VegasPete : Chess Room (The Way You Taste sequel)

58 - Louder than bombs

The speedboat docks abruptly due to the high speed at which it was coming. Arm seems to have another plan in mind.

He gestures with his hand for Macau and I to stay where we are.

As Khun Vegas is ready to jump off the speedboat, He yells: "Pete!"

Immediately Khun Vegas turns to him, startled.

Arm stands up and removes his gun from his holster.

Before I or Khun Macau had time for any reactions, Arm pulls the trigger.

We jolt.

Khun Vegas' body hit the ground.

...

Pete's POV

Please listen to this song to feel the mood of this chapter.

I feel my body moving over something, accompanied by some figures of people running alongside. Lights from the ceiling make my closed eyes catch flashes of light over the darkness. Maybe I'm going through a corridor.

"Pete...Pete...listen to me...you are going to be fine, ok?!You are at the Wang Hospital...best in town" Assistant Lee's comforting voice speaks close to my ear. "You've lost a lot of blood, but everything will be fine. You are going to live."

["...and get your revenge."] This other voice is firm and cold.

Whose voice is this?

Is it mine?

...

After a while, I feel my eyes tremble...but I can't open them yet.

I still can hear those bombs...the screaming...and that silence from my baby and my grandparents when we left that burning house...their silence was louder than bombs.

It was so naive of me. It was naive of me to think that my love and caring would keep all of them safe. That I alone would be able to avoid this.

I remember the two previous nights of this tragedy. How I cursed myself for not going to meet Venice and my grandparents as soon as we got back from Taipei. I should never have left them. It all started with my stubbornness to look for answers in Taipei that were always on Chumphon Island.

Not just stubbornness...but my own selfishness and lust.

I gave in to Vegas's pleas and complied with his wishes and mine as well.

I wanted him to feel satisfied with me.

Vegas' unwillingness to leave the mansion to spend two full days with me fueled my vanity. An illusory vanity that he wanted me like crazy. Only me.

And that he was mine alone.

I thought If I fulfilled his yearnings and brought him happiness, I would be able to deter him from his intentions against the Main Family...and that we could rebuild our lives far from them...far from the white clan...

Deep down I knew it was all an illusion I had created for myself.

That morning listening to the conversation between Vegas and Porsche, deep down I knew that my wish would not come true the way I wanted it to.

All I could keep doing was trying to somehow protect him...even against himself. I went to that warehouse ready to do it.

I always believed that whatever Vegas did or was still doing, he had his reasons.