A Forgiving Heart - 8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nights were the hardest, especially the ones he was not busy. Raphael kept to his office in the basement to avoid Hyun and his damnable innocence. He thought about Hyun’s kiss, and wished he could indulge in the absolute decadence that was kissing Hyun.

The wish stopped there though. Hyun was someone who now held power over him. A liability who understood what would hurt him. Showing him Talin and Dimitri hadn’t been his plan, but now that it had ended that way, getting Hyun out of the scene was the best option. For a day and a half, he worked on shipping schedules, and clearing the Helena with the officials at the port of Mombasa. When he wasn’t working, he collected information on Nicolae Petrov’s daughter, Calina. She was a spoilt princess, liked to party hard with her father’s money, and had spent most of her life under the care Dima and Nadia. The two who turned up on his boat.

Information was key, Raphael thought now as he walked up the stairs heading to his bedroom. His meeting with his father was in an hour.

Walking down the east corridor, he stopped at the second door on his right. Opening the door, the motion as quiet as he could make it, Raphael stared at the figure sprawled on the king-size bed in the middle of the room. A small lamp in the corner the only light in the room.

Hyun was fast asleep.

Leaving the door open, Raphael walked to the bed and stood watching Hyun sleep. Hyun slept clutching his pillow tight, sprawled on the bed with wild abandon. Raphael loved watching Hyun sleep. The man seemed not to have a care in the world like this, though Raphael knew different.

He had seen Hyun’s love for his sister. Had seen it drive Hyun to dangerous heights. Even now, with his sister safe, Hyun endured hiding in a stranger’s house. Giving up an apartment he worked hard to pay for. Himura had told him that Hyun had paid for his precious apartment for the entire year. The man was smart, diligent, loyal…Raphael touched Hyun’s hair, rubbing soft strands between his fingers.

Most of all…Hyun made him want to be good. Made him want to do the right thing.

Except, he wasn’t sure what the right thing was at the moment.

His father would push to have Hyun. Raphael knew it. He had yet to win an argument with Baek Yun. If he decided to deceive his father, then Baek would do anything to fulfill his goals. Anything…Raphael thought, including sending mercenaries into this house.

His options were limited. The safest being letting his father have Hyun.

Raphael stroked his fingers through Hyun’s hair. The thought made him unhappy.

“Sir,” Himura’s stage whisper pulled him out of his thoughts. He glanced up to find Himura watching him from the doorway. “It’s time.”

Raphael gave him a curt nod, waiting until Himura was gone before he returned his gaze to the still sleeping Hyun. He bent down and pressed a soft kiss on Hyun’s left temple. Reaching for the covers, he dragged them over the little rabbit who had stumbled down his tunnel. Smiling, he left the bedroom as silently as he’d walked in.

***

“I have Hyun Lee,” Raphael stated, meeting his father’s dark gaze thirty minutes later.

Baek Yun sat on a bar stool in the closed bar frequented by many of their men. The owner of the bar owed a debt to Baek, as many who worked for them did. The bar was closed for the evening, keeping their meeting private.

Raphael held his father’s unreadable gaze.

“I thought you would hide it from me,” Baek said. He picked up his glass of scotch and drank deep. “I wonder why you protect a pawn, Rafa. What game do you play?”

“None.” Raphael folded his arms against his chest.

“Ilia Pajari called me,” Baek said. “He told me you rescued Hyun’s sister to free Hyun from Lucian.”

Raphael narrowed his gaze.

“You understand they are using us.”

“Your antics have solved the mystery of who was behind Hyun. All you need to do is hand him over, and I will handle the rest,” Baek answered. “Lucian Pajari will not take down Nicolae. That is my duty.”

“What happens to Hyun when you don’t need him anymore?”

“Hyun will help strengthen the family,” Baek said. “That is all that matters.”

“Are you going to tell me why you must be the one to bring down Nicolae Petrov?”

“Not yet,” Baek said with a harsh sigh.

“I want to help you.”

“Then concentrate on what needs doing. Your Helena has cleared customs at the port, ground it. Put your plans to rest and work on securing our routes. I don’t want anyone doubting your competence.”

“Father.”

“Stay away from Petrov.”

“Make me,” Raphael said through gritted teeth, angry with his father for keeping him in the dark. “I am not your lackey. I’m your son. The only one you have left. You need to start being straight with me.”

Baek gave him a side long glance.

“Trust goes both ways.”

“I was going to hide the fact that Hyun is under my protection. I changed my mind because the more secrets we keep between us, the more power we give to the Pajari brothers. They sent Hyun to me hours after you asked me to find him.”

Baek frowned, placing his glass on the counter.

“What do you mean?”

“He showed up at the moving party, having gotten the address from a mysterious contact.”

