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CRYXUS' POV

I kept on shooting my target like a madman and with each shot, I was wishing that it would lessen the heavy feeling in my chest. I scoffed. As if this would help you, moron...

"What's with you today, 7? Thankfully, we're here at the shooting range not in a mission. Look at the people around. They seem terrified of you for shooting like you're going to kill everyone without a second thought." My jaw flexed as I threw a glance at Ez.

"I don't give a fùck about them. Why don't you just shoot your target and leave me alone?" He laughed.

"Well, I'm getting bored with all these stationary targets. You know that I prefer the real thing. Anyway, why did you decide for us to come here when you have your own shooting range? You just ruined the moment of the people here by intimidating them."

"I just want to blow off some steam out of my house for a change. And for your information, I am not trying to intimidate anyone. I am just here, minding my own business. If they're threatened by my presence, that's their problem, not mine." I reloaded the gun that I was holding. "Why did you come with me if you don't like these kinds stuff?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Because I am on vacation right now and I don't have anything to do." I looked at him sharply.

"On vacation or spying on me?" He laughed again and I zeroed my eyes on him, beginning to get irritated than I already was.

"Well, not really. Just like I've said, I'm really on vacation right now." Then, he turned serious. "I'm just here because I'm worried to be honest."

"Worried about what? You don't have to be worried about me. I'm doing fine. Besides, it's not like I'm a baby that needs someone to take care of me."

"I'm not worried about you. I'm just worried about other people you might encounter. Knowing your temper these past few years..."

"What do you think of me? A murderer that will kill anyone I see just because of my temper?!"

He released a breath. "That's not what I'm trying to say. You know what I mean. I'm here as a friend. Since I am your best friend, the guys and I decided to do this now that you finally came back from your mission in Afghanistan. Everyone has been worried about you, you know." I huffed and then threw the gun that I was holding on the nearby table instead of continuing to shoot the targets.

I suddenly lost the interest so I decided to sit on the seat across Ez and chugged down my beer.

"Just like what I've said just now, I am not a child so you don't have to look after me. Tell the guys, everything's okay. I am here for a short break before going back to Afghanistan." I then reached for my leather jacket and put it on before standing up and was about to walked out of there when Ez spoke once again.

"Regan just sent me a message, asking if we could make it to the club."

"I don't have any interest in going to the club right now and watch that guy drown himself in alcohol because his woman left him."

"Look who's talking." He muttered under his breath and I gave him a glare.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Anyway, if you don't want to go to the club, it's okay. We can just meet them at the mancave. I know that you don't have anything to do the whole day today because you're on vacation too so why don't we just hangout with the guys?" He's right.

Starting today, it would be my indefinite leave from the organization because it has been so long since the last time I took a vacation. I finally got tired after incessant working for the last three and half years without a single day of break.

"Okay. Whatever." Ez stood up with a smile and tapped me by the shoulders.

"Let's go then before you change your mind." We exited the shooting range and hopped onto our own motorbikes. Later on, we were both on the motorway as our bikes roared like beasts.

When we arrived in the mancave, everyone was obviously surprised upon seeing me. Ez said that the guys cancelled their plan to go to the club and just decided to come here meet us in our mancave.

The mancave was built was a special place for every member of the TBG club. We just come here when we want to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Well, we frequently spend our time in our VIP room in the TBG club but if we wanted some peace and calm, we come here at the mancave.

Just like our VIP room in the TBG club, all the entertainment that we want are here. There are also foods, drinks and every stuff we need if we happen to spend the night here.

Of course, this place is only for us and no one else could come aside from our own family and if you say family, it's the wife and children only.

"What the—you actually manage to bring him over." The surprise look on Zandro's face said it all. It has been more than three years since the last time I attended a get together like this with the guys. Well, I got to see the others these past few months but it was only during our missions which were brief because we didn't have the same assignments.

"Well, at last, he agreed to come here. Besides, this is the only time he's not busy ever since the last time we all met together like this. We were complete back then but now, there's only us." Ez answered as he thew himself on the couch and sat there as if he was at his own home.

"So, how have you been, bud? You've been on constant mission these past few years that we only got to see you a few times." It was Kyrus.

"Ky is right. I can't believe that you've been absent on most of our get togethers these past three years." It was Regan. I huffed.

"Enough with the questions. I just got here and you're already giving me headache." I then took a can of beer and started drinking it. They shared at look.

"Where are the others anyway?" I then queried casually as I looked at them. There was only Regan, Enrique, Kyrus, Ezron and Zardius.

