Hi,

How are you all?

Here is chapter 26 of my story. I hope you will like it.

Next week, my team will start our duty in the hospital for 14 days so I'm not sure if I'll be able to write so I'm sorry to say that I may not be able to write. But I promise to try!

This chapter is edited by Grammarly only, so please forgive my mistakes.

Special thanks to @Seren_dipitous 😍and @yodacapos 😍for their valuable help in writing this chapter. I wouldn't have made it without them ^^

Your votes, comments and reviews are highly welcomed and appreciated.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Saturday afternoon,

Siriporn watched with irritation as Arthit and Kongphop continued the cold war, that had been going on between them since Friday morning, over the table as the four ate their lunch. And because Phet had been practically living at the station due to a case for almost two week, she found herself stuck with playing the role of the house's elder; not to mention that she was forced to sleep in his house's office.

'And would he even think of asking me if I can do it or not first?' she thought grimly to herself. 'Oh, no! He just leaves and shoves everything upon me!'

She let out a soft growl as she tried hard to ignore the two men and focus on her meal but failed miserably.

"Alright!" Siriporn startled everyone at the table with her sudden exclamation. "I will not tolerate such behaviour any longer."—she shot the two men a glare— "You will tell me what on Earth is going between you two NOW!"

Arthit glared at Kongphop before he averted his face, refusing to talk while Kongphop growled at the older man before he turned his attention to the waiting psychiatrist. "P'Gun wants Arthit to testify in court," he explained. "But P'Arthit is refusing. Plus, there is some information that he had been hiding from P'Gun."

"They are irrelevant information," Arthit objected.

"They are not," Kongphop said. "Besides, it's not your place to decide the relevancy of your information. It's P'Gun's job."

Arthit glowered at the younger man. "I don't want to do it."

"You don't have the right to object," Kongphop said coldly. "You've promised me, P'!"

Hearing this, Arthit rose from his seat angrily. "She's your mother, Kongphop!" he yelled heatedly. "Don't you care that she would be thrown into jail if I testified?"

Kongphop stared at the older man with an emotionless expression and cold eyes. "If she were thrown into jail, then she had brought it upon herself," he said with a chilling voice that caused Siriporn and Kiet to shiver slightly. "I won't lose a wink over her. And you had promised that you would listen and do whatever I say without any objection."

Arthit glared at Kongphop for few moments before left the kitchen, ranting under his breath. Seeing that Kongphop didn't intend to go after his lover, Kiet quickly rose from his seat and followed the fuming Arthit out.

"What was that promise about?" Siriporn asked once they were alone.

Kongphop sighed before he related the conversation that took place between the two of them upon his return that night.

Siriporn let a deep, defeated sigh as Kongphop concluded his tale. She was surprised that the intelligent man would commit such a blunder.

"Tell me, N'Kong, do you think it's fair to make such a request to someone with a personality like Arthit's?" she asked sternly.

"I know it's not fair," Kongphop replied. "But because of P'Arthit's personality, I had to ask such a thing of him. I—I thought that if we agreed on it beforehand, we wouldn't fight over it!"

Siriporn scoffed upon hearing this. "He's his father's son. Oon may appear meek and submissive at the first look, but that is only when he's not triggered. He may lay low for a while but touch a sensitive nerve wrongly, and he'll scratch and bite back like a wounded tiger. Believe me; he'll always argue, protest and act stupidly, and no promise such as this one would stop him!"

Kongphop's lips slightly tugged upwards in a small smile as he remembered the moments that his P' had shown incredible strength and surprising feistiness. Shaking his head, Kongphop tried to focus on the current problem before he would lose himself in the sea of memories.

"Everything is out now," he said. "I don't know why he doesn't want to testify in court."

"Because it would mean that you would lose your mother," Siriporn said bluntly.

Kongphop looked surprised at her statement.

"But I am the one who is telling him to do so," he disputed. "I have no problem with him testifying even against my mother!"

"It doesn't matter," the psychiatrist said. "Oon had lost his mother out of a sudden, and it wasn't within his power to prevent it. I think that he doesn't want you to lose yours if he can help it." —she sighed defeatedly— "Just like I said, he's his father's son. Both are infamous of overthinking and following their own twisted logic when it comes to their loved ones' wellbeing...even if it was the stupidest thing to do."

