The Protector (EarthMix AU)

Chapter 26

Tian

The first think I noticed when I came to my conscious was the pounding in my head. It hurt like hell, but it was bearable.  What wasn't bearable were my hands.

Because they were tied behind my back.

I tried not to panic as I struggled to get my bearings. I forced my eyes open and cried out when everything remained cloaked in darkness.

"Shut the fuck up!" a sharp voice yelled a second before someone kicked me in the stomach. My sobs were muffled because something that was stuffed in my mouth and tied around my head.

I tried to bring up my most recent memory.

Mew.

An image of Mew pressing a gun to my side hit me hard and then everything came flooding back in a rush.

After the meeting had ended, I'd told him that I'd already made the decision not to pursue the sale of the company or even discuss the possibility of a merger. The bottom line was that I wanted to run my father's company myself.

I'd know Mew would be upset with me. He's ripped into me about how I was making a mistake and that our company would go under if I didn't reconsider. But I'd been adamant and he'd finally relented.

When we'd gotten up to leave, he'd told me that Phupha had asked the receptionist to have me and Mew meet him and Off downstairs in the parking garage where they had the car waiting.

But when I'd gotten my phone out at the bottom of the stairwell to let Phupha know we were there, I'd felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against my side.

Mew had taken the phone from me and tossed it on the ground and then he'd ordered me to open the door. As soon as I had, a man waiting on the other side had hit me with something.

The pain in my body began to ease as I lay perfectly still. I knew Phupha would come for me. I just needed to stay alive long enough for him to find me.

I hear Mew's voices.

"I told you, I am not doing your fucking dirty work again," the stranger snapped.

"I'll double what I paid you last time." Mew said.

"No! The only thing that keeps me from going down for your shit is if your hands are as dirty as mine."

I felt a brutal grip around my arm and then I was yanked to me knees. The covering over my head was ripped away and it took my eyes second to adjust. But when I did, I froze.

Because standing in front of me was Mew, the gun in his shaky hand pointed directly at me.

"I'm sorry." Mew suddenly whispered as his eyes connected with mine.

"What the fuck are you apologizing to him for?" the other man snapped.

"Just fucking do it already." The stranger was in his early thirties. I didn't recognize him, but I let out a strangled cry when I saw the suddenly very familiar snake tattoo that went from his elbow to his wrist.

"You happy?" the guy snapped.
"He's recognized me."

Tears began to streak down my face as it all came back together to me. The man in front of me had been the same man who'd tortured me and slit my father's throat.

And since Mew was in the middle of it all, it meant he'd had a hand in it.

"I'm sorry, Tian. I didn't mean for it to happen like that. You and your mom weren't even supposed to be there! I needed the money and your father... I knew he'd figure out that I'd taken it from the company. I loved him like a brother, Tian. But I was going to lose everything I had!"

"What the fuck are you explaining it all to him for?" the man yelled impatiently.

But Mew rattle on as if hadn't heard the other man speaking.

"I took care of you, Tian. I kept the company going for you. But... you were supposed to sell it, not run it. My share of the profits wasn't enough... I needed the buyout to square away all my debts, to start over."

I wanted to scream at Mew, and wrap my hands around his throat. He was talking to me like the more he said, I'd somehow understand and accept what he'd done to me... to my family.

"Then that bitch showed up at the office railing about me trying to steal his client and I knew we could help each other. I told him I would convince you to keep him on as your lawyer if he helped scare you enough so that you wouldn't want to come back to the city... I knew if I could just get you out of the picture long enough, I could convince you to sell."

I knew Mew was talking about Bright Vachirawit and my heart broke for his father.

"Jesus, fuck!" My father's murdered shouted.
"Just pull the fucking trigger!" Mew glanced at the man and his gaze shifted back at me and he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered again.
"I don't have any other choice."

I shouted a ragged "No." against my gag as I realized as I wouldn't have the chance to see Phupha one last time, to tell him again how much I loved him.

I waited for the gunshot but when it came, it didn't sound right.

I opened my eyes, but couldn't take anything in because a heavy weight fell on top of me and I hit my head on the floor as I went down. I heard a crash and the shouting before several gunshots ricocheted through the air.

"Tian!"

I cried in relief at the sound of Phupha's voice when my vision finally cleared, Phupha was moving towards me.

The weight was lifted off of me and it took me a moment to realize it was Mew's dead body.

"Tian, talk to me." Phupha whispered as he worked the gag free of my mouth. My hands was free seconds later.

"I'm okay." I managed to say as Phupha's fingers skimmed my face. The terror was etched in his features and I automatically put my hands up to encircle his neck.

His pulse was pounding beneath my fingers.

"I'm safe." I said.
"You saved me, Phupha."

I could see Phupha was on verge of falling apart, so I drew him down for a kiss and wrapped my arms around him. He let out a sharp breath and then buried his face against my neck. I kept whispering against his ear that I was okay.

"How did you find me?"

"Mew's second wife's family own this cabin." Phupha said as he leaned back and began checking the injury on the side of my head where the man had struck me with something.

"That's his stepson." Phupha said as he motioned to the dead man.

"He killed my father." I whispered.

"He's gone, Tian. And we're going to find the others. They'll pay for what they did." I managed a nod.

"I knew you'd find me." I finally said when I tore my gaze from the dead man and focused on Phupha.

Phupha smiled and said,

"Always baby," and then pulled me into his arms.

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