After a few more days, Mauricio managed to persuade Narin's guardian to take the girl to a nearby, modest restaurant. The place was close to her hideout, so after much persuasion, the trader finally managed to convince Torres.

The news that Vazquez got permission from her guardian to leave the hideout made her very happy. She hated sitting in one place for so long. She couldn't find a suitable job, she was very bored there. She obeyed her guardian's request to stay hidden for a few days, just because she didn't want him to worry about her, nor to make his health worse.

The young people had a nice time in the restaurant, talking and eating dinner together. However, judging from Serrano's behavior, the assassin knew something must be up, so she decided to ask what it was really about.

"Pachuco." She began, then sighed and looked meaningfully at her friend. "Since we got here, all you've complained about is the food and the cook. Why don't you finally tell me what's going on, hm? You just mentioned earlier that you need me for something, so let's get to the point and don't keep me in this ignorance any longer."

"Chinita." He began seriously, then closed his eyes as he finished a bite of his meal. Only after a moment he look at the mulatto again. "It's so fucking good that when I'm finish with it... I'm going to pay the fucking bill, go straight to the kitchen and fucking shoot that cook who cooks so damn well."

Narin frowned as she leaned more against the chair.

"Sarcasm?" She asked, still looking at the brunet.

"As always, babe." he replied with a smile.

The woman laughed softly. A moment later, she analyzed his words and, frowning, asked:

"So you want me to kill the cook? That's why we're here for? Is that it?"

"No!" He called at once. "I'll kill the cook, he totally screwed up my dish." He shook his head, then set his plate aside and rested his elbows on the table. "Chinita..." He looked at his companion. "I really hoped I wouldn't have to involve you in this, but..." He sighed. "Well, the truth is, only you know the whole truth about me." He smiled faintly, and Narin, hearing his words, moved closer and, like the trader, rested her hands on the table. "I need help." He said with great reluctance. It was hard for him to admit that this time he couldn't handle the problem on his own.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked gently. "Tell me exactly what it is, pachuco. Tell me the stories as always." She smiled. "When we first met, you were talking the whoooole time." She reminded him to laugh softly. "But still, after all, every word was always sincere."

Mauricio nodded, not hiding a smile. After a moment, however, he lowered his head and hesitated for a moment before what he was about to say.

"I don't like asking for help. I don't like feeling this helplessness." He shook his head in disbelief. "I thought I closed this chapter a long time ago, but... my nightmare has caught up with me, chinita. And to be honest, right now in this world I have no one else to turn to for help... no one else but you." He looked at the woman listening to his words. "I need you." He took her hand rather timidly. "Savvy?" He chuckled softly at the end.

"So I'm the last resort for a famous trader." She smiled which he returned. "It's a pity not to take advantage of this offer." She nodded. "Tell me what should I do for you, Señor Serrano?"

The man was silent for a few short moments, then he grew serious and lowered his voice so that only she could hear him.

"I want you to kill a man." He said after a while, which made her even more curious. "The demon of my past..." He sighed. "Arda Sadik Reis."

Brunet told about everything that tormented him. Again, he told her the story of how he and his aunt Ximena had carried out their plan, blaming the enemy of Mauricio's father. Serrano told his friend everything he had learned on his own. He told of his suspicions and that Arda had escaped and now wanted revenge on the trader.

"Sadik Reis won't rest until he kills me." Brunet said. "I'm not surprised, but..." He sighed. "I'm not in a rush to the grave right now." He laughed softly.

"Do you know where he might be hiding?" Narin asked, analyzing the man's every word.

"No. He's holed up somewhere, just waiting for the right moment. But he's giving me signs..."

"What signs?"

"First he killed Ximena, and then sent me a strand of her hair as a sign that he has his eye on me and will soon end our conflict..." He reminded with a hint of sadness. "One thing I know for sure." He began, feeling his blood boil. "The bastard must die in the greatest agony, chinita."

He looked at the mulatto.

"For what he did to aunt Ximena..." He shook his head. "He's got to pay for it." He said firmly. "I know he was avenging himself for what we did, too, but... I wish I was in her place... She was suffering when she died... She didn't deserve this. What we did to that bastard... She just wanted to protect me. She was the only person who cared about me in any way, who ever cared about me at that time... I should've taken over her suffering." He lowered his head, then ran his free hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "No one else will ever suffer because of my mistakes..."

Narin listened attentively to his words and felt a sense of despondency creep over her. Looking at her suffering friend, she saw herself. Just a few years ago, she herself was in a similar situation. No one had ever cared for her before, no one had worried about her. And when such a person finally appeared, someone decided to take him away forever.

Narin still remembered her rage and despair. There were still piles of bodies in front of her eyes, and one of them seemed to be the clearest to her. It was Arcenio. Remembering her dead beloved, she felt tears welling up in her eyes, so she quickly controlled herself, but still, the pain never left her heart.

She still remembered the moment she found him dead. She could still feel the coldness of his dead body, she could still hear her cry of despair and feel streams of tears flooding her, and the stabbing pain in her heart only increased. At that time, Narin also wanted to be in Arcenio's place. She would've preferred her to suffer that death, not him. She preferred to take his place because she knew she deserved it, unlike the dead man, who had only done, was just open his heart to her. He saved her, showed her a world she didn't know. Yet for all the good he had done, it was Arcenio, not Narin, who suffered the greatest punishment. Although, is that really true?

Death was quick and disappeared in the depths of darkness or despair, and life, still went on. No, the biggest punishment was just living on without a loved one by your side. It was by far the worst feeling ever. Knowing that loved ones were gone, gone forever and never to be seen again. It was the realization that hit the hardest, every time. Just like the fact that you couldn't even say goodbye... say the last words, embrace your loved one, one last time. Everything was gone in just a moment. One, painful moment.

Narin looked at their joined hands and then looked at the worried companion.

"Sadik Reis won't kill you." Woman said confidently, which caught Serrano's attention. "I'll kill him first." She added firmly.

The youngsters paid for the food, and just as they were about to leave, the trader stopped his companion and reached into his belt for a gun.

Woman smiled and looked at him a bit confused.

"I said I'd kill the cook." He said, as if it was obvious, to which the mulatto nodded in understanding and followed the nervous friend to the kitchen, still not hiding her amusement. "I guess señor Torres will be pissed off that today, just at the time of your absence from the hideout, another man died, but..." He stopped, turned to his beloved and smiled cheerfully, spreading his hands. "Today, I'm the one who's going to kill the cook." He chuckled and headed in the right direction.

After a few moments they were already in place, and people were looking at them in confusion. They whispered among themselves, wondering if strangers were even allowed in the back room, but before they could come to any conclusion, the assassin and the trader did what they decided.

"You're the cook?" Brunet asked looking with disgust at the tall man.

"Um...yeah it's me." He replied equally confused. "But..."

"Fuck." Serrano shook his head in disbelief. "You'd learn to cook, or there'll be more people like me wanting to kill the cook for bad food." He waved the hand in which he held the gun.

"Huh?" Man started, but he couldn't finish, because the brunet shot him with his gun, on which he put on a silencer a second earlier.

After the incident, Narin and Mauricio left the place as if nothing had happened. Only after they left, there were shouts deducing that the dead cook's body had been found, but the young people no longer cared about it.