Kongphop inhaled sharply, feeling his heart clenched inside his heart. Siriporn was right. It wasn't beyond his P' to think so and act accordingly.

"What should I do?" He finally asked, looking at the psychiatrist.

"If you still want him to testify, you'll have to persuade him somehow," Siriporn replied. "Since threats, and raised voices didn't seem to work, you must use a more efficient way. The likes of P'Phet and Oon are easily persuaded when you press their buttons correctly, such as appealing to their well-guarded hidden soft side or emotionally blackmailing them with puppy eyes and sweet words. Oh, don't you dare giving me that look, young man!" She said warningly as Kongphop gave her a sly look. "As if you hadn't used this method already!"

Smilingly, Kongphop winked at her before rushing out of the kitchen.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"That was an interesting speech, doctor," Kiet said as he entered the kitchen right after Kongphop had left it.

The woman looked questioningly at him. "What do you mean?"

The young policeman flashed her a sly smile as he approached and sat opposite to her.

"Infamous of overthinking and following their own twisted logic when it comes to their loved ones' wellbeing," he quoted her. "The likes of P'Phet and Oon are easily persuaded when you press their buttons correctly, such as appealing to their well-guarded hidden soft side or emotionally blackmailing them with puppy eyes and sweet words. It seems to me that you knew Detective Rojnapat a little too well."

Siriporn narrowed her eyes at the insolent policeman. "I knew him for 13 years," she said, trying to ignore the rising heat she was feeling in her cheeks. "There is nothing special to it!"

"Really?" he asked, laughing cheekily. "Then why are you blushing?"

Siriporn's eyes widened before she suddenly stood up. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she exclaimed before she marched out of the kitchen.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Kaew let out a deep breath as she sat by herself in the living room of her parents' villa after lunch. She and her sister, Kik, were currently staying at the villa with their parents, but the situation here wasn't pleasant at all. Since the shocking discovery of her mother's involvement in a scandalous police case, a dark cloud had been hovering over their entire family. Her father and mother barely talked to each other or to them nowadays. Every time the phone or the door's bell rang, tension filled the air around them. And Kongphop hadn't been in the house since the night he confronted his mother. Kaew was hoping to talk to him, but he rushed out of the house in a rage without speaking to anyone. She and Kik tried to call and message him tirelessly, but he didn't pick up their calls or replied their messages. Not that she blamed him! She could only imagine how shocked and hurt he was upon learning of what their mother had done.

And though her mother denied having any connection to what had happened to Kongphop's boyfriend, she did admit that she tried to bribe him to leave Kongphop. Something that Kaew found sickening.

The eldest daughter of the Suthiluck family sighed. It was indeed a very messed-up situation.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"Arthit, for the millionth freaking time, will you stop overthinking about irrelevant matters!"

Kongphop stopped himself from knocking on the door of Arthit's bedroom upon hearing Knott's irritated voice from behind. After leaving the kitchen, he had run into Kiet who happened to be standing nearby. The policeman told him that Arthit and Knott, who had just arrived, were in the former's bedroom. Thus, he rushed upstairs, eager to talk to his boyfriend, but hearing Knott's words made him stop in his tracks. He bit his lower lip as he was caught between his desire to listen to his boyfriend's reply and his conscience over eavesdropping to a private conversation between the two friends.

"It's not an irrelevant matter, Knott!" Arthit replied angrily. "It's about Kongphop's family!" —he sighed— "If I had told P'Gun about Mrs Suthiluck from the beginning, he would've immediately suspected her. Kongphop would've known about his mother's involvement in what happened to me, and his relationship with his family would've worsened!"

"News flash! It had already happened! That bastard had already accused Mrs Suthiluck of being behind this!" Knott reminded. "No one can accuse you of destroying Kongphop's relationship with his family!"

"But I could make it worse!" Arthit objected. "I don't want Kongphop to lose his family. I don't want him to hate me for it!"

Kongphop's heart clenched painfully inside his chest upon hearing a sob escaping Arthit's mouth.

Siriporn was right. His stubborn boyfriend was overthinking matters as usual!

Sighing, the younger man decided that it was time to intervene.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

As soon as the two heard some knocks on the door, Arthit quickly wiped the few tears that escaped his eyes, before he looked up and saw Kongphop entering the bedroom.

