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Chapter 15

Adrenaline pulsed through his veins, his mind racing for a plan. He would not be cornered, would not go down like prey.

No.

As he prepared to hit the accelerator again, a loud, unmistakable roar cut through the night. Glancing at his side mirror, he spotted a motorcycle coming down the road at high speed, its headlights flashing in the dark.

Taehyung pulled slightly to the side, not wanting to drag an unsuspecting stranger into the chaos, yet the SUV mirrored his move, still tailing him.

The motorcycle grew closer, and just when Taehyung expected it to pass, something unexpected happened.

The bike swung sharply, sliding effortlessly into the narrow space between his car and the SUV.

What...?

He didn't dare blink, his thoughts circling the strange events of this night. But that was nothing compared to what happened next.

The rider, steady and agile, drew a gun from his back with a single, precise motion, balancing flawlessly as he spun the bike around to face the oncoming SUV. With his weapon pointed at the vehicle's front tire, he fired.

The shot rang through the stillness, and the SUV skidded before abruptly braking, rocking on its damaged tire. The bike came to a halt, standing fearlessly against the bulk of the SUV like a lone beast facing down its prey.

Through the dark helmet and shadowed figure, Taehyung caught sight of the rider's powerful build. His white shirt stretched across his muscular back, tucked into dark trousers, his sleeves rolled up to reveal sinewy, tattooed forearms. One hand gripped the bike's handle with practiced ease, while the other remained fixed on the gun, unwavering.

His neck strained as he continued watching, unable to look away, every nerve on edge. The SUV remained frozen. So did the rider. There was a charged stillness to the scene, an unspoken standoff, as if they were in the midst of a silent duel.

Then the SUV's engine whirred back to life. The rider didn't move a muscle.

In a swift retreat, the SUV reversed, hastily turning before speeding off down the road on its damaged tire, disappearing into the night.

If taehyung had a dollar for every time he'd thought, "What the hell..."

The rider stayed still, watching until the SUV was completely out of sight. Then, with a calm efficiency, he revved his bike and turned back toward Taehyung, pulling alongside the car.

Taehyung looked up at the intimidating size of the bike and the man riding it,
being cautious and never rolling the windows down.

The men might have interceded in between him would-be creepy maybe-murderer but Taehung didn't
know him. And he'd had enough 'what the hell' moments for one night.

The man raised a hand to his helmet, and Taehyung's eyes traced the veins and ropes of muscle along his forearms, tattoos twisting over his skin in familiar, intricate patterns.

A flicker of something unsteady flared in Taehyung's chest as he watched the flex of those forearms, the white gauze wrapped around the palm-a detail he had missed from a distance. Then, the fluttering feeling vanished as realization crashed over him, setting off a storm inside.

He knew that bandaged hand. He knew those tattoos. Fuck!

The helmet lifted, revealing those intense eyes peering through the glass, locked on Taehyung with an unyielding focus. The man shifted into a relaxed stance on the bike, his movements effortlessly controlled, and tapped the comm device in his ear. A sudden vibration in Taehyung's car jolted him from his thoughts.