Luan left the restaurant with a little girl wrapped in his arms. Honestly, he was just surprised he'd managed to escape the labyrinthine layout that place was sporting. Mira snuggled close, hiding her face in his neck as she finally stopped crying. He wasn't really sure what his next step was. He just knew he couldn't send her back to her dad.
The first thing they needed to do was get away from this place, there could be more thugs lurking around.
He was trying to hail a taxi when he heard a voice behind him that made his blood run cold.
"Where do you think you're running off to?" Arlan stood there, arms crossed as he stared at him. When his eyes found Mira in Luans arms, a brow went up. Luan could see the moment he saw her eyes, Arlans going wide as he took a step forward. He reached for the girl, tilting her head up and getting a closer look.
"Are those…?" He mumbled, an astonished look coming to his features, before he shot a look at Luan.
"What are you doing with her?!" He seethed, face getting close to Luan's as he came nearer. Everyone knew the Jin's were the only ones with such a color of eyes. He'd have to get her some more sunglasses.
"Not now, Arlan. I'm dealing with enough as it is. Just tell father I had an unexpected heat, and continue with the suffocating dinner, okay?" Luan rolled his eyes, turning back to the road so he could hail a taxi. Arlan scoffed, coming around to face him again.
"You really think he'll believe that bullshit? And how did YOU end up with Mira Jin?!" He folded his arms, looking ready to shoot down any excuse Luan might try to spout. Arlan seriously needed to learn to mind his own business.
"It's not a big deal, okay? I'm just going to get her somewhere safe, and then we can forget this ever happened." Luan sighed, giving Arlan a look.
"Like that explains anything." Arlan bit back, refusing to leave Luan alone. To be fair, it was a big deal, but still. Luan wasn't in the mood for this today.
"Look, I'll explain later, okay? I can't stay here right now, there could be more people looking for her. Just cover for me Arlan."
Luan said this as he finally caught a cab, climbing in and buckling Mira up first. It was a bit of a struggle to get her to let go of him, but he assured her he wasn't leaving.
When he looked back, he caught Arlans green eyes watching the interaction. There was a shade of something painful in his expression, though he quickly covered it with a glare.
"Fine. But you owe me. I'm not your errand boy, Luan." He bit out, before turning back with a huff. His tense shoulders marched inside, face never looking back as he did.
Luan was not looking forward to dealing with that.
As he buckled his own seat, giving the driver directions to the mansion, he felt a tiny hand grab his own. Mira was looking up at him, golden eyes surrounded by a red ring of tears. She leaned against him, hugging his arm to her small body as she snuggled close.
Despite the way they'd first met, she seemed to have really taken a liking to him. And Luan found he didn't really mind so much. Mira was ok.
The first stop he was, unfortunately, forced to make was back at the mansion. He needed his car, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to grab a couple of the inhibitors he'd managed to pry from his fathers almost unwilling fingers. Luckily, everyone of note was still at the dinner, probably making excuses for their son that had abandoned the propriety of their social gathering, and left the guests son on the floor with bruised jewels. Knowing alphas though, Luan figured Miles would refrain from mentioning what had happened.
Mira held tight as Luan hoisted her back into his arms, heading straight for his room when they reached their destination. He made her wait at the ladder, not seeing a point in dragging her small, frightened form up it just to grab a couple things and then drag her back down. She wasn't happy to be made to wait, flinching at every small sound that came from an empty house, and tapping her small foot in silent annoyance. For having been in such a scary situation–at least by her standards–she seemed to be adapting well enough. Luan didn't make her wait long, just grabbing the inhibitors and changing back into his street clothes.
Still, the princess looked like she'd been greatly inconvenienced, eyebrow raising as she stared up her nose at him.
"Where did you put your sunglasses?" He asked, not giving her vexation any time to attack him as he took her small hand and led her to the garage.
"I left them in my room. Papa said I wouldn't need them anymore, but I told him they were a present from mommy, so he said I should keep them safe in my room." She answered, swinging his arm as they wandered along. She smiled, like telling her father about her newly acquired mother was deserving of some sort of prize. Luan just grimaced down at her, his hopes of secrecy having clearly flown out the window. This kid and her big mouth. His one last wish hinged on the hope that the man had not taken a single word from the six year olds mouth with any seriousness.
Otherwise, it might not look good on his reputation, should his identity come to light any time soon.
"I recall telling you I was a secret. Did you think telling papa about me was a good idea, Mira?" He couldn't really help but ask, even if the answer wouldn't give him any peace.
"I had to tell papa about his new wife, mommy. I told him he needs to bring you to live with us so we could all be happy." She was still smiling, even as Luan's gaze darkened with a seething anger he had nowhere to direct it at.
Curs-ed little child! Luan was certain that if he was found, it would not be to live a happy life with a crime lord and his once kidnapped daughter. Or was it twice now?
Seems like Dante might be in more trouble than Luan, should the two ever meet.
"Whatever, let's just go hide from the world for a little while. I still have cocoa, if you want some chocolate drink when we get there, k?"
"Chocolate?!" She screeched, rupturing Luans eardrums as he loaded her into the back of his car. Seems he was in for some tortured existence for awhile.
He was also reminded of the fact Mira was probably supposed to be using a booster seat at her age. He'd have to purchase one, if her existence was going to keep encroaching upon his own.
Another expense for his weathered bank account, seeing as he was semi-broke right now.
Oh well, at least he didn't have to arrange another kidnapping, since Mira had practically been delivered to his hands on a silver platter.
Or a gold platter, in her case.
Luan sighed, pulling out of the garage as he went back to his real home, a tiny child in tow he was certain he'd already gone through the trouble of getting rid of earlier that day.