Silo rolls his eyes. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Gulf retorts, then changes his tone when Silo glares at him. "I want to help you."
"Em is helping Bel; Talay is helping me. You go home." Silo starts to close the door, but Em smacks him.
"I think it's very nice that the guy you're dating cares about you so much." She says. "You're not going to make him drive all the way back to Bangkok tonight, are you?"
"It's only a two hour drive." But Silo is hesitant, so Em adds more powder to the fire.
"The least you can do is let him stay overnight. Or... you could make him drive back to Bangkok and I'll tell him your full name."
"You wouldn't dare," Silo's eyes narrow at his sister.
"Full name?" Gulf looks confused.
"Silicone. You know, like what they use for household sealants," Talay volunteers, and Silo turns his glare on him. "My girlfriend tells me everything. Gulf should stay. We could always use an extra pair of eyes."
It's a weak excuse, but Silo lets Gulf in anyway.
"Thank you, brother mine." Em plants a sisterly kiss on her older brother's cheek.
"Yes, thank you 'brother mine'."
Gulf copies Em, but he kisses Silo's lips instead. Silo smacks him. Em rolls her eyes and leaving the three of them to it, goes upstairs to Bel's room.
"Is there a story behind 'Silicone'?" Gulf follows Talay and Silo into the library.
"A long one," Silo sits back at the library table and reopens his laptop. "That you are not going to be told. By anyone."
"Hey," Talay raises his hands innocently above his head as he sits next to Silo. "Is it my fault your sister likes me so much she's told me all your family secrets?"
"Did you know your sister has a nickname for me?" Gulf takes the last empty seat.
Silo looks up from his laptop. "Em?"
"You only have one sister." Talay says. He turns to Gulf. "What does she call you?"
"Teddybear." Gulf grins as Talay stares and Silo chokes back a laugh.
"It suits you; you look like one. She calls you that to your face?"
"Not yet. Maybe I'll let one of these days. Just not at work." Gulf is quiet for a minute. "How bad is it? Really?"
Silo says nothing, so Talay pushes.
"Silo, you send texts in all caps for only one reason."
Silo hesitates. He doesn't speak until he sees the look on their faces—they will keep asking until he gives them a satisfactory answer.
"Bad. It's...really bad. Someone tried to kill Bel."
"Someone did what?" The question comes out of Talay's mouth while Gulf just stares at Silo, the color draining from his face.
"Tired to cut him in two first," Silo elaborates. "And when that didn't work whoever it was put a bullet through him."
"Shit..." Gulf mutters.
It takes both men a minute to digest this.
"What are you going to do?" Talay finally asks.
"Keep him alive," Silo is stating the obvious and irritated that he has to do so. "That's why I texted Em."
22. Recovery
Start from the beginning
