Cade "A war? Sounds like I still can start it because of her."

Truth is not what you see, hear or think. It is what you make of it for your benefit. There is no such thing as a sound truth or a perfect reality where everyone has reasons. There are people and their goals. There is peace and war on this planet. There is losing and winning. For everyone.

I've had a lot of experience in finding true goals. The ones that are thought out. Step by step. Only three times in my 33 years have I done something stupid. And all of them were connected with this fucking woman.

The first time, when I accidentally or maybe not saw her in a family photo and got married. The second time, when I let her go and didn't kill her. But I should have because now I wouldn't be so close to the residence of the Italian mafia. She made me crazy, but I never thought that it would be only her who would destroy and annihilate.

Melissa thinks that that little peace pact that was made because of her all those years ago might stop me from taking back what's mine.

I love it when she does that. It means I get the perfect amount of time to rip my enemies apart, crunching their bones and watching the blood ooze out of every orifice. Literally.

That's how my reality works. And no one can stop me. Not even death. My wife is not the one who will sleep in these people's house. She can visit her brother as much as she wants, but no one with the last name Kirillov will ever sleep in this damn house.

I've been stuck in this marital crap for so long that death is so stupid I'm ready to laugh in its face. If I go down, I'll take every single one of them with me, including the devil of my heart. Love turns out to be too easy to turn into real hateful war. But us? We are war.

If I disappear from this world, then so does everyone. I am a shadow for this good world. Quiet, scary and dark. Which is ready to swallow everything in its path. And now I am ready to do it because my woman should be near. It does not matter what her last name, first name or fucking husband is.

I'm standing in front of a huge mansion in a prematurely secluded area for a city like New York. The fence is high enough that no one can see over them. There are no buildings nearby, which is a logical move to keep the place safe. There are so many wires around, like a military camp, and an insane number of cameras are placed at regular intervals along the entrance, blinking red.

If I get out of the car and take even one step out of cover, I will be pounced on by guards who will not hesitate to shoot me a hundred times to make sure I am really dead. They are so serious that I can't even pretend to be dead with people like them. Too bad.

"What are we waiting for?" Dean's nervous voice next to me breaks me out of my deep thoughts. "If you've already taken me with you, then at least let's do this right away and I'll die in peace." "If you really want to die then go ahead, but I think I'll wait for the guard to change." I leaned over the steering wheel a little and checked the watch on my wrist again. "Five more minutes."

"Then what? Just knock and say, 'Hi, I'm just here to pick up my wife, sorry.'" He chuckled. "Politeness is not my strong point." "Oh yeah, you just calmed me down." I heard a sarcasm. "Calm down. Are you feeling better?" "You knew business school didn't teach you how to barge in on angry Italians, right?" Dean ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at it. "So...Why the hell did you even bring me along?" "I'd be bored and lonely on my own." I shrugged.

"Great. So one crazy woman called to report another and poor Dean ends up suffering." He continued his dialogue. "Do you like the fact that your ex-best friend is in a house full of men?" "Not another word." He swallowed loudly. "What should I do? What's your plan?"

"That's better." I turned my body towards him, pointing behind him. "There, the fence is much lower, so we can climb over, the main thing is to go along this tree." "And?" "And according to my calculations, we will be taken hostage in about 5 seconds." "What?" Dean shouted. "What did you think? We'll be treated to pasta and wine?" I bared my teeth.

"No. But I thought you didn't want to be at their mercy." "No, I don't want to." My fingers tapped on the steering wheel. "But I need this. It's the only way we'll get home. You get your princess and I'll get my queen."

"But..." "Shhh..." My eyes caught movement in the guard house through the cracks. "We have to go. Relax and just improvise." "Oh, how could I forget about fantasy." Under his sarcasm, I get out of the car. Together we make our way to the boring place.

I take a step forward and find myself right in front of the metal. I climb over it nimbly but quietly, I wait for the clumsy monkey assistant, but as expected, loud, clumsy footsteps are heard behind me. No one knows how to cover their tracks better than the bosses of this swamp. Oh well. You can be a killer, but not a genius.

"Hands up," booms one of the guards with a strong Italian accent. Even though Dean and I do what we're told, his movements are abrupt and nervous but mine are careless and slow.

