Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 177

Ashley’s low, subdued voice was no different from usual, but Koi felt a strange chill run down his spine. Koi’s fear was clearly evident in his hunched shoulders and trembling eyes, but Ashley did not hide his anger to soothe him. Now was not the time to indulge his childishness. Koi stammered, struggling to speak.

“Uh… but you did your job, didn’t you? Since I got the money, I should handle the rest myself…”

He offered his own reasoning for acting on his own.

“I can’t ask for more help when I can’t even pay the retainer fee.”

There was no flaw in his logic. Of course, that was Koi’s opinion. Ashley mercilessly exploited the loophole.

“Koi, did you actually receive that money after I called?”

“Huh?”

To Koi, who was momentarily flustered, Ashley continued coldly.

“Of course not. Because you received it after you got the truck back.”

“Uh? Uh…”

Ashley looked down at him, stammering and unable to give a proper answer, and continued to scold him.

“Then I didn’t finish my job, did I? My job ends when you actually receive the money. Now, tell me. Am I wrong?”

“Uh…”

Koi, sweating profusely down his back, looked at him and finally mumbled softly,

“You’re right…”

“Yes, I appreciate you understanding.”

Ashley, who had scoffed without fail, then removed the hand that had been pressing Koi’s lip. He looked down at the blood on the handkerchief with a furrowed brow, then checked Koi’s lip. The bleeding had stopped.

“How badly were you hit? I need to see where else you’re hurt.”

“Ugh, ugh!”

Koi involuntarily shrieked as Ashley suddenly pulled up his T-shirt. Seeing several red bruises, Ashley’s face twisted, and he began to press and check various parts of Koi’s body with his hands. Ashley moved his hand, occasionally seeing Koi shriek in pain, and when he reached one side of Koi’s abdomen, he pressed down firmly and remained still for a moment. Koi asked, puzzled,

“It doesn’t hurt there.”

Then, an unexpected look of relief spread across Ashley’s face.

“Good, that’s a relief.”

Koi, who had been bewildered, recalled that he had shrieked in pain the last time Ashley pressed that spot. He thought perhaps it was because Ashley was pressing gently, but since the spot where Nelson hit him hurt so much that even a slight touch would make him cry out, there seemed to be another reason.

But Ashley, without any explanation, moved his hand and pressed and checked the rest of Koi’s body. Ashley sighed, then removed his hand.

“Why on earth did you fight like that? He’s not a child anymore, he’s a grown man. There must have been a reason for him to throw punches.”

Even if Nelson was a reckless thug, he wouldn’t resort to violence without a reason. Ashley warned the hesitant Koi.

“Tell me honestly, everything.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Those words were like a magic key. Koi reluctantly opened his mouth and confessed.

“Well… Nelson was badmouthing you.”

Ashley frowned at the unexpected words.

“What did you say?”

Koi mumbled, his gaze wandering, unable to meet Ashley’s eyes.

“I went to get the car… and Nelson was there. No, it’s his house, so of course he was there… Anyway, when I said I came for the truck, he was a bit annoyed. So I tried to appease him and leave, but then he suddenly started badmouthing you…”

As he spoke, anger welled up. Who is he to badmouth anyone, a drug dealer?

“It’s fine if he calls me a loser or whatever. I wouldn’t have cared even if he told me to crawl between his legs. I just thought I needed to get the car quickly and leave… but then he suddenly called Ashley Miller a loser.”

Ashley simply listened to his voice, which grew agitated with surging emotion. His mind was instantly a battlefield. That bastard Nelson, what did he say to Koi? He made him crawl between his legs? Rage surged again, but a greater emotion consumed him first.

“Koi, then… you fought because of me?”

“How could I stand by when that piece of trash was badmouthing you!”

Koi said something like that.

Ashley was even more surprised by the rough language he heard from Koi for the first time. Koi fought for him and even used words close to insults. And against the thug who had tormented him so much in high school.

For me.

A deep sigh escaped him involuntarily. He was at a loss whether to shower him with kisses out of overwhelming affection, or to spank him for disobeying his order not to go out and getting beaten.

He wanted to do both, but at that moment, what came into view was Koi’s face, torn and bruised in several places. By tomorrow, his body would be sore and bruised all over. He had no choice but to endure it for now. Ashley decided that he would definitely carry out his plan later. It would be better to spank him first, then kiss him.

Oh no, he must be really angry because I acted on my own.

Koi quickly said, looking at Ashley’s furrowed, intense gaze.

“It’s okay, I’ve been hit this often. You know, don’t you? That I have a good pain tolerance.”

He even tried to laugh out loud, but Ashley’s face only twisted further. Realizing he had made another ill-timed joke, Koi belatedly raised his hand and changed his words.

“It’s different from back then. I didn’t just take it, I probably hit him more! Look, I hit him too.”

He held out his fist, which was already black and blue. Ashley gazed at Koi’s hand, then took his wrist. And unexpectedly, he kissed his fingers. Koi’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden kiss, and Ashley, still with his lips pressed against Koi’s hand, looked up at Koi and said,

“Don’t hit with your hands anymore, you’ll get hurt.”

To Koi, who just looked at him, not understanding what he meant, he added,

“You.”

Ah, Koi’s heart began to pound madly as he finally understood. His face quickly flushed red, and his wildly shaking eyes sparkled and shone. Ashley, seeing his face, also became aroused. He wanted to immediately kiss him and cover his body, but at that moment, his torn and swollen lips came into view. Ashley let out a deep groan, as if in pain.

Ah.

Suddenly, an unbearable scent spread around them. The scent, which for some reason hadn’t been very noticeable until now, suddenly pounded at his heart. Ashley, trying his best to act normal, released Koi’s hand and stood up.

“Rest, I’ll go change.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Leaving Koi, who obediently nodded, Ashley left the room. Unlike his relaxed demeanor until now, he walked away at an almost running pace. As Koi rested, slumped in the chair with his eyes closed, he heard a small mechanical hum. The ventilation system had started running at full power.

Loud music echoed around them. The boisterous club sound filled their eardrums so much that it was hard to hear the person right next to them. Among a group of people gathered on a large sofa, Nelson reigned like a king. Both men and women surrounding him sought drugs and money, trying to curry favor with him.

“Hee-eek.”

Nelson snorted a line of powder from the table with a metallic sound, then casually threw the used banknote onto the floor. He snickered, watching a man excitedly pick it up.

“Nelson, are you feeling better now? I was worried when I heard you got hurt.”

A woman sitting next to him asked loudly. Nelson grinned, sinking deeper into the sofa.

“It’s nothing, some crazy loser didn’t know his place and picked a fight, so I taught him a lesson, that’s all.”

“Wasn’t that the guy Ashley Miller bailed out before?”

Someone interjected smugly. Then another woman said, “Oh my,” her eyes sparkling.

“That handsome man? He was so tall and really cool!”

“He had a lot of hair too.”

Someone else giggled. Nelson, who somehow managed to hear that over the loud music, sneered and scoffed at them.

“You guys have no taste. How many times do I have to tell you, that bastard was beneath me in high school? He’s a pathetic loser!”

He giggled and continued,

“He’s the kind of guy who’d lie flat on his face and crawl between my legs if I just said the word. Want me to prove it? If I wanted to, I could piss on his head right in front of you guys.”