44. No More

There are half-moon shaped dents in Kai’s palms, and dried blood on the backs of his hands. His ragged breathing echoes in the quiet of the room. Watching Chalam calmly plan his parents’ murder was bad enough. Watching Chalam beat his brother into submission tore Kai open.
He is dimly aware of Bel and Kam on either side of him, of Bel reaching out toward him, and Kam shaking his head, causing Bel to drop his hand. He is aware of Luca, standing quietly a little further away, wondering if Luca had seen these files before. The sound of Chalam’s fists against Jet’s body echo inside Kai’s head, turning fear into rage.
“Can we use this?” Kai doesn’t recognize his voice as his own.
In spite of his boyfriend’s warning glance, Bel puts a hand gently on Kai’s arm. “Kai—”
“Can we use it?” Kai repeats, his eyes locked on the frozen frame of Chalam’s smug face on the laptop. “Will this prove Chalam guilty of murder?”
“Yes,” Luca hesitates, exchanging wary looks with Bel and Kam. “If it’s admissible.”
“Figure it out.” Kai is on his feet, the suddenness of the movement making the room spin. Bel reaches out to steady him, and Kai shakes him off. “I’m good. I’ll be back.”
Luca follows him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I have something to take care of.” Kai moves toward the front door. Luca blocks him. Kai keeps his voice level with difficulty. “I’m done hiding. I’m done being afraid. Get out of my way. Right now.”
Tension thickens the air. Kam and Bel stand frozen behind them. Luca’s black eyes lock with Kai’s. Kai’s body is rigid, fists clenched, ready to shove Luca through the door with him if necessary. Out of the corner of his eye, Kai sees Bel take another hesitant step forward. Kam pulls him back.
“Move, Luca.” Kai growls.
“Kai,” Luca grasps Kai’s shoulders, pushing him back into the house. “Take a breath. You’re not thinking clearly.”
Kai’s eyes narrow. He pivots, his right knee driving up into Luca’s midsection. Luca gasps, doubling over. Kai follows with a quick elbow strike, forcing Luca back.
Kai’s voice is low, dangerous. “I said, get the hell out of my way.”
This time, Luca moves. As Kai bolts through the front door, Kam’s shocked voice follows him. “Where the hell did that come from?”
Kai takes the sky train downtown—it’s faster and more reliable than Grab or a taxi, and right now, Kai needs fast and reliable. The security guards barely glance up as he strides through the lobby and up the main stairwell, two steps at a time, adrenaline pushing him forward. No more fear. No more second guessing. Rather than hesitate as he did the last time, Kai almost sprints down the executive floor, flinging the door to Chalam’s office open forcefully enough to leave a dent in the wall.
“First you break into my personal archive.” Chalam looks up, his face as impassive as ever. “And then enter my office without invitation. Not the best track record for an intern.”
“I don’t give a shit.” It takes every ounce of Kai’s self control not to throw himself at the smug shark.
Chalam’s eyebrows rise. “Language like that is hardly appropriate for this setting.”
“How the hell else am I supposed to speak to a murderer?” Kai retorts.
The nerve in Chalam’s temple is ticking. “I warned your brother about making unfounded accusations.”
“Is that why you put him in the hospital?” Kai moves toward the desk. “Because his accusations were ‘unfounded’? Or because you’d rather kill him than let him expose you?”
A hand clamps down on his shoulder, holding him back. Against his better judgment, Kai glances over his shoulder. Nail stands behind him, face expressionless, body tense.
“You shouldn’t be up here.” There’s a warning in Nail’s eyes. A warning and—something else.
“No, no.” Chalam waves one hand, a hollow smile playing across his lips. “I’m interested in what Kai has to say. Close the door, so we won’t be disturbed.”
The pressure on Kai’s shoulder disappears. Nail closes the door, but remains behind Kai, cutting off a potential retreat.
