Chay's eyes find Big. He shakes his head, but Big gives him a sorry grimace. He understands though. Big has a job to do. If he doesn't report this to Kim, he will be punished. Probably severly. He sighs a heavy breath.

He doesn't know Ash will be here. He doesn't want this nor have control over this.

He makes a polite smile and wai to Ash, who greets him back with a soft smile. Ash's hand is placed too close to his own on the chair's armrest. He sits too close. But there is no way Chay can retract his chair without being impolite.

Kai stares at Macau openly while he sits and eats without a care. Macau is used to this, his pretty face has gained attention, wanted or not, since he was born.

"The bike ... You like it?" Kai asks voice drips with deep honey. It's clearly meant to be seductive. It takes Chay back a bit that the man used without shame when Chay and Ash are sitting right in front of them.

Macau nods and Kai signals the waiter, probably to bring more food and drink. "Eat slowly," Kai says. To Chay's surprise, Cau obediently follows. But when Kai brushes his hand on Macau's hair, he slaps the hand away and gives him a disliked face before stuffing his face again.

Macau is about to grab his wine when Kai grabs it first and replaces it with water. Only now Macau shifts his whole attention to Kai. "Give it back."

"No. After. For now, drink water. Water is good for you."

"Huh!" Macau snorts. His voice is loud enough to catch the attention of the whole restaurant. "In case you haven't got the memo, no one can tell me to do anything."

Kai's eyebrows shot up. "Well then, it's about time someone tells you what to do, isn't it? Stop being a brat and drink your water."

Macau grabs Chay's wine bottle and drinks the whole glass while his eyes are still fixed on Kai. Kai grits his jaws at the act of defiance.

Chay is conflicted about whether he should act or not in seeing Macau like this. This is the first time someone actually can get to Macau's skin.

"Let them be," Ash says, his voice soothing amongst these acts of madness in front of him. "They'll be fine."

Chay is not sure but nods and sits back uncomfortably, his eyes still fixed on Macau.

"How are you, Porchay?"

Chay turns his head to Ash. "I'm fine, Phi. Thanks for asking. How are you, Phi?"

"Not really good, no," Ash smiles at him.

Chay's forehead scrunches up with worry. "Are you ill?"

Ash's smile goes wider. His eyes roam on Chay's face. "You can say that. I fall hard but no one catches me."

With eyes bigger, Chay asks, "You fall? When?" His body automatically gets closer to Ash's.

"Sometimes ago, but I just realized now that I fall hard."

Chay can't follow. What Ash said didn't make sense, did it?  His confusion is evident. "Huh?"

Ash laughs. Chay can almost hear the ooh and ah from people around them who can still see their faces. He is indeed getting more beautiful when he smiles. If that is even possible. But it only made him think of Kim.

"What he meant is he falls in love, Nong Chay," Kai interjects.

"Oh," Chay pauses. Is he, now? Chay feels glad all of a sudden. "Who's the lucky woman?"

"Who said it's a woman?" Ash asks back.

The confusion is back again. "But I thought ...," Chay looks back to Macau who gives him an 'I told you so' face. "Aren't you ... Aren't you straight, Phi?"

"You're right about him," Kai says to Ash, who hums his agreement with a more wide smile.

"I guess I can change for that someone," Ash says lightly like changing his sexual preference is no big deal.

They are talking about him, isn't he? He is the one.

Chay is flustered, and his face grows red. But he pretends he doesn't know. That this red face is for something else.

"Well, I'm sure whoever it is, you can make him yours, Phi." That's the only diplomatic answer he can give as his mind is pulled out of his brain.

He shouldn't have said that. That makes Ash's eyes glint with a different light. Chay can't decipher it because then Macau's phone rings. "Yes, Hia? Now, I'm all done. I'm just eating with Chay at a restaurant. Yes? Ok, I'll be there as soon as we can."