"Well, you know how busy they are and it's not easy to gather everyone in the same place at the same time. We just decided to hang out together today because Zardius here is going to leave the USA for quite sometime." Regan answered and drank his own beer. My eyebrows creased.

"You're leaving? To where?" I asked Zardius. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I just have something to do in Greece. I don't know when am I going to return." I nodded my head and took another sip on my drink.

"What about you? What have you been doing? I can see that nothing has changed ever since that day. Well, it's obvious that you've become for dangerous though because you seem to be mad at everything and everyone around you. T told me that you've accepted the most dangerous assignments these past few years as if you were planning to die." Enrique voiced out while staring at me like a hawk.

"What? You're still heartbroken that you're really willing to throw away your own life?" Kyrus was shaking his head while saying that. I drank the remaining content of my beer and was about to open another one when Ezron stopped me.

"Bud, that's enough. You drank three beers already before coming here. You know what happens when you get drunk."

"Yeah. The last time we saw you got drunk, you almost got run over by a car." Regan remarked with a hint of amusement. I gritted my teeth as that particular night came back to me...

I kept on drinking alcohol like there's no tomorrow with the goal of getting drunk so that I would forget the pain that I was feeling even just for a short period of time.

I couldn't care less if I lost consciousness or don't wake up anymore. That might actually be better...

"Hey, that's enough. We came here to relax and enjoy not like this." Zandro reprimanded me and tried to snatch the bottle from me but I quickly evaded his attempt.

"Mind your own business, Z. Leave me alone." I answered pathetically and continued on drinking. We're currently in the VIP room of TBG club and for the first time in a while, we're complete. But I wasn't in the mood for any celebration or interacting with them.

I just came back from the mountains and I felt like my soul wasn't inside my body. I was at a loss and didn't know what to do with my life.

"X, what's happening to you? This is not like you. Knowing you, you've never drink this much alcohol before. Did something happen?" It was T. I looked up and saw that everyone was already surrounding me. Great.

"Don't mind me. I just want to get drunk and enjoy tonight." I then stood up and marched my way towards the door.

"What happened to X, Ez? You two were together these past few days, right?" I heard Oeris ask him but I didn't hear how he answered that because I already closed the door behind me.

Even though I was already drunk, I went downstairs. The loud noise of the music mixed with the voices of people inside the club around greeted my ears. I winced while descending the stairs.

Suddenly, I paused for a couple of seconds as I looked down at the people who were having fun. If it was before, I would've surely joined them but now, I felt like everything around me became grey.

Then, the lovely face of Sabina appeared on my mind as tears falling from her eyes. She was staring at me full of resentment.

"Ina..." I uttered like I wasn't myself and closed my eyes. I didn't know what to do anymore. I just couldn't forgive myself and felt desperate. My hand tightened on the bottle of alcohol that I was holding and then slowly opened my eyes.

A bitter small smile appeared on my face as the pain my chest intensified. It was so intense that I wanted to pull out my heart out of my chest. I was about to take another sip on my drink when I suddenly saw a woman exiting the club. She looked like Sabina.

"Ina..." I called for her but of course, with all the loud music, she didn't hear me. I tried my best to descend the stairs quickly that I almost fell down because my vision was already a little blurry because of drunkenness.

But I persevered. I needed to see her and talk to her!

"My Ina, wait!" I followed her desperately, trying my best to run straight without staggering. When I reached outside the club, I saw the woman crossing the street.

"Ina! Don't leave me! Wait for me!" I then crossed the street without thinking nor looking to my left or right. All I wanted was to catch up to her and take her into my arms. Because of that, I didn't see the car that was heading straight towards me.

"X!" That was the last thing I heard before I found myself being thrown on the ground. I groaned as the pain of the impact reached my senses.

I blinked innumerably, trying to understand what just happened.

"Are you crazy?! Were you planning to die?!" I tried to sit up and saw the angry look on Ezron's face. Looked like he saved me from being hit by a speeding car. Behind him were our friends, looking at me confusedly and full of concern.

But I didn't care about them. I looked around again but I couldn't see Sabina anymore.

"Ina...Where is Ina?" I asked like I was going insane.

"Are you talking about Sabina? Bud, you know that she's not here!"

I shook my head. "No. I saw her just now."

"X, Sabina is far away from here at this moment that's why it's impossible for her to be here. If you want to see her, you know where to find her." I could see the pity on Ezron's face while looking at me. His voice mellowed.

I shook my head as my eyes watered when I remembered what happened. "I...can't see her...You know that." Then, tears ran down my cheeks much to my friends' surprise. That was my very first time breaking down in front of anyone but I didn't care anymore.

My chest was so heavy and I felt like it would explode if I wouldn't cry it out...

