Joon Gi dashed through the streets and hailed a taxi, his hand flying out desperately as the highway thickened with vehicles. Families were heading to work and school. Belize was just beginning to greet the new day, hitting the ground running like a prime athlete about to sweep the Olympic gold.
A taxi sped by.
He shot out an arm and waved. “Come on, come on.”
Another flail.
The taxi roared past.
“Dammit!” Joon Gi raised his left hand—the one curled around his cell phone—and glared at the message that was emblazoned on the screen.
SUN GI: How was the food in prison?
That text had sent him skittering out of the kitchen like demons were on his tail. Anger simmered in his blood and heat waves vibrated the air around him. He could feel his face reddening.
A child dressed in a school uniform scurried by and shot him an inquiring look. He imagined she was thinking: “why is that Asian guy so red?”
Because my brother’s a little piece of crap, he’d respond. And it’s almost a hundred degrees out here.”
But that imaginary conversation would never happen because the kid was too smart to stop and talk to the human lobster pacing the streets in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
This is on you, Sun Gi. I lost everything because of you.
Dad’s favorite phrase wafted into his mind, countering the voices that cried out for blood. Calmly, quietly, in that tone that could brook fear without raising an octave, he heard it. Forgive and forget. That is the only way to have peace.
Sorry, Dad. I can’t listen to your advice right now.
Joon Gi would forgive his brother eventually.
Probably.
When they were both old men with broken bodies, paunches and nothing to their name but regrets, he’d take Sun Gi aside and extend a hand in friendship.
But that day was not today.
His rational side, in a voice that sounded eerily similar to Dad’s, whispered. Maybe this is what Sun Gi wanted. Why else would he send you that text?
Joon Gi’s resolve wavered, but before he could turn around and return to the general safety of Sweet Treats, a taxi skirted to a stop in front of him.
Through the passenger side window, the driver gestured. “You need a taxi?”
Joon Gi threw caution to the wind and got into the car.
The ride took longer than usual. The streets were clogged with traffic and they had to slow down to a creep around a school building so the children could get over the cross walk.
Joon Gi dug his fingernails into the headrest in impatience. He was so close now; he could see the high rise of Kim Electronics in the distance. The structure towered three stories over the other buildings on the street.
It was his brother’s idea to build the extra stories. His father hadn’t liked to flaunt his wealth and Sun Gi knew that. But his brother was the rebellious type. Sun Gi’s thirst for power and prestige was both his strength and his weakness.
Joon Gi barely waited for the taxi to pull out of traffic and park before he flung the money at the driver and stormed out of the car.
The moment he stepped inside Kim Electronics, a worker spun. “Sir, we’re not open…” The clerk’s voice went faint and faded into silence when he recognized Joon Gi. “Mr. Kim.”
“Where is he?” Joon growled.
The kid pointed up. “In his office.”
Joon Gi didn’t bother with a response. He marched past the rows of speakers, outlets, and light bulbs. The steps vibrated beneath him as he bounded up the stairway and into a closed off section that overlooked the store.
Sun Gi’s secretary wasn’t in yet, but he found the door to his brother’s office open. Curving his hand around the knob, he thrust the door aside and stepped in.
A low chuckle filled the room and a voice rumbled, “You’re right on time. How is it that you’re so easy to predict, Joon?”
Joon Gi narrowed his eyes as his brother stepped around the massive mahogany desk in the middle of the room. Sun Gi wore a T-shirt, cargo pants and tennis shoes. Though the outfit was simple, Joon knew that each piece of clothing was designer.
Sun Gi cared more about what people thought than he’d like anyone to know. While their father had dressed and worked humbly, the son took after his mother in spending loads on brand-name items.
It was just one of the many differences between them.
Sun Gi’s dark brown eyes—just like his—focused on him. “You got out of jail and didn’t think to tell your family? I’m insulted”
“Don’t push it, dongsaeng.”
“Little brother.” Sun Gi tilted his head. “Are we back to that?”
Joon loped across the room in three giant steps and grabbed his brother by the shirtfront. “You want a fight? Let’s fight.”
“Come on now.” Sun Gi smirked and firmly threw his hands off. “Let’s talk like civilized people.” He rounded the desk and pointed to a tray. Pulling back the cover, he gestured. “It’s tofu. Mom said you should eat some since you were in the slammer.”
Clenched fists rigid at his sides, Joon Gi frowned. “Why’d you do it?”
“Do what?”
“My business wasn’t in competition with yours. We agreed to go our separate ways with our halves of Dad’s inheritance and I never went back on my word. Why’d you stab me in the back? That was underhanded. Even for you.”
Sun Gi shrugged his lean shoulders and bent over to pluck a cube of tofu from the soup on the tray. “Maybe it’s because I wanted Hanna.”
His reply sparked a laugh. “You think I’d buy that? The only person you care for is yourself.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think about me. All that matters is I win and you lose.”
“I’m only knocked down. Don’t count me out yet.”
Sun Gi laughed. “Your business went belly up and you’re never getting your hands on another loan.” He grinned. “Don’t get me started on the rumors.” Sun Gi blew out a breath in false concern. “I’ve been hearing things. Horrible things. No one wants to touch you with a ten-foot pole. Mom was so sad. Poor thing. You broke her heart, you know.”
