Page 89 of Ruthless Touch

But we’ve come to some kind of agreement to leave that out of the space we’ve shared here.

“All 10s, huh?” I ask instead. “Do these women realize you’re claiming them?”

“You underestimate me. Women love a softie like me. It’s called a golden retriever boyfriend. Ever heard of it?”

“Does that include dressing like you got in a fight with the hamper?”

Joon cracks a grin, folding his arms on the other side of the kitchen’s island counter. “Very funny, Gun-woo. We’ve already established I’m an impeccable dresser. Now do you want my intel or not?”

“Let’s hope it’s good.” I pour a third cup of coffee and slide it across the counter at him. “I take it the search for Silk continues?”

“Is she here right now?”

“You hear the shower in the other room.”

Joon leans forward and lowers his voice as if paranoid Elise might overhear. “The manhunt is intensifying. The Cheongryong-je has ordered all lieutenants and captains to scour every neighborhood in Seoul. But get this—they believe the real assassin is the masked man she was with.”

I go still mid-sip from my coffee mug. “So, in other words, me?”

“Yes… without realizing it obviously. I’ve given them a false lead though. Fed them intel the masked man she was with was that KD guy. Now they believe he’s the mastermind. The real culprit because of coursea woman could never do such things on her own. Funny, right? Their own sexism blinds them.”

“That’s… that’s… genius, Joon-gi. Keep them on that false trail for as long as you can.”

“You owe me. If Elise has a sister or best friend, then send the cutie my way.”

“You might be waiting a long time. My sexy assassin isn’t a people person. She’d tell you herself.”

“She has to know other cute, sexy assassins she can hook me up with. Anyway, what about you? I’ve heard murmurs about your whereabouts. Lieutenant Ko has noticed you’ve pulled back. The bender excuse won’t work forever.”

“My crew is still running my operations just fine. We’ve made record profits this month with our weapons trade,” I answer perceptively. I’ve pulled the milk from the refrigerator to pour some in my coffee and Elise’s. She takes hers much lighter than I do. “So long as I’m bringing in money, they can’t complain. I’m fulfilling my Yongsa duties.”

“All for the sexy assassin.” Joon chuckles and shakes his head. “I want to be that in love someday.”

I ignore what he’s said, pivoting to another topic on my mind. “You have connections all over Seoul. There’s something special I want to do for my sexy assassin.”

“Name it.”

I glance toward the hall, checking to make sure Elise is still in the bathroom. “I need you to find me someone who can do home visits for a client.”

Our first Sunday afternoon in the loft is a lazy one that makes even someone as relentless as Elise slow down.

I’m stationed at the kitchen table with my laptop, scrolling through encrypted messages and syndicate intel while the afternoon light streaks through the long windows.

Elise moves through the space like she’s at ease, a head wrap securing her hair while she starts what she calls her Sunday rituals. It involves things like haircare, skincare, and giving her nails a touch up.

When she pads into the kitchen for a glass of water, barefoot and comfortable in a loose robe, I glance up from my screen.

“You need to relax and not do your own hair and nails,” I say, closing the laptop.

She pauses mid-sip, a quizzical look crossing her features. “I have to, otherwise I don’t feel like myself. I might work in a male-dominated field, but it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy stuff like makeup and nails. It’s always been a nice escape actually.”

“I’ve noticed,” I reply, smirking.

But it’s true that I have—every small ritual, every frustrated touch to her scalp when her braids start fuzzing, every time she’s examined her chipped nails with a critical eye.

“But that’s not what I meant,” I go on. “You should let someone else take care of it for you while you relax.”

She scoffs like I’ve told a joke. “Pretty difficult these days. You know, part of the whole being hunted by the Blue Dragon Syndicate and all. I can barely show my face in public?—”