“Why do you insist on keeping up with that farce?” Baek scoffed.

“I like it. Hyun is under the impression that I offered him a deal with the Yun family. He has no idea you wanted him first. He doesn’t realize the Pajari brothers are manipulating his movements and in turn, ours. He thinks he owes us a debt.”

Baek gave him an approving nod.

Raphael took a step closer to where his father sat.

“If you want a show of strength, and to prove my capability to protect what you have built, stop clipping my wings,” Raphael gritted out. “Allow me to root out the real scheme.”

Baek stared at him for a full minute, a quick smile curved his lips, then he dropped his gaze to the glass of scotch.

“The next location is in Belize, a very exclusive resort: highly secured. Petrov has two accounts at the Black Orchid. Suspicious attempts to access these accounts trigger a personal alert to Nicolae. Nothing can go wrong, Rafa. The fact that Ilia called me, means they are making plans of their own.”

“What’s between you and Nicolae?” Raphael asked again.

“When you have weakened him, I will give you this burden,” Baek answered with a heavy sigh. “For now, let’s see how far you can take your leadership. Nicolae is occupied at the moment. You have one week from today to complete this task, Raphael.”

“How do you know Nicolae is occupied?”

“I bought the time,” Baek said. “One week, Raphael, a very expensive purchase. Make sure you get in to the Black Orchid and bring me what’s in the safes by then.”

***

Hyun decided to explore Raphael’s house out of boredom. He hadn’t seen Raphael since their kiss on the couch. Another day and a half had passed, the time spent alone was maddening. Before, at his own apartment, he would never have minded such a wide chunk of downtime. He would have slept in, played video games, taken Mina out to explore the city. So many things to do…yet now, he didn’t dare venture out the front door. Not that he could, what with Himura and his perpetual guards lurking in the shadows.

Himura had given him an explicit warning not to leave the house, or answer any phones, no matter how long they rang.

Hyun sighed, climbing stairs to the third floor of the house. His rebellious side chafed against the rules, the abandonment by Raphael. His logical side understood the need for caution. The memory of Lucian’s strong fingers digging into his larynx, making it hard to breath, was too close. He touched his neck as though the action would wipe away the memory.

Hyun reached the third floor and stopped, staring at white double doors into what looked like a room that took up the third floor. Curious, he tried the doors only to find them locked. The only room in the house that was locked. Stepping back, he shrugged and started to turn away.

Damn, he’d hoped to have a wonderful time exploring the third floor. Kill time before Raphael emerged from wherever he hid away for so long. Hyun turned to look at the door with a frown. The doors weren’t that heavy, the lock looked old.

Checking over the staircase landing rail, he checked down the stairs to see if anyone was following him. There was no one, so he rushed back to the door. Grabbing the silver knob, he jimmied the lock, turning it from side to side. Biting his lower lip, he shoved into the door once, then twice, on the third time, the door gave and swung open too fast. He stumbled into the room, only managing to save his fall in the last second.

Hyun rushed to study the lock and groaned when he saw it was broken.

“Shit,” Hyun cursed touching the frayed wood around the lock. “Oh well…”

Hyun closed the door, in case someone came up to discover what he was up to. Now that he had broken in, he wanted it to count. To his disappointment, the large room was bare: white walls, dusty wood floors, the windows tinted. Hyun stood in the middle of the room a bit disappointed.

Why lock an empty room?

Hands in his pocket, Hyun turned to the right and headed to the east windows. The wall opposite the windows was lined with shelves, deep shelves that reminded him of a library. These were empty though, and judging by the amount of dust on the surface, no one had bothered to clean them.

Strange.

Walking back around to the other side, impressed by the light coming in to the room thanks to the many windows. Turning to the west windows, he stopped at the sight of the wall opposite.

The floor-length painting was exquisite. The landscape green, so vibrant, and striking, it seemed like he could touch the petals on daisies growing in the grass. The large oak tree providing shade for two figures.

Taking a step closer, Hyun sucked in air at the accurate depiction of Raphael lying on the grass under the large tree. His long hair spread out on the green grass, lush and soft. His green gaze staring at the sky, though…Hyun felt a cold stone settle in his chest. Raphael could also be staring at the man seated beside him.

Talin.

Handsome Talin who stared at Raphael with love shining in his eyes.

The painting was breathtaking, so beautiful…it broke Hyun’s heart.

Of course, this was what he deserved for breaking into locked private rooms. Gods, why did seeing Raphael with Talin this way hurt? He remembered Raphael, and how happy he had looked in Talin’s kitchen. His love for the man so clear.

How could Dimitri stand it?