“You wanna keep talking?” Joon Gi wound his arm back.
Sun Gi’s eye twitched but he held steady and raised his chin. “Would you really hit your precious dongsaeng?”
“I should teach you a lesson. Remind you of your place.”
“My place?” Sun Gi’s eyes darkened and a sneer crept across his handsome face. “Where exactly is that? Beneath you?” He straightened, pushing forward so that Joon Gi skated back a step. “Are you better than me because you’re older? Who made that stupid rule?”
“I know we’ve never been close, but I honestly don’t understand.” Joon Gi shook his head. “Tell me the reason. Tell me why you called the feds.”
“Because I wanted to.”
Pain flashed in Joon’s chest. He knew that wasn’t completely true, but his temper went off like a keg anyway.
Joon Gi’s fist swooped through the air.
A second before it made contact, Sun Gi covered Joon’s knuckles with his palm. Dark eyes sliding into his, his brother hissed, “Unless you want to get flung back into prison for assault, I wouldn’t suggest you do that.”
Joon Gi’s hands trembled, but the truth in his brother’s words held him in a chokehold. One by one, his fingers loosened until he released the shirt in his grip and stepped back.
As much as he couldn’t stand Sun Gi, it wouldn’t do him any good to get sent back to prison. The Korean community had already turned their backs on him. If he got arrested again, the entire nation of Belize would side with his brother.
Sun Gi would look like the victim and Joon would be the heartless monster.
Ex-con Punches Sibling In Cold Blood. He could see the headlines now.
Joon had to think bigger picture here.
Curbing his irritation with the very last, tattered threads of his self-restraint, Joon Gi asked, “Why’d you summon me?”
“Can’t two brother’s just catch up? I haven’t seen you since before the police dragged you off.”
“Get to the point.”
“Mom’s worried.” Sun Gi trailed his slender fingers over the surface of his desk and walked toward Joon, his expression calm and collected. “She wants to know why you haven’t contacted her since you’ve been out.”
“Mom has a cell phone. This works both ways.”
“Do you still have money to pay the phone bill?” Sun Gi raised his eyebrows as if shocked.
Joon wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “Get to the point or I’m leaving.”
“Okay, okay. Hold your horses. I have something for you.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“You think I’d give you—ha!” Sun Gi bent over and clutched his stomach. “That’s hilarious.”
Joon’s fists clenched at his sides.
Sun Gi returned to his desk and pulled an envelope from beneath the folders scattered on top of it. “Here.” He rubbed his nose with a finger. “What I’m about to do isn’t pleasant for me either. Trust me. But Mom insisted.”
Joon snatched the envelope and pulled the flap. Inside was a sheet of flimsy paper with a dainty floral scrawl.
It was an invitation.
To his brother’s wedding.
The paper crumbled in his hands. “Are you kidding me?”
“Is that your happy face?” Sun Gi leaned over, his pink lips stretching. “I can’t tell because it looks like your angry face.”
“You think I’ll let you walk down the aisle with Hanna?”
“You’ll let me? I’m not asking your permission, hyung. This is an announcement, not a request for your blessing.”
“You can’t marry Hanna,” Joon snapped.
“Why is it a big deal?” Sun Gi waved his hands flippantly. “It’s not like you loved her.”
“And you do?”
“Hanna is a beautiful woman. She’s everything a man could want in a wife.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Sun Gi planted his palms flat on the desk and looked up, his black hair framing his forehead and sweeping above his eyebrows. “I have an offer.”
“I already told you I don’t want anything from you.”
“But this offer… you might want to listen to.”
Joon scoffed. “Go ahead.”
“It must have been hard on you.” Sun Gi’s brown eyes filled with pity. “Going to jail. Losing everything. No one wants you. No one trusts you. Your business is done. Don’t you just want to get away from it all? You can live off of—I mean with Mom.”
Joon Gi gritted his teeth. “Thanks for wasting my time.”
“Where are you going? I went to all that trouble to buy tofu.”
He strode toward the door. “Tell Mom she can reach me on my cell phone.”
His brother’s voice sounded behind him. “I can help you, Joon. Right now. I’ll buy your ticket back to Korea. No strings attached.”
Joon Gi spun. “What did you just say?”
“You know this is a good offer.” Sun Gi smirked.
Joon Gi’s resolve to avoid violence cracked. He shook his head, his mouth parting and then snapping closed as his brother’s words soaked in.
What exactly was Sun Gi’s angle here? Take everything away and then dangle a plane ticket from his fingers like a savior?
Joon Gi stared straight into his brother’s eyes and held the wedding invitation up. “I’m keeping this as a souvenir. You can keep the plane ticket.”
“Joon, be reasonable about this. It’s not the time to play stubborn…!”
Joon Gi strode outside and slammed the door behind him. On his way down the stairs, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tyler’s number. As soon as the line clicked, he barked, “I need you to open a file for me.”
“Joon? What’s going on?”
He paused on the last step. “I’m going to sue my brother.”