After greeting Knott, the younger man asked his senior if he would give him some time with his boyfriend.

Arthit watched warily as Knott nodded his head before leaving the room. He wasn't ready for another argument with Kongphop at the moment, but the latter had a determined expression that reminded Arthit of the time when Kongphop had returned his gear to him. The older man's eyes followed his boyfriend as he sat next to him on the edge of the bed.

"We need to sort this out, P'," Kongphop said seriously. "You have to talk to P'Gun again and then testify in court."

"Kongphop—" Arthit tried to protest, but Kongphop didn't allow him to complete his sentence as he hushed him by putting his hand on Arthit's mouth.

"I know why you are reluctant to testify," he said. "But I want you to know that it isn't only about my mother. P'Gun wants you to identify the men who were present in the cabin."

"I was blindfolded, Kong," Arthit commented. "I haven't seen anyone."

"But you said to P'Gun that you might be able to identify them their voices, right?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then he wants you to go to the station and do that," Kongphop said. "Also, you need to tell him about what happened in front of your company!"

"Kong—"

"She had already told him about it, as well as that bastard!" Kongphop interrupted. "P'Gun needs you to back up their stories since you're involved too. Also, you must tell him what that bastard had told you during your captivity."

Arthit stared deeply into Kongphop's eyes, trying to read his lover's eyes. But Kongphop's eyes were clouded and showed nothing of what was inside his mind.

"Will you be really okay if I affirmed the charges against your own mother?" He whispered brokenly. "Won't you hate me later for it?"

"My relationship with my mother is something for myself only to worry about," Kongphop replied. "It has no touching points in our relationship. And I would never blame you for her wrongdoings. She had hurt you deeply, and despite that, you're still protecting her." —he looked pleadingly at the other man— "Please, P'Arthit, don't hurt yourself anymore for her sake. If she was indeed involved, then she has to be punished."

Arthit stared at his lover in disbelieve for few moments before he lowered his head. "If you really want me to do it," he said in a low voice. "then I will."

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

As soon as Arthit consented, Kongphop didn't waste any time and phoned Gun who asked him to come to the station as quickly as possible along with Kiet and Siriporn. Just as the previous time, Kiet, Knott and he were left in the waiting room while Arthit and Siriporn went into the interrogation room. Kongphop again found himself waiting on pins and needles for his lover to leave the interrogation room. Despite everything, he didn't like the fact that Arthit had to be reminded of what had happened to him consistently. He didn't like the fact that his lover had to face those who had wronged him. And he certainly didn't like the fact that his mother was involved in such situation or with vile men such as those criminals. Kongphop inhaled deeply. On the contrary of others might think, Kongphop was struggling genuinely with the fact that his mother had a hand in his lover's ordeal. It pained him that she looked down on the love he was sharing with Arthit and thought of it as an expendable feeling.

He wasn't thrilled either at pushing Arthit to testify against her. However, he knew that if he didn't act firmly and unbiasedly towards this matter, there would always be a wall between him and Arthit. He knew that they couldn't have a real relationship based on trust if he looked the other way on the matter of his mother's involvement. Kongphop sighed deeply. The truth was he wasn't sure of what his relationship with either his mother or his lover would be after this mess was over.

Kongphop was snapped from his thoughts when Arthit, Siriporn and Gun entered the waiting room. The young man stood up, frowning at the state of his lover. Arthit looked drained, even more than the previous time he was here.

"What happened?" he asked, but the only reply he got was a glare from Arthit.

"Let's go home," Siriporn said before she led Arthit away.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit hadn't said a single word since their return from the police station. He simply entered the house and headed straight to his bedroom. Knott had brought their dinner upstairs, and the three ate together in silence; though, Arthit had barely eaten anything.

Siriporn explained to Kongphop that Arthit was greatly distressed when he was made to listen to various men's voices to identify the ones belonged to Yu's men. He also had to face Benz for a cross-interrogation. The detective explained to her that he had to close his investigation soon and submit the case to the court. Thus, he couldn't delay Arthit's interrogation any longer and must be done with everything in one go. That was the reason she agreed to go through with it, despite her fear that Arthit would relapse. The psychiatrist told Kongphop to be patient with his boyfriend in the upcoming few days and not to agitate him with anything.

