The Devil, the Beauty, and the Beast (short story)

Chapter 10

"Fix your posture, you're going to get a backache."

Phayu pads down the stairs while pulling his hair into a ponytail. He makes the offhand comment with only a brief glance at Prapai, who's seated on the couch with his laptop, hunched over, eyes narrowed at the screen. Upon hearing his boyfriend is awake, Prapai rolls his eyes, but he does sit up straight.

"Well, good fucking morning to you too," he mutters with sarcastic fondness and turns back to his laptop.

The gunshot that shatters the living room's window front is deafening.

In an instant, both Phayu and Prapai are crouching down, eyes wide, fixed on each other. More bullets, hissing, breaking glass, lodging into furniture.

"Rain!" Prapai screams through the gunfire.

"Upstairs!" Phayu howls back and leans over to the bookcase beside the stairs to yank the bottom drawer open. There are pistols in there, safely tucked into their caches, loaded already. In a heartbeat, Phayu has slid two of them over the floor towards Prapai, who catches one but misses the other. Cursing, he leaves it, focusses on the one in his hand.

Voices are growing louder outside now, and Phayu recognizes some of them. They're frantic and panicked, but still firm.

"The back, secure the back! Don't let them come closer! Go around the side, check the pool!"

Despite Vegas' and Pete's best attempts to keep him out of mafia business as much as possible, Phayu knows he's not completely off the radar, will never be completely off the radar. There are always people who figure out he's their son, and Prapai's presence in their lives is not doing him and Rain any favours, either. Two mafia heirs hoarding a completely uninvolved Omega to themselves - Phayu has spent so many sleepless nights trying to figure out how to best protect Rain. At least both Vegas and Kinn have agreed that their son-in-law's safety is top priority, so even when Prapai and Phayu are home to protect Rain, there are guards stationed. Especially after the incident with Stop. Not even an entire staff of bodyguards is perfect, though.

There's responding gunfire now, and screeches of pain from outside. Phayu bolts back upstairs, keeps the gun aimed down in case someone has gotten into the house and intends to follow him. Prapai follows after him and crouches down behind the corner of the staircase.

"Go check on Rain!" he urges, eyes fiercely determined as he cocks his gun and presses his back against the wall. "I'll stay here in case the bastards decide to try and get to you."

"Pai, I can't leave you here, what if-"

"Phayu! Our Omega is probably already dying from fear, go check on him!" Prapai barks back, and that gets Phayu moving for real. Prapai is right. He needs to make sure their bunny is safe and protected.

He bursts through the door to their room and finds Rain curled up beside the bed, shaking like a leaf, knees drawn to his chest, eyes wide and bright with panic and tears. Phayu is all over him in a second, embracing him, kissing his face, his hair, his forehead while he turns so his body is shielding Rain away from the door. He doesn't care about himself getting injured, but he can't stand the thought of a bullet even grazing their Omega.

"It's alright, Rain," he whispers and gently rocks him in his arms, "it's okay, we're here."

"Are you okay?" Rain sobs out, frantically checking him over from top to bottom, slipping his hands under Phayu's jacket to check for blood. "Are you... are you alright? Are you hurt? Did they hurt you? I heard gunshots and then you were screaming and I thought, I thought-"

"I'm okay, I promise. Pai is fine, too," Phayu interrupts him and tries to shush his hysteric little cries. They don't exactly need to give away their position, although he can already hear the outside quieting down, and then their head bodyguard's stern voice as he orders his men to secure the house. Rain is sobbing against his chest, dissolving into tears. Phayu gently picks him up and the Omega instantly wraps his legs around his waist. He clings to him like a koala bear, face tucked into the hollow of his Alpha's neck for comfort as Phayu begins to pace slowly, patting his back, hushing him softly.