Lay Me Down to Sleep

Chapter 16

Tankhun only gets a glimpse of Aree giving her mother a dance recital before Arm turns the monitor off. 

"Turn it back on," Tankhun says, his voice shaking harder than he thought was capable, "I love dancing, Arm! You know that! Let me-"

"Tankhun."

It's a deviation from the formality Tankhun has grown used to from his guards, even the ones he felt the closest to. Arm tops that list, or ties with Pete and Pol. But despite that, Arm never crossed that boundary, despite encouraging him to.

Should he point it out? It may change the subject. 

But pointing it out may prevent it from happening again. 

"Hm?" Tankhun says instead. That is all he is capable of saying. 

Maybe Arm is struggling with his words too because he just stares at Tankhun for several seconds before gathering the blank tapes. 

"Let me watch the rest," Arm tells him, "I won't…I won't say anything to anyone or try to…do anything. But you don't need to watch any more of this. You don't need to see-" 

"That my father is a liar?" Tankhun croaks out, "That he abducted a pregnant woman and kept not only her, but her daughter in a room for years? That he pretended to kill her sons, likely killed her husband, and did…s-something to that baby because she's not here, at least not that I have any knowledge of. That he's-"

"A monster," Arm finishes, his tone is soft, but blunt, reeking from a truth that Tankhun is both grateful for and repulsed by. 

"...I'm surprised you are agreeing to sit on it," Tankhun says tiredly, "Knowing why my family showed an interest in you in the first place…Knowing you dug up information and found out who a few of my kidnappers were. How you…demanded to join that mission to take them down. You can strike me as patient and kind, passionate yet introverted. But you have never been one to just keep something like this quiet and not want to take action."

Arm looks away, "I didn't realize you knew about my involvement in investigating your kidnappers." 

Tankhun scoffs, "I know a lot more than people think I do." 

"I know you do." 

"Just like I know that the word "involved" is underplaying it," Tankhun adds, "You initiated it. You led it. Because one of them hurt you t-"

"We don't need to focus on that right now," Arm says, staring down at the tapes, "Can you give me one of your burner phones?" 

Tankhun stares at him for a moment and tilts his head, "I don't know what you're talking about." 

Arm meets his eyes at that point, "If it makes you feel better, I didn't see it on any of our networks. It was when you were sick on your birthday. Pete, Pol, and I brought you some comfort foods. Pete and Pol went back to the kitchen to see when the cake would be ready and you fell asleep on the couch. I felt something vibrate, dug my hand in the couch, and you were getting messages about some investments you were involved in."