"You meant that?" Ash asks Chay, sensing Chay will leave him in a hurry. He wants the doe eyes to focus on him, only him, even for just a minute.

"Huh?"

Macau is already grabbing Chay's hand. "Don't we have to pay first?" Chay asks his best friend. Macau only tilts his head to Kai who then waves his hand. Oh.

They are about to go when Ash grabs his hand. "Chay, do you mean what you said?" Something exchanges hands.

He just looks at Ash with a conflicting face. Porchay is glad he doesn't have to answer it as Macau pulls him away.
***

They get into the same car and when their bottoms touch the seat, Macau immediately says, "I've told you, didn't I?"

Chay doesn't say anything back. He busies himself with the view of the street. He slips his hand into his jeans jacket's pocket, touching the flip phone that Ash gave him.

He doesn't know the reason why he tucked it safely inside before Big caught up with them. He should have politely declined it. Kim will be pissed. He already knew his boyfriend was going to flip, but if he knew about the phone ... Only flipping the table is an understatement.

"Why is Phi asking for us?" he asks Macau. Anything to distract him from his own mind is welcome.

Macau shrugs. "He didn't say anything. Just say it is urgent. But I can hear Phi Pete in the background, so whatever it is, it's not that bad."

Porchay nods. Yeah. As long as everyone he cares is alive, nothing is bad.

His phone vibrates. Kim. Chay just stares at it.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"

Porchay shakes his head. He rather deal with the yelling much later. Just not now. He needs time. To think what can he say best. To steel his own self because Kim's wilderness can be overwhelming.

Macau doesn't say anything anymore for the rest of the ride. He is busy with his phone. It looks like Kai resorts to texting after his call is rejected.

As soon as they arrive at the minor family mansion, Vegas tells them to follow him to his bedroom. It's a little odd request but the youngers follow him obediently. Pete is already inside.

"This is the only place that has no surveillance inside," Vegas explains. He shows Macau and Chay 2 silver rings. "These are the latest tracking devices and recording. The Main Family doesn't know this. I have the first hand with this because I know the developer personally. Open your shoes and socks and give Pete your phones."

He proceeds to install the ring securely on one of their toes. "Your opponent is likely to skip the search for devices on your feet. So this is the safest place."

Pete hands them back their phone after the devices stall. "The app is new too. It's hidden and encrypted. Only the four of us know this and its password, so no one but the four of us can use it. I and your Hia swear we don't do this to spy on you so you can turn it off yourself if it gets too private for you guys. But we can turn it on if needed."

If needed means when they are lost or getting abducted. Chay knows this without the older has to elaborate.

"It's waterproof until 200 meters under water. So you are safe to take a bath with it. Any question?"

"Ok, you can leave," Vegas says after his brothers shake their heads.

"Can I stay to play games?" Chay asks. The longer he stays away from home, the better. Macau agrees without questioning anything. So they grab snacks and drinks and cozied up to play.

But then a crash is heard.
***
Kim met her a week ago when the takeover of the pub started.

At first, he didn't recall who she was. P'Nang, the previous owner of the pub and Big Boss of the area introduced her to him. "N'Kim, this is my niece, Dahlia. I heard you helped her once out of a situation. I'm thankful for that. That's why I agree to part with this place."

Kim plastered his polite smile while reeling just where and what he did to 'help' Dahlia. When P'Nang left them, Dahlia got closer while pouring him a drink. "I was so thankful that you rescued me from being raped, Khun," she said.

Rescued? Ah, the trafficking. But rescuing was a bit ...

He hummed his response, thoughts drifting back to Chay. This girl sat too close. Kim moved himself but Dahlia was persistent.

So, he decided to look unbothered and uninterested.

The business talk continued, but after P'Nang left, Dahlia stayed.

"I have a boyfriend," Kim said as he sipped his whiskey.

Dahlia smiled. "Even if you have a wife, it won't bother me."