"Shut up. Why don't you just focus on finding your woman whose name is Carina instead of commenting on what I'm doing?"

"What did you say? Don't you dare utter her name just to get on my nerves, Montaño. What about you? Why don't you just go straight to Lyon right now and see your woman whose name is Sabina?" His tone changed and held warning as he copied the way I spoke about his woman.

The same old Regan. Serious most of the time but dangerous when he gets mad.

My eyes squinted in anger as I heard Sabina's name for the first time in so long. "Don't you dare say her name."

"Hey, you two, that's enough. We know how brokenhearted the two of you right now but let's avoid pissing each other off." Ky butted in, obviously worried that Reg and I would get into a fight. He then looked at me.

"X, Reg is just concerned about you. We all are. Seeing you right now, it's clear as day that you're still in the same state you were in more than three years ago and we're just worried what you might do to yourself.

"You've been on most dangerous assignments as if it were just a mere child's play. What's happening to you? It's been more than three years. Just because of a girl, you're willing to throw away your life? Where is the Cryxus Montaño that we used to know?" He then stated and that made my blood boil.

Before anyone could react, I stood up abruptly and grabbed Kyrus by the collar roughly. "She's not just any other girl, you understand?!"

"X, that's enough. I'm sure, Ky didn't mean anything bad of saying that." Enrique got in between us as he forcefully pulled me away from Kyrus.

"This is not like you, X. You look so pathetic right now." But Ky didn't stop running his mouth.

"What the heck, Ky! Don't provoke him further!" Ez reprimanded and my jaw clenched. I met Kyrus' gaze sharply and the tension risen even more.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me, X. I have admired you for years because you knew how to handle any obstacles that came your way with ease. You never showed any mercy and was always calm and calculated not to mention wise. But just because of a girl you met in the mountains, you sank so low and you've become like a lost sheep finding its way in the dark.

"If you're this mess because of her, why don't you do anything to take her back instead of acting like this as if you're punishing yourself, pushing yourself past your limits and waiting to just die like an idiot?" I clenched my fists tightly and was about to retaliate when Ezron came between us.

"That's enough. We didn't come here to fight or throw sour words at one another. Man, I hate it when X, Reg, Quen, Ky and Zar are in the same place. You have the worst tempers in the TBG."

"How come I'm involved when I didn't say anything? As far as I know, everyone in the TBG have the worst tempers, except me, I guess." The same Zardius. I couldn't even tell if he was kidding or not. Well, he never kids around.

"Except you, my a*s. You're the quietest but when it comes to temper issues, you're the same as us if not, worst."

"Really? As far as I know, I am the calmest."

"You're the quietest but definitely not the calmest, Zar, and that's a fact. Anyway, enough of this. Let's just enjoy today without trying to piss each other off, can we?" Ez said and everyone finally agreed. I quietly sat on the stool at the bar counter.

I was about to have another sip of my drink when my phone rang. My forehead creased when I saw who the caller was.

"Papà."

"Son, your mother and I can't come home on the scheduled date. I need you to attend an important party on our stead."

"You know that I hate attending those kinds of gathering, papà. Find someone else to go on your stead." He sighed.

"Why? Are you busy right now? I can't just send anyone to Lyon just like that. If it's not because of an important matter, I prefer to attend Mr. Jean-Claude's party." My body went still upon hearing what he said.

"W-What did you say, papà? Are you referring to Mr. Jean-Claude Novell in Lyon France?"

"Yes, son."

"Where is the party venue?"

"Why do you suddenly sound so interested?"

I gulped inaudibly. "Just answer my question, papà."

"It will be in Claudette ranch in Lyon." My grip on my phone tightened. I closed my eyes shut, knowing that I shouldn't step foot on that place. Then, all of a sudden, my phone beeped.

"Wait, papà. Stay on the line." I then checked the message that I received. Different emotions filled my chest as I read the text message. I wanted to fly into a fit of rage and throw my phone on the floor. Thankfully, I still managed to control myself.

"When is the party, papà? I'll go." I then asked my father with a hardened face.

"Really? I thought you didn't want to?"

"I changed my mind." My voice was full of determination. Now that I think about it, it's been more than three years and I finally reached my limit. I needed to see her before I totally lose my mind.

Without any second thought, I went to Lyon France to finally see her but because of unforeseen events, our meeting didn't go as planned. To be fair, I knew that it wouldn't be easy but seeing her with the presence of another man with her made me lose my cool.

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What do you think of this chapter, Amores? 

Have you read Regan and Carina's love story already? If you haven't yet, read it now. 

What do you think of this mini reunion of some TBG members?

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