Not that I've done it in the last couple of years. I never have, actually. But let it be another tragic story, not suited to the present.

The sound of a gun clicking comes from behind me before he speaks again. "Put your hands behind your head and turn around slowly. One wrong move and I'll spill your brains on the ground."

I turn around and sure enough there are five of them. Almost holding their guns at their sides, but you can tell who the leader is, the senior guard with the grim features because he's the only one pointing a gun our way. His choice of weapon is so damn weird. So banal.

When he sees my face, his eyes widen in obvious surprise and he freezes for a split second. That's all I need. I smile widely at how much the shock killed him. How ironic.

Even though the other soldiers don't understand what's going on, I just keep making eye contact with the senior one, who I clearly recognize. He was clearly present at this idiotic pact.

He curses very indistinctly in his own language, then switches back to English. "What are you doing here, Roman? You know the conditions." "Oh yeah, but show some respect." I clicked my tongue. "My wife is in your house, and I don't remember it being like that."

"We must kill you and this American." "Oh, I know. Then kill us." "What the hell?" Dean hissed. "I didn't even have time to envy the dog I wanted." I rolled my eyes.

"But it would be better if you told Alex about this." "Then I can shoot you right away." "Take your time and try." As he cursed again and reached for the radio, I leaned over to Dean. "Remember what I said?" I whispered. "Use your imagination." After these words, I pushed him with one hand at both of them at once, and the other two quickly pulled out their weapons.

Using the moment of surprise, I shot two of them right in the head with a precise hit, and the third, or rather the leader, was about to twitch, but I hit him in the jaw with my elbow, knocking him out. Let's leave Alex with his main one.

I quickly pushed Dean away from the last ones and it was all over just as quickly. Two shots - two bullets - two lives. Adjusting my shirt sleeves, I inhale the smell of gunpowder and blood. How wonderful. "What the hell?" Dean stood up. "You told me a different plan." "I lied." My feet were already starting to race down the quiet, dimly lit path. "Dust yourself off and let's go."

He might have muttered something else but all my attention was focused on the doors. Dexterity is everything in such matters and pushing the door, I was immediately met by the click of a pistol before Dean even managed to get there, remaining outside. But special. Quiet. The way I like it.

"I missed you, Alex." "Sorry but I'm not." Too fancy dressed for this time of day the only thing I could see was from the side as the gun was pressed right to my temple. "So...your last words?" "Where the hell is my wife?" I shouted so loudly that the whole neighborhood could hear me.

"Where it belongs. At home." He took the gun off safety. "So, I'm glad that thanks to her, your corpse is finally in my hands." I was about to answer something, not even worrying about his words or about this whole situation, when something slipped past my left shoulder. Inhaling the smell of coffee and citrus, my brain again caught the peace pact between us. Boring, but so right.

"Give me the gun, Alex." The tension near his temple suddenly disappeared. "Go away." "My husband, my shot and my rules." She spoke with such confidence that everyone would know the outcome.

I finally turned around. The two were having a silent conversation and her hand was holding the gun, covering his hand and on it was... "Why the hell are you wearing just a towel?" I asked, puzzled. "Shut up. I didn't think that you can be such an idiot to do that." She didn't even look at me but stood on tiptoe whispering something to her brother who just nodded and walked away leaving the weapon in her hands. When I said she was a wall, I wasn't kidding.

"Look at you, you're just begging for someone to put you in your place." "And you think you can handle that? You're cute. I could have you on your knees in a heartbeat. It would suit you." She finally slowly turned her whole body towards me. "I'd like to see that." I wanted to take a step towards her, but alas, I was again not allowed.

She put a gun to my head. "What are you doing?" "I hate you." "I know." "You ruined my whole life." "I know." "Then why the hell aren't you defending yourself?" "I can't point a gun at you. At anyone but not at you." I grabbed her hand and pressed a gun directly to my chest. "Only if you do shoot, then shoot right where there is at least something alive left. Where you are. Straight into my heart." "You're such an idiot!" She let go of the gun. "I really hate you. And you don't have a heart even if I shoot." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "You are crying. Gross. I can leave now but with you." "You won't leave until you pay with your body, Cade, for almost starting a war with my brother." And now my wife is back again.