Arthit and Kongphop were currently in the former's bedroom, silently going about a Jigsaw puzzle. The younger man raised his head, wondering if he should say something to break this suffocating silence. Though he was worried about the older man, he didn't want him to explode in his face at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself.

"P', would you like some strawberry milk?" he suggested.

But Arthit shook his head in refusal before he stood up and walked to the bathroom.

The younger man let out a defeated sigh. It seemed that he should put more effort to make his P' talk to him again.

Kongphop tried again when the two of them were inside the bed. But this time, he hadn't said a word; instead, he slowly slid one arm under his boyfriend and wrapped it tenderly around his waist. Fortunately, Arthit didn't push him away. The older man snuggled closer and buried his face into Kongphop's chest, allowing his boyfriend's warmth to engulf him. A few moments later, Arthit wasn't able to suppress the tears that he had been holding back since the station anymore.

Kongphop's heart clenched painfully inside his chest while his arms tightened their embrace around the weeping man, silently offering him his support. His mother's matter aside; he knew that the other man hadn't wanted to face those who destroyed his life a second time. But in the end, he had gone to the police station and endured being in the presence of those bastards, who raped him for his sake. Not only that but his proud lover had been holding back his emotions since then and had been trying to overcome the fear, pain and anger swarming inside of him as not to make the others worry. Kongphop knew all of this. Placing a soft kiss on top of Arthit's head, Kongphop gently rubbing the other man's back until his sobs ceased and he surrounded to sleep.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

The next morning, Kongphop was up early, wanting to prepare breakfast for his lover. After what had happened last night, the younger man decided to cheer up his boyfriend by making him an excellent breakfast, preferably in bed, followed by an outing same as one they had the other day with all his friends.

Kongphop whistled happily as he took out some ingredients from the fridge and started to wash them.

"N'Kong?" He turned around to see Siriporn in a grey suit, standing at the entrance of the kitchen. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm preparing breakfast this morning," Kongphop replied. "You can relax in the living room, and I'll inform you when I'm done."

Siriporn smiled as she entered and headed to the fridge. "Of all the days that you have to prepare breakfast!" she lamented as she took out a plastic bottle of orange juice. "Unfortunately, I have to go now to the hospital for an emergency. Btw, where is Ai'Oon?"

"Sleeping," Kongphop replied. "P'Kiet is still in the room with him." he quickly added upon seeing Siriporn's disapproving glance. "Is Mr Rojnapat home?"

"No," The psychiatrist replied. "He had spent his night at the station again." —she sighed— "Honestly, that man is the worst workaholic case I've ever seen!"

Kongphop chuckled softly but didn't comment. Instead, he asked. "Are you going to be late? I can keep some breakfast for you."

Siriporn smiled warmly at the young man but shook her head. "I'm not sure when I will be able to return soon. I've already texted P'Phet about it. So, you and N'Kiet will be in charge of the house until one of us returns."

"Don't worry, P'," Kongphop reassured. "I was thinking of inviting P'Arthit's friends over today and maybe roam around the district a little. I think that he would cheer up if he spent some time with them."

Siriporn crossed her fingers playfully before she excused herself and left before Kongphop resumed his cooking.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Knott was about to start his car when his phone pinged.

Kongphop: Good Morning, P'Knott. Can you come today and invite the rest of your friends as well? P'Arthit is in a foul mood and would use some cheering up.

Knott: I'm sorry, Nong. But I have work today, and I don't think I'll finish before nighttime. But I'll text the rest of the gang and see if they can visit Arthit.

Kongphop: Thank you, P'.

Knott smiled to himself as he re-read the conversation. Despite his own opinion on what had happened, he was secretly glad that Kongphop was back into his friend's life and was taking good care of him. The younger man was selfless, compassionate, considerate, attentive to every detail and most importantly, deeply in love with Arthit. Knott trusted that his best friend would be well taken care of in Kongphop's hands.

Shaking his head, the bulky man started texting his friends as he promised Kongphop.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Knott didn't take long before he texted Kongphop back. As the younger man was about to carry his boyfriend's breakfast upstairs, he received Knott's text. Unfortunately, none of Arthit's friends could make it today due to previous engagements, but Knott reassured him that all of them would gather and visit them soon.

