“My plan to trick him into confessing worked pretty well.”
“I don’t want to believe it! Shit! It can’t be true, can it, Tem?”
“Wait and see. The world’s not gonna end—you don’t have to look so surprised, asshat!”
✦ ✦ ✦
I went out to have a smoke in front of the bar. The more I thought about what happened in the bathroom, the more restless I became. If I accepted what I was feeling, how could I face my friends? Damn it! Jom said he’d accept me, but his face had looked so pale… I had to be drunk—nothing more.
“Is something bothering you? Why do you look so upset?” Vegas walked up to me, still smiling, and lit a cigarette. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, watching him smoke as Jom’s words replayed in my mind.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Ah… Is it really nothing?” Vegas asked. “Porsche, if anything’s bothering you, you can talk to me. I’d be happy to lend an ear.” He was still grinning, smiling at me so much that I couldn’t help but give a small smile back.
“Mm-hm,” I hummed.
“But if I had to guess, it must be work-related. Did the eldest one bully you?” Vegas asked, his voice turning stern.
I shook my head.
“The second brother, then. He’s really something,” Vegas remarked. I watched as he blew out smoke and talked about his cousins with a troubled expression.
“It’s not that,” I said, rushing to make excuses. Why was this crazy fucker throwing out so many guesses?
“Heh. It’s good that it wasn’t Kinn. Leave him to his boytoys—they fight over him at every event he attends. I’ll admit that even I’m jealous.”
A chill ran through my body, my heart dropping strangely for a beat.
I stayed silent.
“Those boys should know better… Kinn is never serious with anyone, but his playthings still find trouble for themselves,” Vegas said. “Porsche, you need to be careful, too. Brother doesn’t pick and choose. Anyone near him ends up the same…”
That manwhore! I wanted to put a fucking bullet in his brain.
“Hey, did that stress you out? I was just joking,” Vegas added, laughing. “You’re not his type, Porsche. There’s nothing to worry about.”
That only pissed me off more. I breathed in and out, trying to chase away the thoughts from my mind. Wasn’t it a good thing that I wasn’t his type?
“Hmm. I’m gonna head back in,” I said sullenly, turning to go back.
“Porsche! Watch out!”
Bang!
A gunshot echoed through the air. Instinctively I dropped to the ground, Vegas shielding me from behind.
“Shit!” I cursed, looking up to assess the situation. Vegas surveyed our surroundings as well. The clubgoers were panicking, and the music had come to an abrupt stop. I got up and looked left and right, trying to find the source of the gunshot.
“Are you all right?” Vegas asked me, concerned.
“Ow!”
Out of nowhere, someone kicked me in the back, hard. I stumbled forward into Vegas, who was looking at the newcomers in surprise.
The crowd ran erratically, darting past us to the side of the bar. I quickly got my bearings and jumped at the tall figure who attacked me, throwing a punch at his face. Several men dressed in black grabbed at me, but Vegas came to help, kicking at each of them. I kept punching. Where the hell was Pete?
My heart dropped to my stomach when I saw one of them pull out a knife. A couple of Vegas’s lackeys ran over to us, trying to see what was going on and to help their boss.
“Run!” Vegas grabbed my wrist, pulling me along as chaos erupted in front of the bar. I managed to land a few more kicks, but Vegas eventually dragged me to the parking lot.
“Porsche, get in the car!” his harsh voice shouted. I jumped in when I saw the men still chasing after us. Vegas started the car and stepped on the gas, speeding out into the main road.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, worried.
“No…” I sat there catching my breath before sighing in relief.
“Who were they, Porsche?” Vegas asked as he sped down the road.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. I had no idea who they were, let alone what they wanted from me. I didn’t know who was behind all this.
Vegas turned to look at me. “Ah, Porsche, your eyebrow’s split open.”
He quickly parked by the side of the road. I’d only just begun to notice the pain; I rubbed the area with my finger to find it stained with blood. I was about to ask for a tissue, but Vegas leaned toward me. I startled back, but he quickly grabbed the back of my neck to lock my head in place.
“Stay still. I’ll wipe the blood off for you,” he said as he gently dabbed a tissue at the edge of my eyebrow.
“I can do it myself,” I said, twisting away.
“Don’t be so stubborn.”
I stopped resisting and let him dab the blood away like he wanted. The more I struggled, the closer Vegas leaned in—he was now practically on top of me.