“Are you going to tell me more lies, boy?” Chalam sneers. “I’ve explained the rules of this game to you once. I would hate to do so again.”
“You already carried out a threat you made, so I’ll carry out mine.” Kai steadies his breathing. “I have irrefutable proof that you’re a fraud and a murderer, Chalam. And I’m going to use it.”
“Irrefutable proof?” Chalam’s eyes glint with cold amusement. “And what is that exactly? The paper trail you believe you have—all that ‘evidence’ my nephew and your sister stole from the records room and public archive—is about as much use as the information Interpol and the NIA has been able to glean. It’s useless. Unless…did you happen to find something else?”
His eyes drop. Kai follows the shark’s gaze to his hand, hovering just over his pocket. Kai drops his hand, clenching it instead.
“Your parents thought they had proof, too.” Chalam’s chuckle is mocking. “See where it got them. And your brother—how is he enjoying his hospital stay?”
Kai’s knuckles are white. Blood slides between his fingers, dripping down onto the office tiles. “I’m not like them.”
“Oh, Kai, you’re exactly like them.” Chalam’s smile becomes predatory. “Overconfident and so very powerless. You’re in over your head boy. When you fail—and you will—your entire family will pay the price. Again.”
“Rome is more than capable of protecting Mali from you.” Kai’s nerves are beginning to fray. “And we won’t let you anywhere near Jet.”
“Oh not just your brother and sister.” Chalam ticks items off on his fingers. “There’s Manirat Nexus, and ManiratInfiniteDrift, and—what’s the name of your girlfriend’s nightclub?”
“Nightshade.” Nail supplies. “She doesn’t own it. She’s employed there.”
“Nightshade.” Chalam rolls the name across his tongue. “Do you know what happens to employers and employees when their businesses are dissolved or declared bankrupt? It’s not pretty. Highly regrettable, in fact. Cross me, and everyone you love will lose everything. Because of you.”
The fury inside Kai explodes. He launches himself at Chalam, unable to hold himself back. He’s not sure if he’s throwing a cross or a jab or a hook, just so long as he smashes some part of Chalam’s head. The fist he’s made doesn’t connect with Chalam’s face. Instead, it collides with Nail’s forearm.
A series of switches seem to flip in Kai’s brain. He ducks Nail’s elbow strike, realiating with a low kick to Nail’s legs. Nail sidesteps, keeping himself between Chalam and Kai. Kai throws a second hook and is blocked a second time. Nail’s posture stays relaxed as Kai tenses up, returning each punch and kick Kai throws with ease. Nail’s knee shoots up, connecting with Kai’s midsection. Kai doubles over, gasping for breath.
“Stay down, Kai.” Nail’s warning is cold, detached.
Kai pushes himself upright, trying to imitate Nail’s knee strike. He overcorrects and is sent staggering when Nail’s fist slams into him. Nail strikes a second time, and a third, each punch and kick sending shockwaves through Kai’s body as he barely manages to block them. Kai counters with a jab that connects with Nail’s jaw. Blood from Kai’s already split knuckles smears across Nail’s face.
Nail’s expression hardens. His next knee strike is a particularly vicious one to Kai’s ribs. Kai reels back, pain radiating through his side. Even as his vision blurs, Kai swings wildly, aiming for Nail’s ribcage. Nail dodges, grabbing Kai’s arm. He wrenches it behind Kai’s back, forcing Kai to his knees.
Chalam watches from his desk, fingers steepled, mouth twisted in mocking amusement. Nail yanks Kai upright, releasing him long enough to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to Kai’s chest. Kai collapses, sucking in air, arms wrapping around himself. It takes no more than a nudge from Nail’s foot to flip Kai onto his back. Kai can’t move, can barely think. Nail reaches into Kai’s pocket, retrieving his phone. Kai’s fingers scrape uselessly against Nail’s jacket sleeve. He tries to speak, but it comes out as a weak cough, lungs still fighting for air. Nail presses Kai’s thumb against the home button, unlocking the device, then shrugs him off, handing the phone over to Chalam.