'Well, I guess it's P'Kiet, P'Arthit and I today!' Kongphop thought grimly before he shook his head. Picking up the breakfast's tray in determination, Kongphop decided that he would do whatever it takes to cheer his lover's mood.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Kongphop frowned when he entered the room and found Arthit alone before he relaxed upon hearing the sound of running water in the bathroom.

Placing the tray on the desk, Kongphop sat beside his sleeping boyfriend and bent over him.

"P'," he whispered into Arthit's ear. "It's morning. Time to wake up, P'Arthit."

The older man groaned in response before he pulled up the blanket and covered his head. Chuckling, Kongphop slowly tugged the blanket away until Arthit's head appeared.

"P'Arthit," Kongphop called coaxingly. "Rise and shine. I made you a delicious breakfast and brought it to you."

But Arthit didn't respond. Instead, he turned his face to the other side, facing Kongphop.

Kongphop's lips puckered up into a naughty smile before he bent over and planted a kiss on Arthit's ear. Seeing that the older man didn't stir, Kongphop planted another kiss on Arthit temple, then his eye, then his nose then—

"Ehm!"

Kongphop looked up with a shocked expression before he quickly rose into a sitting position, blushing in embarrassment. He had totally forgotten about Kiet's presence in the bathroom.

The policeman was standing in front of the bathroom's door and smirking like a cat. He didn't expect to walk on Kongphop, trying to take advantage of his sleeping lover.

"P'Kiet!" Kongphop said, trying to smile innocently. "I' m—I mean, I brought breakfast for P'Arthit."

"You brought him breakfast?" Kiet asked. "or were you trying to have him for breakfast?"

"P'!" The younger man hissed as his eyes landed on the sleeping man, half-afraid that he would wake up. Luckily, Arthit was sleeping deeply.

Kiet smirked devilishly. "I'll go downstairs and find me something to eat," he declared as he walked away. "Try not to stuff yourself too much, Nong!"

Kongphop frowned at the retreating figure but said nothing. Shaking his head, the younger man returned to his original mission; waking up his P'.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Breakfast was an enjoyable experience for both Arthit and Kongphop. The older was deeply touched by his young lover's romantic gesture, though he didn't show it. Nothing much was exchanged between them during breakfast, but Arthit felt his cheeks burning with fire like crazy from the way Kongphop kept staring at him during their meal. He tried to eat as fast as he could so that he wouldn't be under Kongphop's constant loving gaze.

"I'm done," He said, placing down his utensils. "Thank you. It was delicious."

Kongphop smiled. "You're welcome, P'," he said. "Let's take this down and go for our daily walk?"

"Okay," Arthit said, still flushed.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Yu watched from the shadows as three young men left the house he had been watching from afar for over a month. He had been extremely patient during that entire time, trying to find another opportunity to get to Arthit.

Admittingly, He had committed a grave mistake when he hadn't taken the chance while Arthit and his boyfriend were alone. He shouldn't have simply put those photos at the house's doorsteps and disappeared. Instead, he should've kidnapped Arthit and be done with it!

Yu let out an angry huff at himself. He couldn't believe that he had been such an idiot and wasted such a good chance!

Shaking his head, Yu decided not to waste any more opportunities. He was determined to get what he wanted as soon as possible.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Kiet, Kongphop and Arthit hadn't returned home until after they had their lunch at the diner down the block. Kiet and Kongphop somehow had managed to drag Arthit all around the whole district. He was tired after all this roaming around and wanted to lay down a little, so as soon as he entered the house, he headed straight to his bedroom upstairs, followed closely by Kongphop.

Kiet, on the other hand, made himself comfortable on the living room's couch before he switched on the TV and took out the can of beer he had secretly sneaked into the house with him. The policeman couldn't resist the fact that neither Siriporn nor Phet weren't at home so he could indulge himself a little, unaware of the danger that was lurking only a few miles away.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Once he was in his bedroom, Arthit took a quick shower before he buried himself under the covers of his bed. "I'm so tired," he whined.

Kongphop chuckled before sneaked under the covers as well. "You hadn't complained a bit when we spent the entire day out with P'Knott and the others," he teased as he positioned himself on top of his lover. "Do you remember? That day when you sang me a sweet love song in front of your friends at the café!"