Kim smiled, unamused. "Still not interested, sorry."

He thought it would end with that. But Dahlia kept showing up, with more and more revealing clothes that got the attention of most men in the pub. Not that he paid attention to it.

Tonight they finally sign the deal and he is hoping this will also be the end of Dahlia's shenanigans.

After he puts his signature on the paper, a ding is heard from his phone. Big sent him a message. He wants to ignore it, but he read the pop-up: 'I'm sorry, Boss. But we have a situation. Then a pic of Chay, Macau, Kai, and Ash.

He swears under his breath.

"Is there a problem, Khun Kim?" P'Nang voices his concern.

He needs to focus. Just for a few more minutes long. "Nothing. Just domestic stuff," he answers with an assuring smile. "Let's proceed."

He can feel his anger rising, racing beside his possessiveness by the tick of the second.

When they are finally done shaking their hand and sending good words to each other, Kim rushes to call Big. "Get him out of there!" he says as he moves to exit the exclusive part of the pub, situated at the back part.

"They're already leaving, Khun. Khun Porchay is leaving in Khun Macau's car. I'm tailing them now."

"Why isn't he with you?"

"K'Porchay insisted."

Kim swears again, openly this time. "Where are they heading?"

"It seems to be the minor family mansion."

"Ok. Keep him close, Big."

"Roger that, Khun."

He closes the line and dials Porchay's number. It can't get through, Chay won't pick it up. Kim swears and dials again.

A hand holds him back from moving forward. Caught off guard, Kim is able to be spun around. Dahlia. Kim is glad he isn't pressing the knife deeper into the throat. Otherwise, this girl will be dead and he has a lot to explain to P'Nang.

But the girl isn't afraid, just a bit surprised. A smile forms on that pretty face of hers.

"What the fuck?"

But that dies down when Dahlia presses his mouth to his. Kim can feel her tongue inside of his mouth, moving seductively.

He then pushes the girl's body from him until a thud is heard and he sees the girl bouncing off the wall.

He doesn't have time to deal with this bullshit.

He commands his driver to drive fast to the minor family mansion. As if the night can get any worse, they are caught by traffic.

Kim's mood is more than sour and bitter when he enters the mansion and sees Big outside, nowhere near Porchay. He leans at the bodyguard, already thinking of what kind of punishment he should receive after this.

Then he has to face Vegas. "Where is he?" he snips without manners.

Vegas looks oddly too relaxed. Kim knows he is getting himself ready for a fight, as he is too. But the heat in his chest and head is unable him to relax.

He wants to wreck something. Someone. Particularly that son of a bitch Sutivanichsak.

"Who?" Vegas asks back, his tone is chilly even.

"Don't fuck with me, V! Not right now," he says through gritted teeth. "As you can see, I'm not in the mood for petty bickering."

"And you think I will let you take my brother in that kind of mood?"

"Your brother, huh?" Vegas is a bit concerned by the way Kim's eyes glitter in a bit manic way before he laughs. It's not a humorous one and a bit condescending. 

Kim picks up an ashtray from the table and launches it into the glass ornament cupboard. It shatters in a loud bang.

Vegas already made peace that his family, nuclear or not, are all unhinged in their own manner, but this is a bit concerning as it has Chay inside the ingredients of madness.

"He is mine! Before any title someone can attach to him, he is mine!" Kim shouts.

"Calm down," Vegas motions his hand. He needs to be the sane one right now as he can see that Pete is already pale beside him. His loved ones are all inside this house.  "You need to calm down, Kim. Keep your jealousy on a tight leash. Otherwise, you can hurt Porchay and you don't want to do that."

But Kim is done listening. "Are you going to send him to me or not?"

"Kim."

Kim takes his gun from the back of his holster and points it to Vegas. "I won't ask again, V."

The gun clicks when Kim releases the safety pin.
***

Ps: next update is probably this weekend if I am coherent enough in writing it.