“You have been busy haven’t you?” The CEO’s fingers swipe across the screen, eyes widening. “Is this the ‘irrefutable proof’ you were going to use against me?”
Kai says nothing. He doesn’t have the breath to. Chalam rises, setting the phone on his desk with a distinct click. Each step toward Kai is slow, deliberate. Nail remains where he is, eyes hooded and expressionless. Chalam crouches next to Kai, so close the CEO’s smug expression is all Kai can see.
“Your sister didn’t heed my warning, nor did your brother, nor did you.” Chalam sneers. “You can’t convict a man if you have no evidence. Correct?”
“No…” Kai gasps, leveraging himself onto his elbows. His bruised ribs protest and he slumps back into a fetal position.
Chalam smiles, then turns his gaze back to Nail. Without a word, Nail picks up Kai’s phone from the desk and hurls it toward the far wall of the office. The device smashes against the drywall, barely leaving a mark. Curled on the floor, Kai can do nothing but stare as his phone lands on the floor, its screen spiderwebbed and dark. Tiny pieces of plastic shower down around it. That, and a series of cracks up and down the phone’s sides make it clear that the device is completely unusable.
“Your position as my intern is terminated.” Chalam gets to his feet, waving his hand in Kai’s direction as he turns back to Nail. “Get him out of my sight.”
Nail pockets the destroyed phone before hauling Kai to his feet. Kai lets him. Neither of them speak as Nail leads Kai out of Chalam’s office and into the elevator. Kai leans against the elevator wall, letting the cold of the metal soothe his bruised body. For the second time, he tried to confront the shark about his crimes. For the second time, he’s failed.
“I told you to stay down.” Nail is looking at the closed elevator doors, rather than Kai.
Kai sucks in air through his bruised ribs so his voice will stay steady. “And why the hell would I listen to you?”
“You won’t.” Nail’s voice is carefully neutral. “Just remember what I said about a tightrope. Watch your step.”
The elevator doors open and Nail gives Kai a shove. Kai stumbles out into the hallway, barely catching himself against the wall. He’s not in the main lobby, but on the floor where Rome’s office is. He looks up in time to see Nail hold up the destroyed phone, then point to his pocket. The movements are so subtle that Kai blinks in confusion. Nail repeats them, sliding the broken phone into his pocket, fingers tapping the pocket before the elevator doors close. Almost by instinct, Kai’s hand goes to his own pocket. His breath catches when his fingers close around the object inside it.
Nail hadn’t destroyed Kai’s phone. He had destroyed his own.
◼️◼️◼️◼️
Jet is no longer drowning—he’s floating. Well, almost. While the majority of his body is weightless, someone is pressing a rock against his side. A persistent beeping fills his ears. Gentle fingers are running through his hair, while more fingers are wrapped around one of his hands. His opposite hand stings when he tries to move. Something sharp pulls at his skin. And then there’s that scent—woody, earthy and spicy at the same time.
“Sandalwood.” Jet murmurs.
The fingers stop stroking. “Say what?”
“Your cologne.” Jet forces his eyes open, watching Luca’s face swim into focus. “I figured it out. It’s sandalwood.”
“Took you long enough.” Luca smiles at him.
“To wake up, or figure it out?” Jet’s voice is a rasp. He shifts on the bed. The rock on his side doesn’t move.
“Both. Tranquillo, bello, take it easy.” Luca presses a button and the top of the bed moves, easing Jet into a sitting position. “You’ve got eighteen stitches in your side that I don’t want you ripping open. You’re not allowed caffeine so I couldn’t get you Iced Americano. I got you this instead. Sounds like you need it.”
He holds a cup in his other hand, the straw level with Jet’s mouth, giving him no choice but to drink it. The water is icy cold, a balm against Jet’s dried out throat. Luca lets him drink as much as he likes. He still hasn’t let go of Jet’s hand.