Arthit pouted before he averted his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he said in defiance. "I'm sure I haven't sung any song to you!"

"Oh, but I have several witnesses to back me up," Kongphop said as he closed the distance between them.

"False witnesses! All of them!" Arthit remarked, fully aware of how close Kongphop's face was to his. "And I can prove it!"

Smiling, Kongphop neared his mouth to Arthit's ear. "Really?" he whispered before he tried to lick Arthit's earlobe.

"How touching!"

The two sprung away from each other before they looked at the direction of door with ultimate shock and endless horror.

Standing in front of them with an ugly smirk on his disfigured face and a gun in his hand was Yuthakon Tangtrongchit; the notorious Yu, the Impaler.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Time seemed to have come to a stop, and a freezing air shrouded the entire bedroom as the Kongphop and Arthit came face to face with their worst nightmare.

Kongphop, who was the first to recover, leapt quickly like a lion off the bed and stood in front of Arthit to block the sight of his lover from that terrible man's view. His eyes shot towards the door as his mind sped like a rocket, trying to evaluate the situation and decide on a course of action.

"If you're waiting for that poor-excuse-of a cop to rescue you," Yu said as if reading Kongphop's mind. "then rest assured. I've already disposed of him the same way I disposed of the police patrol that was standing near the house."

Kongphop's breath hitched upon hearing this. With P'Kiet and the police patrol been gone, then his lover and he were at the mercy of this psycho. However, Kongphop didn't let his fears show. His features hardened as he glared at Yu, determined to protect his lover at all costs.

"What a brave lad," Yu said with a smirk, taking a step forward.

"Don't get near, or—"

"Or what, kid?" Yu sneered. "You can't do anything." —his eyes then darted to Arthit who was trying to make himself as small as possible behind Kongphop— "I came here for this cutie pie, and I won't be leaving without him!"

"Over my dead body!"

"That can be easily arranged!" Yu said with an evil smirk before he pressed the trigger of his gun.

BANG!

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Staring at the man, who had haunted his waking and sleeping hours for over a year, standing inside his house, in his bedroom, Arthit's brain froze, his entire body shook in terror, his breaths became shallow, and his eyes swelled with tears.

A nightmare!

It must be a nightmare!

He must be sleeping and having a nightmare!

Like a drowning man, he tried to cling into this explanation that his fear-muddled brain provided to keep himself sane. Images of his ordeal flashed rapidly in front of his eyes, forcing him to re-live it once more. His body unconsciously curled into a small ball as Kongphop stood protectively in front of him. His eyes darted to the direction of the door, praying that Kiet or anyone would come to their rescue; however, Yu's declaration soon crushed his hopes. Suddenly he felt like a trapped deer in the face of a hungry wolf. All the exchange that passed between the two men was lost to him until...

BANG!

The sudden bang sound snapped Arthit from his shock, turning his attention back to the other two men in the room. His heart dropped as he saw Kongphop falling to the ground in front of his eyes.

"KONGPHOP!"

On its own volition, Arthit's body sprung off the bed and rushed toward Kongphop. He was able to hold the falling man before his body hit the ground. Tears flooded down Arthit's eyes as they spotted the gushing wound the bullet had made in his lover's chest.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Yu let out an amused chuckle as he watched Arthit desperately wailing and calling for his fallen lover. His victims' helplessness always had a potent aphrodisiac effect and a euphoric stimulus on him. But the sight of Arthit's misery was more intoxicating than any other and had roused his lust for the younger man to the horizon. Yu smirked as he remembered when that idiot Benz kept nagging at him about his mission to destroy his boss' son's relationship until he agreed to help. His plan was merely to rough that boyfriend up and scare him away, but after setting his eyes on Arthit, he knew that he had to have him. And what made the young man even more desirable was the fact that he was Phet's only son. Yu couldn't believe his luck that led him to the child of the man who had disfigured him and gouged out his eye.

Driven by lust for the young mand and the desire for revenge, Yu managed to convince that idiot Benz to knock up their initial plan a notch and help themselves to the boyfriend of his boss' son. And though Benz was reluctant at the beginning, Yu succeeded to incite the secretary's curiosity about trying a man's ass for a change.