He could barely imagine it. Raphael and Talin…why were they apart now? Why did Talin live with Dimitri? Had he broken Raphael’s heart so deeply the man still hauled around a torch for him? God, Hyun wished he had never seen the painting. The possibilities…

Afraid of the pain, Hyun ran out of the room fast, slamming the door closed he raced downstairs to the living room.

Hyun spent the rest of his day on the couch playing video games. He killed zombies with deadly precision, moving from level to level. He was so lost in the game, that he didn’t see Raphael come into the living room late in the afternoon.

Hyun jumped in surprise when Raphael touched his right shoulder.

“Are you mad at someone?” Raphael teased. “You look pissed.”

“I always look like this when I’m playing video games.”

“No you don’t,” Raphael sat back on the couch with a sigh. His cane resting on the edge of the couch. “You smile a little when you win. Today, there’s only a scowl. Are you tired of being a shut in?”

Hyun expertly jumped from one roof to another, shooting five zombies down when he landed.

“How much longer do I have to stay here?”

“The reasons I needed to keep your presence here a secret have disappeared. Of course, we still need to be careful of Lucian. That aside, you can go out if you like.”

Hyun paused the game and turned to look at Raphael.

“Alone?”

Raphael’s lips curved into a smile.

“Afraid?”

Raphael’s green eyes were filled with amusement.

“No.” Hyun looked back to the screen, fighting the urge to lean over and taste Raphael’s enticing lips. “I need to get a new laptop. Lucian took my old one. I could use some clothes, if possible drop by my apartment.”

“Your apartment is out of the question. Too many people watching. We can arrange on getting new clothes, as for your laptop…”

Raphael stood, barely needing the cane. He took Hyun’s right hand and pulled him up. Hyun tried not to notice the feel of Raphael’s fingers closing over his, but it was impossible.

“Where are we going?” Hyun asked, hoping to distract his brain.

“I’ve heard you went exploring my house today.”

Hyun’s heart skipped a beat. He had hoped no one was around.

Raphael glanced at him.

“The house is under surveillance, 24/7. Himura is the security team’s boss, you understand how loyal the staff can get.”

Of course, Hyun grimaced. Which meant Raphael knew he had entered the locked room upstairs.

“I’m sorry I broke your door,” Hyun said, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Raphael stopped in the corridor outside the living room and turned to Hyun. Touching his left finger to Hyun’s chin, he lifted Hyun’s face up. Hyun tried to look away, but Raphael wouldn’t let him.

“What did you see in that room?” Raphael asked, his gaze asking more than his words.

Your heart, Hyun wanted to say. I saw your heart, and the love you hide. Does Talin know?

“Nothing.” Hyun met stormy green eyes. “The room is empty.”

Raphael held his gaze for a moment longer, then dropped his hand away. Hyun let out a soft sigh of relief.

“You owe me a lock.”

“Really?” Hyun gaped.

“Yes, really,” Raphael continued taking him down the short corridor to what looked like a solid wall. “It’s going to cost me to fix the lock.”

“Money is all you think about.”

“It makes the world go round,” Raphael answered, pressing his left palm on the wall.

Hyun gasped when a door appeared, the door sliding into a space in the wall to reveal stairs that went down to the basement.

“A hidden lair?” Hyun looked at Raphael. “You wanted to be a super hero when you were kid, didn’t you?”

Raphael burst out laughing and ushered him into the space. Hyun stepped down the first step as Raphael followed him and the door slid shut. It was dark for a second, then blue lights came on, lighting the way.

“I’m no superhero, Hyun,” Raphael said, urging Hyun down the stairs.

“Yes, that’s true. You’re more of a villain,” Hyun murmured.

Raphael placed a hand on Hyun’s right shoulder pausing their descent.

“Do you really think me a villain?”

“Sometimes,” Hyun answered without thought. “Other times, I think you are caught between wanting to be a villain and a hero.”

The stairs led them to a platform above a vast floor space.

Below, Hyun stared at nirvana.

Glass panels made up a series of workstations, each panel manned by an operative. An overhead screen straight ahead designed to display from any of the work stations in the room. The atmosphere was…busy for lack of a better term. The workstations seemed to be divided into different types of teams. Each one engrossed in their task. The tech setup was highly sophisticated, so enticing, Hyun ached to test it out.

Himura navigated the twenty plus workstations and came up short stairs to where they stood.

“Sir,” Himura greeted Raphael, he turned to Hyun with a small smile. “Welcome to Yun Shipping, Hyun.”

***

“This is an interesting decision,” Himura noted minutes later, watching Hyun interact with their staff on the main floor.

“What did your father say?” Himura asked.

“My father thinks Hyun is a liability.” Raphael moved to sit behind his desk. “He wanted me to give him over and forget Hyun existed.”