Jet leans back against the pillows. “Why are you here?”
“I was worried about you.” Luca’s black eyes search Jet’s. “If you call Em or anyone else I’ll say you’re delirious. You can’t kick me out. Not when I saved your life.”
Jet raises an eyebrow. “Did you?”
“We have the same blood type.” Luca’s smile widens, but his eyes are still wary. “Don’t do the Manirat Eyebrow Thing. You can ask Em if you don’t believe me. She did the tests. You’re alive because of me. And I paid for your private room. Due volte, ti ho salvato. So you’re welcome. Twice.”
“Dramatic.” Jet’s smile is wary, but it’s still a smile. Luca paying the hospital for a private room must have taken a huge bite out of his savings. Then he remembers: Luca has plenty of savings from his time as OmniVentures COO.
Relief flickers across Luca’s eyes. His voice has a teasing note. “Not annoying?”
“That too.” Jet is quiet for a minute. “Why did you lie to me?”
Luca sighs. “It wasn’t intentional. Kam and Bel asked me to tell you who I was the night we met. Or—considering you were a little worse for wear—shortly after. I was always going to tell you about my connection with OmniVentures. I thought if you knew I was part of it, you wouldn’t trust me. Or worse, you’d think I was just another suit playing a game. I wanted to be more than that to you, Jet. I wanted you to see me for who I am, not who or what I used to be connected to.”
Jet keeps his voice carefully neutral. “So you thought lying was better?”
“Not lying, just…delaying the truth.” Luca lets out a soft chuckle that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Honestly, it felt like a betrayal to even approach you, knowing I used to be OmniVentures’ COO. I thought maybe we could build something real first, but I see how that turned out. I just…didn’t want you to hate me.”
“I thought you’d hate me.” Kai’s words echo inside Jet’s head as similar words come out of Luca’s mouth.
Jet’s fists clench, the lash of guilt stronger than any pain radiating from his bandaged side. Both Luca and Kai had kept secrets from him. Both had been afraid of how Jet would react. Both had been right. Jet had told them to stay away. Luca was still here. Kai was not.
“Jet.” Luca’s fingers tighten around Jet’s hand. “Tesoro, do I need to call someone?”
Jet knows he means Em, but that’s not who he wants to see. “Where’s Kai?”
“You told him to stay away.” Mali’s voice sounds from the doorway. “When we found you outside his dorm. So he has.”
Jet’s younger sister comes into the room. He can see the dark circles under her eyes, but her face is composed. She pulls another chair up to the opposite side of the bed. Her gaze drops momentarily to Jet and Luca’s joined hands. A tiny smile plays across her lips.
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Jet’s own smile turns bitter. “Since Kai told Nail he wants me dead.”
There is no reaction to his revelation. No protests of Kai’s innocence, or defense of Kai’s actions. Neither Luca nor Mali says anything at all. Did that mean they agreed with him? Or just didn’t want to argue with Jet while he was in this state?
“Hia,” Mali hesitates. “Kai confronted Chalam this morning. Nail worked him over before Chalam terminated his internship.”
The beeping of Jet’s heart monitor intensifies. True, his reckless jackass of a younger brother had betrayed him, but that didn’t mean Jet wouldn’t be worried about him.
Jet keeps his voice steady with an effort. “Is he ok?”
“Apart from being terminated as intern?” Mali nods. “He’s ok. Rome and I brought him here to get him checked out. He’s got a couple of bruised ribs, but nothing else. Do you want me to bring him up to see you?”
“No.” Jet’s jaw sets. The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. Now they’re out, he can’t take them back. “He should stay away. Kai shouldn’t see the consequences of his actions. He should have told Nail to make my death quicker.”