“Do you have bad blood with anyone? Why would you get targeted like this?” he asked. I turned away when I felt his warm breath on my face. I didn’t like how close he was getting.
I remained silent.
“Can’t believe this is how the Major Clan treats their employees—putting them in danger like this,” he muttered.
I immediately frowned. “In this circle, how safe can it be?” I said. Just stepping into this line of work automatically put a target on your back.
“They shouldn’t let their people get injured. It’s the least they can do.” I knew what Vegas was going to say next—his words had been oddly persuasive thus far. “Do you want to come work for me? I promise to take better care of you, Porsche.”
My frown deepened. I was just a bodyguard, and I wasn’t here to take someone else’s job. What did being taken care of have to do with it?
I felt goosebumps all over, becoming wary of Vegas. His words seemed well-intentioned, but it was getting fucking weird.
“Porsche, you don’t look happy at all. Every time I see you, you look troubled,” Vegas said, still leaning in close. Although I wanted to pull back, his arm was blocking the way.
“Come work for me, please… Please?” he softly rasped, hand grasping my neck so I couldn’t pull away. Vegas’s face came closer, so close that the tip of his nose gently brushed against my cheek.
“Let me go!”
A vehicle screeched to a halt in front of Vegas’s car. He quickly turned and scowled as I tried to pry his hands off.
“Let me go, Vegas!” I yelled, successfully shoving his hands off my neck. I turned to look to the other car and saw Kinn step out, absolutely fuming with rage. Strangely, I felt relieved to see him.
“Come out!” Kinn shouted angrily while banging on the car window closest to me. I saw Vegas smirk before he unlocked the car.
“What the hell are you two doing?!” Kinn barked, dragging me out so forcefully that I stumbled.
“Brother! How did you get here?”
“What about you, Vegas?! Why are you taking my men, huh?” Kinn’s shouting made me flinch. I’d never seen him explode at Vegas like this—usually he was perfectly civil to his cousin.
Vegas frowned as he got out of the car. “Porsche was attacked. I was helping him escape,” he explained anxiously.
Kinn snorted in derision. “Get in the car,” he said, pulling me along and stuffing me into his car. Ow! What the hell?!
“Brother, please calm down. I was just trying to help Porsche,” Vegas said. He walked over to stand next to Kinn, who had his hands on his hips.
Kinn pointed an accusatory finger at Vegas. “Don’t interfere! I won’t warn you again!”
Kinn checked his shoulder against Vegas’s before getting into the driver’s seat and speeding away. I turned to stare at Kinn silently before turning away to look outside.
“It’s a good thing Vegas helped me. What if I’d died?” I said calmly. Why was Kinn so pissed? Was he crazy? I was getting beaten up—if Vegas hadn’t stepped in, I’d understand why Kinn would be angry, but Vegas had helped me…if you didn’t count whatever the fuck he was doing in the car just now.
“What were you doing with him?!” Kinn asked harshly. I immediately turned to glare at him. “Answer me!” he yelled and slammed on the gas pedal, making me careen forward and almost hit the dashboard.
“He was wiping blood off my face!” I said, feeling my voice tremble as dread settled in my heart. The more I witnessed Kinn’s wrath, the more afraid I became.
“What do you mean, wiping blood?! More like you were about to fuck Vegas in his car!” Kinn continued to berate me in a harsh voice.
“The fuck are you talking about?!” I shouted back.
“What, was fucking him at the house not enough for you?” Kinn asked.
I looked at him in confusion, my brows knitting together. “What?!”
“Khun told me everything—how you were messing around with Vegas in your room!” he shouted.
I bit my lip and glared at Kinn. “You think everyone’s a fucking whore like you?!” I exploded at him, all my bottled-up anger finally bursting. I could barely contain myself. How dare he look down on me!
“So you’ve chosen Vegas, huh?” Kinn said.
“Kinn, you motherfucker! I fucking hate you!” I punched the dashboard hard enough for Kinn to turn to look at me resentfully. I slumped forward against the dashboard, my head aching from Kinn’s presence and the fact that he was swerving the car enough to make me want to puke.
“Sit properly! I can’t see the side view mirror!” Kinn exclaimed, pulling my shoulder to make me sit upright.
“Then die!” I snapped, shaking his arm off. He left me slumped forward like that the rest of the drive.