Recalling all these memories, Yu had become hard rock now. He glanced at the door before smirking. Since no one was expected to come to rescue those two, it seemed that he had all the time he needed for a quickie before he ran away with his prey.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit felt as if his heart was about to stop as he held an unconscious Kongphop between his arms. Before he passed out, Kongphop looked at him with eyes full of pain. And when he tried to talk only distressed moan could come out of his mouth. 

Despite his pleas not to close his eyes, Arthit watched in horror as Kongphop' eyes closed and surrounded to unconsciousness. Now, his lover's skin and lips started to turn paler by the second as blood gushed out of the bullet's wound. Arthit's hands desperately tried to block his lover's bleeding, but the bright red liquid continued to seep out from between his fingers and with it his boyfriend's life.

"Kong, please, talk to me!" he begged between his sobs. "Please! Don't go!" His eyes darted frantically around him, trying to find something...anything that he could use to save Kongphop's life. Still, it was as if his brain had stopped functioning altogether, and refused to form one coherent idea.

Suddenly, a firm hand got hold of his arm and pulled him up forcefully.

"Come on, kid," Yu sneered. "You're mine now." —he smirked lustfully at the grief-stricken youth; eyes flitting over his pretty features; he couldn't resist the urge to trace a finger on the younger's cheek— "There's no one left who can save you. You belong to me now."

Yu's vile words resonated, stirring a wave of deep anger in Arthit, and before he could stop himself, he landed a punch on Yu's face; the sickening sound of cracking bone barely registering.

"You fucking bitch!" Yu screeched in agony as he wiped the blood that gushed out of his nose before he angrily slapped Arthit hard, sending him crashing to the ground. Growling, he was about to launch himself on top of the younger man, but Arthit moved faster to evade Yu and quickly regained his feet before he attacked the other man instead, sending them both to the ground.

Being on top of the larger man, Arthit tried his best to pin him down or at least make him lose the gun; however, Yu was still much more robust than him. The two struggled for dominance over the other for few minutes on the floor, each trying to gain the upper hand over the other but neither showed any sign of prevailing.

Arthit was disadvantaged, but a dominant power was now driving the young man. His pain and suffering had morphed into a stampeding rage that nothing could've stopped in its path. Letting out a pained scream, he struggled tremendously to keep Yu down, but Yu shoved him away before he lay on top of Arthit, almost crushing him under his weight.

"I've got you now, little bitch," the gangster hissed into Arthit's ear.

At this moment, the door came crashing down, and Phet and Gun followed by two officers appeared in the room.

"FREEZE!" the four officers had their guns raised at the gangster who merely smirked at them before he stood up, pulling Arthit up with him.

"One move, Detective," he jeered, pointing his gun at Arthit's temple while his other hand trapped the younger man's body in a tight embrace. "and I'll blow your son's head off!"

"Let go of my son, Yu!" Phet hissed, giving the loathsome man a death glare. "or else, I swear I'll rip you into pieces!"

"There is nowhere to escape, Yu!" Gun said. "Surrendering is your only choice."

Yu leered at them. "You're both wrong," he said as he pressed the gun deeper into Arthit's temple. "Make way or else!"

A couple of tensed moments passed before Phet, and the rest of the policemen started to lower their guns. Just when Yu was about to move, the air was knocked from his lungs as Arthit elbowed him in the stomach before back-kicking him in the groin; forcing him to loosen his grip on Arthit and drop the gun.

Having been finally freed, Arthit rushed towards his saviours and threw himself into Gun's arms as his knees suddenly bulked.

Gun ran a quick check on the youth, looking for external wounds as soon as Arthit was safely in his arms. Finding none, the detective let out a sigh of relief, but his reprieve was short-lived as Phet suddenly opened fire at Yu; bullets ripping through the gangster's body who tried to recover his fallen gun.

Arthit squeezed his eyes shut, as he clung to Gun's shirt; his hands clawing into the fabric and his face buried into Gun's shoulder as the sound of bullets resounded in the small bedroom.

Loud gasps and sobs tore themselves from the younger man's mouth as his brain finally started to digest all the events that had taken place.

"He was—he was going to kill me—" he murmured fervently with a broken voice. "He—he—oh, God! He killed Kong! He killed Kong!" Arthit hysterically yelled.

