The Mansion of Men

In English

He wouldn't have noticed it, if he was reading, rather than listening. His insides wouldn't have curled in on themselves from hearing those words, a mockery, an imitation of the very first night that started it all.

"Don't worry," the reader said. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Not in Thai but in English.

Porsche wiped his hand on the towel by his head, reaching out of the jacuzzi to his tablet where he pressed "pause".

As history showed, Porsche had a habit of deleting memories, unpleasant as they were. For his sanity. For safety. For pretense.

What good would it do him to put a face to those words?

Porsche remembered Kinn. He also remembered the shameful things that Porsche, himself, had said. How he'd flung himself at Kinn, thoughtless and desperate.

What he'd never wanted to think about again, was what came before. How he'd writhed and cried, tied up and barely able to defend himself.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

A story by noodlesallnight. A story by an author that they'd jokingly deemed to be Vegas based on his affinity for killing Kinn, every single time.

Vegas.

It was a lesser blow. In recent times, where Porsche had gone into meetings relying on Vegas' support, when Porsche had gone into harm's way, assuming Vegas would have his back, when Porsche had sat at the dinner table, taking Vegas' counsel as he would anyone else'.

It was a lesser blow. Now.

Porsche wasn't so naïve as to believe he was living among angels. All of them, hands stained red from blood and betrayal at one point or another.

He waited for feelings of disappointment to set in, now that he knew it was Vegas. He waited for the betrayal he'd felt that day when Vegas turned away from Porsche in favor of Tawan.

But there was nothing.

Much like when Vegas had kicked Porsche in the face and threatened his life, Porsche wasn't surprised. Or hurt. There was no trust to betray.

So, Porsche pressed "play".

Vegas had hurt him in the past and there was potential for Vegas to hurt him again. Porsche knew this.

Relaxing into the warmth caress of the water, he closed his eyes again. He didn't expect comfort and safety from anyone anymore.

And yet...

A part of him did wonder...

Given the amount of energy Kinn put into finding the truth...

Given the unspoken reasons Kinn never gave for asking that Porsche stay away from Vegas...

Porsche couldn't help but wonder, if Kinn had known that it was Vegas, all along.