Himura smiled.

“I suspect you have made another rash decision.”

Raphael gave him a small shrug, his gaze returning to Hyun who was making fast friends with his staff. Jeez, Hyun could befriend anyone he decided.

“I am making my stand with my father.” Raphael turned to Himura. “I will not tolerate resistance within my ranks.”

“Sir—

“My father knew I had Hyun.” Raphael shrugged. “I suppose it couldn’t be avoided. Ilia Pajari called him. Why and how Ilia knew what I was planning remains a mystery. One I will not attempt to solve.”

Himura had always been on his side. Raphael knew that. Himura’s job was to protect him, no matter the cost. Raphael allowed him leeway with decision-making, which was why he didn’t push when Himura took liberties. But as of now, he needed absolute cooperation.

“I don’t need your protection.” Raphael stated. “I need your partnership, Himura. Do you understand?”

Himura walked up to the desk and held out his right hand to Raphael. Raphael stood and took Himura’s hand.

“I understand,” Himura said. “You have it.”

“Thank you,” Raphael said. “Now, we need to discover all we can about a hotel in Belize named the Black Orchid. We’re heading there tonight.”

***

Hyun loved Raphael’s company. The staff was friendly. Raphael’s idea to keep them all working in the same space had turned them into a family. Even the way they interacted was different from his own colleagues at Arocom. He didn’t miss his office, or his workmates. He rather imagined he would have loved a setting like this though.

“So, do you know what you’ll be working on?” one of the ladies asked.

Her name was Patience. Hyun wondered if she was patient like her name.

“Uhm…,” Hyun glanced to the office where Raphael stood talking to Himura. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Don’t worry,” Patience assured him. “You’ll like working for Mr. Yun. He might look stern, but he is easy to get along with. If you do your job well, he will let you know and reward you.”

“That’s…surprising,” Hyun said.

Raphael was a nice boss.

Hyun wanted to laugh.

Patience obviously didn’t know about the gun-toting Raphael.

“I hope you end up working in my department,” Patience continued. “We could use a security programmer. Our network needs constant fortification. Mr. Yun is paranoid about keeping his privacy.”

He would be, Hyun thought.

“Hyun.”

Hyun glanced up to find Himura beckoning him to the office.

Patience squeezed his shoulder, giving him a smile.

“Well, good luck.”

Hyun thanked her and headed up metal stairs to Raphael’s glass office.

“I’ll leave you two,” Himura said, when he reached the door.

Hyun entered the office, and the door locked, the glass going opaque at the same time.

“Have a seat, Hyun.”

Raphael’s office was clean cut like the rest of the house upstairs. No unnecessary furniture: his desk neat, the chairs before it elegant and functional, no embellishments. Raphael’s features were grim as he sat behind the desk. Clearly, he was dealing with Raphael’s serious side now.

“We have the next target,” Raphael said.

“You are talking about the accounts with the N. Petrov name.” Hyun guessed, thinking the faster he repaid his debt to Raphael, the better.

He could leave, and escape the torture of facing this man. This man he couldn’t help being drawn to, despite the fact that Raphael clearly loved another.

“Yes.” Raphael pushed an ipad toward him. “We’re going to an exclusive hotel in Belize. Their security is uber tight, more intricate than what you would find at a depository. I need to know you can get in.”

Hyun studied the elegant hotel in the pictures. Black letters at the front named it the Black Orchid. It looked like a place royalty would have preferred to visit in previous centuries. In this day and age, he supposed the one percent of the world would frequent such a joint. Sadly, staring at pictures of the building showed him nothing about this super security system.

“I won’t know what I’m dealing with until we are on location.”

“I thought you might say that,” Raphael said. “We’re heading to Belize tonight. I need you to write a list of everything you need and give it to Himura.”

“Is this why you brought me down here?” Hyun asked, studying the hotel in the picture.

It was stupid of him, but he hoped—, no, he needed Raphael to trust him a bit. A small, tiny bit…it would give him hope.

“Because of stopping Lucian?” Hyun asked.

Raphael didn’t answer right away.

When Hyun looked up, Raphael cleared his throat.

“Yes. Stopping Lucian is the only way you’ll go back to your apartment and stay safe. Let’s not forget it will release your sister from Colston too. Isn’t that what you want?”

Hyun stared at Raphael, those compelling green eyes unreadable. He nodded, though his heart squeezed tight in rebellion.

“Yes. I’ll be glad for this to end quickly.”

“Me too,” Raphael said, his voice too soft. “In that spirit, you are welcome to any laptop, workstation, and equipment in this office. Let’s get this over with.”

Yes, Hyun blinked away the sting of tears. This was best. Focusing on the task at hand was always best.

***