Chasing the Shrew

Bing Dae-Seong

Peter had insisted on walking but his legs were all wobbly from all the excitement. DS picked him up and they all hurried home. Amelia insisted they hurry to the hospital but DS put his foot down and said it was all minor wounds and he could clean and bandage it himself. Amelia had half a mind to drag the stubborn DS out but something in his eyes made her pause so they all entered the house instead. There were clean slippers by the door so Amelia slipped them on to avoid trekking blood and dirt in the house.

Jenny was already awake by now and was sniffling as Peter berated her for talking to and following strangers. Amelia didn't even get a side word in with Peter acting like an angry old man. She settled them down in front of the television and gave them both a cup of warm milk to drink. She sighed, both children seemed okay and she wanted to check on DS. She got a medical kit from the cabinet and made her way up to his room. She walked gingerly leaning heavily on the handrail. After all the excitement the sharp pain in her feet hit her like a ten-ton truck. Amelia resolved to check on DS first before she washed and treated her own feet. When she finally made it up she knocked on his door but there was no response from inside. Amelia was worried that DS may have passed out from the blood loss so she pushed the door open and entered.

The room was empty but she heard the shower running in the attached bathroom. The door was slightly ajar so she could see his silhouette moving in the steam. She sighed in relief; she wouldn't know how to drag him out if he fainted in the shower. The water turned off and she heard the shower door open so she quickly looked away and shouted, "DS... I'm in here! I came into your room to bring you a medical kit and help you apply medicine and bandages."

DS walked out with a towel around his midriff. His chest and arms were solidly built. Amelia blushed and looked away, she had never seen him naked before. Placing the medical kit on the nightstand she started to pull out medicine, gauze, and bindings.

DS watched her from behind. For the last six years, she had been his refuge. Although he truly was a capable inventor, he was running from his dark past. The day they met, he wasn't crying because he couldn't sell his invention, he was crying because he couldn't find a way to get away from his family. He had intended to sell his invention at a discount so he could go into hiding but he couldn't even get his foot in the door. Fortune smiled on him and brought Amelia into his life. She not only gave him a roof over his head but also helped him get his invention to market. She was his lifesaver and he decided to stay next to her like a brother. When Amelia gave birth, he was the one next to her holding her hand, cheering her on. Over the years they became like a real family. If the kidnapping didn't happen, he would have never revealed his capabilities. He sighed and sat down on the bed.

Amelia looked at DS and saw that blood had already seeped into the towel. She hurried over and knelt next to the bed to check the wound on his side. It was a nasty-looking gash right above his hip.

DS smiled, "It's nothing too serious. The wound just reopened because of the hot shower. I already looked, it's just a flesh wound."

Amelia's eyes teared up, "You i***t!! You keep teaching the children to run, how come you didn't run too?!" She sniffed and smacked his leg in fury. The loud smack started Amelia; she didn't intend to hit so hard. She looked up into DS's eyes to check if he was okay.

DS groaned, "Oww... I'm sorry. I promise to pick them up and run next time. I couldn't think properly so I had to fight. Good thing I watch so many kungfu movies, huh?"

Amelia scoffed, "You're so stupid. You are so lucky to have gotten out of this in one piece," she paused, "Did you learn to fight before?"

DS knew this was coming and he had an answer ready, "Yes, my family has a history of teaching their children how to fight since we were young. It's a family tradition."

Amelia felt like DS wasn't telling the whole story but she didn't want to pry. Everyone had secrets and when he was ready and willing, he would share. She busied herself cleaning the wound and dressing it before she took a long strip of binding and started to wrap it around DS's torso.

DS's breath hitched, "Uh, Jie, I can do it myself."

Amelia shushed him, "Just sit still!"

DS watched her wrap her dainty arms around his body pulling the strip tightly around his waist. He smelled the familiar floral fragrance of her shampoo, her hair tickling his nose. He closed his eyes and chanted in his mind: she is my sister... she is my sister... she is my sister... I cannot drag her down into my world. I cannot let her suffer. I cannot let her children suffer. Never...

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. He would play the fool around her. He would hide his feelings for her forever.

***

Chris made it to the park in under fifteen minutes running several red lights and nearly causing an accident. The police were hot on his tail but he didn't stop till he reached the park. He ran out of the car and raced towards his father's car.

"Where is Amelia and the kids?"

Henry looked behind Chris before he turned his eyes back to Chris, "Wow, you brought the cavalry. My bodyguards are watching over the kidnappers on the playground. Go tell the police to pick them up for questioning. I don't feel like it's a simple kidnapping case. Your little girlfriend and her kids may be targeted."

The police were about to arrest Chris when they recognized who he was. Both Chris and Henry Farley were bigwigs in the country. Their family was worth billions and they donated generously to the city. They approached carefully and after hearing the account of what happened, they rushed to arrest the kidnappers.

Henry scoffed, who was stupid enough to mess around on his territory? Once he found out, he was going to rip them to shreds. His thoughts went to the little girl. She was so small and frail... was she okay? His thoughts were interrupted.

"Where is Amelia and the kids? How did they get away?"

"They went home. The kids are okay but Amelia looked like she ran out without shoes on, look there, those footprints are hers. Speaking of which, look into that Asian man next to her; he's not as simple as he seems. He was able to handle five professionals on his own. If it wasn't for him, the two kids would probably be gone by now."

Chris frowned, he had looked into Bing Dae-Seong-- the gum of a man clung to Amelia acting like family. He was smart but clumsy. Chris didn't dig too deeply since DS wasn't a threat to his love life. However, if he was a skilled fighter to survive against five armed men, then a deep dive into his past was just the beginning. Chris narrowed his eyes, why is such a proficient fighter hanging around Amelia?