Kneeling beside his son, Phet took him into his embrace and started to whisper soothing words into his son's ears, to calm him down. Arthit's body was violently trembling as his shock took control entirely over his body and mind.

"Kong is dead!" hot tears slid down Arthit's fair cheeks as he mumbled anxiously into his father's chest. "He killed Kong! He killed him!"

Phet looked up as one of the two police officers was already kneeling over Kongphop, checking his state.

"He's alive, sir," the young policeman declared. "But he needs immediate medical attention."

"Call the paramedics quickly," Gun ordered as he checked Yu's body before he moved into examining the rest of the room.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit and Gun were sitting silently out of the emergency theatre, waiting for Kongphop, who was currently inside. Despite his earlier breakdown, Arthit seemed to have pulled himself together quickly and insisted on accompanying his boyfriend to the hospital. Gun glanced at the young man sitting next to him. He was oddly calm for someone who had just gone through hell, but Gun decided not to ponder on it. Other matters could be dealt with later, right now, Kongphop and Kiet were the ones who matter.

Kiet also was alive when they found him and was taken to the hospital to be treated. In his haste to reach Arthit, Yu didn't make sure that Kiet had died after shooting him. The fallen officer was able to call Gun before he fainted, alerting the detective that something was off.

"Oon," the two looked up and saw Siriporn approaching them with hurried strides. "P'Phet informed me of what happened," she said anxiously as she sat next to Arthit. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine, P'," the young man replied with a flat tone. It was evident that Arthit wasn't okay, but the psychiatrist knew that it wasn't the right time for her to nag. All she could do now was to offer him her silent support.

A few moments later the silence that hovered above the trio was suddenly interrupted by hasty steps heading their way.

"Detective!" Kerkkrai exclaimed anxiously as he approached the trio. "What happened to my son? Where is he?"

"Calm down, Mr Suthiluck," Gun replied as he, Siriporn and Arthit stood up. "Arthit and Kongphop were attacked by the gangster who had kidnapped Arthit before, and Kongphop was shot while protecting Arthit."

Kerkkrai felt his heart upon hearing this. He was at home when Gun called, asking him to come to the hospital because Kongphop was admitted there. Many scenarios ran through his mind as he drove like a madman through the streets, but this was not one of them. The old Suthiluck didn't know what to say or how to react.

The man who had kidnapped Arthit?

The same man whose name was now connected to his wife's in a kidnapping case.

Kerkkrai felt tears prick his eyes as he contemplated the irony of the situation fate had put him and his family in. It was karma! This was fate's punishment for hurting another man's son!

His eyes looked at the young man in question, feeling guilty at the role his wife had played in his plight.

Arthit lowered his gaze, unable to put his eyes in the old Suthiluck's eyes. He felt ashamed because he was the reason that Kongphop got hurt. It was because of him that Kongphop had lost his family and almost lost his life. It was all his fault. A warm hand on his shoulder, however, made him look up and meet Kerkkrai's gentle eyes.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Kongphop loves you so much to leave you like this." the old man said, much to everyone's surprises. It was their duty to comfort him, but instead, he was the one offering comfort to Arthit.

Arthit forced a small, sad smile on his face in appreciation for the old man's kind words.

"Excuse me, are you Mr Kongphop Suthiluck's family?" A doctor asked.

"I'm his father," Kerkkrai replied. "How is my son, doctor?"

"His state is stable," the doctor said. "We managed to take off the bullet. Luckily, it was closer to the shoulder than the chest. We also replaced the blood he had lost by blood transfusion. Don't worry, sir, your son will survive."

Everyone let out a relieved sigh upon hearing the doctor's words. There was no danger on Kongphop's life.

"What will happen now, doctor?" Kerkkrai asked.

"He'll be under observation for 24 hours in the ICU," the doctor replied. "If he passed it without any complication. We'll shift him to a regular ward until he's okay to be discharged."

"Thank you, doctor." With that the doctor took his leave before a few moments later, Kongphop was wheeled out of the operation theatre, heading to the ICU.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

To Be Continued...

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

I hope you liked this chapter. 

I guess all the angst is almost over by now. There isn't much left except for three or four chapters, maybe!

I hope you're all happy! 

Until we meet again, stay home and stay safe 😘😘

Again, special thanks to @Seren_dipitous😍 and @yodacapos 😍