is this because of what happened in the restroom?’

There was no answer.

He was trying to prolong his patience, but how come when it comes to Knox Arden, he would always lose his sense of waiting? He added sharply, ’If it is, prepare yourself then. I know where you live. I’ll come over.’

Knox’s panicking voice countered him, ’Wait, you can’t!’

’Tell me then,’ Azrael persisted.

Knox gave up, ’I’m...in heat. So, don’t you dare come!’

Azrael stiffened after hearing that. He parted his lips to answer, but nothing came out until Knox ended the call after reminding him not to come again. He sat on his swivel chair after that, staring blankly at the window panes.

His thoughts wandered to Knox and about many things spiraling out of control. And once he couldn’t bear it anymore, he stood and decided to check on him. Later at noon, he arrived at his apartment unit, pressed the doorbell thrice, and even got worried that Knox might have fainted inside.

Finally, after the fourth try, the door swung open, yet a stranger stood behind. Azrael’s face turned dark immediately. The man standing by the door has a feminine look, but his wide shoulders tell otherwise.

’Who are you?’

The man furrowed his brows, sizing up Azrael from head to toe, before answering him indignantly, ’What do you need here?’

Azrael’s only got furious after being ignored. He slammed the door, but the man did not even flinch, ’I asked who you are. Where is Knox Arden?’

The man’s unbothered face gave Azrael an equally intense stare, and responded, ’He’s not here. He’s with his boss.’

’...what?’

’Look, I’m in the middle of something. So, get lost.’

Azrael would have blocked the door and kicked the man, but his feet were rooted on the spot until the door slammed shut in his face. The man had no scent, so he surmised that he was a beta. Sandro never said that Knox was living with someone, so it wasn’t in the report.

But if Knox was in heat, then it’s normal that he’d prefer an alpha to help him, rather than an unscented beta.

The wheels screeched after Azrael promptly stomped the brake. His thoughts went back to the present. He called Knox’s number again and again, but his calls never came through until he lost his patience and threw his phone in the backseat.

In the rearview mirror, he recognized his bodyguard’s car speeding up until it reached him. The bodyguard immediately went out from the passenger seat and knocked on Azrael’s window.

"Sir, what happened?"

Azrael closed his eyes. He stepped out, "Drive."

Then, he went inside the back seat, ignoring the phone lying next to him. He closed his eyes and erased the images that kept appearing in his head. Images that he was unsure it was really true. He still wanted to believe that he was only misunderstanding something.

However, if it was proven true, then he feared that he might really do something to Knox and Athan. There was only one way to confirm – go and visit the alpha directly. As soon as tomorrow comes, he’d barge into that company and demand Athan’s presence.