Page 76 of Ruthless Touch

Elise glances at me, hands on the wheel. “What, hotwire cars? You don’t know half of what I can do, Rhee.”

“Why don’t you show me, feline? We can turn it into foreplay.”

She merely scowls in answer to my flirtation.

“Where are we going anyway?” I ask. “Do you know where we are? Pull over and I’ll drive.”

“It’s your turn to follow my lead,” she says firmly, speeding through a yellow traffic light. “We need to get you patched up from that gunshot.”

“I’d call up Dr. Song, but he’s Cheongryong affiliated and I can’t say he won’t let them know. I could try to bribe him, but it would still be a risk.”

“I have someone else we can go to.”

Elise says nothing else as we make it out of Gangnam and crossover into other neighboring districts. Bleeding all over the passenger seat with the Cheongryong on our tail, I’ve got little room to object.

Besides, it seems like for once me and the feline are on the same page. Though it’s up in the air if it’ll last very long…

Elise takes us to her apartment in Itaewon. The building is quaint, modest, clean, and most advantageous of all, it’s quiet even on a late night in the big city.

It means we sneak up to the sixth floor uninterrupted and unseen by anyone.

In the elevator, Elise shifts from foot to foot in a way that’s completely unlike her usual predatory confidence.

When I stare, she catches my gaze and sighs with obvious discomfort.

“I’ve never trusted Priscilla like this before. I’ve never... let her in. But bringing you here, needing help with your gunshot wound... it’s letting her in more than I ever planned.”

The vulnerability in her voice surprises me more than her confession. Elise admitting weakness feels like watching a glacier crack.

It also reinforces what I’ve learned about her, which is that she doesn’t let anyone in.

Not me. Not the others she interacts with on a daily basis.

She uses her key to unlock the apartment door. We step into a living space that’s cramped but homey, all mismatched furniture and the kind of lived-in warmth money can’t buy.

Priscilla sits at a computer desk in the corner, thick-rimmed glasses reflecting the glow of what appears to be some kind of cozy farming simulation game, complete with cartoon animals and pastoral music.

She pulls off her gaming headphones and stares at us in complete confusion, mouth agape.

“Eli, what’s going on?” she finally manages. “Why is there a bloodied guy in a ski mask in our living room?”

Elise slides out of her platform heels with a weary sigh. “Yeah... about that... this is Rhee Gun-woo, and he was shot tonight in a chase by the Cheongryong mafia syndicate.”

Priscilla’s eyes widen behind her glasses until they look like saucers. “Eli, a gangster? What’s he doing here with you? I thought you and KD—I mean, you never tell me specifics about what you do—but I thought it was law-abiding! I assumed you were IT for a really big company or something.”

“IT?” Elise asks, raising a brow with obvious amusement. Any humor of hers is cut short by the deep breath she takes as she continues. “Look, Cilla. You know I never do this. And I wouldn’t if we had any other option. But you’re the only person I can think of who can help us. He’s been shot, and we need somebody to patch him up. You’re one of the top med students at SNU. Can’t you…?”

Priscilla nibbles on her bottom lip nervously, then nods. “Okay... but he better not bite. And he has to take off that ski mask. It’s freaking me out.”

I shrug and pull the mask off with my good arm. “I’ve got no problem showing off my good looks to the ladies.”

Elise rolls her eyes while Priscilla suddenly perks up. “Wait... wait. Let me pause the game. I finally made it to level eight, and they’re giving me piglets. All I’ve had so far are chicks and ducklings, so this ishuge.”

“Cilla,” Elise groans.

“Okay, okay, starting now. First I need some towels, thread, a needle, a pair of tongs, and a bowl of warm water.”

“Tongs?” I ask.