Still, there’s no reaction to Kai’s betrayal. Jet wasn’t sure how badly he wanted his sister and his…whatever Luca is to defend Kai until he didn’t hear it. It must be true then. Kai had betrayed Jet, and ordered Nail to kill him. It didn’t matter why. It only mattered that he’d done it. Kai could have had the decency to say that to Jet’s face.
“I thought you’d hate me.”
“You’re right. Get away from me.”
Had Jet really said those words? If they were true, then why does the thought of Kai being in this hospital and not seeing Jet make Jet’s chest ache? If Kai had sent Nail to kill Jet, that meant Kai had given up. Jet won’t. He’s not going to allow himself to.
“Luca,” Jet steers his brain onto a more pragmatic train of thought. “Never lie to me again.”
Luca’s smile still has a teasing edge as he hooks his pinky finger around Jet’s, but his eyes are sincere. “Ti prometto.”
“You better keep your promise.” Jet clears his throat, forcing himself to focus. “I need you to tell me everything you learned when you were OmniVentures’ COO.”
“You need rest.” Mali protests. If she feels anything about Luca’s past connection to OmniVentures, it doesn’t show on her face. “There’s nothing you can do in this state.”
“I can listen.” Jet corrects her. “And then I can use what we learned once I’m discharged. I want to hear everything, Luca. Especially if it isn’t common knowledge within the company.”
Luca hesitates. He glances at Mali, then at Jet. Finally, he nods. “Where do you want me to start?”
“Start with Chalam.” Jet shifts slightly against the pillows, careful of the stitches in his side, but the determination in his gaze is unmistakable. “With the evidence we have—smuggling, arms dealing, and more—how can the NIA and Interpol not connect the dots? What’s Chalam got that stops every investigation against him in its tracks?”
Luca exhales slowly. “Ouroboros.”
“Ouroboros? As in—” Jet glances at Mali, then meets Luca’s gaze. “You know about that?”
“It’s one of the reasons I left OmniVentures.” Luca confirms. “And why the police or NIA or Interpol can’t make any accusations against Chalam stick. One wrong move on their part and Chalam could—”
Luca mimes an explosion, complete sound effects. Jet chuckles in spite of the gravity of the situation.
“Then we have to do something Chalam isn’t expecting.” Jet leans forward, wincing as the IV pulls at his hand. “We hit him hard and fast—”
“You’re still recovering,” Mali warns. “I’m not letting you push yourself until you’re ready.”
“I am ready.” Jet retorts. “The longer we wait, the more time Chalam has to bury himself deeper. We can’t afford to hesitate.”
Luca looks between them, then nods slowly. “I’ll gather what I can from my contacts, see if I can uncover anything more. I’ll reach out to some of the former employees, see if they have stories or leads to share.”
“Do it,” Steely resolve sharpens Jet’s voice. “We just need the right information and the right people to help us.”
“Right people?” Luca raises an eyebrow. “Like your brother? Because if you want to expose Chalam, you’ll need to patch things up with Kai first.”
“Kai made his choice when he tried to have me killed.” Jet snaps. “I won’t trust him again. Not now, not ever.”
Mali watches her brother closely, searching for a sign that the anger is masking something deeper, something more vulnerable. “Hia, he’s still your brother. Whatever happened, it’s not easy to just wipe that away.”
“Don’t defend him,” Jet warns, his tone sharp. “I know what family means, but this isn’t just about loyalty. It’s about survival. Chalam is the threat, not Kai. I can’t afford to trust someone who would so easily turn against me.”
Mali’s expression tightens, but she doesn’t say anything. Jet can feel her frustration, but he can’t afford to have Kai in his life right now, not when betrayal still stings like a fresh wound.
Jet sinks back into the pillows, determination settling over him like armor. “The second I’m out of this bed, we’re going after Chalam. I want him exposed for what he truly is.”
Luca gives him an encouraging nod, but Jet can see the tension in his shoulders. He won’t allow himself to drown again. He’s going to float. And he’s going to fight.