Leaving Behind

10. Suspicious

VEGAS

"Thank you, Khun Vegas." Pete didn't forgot his manner. He thanked me while returning my helmet although he didn't even lift his head to look at me.

"I told you to call me 'Vegas'. Leave the 'khun' behind." I reminded him while he was fixing his own silky black hair. It may sounded like me teasing him. The truth is, I had to admit, I really do hope he did as I asked him to. There was some sort of comfort when he called me by my name. I felt it the first time on that auction night.

I wore the helmet that Pete gave me. It was previously wore by him. He refused to wear it, but I insisted. "Next time, please bring extra helmet." Pete let out a sigh of concern. At least that was how I hear it.

I raised my brow. "Next time? Is that mean... I can invite you for another ride?"

"That is not what I meant..." he sounded so tired that I almost raise my hand to caress his smooth hair and tell him to have a good sleep, but he abruptly brought me out of my imagination by saying, "I have to go. Good night, Khun Vegas."

After making sure Pete had entered the main family's house safely, I went back to the minor family's mansion.

Once I hit the road, my mind wander to our last conversation before Pete got shy until his cheek reddened and it showed even under the streetlight's gleam light. I was smiling like an idiot inside the helmet.

-Flashback-

"You do realize that you just called me 'Vegas', didn't you?" I asked him, causing him to furrowed his brow. It looked like he was trying to remember if he really did that or not. After a moment, his eyes widened. It seemed like he just realized it.

"I'm sorry, Khun Vegas." He seemed flustered. He bowed slightly towards me while apologizing.

"You also called me Vegas when you passed out last time during the auction night."

"About that... As you said, I was unconscious and that was basically your fault." Pete defended himself. How can his moods switched like that?

"I can give you the permission to keep calling me 'Vegas' in future." I told him while raising my shoulder, ensuring him that I don't mind.

"That's... wait, what?" Finally, he looked at me in disbelief. It was hard to get him looking at me. He always either looking down or just look at any other direction but me. It's frustrating.

"You heard me." I get my face closer to him. It was not obvious, but I can see his rosy cheek blushed under the street light.

"No. I refuse." He leaned backwards and responded in less than a second.

"Why not?" I kept on provoked him.

"You are a family member of the family that I worked for. Basically, you are my employer." Pete answered in serious tone. I supressed my laughter.

"But I want to get closer with you." I got my face  and body even closer until he almost fell out of the bench. Pete quickly raise his body to stand up on his feet.

"Send me back now!" He was furious.

Although I am quite disappointed that the night with him ended so early, I still laughed at his cuteness. I honestly not sure how this cute guy can become a bodyguard.

-End of flashback-

As I arrived, while I was walking through the passage from where I parked my motorbike to the main door of the mansion, I can sense the difference in the bodyguards' behaviour. They looked stiffed and restless. I thought, Pa is here.

I stood still at in front of the main door. I braced myself before I went into the house to see my father was making a ruckus towards the three bodyguards that were kneeling in front of him while Macau was watching. Those bodyguards were the same bodyguards that went to the bar with me and helped me caught Don's underling. I glared at Macau, telling him to went back to his room. He did as I told.

Pa saw me. He furiously walked approaching me and landed his thick palm on my left cheek, left a red mark on it. Happiness really does last only for a while. Just now, I felt like I am at the top of the world, but now I felt like I am at the lowest point of my life.

"Do you know who the hell Don is?!" Pa asked me. I kept my head down. I knew who he was, but I didn't care less. Once I heard about Pete's mission during my lunch time, I went to the said bar as soon as I can without thinking.

"I heard you are helping someone. Who are you helping?!" Pa's question wake up my anger. I glared at the three bodyguards. I can't get Pete involve in this. He must not be recognized by my father.

"It's Pete." An unrecognizable voice came from the front door. My eyes widened while looking at that person. I have never seen this person. He is not one of the minor family's bodyguard.

"Who is this Pete person?" Pa asked that man.

"He is one of the main family's bodyguard." That man handed his iPad to Pa for him to read something.

"What has he got to do with you?" Pa asked, looking directly at me while I was avoiding his eye contact.

After a few moment, Pa gave me an order, "We will go visit the main family tomorrow."

The next day, Pa and I went to the main family's mansion. We met with Uncle Korn accompanied by few of the main family's bodyguards. Good luck has not been on my side when I saw Pete was among the bodyguards that entered the meeting room. We glanced at each other before he went to his position at one of the corner of the room.

"If my son was not there, who knows what might happened?" Pa talked to Uncle Korn and Kinn through a video call since he was still recovering at the hospital.

"Here is my proposal. We will attacked Don's nest and make sure he can't get involved with our family's bussiness anymore. You know he had gain many information about the family. Before anything unpleasant happen, it's better to attack than to defend." Pa suggested.

I can see uncle Korn nodded for few times while thinking. I can also see through Pa and how can this benefitted both main and minor family. Pa will be able to get his ass safe so that the fact that minor family had been involved with Don can be buried, while main family get to expand their territory and revenge.

"For that, I'll also need some of your bodyguards to back us up."

I was told to leave the meeting room after we have got into agreement, leaving Pa and Uncle Korn to discuss the matter into more details. Soon after I left, all of the bodyguards also left the meeting room... except Pete. Why hasn't he out yet? I waited until he got out few minutes later. I grabbed his wrist despite his refusal to stop him from walk away.

"What are you doing?" Pete tried to get his hand out of my grip. He seemed uncomfortable and restless. Why? I thought we went back to our own separated place in a good term last night.

"Whatever they asked you to do, don't do it." I warned him.

He glared at me and replied, "That is for me to decide."

I let go of his wrist. He took a step back and gave me a slight bow, "I'll take my leave now, Khun Vegas." Then, he left.

I watched as he slowly disappear. He has too many secrets. Every actions he did are questionnable. Yes, I realized that. The incident during the auction night. I assumed he knew my original plan, although I refused to think much about it.

However, that night at the bar raised my suspicions. How did he knew that guy is Don's underling? He even knew that the guy brought a grenade. He knows too much, but I doubted he is a spy of an unknown mafia family. He is too loyal to main family.

Moreover, everything he did only brings good to the main family and if he against minor family, why wouldn't Uncle Korn know anything about minor family and Don family secret bussiness. I can't help but wonder and feel suspicious of him.